Look Always Forward (Bellingwood Book 11) (12 page)

"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked as she opened the door to the back yard. "We can take him out by ourselves."

"I know you can, but I want more information about what happened with Andrew that he might be mad at you."

"I didn't do anything," Rebecca muttered as she followed the dog.

Kayla ran on ahead, trying to get Obiwan to chase her. He gladly obeyed and Polly caught up to Rebecca and put her hand out to catch the girl's shoulder.

"What's up, Rebecca? Andrew turned into a bear last night and is sulking at home today. Did he do or say something to you?"

Rebecca shrugged her off. "It wasn't any big deal."

Polly reached out again and stopped Rebecca, then stepped in front of her. "It might not be a big deal, but you're not telling me what's going on and Andrew isn't happy. Tell me. Now."

"He asked me to be his girlfriend this year," Rebecca said, her eyes dropping.

"And you said?"

"I said no. I didn't want a boyfriend."

"Did you two talk about why you didn't want a boyfriend?"

"No, he just left. Kayla was there and I think he was embarrassed. We were just talking and he blurted it out. It wasn't romantic or sweet or anything. He didn't even ask. He just told me we should be boyfriend and girlfriend because we're always together and everybody thinks we are anyway."

"What brought all of this on?"

The dances at school. You know we're in junior high, don't you?" Rebecca asked, as if Polly was a complete dolt.

"Yes, Rebecca. Yes I do." Polly said. She sat down on the arm of one of the Adirondacks. "Were you three talking about the dances?"

"There's one that first Friday."

"I know. The schedule was sent out a couple of weeks ago."

"Andrew thinks we should be dating so we have someone to dance with."

"What did he think Kayla would do?"

"That's what I said," Rebecca responded. "And he got all hot and bothered. And then he quit talking to us."

"Do you think you hurt his feelings?"

"What about mine? The only reason he wants a girlfriend was so he'd have someone to take to the dance. He could have just asked me to the dance."

"He doesn't have any experience with this stuff. How do you expect him to learn if you won't tell him what you want?"

"I don't know what I want," Rebecca said, throwing her arms in the air. "What if there is somebody new at school and I want to go out with him? Or what if some of the other boys are interested in me and want to ask me to dance? Am I supposed to be tied down to Andrew just because we've always been friends?"

"Uh, wow," Polly said. "I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself." She looked for Kayla and found her with Obiwan down by the pasture. Daisy and Nat were at the fence looking for attention. They had a few more minutes.

Rebecca sat down on an Adirondack. "I probably am. But he just assumed I was going to be his girlfriend. He could have asked."

"And you just said no and didn't explain any of this to him?"

"He should just know."

Polly slid down into the seat of the chair and smiled at Rebecca. "That's not fair and you know it. Don't get me wrong. I understand. I blow things out of proportion with Henry all the time. I explode and say stupid things and get mad at him because he doesn't know what's going on up in my head. But even still, it's not fair. I have to apologize and then we talk about it. Henry usually has a good reason for doing things. But if I just get mad and don't talk to him, we never fix anything. Do you want to be friends with Andrew?"

"He's my best friend," Rebecca said.

"And you want it to stay that way?"

"Of course I do. He's been there through everything." Rebecca looked up. "I wouldn't mind being his girlfriend. I just wish he would have asked me when we were alone. Maybe give me a flower or do something nice."

"Here's the deal," Polly said. "You're too young to be girlfriend and boyfriend. I thought that going steady was the thing to do when I was in junior high, but seriously, you're too young. Neither Sylvie nor I want you to make that kind of commitment to each other right now. You need to talk to Andrew. If you want to tell him that I won't let you, that's perfectly fine. But you need to tell him what you expect. If he's going to ask you to the dance, he needs to ask you. Don't be mad at him because he doesn't understand your rules, okay?"

Rebecca drew in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "How am I supposed to talk to him if he's not here?"

"Let me work on that. I'll talk to Sylvie..."

"No! You can't tell her. That's embarrassing. He doesn't want her to know about this."

"Whether he wants her to know or not isn't the deal right now. He was rotten to her last night and she needs to know why. I'll see if we can't break him out of his house today. He can help you and Kayla at the coffee shop and we'll make a quick run to Boone this afternoon. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good."

"You go get Kayla and I'll talk to Sylvie. And Rebecca?" Polly asked.

"Yeah?"

"I need to tell you something that my Dad and Mary told me when I was about your age."

"What's that?"

"I'm totally serious now," Polly said. "You can always use me and Henry as an excuse. If you think you're being pressured into doing something or going somewhere that you don't want, tell whomever you're with that we won't let you. We'll always back you up. We just want you to be safe and stay out of trouble. Does that make sense?"

"I guess so," Rebecca said.

"It might not seem like a big deal right now," Polly said. But someday you will remember this and be glad that you can use us. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Go get Kayla and Obiwan. I'll meet you in the truck."

