"What about the piano restoration?"
"They'd stay where they are. It's a perfect location for them."
"Okay, what if Hayden and Cat don’t want to live there?"
He shrugged. "They can do whatever they like. No one would take offense. It would just be an offer."
"I can't imagine not having them at the Bell House," she said quietly.
"They can't live with us forever."
Polly stuck her lower lip out. "Why not?" Then she nodded. "I know. I know. They're starting their own family. Besides, if they move out, Heath could take the apartment."
Henry coughed.
"What?" she demanded. "You aren't moving him out of the house now, too, are you?"
"He's been talking about looking for his own place after he graduates."
She felt tears threaten. "I'm not ready for this. My family can't leave me."
"Heath has two more years. You can't expect him to stay with us forever either. What if he gets married?"
"If Hayden and Cat move out, he and his wife can live with us. It only seems right, doesn't it?"
Henry peered across at her. "Are you serious?"
"I don't think so. Maybe. No. A little. Not really."
"Glad you can make a firm decision."
"I’m not ready. Do you realize that if Heath moves out after he graduates, that's exactly when Rebecca will be leaving for college? How am I supposed to live without my big kids? We might as well just buy a little house somewhere. We won't need all the space of the Bell House."
"That's my pouty-faced girl," Henry said. "Do you really believe you're finished taking in kids who need a home?"
She sat back and frowned at him. "Really? I thought I was. We have a perfectly immense family right now."
"But in two years when people start moving into their own lives …"
Polly put up her hand. "Stop talking. I'm not thinking about that today."
"Do you want to take a ride?"
"I'm kinda mad at you right now."
He chuckled. "For talking about obvious outcomes?"
"They might seem obvious to you, but I'm ignoring any outcomes that involve my kids leaving home."
"Got it."
She stood up. "Do you want to carry Cassidy out to your truck? I'll call Eliseo and then tell Kristen that I'm leaving for the day."
CHAPTER TWO
Everyone had finally gotten out of the house and Polly headed to Sweet Beans the next morning. She was thankful that most mornings she didn't have to keep a schedule at Sycamore House. That gave her time to get herself together and make sure everything, including the animals, was where it belonged, before she left. There was also time for few moments of her own, usually at Sweet Beans, before diving into her life at Sycamore House.
She discovered how Stephanie managed to keep the weight off after the car accident that had messed up her leg. The girl moved through the entire building all day, nearly every day. There were meetings and conferences, reunions, small groups, classes, and every other type of gathering happening from sunup to sundown. That they'd managed to push most everything away from Sundays and Mondays was impressive. During the rest of the week, the building was busy with people coming and going.
Rachel and her crew were in perpetual motion as well and they took on catering jobs whenever their schedule allowed. Rachel had posted a large calendar on the wall in the back storage room, and rarely were there days not jam-packed with activities. She'd hired Libby Tucker as her second in command. Libby had worked for Rachel for several years and knew the Sycamore House kitchen as well as anyone.
Jeremy Cox had come on to manage servers and presentation. He was also a heck of a bartender. They'd been granted a liquor license and he turned Polly's old kitchen upstairs into a fun bar. They'd brought in a baby grand piano, and now, not only was the auditorium used for wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners, but Friday and Saturday night receptions upstairs had become quite popular.
This was one of many reasons Polly was glad she returned to Sycamore House. The staff was growing so rapidly that she hadn't had time to get to know them, but she was learning.
She opened the front door of Sweet Beans and grinned. Every. Single. Time. The thing was, no one noticed that she stopped just inside and took in the pure, sweet joy of the smell of coffee and baked goods. This was a perfect quiet time of the day in the coffee shop. Early morning groups had already cleared out and the mid-morning crowd had yet to arrive. She caught a glimpse of staff moving rapidly in the hallway leading from the bakery to the back door. Someone was busy.
Camille waved at her from behind the front counter. "Good morning," she said when Polly got closer. "Ready for another day?"
"I think so. Busy day in the bakery?"
"We have a big order heading down to Boone this morning. You won't believe who got it for us."
Polly shook her head.
"It was Jason." Camille was grinning.
"Jason Donovan?"
"Yeah. There’s a conference at the community college and he dove right in and asked where they were getting their mid-morning break items. I think he surprised himself, but he offered to bring samples and the organizers were hooked. If they pull this off, Sylvie’s confident they will capture a huge account."
"Because of Jason?" Polly laughed. "That's fantastic."
"Jeff is always telling us that the best sales opportunities come when you make a personal connection. This certainly proved him right."
"I love that Jason is so proud of his mother."
Camille smiled and nodded. "Did you hear what happened to Gavin?"
"Gavin Riddle?" She looked around. "Is Josie here? Is he okay?"
"She'll be here in a bit. They're probably still talking to the police. I guess I expected Henry would have told you."
Polly frowned, shaking her head. "Something happened this morning?"
"Gavin found it when he went out to his truck. Someone busted open the tool chest in the back of his pickup. They completely destroyed it and stole nearly everything."
