The Sounds of Home Read online

  The Sounds

  of Home

  DIANE GREENWOOD MUIR

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Cover Design Photography: Maxim M. Muir

  Copyright © 2019 Diane Greenwood Muir

  All rights reserved.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THANK YOU!

  CHAPTER ONE

  Polly turned her desk chair to look out the window. The Percherons were in the pasture across the creek, leaving the donkeys to play by themselves. Eliseo tossed a big red ball across the grass for the donkeys and Tom gave chase. With Huck trotting along beside him, Eliseo ran over, grabbed up the ball, and laughed as the two donkeys raced him back to the barn. The sound of honking and braying made Polly smile. They were having so much fun. He gave it another toss and stood under the eaves to watch them play. She almost felt embarrassed peeking in on these intimate moments between him and the animals.

  Mondays were quiet at Sycamore House. Jeff, Rachel, and Stephanie took the day off and rarely scheduled anything in the building. Polly and Edna Dahlman, the business manager they'd hired last spring, spent the morning going over financials and discussing other issues that might have come up this last week. Edna had become a rock for Sycamore Enterprises. In a few short months, she knew more about the ins and outs of the business than Polly even realized existed. Polly now had a better grasp on everything that was happening with her businesses.

  Edna had taken on most of the accounting work for Sturtz Construction as well, astounding Henry and Polly with how fast she'd picked up on the details. They needed to hire an assistant for her. Things never slowed down.

  She spun back at the sound of the door to the addition crashing open.

  "Mommy!" Cassidy was the first one through Polly's office door. "Guess who was at school today!"

  Polly knew exactly who Cassidy had seen, but gave her daughter the moment. "Who was at school today?"

  "Cat!" The little girl's face lit up. "She's a teacher at my school!"

  They'd been over this time and again, but for a kindergartner, seeing was believing. School had been in session for a week and everyone was still trying to figure out schedules and where people were supposed to be.

  "Noah?" Polly called out.

  "Right here," he said, coming in behind Cassidy. "Do you have my clothes?"

  She pointed at the sofa. "One hour of homework first. You know the drill."

  "I don't have that much," he complained. "Can't I do it at home? That's when everybody else does it."

  She pointed at the table. This was their deal for working at the barn with Eliseo. When everyone else was working on their homework, he was practicing for his music lessons and helping Caleb and JaRon with their schoolwork. Now that Cat was back in school, everyone took on more tasks to keep things running smoothly at home.

  The boy had shot up this summer. Now a sixth grader, he was nearly as tall as Polly. His long, slender legs and thin, gangly arms looked out of place on a body that had barely begun to develop. The poor boy was as awkward as they came, but at least he had places where he was comfortable. Whether he was reading a book, playing his saxophone, or working in the barn, he escaped the awkward reality that was growing up. Elijah, on the other hand, was shorter, though he was also growing. He loved school and every activity he could join. He didn't know a stranger and made friends easily. This afternoon, he was on his way to the piano restorer’s shop at his Grandpa Bill’s place. They were nearly ready to deliver the grand piano and Elijah had been disappointed that he didn’t have as much time with the restorers once school started. As a little entertainer, he loved the attention he received from the group who had been working on the piano. He also loved hearing their stories and listening to them all play. Each time he came home from spending time there, he had new information about a composer or a pianist, a piece of music, or something else he had learned.

  Caleb had begged Cat at breakfast to be allowed to wait for her after school since his older brothers would be busy with their own activities. When his younger brother found out, JaRon wanted to do the same. It was Cat's first day, and she rather liked the idea of taking them out for ice cream to celebrate.

  Once Polly decided to spend her days working at Sycamore House, the transformation of her office was set into motion. Eliseo and Scott Luther, the new custodian, emptied the room she now occupied. The bedroom set was moved out and Polly went shopping for a desk. Henry and Heath built shelves along the inside wall and she loaded them with books and her Star Wars collection, thrilled to have it displayed again. A small square table and chairs served as a conference table during the day and a study desk after school. A comfortable sitting area with a sofa and big chairs were put into use as napping spots when exhausted children showed up. She'd thought about bringing a television in, but at the last minute, dropped the idea. The kids didn't get to waste time in front of it at home and the last thing she needed in her office was one more distraction.

  Rebecca was already well into her school year with marching band, football games, drama club, choir and so many things, Polly couldn't keep up. Thank goodness the girl was now driving her own car.

  Noah dropped his backpack on the floor and flopped down on a chair next to it. With a loud sigh, he unzipped the top of the bag, making as much noise as possible while unloading his work onto the table.

  "What was the best part of your day?" Polly asked.

  "Haven't had it yet," he muttered.

  Oh yeah, adolescence was going to look good on this one. She could hardly wait.

  "Did you learn all about how to drive a car?"

