An Offering of Hope

by Greenwood Muir, Diane

  "Sal, you live within a five-minute drive. Bellingwood is too small to be anything but close."

  "But I'd be right around the corner."

  "Stop protesting. I'd love to have your family near. It would be better than some random collection of horrible kids and awful parents."

  Sal laughed. "You might not understand what you're getting with us."

  "Pretty sure I do." Polly shook her head, then leaned across and hugged Sal. "I'm very excited for your new baby. This is wonderful news."

  "I'm excited, too. We told the boys this weekend. Alexander asked if he was going to get a sister."

  "What did you tell him?"

  "He'd have to wait and see. He wants to name her Matilda. But that's because I read the book to him last week. Who knows, by the time the baby comes, it might be Pippi."

  The intercom on Polly's phone beeped. "Polly, everyone is here for the meeting."

  "Thanks, Kristen. We'll be right there." She stood up. "Are you telling people yet?"

  Sal stood and nodded. "No reason not to. They'll notice soon enough. Speaking of pregnant, how is Cat doing?"

  "Good. She and Hayden had an appointment after work yesterday. They didn't say much, but last night was nuts. They spent the weekend with her family and came home exhausted."

  "It would be so nice to have a family who is excited about your life," Sal said. "At least I have Mark's. Kathryn is the perfect mother-in-law."

  "When you buy this house, there is plenty of room for Mark's family to visit."

  "When?"

  "That's what I said. When, not if." Polly gave Sal another quick hug. "I'm excited for you."

  "I feel like it's no big deal. The third child. Yada, yada. But then, I realize that there's a little person growing inside me and it's a huge deal." Sal rubbed her stomach. "Can you believe this is my life now?"

  "Are you happy?"

  "Some nights I cry myself to sleep because the emotions are too much to handle. I didn't know I could feel this happy."

  "I love you." Polly's phone buzzed with a text as she opened the door. "I'll be right in. I want to grab my coffee."

  Sal walked out and Polly went back to her desk. She picked up her phone and saw a text had come in from Joss Mikkels.

  "Do you have time for lunch today?"

  "Sure. What's up?"

  "Nothing really important, but maybe kind of important. Sweet Beans at noon?"

  "Everything okay?"

  "Oh. Sorry. Absolutely."

  "See ya then." Polly frowned at her phone. She hated ambiguous conversations. Oh well, no time to think about that. She picked up her mug, looked at the uneaten biscuits, sighed, and headed for the conference room.

  "Polly!" Marie said, standing up. She walked over to get a hug. "How are you? Edna was telling us about what happened here yesterday afternoon. Your boys found that poor girl? Have you heard anything today?"

  "Not yet," Polly said. "I’ll call Tab this afternoon to see if she knows how the girl is doing. Maybe they'll have a name and know what happened to her."

  "I think it's wonderful that she’s alive," Betty Mercer said. "Maybe your streak is broken."

  Jeff Lyndsay laughed out loud. "Don't ask for miracles. About the time you think it can't happen around you, there you are in the middle of a murder mystery, right in your own home."

  "It wasn't yours when it happened," Polly said.

  "Close enough." Jeff and Adam had purchased the building where the newspaper was located and where Polly had found the body of Brad Anderson last summer. Jeff's initial instinct had been to walk away from the building, but fortunately, he listened to reason. The last thing Polly knew was that the FBI was still looking for the man who printed the counterfeit bills and for the man that Lillybeth Anderson had hired to murder her husband. Both were on the run.

  Jon Renaldi told Polly last month that he heard the counterfeit printer left the country and was living the good life in the south of France. As for the contract killer, Lillybeth and her mother — in prison waiting for their court date — didn't have much information for the police.

  Jeff and Adam moved in as soon as the Secret Service agents and everyone else were done with the building. The main floor with the newspaper office was still unused, even though Jeff insisted she should hire someone to open the business again. If she could find someone who was interested in running the place she'd consider it, but until then, she didn't have time.

  He didn't care; he had all the time in the world for her to figure it out.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  "You’re not worried about any of this, are you?" Sal asked Polly.

