Reflecting Love's Charms (Bellingwood Book 14) (5 page)

"Come on, Kent," Eliseo said. "We have plenty of work to do."

"Do you like her?" Polly asked Jason after they walked away. "I mean, really like her?"

Jason nodded and shrugged, not looking up.

"Have you said anything to your mom?"

He looked up at that ... in shock. "No!"

"How about Andrew?"

"Not really. He's too busy talking about Rebecca this and Rebecca that."

"Of all the girls you know, is she the one you want to go out with?"

That question brought a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Polly said. "You know a lot of girls. Is Selena the one you want to date?"

"I guess. She's the only one who said anything to me. The others just act like they're part of the group or completely ignore me."

"Part of the group?"

"You know," he said. "We all just hang out together. Are you trying to confuse me on purpose?"

Polly shook her head. "Nope. I just want you to think about all of the possibilities. And I want you to have fun and get to know different types of girls while you're in high school. You’re such an amazing young man. I want to see so much happen in your future."

He huffed. "Why are you letting Rebecca and Andrew be serious, then?"

Polly looked away, out at the horses and donkeys, at her dogs playing with Eliseo's two dogs. Why would Jason be any different than Rebecca and Andrew?

"That's a good question," she said. "I think everyone is different and the way they handle relationships is different, too. Henry and I didn't do all of the romantic, schmaltzy stuff when we got married, but Andy wanted that for her wedding. Sal and Mark will probably elope one of these days and tell no one. Andrew and Rebecca fit together. They make each other crazy and are each other's best friend. They force each other to be better at the things they love to do. And the truth is, if they break up and each find someone else to fall in love with, that will be just fine. I'll bet they will always be friends, though. You're different than Andrew."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't find a girl to be friends with when you were young. You found horses and Eliseo. Now you're growing up and girls are finally starting to pay attention to you. It's about time they realize how terrific you are, but I don't want you falling for the first one to bat her eyes at you because you're so ready to have a girlfriend, you can't stop yourself. You deserve a girl that will tell you the truth and be your friend. She'll make you as crazy-nuts as I make Henry and think you’re amazing because of the things you do."

Jason scowled at her. "Why don't you think that's Selena?"

Polly had met Selena several times this last spring when she came over to the house with the group of friends that Heath spent time with. The girl was perfectly nice. She was polite and attractive and ... she didn't have much else going on. Someday she might find herself, but right now, she couldn't pay much attention to anything other than what everybody else was doing.

"It might be Selena," Polly said. "I'm not telling you that you shouldn't take her out. If she's asking, I think you should. It isn't every boy that has girls chasing him for a date. You should definitely take advantage of this."

"But you don't think she's girlfriend material?"

"I didn't say that either," Polly replied. "I'm just telling you that you are an amazing young man and you deserve an incredible girlfriend. Someone who thinks that you are a rockstar and then tells you that you can be even more than that. Because you are and you can."

"How do I get into these conversations with you?" Jason asked.

"I have no idea. I just open my mouth and then you keep talking to me."

He dropped down onto the bench. "I don't talk to anybody else in the world the way you make me talk to you."

"It's my superpower," Polly said. "Well, that and finding dead bodies. I did it again this morning."

His head shot up. "You did?"

"Yeah. Over at our house. In a hole in the ground. I fell in and landed on some bones. We think they're nearly a hundred years old."

"Who is it?"

"I have no idea. But there was a whiskey still in the same room. I can't believe I didn't land on that, too."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so." Polly rubbed her lower back. "I'll probably wake up tomorrow morning moaning and groaning, but I'm pretty much okay. And there was a tunnel in the room that led back to the house."

"Wow," Jason said. "What were they doing with a tunnel?"

"Wouldn't it be cool if the old hotel was a speakeasy and they were making whiskey to sell during Prohibition?"

"You should totally do that for the centennial celebration this summer."

"Sell whiskey?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head. "Wouldn't that be cool?"

"No," she replied, shaking her own head. "It wouldn't. The law in the state would be down on me in a heartbeat. It's illegal to distill and sell whiskey without a license."

"So get a license."

"Yeah. No," Polly said. "We have a winery in town, we don't need a distillery."

"It was just a thought."

"We're going to have enough going on without trying to open a distillery. Sometimes I look at that house and think that I may never get to move in."

"It will be weird here if you're not around all the time."

"Yes it will, but maybe I'll actually come work here during the day if I live off site," Polly said.

"Everybody will miss you. Even the horses miss you when you don't come down very often."

"Now you're just making me feel guilty."

Jason looked up at her and grinned. "So we can quit thinking about me and girls now?"

"You're a rotten kid." Polly laughed and swatted at his shoulder. "You go on and help your buddies."

"I still don't know why I tell you everything that I tell you," Jason said, standing up. "But thanks."

Polly stepped in and gave him a hug. "I still love you so much it makes my heart hurt sometimes," she said. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you and who you’re growing up to be."

She moved away before she made herself cry. "Now go to work. I need to gather my dogs and head back to the house. Good luck with your love life." Polly laughed out loud and then walked toward the gate. "Obiwan, Han. Come on! Let's go inside."