Polly's heart sank. The tool chests Henry bought for his foremen and supervisors were nearly indestructible and held thousands of dollars of tools. Gavin would be heartbroken. Most of what he carried belonged to Henry's company and he'd feel responsible even though insurance would cover it.
"Poor guy," she said.
"The truck was inside their garage and the door was closed. He'd done everything he could to protect it. They still got in."
Josie and Gavin Riddle had moved to town earlier this year. He'd gone to work for Henry and was a lifesaver. He was a natural manager, learned the business quickly and the guys liked him. Josie had come to work at Sweet Beans and because of her experience was soon promoted to assistant manager. They'd lived in an apartment, but this summer they found a little house to rent while looking for a place to build. Polly had been over there a couple of times. The garage wasn't attached to the house, so no one would have heard anything if someone broke in, meaning the thief had hours of uninterrupted time to destroy the chest and steal Gavin’s tools.
"How did they get into his garage?" Polly asked.
"They were serious about it." Both Camille and Polly looked up as Josie came in from the back.
"Girl, how are you?" Camille asked. "I didn't expect to see you at all this morning."
"I couldn't sit there any longer. Took the kids over to Mrs. Dobley's house and came to work. Gavin and Henry are talking to Officer Bradford. He says there has been a rash of thefts in the area. I told Henry they should wire the toolboxes to give the thieves a jolt every time they touched it."
Polly chuckled. "What did he say to that?"
"When I told him that I didn't care if their hearts were stopped by the electricity, he got a little uncomfortable. Your husband is such a good guy. Gavin hated making the call, but Henry just showed up with the insurance guy — what's his name?"
"Mr. Conyers?" Polly asked.
"Yeah, him. I don't kn
ow what else Gavin could have done to keep those tools safe. My car sits in the street while his truck lives in that locked garage. At least we didn't have to explain why he hadn't protected your property. We did our best."
"How did they get into your garage?" Camille asked.
"It was like some kind of professional job. They literally cut the door around the lock. Cut right through the stupid door. To top it off, we had a security light over the door and it was pulled right off the roof. I have no idea how they got up there, but they did. With the air conditioner running in the house and windows closed, we didn't hear a thing. And there isn't really anyone who lives close enough to us who would have heard anything going on back there either." Josie shook her head. "Whoever did this knew what he was doing. Bert said that's been true all over. They know where the expensive items are and then they plan the heist."
"Like robbing a bank?" Polly asked. "I can’t believe that Bellingwood is home to a thief of that caliber."
But Josie nodded, her eyes big. "Exactly like that. At least that's what Bert said." She shook her head. "I should call him Officer Bradford, but he's in here all the time getting coffee. He's a friend, not a policeman."
"That's how we all feel about him," Camille said. "Such a good guy. Did they take anything else?"
"We don't have anything else in the garage." Josie lifted her shoulders. "Weird thing, though. Gavin got home late last night, so he left his tablet in the front seat of the truck. It was still there. Only the tools were gone."
Polly flashed back to several years ago when there was another rash of farm thefts. That had been her first year in town, when Eliseo had come to work for her. So much had happened.
"Where did you go, Polly?"
She blinked and smiled at Camille. "Sorry. I was thinking about the last time we had thieves stealing tools. They hit a bunch of farmers that time."
"Bert said some farmers were hit, too. They aren't happy."
"Not surprising." Polly frowned. "This is the first we’ve heard of it. Henry’s truck sits outside every night and we sleep on the other side of the house. We'd never hear it if thieves broke into his box." She laughed. "What am I saying? Dogs would bark, neighbors would be up, it would be a big deal in our neighborhood. Andrea installed one of those doorbell camera thingies, so she can see if it's worth it for her to leave her desk and be social. She won’t answer the door for just any old person."
Camille laughed. "I can't imagine not answering my front door. The only people who show up are political campaigners. Oh yeah, and kids. Scouts selling popcorn and cookies. Neighborhood kids selling things for school. I swear, we have a target painted on the house. Every little kid around knows if they knock on our door, we'll buy whatever they're selling."
"See, you should have a camera," Josie said. "You'd save all that money. I am definitely installing one on all of our doors when we build our house. I want to see who’s coming and going."
The bell on the front door jangled and Polly turned around. It wasn't anyone she knew, so she turned back. "I'd best get going. I have to work these days, you know."
"How's that going?" Camille asked. "Do you love being back in the thick of things?"
Polly nodded. "I do. It's only been a week, but so far so good."
"What do you want this morning?"
"Just iced coffee. Black," Polly said, handing over her mug. "Thank you."
By the time she pulled into the driveway at Sycamore House, the lot was filling up. She waved as she drove past the offices, knowing that Jeff saw her come in.
She got out of her Suburban after parking in front of the barn. Eliseo walked out and waved. "Good morning, Polly."
"Hi there." She reached back in for her coffee and purse. She could hardly call it a purse. The thing was immense, but it carried everything she needed. Gone were the days of sticking her phone in her back pocket and carrying cash and her driver's license in a slim wallet. Since she no longer lived where she worked, she always needed something that wasn't with her. "Hey, have you heard anything about thefts in town? Gavin Riddle's tool chest in his truck was destroyed last night. It was inside his garage."
