Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  "Their car broke down and they need a place to stay. I think it's wonderful that Aaron thought to ask me. If I could fill this place with people who need it, I would do that every night."

  "Do we have homeless people in Bellingwood?" he asked.

  "I'm sure we do," she said. "But you don't see them on the streets like you do in the cities. They live in their cars or live with different people. We have poor people in Bellingwood, just like in every other town."

  "I'm glad these people don't have to live in their car. It would be really cold right now."

  "Me too, Andrew. Me too."

  She pulled a set of sheets out of the cupboard in the hallway and with Andrew's help, they quickly finished.

  They were leaving when she heard Aaron's footsteps on the stairway. He carried two black garbage bags and was followed by a man carrying a brightly colored diaper bag and two dilapidated suitcases. The young woman with him carried a baby in a car seat.

  Polly smiled in greeting and walked over to meet them. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "We have a room all ready for you."

  "Thank you," the man responded.

  Aaron strode across the floor to the open door, while they all followed. He placed the bags on the floor in front of the bed and said, "Polly, I'd like you to meet Maria and Jose Rivera. This is their little boy, Salvador."

  Polly shook the man's hand and bent over a little to look at the child. He had a beautiful smile and jet black hair. "Maria?" she asked and the woman looked up at her.

  "Have you had anything to eat today? My friend Andrew and I were about to make lunch. Would you join us?"

  The woman peered at her and then looked at her husband, who spoke rapidly in Spanish. She turned back to Polly and shook her head and said, "No, thank you."

  Polly looked helplessly at Aaron.

  In the moment it took the two of them to acknowledge they weren't sure what to do next, it was Andrew who spoke up. "Polly always makes too much food for me. She thinks I should eat more so that I grow up faster. It's just over there in her apartment. Won't you come? Please? She's a good cook."

  Jose Rivera looked at the young boy and smiled, then spoke to his wife again. She smiled as well and he said, "Thank you. You are kind."

  "Let me show you the bathroom," Polly said and reached out to touch his wife.

  "Cuarto de baño," he said to her, nodding at Polly.

  She followed Polly after placing the baby's car seat on the bed. When Polly opened the door and turned the light on, the woman's eyes grew big. Polly showed her how to turn on the spa bathtub and the shower and then pointed to the towels. She opened a cabinet door to show her where there was soap and shampoo, bubble bath and several bottles of lotion. They had re-stocked the drawer with toothbrushes and razors, ensuring that anything needed might be available.

  "Para nosotros?" the woman asked, pointing to herself and gesturing to the other room.

  Polly had limited knowledge of the language, but assumed that she was asking if they should use these things, so she nodded yes and smiled.

  "Thank you," Maria said again. "Thank you."

  They went back into the room and Polly said, "I will send Andrew," nodding at him "when lunch is ready. I hope you are comfortable here."

  Jose spoke to his wife in Spanish again and she gave Polly a quick hug. "Thank you."

  Aaron pulled the door shut as they left and walked with Polly over to her apartment.

  "You aren't going to have to do something horrible like deport them, are you?" she asked.

  "Polly. How many times have I told you that I don't try to hurt people who need help?"

  "I know, but are you?"

  "As a matter of fact, they're quite legal. When he got out of the car to meet me, the first thing he did was show me their papers. They are traveling out west for work."

  "Okay then." She looked back across the hall. "If I keep providing rooms for young families, I'm going to have to invest in a crib," Polly laughed. "Maybe Lydia will lend me your travel crib again." It was just last Christmas when Polly had two small children and a baby stay with her while their parents were being investigated for transporting drugs. Fortunately, it had all worked out, but Lydia had arrived in the nick of time with toys for the children and a travel crib Polly could put in her bedroom. That had been about more than Polly wanted to handle when it came to infants, but as long as the mother was around, she was glad to bring anyone into her home.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Rapping at the front door caught the attention of both Polly and Andrew. Lydia entered just as they finished setting the table.

  "I have the travel crib. You can keep it here at Sycamore House," Lydia said.

