"Don't you think?" Polly looked across the table. Jessie had asked her something, but she'd missed the conversation.
"What?"
"I was just talking about how this would be a great job. I could wait tables in a place like this."
"Sure you could. There's another restaurant in town and a pizza place down the block. We can check those out, too," Polly said. "How long until you turn twenty-one?"
"A little over a year." Jessie frowned. "I was going to party with Maggie on my twenty-first birthday. We knew just what bars we were going to hit. Now I can't do that."
"You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. You might be back in Colorado."
"No," Jessie smacked the table in front of her, making the silverware jump. "I'm not going back there."
"Okay," Polly said. "That's off the table." She slid a glance to the silverware. "Literally."
"Sorry. I'm just so afraid someone is going to make me go back. I didn't even know I wanted to live in Iowa. I just knew I had to be someplace else."
"No one is going to make you do anything you don't want to do. It's up to you to figure out what's next."
Lucy put two plates down in front of them and dropped the receipt in front of Polly's plate. "Wave if you need me," she said.
"Thanks." Polly smiled up at her and then said to Jessie, "Dig in. You'll love it. The name sounds awful, but it's the best breakfast food around."
"Hi Polly."
She looked up to see Doug Randall make his way to her table. "Hey Doug. I just saw your parents."
"Yeah. They're going to late church today. Rachel said you were coming up here for breakfast and she also told me you found old Mr. Bedford and he was shot." He looked pointedly at their table and then realized he didn't recognize the person sitting with her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here with someone."
"No. It's fine. If you can find a chair and get Lucy's attention, you can sit with us."
"Thanks. Rachel and Billy are going to some deal for Caleb at church and then to her mom's house for lunch. I didn't want to sit at home alone. I thought I'd catch Mom and Dad, but they were already gone." He looked around and then asked a group at another table to take one of their chairs.
"Doug, this is Jessie Locke. Her dad and my dad were college friends."
"Wow. She's a lot younger than you."
Polly swatted his shoulder. "Thanks. I thought you were my friend. Jessie, this brat lives in the apartment over my garage. Most of the time he's a really good guy."
Jessie put her hand out to shake Doug's. "Hi," she said shyly.
"Jessie's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Cool," he said.
Lucy put a plate down in front of him, "I figured you wanted your regular?"
"Awesome. Thanks!"
"And your mom paid already. She said you'd be in."
"Aren't moms great?" he asked, reaching across the table for the jelly container. "So Polly, when are you going on your honeymoon?" He turned back to Jessie. "She couldn't go because the tornado messed up the town. We've been really busy this week. And Jerry says next week isn't going to be much better. I'll be really glad to get back to regular work. He asked if we'd donate some time to getting people back up and running. No big deal for me, but if we hadn't taken today off I was going to fall over sound asleep in someone's basement."
He stopped talking and looked back at Polly. "So?"
"So what?"
"When are you going on your honeymoon?"
"Probably not until October."
"That's a long time." He looked at Jessie. "She got married a couple of months ago. They didn't tell anybody about it. Just got married. But that was after some wicked psycho chick got all jealous of her and kidnapped little Rebecca. Have you met Rebecca? She's just about the cutest thing ever. Her mom isn't probably going to live very long because she has cancer. Everyone thinks that Polly will adopt Rebecca after Sarah dies, but Polly isn't talking about that either. Wow, if you're going to live with Henry and Polly you have a lot of history to catch up on. But she rocks."
"Shut up and eat, Doug. You're wearing us out," Polly said.
He took a bite of his eggs and reached for the coffee pot, "Is there enough in there for me to share?" he asked, then realized he didn't have a mug. "I'll be right back." He took off for the counter.
"Does he always talk that much?" Jessie asked.
"I didn't think so. This is new," Polly replied.
Doug slid back into his seat and poured coffee. "Do you need some while I'm pouring?" Polly pushed her mug closer to him and he refilled it.
"Where are you from, Jessie?"
"Colorado."
"I was there once when I was in high school. It was the middle of the summer and not nearly as hot as it gets out here."
"It depends where you live."
"I suppose. We were up at Rocky Mountain National Park and then we were in Denver. I got to go to a Rockies game even though I'm a Cubs fan. Everyone around here is a Cubs fan, I think. Do you like baseball, Jessie?"
"I suppose."
"Billy and I play on a team. You should come out and see us."
She nodded.
"How come you never watch us play, Polly?"
"I don't know. Honestly, I didn't even know you had a team in Bellingwood."
"Seriously? How could you not know?"
"I got nothing."
"Are you playing in the summer band again this year?"
"Doug, are you on something?"
He put his fork down on his plate and stopped moving. "No. Why?"
"You have been dinging off the wall since you sat down."
"I had a couple of energy drinks this morning," he said, laughing. "Am I really that bad?" He turned back to Jessie. She nodded.
"Sorry. I have a lot to get done today before we start working again tomorrow. I told Dad I'd come help with the garden and I have to get laundry done. I'm totally out of ..." he paused. "Well, they aren't purple, but I'm out of them."
Polly rolled her eyes and said, "That's a story for another time."
