Look Always Forward (Bellingwood Book 11) (10 page)

"I have some trepidation," Polly said. "There are so many things that could go wrong."

Evelyn Morrow nodded. "I understand that. I really do. I'd hoped to get here before his mother, but I'm guessing she's already been to see you."

"She was barely willing to leave and let me think about it. I know she's desperate, but this is a lot of responsibility. If she hadn't mentioned your name, I don't know that I'd be considering it at all."

"I'm not here to talk you into this, believe me," Evelyn said. "But I will answer any questions you have."

"Okay then. How can you care for someone with such traumatic injuries? He can't walk. I looked it up. Ankle recovery is six to eight weeks. A femur could take eight to ten months. He's going to need a great deal of physical therapy."

"There is a physical therapist who lives here in Bellingwood. She will come to Sycamore House on a regular basis."

"And you're going to do all of his physical care?" Polly asked.

"For a while. Just like I did with Sarah, I have a team of others that will help. I'll move in next door, though."

"And his emotional and mental stability. With all of the painkillers and other drugs, I don't even want to think about how that is messing with his brain chemistry. And why is he so suicidal? Is it a chemical imbalance or are there other issues?"

Evelyn smiled a sad smile. "Even with chemical imbalances, there are often other issues. Denis has always been frail emotionally. His father was a hard man. Most wouldn't call him abusive, but he was demanding and intolerant of less than perfect behavior. When the man left them, Denis believed it was his fault - that he'd failed his mother. She had to go to work full-time and no longer had time to care for his emotional needs. She blamed herself for his trouble, he blamed himself. The spiral started and neither managed to overcome it. She would rather he live at home so she can keep an eye on him twenty-four hours a day, but thank goodness that isn't practical. He needs to learn to live on his own."

"Are you qualified for all of that?"

"No of course not, but he has a therapist. He needs to be away from his family. I don't think I'm stepping too far out of bounds in telling you that it wouldn't be healthy for him to continue living with his mother. Not for any of them. And especially not for his younger siblings."

Polly knew it wasn't fair, but she had to ask. "Are they as broken as he is?"

Evelyn smiled. "No. They were much younger when their father left and I believe Denis took most of the responsibility on himself. But he's old enough to be out on his own and those two kids need to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. Well, as much as it can be."

"How much will Leslie Sutworth be here?" Polly asked. She knew that she was seeing the woman at her worst. A mother shouldn't have to deal with any of this and it hit her hard all at once. But still, if she showed up on a regular basis, she'd wear Polly out.

"That's one of the things we will have to discuss," Evelyn said. "Once she goes back to work and the kids start back to school, their lives will return to normal. She loves her son very much, but is at a complete loss as to what to do with him. She's been living with so much guilt these last few years it's been nearly impossible for her. And this accident hasn't helped. That poor woman needs a break and I think we're in a position to give it to her."

Polly smiled at the woman sitting across from her. "When do you think you're just going to get rid of your apartment and move in here?"

"Don't tempt me," Evelyn said with a grin. "You take very good care of me here. All of my needs are met and I feel as if I'm spoiled on a daily basis. This is nothing like some of the in-home experiences I've had. I usually end up in a small back room tucked away in a household that isn't prepared for an extra family member. The only thing I can do is focus on the patient. Even if I have a few hours of down-time, I really don't. But here, it's almost a joy to care for someone. The grounds are a lovely place for a short walk, I have a great big room with all of the amenities of a hotel. You have a wonderful staff and I love being able to see your animals enjoy their days. If I could convince all of my patients to move into Sycamore House, I'd give up my apartment in a heartbeat. But that's a discussion for another time."

"I certainly wouldn't mind having a qualified nurse around," Polly said. "We could have used you a couple of times this summer."

Evelyn looked at her in surprise. "Was everything okay? You can always call me, you know."

"No, it was fine. Just bumps, bruises and skinned knees." Polly shook her head. "But since I have a real problem with blood, the kids have learned to find someone else if they're bleeding profusely."

Evelyn grinned. "Then it's a good thing you became a librarian instead of a nurse."

"Ha," Polly said. "It was never even a consideration. Dad laughed at me once when I was in high school. He came inside to clean up after cutting himself in the barn. I actually fainted when I saw his arm. He and Mary had to deal with me before she could clean and bandage his wound. I was so embarrassed. He told me that I might want to stay away from anything in the medical field." She put her head down. "I'm not very good at taking care of people either. I want to tell them to buck up and get over themselves."

"You're better at it than you think," Evelyn said, gesturing to take in the building. "Look what you've done here. It's not for you, it's all about taking care of other people."

"This was easy," Polly said. "What you do isn't so easy."

"It's what I love," Evelyn replied quietly. "That makes it easy for me."

Polly took a deep breath, held it and then released it. "I will speak to Jeff again. If he thinks that we can do this, I'll call Leslie this afternoon."

Evelyn stood up and put out her hand. "Thank you for your time, Polly. I think we can make a difference for this boy."