  "Don't you need it for all the babies in your life?" Polly asked.

  "You know what, dear? If someone needs something once, I'm glad to lend it and take it home. If they need it a second time, I figure that God is telling me to give it to them. We'll be fine until I get another one. Sycamore House needs this more than I do." She walked into the dining room, "Can I help with anything?"

  "Andrew's been a lot of help already. We're nearly there. Would you like to join us? I have plenty of food."

  "No, I won't bother you. Thank you so much for helping Aaron out today, though. This is above and beyond."

  "Nonsense. I have everything I need. Why wouldn't I help?"

  Lydia hugged her, "Well, thank you." She began to walk toward the front door.

  "Oh, I was going to call you before all of this happened," Polly's voice stopped her.

  "What's up?"

  "I'm getting donkeys."

  "Donkeys?" Lydia laughed.

  "Yes, donkeys. They'll be here in a few hours. Mark thinks I need two more animals in the barn. At least they have been in a good home, so they'll be healthy. But anyway, if they're good boys, what do you think about dressing Jason up and having him out at the live Nativity tomorrow with them?"

  "It would be terrific. There is plenty of room. We're building a large shelter to protect everyone from the wind and cold. We've got lots of hay bales. We can spare a couple for two donkeys."

  "Well, if you need more, I have a loft full. We just filled it."

  "The answer is yes. Whatever happens will be great."

  "Thank you. I won't know for sure until they arrive. I don't even know if Jason will want to do it."

  "If he doesn't, I will," Andrew piped up.

  "Got it," Polly said. "We'll work it out one way or another."

  Lydia headed back to the front door. "The crib is just outside. Call if you need anything else!"

  Polly heard her talking to someone in the hallway and Jason came in to the apartment. "We got blankets and Eliseo stopped at the grocery store for a big bag of carrots. Donkeys like treats."

  "That's great. Are you here for lunch?" she asked.

  "Can I? Mom is really busy downstairs."

  "Sure. We're going to have company today. There's a young couple across the hall with their son."

  "Their car broke down and they don't have anywhere to go," Andrew interjected. "And they speak Spanish!"

  "I know some kids from school who speak Spanish. Sometimes when Eliseo gets mad he speaks a lot of Spanish," Jason said.

  Polly chuckled. She had never seen Eliseo get mad. It was nice to know that he was normal and had let Jason see that side of him. "Jason, would you get another plate out for yourself and Andrew would you mind going over to get the Riveras?"

  Andrew took off and Jason set a place for himself while Polly put food on the table. She'd made spaghetti and pulled a pan of garlic cheese bread out from under the broiler. The bag of shredded cabbage had turned into a bowl of coleslaw and she took a container of chocolate chip cookies out of the freezer. Since Andrew and Jason had come into her life, there were always homemade cookies or bars somewhere in the kitchen. They were generally fresh, but she'd run out of time in the last few days and relied on a previously baked storehouse of treats.

  "I asked him
how to say 'my brother' in Spanish," Andrew announced when he came back through the door. He pointed to Jason and then said to Maria and Jose, "mi hermano, Jason."

  Jose Rivera crossed the room to shake Jason's hand and then stepped back, gesturing for his wife to join them. She was carrying the car seat and Polly pushed a stool up beside one of the chairs.

  "Please, have a seat," Polly said. She put the food on the table and sat down to join them. Everything went quiet as the young couple took hands and bowed their heads.

  He spoke softly in Spanish, then said "Amen. We are so blessed by your gifts today."

  "Polly? Polly?" Henry's voice came from the back stairs.

  "Excuse me," she said. "Go ahead and eat. I'll be right back." She ran into the bedroom and stopped Henry. "Hi there. What are you doing here? I thought you had to be in Des Moines all day."

  "Not enough people showed up to make it last all day, so I'm back. What's up?"

  "Have you eaten?"

  "Not yet. I thought I'd beg you for food."

  "We have guests."

  "Guests? That never happens."

  "I know. Aaron found a young couple stranded at the old motel. Their car broke down and he asked if they could stay here at Sycamore House. I don't think they have much at all."