He whispered at Jessie. "I saw her panties once. They were purple with pink bows. It was, like, the first time I met her. She threw them down the stairs at me."
"Stop it," Polly said. "You're awful."
"Well it's the truth. And then they had that party where everyone wore purple. It's your color now."
"Uh huh. Are you about done?"
In the middle of all his talking, Doug had managed to plow through his breakfast. He looked down at his plate. "Whaddya know. I'm done. I suppose I should go back home and get my laundry. Maybe Mom will do it for me while I help Dad in the garden. It was nice to meet you, Jessie. Maybe I'll see you around."
He slid out of his chair and trotted to the front door. When he got there, he turned around and gave them a little wave and then he was gone.
"So he's not always like that?" Jessie asked.
"Nope. I need a nap now, though. Just. Wow."
They walked out of the restaurant together and when Polly got in the truck, Jessie said, "Do you think I could use your phone again this morning? I want to call Dad and see how he's doing."
"Sure. I'd like to ask him a couple of questions, too."
"Okay, like what?"
"I think it would be nice if you could have some of your clothes and things. We can buy new for you if we have to, but there's no reason for that, don't you think?"
"Mom's not going to like it."
"Maybe she will have had some time to re-think her position. Let's hope for the best."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Every one of her animals was waiting at the top of the stairs when Polly opened the door to go up.
"We're running the gauntlet this morning."
"I like how they are happy to see us."
"They always are," Polly said, picking Luke up as she crested the top step. "This one will trip you if you aren't careful.
Henry was in the living
room and she dropped Luke on the couch beside him.
"How was breakfast?" he asked.
Jessie gave him a shy smile. "It was pretty good. They called it a garbage plate though. I wasn't too sure."
"Polly likes that. When she drags you back for a pork tenderloin, just follow. They're terrific."
Polly handed Jessie her phone, after swiping it open and bringing up Curt Locke's number. "You can go in your room if you want some privacy. I'd like a chance to ask him a couple of questions before you hang up, though."
"Thank you." Jessie took the phone and had it at her ear before she'd cleared the threshold of the bedroom.
The door closed and Polly slid over the back of the sofa, landing beside Henry. "I love doing that. Mary would have had my head. But these are ours and I get to play on them as hard as I want to."
"You're just a big kid sometimes, aren't you?"
Polly ignored him. "Lonnie's on her way back to Michigan?"
"I think she's happy to have Uncle Loren's dog as a companion. Her roommates are excited about the dog, too. It just wasn't something we grew up with."
"That's weird," Polly said. She turned to him. "You have to ask your aunt if she ever saw a girl over at Loren's place."
Henry tilted his head at her. "A girl? What are you getting into now, Polly?"
"Lucy told me that she met Ralph Bedford's granddaughter last week. I'm going to ask Eliseo if he met her, but I was just wondering."
"I can certainly ask Aunt Betty. But don't you think you should talk to Stu Decker about this?"
"Yeah ..." Polly dipped her chin, a little embarrassed. "I really don't mean to get involved in all of this, but people talk about things and I put them together into a convoluted but connected story. It's probably nothing."
"It wouldn't hurt to ask questions," He nodded toward Jessie's room. "How's she doing this morning?"
"She's trying to come to grips with the fact that her mother essentially tossed her out of the house. How do you explain that parents are just as messed up as the rest of us, to a girl who was chained up for over a week?"
Henry visibly shuddered. "I guess she's doing pretty well then, if she can even smile at all."
A rap at the front door got their attention and Polly jumped up to answer it. She pulled the door open and looked down at a grinning Rebecca and Andrew.
"What are you two up to this morning?"
"It's not morning," Andrew scolded. "It's afternoon. Mom dropped us off after church. We brought lunch over for Sarah and Rebecca and I asked if I could stay. Can I stay?"
Polly chuckled. "Of course you can."
"Look at my cast," he said, holding up his arms. "Everyone signed it at church." He twisted and turned it and then pointed to a small image. "That's a penguin. Doctor Mason said I was cool."
"You're very cool," Polly agreed. "What are you planning to do today?"
Andrew peered up at her, looking around her. He took her right hand in his and squinted while looking at her fingers.
She pulled her hand away. "What are you doing?"
"Rebecca and I think we should conduct experiments on you."
"What do you mean by that?" Polly planted both hands on her hips and tried to scowl at him, but all she could do was smile.
"They were talking about you at church. How you found Mr. Bedford this morning. Somebody asked if you'd been bitten by something radioactive. That it's like your superpower. Mom said it was because you drank special water every day."
"They're laughing at me, Henry," Polly said. "I told you this town was going to think I was nuts. And now that you're married to me, you are going to be laughed at, too."
"I can take it." Henry stood up and came over to the door and physically pulled Polly back a step into the living room. "Are you going to let them in?"
"I don't know," she said. "They want to do experiments on me."
"How about we don't do experiments until Polly has taken a break."
Polly wrinkled her forehead at him. "I don't need a break."
"You've been awake since four thirty and you haven't stopped moving. I'm going to insist. Kids, if you want to hit the video games, be my guest, but Polly is going to take a nap."
