"He did, did he?"
"So, rather than pay for the cars to be restored at a shop somewhere else, he and Nate made a deal with Bruce and Kirk. Those two guys are in that garage all the time now. And they get along well."
"Andrea didn't tell me about this either. What universe am I living in?" Polly asked. "I'm never this disconnected."
"She might not even know what Kirk is working on. He's been coming out to Nate's garage since they moved into town."
"I’ll buy that."
"Last Saturday, we invited Bruce and Hannah and their kids to come over for dinner. I wanted to get to know Hannah, and their kids are just wonderful."
"That had to have been a loud evening. Nine kids in the house?"
Joss smiled. "It was fun. Anyway, one of the things Nate and Bruce talked about was buying that old garage on the west side down by the library."
"Nate wants to run a garage?"
"No, you goof. He'd just be an investor. Bruce would run the place."
"Okay, so why am I here? That sounds great."
"Nate and I want to know what you think of Kirk. Can he handle a job yet?"
Polly sat back. She had no idea what to say. Kirk and Andrea had been living in Bellingwood for more than a year now and he was still an enigma. Henry liked him, but they'd known each other in high school. He was polite when the families got together, but she knew nothing of what was going on inside his head. He'd been through a lot. Andrea didn't say much about the stress the two of them were under because of his injuries and his depression; she just kept going.
"I don't have a good answer," she finally said. "The person you need to speak with is Kirk."
Joss nodded. "You're right, but we didn't want to put any pressure on him. He loves working in Nate's garage, but there's no stress there. Do you think he'd be honest with us?"
"If Andrea is around, she'll be honest."
"The thing is, if all Kirk wants to do is tinker around with Nate, that's fine." Joss jumped up. "I see our food. I'll be right back."
Polly took in a breath. She didn't like being put into this position. She knew Joss was only trying to figure out whether to approach Kirk, but yikes.
"I'm sorry," Joss said. She put a tray down on the table. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. We like Kirk and Andrea; we just don't know them very well as a couple. And Kirk is so quiet."
"I could invite you all over for dinner and you guys could talk it out," Polly said.
"Would you? That would be great. So, then, while I'm digging a hole, I'll just drop right down into the center of it. If Bruce and Hannah moved to Bellingwood, do you think Sylvie would be interested in hiring her again? She'll need a job while Bruce gets the garage up and going. They said they have a little savings, but it's not much. They're renting a little house in Story City. We said we'd help them find somewhere to live over here. Polly, I really like her."
"Me too," Polly said. "I'm going to be awful, but you need to talk to Sylvie. And if she doesn't have a place for her, talk to Jeff and Rachel at Sycamore House. Who knows, maybe Judy needs a part-time cook out at the B&B. I'm not involved in hiring for those positions."
Joss slumped. "I'm so sorry. I did this all wrong today."
"What do you mean?"
"I really just wanted to talk to you and see what you thought. Then, all of a sudden, I'm asking if you'll help me work it out. That wasn’t my intention."
"No," Polly said. "That's fine. It all sounds wonderful and I would love to have them live here. Is everything going okay with Bruce and his family? I'm surprised they’re moving the grandkids away."
"It isn't that far to Story City. I think it's hard on him being that close to his dad and brother and not being involved in the farm. He wants to be more independent. He has a good job, but it's just a job and Hannah hates working part-time as a waitress."
"She's the one who should call Sylvie. I threw them together in the beginning, but Sylvie started trusting her more and more. It just got hard for Hannah to drive over here all the time."
"That's what she said. I don't think they've made many friends either."
"They’d move the kids in the middle of the year?"
Joss shrugged. "It happens all the time. I don't know. There are a lot of details to work out."
"Other than asking Sylvie if she'd hire Hannah, or asking Andrea if Kirk wants a job, I'm willing to help if you need something." Polly said with a laugh. "But I will set up a dinner and if you need me to talk to Sylvie, I will."
"No, I just wanted your opinion."
"Well, in my opinion, it’s a fabulous idea. I'd love to think it would work out perfectly for everyone, but all we can do is try."
"Did you really find a girl practically frozen to death outside the door to Sycamore House?" Joss asked.
Polly blinked. "What? I mean, kinda. Where did you hear about it?"
"At the library. Nate heard about it at the pharmacy."
"It happened yesterday."
"News travels fast. Do you know who it is?"
"Not yet. I'm calling Tab when I get back to the office. I just hope the poor girl is doing okay."
"It's so weird that she showed up on your doorstep."
CHAPTER SIX
Polly's cell phone rang mid-afternoon while she was in the middle of reviewing a financial report to be presented to the Sycamore Foundation next week. Numbers were starting to swim in front of her eyes.
