Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5) Read online

  Polly looked around the apartment. Andrew and Jason were nowhere to be seen and she wondered if they were at the barn."

  "I'm going to be fine. I'll bet my donkeys are here."

  "You go play with your livestock and I'm going to go play with something a little less warm-blooded." He kissed her again and headed for the back steps.

  "Wait. Henry?"

  "Do you miss me already?"

  "Of course I do, but could you stop by the pharmacy and pick this up? Doctor Mason said we didn't need it unless Salvador had a problem, but I'd rather be safe. Do you mind?"

  He took the slip of paper from her, "Of course I don't mind. I'll be back tonight." He gave her a quick kiss and left.

  Polly turned around to look at Obiwan on the sofa and gave him a pitiful smile. "I'd love to take you down to the barn but until those donkeys get settled in, I think we'll wait. Tonight they will get used to being in the same place as four big horses."

  He knew she was talking to him and wagged his tail, then jumped off the sofa. She knelt down and hugged him. "Sorry about this. Another time."

  She slipped out the front door, not daring to look behind her at his soulful eyes. That dog could make her feel guilty every single time she left him in the apartment. She glanced across the hall and heard intermittent coughing, but at least little Salvador had stopped crying.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Seeing Mark's truck and a horse trailer parked at the barn, Polly put on a little burst of speed. Now that she'd had time to think about it, she was excited about new animals in her life. The doors to the barn were closed since it was pretty chilly out. When she went inside, she was greeted by a rather large reception.

  Both Andrew and Jason had come down to greet the newcomers and Eliseo and Mark were standing beside Demi in the alley with the two new residents.

  Andrew started to run toward her, then glanced up at Eliseo and instead, walked quietly over to join her. He whispered, "Aren't they great? They don't scare me at all." He took her hand, "Come on, you have to meet them!"

  Polly let him lead her to the donkeys and Mark slipped two small carrots into her hand as she passed him.

  Demi nosed her in the back as she approached the donkeys and bent down in front of them.

  "Hi guys. Welcome to Sycamore House," she said. She put a carrot in each hand and held them out in front of the animals. They each nibbled the carrot from her hand and sniffed at her. "You two are pretty adorable." She turned around to Mark and asked, "Which is which?"

  "The light brown is Tom and the dark brown is Huck."

  "I can remember that," she said as Andrew stroked Huck's back.

  "He feels different than a horse," Andrew said.

  "Their coat is different," Mark assured him. "In fact, they don't like rain and snow very much, so they'll be glad to have a nice dry home to hang out in this winter."

  Polly stood up, "How are they doing with the horses?" She felt something in her hand and realized that Tom had pushed his head under it, so she stroked him between his long ears.

  "So far we've only introduced Demi to them. He’s the easiest going of them all. He's perfectly fine, as you can see."

  The donkeys didn't react to Demi's nosing and sniffing. The horse pushed Tom a little with his head and Tom simply moved away with the shove and then came back under Polly's hand.

  "Once they get more comfortable, they will own the barn," Eliseo said. "We won't be able to keep them out of anything they want to get into and I suspect they'll feel comfortable going in and out of the horses' stalls. We've walked with them past the other three horses several times, letting everyone smell each other. No one has had a bad reaction, so I'm confident this will be fine.

  Polly sat down on a bench and Tom followed her. "He's kind of like a big dog!" she laughed.

  "They like a lot of attention. If you are here and not doing anything, they want you to be playing with them or touching them. These two were part of a family who treated them more like pets than anything. They'll take any love you can give them."

  "What do you think, Andrew? Are you ready to spend some time hanging out with the donkeys?"

  "Can I read down here?"

  "Of course you can," she said.

  "The donkeys like being outside, even in the winter," Eliseo said. "But, if you come down with some apple slices or carrots, they'll be right in to play with you."

  Tom and Huck knew they were the center of attention and walked back and forth between everyone.

