Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  "I wouldn't worry too much about Andy," Polly said. "They'll figure it out together."

  It was ten o'clock before the auditorium was finally empty. They kicked Len and Andy out, insisting that they should go home and relax before their honeymoon.

  Henry walked out with Polly. "Let me walk with you and Obiwan tonight. I'm not ready to go home."

  "I'd like that," she responded. "Will you be warm enough?"

  "My heavy coat is in the truck. We'll grab it on the way out."

  Polly changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, then pulled on heavy socks and boots. Her coat was hanging over the newel post of the banister upstairs and she slipped it on as she took Obiwan down the back steps, meeting Henry at the back door.

  "You look more comfortable," he laughed.

  "I love dressing up, but this is better!"

  They stopped at his truck for the coat and she took her gloves out and put them on.

  "It's gotten cold tonight," he said.

  "Do you have gloves?"

  "I'll be fine."

  "Take my hand, you nut. We won't be out long."

  CHAPTER TWO

  A familiar voice interrupted Polly while she worked in Demi’s stall.

  "Polly, are you in here?"

  She stuck her head out. So did everyone else. Saturday mornings Jason and Rachel joined them to clean stalls and spend time with the horses.

  "Hi, Mark, what are you doing here?" she asked. Mark Ogden walked in and got the attention of every horse in the place. They loved him. Even though he was the one who spent time poking and prodding, checking teeth and feet and sometimes giving them shots, these horses all liked their veterinarian. They were loose inside the barn while their stalls were being cleaned, since Eliseo didn't like to let them out into the pasture until the sun had warmed the air a little. Before Mark could get to Polly, he was surrounded by four very large Percherons, all asking for attention.

  "Hi there," he laughed. "I need to speak with Polly. Will you let me through?" He spent time quietly speaking to each of them, rubbing their foreheads and scratching their shoulders before he stepped through the gauntlet.

  "I should probably make an appointment with you from now on. The welcoming committee is a little intimidating," he laughed.

  "It's your fault. If you were meaner to them, they'd ignore you," she said. "So, what brings you over this morning?"

  "I have a huge favor. I mean, a huge favor."

  "When is she coming into town?" Polly asked.

  "What? She?" Mark's confusion gave way to laughter. "Oh no, not her. She’s coming on Saturday, but that's not the huge favor."

  He was desperately trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with Polly's friend, Sal, from Boston. So far, things were going well. She'd been to Bellingwood twice, the last time for Sycamore House's first annual Halloween Masquerade Ball. Polly already knew that Sal was coming for Christmas. They had reserved a room upstairs for her.

  "What is it then?" Polly asked.

  "I might need Eliseo's permission, too," he continued. Polly wanted to smack him. She hated it when people wouldn't just come out and tell her what was going on.

  She sighed, "Eliseo? Mark has a favor he wants to ask of us. Could you come here, please?"

  Eliseo came out of Nan's stall. "Good morning, man," he shook Mark's hand. "I see you got the four horse greeting today!"

  "They do warm up a room, don't they?"

  "What is the favor?" Polly asked, "Don't keep me waiting."

  "I have a friend down in Malvern. He rescues donkeys."

  Polly took in a short breath. "Donkeys? There's a rescue just for donkeys? In Iowa? I've heard of a lot of things, but that's a new one for me. He rescues donkeys?"

  "You'd be surprised," Mark said. "He'll take in other equines, but it's mainly a donkey rescue."

  She shook her head. "I think I've heard everything now. What does this have to do with me?"

  "Well ..." he started.

  "Oh no. You want me to take a donkey, don't you. I barely know what I'm doing with horses and now you want me to take in a donkey?"

  Eliseo grinned, watching the two of them. He said nothing, but waited while she worked it out.

  "You have extra stalls here," Mark spoke quickly. "And they're great with horses and they love being around kids and they're absolutely beautiful animals."

  "Wait. They? There is more than one?"

  "Yes," he said hesitantly. "One doesn't go anywhere without the other. You'll love their names, too. Someone else had a flair for the literary and named them Tom and Huck."