She rubbed her eyes as she answered, "This is Polly Giller. How may I help you?"
"Polly, this is your cell phone." Tab Hudson laughed on the other end of the call. "But I do need your help. Are you busy?"
"I don't have to be. What's going on?"
"Can you come to the hospital?"
Polly swallowed. Tab said she needed her help, not that someone she loved had been in a terrible accident.
"Are you there?"
"Everyone's okay, right?"
"Yes," Tab said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. The girl you found yesterday is asking for you and she won't talk to us until you're here."
"What? She knows me?"
"I can't even get that much out of her. She just insists that you be here before she tells us anything. Can you come?"
"Sure. Give me time to figure out what to do with my kids. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thank you. I'm sorry about this, but she's agitated and won't speak with anyone else. She woke up crying for you and no one knew what she meant until they called me in."
"Okay. I'll hurry."
"Thank you. I'll tell her you're coming. I really appreciate this."
"No problem." Polly put the phone back on her desk and dropped her head into her hands. Now what? The kids would be here in less than a half hour. She needed them to go home instead. Thank goodness they were all in the same building.
Her first call was to Agnes.
"Ms. Giller. Tonight isn't one of our regularly scheduled meetings. What could you possibly desire from this old lady? Sex? Drugs? Rock and Roll? I'm up for any or all of them."
"You're a wonderful woman, Agnes Hill," Polly said. "Can I ask you to watch the kids after school? I need to go to the hospital in Boone right away."
"Is everyone okay?" Agnes's voice became somber immediately.
"They're fine. Deputy Hudson just called. The girl we found outside Sycamore House yesterday is asking for me. I'll pick you up and take you to the house and then deal with getting the kids there. Do you have time?"
"You bet. In the three minutes it takes for you to arrive at my front door, I will be prepared for travel. Would you like me to make any other calls for you?"
"Thank you, Agnes. I’ll call the school office and arrange things from there."
"I'll be watching for you."
The next call Polly made was to the school office.
"Bellingwood Elementary. This is Sharon. How may I help you?"
"Hi, Sharon. This is Polly Giller and I'm in a bind. The police need me
to talk to a young woman who's in the hospital in Boone and I have to wrangle my brood and send them home instead of to Sycamore House."
"The girl you found yesterday?"
Polly smiled. News traveled fast. "That's the one. I also need to speak with Cat so I can trade cars with her. If I'm out of town, she needs the Suburban."
"You need a school bus. I saw you dropping off a mob this morning."
"It's ridiculous, isn't it?"
"Let me buzz Mrs. Harvey for you and I will let the teachers know that your kids are supposed to find her before they go home. How is that?"
"That is perfect. Thank you." While Sharon had her on hold, Polly tapped the intercom for Kristen.
"Hey, Polly."
"I need to leave early. The kids should go straight home, but if any show up here, would you mind calling Cat or Henry? I think we'll catch them all, but you never know."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. I'm going to Boone to talk to the girl who collapsed outside the door yesterday."
"No problem. If any of your kids show up, we'll make sure they get home. We've got you covered."
"Thank you."
Polly turned up the speaker on her phone and gathered papers into a pile on her desk. She shut down her computer and had her coat on when Cat said, "Polly?"
"Hey, Cat. I have to go to Boone. Can I trade vehicles with you? And can you make sure the kids know to go home? I'm taking Agnes over there right now."
"Okay, sure. I don't have to stay late tonight. Mrs. Wallers will understand."
"That isn't necessary. The kids can walk home. I just want to make sure that the Suburban is wherever they are."
"Got it. I'll leave my keys here with Sharon. Will that work?"
"Perfect. Thank you."
"Should we make dinner?"
"I don't know how long I'll be, but that would be great."
"We're on it. Take care."
"Thank you, Cat." Polly was out the door and on the way to the Suburban. She waved at Eliseo, who was walking from the barn to his truck.
"Were you planning on Noah being here this afternoon?" she asked.
"Not today," he said. "He has a practice after school."
She rolled her eyes. "I forgot about that. Okay. Thank you."
"Can I help with something?"
"No, I just need to get moving. I'll see you tomorrow." She got into the Suburban and backed out, then headed for Agnes's house, just down the street.
As Polly pulled into the driveway, Agnes was already walking out her front door. The woman was amazing. If she said she'd be ready, she was ready.
"Are you off to rescue another damsel in distress?" Agnes asked as she put her seat belt on. "We're a dime a dozen, you know."
"Damsels in distress?"
"The ones rescued by Polly Giller. Every time you turn around, someone else needs you."
"It's been a while."
"At least this one is living. It didn't sound like you knew her when you told us the story last night."
"I don't know her and for the life of me, I can't figure out how she might know me. Tab says she insists on me being there before she'll talk to anyone. They don't even know her name yet."
