"Thank you again," Martha said as they left by the front door.
Polly closed it behind them and went back to her bed and lay down. "Well, I guess there won't be any more sleep for me today, she said to the cats, who had jumped up to rejoin her. How come I never seem to get enough sleep? I'm a good girl."
She shut her eyes and the next thing she knew, her cell phone was ringing.
"Hello?" she mumbled.
"We're just checking on you," Eliseo said. "How are things up there? Do you still have a full house?"
"What time is it?"
"It's seven thirty. Jason and I are nearly finished with morning chores. He said that the Devins' dog was still in Doug and Billy's apartment, but Rachel's car is gone."
"I'm so sorry! Their mom showed up when it was still dark out. She didn't want to wake the boys up for the dog, so they went on home. I lay down for just a minute. I'm sorry!"
"Don’t fret. Jason and I did good work this morning. He was worried about Rachel and Caleb and I thought it might be good if we also worried about you a little bit."
"Everything is fine, but I can't believe that this morning, of all mornings, I wasn't down there to help you get everyone out. What time are we supposed to be at the start of the parade?"
"We're the last thing to go, so … "
"That's a good idea," Polly interrupted. "Horse poop is a terrible thing to have to walk through."
He chuckled, "You're right. Anyway, since we're last to go and we don't have much set up and I don't want the horses to have to wait too long, if we are there by ten thirty, it will all be good."
"Thank you. I will be down as soon as I get a shower and put real clothes on. I really am sorry, Eliseo."
"If you needed sleep, the best thing to do was get it. We have a busy weekend ahead of us."
"I'll see you in a bit."
Before Polly got in the shower, she spent some time cleaning and polishing her boots and then set them aside. Obiwan gave her a cross-eyed look when she came at him with the brush. If he was riding in the wagon today, he was going without the extra animal he had hidden in the mass of fur. By the time she was finished with him, she gathered up the hair and laughed. "There's enough here to make a puppy! I've been a bad mom!"
She put her new blue shirt on and her best pair of blue jeans, slipped into her comfortable boots and smiled as she grabbed her hat off the shelf in her closet. If anyone had told Polly fifteen years ago she would be proudly wearing western style clothing, she'd have laughed in their face. That was almost as insane as listening to country music and she had to admit it, but every once in a while, when Eliseo had music going in the barn, she liked it.
They went downstairs and out the back to the barn. She waved at Jeff as she went by. He tried to get her attention, but she knew Obiwan was desperate to get to grass and she'd made him wait long enough.
Eliseo and Jason were brushing the horses down when she entered the barn and Demi nickered at her.
"You are my boy, aren't you?" she said, rubbing his forehead.
"Wow Polly, you look great!" Jason exclaimed. "Mom brought all of my clothes for the parade. Can I take a shower at your place?"
"Sure! Would you take Obiwan up with you when you go and make sure to feed him and the cats?"
"Cool!"
"Did you have fun last night?"
"Everyone was kind of freaked out when Rachel showed up, but then Doug set us up with Sword Lords. We had a great campaign. I even got a Paladin's horse."
Polly nodded as if she knew what he was talking about. "That's great! What time did you go to bed?"
Jason grinned and said, "It was awesome. We didn't go to sleep until two o'clock! I've never gotten to stay up that late."
"I'll bet it was hard to wake up this morning."
"No it wasn't!" he said. "I set the alarm on my new phone and since I didn't have to change my clothes, I just ran down here and started to work."
Polly smiled at him. He was going to crash hard later today, but as long as the adrenaline kept flowing through his body, he’d be fine. A birthday, a chance to be independent of his mother, a parade, a horse - it was a lot for a young boy to handle.
He set the brush down on a bench and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "Did you see this, Polly? Can you believe Mom got it for me?"
"I didn't get a chance to see it last night," she said. "Is it pretty cool?"
"Mom told me I couldn't spend any money on apps for it, but there are a ton of free ones. Look! This one tells me how much battery is left and this one lets me send pictures to Facebook!"
