Treasure Uncovered (Bellingwood #3) (17 page)

"Oh, I can't wait to see that," Henry said. "You're not just satisfied fixing people in town, you now have to start fixing people up?"

"Whatever. I thought it would be fun to take her out for dinner so she can meet you and what better way to go out than with a date for her, too?"

"That's cool. It makes me laugh. Come on, let me introduce you to Len."

They walked over and Henry introduced the two to each other.

"It's nice to meet you again, Polly," he said, shaking her hand. "I hear a lot about you."

"From Andy?" she asked. It was an innocent question, but then she realized that she wasn't supposed to know about the two of them.

"Oh, from her, but these guys talk about you, too."

"Well, I hope it is all good."

"So far it is. You've made quite a name for yourself here in Bellingwood."

Polly opened her mouth to speak and Henry interrupted, "He's seen the chart at the Elevator."

She backhanded Henry's arm, "I'm not going to ever live this down, am I?"

Jimmy snickered and continued to work.

Len said, "It’s a friendly enough pool. No one is hoping for more dead bodies and we're sure sorry to hear about your custodian."

"So was I," Polly said. "I hope the next one is around for a while, though. I'm tired of this reputation!"

Henry guided her back to the front door. "Was there anything else?"

"Nope. I'm going to go to the grocery store and then I'm heading over to Story City. I have to sign some papers. Things are quiet at Sycamore House today, so I won't be around much. I'll pick Sal up at eight o'clock tonight and we will probably find dinner in Des Moines."

"Drive safely," he said. "Will you text me today and let me know where you are?"

"Because you miss me or because you're worried I'll be dead in a ditch somewhere?"

"If I say that it's both of those things will that keep me out of trouble?"

"Maybe. Will you come outside for a minute?"

"Sure." He followed her outside.

"I have a weird question for you because I was thinking about this a lot yesterday."

"Am I going to hate this question?"

"I don't know," she said. She took a breath and proceeded to ask, "So, yesterday, the ladies were talking about babies and all that and it hit me that I don't want little babies. Is that weird?"

"For you? I don't think it's weird. It’s about right."

"Does that freak you out?"

"No. Should it?"

"I don't know. Alright, then. I should get going."

She turned toward the truck, but he caught her by her arm.

"Polly. What's this about?"

"Nothing much. I was thinking all these strange thoughts yesterday and," she shrugged out of his grasp and said, "Oh hell, I don't know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"I think this is a conversation we should be having in a quiet place with dinner and wine. Not here in the middle of my parking lot."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Honestly, it's good to know that you're thinking about these things. Kinda makes me feel like there's something for us out there in the future."

Polly reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "You're such a good guy, Henry. I didn't realize I was such an insane person about this stuff. I always figured I was going to be alone for a very long time. It never occurred to me to think there would be anything more than that. I'm not sure what to do with it."

"You don't have to do anything right now. You know that, don't you?"

"I suppose I do. But, it's nice to hear. I'll talk to you later?"

He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She felt herself swoon a little. Every time his lips touched hers, all she could think was that he had amazing lips and he tasted so good. She pressed against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

He finally broke away and said, "This is a little public."

"Yeah. Public. You have to stop doing that to me."

"No way.
I’m never going to stop doing that to you. If my kisses make you get this stupid, I'm going to kiss you as often as possible. I like having that kind of power over you."

She laughed and walked to her truck. "I'll text you when I'm not driving. Have a good day today, alright?"

Her first stop was the little grocery store downtown. There were a few things she needed for the next couple of days. She made her purchases and then took them home and spent some time straightening her bedroom. It hadn't gotten completely out of control, but if she and Sal were going to be spending any amount of time in the place, she wanted to make sure it looked fairly decent.

When she'd lived in Boston, she'd learned a lot about drinking wine from both Drea and Sal. When Sal first took her out to nice restaurants and had actual conversations with the waiter about the wines which were available, Polly had truly felt like a hick from the Midwest, but before long, her friends taught her that all she needed was a little information and a few preferences. It was okay for her to like a wine and ask for it. So, she checked her bottles of wine to ensure there were a couple of Sal's favorites. Since she'd learned from the girl, she'd learned to like the same things. Everything was set and as she stood in her entryway, she nodded in approval.

