Look Always Forward (Bellingwood Book 11)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  "If I can find him a good place to stay. And I like Sycamore House. There aren't any steps for him to deal with. Since insurance will pay for his rehabilitation, I just need to talk to his doctor and the insurance company about putting him here instead of a cold facility."

  This was coming at Polly really fast. She'd never considered this possibility, though she'd wanted Sycamore House to be a haven for people who needed to get away from the rush of the real world. Her mind reeled, trying to think about all of the possibilities and the problems this might bring.

  "I have some concerns," Polly said. "I can't put my staff or guests in harm's way."

  Leslie Sutworth took a deep breath. "I understand, but he'll be under Mrs. Morrow's care and she'll make sure he takes his medications on time. He's fine when he's regular. She and I will take care of all of his medical appointments and she will also help take him to his therapist's appointments."

  "I'd like to help you," Polly said. "Let me talk to my assistant. He schedules the rooms and would know all of the legal ins and outs of taking this on."

  Before she could continue, Mrs. Sutworth interrupted. "I'm not asking you to take anything on. I just need a safe place for him to regain his strength."

  Polly nodded. "I understand that, but Sycamore House isn't your normal, everyday hotel. We're a family and if Denis moves in, we'll be part of his life and he'll be part of our family."

  "I don't know where else to turn," the woman said, leaning forward to put her arms on Polly's desk. "I thought I'd lost him and I just can't face the idea of losing him now just because I had to drop him off in an institution. I can't take care of him at home. You're my last hope."

  That nearly did Polly in, but she knew it wasn't fair to accept this responsibility without talking to Jeff first.

  "When are they releasing Denis?"

  "This weekend as long as we can find a place for him."

  Polly took a breath and blew it out through pursed lips. "That's really fast."

  "I've called everybody. And I've been at the hospital with him and trying to take care of my other two kids and my work has been patient with me, but I have to go back in a few days, and..." She stopped and looked at Polly again.

  "Let me talk to Jeff and we'll make a decision. I'll call you before five o'clock today. That's all I can promise," Polly said.

  "My ex-husband sent money," Leslie said, pulling out her checkbook. "I'll write a check so you don't have to wait for the insurance to kick in."

  Polly put her hand up. "No, it's not about the money. That's the least of my worries. Let me talk to Jeff and I promise to call you. We won't make you wait for a decision."

  The woman sat back, defeated. "I'll wait. I'm sorry to be so insistent. I never beg for things, but I'm at the end of my rope and when Mrs. Morrow mentioned Sycamore House, for the first time I saw hope."

  "I understand," Polly said and stood up, hoping Mrs. Sutworth would follow suit.

  She took the hint, gathered her things, and stood up. "Please call as soon as you know anything."

  "I will." Polly opened the office door and stood in it while the woman walked out. Mrs. Sutworth gave her one more desperate look before turning the corner.

  Polly put her hand over her forehead and took in a slow breath, then stuck her head in Jeff's office. "Got a minute?"

  He grinned at her. "For you doll-face, I have all the time in the world."

  "You're a nut." She went in, shut the door, and sat down. "That was an interesting visit," she said.

  "Stephanie said it was a Leslie Sutworth. Any relation to the kid who caused the accident out front?"

  "His mother. She wants to bring him here instead of a rehab facility. They'll need two rooms since Evelyn Morrow will be in charge of his care."

  He sat forward. "She what? We aren't set up for that."

  "I know. But it's not about all of the physical rehab. She says she doesn't have a good place for him at her home. And I guess that makes sense. We don't have any stairs, Evelyn knows the building. The bathroom is handicap accessible, there's plenty of space in the room for him to move, even in a wheel chair."

  "I never expected anything like this," Jeff said, putting his head in his hands. "It's a lot of responsibility."

  "Exactly. That's what I told her, but she sounds desperate."

  He scratched the top of his head. "When do we have to make the decision?"