"Pretty cool!" she acknowledged. "You are on Facebook now?"
"I will be when I get home tonight. I'm thirteen!" He shrugged, "Mom says I have to set it up on the home computer so she can watch. Can I friend you?" he asked.
"Of course you can," she laughed. "I'd love that. Are you going to post lots of pictures of Nat? I'll try to shoot some today of you riding. How would you like that?"
"Thank you!"
He shoved the phone back in his pocket and Polly realized he used the same movements that she did. She realized that sometimes she had no idea how much these kids watched everything around them. He picked the brush back up and stepped up on the bench to reach Nat's back.
"I think they're looking pretty good, Eliseo," he said with authority. It made Polly's heart sing. It was fun watching these boys grow up.
"I think you're right, Jason. It's eight thirty. Why don't you go up and get showered and dressed. When you come back down, we'll get them ready. Doc Ogden should be here about nine thirty or so."
"Okay." Jason went outside and called for Obiwan. Polly followed to make sure the dog obeyed and watched as the two trotted up to the main building.
"He's such a good kid," she said. "Sylvie has done a great job with those boys."
Eliseo nodded and she could have sworn that his eyes were wistful. The scars that covered his body from a terrible accident in Iraq twenty years ago probably told him that he would be alone for the rest of his life. Polly was glad that he was at least part of the Sycamore House family for now. Everyone who worked with him ignored the scars and saw that they were simply part of who he was. She wondered what his life would have been like if he'd never been in that accident. She would have hated to miss out on working with him. He was her saving grace when it came to the horses. Her naiveté had been supplanted by her willingness to work hard in the beginning, but he was the one who discovered these four horses were so much more than a rehabilitation project. They were ready to play and to work, to be ridden and to pull. Every time Mark showed Demi and Daisy the gear for them to pull the wagon, they practically danced in place. She supposed that standing around in a pasture all day every day could get a little boring. These horses were made for more than that and they were thrilled whenever someone as skilled as Eliseo or Mark Ogden gave them a challenge.
"What are you thinking on over there, Polly?" Eliseo asked. "You've gotten awful serious."
"Sorry!" she chuckled. "I was just thinking about how glad I am that you are here. You and Mark give these horses so much more than I would have known to give them. They would have had a nice, soft life with me, but you let them be who they really are. It's exciting to think about all that they can do."
He patted Daisy's neck and walked her back into her stall. "I never got a chance to work with draft horses. We didn't have any on the farm. These beauties are like nothing I've ever known. They are so gentle and kind, I'd trust them with the smallest child. Even Nan knows what it means to have someone on her back who needs her to behave. They've been well trained and now that they're healthy, there's nothing like feeling those massive muscles moving underneath my legs. I feel like I moved into the big time with them. It's really my privilege."
"Well, I'm glad you're here."
"I am too," he said and quickly walked away from her to the back of the barn.
"Sorry about that," she said quietly as she walked out of the barn
up to Sycamore House. "Sometimes they make me emotional, too."
This time, she stopped in the office. "Did you need me?" she asked Jeff.
"I just wanted to know how everything went last night. Did you have guests all night long?"
"Yep. Their mother picked them up early this morning. I think everything is fine, but only time will tell. How are things going here with the quilt show?"
"The schedule says that it opens at nine. We haven't had anyone lining up at the doors, though. Marla called and said she was bringing the judges in this afternoon. They're staying at a hotel in Ames and she has to pick them up and bring them in. They'll stay for a few hours and then I think they're off to check out some of the quilt shops in the area. I can't imagine hauling those people all over, but she's doing it."
"Thanks for all you've done for this. Is everything else going well?"
"I think so. Nothing is niggling at the back of my mind, and if it's going to fall apart, that is usually what tells me I should be paying attention."
"Do you have your shirt?"
"It's right here. I spent the night in town last night and haven't had time to change."
"Do you need to use my shower? Jason is up there right now, but he'll be finished soon."