"See you later!" she called out to the animals and closed the door behind her.

Before she left for Story City, she checked the front room across the hall. It was perfect. Eliseo had gotten everything cleaned up and put back together after their guest left on Sunday. The bed was re-made and there was even a small vase with flowers on the bedside table. As nice as it was, Polly still considered this room to be unfinished. She had thrown things together in here in order to have a room available and hadn't yet invested time and effort in finishing it. Maybe when everything was in place in the middle room, she'd finally finish this one.

It was time to head to Story City. It was strange to think that she had lived most of her life there and even though it was still familiar to her, it was no longer home. The last time she'd driven past her house, waves of sadness had nearly overwhelmed her. She knew every single inch of that place. The fourth step creaked on the outside, so the nights she snuck in late, she knew to skip that one. The closet in her Dad's bedroom had a strange little cubbyhole way up high. She'd found his lock box there when she was fifteen. He caught her snooping through it and brought it out for her. They sat on his bed as he went through its treasures. There were letters that he had written to her mom when they were dating and one letter in particular was well-worn. It had been read and re-read many times. Her mom had written to him after he'd asked her to marry him. She had told him all of the things she loved most about him, everything from the curl that tucked behind his right ear, to the way he held her hand in the car. He had pulled out a jewelry box and in it were her mom's wedding and engagement rings.

"Whenever you want these, they are yours, Polly. But, why don't we wait until you get a little older," he had said.

There was another, larger, jewelry case. In it was a beautiful necklace and earring set of opals and diamonds. It had been his wedding gift to his new bride. That one he had handed to Polly. "I think you would look beautiful in these right now. I want you to enjoy them at all of the dances and concerts and fancy affairs while you're in high school and college."

She had kept those in the case. She didn't wear them as often anymore, but every once in a while, she pulled them back out of the same lockbox and smiled at the memories. Whenever she had felt lonely for her mother, she pulled down the lockbox and sat on the bed, looking through the letters and even a few photographs that had been special to her dad. Their marriage certificate and all of their birth certificates were kept in the box. She'd never asked him about his passport. There were stamps for England and France. How had she missed asking all of those questions? She had always thought they had forever together. How would she ever know everything about her parents now that they were gone?

Polly pulled into a parking space and texted Henry,
"I'm in Story City. I'll let you know when I land in Des Moines."

She goosed her speed because she hadn't been thinking when she finally hit the road. The airport was on the south side of Des Moines and it was going to take her an additional fifteen minutes. Polly and Sal had already spoken on the telephone, so they both knew where they were meeting, but she hated making her friend wait.

"Get out of my way! Get into the middle lane, you slowpoke," Polly yelled at the car she was tailgating. He was in no hurry and didn't mind having her run up close behind him. Finally, traffic broke open enough for her to scoot around him and move forward. She finally saw the airport and drove up to the front of the terminal. Sal was waiting for her, bags on the ground beside her.

"I'm so sorry!" Polly said as she jumped out of her truck. "I totally messed up the timing on this."

Sal hugged her and said, "Don't worry about it. I've only been here a couple of minutes. I took the time to call home and see how things were going and then waited for you. But, I'm starving. You promised to feed me! Where are we going?"

Polly put Sal's bags behind the front seat and waited while she got into the truck, then jogged around to the driver's side and got in. "Do you want fancy and a bar or something a little more casual?"

"Casual sounds great. I can hardly wait to see your house and all of your animals."

"Cool. I think we can make it to this fun Philly steak restaurant before they close. If nothing else, we can take it with us and eat it at home. How was your conference?"

"It was alright. Being in Iowa is different, though. There are a lot of fields between Des Moines and Iowa City and an awful lot of hills!"

"I'd never thought about it," Polly replied, "but, you're right and there are even more fields between Des Moines and Bellingwood. They haven't started planting this year because it's been wet and cold, but maybe you'll get to see some of the big farm equipment. It's pretty amazing stuff."

"Polly, I had no idea that you still loved this life. I thought you were happy in Boston."

"I was happy. I was really happy. But, I think I forgot what it was like to be happy and content and peaceful and calm and quiet all at the same time."