  "That's the deal. They're sending Denis home this weekend. I need to tell her today so they can set the room up. He'll be in a wheel chair and need a hospital bed. I don't even know what else."

  Jeff thought for a minute. "Let me call our insurance guy. You check with Evelyn Morrow and make sure she is on board with this. Without her, I don't want to deal with it. Make sense?"

  "It does."

  "What about you? What's your gut saying?"

  "I want to help her, of course, but when that kid was suicidal, he tried to take someone with him. I don't want him messing with our people."

  "Yeah. That."

  "On the other hand," Polly said. "This is what Sycamore House is all about. It's why I have this building and we certainly aren't using that addition for what I'd planned. It sits empty too often. Maybe this is what we're supposed to be doing with it."

  Jeff glanced at his computer and jumped up. "I have to go," he said. "I'm meeting Sheriff Merritt at the coffee shop."

  "Oh," Polly said. "How did that go last night?"

  "Camille is pretty upset. We gave Aaron the information he needed. I met him at the inn this morning to see Grey. He said he didn't know anything about it, but that he'd left his walking stick at the coffee shop earlier in the day."

  Polly furrowed her brow. "Yeah. That's right. I was there with him. He put it in the umbrella stand."

  "And you didn't see him take it out?"

  "I don't think so. We went our separate ways after coffee."

  "Okay. I'll tell Aaron what you remember." He opened the door and she followed him into the main office.

  "When will you be back so we can finish this?" she asked.

  "I don't know. But call me if I'm not here after lunch. I'll check on the insurance, though."

  "Thanks, Jeff."

  She went back into her office and dropped into her seat. She needed to call Evelyn, but thought she'd make one other call first.

  "Hey sweet girl, what's up?" Henry asked.

  "Am I bothering you?"

  "Never."

  "No really. I need a few minutes and some advice. Do you have time?"

  He chuckled. "I sure do."

  "Why are you laughing?"

  "Because I'm at the office having coffee with Dad."

  "I see."

  "Is this important? Should I leave the room?"

  "Well..."

  "Hold on."

  Polly waited a few moments.

  "Okay. I'm outside," he said. "What's going on?"

  She described the situation to him. He didn't interrupt, just listened.

  "Well?" she finally asked after telling him everything. "What should I do?"

  Background noise and the sound of his breathing told her he was still on the phone, but he was silent.

  "Are you still there?"

  "Yeah. Sorry. This is a tough one."

  "If it were easy, I wouldn't have called for advice."

  "Great. Thanks," he said. "My first reaction is to say no, but that's not who you are. I'm always trying to protect you from things that are difficult."

  "Okay. Do you have another reaction?"

  "I keep thinking about Rebecca. If you'd listened to me, she wouldn't be in our lives, so I don't know if I'm the best barometer. And you're right about Sycamore House being empty. It's a shame not to use those rooms. Maybe this is your next step. Especially if it's Mrs. Morrow. No one else had to get involved with Sarah Heater's care once she was on-site. She's a take-charge woman."

  "Do you think we should do it?"

  He huffed out a breath. "I don't kno
w. I don't want to be the one to say no to you. If Mrs. Morrow says she can do it and Jeff says your insurance will cover whatever it needs to cover, there's no reason not to say yes."

  "I have your support, then."

  "Honey, you always have my support."

  Polly smiled and then realized he couldn't see her face. "Thank you," she said. "I love you, too. I'll make more calls and let you know what we come up with."

  Before she could call Evelyn Morrow, Stephanie tapped at her door again. "Polly?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Mrs. Morrow is here to see you."

  "Seriously?"

  Stephanie smiled. "Can I send her in?"

  Polly stood up and walked to the door. "Evelyn, I can't believe you're here. I was just going to call you."

  The woman stepped in to give Polly a hug. "I've missed seeing you this summer."

  "Me too," Polly said, nodding and backing into her office. "Come on in."

  They sat down and Evelyn started. "If you were going to call me, I guess you know why I'm here."

  "Denis Sutworth."