He glanced back and forth and finally said, "Could I? That way I don't have to worry about using the public showers upstairs."
"Sure, do you know where towels and stuff are?"
"I can find my way."
"When Jason comes back down, would you give him Doc Ogden's shirt and ask him to take it to the barn? Then you can have my apartment as long as you need it."
"Thanks, Polly."
"See you at the parade!"
She found Sylvie in the kitchen. Cinnamon rolls and pecan rolls were already served up on the counter and the coffee smelled heavenly.
"Can I help myself?" she asked.
"Please do!" Sylvie said. She was already dressed in jeans and her blue Sycamore House shirt. When she looked up from the oven, she grinned. "We're twins!"
"It's going to be a theme today. Do you have a camera to take pictures at the parade?"
"I didn't think about it. I was just going to use my phone."
"If I give you my camera will you take a lot of pictures? I know your son would love to have some and so would I."
"I'm not that good."
"Oh, come on. Just point and shoot. Make sure you zoom in so the subject is as close as you can get it and take the picture. That's all you have to do."
Sylvie nodded begrudgingly. "I'll try. But don't hate me if they stink."
"No hating, I'll be right back." Polly spun around and ran to her office and came back with the camera. With a few lessons in turning it on and using the zoom, she hoped Sylvie could figure it out."
"Have you talked to your oldest this morning?" Polly asked.
"He ran past me to go upstairs to take a shower. Thanks for that."
"I think he had a great time last night, but I suspect he'll be wiped out soon."
Sylvie chuckled. "He should do that every once in a while. There's only so much mommy one boy can take. Speaking of what one boy can take, what in the hell was up with Beryl last night? Andrew talked about it until I finally sent him to bed."
"She didn't tell you?"
"No!"
"I guess she does this for the boys of all her friends. Especially when their moms are going to get stupid and emotional and all mommy-like. She figures that she'll be the most embarrassing thing in the room and that's what they'll remember rather than their moms being emotional and crying because their babies are growing up."
"Don't you just love her?" Sylvie said.
"I think she's a little batty, but yes, I love her. I suspect this isn't the last time you're going to see that outfit. Andy and Lydia were quite familiar with it."
"You know that just gives me permission to be as emotional as I want, then."
"Works for me! Where's your little boy, by the way?"
"Where do you think?"
"Back here?"
"Of course. That nook is either the best thing that ever happened to him or the worst. He used to read a lot at home, but now he always reading. I want him to spend more time outside!"
"Aw mom," Andrew complained as he came into the kitchen. "I heard you talking about me. I go outside enough."
He had his blue shirt on and looked absolutely adorable. Polly wanted to hug him, but thought better of it. "Will you ride in the back of the wagon with me and Mark? We're going to put Obiwan in there with you."
"Cool! Can I, mom?"
"Sure!" she said.
"Thanks! Do you want me to come down to the barn?"
"Why don't we drive up to the front door and pick you up. Sylvie, there's a bench in the back of the wagon. I can give the camera to Jeff if you want to ride with us."
"Oh no," Sylvie said. "I'll be just fine taking pictures and standing in the background. I don't want to be gone that long from here anyway. You all go be stars of the show. I'm staying on the ground."
Polly smiled, "You're going to miss out!"
"Nope, I'm not going to miss anything, I promise."
Polly could feel the excitement building inside her. She knew it was only a small-town parade and would be over before she knew it, but she'd never done anything like this before. When she was in high school, she always marched with the band, but this felt different. She could hardly wait. She looked at the clock. Nine-fifteen.
A door slammed and Jason ran into the kitchen. "Can I go back to the barn, mom?" he asked. He was fully decked out in everything he had received the day before. He had his new boots on, he was wearing his hat and he carried his leather water bottle holster. The shirt made him look like part of the team and he even had a red bandana tucked into and hanging out of his back pocket.
"What's this?" his brother asked, pulling it out. "A kerchief?"