"You can truly have all that at once?" Sal laughed. "How do you ever think without all of the sounds and excitement?"

"I think the thing that surprised me the most is how easily those feelings returned once I got here. Sal, there are nights when I hear absolutely nothing. There are no sirens or cars honking. I don't hear people yelling at each other in the upstairs apartment or footsteps on the steps. I hear nothing."

"Girl, that would drive me stir crazy."

"You'd think so, but my mind works again. I don't have distractions when I want to think, I sleep through the night and I feel like I found a part of me that had been hiding."

"I'm glad for you, Polly, but I can't imagine not having Boston's excitement available whenever I want it."

"I keep making my own excitement. In the year since I've been back in Iowa, I can honestly say there hasn't been a single day when I've been bored.

"Oh, honey, I'm bored all the time."

"Then, I'm glad you're here for a few days. There are so many things I want you to see and friends I want you to meet."

"Are you going to let me meet this Henry fellow? I can't believe you're falling for a carpenter. Tell me he reads a book every once in a while."

Polly laughed. "I'm sure he does, it hasn't ever come up."

"Did he at least graduate from high school or is he still living at home working for his dad?"

"Sal! Don't be like that."

"What do you mean?" Sal sounded shocked.

"You can't bring that east coast snobbery with you. Every one of my friends, Henry included, is a college graduate. Iowa isn't some poverty-ridden, second rate state. You have to leave that attitude at home!"

"Whoa. Sorry, Polly. I didn't know that was such a sore spot." Now, it was Sal's turn to sound offended.

"I'm sorry, too, and while this might not be everything you are used to, these people are brilliant, loving and pretty wonderful. There isn't a person here who wouldn't do anything for you, even if you are a stranger. You know, you don't have to live on one of the coasts in order to be successful."

Sal put her hands up in defeat. "Okay. You're right. Differing worldviews don't mean one is better than the other. I'll give you that. Forgive me?"

Polly took a breath to calm down. "Of course. I will never apologize for Iowa, but I will always defend it. It may not be what you are used to, but in many ways it is better than anything you will ever experience."

"I'll look for the good. I promise."

Polly smiled, "Thanks. I think you'll find it takes very little effort to like it here."

They stopped and picked up food before heading north to Bellingwood. They had considered sitting in the restaurant, but it was apparent they were closing down for the evening and Sal assured her that she wouldn't actually starve to death before they got home. They exchanged what little information they had about the bombing in Boston and it hit Polly again that there were so many people she knew who were frightened, not knowing what might be coming next.

Drea had finally emailed her and assured Polly that her family was all safe. Her brothers had been part of the team pulling people out and getting them to safety, which didn't surprise Polly at all. Drea had finished the race before the bombings occurred and had taken off with some friends to celebrate, so she'd watched everything happen from a distance.

It was dark when they pulled into the driveway of Sycamore House. The street lamps were on and threw shadows across her home. Polly stopped and turned the lights on from her phone. She triggered the lights in the front room where Sal would be staying and as the place lit up, she smiled. A lot of good work had been accomplished this last year.

"Wow," Sal said as Polly parked the truck. "You really did it, didn't you? This is great!"

"Come on in. I want to introduce you to my animals and we'll eat supper."

They grabbed Sal's bags and Polly opened the front door, pointing out her office and gesturing around the back of the stairway to the kitchen, auditorium and classrooms.

"I'll show you around tomorrow morning, but let's go on upstairs."

Polly was glad Obiwan decided to be polite. He'd been getting much better about jumping up on people.

"If you bend to his level, it helps him realize he doesn't have to jump up to your level," she told Sal, who knelt in front of him and rubbed his ears.

"We all think it's hilarious that you named your animals after Star Wars characters," Sal laughed. "No one was surprised by it, though. Do you still have your collection?"

"Everything is down in the office. It's nice to finally have it all on display. I am a little worried about my friends here. Once they saw it, I watched their minds click and figure out how to make it increase. They're going to have a great time with this from now on. Henry might have to build more shelves for me."

"Your apartment is wonderful. Did your Henry do all of this work?"

Polly giggled, "My Henry. That sounds funny. But, yes. He did everything. I think you'll like the room you're staying in, too. He did all of the woodwork and the wood on these floors is from a barn that was torn down south of here. In fact, that's where I got the cats."