Rebecca and Andrew ran into the media room and soon, the sounds of racing cars filled the apartment.
"I don't need a nap."
"Polly, I love you, but you've been taking care of everyone for days. We were supposed to be on our honeymoon this last week. Not only have you been cleaning up after folks down at the hotel and traipsing all over the city helping after the tornado, you've accepted the responsibility for a young woman and this morning you were involved in the rescue of Ralph Bedford. You can slow down a bit."
"Polly?" Jessie's voice came from her bedroom doorway.
"Yes, Jessie. What is it?"
"Did you want to talk to my dad?"
"Oh! Yes. Thank you. Is everything okay?"
The girl brushed a tear away from her cheek. "I guess so. Here he is."
Polly took the phone and placing it to her ear, said, "Curt?"
"Yes, Polly."
She walked into the bedroom and sat down at her desk. "How are you feeling today?"
"I feel like I was hit by a Mac truck. These last couple of days have been exhausting, but I'm home and Kelly insists that I rest and obey doctor's orders."
"I'm glad you're home and safe. Curt, what kind of plans do you and Kelly have for this mess with your daughter?"
"We're talking about a couple of very stubborn women. Jessie insists that she isn't coming back to Colorado and Kelly is just mad enough to let her stay out there."
"Even after all her daughter has been through? You have to be kidding me!"
"I know it doesn't seem right to you, Polly, but my wife hasn't had an easy life and now that I can't work, it isn't going to get any easier on her."
"Your daughter was chained up by a man in his house. You're telling me that your wife is okay with staying mad at her? What kind of sickness is that?"
Henry had come into the room and put his hand on Polly's shoulder. When she looked up, he shook his head.
"She feels like Jessie has made her own decisions and if she is going to insist that she's an adult, she has to live with the consequences."
"That's just crap and you know it."
"Miss Giller, there isn't much I can do about any of this right now. My wife is hurt and angry. She's scared that I'm going to die and she doesn't know what to do to help our daughter. I'm glad that you are there to make sure she is safe."
"I'm so angry, I don't have words to express my fury."
"I understand, but as I said, there's nothing I can do. If I could send you money, I would, but I don't have anything extra. If I could be there I would, but you know that I can't. All I can do is talk to my girl when she wants to and tell her that I love her."
Polly wanted to spit into the phone. She wanted to bang it over his wife's head. She wanted to do a lot of violence, but instead, she held it together.
"How can I get hold of some of Jessie's things? Curt, she doesn't even own any clothes. Your wife," and Polly practically spat the word at him, "wouldn't let her bring anything with her."
"Well, that's where you're wrong ..." he began.
"No, I'm not wrong. She has nothing."
"The only thing I can give to her is that car. I talked to Kelly and told her that we weren't going to take it back. I'll send the title out to Jessie and it will be her car. We'll figure things out on this end. It's not much, but maybe it will help her get around."
"Okay. That's a start."
"If you open the trunk, you'll find most of her things. Her brother and I packed up her room. Her clothes and some of the things she loved are in there. I wasn't going to say anything if she wanted to come home."
"Curt," Polly said, breathing out. "That's wonderful."
"I know it isn't enough, but it's what I can do right now. Maybe when Kelly calms down some and isn't quite so worrie
d about me and our finances, she will feel a little pity for our girl and we can mend some fences."
"What about her phone?"
"I'll ask Ethan to send it to you in the next couple of days. Polly, don't hate Kelly for this."
"It's not my place to hate, Curt, but I am shocked and infuriated at her decision to abandon her daughter."
"I'm sorry."
"Will you be here when she has to testify against the man who hurt her?"
"I don't know, Polly. I will do my best. But please, make sure she knows how much I love her and tell her to call me whenever she wants to talk."
Polly wasn't sure how to express his love and his absence at the same time, but maybe Jessie understood all of that. She'd lived in his home for nearly twenty years.
"I'll do what I can," she said with a sigh.
"Your father would be proud of you."
"Good-bye, Curt."
Polly put the phone down on her desk and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stop herself from crying. She wasn't sure if it was sorrow or anger. Probably a little bit of both.
"How are you doing?" Henry asked.
"I'm so mad. I just don't understand it. How could that woman be so callous? And how can he just let her do that?"
"You probably made it easy for her to choose. She doesn't have to worry about Jessie, assured that you're here to deal with it."
"But she left town without knowing whether her daughter was safe or not and when she found out what that girl had been through ..." Polly turned on him. "What mother doesn't rush to her daughter's side after something like that?"
"I don't have a good answer for that, Polly. I wish I did."
Polly stood up and let him draw her in close. "I'm so glad you're here to take care of me and I'm glad you had normal parents and I don't have to worry about you."
"Not even a little?" he asked with a smile in his voice.
"Okay, a little." She stepped back. "At least her dad came through for her with some of her things. They're in the trunk of the car he left here. That will help. And he says that she can keep the car. I guess that's something. I probably need to tell her that bit of good news."
Tomorrow's Promises (Bellingwood Book 7) Page 21