  "Yes. But before you say anything, I want you to know that I'm not here to press you into accepting him into your home." Evelyn gave her a warm smile. "Because I know that's what it is."

  "I have some trepidation," Polly said. "There are so many things that could go wrong."

  Evelyn Morrow nodded. "I understand that. I really do. I'd hoped to get here before his mother, but I'm guessing she's already been to see you."

  "She was barely willing to leave and let me think about it. I know she's desperate, but this is a lot of responsibility. If she hadn't mentioned your name, I don't know that I'd be considering it at all."

  "I'm not here to talk you into this, believe me," Evelyn said. "But I will answer any questions you have."

  "Okay then. How can you care for someone with such traumatic injuries? He can't walk. I looked it up. Ankle recovery is six to eight weeks. A femur could take eight to ten months. He's going to need a great deal of physical therapy."

  "There is a physical therapist who lives here in Bellingwood. She will come to Sycamore House on a regular basis."

  "And you're going to do all of his physical care?" Polly asked.

  "For a while. Just like I did with Sarah, I have a team of others that will help. I'll move in next door, though."

  "And his emotional and mental stability. With all of the painkillers and other drugs, I don't even want to think about how that is messing with his brain chemistry. And why is he so suicidal? Is it a chemical imbalance or are there other issues?"

  Evelyn smiled a sad smile. "Even with chemical imbalances, there are often other issues. Denis has always been frail emotionally. His father was a hard man. Most wouldn't call him abusive, but he was demanding and intolerant of less than perfect behavior. When the man left them, Denis believed it was his fault - that he'd failed his mother. She had to go to work full-time and no longer had time to care for his emotional needs. She blamed herself for his trouble, he blamed himself. The spiral started and neither managed to overcome it. She would rather he live at home so she can keep an eye on him twenty-four hours a day, but thank goodness that isn't practical. He needs to learn to live on his own."

  "Are you qualified for all of that?"

  "No of course not, but he has a therapist. He needs to be away from his family. I don't think I'm stepping too far out of bounds in telling you that it wouldn't be healthy for him to continue living with his mother. Not for any of them. And especially not for his younger siblings."

  Polly knew it wasn't fair, but she had to ask. "Are they as broken as he is?"

  Evelyn smiled. "No. They were much younger when their father left and I believe Denis took most of the responsibility on himself. But he's old enough to be out on his own and those two kids need to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. Well, as much as it can be."

  "How much will Leslie Sutworth be here?" Polly asked. She knew that she was seeing the woman at her worst. A mother shouldn't have to deal with any of this and it hit her hard all at once. But still, if she showed up on a regular basis, she'd wear Polly out.

  "That's one of the things we will have to discuss," Evelyn said. "Once she goes back to work and the kids start back to school, their lives will return to normal. She loves her son very much, but is at a complete loss as to what to do with him. She's been living with so much guilt these last few years it's been nearly impossible for her. And this accident hasn't helped. That poor woman needs a break and I think we're in a position to give it to her."

  Polly smiled at the woman sitting across from her. "When do you think you're just going to get rid of your apartment and move in here?"

  "Don't tempt me," Evelyn said with a grin. "You take very good care of me here. All of my needs are met and I feel as if I'm spoiled on a daily basis. This is nothing like some of the in-home experiences I've had. I usually end up in a small back room tucked away in a household that isn't prepared for an extra family member. The only thing I can do is focus on the patient. Even if I have a few hours of down-time, I really don't. But here, it's almost a joy to care for someone. The grounds are a lovely place for a short walk, I have a great big room with all of the amenities of a hotel. You have a wonderful staff and I love being able to see your animals enjoy their days. If I could convince all of my patients to move into Sycamore House, I'd give up my apartment in a heartbeat. But that's a discussion for another time."

  "I certainly wouldn't mind having a qualified nurse around," Polly said. "We could have used you a couple of times this summer."

  Evelyn looked at her in surprise. "Was everything okay? You can always call me, you know."

