Reflecting Love's Charms (Bellingwood Book 14) (23 page)

"Maybe a little bit. Why do you ask?"

"Because every time a policeman kills someone, they have to see a psychologist before going back to work."

"Do you want to talk to someone about what happened tonight?"

"Should I?"

Polly glanced at Henry and was surprised to see a small smile on his face. He lifted his eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Polly asked.

Hayden chuckled. "You sound like a therapist. Maybe she doesn't need anybody else."

"I think you should," Heath said quietly.

Rebecca opened her eyes and looked up at him. "But I don't want to be a drama queen about this." She heard what she had just said and sat up, then put her arms around him. "That came out wrong. You aren't at all. It's just that it feels like I'm always getting into something. Andrew already thinks I'm high maintenance."

"Those are two separate things, honey," Polly said.

"But worse things happen to you and you don't talk to anybody."

"She talks to me," Henry said. "All the time. She never shuts up. It's always talk, talk, talk, talk, talk with this one."

Polly swatted at him. "No I don't. Part of it, Rebecca, is that you've had a pretty extreme year. Your mother died, you were adopted by us and now this. You've had a lot to process and it's all been very personal."

"You've had an extreme year, too," Rebecca said.

"I'm thirty-something," Polly said with a cough. "Not twelve."

"Almost thirteen. Can you believe that Kayla is back for my party? I hope she can come. I hope Stephanie comes home tomorrow. Is it bad that I want them to come to my party when this awful thing just happened to them?" Rebecca pursed her lips in concentration. "Maybe I shouldn't have the party tomorrow. It might be too much for them after their dad died and Stephanie got hurt." She sat forward. "Do you think we should wait until next week?"

"Can you wait?" Polly asked with a smile.

Hayden let loose a laugh.

"Stop laughing," Rebecca said. "If I'm being selfish by having a party, then somebody should tell me that. Maybe we can just have our own family birthday party and then have the big one next weekend." She looked up at him coyly. "I wouldn't want to miss the great present you're giving me. Right?"

"Right," he said. Hayden tapped his brother's shoulder. "We left it at my apartment. I told you that you were supposed to remind me. Darn."

"Maybe she can wait until next weekend's big party," Heath replied. "It's not that big of a deal anyway. Just a case of grape juice boxes." He clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell. Sorry."

"You're kidding, right?" Rebecca asked.

Heath and Hayden both shrugged their shoulders.

Rebecca put her hands on both of their knees and gripped, making them groan. "You're kidding. Right? Polly, make them tell me they're kidding."

"I have no idea what they're doing for your birthday," Polly said. "As far as I know, it's grape juice boxes."

"Henry?" Rebecca asked.

"Grape juice sounds about right to me," he said. He pulled into the convenience mart on the highway. "I feel the need for ice cream treats before we get home. Grape popsicle for you, Rebecca?"

She crossed her arms and huffed. "You all are mean." Rebecca looked up at Polly while keeping her head down and winked. "I want a fudgy, nutty bar with colorful sprinkles on it. And if you don't get that for me, I'm going to cry."

"A what?" Hayden asked.

"You heard me. I want a peanut butter, chocolate shake with banana topping."

Henry shook his head and got out of the truck. "Anybody else have a special request or shall I just get what I always get?"

Polly waved him off and sat back in her seat. This had already been a long evening and by the time they were home, it would just be the beginning of an even longer night. Rebecca was wound up and the boys didn't look as if they'd be going to sleep soon.

"Maybe a little Star Wars when we get home," she said.

"It's kind of your go-to stress reliever, isn't it?" Rebecca asked.

"Either that or a good book." She turned back around. "Was the house a mess when you left?" she asked Hayden.

"Not too bad. Lydia and Marie did their best."

"I'll take care of the dogs," Heath said.

"Thanks, honey. That would be great." Polly tried to relax again. "I'm looking forward to sweat pants and bare feet."

"Me too," Rebecca said. "I ripped this dress when I fell. Do you think Beryl would be mad if I never wore it again?"

Polly chuckled. "I think Beryl would be glad to burn it for you."

Henry opened the truck door and handed a bag to Polly. "It's a good thing they have gotten used to my buying habits. I never have to worry if they're out of stock. We can eat ice cream all night long."

"This is what he does when he tries to fix our emotions," Polly said, holding up a heavy bag. "Thanks, sweetie." She didn’t want to remind him that the freezer was already stocked after last night’s party. He had to do what he had to do.

"I'm glad tomorrow is Sunday," he said. "There's no way I could go to work after today."

"Tomorrow will be a good day," Polly said. "We're all together now."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Silence greeted Polly when she woke up. There were no dogs, and the cats were on the cat tree, lolling in the morning sunshine. She had no idea what time it was.

They'd stayed up late last night talking about everything, from Rebecca's adventure to Hayden's worries over finals week; from the dreams she had for the Bell House to teasing Heath about all of the girls who were interested in him. Henry had finally sent everyone to bed a little before one o'clock and when Polly's head hit the pillow, she'd gone out like a light.