"That's what cowboys use to blow their nose, runt." Jason said.
"Jace?" his mother warned.
"Well, he is a runt. See how much shorter he is?" Jason stood beside his brother, the boots adding a little extra height.
"Do you want me to repeat the warning?" Sylvie continued.
"No ma'am," he said, his shoulders drooping. "Sorry."
"Can I go to the barn?" he asked politely and much more sedately.
"You may," Sylvie said.
"Jason, could you stop by Jeff's office and pick up the box with Mark's shirt in it and take it with you? And tell him that the shower's free."
"Okay!" Jason ran out of the kitchen before he could get stopped by his mother.
"You go on back and read," Sylvie said to Andrew. "I'll come get you when it's time to leave."
He snaked a cinnamon roll from the counter and peeked up at her to see if she would stop him. She just gave him a swat on his bottom and said, "Go," and laughed.
"I'm already going grey and it's their fault," Sylvie complained. "I know Jason feels like he is a man, but it is going to be ugly wrangling him back into shape after this weekend. Between the party and sleeping over with the older guys, then the parade and riding with Eliseo, he's going to be impossible to live with. Do you want him for a couple of weeks?" she asked Polly.
"Ummm, no?" Polly giggled. "I feel like I should say yes because I've probably had a hand in introducing him to the dark side, though."
"Exactly! This is your fault! I like that. When he puts me over the edge tonight and I send him to bed without any supper, I will tell him that it's your fault."
"That seems fair," Polly said. "Oh well, at least it was fun for him while it lasted. It's a good thing you raised a couple of good boys."
"It hasn't been easy, but having you and everyone here at Sycamore House in their lives has made it better. Have I told you thank you for that lately?"
Polly hugged her. "You say it often enough. We love your boys. I'd better get down to the barn. Mark is going to be here to hitch up the wagon and I am so excited I can bare
ly stand it."
"Text me when you are coming to get Andrew and I'll have him bring Obiwan outside and be ready for you."
"Great."
Polly headed back to the barn, passing several people looking at the quilts. She smiled and nodded and as soon as she cleared the side door, she broke into a run. Mark's truck was in the parking lot and she didn't want to miss any of the excitement with the horses this morning.
Jason met her at the door and said, "You have to wait here for just one more minute."
"Why? What's up?"
"Eliseo just wants to finish something before you come in. You're going to like it. He sent me out here to make you wait."
"What am I waiting for?" Polly tried to peer around Jason into the barn.
She heard a whistle and Jason pushed the door open. Demi and Daisy were already hitched to the wagon and Eliseo had tied blue ribbon into their manes, weaving it in loosely. Polly had expressed her dislike of the tight braids, she loved the look of a flowing mane, but he had managed to get the ribbon to flow naturally, accenting their dark hair with the bright blue.
"They're beautiful!" she said. She rubbed Demi's forehead and then Daisy's. "You are beautiful! Do you know how proud I am of the two of you? This is going to be the best day for us! The whole town is going to fall in love with you as much as I have." She stood up on tip toe and kissed Daisy above the nose and then Demi. "I love you guys."
"Eliseo, this is perfect. Thank you," she said.
"It's no big deal. Mark had his assistant find the ribbon for me."
"Thank you Mark," she said. "Are you all as excited as I am about today?"
"I don't know about us, but these two are ready to prance," Mark replied. "They know they look fabulous and are ready to show off. It will be good for them."
"I'm so glad to hear you say that. I worry that I might be asking too much."
"You could never do that, Polly. Come on, get up in the wagon and we'll get out of here so Jason and Eliseo can saddle Nan and Nat. Is Andrew ready to ride with us?"
"I told him we'd pick him up at the front door."
"Let's go do that and see if we can get everyone settled down before the parade starts."
Polly climbed into the wagon and Mark handed her the reins. When she got them in her hands, she was sure that she could feel the horses vibrating with excitement.
Secrets and Revelations (Bellingwood #4) Page 24