CHAPTER TWELVE

Henry and Polly walked into the Alehouse and saw Joss and Nate already there. Rebecca was spending the night with Kayla since they were heading out early the next morning to go shopping with Stephanie.

The two young girls were very excited to babysit the twins and Stephanie agreed to supervise the entire affair at the Mikkels' house. Joss bribed her with pizza for the girls and the dinner of her choice from Davey's - as well as an iPad with headphones so she could watch a movie and shut out the insanity.

Kayla and Rebecca were responsible, but even they didn't feel comfortable taking on full responsibility of the two very active one year olds.

"Does it feel good to get out and about?" Polly asked with a smile.

"You have no idea," Joss replied. She pulled the chair out beside her and patted the seat. "I have plenty of adult interaction, but it's never enough. It's good to see you guys."

Nate stood up until Polly was seated and she smiled at him. "You and Henry are real throw-backs, you know," she said.

He creased his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You stand up for a woman, you open doors. The other day I had a conversation with Henry about why he always walks on the outside of the sidewalk. All of this chivalry. I don't know what to do with it." She winked at Joss. "Kind of conflicts with the whole strong, independent woman thing."

"Chivalry was never about removing a woman's independence," Nate said. "It was always about treating her with respect. And chivalry is more than just how a man treats a woman. It's a life of honor and courage, being courteous to everyone, helping those in need or who are weak, and standing on the side of justice."

Joss flipped her head toward him. "Wow. Where did you get that? It's deep!"

He chuckled. "Let's just say that I'm more than just a gear head. I might have been a paladin once or twice in the past."

"Oh," she said. "Those nights."

"What nights?" Polly asked, leaning in.

Joss patted her husband's hand. "Those Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game nights and weekends."

"You did that?" Henry asked. "My buddies weren't into it."

"I started playing in junior high. We were
those
kids who spent time in the basement with classical Russian music in the background while we ate ding dongs, drank Mountain Dew and painted pewter figures. We played through high school and then I found friends in college who played, too. By then, though, we changed out the Dew for beer and the ding dongs for cheap pizza and Doritos." He patted his tummy. "I worked hard for this."

"I wonder if Grey played Dungeons and Dragons," Polly mused out loud.

"Who?" Nate asked.

"The man who was in the accident last Monday," she responded. "He's working out at the inn right now. I keep thinking of him like Don Quixote. He speaks differently than we do and he's all about chivalry. But your description of the word fits him to a tee. I could see him as a paladin or knight. And I don't think he's as feckless as Cervantes's character was. He can handle himself."

The waiter interrupted them and Polly jumped to open her menu.

"Anything to drink first?" he asked.

"Ummm. I don't know." She turned to Henry. "What are you having?"

"A Guinness," he said.

"Do I want that?"

He laughed. "I don't think so. You aren't much of a beer drinker."

"I'm not much of an anything drinker," she said and turned to the waiter. "What do I want?"

"What do you like?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea."

"Tomato juice?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Have you ever had a Bloody Mary?"

Polly looked at Henry, who shrugged.

"Try our Bloody Mary," the waiter said. "If you hate it, we'll talk. But I think you'll like it."

"Cool. Thanks."

Joss and Nate already had drinks. Polly grinned across the table. "Look at me, I'm growing up! It's a real adult drink."

Nate laughed. "For someone who has done so many things, there is still a lot of you that hasn't seen the world."

"No kidding," Polly responded. "Now what's good?"

They ordered a platter of appetizers and burgers. Polly ordered the Bourbon burger.

"You're my little alky," Henry said. "I'm so proud. All of this branching out you're doing."

"It was just easier ordering a glass of wine," Polly said. "And people always served that at weddings and in their homes. I didn't have to think about it."

Joss shook her head. "That's so odd. I was so intimidated by the wine selections that I avoided them. It wasn't until Nate and I were married that I started understanding how to choose one to drink. We went on a winery tour in Napa Valley and I did my best to absorb the information."

"You absorbed more than that," Nate said, poking her in the side. "You started really drinking that afternoon."

"I found what I liked," she said with a laugh. "It got fun."

"I poured her into bed that night and didn't see her eyes until the next afternoon." He turned to Henry. "What does your weekend look like?"

"Why?" Henry asked.

"Joss is spending a week with her mother and taking the kids."

"What?" Polly demanded. "You didn't tell me you were leaving town."

"I didn't know until today. Mom called this morning. Dad has a meeting in Chicago all week. She's riding with him. I'll meet them and she'll ride back with me and the kids. We'll do the same thing next Friday going the other way."

"Have you taken the kids on a long trip yet?" Polly asked.

"Not by myself," Joss said with a groan. "But I've loaded the tablet with their favorite movies and it's only a five hour drive. After that, Mom gets to entertain the little buggers."

Polly couldn't stand it. "Shouldn't you be home packing? What are you doing out this evening with us? I'd be going crazy trying to prepare for a week-long trip with no notice."

"I spent today packing," Joss said with a laugh. "It's no big deal."

"Oh yeah," Polly said. "You're that person. You worry about your house being a mess when one thing is out of place."