"Where is everyone?" she asked the cats, who studiously ignored her. Polly got out of bed and threw on a robe, then tiptoed out into the living room to see if anyone else was up yet. All of the bedroom doors were open and there were still no dogs to be found. "All right," she said. "What's the joke?" She looked around for a note, but found nothing. "Fine then. I'm going back to bed." She walked back to her room, sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up her phone.

It was only eight o'clock. Where had they gone? But ah ha. There was a message waiting from Henry.

"Happy Mother's Day, Polly. Take a shower and get dressed for the day. We have a surprise for you, but you have to find us. Let me know when you're ready to go!"

She chuckled and shook her head. There would be no breakfast in bed for her. Leave it to her family to make an adventure out of Mother's Day. The truth was, though, she'd barely thought about it. She'd been so focused on Sal's shower yesterday and Rebecca's birthday party today, there hadn't been any time to wonder whether or not her family would do something beyond breakfast.

As Polly stood in the shower, she realized how strange it felt to be thinking about this being a day she’d celebrate. That reminded her she needed to be prepared for Father's Day. After Henry's last year, he deserved a huge celebration. The poor man had been thrust into fatherhood with a vengeance.

Once she was dressed, she sent a text saying,
"Ready!"

"Your morning starts at the barn. Eliseo is ready for you. Go ahead and drive down, though. You'll need wheels."

Polly smiled. No better place to start today than with her animals. It made her tear up a little when she thought about it. The very first things she'd mothered back to health were those big horses. She'd be glad to give them a hug this morning. She ran down the back steps to her truck and then drove around to the barn. She parked, got out and went through the gates, then opened the barn door. She laughed out loud when she saw Eliseo standing in the alley of the barn with all four horses decked out with garlands of flowers on their heads.

"What is this?" she asked.

"They wanted to tell you Happy Mother's Day," he said. "We're glad you found them and gave them a home." Eliseo stepped forward and handed her a card. "I'm glad you found me and gave me a home, too, Polly." He took the garland from Demi's head and placed it over hers, allowing it to fall around her neck.

"Oh Eliseo," Polly said, tears springing from her eyes. "Thank you." She hugged him and then snuggled each of the horses.

He gave a small whistle which brought in Tom and Huck. Eliseo handed her a little bag of carrots which she shared with the donkeys, after which she received a head butt from Tom and a nuzzle from Huck.

"This is amazing," she whispered.

"You can't stay," Eliseo said. "Open the card and your next set of directions is in there." He stepped forward and gave her another hug. "Thanks for believing in us."

Polly opened the card and smiled back at him as she read it.

A three by five index card was tucked inside and written on it were the words,
"Your next stop is just down the road. At Sycamore Inn, your talents, they glowed. Grey has the next piece of your journey."

This was going to be a rough morning if this continued. Polly waved to Eliseo and went back to her truck. It was only a short trip to Sycamore Inn and she pulled in under the canopy.

When she went inside, Grey looked up from the computer and smiled. "Good morning, Polly. Your family is on a mission to tell you that you are loved."

"I guess so. What do they have for me here?"

He came out from behind the counter to greet her and handed her another card, then pulled her in for a hug. "This is from me," he said, presenting her with a small wrapped box. "Thank you for believing in me, even when you had no idea who I was. I'd lost myself and yet you saw something in me. I don't have a mother to celebrate with today, but I'm grateful for your caring."

"Oh Grey," she said. "This wasn't necessary. You've done so much here."

"Hush," he replied. "We don't often get an opportunity to tell you thank you. Accept it, please."

"May I open it now?"

He gave a slight bow. "Of course."

Polly tore the wrapping and opened the small jewelry box to find a small silver paw print charm on a chain. "This is adorable," she said. "Thank you so much." She handed him the chain. "Would you?"

"I'd be honored."

She bent at the knees so he could fasten the necklace and then lift the garland over it.

"While the card is from me, the directions for your next stop are in there as well," he said. "Have a wonderful morning and Happy Mother's Day."

Dazed, Polly walked out of the hotel lobby to her truck. She quickly turned to wave goodbye, but Grey had already opened the door to his apartment and slipped inside. She read his sweet note and then took out the next three by five card.

"You are almost home. Just one more quick stop where Camille will have your coffee ready for you. Don't delay. You don't want it to get cold."

"Thank goodness for coffee," Polly said and drove toward the downtown area and Sweet Beans Coffee Shop. She parked in front and reached up to take the flowers off, but then thought that she didn't need to do that. It was Mother's Day, the first time she'd ever had an opportunity to celebrate, and she was going to enjoy it. She jumped out and went inside.

The coffee shop was busier than she expected on Mother's Day morning, but Camille waved at her and waggled a coffee cup from behind the counter.

"Good morning, Polly," Camille said. "It sounds as if you’re having an adventure."

"I guess I am," Polly said. "But I've been promised coffee. Is that mine?"

"Only if you follow me." Camille beckoned for Polly to follow her back to the kitchen.