  "The open house? No, everyone has things well in hand."

  "Good. You have enough going on. I’ll see you later." Sal hesitated and Polly gave her a quick hug.

  "Talk to Mark. Call Henry. I’m happy for you." Polly knew Sal wanted to talk more about the baby and a possible move, but she had no idea what Joss needed, so she didn't dare invite Sal to join them for lunch.

  The meeting to prepare for the open house at the bed and breakfast went well. They were already hosting guests on a regular basis. As soon as people knew it was available, they rented rooms for family and friends who were visiting. Kristen and Stephanie had sent invitations to those who had been interested in staying at Sycamore House and sparked interest in longer stays from creative people who wanted a quiet space to do their work. The B&B was a much better spot for them with its photogenic property, thanks to Judy's green thumb and the absolute quiet of the country.

  Mary Francis had finally confessed that she could no longer work at Greene Space. She'd fallen apart on Reuben one evening after they closed, something he'd been none too happy to experience. She didn't know what she would do to take care of her children, but she couldn’t deal with customers every day. He'd made a quick call to Judy, who, in turn, contacted Jeff Lyndsay.

  That same week, Mary went to work for Sycamore Enterprises, splitting her time between Sycamore House and the bed and breakfast. Mary knew how to work, and she was much happier in the background. She'd been a big help to Judy and her transition happened at the perfect time. Judy had made it through two busy weekends alone when the B&B was filled to capacity. Since the guests left on Sunday afternoons, she’d taken an entire week to pull things back together. And she'd been miserable. She hadn't had a single moment to do anything in the yard or the greenhouse. Reuben helped, but it was too much if they ever hoped to enjoy themselves.

  Then, Mary came on board and it all changed. She was used to cleaning up after people, so while Judy managed the activity, Mary kept the house neat and tidy with no one noticing it was even happening.

  Reuben still had no one except Rebecca, who worked when she could. He'd shortened his hours, and though he knew it wasn't the best way to build a business, right now he didn't have much choice.

  Polly wandered back to her office after the meeting, trailed by Marie and Betty.

  "I haven't been in here since you came back to work," Betty said. "This is a lovely office. There is so much space. Do your kids play in here after school?"

  "Sometimes," Polly said. "They'll be inside more often now that it's colder."

  "Until they want to play in the snow. Do you miss being at home?"

  Polly smiled. "I wasn't home that much. When I was home, I missed being here. I like the idea that the kids feel like they belong here, too."

  Betty wandered behind Polly's desk, looking at the paintings and out the windows. "I often wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't chosen to be a farmer's wife."

  "You're the farmer," Polly said. "Not just his wife."

  "All that feminist talk," Betty said with a laugh. "They're just words."

  "Words mean something," Marie said quietly. "They're important."

  "Being a wife is important."

  "But you're more than that," Marie insisted.

  Polly wasn't sure what was happening, so she sat down and stayed quiet.

&n
bsp; "You bet I am, but I don't care what anyone else thinks of me. It's what I think about who I am."

  Marie glanced at Polly. "I spent a lot of my life as Bill Sturtz's wife. I love him and I loved raising our kids, but I remember not being able to get access to our bank accounts because I didn't have his permission."

  Betty spun on her. "What?"

  "That's right. I needed his permission. I’d been taking care of our family and business accounts for as long as I can remember, but I needed my husband's permission when I went to the bank to transfer money so we could buy the lot where the shop resides. It was the most embarrassing thing I'd ever experienced. That day, I sat down with a lawyer and we made sure that my name was on everything — our mortgage, the business, every single account. And I wasn't listed as Mrs. William Sturtz, I was listed as Marie Sturtz."

  "Dick's mother had to fight for access to their family's money after her husband died," Betty said. "They'd assumed everything would transfer to her because she was his wife, but he hadn't specified it in any document. Dick stepped in as her agent. No one had any trouble with him doing that, but if he'd been less than honorable, she could have lost everything."