CHAPTER FIVE

Yesterday’s fall had been a little rougher than expected. Polly had managed to sleep through the night, but woke up stiff and sore. It was only a few blocks to the coffee shop and the walk would help stretch her muscles enough to get her through the day.

When she opened the front door of Sweet Beans, the scent of coffee and baking stopped her long enough to breathe in deeply.

"It's that good, isn't it," a woman said, passing Polly in the doorway as she was leaving.

Polly laughed, a little embarrassed. "Yes it is. And it never gets old."

"Good morning, Polly," Camille said. "Your regular?"

"Yes please." She looked around the room and didn't see any of her friends. "Sal been in yet this morning?"

"Not yet," Camille said, shaking her head. "But we should see her any minute now. She's gotten on a pretty regular schedule."

"I think she's trying to get organized for the baby."

Camille put Polly's drink on the counter. "Have you heard that her mother is coming in for the shower?"

Polly put her hand on the cup. "No way. When?"

"Friday afternoon, I think," Camille said. "She called Sal yesterday morning to tell her that the plane ticket had been purchased."

"Poor Sal."

Camille nodded. "It's my fault. At least Sal blames me. I sent the invitation, not even thinking for a minute she'd come to Iowa."

"Where's she staying?" Polly asked.

"Ask Sal yourself."

The front doorbell jangled and Polly turned around. Her best friend strode in the front door, tall and glorious in black slacks with a red blouse that showed off all of Sal's features, including the perfect pregnant belly she carried.

"Did she tell you?" Sal demanded. "Sylvie said you were having a bad day yesterday so I didn't call, but did she tell you?" Sal pointed at Camille. "Did you tell her?"

"I did," Camille said with a laugh. "How are you this morning?"

"No better than I was yesterday morning, that's for sure. Can you believe it? My mother is coming to Iowa. What kind of fresh hell will she bring with her? Decaf today, Camille. We had a rough night and I'm not introducing any caffeine into our system today. Calm and steady, that's the ticket."

"Calm and steady?" Polly asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what Mark said, too. He told me that I'm so freaked out by my mother's arrival that I'm chasing the baby around in its bedroom." She pointed at her belly. "Poor baby. It doesn't even know yet how insane this woman can be. All it is getting is my emotional backlash."

"It sounds strange to hear you call it an it," Polly said. "I can't believe you two don't want to know the baby's gender."

"I have few enough surprises in life." Sal snarled. "Except for my mother. Let me rephrase that. I have few enough fun surprises in my life that Mark and I agreed this would be one of them. I'm looking forward to it." Sal picked up her coffee. "Thanks, Camille. You're a life saver."

She grabbed Polly's hand and drew her over to a table. "Tell me I'm not a horrible daughter."

"You're not a horrible daughter," Polly said. "Why?"

"I don't want her at the house. I called Grey and reserved a room at the hotel."

Polly chuckled. "That makes sense. She would make you crazy if she stayed with you."

"And I'm telling her that she can't come back to Iowa until I've been home with the baby for a couple of weeks. Is that awful?"

"Will you get away with it?"

"I don't know. But Mark said he didn't want us to try to figure out how to take care of a baby and deal with her shenanigans all at the same time. His mother said she wasn't coming down until Bellingwood Days. She'll stay with Dylan and Lisa."

Dylan and Lisa Foster had moved down from the Ogden's home in Minnesota long before Mark moved into town. Dylan owned Pizzazz, the pizza place across the street from Sweet Beans and Lisa owned a dance studio in town.

"She's not coming for the shower this weekend?"

"Oh yeah," Sal said, nodding vigorously, then she rolled her eyes. "That ought to be a trip. His mother epitomizes class and my mother is a snob. Want to have dinner with us Saturday night and help me avoid the awkwardness of it all?"

"No thank you," Polly said. "I want no part of that. You should see if your dad wants to come this weekend, too."

"I asked. He wanted to know if it was important to me. Which, in essence, meant that he wanted a weekend of quiet. He's a rat, but I can hardly blame him. He has to put up with Mom every day."

"Well, I look forward to meeting Mrs. Ogden. And it will be..." she hesitated. "It will be good to see your mother again."

"Liar."

"Hey, she likes me."

Sal nodded. "Yes she does. Lucky you." She took a drink of the coffee and put it down with a grimace. "Horrible decaf stuff. I can't even convince myself any longer that its placebo effect works. Camille?" She waved and waited for Camille to smile. "I tried. Can I have some tea with no caffeine? I give up."

"Chamomile?" Camille asked.

"That's not funny. How about some of that lemon ginger you made for me last week." Sal turned back to Polly. "Do you see what I've been reduced to?"

"But you still feel good."

"Of course I do," Sal said. "Stupid body seems to like being well cared for. When I'm finished having children, I'll teach it, though. We'll go straight out to black coffee and whiskey, steaks, french fries and chocolate shakes."

Polly sat back. "Finished having children? There are going to be more?"

Sal leaned toward her, then stopped and put her hand on her belly. "Don't tell anyone, but I like this. A lot. And I refuse to make my poor child be alone in the family like I was. Mark and I think that three or four kids would be fun."