  Eliseo led Demi back to his stall. "I need to go up to the main building and make sure things are in place for the reception. Sylvie hasn't called to tell me I’m needed, but I want to check." He shook Mark's hand, "Thanks for bringing these fellas home today."

  Mark grinned, "I didn't give you much of a choice, but I knew they'd be happy here. And don't worry, Polly. They're in great health. My friends down in Malvern made sure everything was good to go before they left today. They are up to date on all of their shots and Marnie will get their health history into your file."

  He started to walk out with Eliseo and Polly panicked. "Wait. Both of you are leaving? What are we supposed to do with them?"

  The two men turned around. Mark was grinning and Eliseo simply shook his head. Mark said, "You aren't supposed to do anything. They've been fed and their bedding is in the stall. They won't want to be penned up, so we've shut the door to the feed room. They'll be fine on their own."

  "But they just got here!" She hugged Tom's neck to her chest. "How can I just leave them alone?"

  "Polly. They have each other and a new place to explore. You can stay as long as you'd like, but they don’t need you."

  "But ..." Polly looked at Jason and Andrew for help and then laughed. She was arguing with two men who knew what they were doing and looking for support from two boys, one of whom had spent the last nine months avoiding the barn like a plague.

  "Fine," she said. "But we're staying for a while. I don't want them to be scared on their first day here."

  "They're already scared. Everything is different for them," Mark said patiently. "Just give them time to get used to the place. They have a lot to learn about living at Sycamore House. They smell those four immense horses everywhere. But they are smart and just need time to figure it all out."

  "I can't make this any easier on them, can I?" she asked quietly.

  "You already have," Eliseo said. "They need time. They aren't running away from you or the kids and they aren't showing any outward signs of stress. You'd see it in their ears or their tails. You need to be the one who is okay right now."

  "Got it," Polly said. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

  The men left and she was there with two young boys and two strange donkeys. The horses poked their heads over the stall doors to see what the excitement was about, but had all gone back to what they were doing before people showed up in their space.

  Tom and Huck spent time sniffing the three humans, then wandered off to explore. Tom stopped in front of Nan's stall and she came forward and leaned her head down to sniff at him. She bared her teeth and he stood his ground. Polly was glad there was a wooden door separating them while they got used to each other. Pretty soon, the donkey wandered off in search of another adventure. Huck followed him into the stall they used to bathe the horses. There were quite a few smells in there, as evidenced by the animals sniffing all around the walls and floor.

  "They don't play like Obiwan, do they?" Andrew asked.

  "No, they seem to be pretty independent."

  Jason hadn't said much.

  "What do you think, Jason?" she asked.

  "They're really different than horses. I thought they'd be exactly like them, just smaller. I like their ears. They're all soft and fuzzy."

  Andrew followed the donkeys from a safe distance, watching them explore their surroundings. He finally sat down beside Polly. "Eliseo told me I have to be calm and quiet and not startle them. I try not to get really excited, but they're fun!"
/>   Both donkeys wandered back out as Jason sat down on Polly's other side. They waited patiently for the animals to join them and before long, they were all laughing and snuggling Tom and Huck.

  Polly looked up when Eliseo returned.

  "It looks like you have been making friends," he said. "How are things going?"

  "Do you think I could ride Tom or Huck someday?" Andrew asked Eliseo.

  The older man grinned, "Of course you can!"

  Andrew said to Polly, "At least if I fall, it’s close to the ground."

  "You're right!" she laughed. "Do you think you’d like that?"

  He nodded and pulled Tom's neck close to his face. "I think he likes me."

  She smiled at Eliseo and he winked, the damaged skin on his face pulling along his cheekbone. She rarely saw his burns. Every once in a while, he did something to remind her how badly he’d been hurt, but most of the time he was simply Eliseo.

  "Jason and I are going to do evening chores," he said. "Andrew, if you want to stick around, I can show you what we will do for the donkeys. I'd love to have you help us."