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes you are." Polly reached out and gave her a hug. "And I love you in spite of yourself. What about the library?"

"Andy's managing everything. It's the week before school, so we're usually slow. I'll be back before the kids start coming in every day after school again."

"So," Henry said, punching Nate's arm. "You're gonna be a bachelor. Does this mean time in the shop?"

"That's exactly what it means. Do you wanna come build cars with me?"

Henry looked at Polly and she shrugged. "I don't care what you do. Have fun. Rebecca and I will keep ourselves busy."

"I was thinking," Henry said to Nate. He bent in close and started drawing on a napkin.

Polly tuned him out and smiled at Joss. "I don't even want to know."

"Nate insists that his kids will have an appreciation for cars. He says that no child of his will grow up not knowing the joy of grease under their fingernails. I believe he wants to prepare Soph to take Danica Patrick's place."

Polly wrinkled her forehead and then chuckled. "The race driver?"

"Yep. He thinks it would be great fun if the kids ended up racing each other in the Nascar Sprint Cup in about twenty-five years." Joss looked at her husband. He glanced up at them and nodded approvingly.

"I wish I knew more about cars," Polly said in a whisper. "But I can't say that too loud or Henry will make me help him change the oil. I don't want to get greasy, I just wish I'd paid more attention so I understood things."

"That's why I married pretty boy over there," Joss said with a laugh. "He knows that if he didn't take care of our vehicles, I'd drop them off at a garage. When he makes me mad, I've been known to threaten to make a call and schedule an appointment."

"You're so tough," Polly said. "Like you'd ever do that."

Joss pushed Polly's arm. "Hush. Don't let on."

Polly watched Joss's eyes try to focus on the other end of the room. "What are you looking at?" Polly asked.

"Who is that?" Joss turned Polly to see and pointed over her shoulder. "He looks messed up."

"Crap," Polly said. "Henry? Look."

He looked up from his conversation with Nate. "What?"

"Down there," she tilted her head in the direction she wanted him to look.

"Okay. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Who is it?" Joss asked again.

"It's Grey Greyson. The guy in the accident last week. Jeff hired him to manage the hotel. I can't believe he's in here drunk as a skunk," Polly said.

Henry put his hand on her arm. "Leave it alone, Polly. Who knows what he's got going on."

"How's he supposed to manage the hotel if he's in here drunk?" she asked, shrugging his hand off. "I'm going to talk to him."

"Polly, no," Henry said, putting his hand back. "He's not hurting anybody."

"Look. I'm all for giving a person a hand, but the first week on a job and you're drinking to get drunk? That's not right."

She stood up and started across the room. Polly wasn't surprised to feel Henry at her side, his hand on her back.

"Ask questions before you blow up," he said.

"I'll be good. I promise." She slid onto a stool beside Alistair and said, "Hi there. I didn't expect to see you up here tonight."

He looked at her, recognition slowly coming to him. "Ms. Giller." He put his hand out to shake hers. She ignored it. "And your good husband, Mr. Sturtz. I didn't expect to see you here either." He wobbled on the stool and slurred his words. "The hotel is buttoned up tight. I promise I didn't leave anything undone."

Polly pointed up at the clock on the wall. "It's only seven o'clock. You're confident there won't be any more customers tonight?"

He dropped his head. "I left my phone number on the front door."

"You're really drunk, Grey," Polly said.

"No I'm not. It isn't as bad as it sounds."

"How many have you had? And what are you drinking."

"Just a couple of scotches."

Polly glanced at the bartender. "How many has he had?"

"Five or six, but he doesn't have a car, so I'm not worried."

"Have you had anything to eat, Grey?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'll eat at home. It's a lonely little home there. Nobody to talk to. Nights are the hardest." He rubbed his temple. "It's when my demons come up out of their graves to torture me."

"Henry, take him to our table and feed him a burger, would you?" She put her hand on Grey's shoulder. "We'll take you home tonight."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Giller. This isn't what I would like you to know about me."

"Go ahead," she said.

Polly waited until the two men had gone several feet and turned to the bartender. "Has he been in often?"

"Every night this week. Last night, Bud took him home. He was pretty wasted."

She pulled a business card out of her telephone case and put it on the bar. "Call me if he needs a ride again, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Polly slid off the stool and slowly walked toward the table. Grey had taken her place and both Joss and Henry were forcing food on him. She took out her phone and swiped a call.

"Hello there," Jeff said. "It's Friday night. I'm still at Sycamore House. What's up?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About Grey. I'm at the Alehouse and he's here, drunk. The bartender says he's been in every night."

"Damn it. Do you want me to fire him?"

"Not yet. I did when I first saw him, but I have to think this isn't who he really is. Can he fix this?"

She heard Jeff take a deep breath. "I don't know, Polly. If he's an alcoholic..." He paused. "I just don't know."

"We're feeding him and we'll take him back to the hotel tonight. I don't know what to do." Polly sat down at an empty table. She waved at Henry and leaned on the hand with the phone in it.