CHAPTER TEN

“Enter,” Polly said with a grin after Rebecca had startled her with a rap on the office door. "How was your night with Jessie and Molly?" she asked.

"It was a blast. I think Jessie trusts me more. She wasn't nervous at all when I held and fed Molly."

Polly smiled. "You are pretty trustworthy. Jessie knows you would do everything you could to keep her daughter safe."

Rebecca dropped into the chair across from Polly. "I want to have a big party here for all the girls we know. No boys allowed."

"Okay," Polly said, slowly nodding. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure." Rebecca stood up and shut the door. She sat back down and lowering her voice, said, "I don't think Jessie or Stephanie have very many friends. They both work all the time and then go home. And I know for a fact that Rachel only ever works and hangs out with Billy up at his apartment. I know they're engaged and all that, but she should have girlfriends, too. I want to hook them all up."

"I see. Is there anybody else that should be part of this?"

"Well, what about those girls who are going to work at the coffee shop? Do they have friends?" Rebecca was sitting forward on her chair, bouncing as she spoke.

"I'm sure they have college friends."

Rebecca sat back, slumping in her chair. "That's the problem. Jessie and Stephanie didn't go to college and since they're not from here, they don't have any way to meet people."

"And you think you should fix this?" Polly wanted to laugh out loud. In a very short time, she'd managed to train Rebecca well.

"Nobody else will."

"Have you and Kayla been plotting?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Maybe. But it's a good idea. I bet if we asked your friends, they'd know more people who are that age. All these girls think they have to have boyfriends, but they should have girlfriends and let boys in only if they're good enough to handle them."

"You're such a smart girl," Polly said with a laugh. "I'd like to record this right now and play it back for you in a few years..."

"I'll always feel this way. Boys are just fine, but it's important to have great girlfriends. Look at you. You have a ton of them."

"Yes I do. And I wouldn't trade any of them away, but I can't imagine living without Henry in my life."

Rebecca shook her head. "I lost track of what I'm saying. Jessie thinks she needs a husband to help her. It's like she thinks she is only half a person because she's not married and then she said that Molly needs a dad. That's crazy!"

Polly nodded, "She's had a rough life and the one person who made sense was her dad, even though he wasn't around very often."

"But I didn't have a dad. Mom and I did just fine without a man."

"Yes you did," Polly said. She smiled. "You two were great together. But Jessie isn't the same person that your mom was."

"That's why she needs more girlfriends." Rebecca stopped, as if she were re-thinking her statement. "I guess Mom didn't have any girlfriends either. We were always moving around too much. She used to say that someday we'd settle down and she'd have time for a best friend again. I wish she'd been able to do that. She was a great friend."

"You know she had friends here, don't you? She told Evelyn she was a friend. And I considered your mom a friend."

"But a best friend is different. You know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean. You do silly, crazy things with a best friend and never worry that they're going to laugh at you."

"Yeah. That. So are we going to hook these girls up with friends or what?" Rebecca sat forward again and thumped her fist on Polly's desk.

"Why don't we do a cookout in the back yard with them instead of a big party?"

"But I want it to be just girls."

Polly chuckled. "You'd be mad if the boys wanted to have a game night and didn't invite you because it was 'just boys.'"

"Not if they wanted to bond and be brothers."

"Bros?" Polly asked.

Rebecca gave her a look. "That doesn't work for you."

"Okay, ummm, wow. I'm not that old." Polly pursed her lips into a scowl. "You stuck a knife right into my heart."

"You're tough. You can take it," Rebecca said, trying not to giggle.

"Let's think about how we can do this. I'd guess that you don't want to be obvious about trying to set these girls up to like each other, right?"

"Yeah, but I think they need help. I mean, Rachel and Stephanie are here in the same building all day, but they do their own thing and then split. They need some encouragement." Her eyes lit up. "What if we went shopping for a day? We could do that! Maybe we could rent a van and go over to the Amanas. Wouldn't it be fun if everybody went with us? All of your friends and these girls. We could spend the night and get up early and eat breakfast and shop all day long."

Polly watched her daughter spin up with excitement. It was strange to think of Rebecca that way, but Polly was trying to get used to it. She had a daughter. "The Amanas would be a great trip, but I think we should save that for later this year when they decorate it for Christmas. It's really pretty then."

"We don't have to do it just once," Rebecca said, pushing her lips out in a pout.

"Maybe you and I should do it by ourselves sometime before we invite the whole world. Where did you come up with this?"

"I heard Rachel and Sylvie talking about it. Sylvie said the restaurants are great. They have the best pancakes. And Rachel said she liked the stores." It was as if Rebecca finally heard what Polly said. She looked up. "Just you and me? All day by ourselves without Henry?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"You never go anywhere without him."

"I go lots of places without Henry. I like traveling with him, but I think it would be fun to go with you and show you around. I haven't been there in years."

"When can we go? Can we go this weekend before school starts?"

"No, not right away. I want to get the coffee shop open before I leave on a weekend. And besides, aren't you shopping with Stephanie and Kayla on Saturday?"