  "Can I, Polly?" he asked.

  "Sure! What should I do?" she asked Eliseo.

  "You aren't dressed for this," he said. "We'll take care of things tonight. You have guests upstairs. That should keep you busy."

  "Thanks." He was right. She wanted to make sure they had supper. Maybe Sylvie would have leftovers from the reception. Or maybe they'd really like a pizza. She'd check with Sylvie first.

  A quick glance into the kitchen when Polly returned to the main building told her that they were much too busy to deal with any special requests, so she went on up to her apartment.

  She flopped down on the sofa and was soon surrounded by her three inside animals. Obiwan immediately began to sniff her, trying to identify the new animal scents on her clothing. Luke and Leia gave perfunctory attention to her clothes and then settled back to sleep. Polly glimpsed the package from the dresser on her coffee table and after pushing Obiwan out of the way, sat up and flipped it over. There wasn't anything on it, a simple sealed envelope, about the size of a large greeting card. The glue on the seal easily gave way and she gently pulled the contents out.

  It was an old Christmas card. The front said, To a sweet little girl at Christmas, and had an adorable drawing of a little cherub dressed for winter. She was singing from a caroling book held in her little mittened hands. Polly opened the card and found several photographs of a happy family. In one, two older brothers were proudly holding their new baby sister and the parents were seated on either side of them. In another, the children were a little older and dressed to play outside in the snow. The little girl was bundled from head to toe and her brothers were standing on either side of her, holding her hands. Another photograph was obviously a professional shot done of the three children, followed by a family photograph of all of them. In addition to the photographs, there was a handwritten letter, neatly folded.

  Polly looked at the inside of the Christmas card and found written there, in a shaky hand:

  "Dear Marian, You may never remember your mommy and daddy, but they loved you very much. There isn't much left to give you so that you will have any memories of your life with them, but I have enclosed what I could. I hope you treasure these memories as much as they treasured you. Your mommy didn't live for very many days after the accident, but I helped her write one last letter to you. Always know that you were loved. Beatrice Hogan."

  "Wow," Polly said out loud. "I wonder what happened!"

  She unfolded the letter and skimmed through it, her eyes filling with tears as she came to the end.

  "My dear Marian Jeanine,

  There are so many things I would have told you as you grew up, things that any mother would tell her daughter. I can only hope and pray that you have someone wonderful who will watch over you and love you for the rest of your life.

  For the few short years I have known you, you were the light in our family. Your brothers, Doug and Paul, were quite a bit older than you and were very proud to show you off whenever they could. Doug would have been your hero. He was always helping people and he loved to pick you up when you fell down. If you cried, his heart broke and he ran to fix whatever you needed him to fix. Paul would have been your entertainment. When you laughed, our hearts soared, so he did everything he could to make that laugh happen. Those two boys left this life much too soon and the world is a darker place without them.

  Your daddy and I loved each other more than even seems fair and he adored you. When he tossed you in the air, you screamed with delight, begging for more. You knew when he was coming home from work and waited under the coat tree to surprise him. Every evening, he would hang up his hat and his coat and wait for you to jump up and giggle, then he would swing you up into his arms and call out, 'Why is no one minding the animals in this place? Another one has escaped their cage.' Even though he was wearing a suit, he would fall to the ground with you and roll around, making sounds like a lion or an elephant, just to hear you squeal.

  Your name comes from two amazing women. Your daddy's mother was named Jeanine and she was very old when he was born. He was her only child and though I didn't ever get to meet her, he loved her. My mother's name was Marian. We lived in England. I met your daddy when he was a handsome soldier in the war. We fell in love and when the war was over, he came back to find me. He made me very happy every day of our lives together. It was difficult to leave my home and family, but I knew that I could never be happy without your daddy by my side.