"Happy Mother's Day," a chorus rang out. Sylvie, Jason and Andrew, Jessie, Molly, and Elise smiled at Polly.

Sylvie stepped forward. "We're not your family, but you've helped us all find a future to be excited about, so we wanted to be a little part of your day." She pressed a bundle of crazy daisies into Polly's hands as they hugged. "There's a little something in the middle of this," Sylvie whispered. "You can open it later."

Jessie picked her daughter up and stepped forward so Molly could wrap her arms around Polly's neck and kiss her. "When I was at my lowest, you didn't let me fall down, but showed me how to stand up. I still can't believe how lucky I am to be part of your big family." Jessie smiled at her daughter. "Give Polly her present, honey."

Molly opened her little hands to expose another small box.

"What's this?" Polly asked.

"A flower," Molly said proudly, making the room laugh.

"You can open it later," Jessie said. "It will go with your necklace."

"Pretty flowers," Molly said, reaching for Polly's garland.

Jessie grabbed her daughter's hand and stepped back.

"It's my turn," Elise said. "I came back to Bellingwood because it was the first place I'd ever been where someone didn't care whether or not I was just myself. You showed me what courage looked like and it changed my life." She darted at Polly, gave her a quick hug and then handed her another small box. "Open it later. It will make sense."

"I don't know what to say," Polly said.

"We aren't done," Jason responded. "This is from me. I was supposed to come up with a reason why you were so important to me, but I can't think of a reason why you aren't." He glanced at his mother, then said, "I love you, Polly."

That destroyed her and she wept. "Thank you, Jason," she managed to say.

"This will remind you of me," he said and handed her yet another box. "And yeah. You can open it later."

Andrew stepped in front of his brother. Polly hadn't seen them stand together in a long time and was startled to see how tall Andrew was getting. He was still lanky and looked nothing like his brother, but he was growing like crazy.

"I won't make you cry," he said. "And I didn't wrap this box, so you can see what it is." He snapped the box open to expose a charm in the form of a book. "It's always been about books with us," Andrew said. "And I hope that never stops."

As Polly stepped forward to hug him, he muttered, "Neither does the hugging stuff, apparently."

She pulled him into a hug and he whispered in her ear. "I love you, too. Thanks."

Sylvie stepped forward. "Your family is waiting for you. After you pick up your coffee from Camille, head over to your new house. We'll see you this afternoon at Rebecca's party."

"I'm at such a loss," Polly said. "I love you guys. I didn't do any of this on purpose. You are the ones who filled up my life." Tears ran down her cheeks. "And now I don't know how I'm going to drive. You made me cry."

"Go on," Sylvie said. "Get a napkin from Camille, too.

Polly looked at Jessie and Molly, then Elise and Sylvie's boys. Her family was immense. "Okay," she said. "I'm going. Thank you so much for sharing this with me."

Camille met her in the hallway with a small bag for her to drop the boxes into and a tall cup of coffee. "Have fun," she said.

"Are you going to see your mother today?" Polly asked.

"They're coming over this afternoon," Camille said with a nod. "Mama says she wants to fill my little house up with family today. I'm not sure what she's thinking, but since it's Mother's Day, I won't argue."

"Have a good time with them," Polly said. "And thank you."

She got back into her truck and looked at the treasures in front of her, then backed out and headed for the Bell House. Henry had gone to a lot of trouble this morning and she wasn't sure what else he might come up with.

Polly pulled in beside Henry's truck and looked around, surprised to not see anyone. When she got out of her truck, she grinned at the arrow made from rocks on the driveway. It pointed to the back yard. She reached back into the truck for her coffee and the bag of boxes, hoping she'd have an opportunity to open them yet this morning. She looked at the bundle of daisies and snatched those up, too. You could never go wrong with flowers.

"Hello!" she called out as she crossed the breezeway.

"There you are," Rebecca said, running to greet her. "Have you had a good morning?"

"It was wonderful. Were you in on the planning?"

"A little. Henry did all of this, though. Come on. You have to see." Rebecca tugged on Polly's arm.

"I'm coming. I'm coming. Happy thirteenth birthday, sweet girl. How are you doing this morning?"

"Okay," Rebecca said. "I'm glad it's over and I'm glad Kayla and Stephanie are back and I'm glad Stephanie is doing okay. I talked to Jeff and Kayla this morning. They're going to the hospital to see if she can go home with them. Hopefully they'll be out in time for my party. But Jeff said he'd make sure Kayla got there at least."

"That's good. Now where are we..." Polly looked up and gasped. "Oh my."

"Do you like it?" Rebecca asked.

"I love it."

Hayden and Heath stood up from a small table in a gazebo, each holding a leash attached to a dog. Obiwan and Han wagged like crazy when they saw Polly.

Henry stepped out from the side of the house to offer Polly his arm. "What do you think?" he asked.

"It's gorgeous. What have you done?"

He chuckled. "We made you a gazebo. This back corner is the perfect place for it. The big old trees offer a lot of shade and I thought we might put a garden in out here."

"You made this? You haven't had time. I thought you were working on the front porch."