"I'm sorry, what?" Polly sputtered with laughter. "Three or four kids. You?"

"You don't think I can?" Sal asked.

"No!" Polly exclaimed. "That's not it at all. You'll be a fabulous mom."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. It's just that you were always so career oriented, I assumed you'd be strutting around in suits and high heels, kicking up a storm with all of the businessmen and women you encountered. Babies never seemed like they'd be a part of that."

"I see no reason to get rid of the suits and high heels and as for being career oriented, babies don't need to change that," Sal said.

"You're right, you're right. I don't know what I'm thinking."

"Honestly, Polly, I don't think there's any better place than Bellingwood to raise kids and have a career that suits me. I've been picking up more and more clients all the time and it's work I can do from here. There will be times I have to fly out of town for meetings, but I do most of it over video conferences, and heck, since a lot of the clients are all over the world, that works best for everyone."

"I always pictured you in a big office building, rushing here and there, taking cabs to meetings on the other side of the city, meeting clients in coffee shops around town. I just have to change my vision of who you are."

"Polly, honey, I've lived in Bellingwood for a long time now. I'll never be in that kind of corporate America."

"You're right. I told you, it's my own problem."

"So what are we going to do about my mom coming to town?"

"We?" Polly asked. "What we?"

"Will you show her around Sycamore House and take us over to the Bell House? I want her to see what you've been doing."

"Of course. How long is she staying?"

"Just until Monday morning. She has all of her meetings, you know. She can sacrifice a weekend for her daughter, but not much longer."

Polly laughed. "I thought you didn't even want her here."

"Don't contradict the pregnant lady," Sal said. She stood up. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Sal was gone long enough that Polly took out her phone. A text message had come in from an unfamiliar number and when she opened the app, she read
, "We're fine. Don't try to find us."

It had to be from Stephanie. Polly replied.
"We're worried. We can help. Please don't run away from us."

She hoped for an immediate response, but in a few more moments, Sal returned, carrying her cup of tea.

"What are you looking at?" Sal asked.

"Nothing. Just hoping for a response to a text."

"New boyfriend?"

Polly chuckled. "No. It's enough dealing with the fifteen I'm managing right now."

"No kidding. But what's up? You look really concerned."

"I think I just got a message from Stephanie."

"Your Stephanie? Is something wrong over at Sycamore House?"

"I can't believe you haven't heard. She and Kayla are gone. Stephanie got a strange phone call, we think it's from her father who was in prison for killing their mother and molesting Stephanie for years. He escaped. She packed up everything and left town. Nobody knows where they’re going."

Sal's eyes got huge. "Those poor girls. Do you think he's on his way here?"

"My luck, of course he is," Polly said. "It’s not that I want them to feel threatened, but I also don't want them to leave forever. Jeff feels like he lost his right arm and Rebecca is a wreck." She shook her head. "I sound really selfish, but Stephanie and Kayla are important to us and I'm furious that they have to go on the run because their father is a murdering psychopath."

"And you haven't heard back?" Sal pointed at Polly's phone.

"Nothing."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Polly shook her head. "Not really. It is what it is. If she'll give me a chance to help, then I'll do everything I can."

"I know you will," Sal said. "So how are things at your new house?"

"Other than the hole I fell into? The ground dropped out from under me and I tumbled in on top of some very old bones and a whiskey still."

"On top of them?"

"No, just into the room with them. I can't do anything over there now until Henry finds someone to check the back yard for any more rooms or tunnels."

"Polly, I swear you get into the craziest things. Everything was calm and quiet when we had pizza Sunday night." Sal looked around. "Isn't this just Tuesday?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Sal took another sip of her tea and grimaced. "This is awful, too. I give up. What are you doing this morning?"

"I don't know."

"Mr. Gardner has some things at his shop for me to look at. Do you want to go with me? He said he might have something adorable for the nursery. Mr. Specek is going to refinish anything I find to match the crib." She smiled at Polly. "I can't believe you did that for me. I feel like I'm getting an heirloom, not just a crib."

"If you're going to have three or four babies, at least it will get lots of use. And I know Bill was happy to do it. He and Marie never complain about not having grandbabies, but at some level, they were kind of looking forward to doing baby things." She sighed. "At least they have Jessie and Molly. That little girl gets knitted caps and scarves, blankets and all sorts of cute things."

"Does Marie knit for Rebecca and Heath?"

Polly laughed. "Oh my gosh, yes. Neither of them will ever have to buy blankets."

"I was thinking that someday I might want to learn how to sew. Do you think the ladies next door would teach me?" Sal asked.

"Shhh," Polly said. "I want to learn, too. Maybe we should all do a class together. Learn how to sew, make some quilts."

"Quilts? That's a lot! But if I could learn how to sew clothes for my kids…" Sal shook her head. "I think it's the nesting hormones talking. I'd be awful at sewing."

"No you wouldn't."

"Yes, Polly, I would. I'd get mad at it and fling the sewing machine out the front door into a snowbank or maybe an oncoming car. And that would be just trying to sew a straight line. But do you really want to learn?"

Polly nodded. "I really do. Have you ever looked at some of the fabric they have in there?"