  "Do you have enough food for me?" Henry grinned at her.

  "You know me. What do you think?"

  "I think you have enough to feed two armies. Come on and introduce me to your guests."

  She took his arm and they went back into the dining room.

  "Jose and Maria Rivera, this is my boyfriend, Henry Sturtz." It sounded strange to call him her boyfriend. He was so much more, but there was no better description for their relationship.

  Jose stood to shake Henry's hand and stepped back to give up his seat.

  "No, no," Henry said. "I'll be fine over here by Andrew. Just let me get a plate and some silverware."

  "I've got it, Henry," Polly assured him. "Sit down." She handed him what he needed, then said, "I'm going to slice more bread and put it in the oven. You all keep eating. I'll catch up in a minute."

  It was funny how she relaxed when Henry sat down. He spoke to Jose about his car trouble. She put the bread in the broiler, set the timer and sat back down. Maria was stroking her son's head, reaching over to kiss his cheek every once in a while.

  Andrew could hardly take it, "Polly's getting donkeys!"

  "She's what?" Henry set the fork filled with spaghetti back on his plate. "You're what?"

  "I'm getting donkeys. Two of them. Tom and Huck."

  The timer on the oven dinged and she jumped up. "Mark and Eliseo think it's a good idea. Mark is also bringing a couple of cats over to live in the barn. They think that's a good idea, too!"

  "What are you going to do with donkeys?" Henry asked.

  Polly touched the bread, yanked her hand back, and picked up a pair of tongs. "I don't know. I guess I’ll take care of them. Eliseo says I will fall in love with them. Do I look like I have time to fall in love with more animals? Don't I have enough?"

  "Where are the donkeys coming from?"

  "Mark has a friend who runs a donkey rescue in Malvern. He says they need someone to adopt these guys right now to make room. He thought of me." She set the basket back on the table. "Don't let him talk me into building another barn, okay? I don't want to even think about the next animal he'll want me to rescue."

  Jose and Maria were smiling at them. He was whispering to his wife, obviously translating as the conversation progressed.

  "Donkeys," Polly said and rolled her eyes.

  "Burro," Jose responded, the r's rolling off his tongue.

  "Of course! Burros," she repeated. "I know that word."

  Henry sat forward. "When are the donkeys showing up?"

  "This afternoon," Polly giggled. "We've cleaned out a space for them and Eliseo is in charge of introducing them to the horses.

  "I go away for one single morning and you get yourself in trouble. It's not safe to leave you alone!"

  "Hey. At least it isn't ..." she stopped and looked at her guests. "At least it isn't something worse."

  Jason and Andrew watched them bicker. Jason wasn't quite as entertained as Andrew, who tried to keep from laughing. His eyes grew worried as he looked back and forth between them.

  "We're only teasing, Jason. It's fine," Polly said, reaching out to touch his forearm.

  "Are you sure? Because maybe Mark should have talked to Henry before he did this," the boy said.

  Henry gulped and the grin on his face nearly reached his ears.

  Polly licked her lips and shot daggers at him with her eyes. "No, Jason. Mark doesn't have to talk to Henry. Sycamore House decisions are mine to make. If they involve animals, I include Eliseo. If they involve things in the kitchen, your mom helps me. Jeff consults on business decisions and Henry knows about construction. I always hope that all of my friends give me good advice, but it really is okay for Mark to have talked to me."

  "Okay. I just didn't want Henry to be mad about this. They are going to be so awesome."

  "I'm not mad, Jason," Henry said. "Not at all. I'm just surprised and to be honest, Polly surprises me all the time, so I should be used to it." Henry patted Jason on the back and turned to Jose.

  "There will be burros. Maybe they can get you to California!" Both men laughed and went back to talking about the car.

  When the meal was finished, Polly began clear the table and Maria stood to help her.

  "No," Polly said gently. "Sit with your baby. Andrew and Jason will help." Both of the boys jumped up, gathering their plates. Before long, the dishwasher was full and the table was empty.