  "It isn't just feminist talk," Marie said. "It's about treating people equally, no matter what. And words matter. You might be strong enough to not care whether people treat you as nothing more than Dick's wife …"

  Betty interrupted her. "I never said that. If they treated me as less than Dick, I'd have their heads on a platter, but I don't care what they think."

  "But what they think translates into how they behave and the words they use reinforce what they think."

  "What do you think about this, Polly?" Betty asked with a grin.

  Polly put her hands up. "I'm the last person you should ask. I'm the woman who owns property all over town and has apparently threatened the manhood of many a good ole boy because of it. I'm the girl who kept my last name and somehow emasculated Henry because I'm not pregnant and taking care of his household. I might be the epitome of feminism in Bellingwood. None of which was ever my intention."

  "But that's not who you are at all," Betty protested.

  Marie waggled her finger. "Exactly. People set up these rules about how women should behave without knowing the circumstances. Henry wasn't cut out to marry anyone other than Polly. Those good ole boys want Polly to be something she's not because they think Henry wants her barefoot and pregnant. They don't care that my son and his wife would hate that life. They only want people to abide by their narrow-minded ruleset."

  Polly chuckled. "Where is this coming from? You're on a roll today, Marie. Did someone else say something?"

  "You mean other than her sister-in-law?" Betty asked.

  "Nothing really," Marie said, shaking her head. She gave them a sheepish grin. "I think about the girls in my life and worry about what they might face. Rebecca is such a strong light and I hate the idea of her being taken down by some stupid man who was intimidated by her. I met Shelly for lunch last week. What that man did to her was horrible. He took away her freedom. Thank goodness she is coming out of it and making a life for herself."

  "Shelly Nelson?" Polly asked.

  Henry and Polly found Shelly after she escaped from a man who had kidnapped her and forced her into prostitution before she turned sixteen. The girl worked hard to return to a normal life and was now part of the nursing program at the community college in Boone.

  Betty walked over and gave Marie a hug. "You're right. Even if I don't care what people think of me, as a strong woman, it's my responsibility to make sure that others are kept safe. That is what you mean, isn't it?"

  "I guess. I think my worries have taken over my sensibility, though. I shouldn't have said anything." Marie caught Polly's eyes. "I want you to know how proud I am of you, standing up to the bullies in town. I know you hear the awful things they say. My heart hurts for you."

  "I don't hear as much as you might think," Polly said. "Henry protects me from a lot of it. Jeff stands in front of me, and so do so many others. I'm thankful for my friends. I couldn't do it without them."

  "Well, I'm still proud of you. You're a good role model." She took a deep breath. "I promised Molly that Betty and I would take her for a ride today. We're going to Fort Dodge to pick something up for Bill. I'm sorry I got all preachy with you."

  "It's a safe place," Betty said. "Even if you tell me to quit being so self-centered and think about others."

  "I didn't say that."

  "That's what I heard. I'm not too old to learn how to be a better person."

  Polly shook her head as the two women walked out, chattering about where they might take Molly to eat in Fort Dodge. She really had no idea why they'd followed her into her office. She'd always heard that when you married someone, you married their family. She was lucky to be part of Henry's family.

  Marie came back into the office as Polly was putting her coat on. "I'm sorry about that."

  "There's nothing to apologize for. You were right."

  "No, for dragging you into the conversation with Betty. There has just been so much on my mind lately and I just couldn't listen to one more woman make light of how important they are."

  Polly chuckled. "I had no idea you were such a feminist."

  "I don't see myself that way. I just see myself as someone who believes that love, grace, respect, and honor should be afforded to everyone. But you didn't need to be caught up in the conversation. You have enough to think about."

  "I love you very much, Marie," Polly said. "I'm thankful for you."

  Marie wrapped her arms around Polly. "You bring so much strength with you. I'm thankful that you're part of our lives and I am proud of you."

  With that, Marie took off. Polly watched her go through the doors and into the main part of the building.

  "Your mom was just here," she texted to Henry. "You have a wonderful family."