Eliseo didn't frown easily, due to the scarring on his face from being burned, but his eyes reflected his emotions. "No. It was in his garage?"
"Yeah." She brandished her coffee mug. "I was at Sweet Beans when Josie got there. They cut through the door around the lock and yanked the security light down."
"If the Riddles didn't have their windows open, they would never have heard any of that," he commented. "That's too bad."
"Tell your sister to be careful out at her place." She hesitated. Eliseo was smart enough to take care of security here at Sycamore House. The last thing she wanted to do was remind him about how to do his job.
"We've been adding security cameras to the barns." He chuckled. "I told her that she should stream online so owners could watch their horses."
"That would be fun."
"That would drive Elva nuts. She already has helicopter owners on her hands."
"No way."
He nodded. "If you think people are bad with their children, wait until they worry about their prize-winning horses. As if they didn’t learn all they know about caring for their dear babies from Elva."
"You're awful." She walked through the door he held for her.
"There are only one or two like that. For the most part, people are great. And if we didn't have the nuts, we wouldn't have great stories, right?"
"Right," she said. "Thank you, by the way, for what you do with Noah. That boy would sit on his butt all evening if he didn't have you and the horses to keep him busy."
"He's a good kid. I'd like to start taking him out to the stables so Elva can work with him. I think he'd enjoy competition."
Polly had her hand on the door leading inside the addition. She stopped. "Really?"
"We've talked about it some. He has a really good seat, but all he's ever ridden are big Percherons. Well, and the donkeys before he got so tall. It would be nice to see what he does on one of her Appies."
"If he likes it, I'd pay her for the lessons."
Eliseo nodded. "We can work it out. It was just a thought. If they started now, he could be competing next spring."
"Yeah. Sure."
"Sorry. Didn't mean to take you by surprise with that."
"No, it's great. Elijah is all over the place with sports and music. Noah loves playing the saxophone, but he doesn't have much else."
"He'd meet new people. People who have the same interests as he does. Elva and I made great friends when we were kids because we went to horse shows."
Polly gave him a quick hug. "Thank you. You’ll never know how important you have become in the lives of so many kids in this town. Thank you."
"It's nothing. Noah will do all the work."
"I know, but still."
Eliseo was uncomfortable and pushed the door open to the main part of Sycamore House. "I need to find Scott. We’re gathering more squash today before the Farmer's Market."
"Okay." Polly pushed on into the addition and then unlocked the door to her office. She laughed. They'd left so quickly yesterday afternoon that she hadn't taken the time to clear her desk ... or clean up the sitting area where Cassidy had spread out her toys.
She dropped her bag on the sofa, walked over to the phone on her desk, and pressed the button for Kristen's office.
"Good morning, Polly," Kristen said. "Are you ready for Jeff?"
Polly chuckled. "Five minutes. Okay?"
"I'll try."
It wouldn't take much cleanup. Polly just needed to toss Cassidy's toys back into the basket. Last night, Henry had carried the little girl out to the Suburban and though Cassidy struggled at first, when she realized who had her, snuggled into his arms. They'd made a quick trip out to look at landscaping at the bed and breakfast. She was meeting there later this week with the designer, hopefully for the last time. Loretta Nesbitt had done so much work, and though
it would take time before the place looked lived in, it was beautiful.
After that, they'd driven over to Betty and Dick Mercer's farm. Henry’s aunt and uncle owned land that butted up to Elva Johnson's place. Dick had carved out small chunks of his farmland and built pens and a couple of sheds for some of the rescue animals Elva kept taking in.
Every time Mark Ogden, Sal's husband and the local veterinarian, found one who needed a safe place to live, he called Elva. She couldn't say no. Now they had goats and another pair of donkeys, barn cats, a potbellied pig, and this summer, he'd rescued chickens whose owners didn't have time to deal with them. Elva's kids had been thrilled when he showed up with three flop-eared rabbits. At some point, Elva was going to have to tell him no, but Eliseo was afraid that would never happen. She couldn't turn down an animal in need and Mark knew he’d found a tender heart who would always say yes.
Between Elva's place and Betty and Dick's home was another stretch of land that Dick was willing to take out of crop rotation. It would make a nice location for Henry's shops and a new home for Bill and Marie Sturtz. Everyone was on board; now they needed to work out the logistics.
Monday nights were the one night of the week they could expect Rebecca at a reasonable hour, so Polly had chicken ready for the grill. Potatoes in the air fryer, corn on the cob, fresh salad, and homemade ice cream kept everyone around the dining room table as they listened to Cat tell tales of her first day of teaching. The kids regaled them with stories from their day at school, and before Polly knew it, the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids were clean and in bed and she was asleep. Days like that went by too fast.
She was at her desk when Jeff rapped on the door frame. "You ready for me?"
"How bad is it?"
He chuckled and strode across the room, dropping a folder on her desk before sitting down. "Nothing bad. I have a meeting with a real estate agent in a half hour and wanted to show you sketches I put together this weekend."
The Sounds of Home Page 2