  "We will go now," Jose said. "Thank you. It was very good."

  Maria nodded her agreement and repeated the two words she was comfortable saying, "Thank you."

  "I have a travel crib for you to use. It's right outside the door." Polly went out and saw the crib there and a large stack of baby blankets. "I'm sure I remember how to set this up."

  "No, no. I can do this," Jose protested. "This is too much."

  "It's fine. A friend offered this for you to use while you are here. We want Salvador to be comfortable, too."

  A tear escaped Maria's eye. "Thank you," she said again. She spoke to her husband and he translated, "You are much too kind."

  Polly smiled and watched them cross the hall to their room, then turned and went back into her apartment.

  "Do you want to take a ride with me?" Henry asked. "I'm going to meet Nate out at the old motel and look at their car. I called Aaron and he hasn't gotten a tow truck there yet."

  "Sure! Jason, will you call if Mark shows up before I'm back?"

  "Okay. We're going to play games," he responded

  Andrew stepped in front of her. "I’ll take Obiwan outside first. I'll bet you forgot him, didn't you, Polly." He and Jason made a little money each week helping Polly with her animals. Sylvie had protested at first, but Polly insisted. Having the boys there to ensure Obiwan got outside in the afternoon, and the cats had someone to play with, made it easier for Polly to stay busy with everything else she had happening at Sycamore House.

  "Maybe a little, but I always know you'll take care of him. We'll see you later." She grabbed her coat off the tree in the entryway and ran to catch up with Henry.

  He waited until they got in the truck, then leaned over and kissed her. "You are quite the one for rescuing people and animals. Now others call you to take care of their problems."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Mark calls when he needs you to adopt some donkeys ..."

  Before he could go any further, she chuckled, "and a couple of cats for the barn."

  "Of course," he said. "You obviously need more cats. And Aaron calls when he needs a place for a homeless couple to stay."

  "Would you have me do something differently?" she asked.

  "Nope. I guess I'm just stating the obvious. Will it always be like this?"

/>   "What do you think?"

  "I think you are the most interesting and compassionate person I know and I will never know what to expect when I'm with you."

  "Good answer." She reached over and patted his knee.

  He drove to the old motel and they saw the car sitting there.

  "While we wait for Nate to show up, do you mind if we drive around the property?"

  "Sure. That's fine."

  He drove through the parking lot to the road and pointed to the land behind the motel. "This is where I'm building that lodge for the winery that's opening next fall." Four friends from the area around Bellingwood were opening Secret Woods Winery and had hired Henry as General Contractor. The news had the entire community buzzing and they couldn’t wait for it to be open.

  "It's a shame this old eyesore is here," Polly remarked.

  "I know. That's one of the reasons I wanted you to come with me. I've been thinking about it and wondered if you'd be interested in another investment. We could buy this old place for a song and renovate it. Maybe call it Sycamore Inn. With the winery opening, there's a better probability of tourists coming in who will want a place to stay and you're always saying that you don't have enough room for your friends. You told me that Jeff is filling up the rooms at Sycamore House. What do you think?"

  "Aren't you going to be too busy with the lodge for this?"

  "We can do interior work during the winter and then figure out what we want to do to the exterior later. I’ll have time."

  "How many rooms are here?"

  "There are twenty. But, I was thinking we could knock out some walls and make a few extra-large suites, and then leave a few as smaller rooms."

  "We'd do this together?"

  "I think it's a good idea."

  She took a moment to consider it. "You’re right. It’s a good idea. But I want to talk to my financial advisor and we need to figure out what the investment really is."

  "I’ll start all of that on Monday if you want to do this with me."

  Polly took his hand. "If I was going to do it, the only person I'd want with me is you. Drive all the way around so I can see what the whole place looks like."

  Henry drove back the way they had come, then turned to go around the back side of the old hotel. It had been built in a U-shape with eight rooms facing the highway, six on the base of the U and six more on the back side. There was a small building which had held an apartment for the owners, the front desk and a small patio in the center of the U. It was separate from the other structure.