  He looked up at her, turning up his nose. "What?"

  "I don't know. What did you learn in science?"

  He shrugged.

  "Did you have band today?"

  That elicited a shake of the head. She knew that. "Did you see Cat?"

  "Uh huh."

  "In the hall or did you get called to the principal's office because you were mean to her?"

  "What?"

  Polly laughed and rubbed his forearm. "I love you, bud. I'm just picking on you. Get busy with your homework and then you can go to the barn and help Eliseo."

  Noah's eyes lit up. "He said we might hitch up the donkey's cart today. There's a bunch of
squash to pick. You should see some of those pumpkins. They're going to be huge by Halloween."

  That was the boy she knew and loved. "Are things okay at school, Noah? You don't talk about it very often."

  "S'fine," he said with a shrug.

  "Do you like your teacher?" Mrs. Sinclair was new in town. She'd taught in another district, but moved here last spring with her husband and commuted until the school year ended. They'd worried she wouldn't find a job nearby, but one of the sixth-grade teachers had retired at the end of May.

  Polly had been glad to see that woman, Linda Greenbriar, go. Her last couple of years had been stressful for everyone who encountered her, whether students, parents, or other teachers. Polly had stopped in to meet her after they discovered that Noah would be in her classroom. Mrs. Greenbriar tried not to let it show, but she made more than one reference to the brown-skinned kids in the school and their lack of intelligence when compared to some of her favorite children — all of whom were from wealthy white families in town. It was hard to pin down her comments, she merely alluded to her bigotry, but there was a great deal of relief in the Sturtz household when her retirement was announced.

  "She's okay." Noah scratched an equation on his worksheet. "There's a lot of work, though."

  "Are you understanding it all?"

  He frowned at her in disgust. "Yes."

  "Just checking. So why aren't you happy about school?"

  "It's fine."

  "You aren't going to tell me?" she asked with a chuckle. "Because you know that if you don't, I will just find other ways to ask questions until you finally blurt it all out."

  "It's really fine."

  "You know you can talk to me about anything."

  "I'm fine."

  Polly stood, snuggled him close, then went to the sofa where Cassidy was lying with her dolly. "Did you have a good day?"

  Cassidy nodded and yawned.

  "Is there anything in your backpack?" Polly picked it up and held it out.

  "I drew a school bus today even though I don't have to ride on one."

  "Is it in here?"

  "No, she put them on the board."

  "Is there anything in here I need to know about?"

  Cassidy yawned again and curled up around her doll. "No."

  "Okay, why don't you take a nap. Noah and I will be quiet." Polly stroked her daughter's arm, straightening her t-shirt along her back.

  And just like that, Cassidy's eyes closed.

  The first week hadn't been as traumatic for Cassidy as everyone worried it might be. Polly and Cat took the kids to the playground more often as the beginning of school approached. The week before, when teachers and staff were in the building, Polly called and asked if she could just walk through the building with Cassidy. They did that every day, walking up and down the hallways. Polly pointed out which rooms the boys would be in. If Mrs. Newland was working, they went into Cassidy's classroom. It only took a few minutes, but by the first day of school, Cassidy was as prepared as Polly could get her.

  Cassidy had melted down a couple of times during the week and Mrs. Newland called both times. Polly was ready to go to the school for backup if that's what the teacher needed, but what the woman really needed was assurance that Cassidy wouldn't break. After school, Polly took time to listen to what Cassidy had to say about the meltdown, which wasn't much; she'd just been exhausted. Each of the kids had difficulty adjusting to the structure of a classroom; not surprising after what they'd all been through. Noah and Elijah hadn't regularly attended school until they arrived in Bellingwood. Caleb and JaRon barely knew what it meant to attend school. They'd been moved around so often that their earliest education was nothing, if not haphazard.

  Polly knew better than to take their behavior personally. All she could do was listen, love, and push them to be better. Once was a mistake, twice was understandable, but a third time brought swift punishment, usually in the form of a clean bathroom.

  Speaking of clean bathrooms, Polly had yet to find someone to help clean her house. The worst thing she was going to run into was the massive amount of dirty laundry her big family produced. Every day, they got further and further behind, no matter what she did. She had hoped someone would show up in her life, but so far, nothing. If things kept up at this rate, they were going to have to start closing off rooms in the house when they got too messy to use. At least the bathrooms would be clean.

  Noah jumped out of his seat at the desk and Polly followed his movement. "What do you hear?" she whispered.

  "Dad's here."

  Polly's heart skipped a beat. No matter how long those boys were in their home, it thrilled her to hear them use the terms Mom and Dad. Since Rebecca still called them Polly and Henry, it had required a little work to make sure the boys knew who they belonged to, but it had finally become second nature.