  Each day, Mrs. Hogan brings you in so that I can see your shining face. I know she hopes that I will live because you need me and if I could, I would do just that, but the accident hurt me too much. You must know that your family would have done anything we could to be with you. She has promised to give you the few photographs I was able to save and to make sure this letter goes with them. There is nothing left but you and that is enough. You are special, you are unique, you are loved and when you think about the family who brought you into this world, I hope that you will always know that they were happy because you were part of their lives.

  We will wait for you in heaven, but please don't hurry to see us. Live a wonderfully, full life. Be happy while you grow up, I pray you marry a good man and have a house full of children who make every day a joy for you, just as you did for us.

  I love you more today than I did yesterday and not as much as I will tomorrow.

  Mommy"

  Polly sat back on her sofa and pulled the dog close to her, then sobbed into his soft neck. "That's the saddest thing I've ever read," she whispered. "It breaks my heart."

  She finally wiped her eyes with the collar of her shirt and stood up, announcing. "I need to make dinner. Everybody likes pizza, don't they? Or sandwiches." It always made her chuckle when the animals watched as she talked to them. If they ever responded, she was certain she’d be found in a dead faint on the floor. "Don't ever learn to talk," she wagged her finger at them. "I don't want you to tell my secrets to anyone!" Just the thought of the stories those animals could tell made Polly clutch her chest dramatically.

  Polly wondered what Henry was doing for the evening, so she texted him. "What's up for supper? How long will you be at Nate's?"

  "I'm driving to your house right now. Do you want me to pick something up? What about the Riveras?"

  "Come on over. I was thinking pizza. I can feed Andrew and Jason and the Riveras and you and me with a couple of those."

  "I'll be there in a minute."

  Polly thought about it and sent one more text, "Do you two want to come over for pizza in about a half hour?"

  Doug Randall immediately responded with "Yes! What should we bring?"

  "No worries. I've got it," she sent back.

  Life was much more fun with a people around and the more she fed this evening, the more varieties of pizza she could explain. She called Pizzazz downtown and placed her order, then texted Jason to let him know there wou
ld be food for all of them, Eliseo included, when they were finished. There. That should do it.

  She gathered up the photos, card and letter and set them on the bookshelf in a corner so they would be out of the way, and went to the kitchen to rummage around for paper plates and cups. Once everything was on the peninsula, she ran across the hall to the room where the Riveras were staying and softly knocked.

  Jose opened the door and stepped outside.

  "I'm having a little party in my apartment tonight. We're eating pizza. Would you and Maria please come over? I'd like you to meet Eliseo Aquila. He works here and sometimes I feel badly that I don't speak Spanish. Eliseo does and it might make things a little easier for you two while you're here."

  "We're okay," he protested. "You've done too much. As soon as the car is fixed, we'll go away."

  "Please come over," Polly repeated. "I want you to meet Eliseo. Please?" She knew it sounded as if she were begging, but she didn't care. There was no way she could have a family living under her roof and not make sure they were well taken care of.

  "Maria is sleeping." He looked at the watch on his hand.

  "I'll send Andrew over in about forty-five minutes. If she's still sleeping, maybe you could come for a while." Polly wasn't letting him get out of this evening if she could help it.

  He finally nodded. "Forty-five minutes," he said.

  "Good. I'm glad." Polly went back to her apartment and found Henry sitting on the chair by her bookshelves reading the letter.

  When he looked up at her, his eyes were glistening. "Do you think she ever got this?"

  "I don't know," Polly said. "I was going to ask what you thought."

  "Had it been opened before you got to it?"

  "I don't think so. How do we even start looking for her?"

  He shrugged. "I suppose we go back to see Simon on Monday and find out where he got the dresser. Then we begin asking questions. I have to think that people would remember an accident which killed a family and left a little girl alone."

  "Marian would probably be about Lydia's age. Maybe she knows something." Polly leaned against the bookshelf. "We're going to have an apartment full of people tonight. I've invited Doug and Billy, told Jason and Andrew to come up and bring Eliseo and I just invited the Riveras. Let's put this away until tomorrow."