"That's right," Rebecca said. "I forgot about that." She smiled. "There are so many things to do. When can we go, then?"

"Maybe for my birthday."

"Really?" Rebecca's eyes lit up with excitement. "That would be fun. Just you and me? Will we go overnight?"

"We'll see. Maybe. We could go over to Iowa City. I think you'd like to see the campus there."

"That would be fun!" Rebecca picked up her overnight bag. "I should go upstairs and unpack. Are Andrew and Kayla up there? What are we doing for lunch? Can I cook?"

The girl could turn on a dime. "Yes, they're either upstairs or down at the barn," Polly said. "You go on and I'll be up after a while. We can figure lunch out then."

"Thanks!" Rebecca opened the door and ran out, her mind occupied with new ideas.

Polly saw Jeff come in the main door of the office and called out, "Hey you. Funny man. Get in here!"

He laughed. "What do you want, old lady?"

"Can we get back into the coffee shop yet?"

"Not until tomorrow. What's up?"

She nodded toward the chair and he dropped into it.

"Evelyn was in this morning after you left," Polly said.

"What did she have to say?"

"She thinks it would work."

"Do you think we should do this?"

"I'm frustrated." Polly said, sitting forward. "Like things are spinning out of control. I'm nervous about letting a completely broken young man live here. Evelyn isn't worried, so I'm inclined to approve it, but things feel out of sorts. There's too much that's undone right now and of course I had to go and find a dead body last night. We have all of these new employees and just when we're that close," she held her thumb and forefinger up with just a little space between them, "to opening the coffee shop, we're blocked again."

He chuckled. "When have things ever been normal? Three months ago a serial killer kidnapped you and three months before that we were all hiding out because some guy was chasing the Sheriff and his sister."

Polly scrunched up her face and growled. "You're right. Maybe I was hoping that things were starting to settle down. I have a daughter now and I have to think about more than just me."

"I know," he said, nodding. "But change is usually difficult and weird. One of these days Grey and Camille being here will be normal. And whatever happens with Denis Sutworth is going to happen. We can't control everything."

She thought back to all of the crazy things that had happened over the last three years and realized that this was no stranger than anything else. She glanced at the window to the hallway as three young women and a young man walked past.

"Who's that?" she asked, nodding to the glass.

"Must be here for Sylvie. She's ready to start hiring. I think she plowed through a huge list yesterday and honed it to four or five second interviews. She's bringing me in for final conversations, but I told her that I trusted her to approve their credentials and skills in the kitchen. The only thing I care about is whether they'll get along with our family and that they aren't criminals."

Stephanie knocked on Polly's door. "I have the information back. It's in the interview files on the shared drive," she said.

Jeff looked over his shoulder at her. "Thanks."

She went back to her desk and he smiled at Polly. "She's amazing, you know. Bright as can be. It takes nothing for me to train her to do something new."

"That's good. Especially if we're bringing more people on staff."

He leaned forward on her desk. "Are you ready to make more changes?"

"What do you mean?"

"If we keep this up, by next year, Stephanie will need an assistant. Rachel and Sylvie will need an office."

"Where will we put everyone?" Polly asked.

"You should talk to your husband. I think that we move some of this across the hall. Leave the lounge, but turn the classroom into a large conference room, the computer room into a couple of small offices, move Stephanie into this conference room and put her assistant / receptionist out front here."

"Ummm, wow?"

He grinned at her. "You hired me to make this place grow. When you told me last year that you were expanding to the coffee shop and bakery, I realized you weren't kidding. I'm ready to rock and roll."

Polly took a deep breath. "I'm still stuck on wow," she said.

"I'm just waiting for you and Henry to decide what's next. Surely you aren't satisfied with stopping now?"

Polly scowled at him. "So much has been going on, we haven't talked about it. What else does Bellingwood need? I was thinking the other day about an art gallery. And maybe open a craft store. Move those knitting classes downtown and put up quilting frames where people can work on big projects."

He laughed. "Those are interesting ideas. Do you really think we're ready to get into that kind of business? 

"I don't know," she said. "It was what I originally thought of for this place, but then you showed up and the world got bigger than I ever imagined."

"Yeah. I'm good at that. You'll come up with something. And don't forget, there are still plenty of empty buildings downtown and dilapidated homes all over the place."

"I'm not flipping houses," Polly said.

Jeff gave a slight shudder. "That sounds awful - a lot of work in a short time. Henry doesn't work like that. But he's building those new apartments on the east side of town and last week at the Chamber meeting, Bel-Co is announced it's expanding."

"People are moving to Bellingwood. I guess that's pretty cool."

"It's great," he said, nodding. "We're getting great press with the winery. People are talking about Sycamore House..."

Polly interrupted him with a laugh. "You mean, the crazy lady who finds dead bodies?"

"If it's going to happen, we might as well capitalize on it," he said.

She was shocked. "You're kidding. You wouldn't!"

"Of course I wouldn't," he said. "That would be wrong. It would be very, very wrong."