"A barn?" Sal asked.

"Sure. A young couple pulled down an old barn. The wood was still in good shape, so they salvaged it and we had it milled and then Henry and his crew laid it for me. Don't you love it?"

Sal bent over and ran her hand across the floor. "I've never seen anything like it. There's so much character." She stood back up, "Only you would think of doing something like this."

"Don't give me too much credit. It's done all the time and it was Henry's idea, not mine. All I did was say yes when he mentioned it and I'm glad I did."

Sal took in the apartment, running her hand across one of the beautiful built in bookshelves. "I'd say that finding a carpenter and falling in love with him definitely has its benefits."

Polly had the decency to blush, "Wait. I haven't said anything about falling in love with him."

Sal walked toward the kitchen and held her hand up, stopping Polly's words. "Whatever," she smirked. "Are you telling me that he did all of this beautiful work and he didn't get anything extra special from you as payment?"

"Hey!" Polly said, her voice a little strident. "No! That's not how it was and it's not how it is and I'm offended by that."

Sal spun around, "I'm sorry. I was only kidding you. But, really?"

"Really! I like being my own person and having some independence. This is all mine. I'm in no hurry for all of that."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I don't even know why I said it. You've never been that person."

"And besides, Henry does good work because it's the right thing to do, not because I'm sleeping with him."

"I thought you said you weren't sleeping with him."

Polly dropped the bag of food on the table and ripped it open, setting the containers out, trying not to slam them. "I'm not. We aren't."

Sal grinned, "You're so easy."

"That's not fair," Polly complained.

"I know. But, you have missed me, haven't you." Sal moved in and gave her friend a hug. "I know your buttons and I shouldn't have pushed them. I’m doing that a lot tonight. You're different than you were a year ago. It's good on you, but it's ... well ... it's different."

"Well, I hope it is all good different," Polly said.

They ate supper and Polly took Sal across the hall to the front room, then showed her the spa bathrooms. They stayed up and talked until Polly's eyes were watering from yawning so much.

"You have to get up early in the morning, don't you?" Sal asked.

"I probably should. But, Eliseo will probably start with the horses, so if I don't get out there at the break of dawn, I'll still be alright."

"Well, I'm going to bed. I want to see everything tomorrow. Will you take me to lunch at the diner downtown? I can't wait to try one of those pork sandwiches you talk about."

"When I come back up in the morning, I'll wake you and then we'll go from there."

Polly walked across the hallway and gave her friend a hug, "I'm so glad you are here."

Sal hugged her tightly and said, "I'm sorry I sounded insulting earlier about your friends and especially about your relationship with Henry. I should have known better than to say anything. How could you be friends with anyone but great people? I look forward to meeting them."

"No worries," Polly assured her. "Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."

Polly walked back to her apartment and snapped the leash on Obiwan, "One quick run outside and then I have to sleep!"

When she finally dropped into bed, she didn't bother to set her alarm, knowing that the cats would wake her with the sunrise.

The next morning, that was exactly what happened. Luke went bounding across her to get to the ledge of the cat tree so he could look out the window. Leia soon followed and they began talking to the world. Polly looked at the time on her telephone. Six forty-five. Time to get up and get moving. She got up, pulled her clothes and boots on and went outside with Obiwan. Once they got in the gate, he took off for the pasture, sniffing the ground and playing with tufts of grass.

The main door to the barn wasn't open and when Polly got inside, she was surprised to see that the horses were still in their stalls. They hadn't been fed yet and there was no sign of Eliseo.

"Eliseo? Are you here?" she called out.

He'd said he would be back this morning. She hoped everything was alright.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to wait this morning,” she said to the horses. “I certainly didn't expect to find you alone. I'll get breakfast right now."

When she went back to gather the feed, she noticed spots of something on the floor leading to the ladder which had been pulled down. She didn't think they were there yesterday, so she scuffed at one with her boot. It was wet. The horses were making a lot of noise, so she hurried and dropped feed for them, then opened up the doors to the outside. When she walked back to one of the spots, she bent over and rubbed her index finger in it and then sniffed it. If she didn't know better, it might be blood.