  "No, it was fine. Just bumps, bruises and skinned knees." Polly shook her head. "But since I have a real problem with blood, the kids have learned to find someone else if they're bleeding profusely."

  Evelyn grinned. "Then it's a good thing you became a librarian instead of a nurse."

  "Ha," Polly said. "It was never even a consideration. Dad laughed at me once when I was in high school. He came inside to clean up after cutting himself in the barn. I actually fainted when I saw his arm. He and Mary had to deal with me before she could clean and bandage his wound. I was so embarrassed. He told me that I might want to stay away from anything in the medical field." She put her head down. "I'm not very good at taking care of people either. I want to tell them to buck up and get over themselves."

  "You're better at it than you think," Evelyn said, gesturing to take in the building. "Look what you've done here. It's not for you, it's all about taking care of other people."

  "This was easy," Polly said. "What you do isn't so easy."

  "It's what I love," Evelyn replied quietly. "That makes it easy for me."

  Polly took a deep breath, held it and then released it. "I will speak to Jeff again. If he thinks that we can do this, I'll call Leslie this afternoon."

  Evelyn stood up and put out her hand. "Thank you for your time, Polly. I think we can make a difference for this boy."

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Enter,” Polly said with a grin after Rebecca had startled her with a rap on the office door. "How was your night with Jessie and Molly?" she asked.

  "It was a blast. I think Jessie trusts me more. She wasn't nervous at all when I held and fed Molly."

  Polly smiled. "You are pretty trustworthy. Jessie knows you would do everything you could to keep her daughter safe."

  Rebecca dropped into the chair across from Polly. "I want to have a big party here for all the girls we know. No boys allowed."

  "Okay," Polly said, slowly nodding. "What are you thinking?"

  "I'm not sure." Rebecca stood up and shut the door. She sat back down and lowering her voice, said, "I don't think Jessie or Stephanie have very many friends. They both work all the time and then go home. And I know for a fact that Rachel only ever works and hangs out with Billy up at his apartment. I know they're engaged and all that, but she should have girlfrien
ds, too. I want to hook them all up."

  "I see. Is there anybody else that should be part of this?"

  "Well, what about those girls who are going to work at the coffee shop? Do they have friends?" Rebecca was sitting forward on her chair, bouncing as she spoke.

  "I'm sure they have college friends."

  Rebecca sat back, slumping in her chair. "That's the problem. Jessie and Stephanie didn't go to college and since they're not from here, they don't have any way to meet people."

  "And you think you should fix this?" Polly wanted to laugh out loud. In a very short time, she'd managed to train Rebecca well.

  "Nobody else will."

  "Have you and Kayla been plotting?"

  Rebecca shrugged. "Maybe. But it's a good idea. I bet if we asked your friends, they'd know more people who are that age. All these girls think they have to have boyfriends, but they should have girlfriends and let boys in only if they're good enough to handle them."

  "You're such a smart girl," Polly said with a laugh. "I'd like to record this right now and play it back for you in a few years..."

  "I'll always feel this way. Boys are just fine, but it's important to have great girlfriends. Look at you. You have a ton of them."

  "Yes I do. And I wouldn't trade any of them away, but I can't imagine living without Henry in my life."

  Rebecca shook her head. "I lost track of what I'm saying. Jessie thinks she needs a husband to help her. It's like she thinks she is only half a person because she's not married and then she said that Molly needs a dad. That's crazy!"

  Polly nodded, "She's had a rough life and the one person who made sense was her dad, even though he wasn't around very often."

  "But I didn't have a dad. Mom and I did just fine without a man."

  "Yes you did," Polly said. She smiled. "You two were great together. But Jessie isn't the same person that your mom was."

  "That's why she needs more girlfriends." Rebecca stopped, as if she were re-thinking her statement. "I guess Mom didn't have any girlfriends either. We were always moving around too much. She used to say that someday we'd settle down and she'd have time for a best friend again. I wish she'd been able to do that. She was a great friend."