Reflecting Love's Charms (Bellingwood Book 14) (28 page)

"It doesn't have to be this hard, Polly," he'd said. "My rules aren't difficult to remember. Figure them out and life gets much easier."

They ended up having that conversation a couple of times before she finally realized that none of her friends were going to laugh at her for making a quick call to her dad to let him know where she was and when she'd be home. But with every new issue, it had always taken Polly a couple of stabs at independent thought before she realized that it was easier to follow his rules. She chuckled at the memory. Her adolescent brain insisted that he was just making rules to drive her crazy.

"I get it now," she said. "You wanted so much for me. But I do believe the one I'm raising is more independent than I ever was. Serves me right? Probably."

The dogs' nails clicking on the floor made her look up and she caught Obiwan as he leapt into her lap. "I missed you too," she said. "You were gone so very long."

Andrew walked into the living room behind the dogs. "They ran all over the place. Sorry about being late."

"You're fine. But you need to get busy on your homework."

He looked back at the table. "I don't have much time before Mom picks me up."

"Because you wasted it playing games?" Polly asked.

He looked at the floor.

"Maybe you should put in some extra effort while you have time. Okay?"

"Okay." His shoulders drooped and he dragged his feet as he went back into the dining room to sit with Rebecca.

Polly laughed again and kissed her dog. "They're so much fun to mess with."

Both dogs took off at a dead run for the back door again and Polly stood up. It was a little early for Henry to be home, but he'd been around more this week. He still wasn't over Rebecca's kidnapping. Every night he sat down with her and asked questions about her day. It didn't take much to draw her out; she was a gregarious little girl. They'd talked about what had happened last Saturday night. Both Polly and Henry wanted to make sure that Rebecca had plenty of opportunities to talk about what she'd felt and how she was feeling now. That would slowly lessen over time, but Rebecca wasn't interested in talking to a therapist and Grey told them the best thing to do was let her talk about it when she needed to as long as she wasn't obsessing over it. So far, things were normal. Then again, Rebecca had dealt with quite a bit in her young life and she was pretty good at taking things in stride. Sarah Heater had raised a strong child.

"Hello there," Henry said, coming in to the living room. He pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. "Good day?"

"It was," Polly said. "You?"

"I'm home early and I didn't punch anyone, so yeah. It was a good day."

Polly took a deep breath. "I don't want to cook tonight. Can we go out to eat?"

"I don't care," he said. "Davey's? Mexican? Pizza?"

Heath and Hayden were walking through to their room. "Pizza?" Heath asked.

"Pizza it is," Polly said. "Do you have homework tonight?"

"Just some reading. I can do that later."

"Do it now," she said with a smile. "We won't go out until later anyway."

"Really?" he asked. "I've been working all day."

She put her head down, shook it and laughed.

"Now," Henry said. He put his arm around Polly's waist and led her into their bedroom. "What was that laugh about?" he asked once the door was closed.

"I'm a parent," she said. "A full-blown parent of teenagers. I swear to you I never saw this coming, but here we are."

"Are you overwhelmed yet?"

"I'm still laughing about it most of the time."

"That's good." He walked into the bathroom, stripping off his shirt. "I'm taking a shower."

Polly locked their bedroom door and followed him. "What do you mean, that's good? Do you know something?"

Henry turned to face her, surprise on his face. "No!"

"You scared me, asking questions like that."

He turned the water on in the shower and pulled his socks off. "You're doing pretty well at the whole thing and we're moving into that big house one of these days. We haven't rescued anyone in months. Somehow I think that break is nearly over."

Polly flipped the toilet lid down and sat on it, then took her own shoes and socks off. "Don't say things like that. I don't need those words hanging over my head. I have enough to worry about with those two dead bodies and no killer." She pulled her shirt over her head, then unclasped the charm bracelet and placed it in a basket on the counter.

"You're worrying about only one killer?" Henry asked.

"It has to be the same person," Polly said. "And since they don't know who it is yet, I'm worried there might be more bodies on the way."

"You shouldn't worry. That’s Aaron's job." Henry watched as she undressed. "And what are you doing?"

"I'm rescuing you from a lonely shower. Unless you want me to leave."

He laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you so much, Polly Giller. You are never boring."

"What kind of life would that be?"

"Not ours. What do you think is next?"

"Change," she replied. "Lots and lots of change." Polly kissed him again. "And that's just the way I like it."

I’m so glad you enjoy these stories about Polly Giller and her friends. There are many ways to stay in touch with Diane and the Bellingwood community.

You can find more details about Sycamore House and Bellingwood at the website:
http://nammynools.com/

Join the Bellingwood Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pollygiller

for news about upcoming books, conversations while I’m writing and you’re reading, and a continued look at life in a small town.

Diane Greenwood Muir’s
Amazon Author Page
is a great place to watch for new releases.

Follow Diane on Twitter at
twitter.com/nammynools
for regular updates and notifications.

Recipes and decorating ideas found in the books can often be found on Pinterest at:
http://pinterest.com/nammynools/

And, if you are looking for Sycamore House swag, check out Polly’s CafePress store:
http://www.cafepress.com/sycamorehouse

Don’t miss the first books in
Diane Greenwood Muir’s

Bellingwood Series

All Roads Lead Home – Bellingwood #1
A Big Life in a Small Town – Bellingwood #2
Treasure Uncovered – Bellingwood #3
Secrets and Revelations – Bellingwood #4
Life Between the Lines – Bellingwood #5
Room at the Inn – Bellingwood #5.5
A Season of Change – Bellingwood #6
Tomorrow's Promises – Bellingwood #7
Through the Storm – Bellingwood #8
A Perfect Honeymoon – Bellingwood #8.5
Pages of the Past – Bellingwood #9
The River Rolls On – Bellingwood #10
Look Always Forward – Bellingwood #11
Out of the Shadows – Bellingwood #12
Holidays are for Family – Bellingwood #12.5
Unexpected Riches – Bellingwood #13
Reflecting Love’s Charms – Bellingwood #14

A short story based
on the Biblical Book of Ruth (Kindle only)
Abiding Love

The Bellingwood community continues to grow. One of the best places to meet new people who enjoy all of these wonderful characters is on Facebook. Come spend time with us at facebook.com/pollygiller.

When I think about the number of people who are part of my life and who help me get from book to book, I’m astounded.

My beta readers are more than just readers. They edit, find continuity problems, point out unnecessary words / phrases / thoughts, catch strange grammar and are such a necessary part of my process. These people teach me how much I have yet to learn about the English language and all of its intricacies. Without them, I’d be lost. Thank you to these amazing people: Rebecca Bauman, Tracy Kesterson Simpson, Linda Watson, Alice Stewart, Fran Neff, Max Muir, Edna Fleming, Linda Baker and Nancy Quist. A special thank you to Judy Tew who reads and corrects my final edited copy. She gives me confidence I didn’t realize I was missing.

There is no way to say thank you to everyone who encourages me on a daily basis. In small and large ways, I am reminded how important people are to me. From a quick word in a message to a gift showing up in my mailbox, I am touched by the love that each of you share. The world is a wonderful place and I get to see that every day.