  Polly put her hand on the neck of the horse that was closest to her. She looked up and saw that it was Daisy.

  "He wants me to bring donkeys into the barn, kids. Donkeys. What am I going to do with donkeys?"

  "You don't have to do anything with them, Polly. You get to do whatever you'd like."

  "Why do you need me to take in a couple of donkeys?"

  "The rescue just got another call and they have to pick up four more. They've had Tom and Huck for a while. They're in great shape. You don't have to do anything to bring them back to health, they just need a good home."

  She sat down. "Donkeys? It never crossed my mind. Eliseo?"

  Eliseo smiled. "Donkeys would be great. We've got the space and they'll be good with the horses."

  "From what my buddy tells me," Mark said, "these guys are really friendly. They were raised by a family with kids and then they had to move from their acreage south of Omaha to St. Louis. I think you'll fall in love with them. What do you say?"

  "When will they get here?"

  "Ummm, this afternoon?"

  "This afternoon! I don't have time to get things ready for this afternoon. What were you thinking?" Polly felt her face flush as her temper rose.

  "He has to make room." Mark was really apologetic now. "The others are coming in today. I told him I would drive down to get them. I just knew you wouldn't say no. Even if it’s only temporary, I had to help him out, Polly."

  Eliseo stepped forward. "All we have to do right now is get them a safe place to live. There's an extra stall right there. They only need one. They'll stay together. Right, Mark?"

  "Uh huh."

  "We have plenty of bedding. Jason and I can set up their stall this morning."

  "But, you have that big wedding this afternoon. The place is going to be packed with people," she continued to protest.

  Mark sat down beside her. "Are you going to say no to this or are you just freaking out?"

  Polly couldn't help herself, she backhanded his arm. "You know I won't say no, damn it. Of course. We have room. If you two say they'll be okay with the horses, then I guess there isn't any reason to stop this. But, geez, give a girl some notice, will you?"

  Mark laughed. "If I'd known, I'd have told you earlier, but he called me last night and I knew you were busy with the wedding. I'm heading out now. Do you want to ride along?"

  Polly felt trapped, "No? Does that make me a bad donkey mom?"

  "No, Polly," he laughed again. "It doesn't. I didn't think you'd be able to make the trip. I'll be back this afternoon."

  "You're really getting donkeys?" Jason asked. "I saw some at the county fair. They were pulling carts with kids on them. That would be so cool."

  "I saw those, too," Rachel said. "It was cool. All the kids in town will want to be here."

  Polly bent over, her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. "I don't believe this. What's next? Llamas, alpacas and goats? I'm going to have a zoo before I know it!"

  Eliseo led Nan back to her stall, shut her in and then took Daisy into hers, "Jason, will you and Rachel make sure the horses are where they belong? We need to get the empty stall ready." They had managed to fill the last two stalls in the barn. One of them had been turned into a wash rack and the other was used for storing the muck rakes and anything else that came into the barn.

  Mark left after patting Polly on her back and chuckling. She followed E
liseo and picked up two of the muck rakes.

  "You're really sure about this?" she asked.

  "I am. Donkeys are generally pretty calm. They'll be good for everyone around here."

  "Are you talking about me?"

  Eliseo laughed out loud. "I wouldn't do that! Not even for a minute!"

  "Hah. I'm having trouble believing you, but it seems fair to leave this alone," she said.

  "Donkeys are smart and lovable. The horses will be fine with them. The only one who might have a problem is Obiwan. They're not necessarily fond of dogs since they are so close to wolves, and donkeys see those as predators that must be dealt with, but your dog is pretty friendly and very calm. We'll take some time introducing them and before you know it, they will all be friends."

  "You know, Eliseo," Polly said, "when Mark talked me into rescuing these horses, I was so naive. I didn't think there was any reason I couldn't handle all of the work. Then you showed up ... "

  "... and I showed you exactly how much work they took?"