  Henry stepped into her office and glanced at Cassidy asleep on the sofa. "Long day for her?" he asked.

  "It's like this every afternoon," Polly said. "She has to build up more stamina. What are you doing here?"

  He handed over a cup of coffee from Sweet Beans. "Had a meeting with Lillybeth Anderson and brought you a present." Polly came around the desk, kissed him, and took the coffee.

  "Aren't you just the most amazing person." She turned to Noah. "Isn't he just the most amazing person?"

  Noah had stood quietly and awkwardly while they spoke. He nodded and started back for the table.

  Henry grinned and grabbed his arm. "It's good to see you, Noah. Do you have a lot of homework?"

  "Not very much. I can't wait to go to the barn."

  Polly shot Henry a wink and a smile, with a quick nod.

  "Really," Henry said, pulling Noah back so he could give him a quick hug. "What if I were to tell you that I want to talk to Polly, and you could finish your homework later?"

  The hug had been what Noah was waiting for. He still wasn't as affectionate as Elijah, but the kids all knew that Henry would give them as much as they wanted or needed. He never pushed, but he was always right there. They never worried about what Polly would do either. She hugged them whether they thought they wanted it or not. The thing was, once she had them in her arms, no one ever pulled away. Even Caleb had come to accept her love, often hesitating just long enough for her to catch him.

  Noah glanced at Polly and she nodded. "Go ahead. Your clothes are right there. Bring what you're wearing back to me and I'll make sure it gets home."

  "Thank you." He grabbed up the pile of clothes and ran out to change.

  "You spoil him," Polly said, walking over to where Noah had been sitting at the table. His worksheet was nearly complete. It wouldn't take long to finish it later this evening. She stacked his work into a pile and slid it into his backpack. "How was the meeting with the Andersons?"

  Lillybeth and Brad Anderson were building the big home just down the street from the Bell House. They'd also bought the newspaper in town, though nothing had come of it yet. Whatever big plans they'd had for Bellingwood had been slowed down by something in their lives. Though the town was rife with gossip regarding the couple, there was no good information.

  After a long pause while building the house last spring, Henry had gotten an urgent call to begin construction again. That had lasted for a month. He received another call the first week of August, asking him to stop again.

  "Just her." Henry sat down at the table with her. "I don't know what's going on with that family, but you and I both know that if someone starts and stops a construction project like this, there’s a problem with money."

  "Are you on again?"

  "I don’t think so. She was vague about dates. I have a crew that could move over there next week. I guess we’ll decide later."

  "Did you ask if this behavior was going to continue?"

  Henry chuckled and gave her a sideways look. "What do you think?"

  "That you’d never ask a question like that."

  "You're so smart. It's why I love you. Have yo
u heard anything from Cat about her first day?"

  "She called to tell me that she was celebrating by taking Caleb and JaRon for ice cream. I think she had a good time."

  "How about our little girl?" He gestured at Cassidy with a nod. "Did she make it through the day?"

  Since it was Monday and everyone had been home for the weekend, they'd been prepared for another meltdown today.

  "I didn't hear anything from Mrs. Newland, and you can see that she's relaxed."

  "I hoped to get here before she fell asleep. Thought maybe the two of you might want to take a ride with me."

  "Where are we going?" Polly asked.

  "A quick run out to the B&B and then over to Aunt Betty's place. Dick and Dad have been working out which piece of land we might buy and I wanted you to see it."

  "Marie is going to miss having the shop right next door. I know she keeps a close eye on your father."

  "Well, see, that's kind of the thing." He gave her a knowing smile. "We’re having thoughts."

  "About what?"

  "Building a house out there for Mom and Dad."

  "What?" Polly caught herself and checked to ensure her outburst hadn’t awakened Cassidy. "What do you mean, build a house? What would you do with the one they live in?"

  "Well …" He drew out the word.

  "What are you boys planning?" Polly rolled her eyes. When Henry, his father, Bill, and Uncle Dick got together, they made all sorts of outrageous plans. Plans that their wives often had to rein in before they ran off unfettered.

  "Mom and Betty are in on this too. You can't blame us boys," Henry protested.

  "Spill it."

  "It's going to take time for this to come together, but Mom would like a ranch style house so they aren't doing stairs all the time."

  "Go on. Are you planning to sell their current house?"

  He shook his head. "It's paid for and it's in my name." Henry corrected himself. "It's in our name."

  "We own that house, too?"

  He nodded. "Mom has been putting house payments into an account since they came back to Bellingwood. They have plenty to build a new one. Since it won't be a reality until next summer at the earliest, everybody thought maybe we'd renovate it for Hayden and Cat and the new baby. We haven’t made any decisions about the shop. Maybe move your dad’s equipment from our garage so Heath and Hayden have a place to work. Maybe something else."