  Polly dropped her phone into her coat pocket, made sure she had keys, and pulled her door shut. The rain had finally ended, but as she stood in the doorway, she watched trees moving in the wind. Tugging her coat tight, she ran outside and down to the Suburban.

  She had to drive around the block twice and ended up parking in the alley behind Sweet Beans. There weren't many available spots back there either. Wind whipped around her as she walked up the sidewalk to the side door. "Brrr," she muttered as she went inside. The cold tried to follow her, but as soon as the door closed, Polly stopped to take in the room. For a place that had never intended to serve lunch, they did a brisk business. Sylvie and Camille had taken Sweet Beans and turned it into more than either Sal or Polly had ever expected.

  Joss waved from across the room. Polly nodded and headed that way, acknowledging people she knew.

  "How are you?" she asked when Joss gave her a quick hug.

  Joss took Polly's coat and draped it across a chair. "I'm good. If we leave the table, we might lose it."

  "How crazy is that? If you want to stay here, I'll order."

  "No," Joss said, shaking her head. "They never charge you. I'll order. The special is chicken salad on a croissant."

  "That sounds perfect. And black coffee is …" Polly shook her head. "I forgot my mug. It's sitting right there on the edge of my desk."

  "We've got you. I'll be right back." Joss headed for the counter and Polly dug in her coat pocket for her phone.

  "I'm meeting her in Fort Dodge for lunch," Henry had texted back.

  "She didn't tell me that."

  "We just talked. She wanted to tell me how much she loved you. Mutual admiration society in session."

  "That's okay. We both love you."

  "Thank goodness I'm part of it. What's up?"

  "Lunch with Joss. Sal's pregnant. Gonna call Tab later about the girl in the hospital."

  "Wow."

  "I told Sal to buy the Anderson house."

  "Wow?"

  "Where are you?"

  "Waiting in Fort Dodge for them to load lumber in a tr
uck. My exciting life."

  "Don't you have people for that?"

  "People are all working. Are Sal and Mark considering the house?"

  "Just told her about it. They have to move. Too many children."

  "What does too many look like?"

  She sent him back a smiley face. "Talk to you later. Joss is here."

  "Joss?"

  "Lunch."

  "Right. This should be interesting."

  "Why, do you know something?"

  "I'll talk to you later. I love you."

  Polly put her phone on the table and looked at Joss. "Why did you invite me to lunch?"

  "Because I miss you. Why else?"

  "I don't know, but something is up." She tapped her phone. "Henry said that this lunch should be interesting. What does that mean?"

  Joss shook her head. "It's no big deal. I wanted to talk to you about Bruce and Hannah McKenzie. You know them, right?"

  "Yeah." Polly peered at Joss. "I went to high school with Bruce. Why are you asking about them? They haven't been involved in Bellingwood in years."

  "Except that Bruce has been helping Henry and Nate with the Woodies."

  "Wait. What?" Polly frowned. "What do you mean? Are those boys finally working on the cars? I don't know anything about this." She picked her phone up, then put it back down. "What?"

  Joss laughed. "Well, I got permission to talk to you, so I'm surprised Henry didn't say something first."

  "Things have been nuts at our house. Permission to talk to me about what?"

  "For a while I thought he was trying to surprise you with the Woodie, but when I asked this weekend, he told me it was no big deal."

  Polly waved her hands. "Stop. Back up. Henry's been out at your place working on the Woodies? How do I not know this?"

  "Well, he hasn't been." Joss pushed Polly's coffee in front of her. "Drink. It will make you happy."

  "I haven't had enough of this stuff yet today, that's for sure. Surprises are coming at me from every side. Explain."

  "A couple of months ago, Nate decided he wanted to get those old cars running." Joss shrugged. "Okay, it might have been me pushing. There's no reason for him to not be in the garage working. He loves it out there. The kids are old enough that he doesn't have to be inside with us every minute he's home. Anyway, he and Henry talked. We all know how busy Henry is, but he mentioned that Kirk Waters might want to work on the Woodies and then he mentioned Bruce McKenzie was a really great mechanic."