  "No, you showed me what they were missing and you made it easy for me to love them and enjoy them. Now you're letting Mark talk me into two more animals down here."

  "Four more," Eliseo quietly laughed.

  "Wait. What?"

  "We talked about a couple of barn cats."

  Polly stopped in the middle of the alley. "Cats? Down here? Won't they be cold and lonely?"

  "They’ll be fine. There is plenty of hay for them to curl up in and stay warm and they'll love the donkeys. We’re seeing more mice. The barn could use a couple of cats and I'm pretty sure your pampered kitties wouldn't like it very much."

  "I'm going to have a problem not taking them up to my apartment," she said.

  "These will be my cats, Polly," he said as sternly as possible. "They live down here."

  "You're mean."

  "Whatever it takes." Eliseo hauled the last wheelbarrow into the alley while Jason and Rachel finished sweeping the room out. Then Polly and Eliseo hauled in pine shavings for bedding.

  "This is going to be so awesome," Jason said. "Andrew might even like the donkeys since they're not as big as the horses. If there are cats down here, he'll really like that."

  "I'm surprised you want him down here," Rachel said. "I like not having Caleb around all the time. He drives me nuts."

  "Andrew's cool." Jason just shrugged.

  When they finished, Polly and Rachel went back up to the main building. Eliseo and Jason left for Boone to pick up a few things to make the donkeys' homecoming more fun.

  Rachel ran through the kitchen, waving at Sylvie as she went past. "I'll be right back. I just need to shower and change."

  Sylvie watched the girl pass through. "I guess it's convenient for her to be dating Billy, but I wonder what her mother thinks."

  "I'm not asking," Polly said. "I can't think about it. Eliseo took your son for a quick trip to Boone. Is there anything I can do to help you out here while he's gone?"

  "He already has the tables set up in the auditorium. We’re in good shape until the family gets here. Rachel and Hannah will be here and I have servers hired for the reception. I think it's all good! So, what are they doing in Boone?"

  "Oh Sylvie, we're getting donkeys."

  Sylvie was walking toward the sink with a stack of pans and stopped, then slowly turned to face Polly, "You're getting what?"

  "Donkeys. You heard me. Donkeys. A pair of them. Mark is heading down to Malvern to pick them up right now."

  "Why are you getting donkeys?"

  "Because they need a home and apparently they'd be great with the horses and Eliseo thinks it is a great idea. Even Jason and Rachel are excited."

  "But you aren't?"

  "I have no idea. I wasn't prepared for four Percherons, but I didn't have time to think about it. I'm not prepared for this either, and since Mark didn't give me any time to think about it, I'm getting two donkeys - Tom and Huck."

  "It's never boring around here, that's for sure," Sylvie laughed and set the pans down in the sink.

  "Oh. Mark and Eliseo also decided we needed barn cats. It's going to be a regular zoo out there."

  "Barn cats make sense. Jason said that when it got cold, the mice showed up in force. I make him clean the mouse traps at home and he hates it."

  "You're a mean mom."

  "You bet I am. So, what are you going to name the cats?"

  "Eliseo told me I couldn't bring them inside ... that they were his cats, so I'm going to let him name the things."

  Sylvie laughed at her. "You might as well give up, Polly. We all know you aren't really upset about this. You just need some time to absorb it."

  Polly lifted her upper lip into a semblance of a snarl, "I hate that you know me so well. It's not fair."

  "You’ll fall in love with those donkeys as fast as you did the horses and before you know it you'll have a thousand ways they're involved here at Sycamore House."

  "I suppose." She breathed out, then said, "Lydia's church is starting the Live Nativity tomorrow night in the garden."

  "That’s my church, too," Sylvie smiled.

  "Well, Roy Davidson is one of the shepherds and he's bringing two of his sheep with him. What if Tom or Huck play Mary's donkey? Both of them could hang out, for that matter. Would Jason want to be part of this? I should call Lydia and ask."

  "Jason would love it. I can't imagine we'll be able to pry him away from the barn tonight."

  "He thought Andrew might like the donkeys better than the horses because they are so much smaller."

  "He's probably right. Andrew has been in no hurry to be at the barn with his brother."

  "I'll take him down later this evening after Mark and Eliseo get them settled in," Polly told her.

  Rachel walked in. "Did Polly tell you about our new donkeys?"

  Polly grinned. It certainly didn't take long for people to become part of the Sycamore House family. Rachel had begun dating Billy Endicott earlier this summer. Although she still preferred dressing in black with wild streaks of color through her hair and wore her piercings and tattoos with pride, she had become much more comfortable with Polly and the rest of the staff at Sycamore House. She no longer hid behind Billy when they were in a group of people, and managed to engage in conversation even when he wasn't around. Polly attributed much of the transformation to Eliseo and the horses. When Billy had asked if she could spend time helping at the barn, Eliseo instinctively knew what the girl needed. He wasn't put off by her outer appearance or her inner fears, he just introduced her to the horses and some hard work and let the girl find her own way.

  Sylvie and Rachel were laying chicken out on pans while Polly watched. She shook herself from her reverie and headed out.

  "I'm going to call Lydia about tomorrow night. You can send Jason up when he gets here. Is Andrew already up there?"

  Sylvie nodded and went back to dipping chicken and Polly went upstairs. When she entered the living room, she saw Andrew draped backwards over the couch, his head on the floor.

  "What in the world are you doing?" she asked.

  "I was playing with the cats. They thought I was funny."

  She slowly nodded. "I'd have to agree with them. Are you comfortable?"

  "Yeah. This is an interesting way to look at the world. Can you imagine what it would be like to live upside down all the time? What if you were the only person who walked upside down and everything else was right side up? Would teachers let you read your books upside down or would they make you learn how to read upside down." He stumbled and said, "You know what I mean. I heard an old man say that he was left-handed and his teachers made him learn how to write with his right hand. What if it was an upside down world for you?"

  "Maybe if there were a lot of people who were upside down, the rules would change, but since only one person was, don't you think that person would have to adapt?"

  Andrew moved around until he was sitting upright on the sofa. "Whoa," he said. "That made my head spin." He
rolled his head around on his shoulders, smiling. "Cool! So, we only have one person in a wheelchair at school and there are ramps on the stairways for her. It shouldn't matter whether there is only one person who walks around upside down, should it?"

  Polly could tell this conversation was going to get philosophical really quickly and she wasn't sure she was prepared for it. "You're right. No matter what a person needs, they should be able to have access to it. You're absolutely right."

  "That's what I thought," he agreed and flipped himself over so he was upside down again.

  Polly was just about to call Lydia when her phone rang in her hand. She was so startled, she nearly dropped it.

  "Hello?" she answered.

  "Hello Polly, this is Aaron Merritt."

  "I didn't call you. There are no dead bodies." Andrew turned himself right side up and swayed a little as the dizziness left him.

  "You're right," Aaron said, "but I could use your help."

  "What do you need?"

  "There's a young couple whose car broke down out here by the old motel on the highway. They've got a baby and need a place to stay tonight. I wondered if you had room."

  "Of course I have room. Bring them over!"

  "We have access to funds for situations like this. We'll cover it. I wasn't asking you to do this for free."

  "Oh, come on, Aaron. This is Sycamore House. If we can't help someone who needs it, what use are we? Are you with them now? Do you need me to come get them?"

  "No, that's fine. They're warming up in my car. We’ll be there soon."

  "Come in the front door. I’ll put them upstairs across from me. Have they had anything to eat?"

  "I don't know. I can deal with that before bringing them over."

  "No you don't. Just bring them."

  "Thank you, Polly. I appreciate it."

  "Andrew," she said, turning to the boy on the sofa. "We're about to have guests. Would you mind helping me get a room ready across the hall?"

  "Okay." He jumped up and ran to the front door. "What do we need to do?"

  "We're going to put sheets on the bed and then make sure that the bathroom is stocked."

  "Is it somebody poor?" he asked.