"Poor, scared little girl. Can you imagine what has happened to her in the last two days?"
Polly shook her head. "I really can't." She reached over and took Agnes's hand. "Thank you for being so willing to do this."
With her free hand, Agnes patted the top of Polly's. "Your family has embraced me. I will always be there for you. Is there anything I need to know?"
"Noah has a practice at school. He'll be late. I don't know when Cat will get home. I'm swapping cars with her, so she might bring the kids home with her. There are cookies in the freezer and veggies in the crisper. Cassidy will take a nap and the boys should play before they settle down to do their homework and practice. The dogs will appreciate a run in the back yard, but you can wait for the boys to get home to let them out. I don't know how long this will take, so if you and Cat want to make dinner, that would be fine. If you don't, let me know and maybe I can pick something up in Boone."
"For twelve of us? We can whip something up." Agnes held out her keyring. "I can let myself in. Do you need me to do anything with laundry or can I clean something for you?"
"Please don't worry about any of that," Polly said. "It's enough that you are here to watch over the kids." She pulled into the driveway. "Thank you for this."
Agnes hauled her large tote bag out with her and closed the door to the Suburban. After she got the door unlocked and went in, she gave Polly a wave. How did people make it through life without friends?
Polly checked the time when she was finally heading south. All of that running around had only taken fifteen minutes. That was the joy of a small town. She had no idea what would happen to her family from this point forward, but she had to leave it in everyone else's hands.
Her mind raced through possibilities as she pondered how this girl knew her. They'd never met. Polly wasn't great with names, but she generally remembered people's faces. Even then, it frustrated her as her mind tried to find that tenuous link between a name and a face. Tab didn't recognize the girl either. No one at the hospital did, so that meant she probably wasn't local. That opened up an entirely new set of possibilities. It couldn't be someone from Boston, could it? That would be ridiculous. From Story City, where Polly grew up? She would just have to wait. Ten more minutes and she'd be there.
Polly's phone rang. Her hand went to the console to start the call and chuckled. Wrong car. The phone was sitting in the passenger seat, so she picked it up and swiped the call open without looking down. "Polly here."
"Hello there, Polly. How are you? Do you have time for a couple of visitors this weekend?"
"Jon Renaldi?" she asked. "What?"
"Did I surprise you?"
"Yes. What do you mean visitors, plural?"
"I have to be in Kansas City next week and Chloe would like to get to know you better. If we wouldn't be in the way, we'd come into town on Friday. We'll leave Sunday afternoon and I’ll put her on a plane out of Kansas City."
"This is crazy-fun. We’d love to see you. I'll make sure you have a room at the hotel. Will that work? Or do you need two rooms?"
"Better make it two. Ray's flying out with us."
"That's fantastic! Now, do you promise to stay out of any mysteries we might have come up?"
"Nothing happened when I was there last month," he said with a whine. Jon had stopped by for a day last month before a meeting with the software company in Kansas City. He took every opportunity to travel to the Midwest nowadays and she loved getting to know him better. He was no longer one of Drea's brothers, he'd become a friend to her family in his own right.
"I’m looking forward to seeing Chloe again."
He chuckled. "I talk about your family so much that she's a little jealous. She wants to be part of it."
"We'll do something fun Saturday night."
"It doesn't have to be a big deal. We just want to spend time with you."
Polly drove into the parking lot at the hospital. "Plan on coming for dinner on Friday if you're here in time, okay?"
"I'll let you know. Thank you, Polly."
"I love you, Jon. See you Friday."
Well, that was fun. Jon, Ray, and Chloe. Her weekend had just gotten a whole lot more exciting.
She started to get out of her car and realized that with one phone call she could make this easier than trying to explain who she was to everyone between here and the girl's room.
"Hey, Polly," Tab said. "Are you here?"
"In the parking lot. Where do I go?"
"Come in the front door. I'll be right down. Thank you for coming so quickly. The poor girl is a wreck."
"No problem."
When Polly got inside, she nodded and smiled at the welcome volunteer and stepped into the main lobby. She didn't have to wait long.
"Polly," Tab said. "We're
this way."
"We?"
"Well, me and the nurses and whoever this poor girl is. Do you have any idea who it might be?"
"Not a single one. I hope I can help."
"Just by being here, you'll help," Tab said. "I’m sorry about pulling you away from your family. I know after school is busy."
"Plenty of people around to make sure it's smooth for the kids," Polly said.
Tab chuckled. "You do gather friends around you, that's for sure. Sometimes I wish that I had as many friends as you do, then it hits me that I'd have to be friendly all the time and I don't have that much energy."
"You nut. You're a wonderful friend."
"Only to a few of you. Any more than that and I need a nap to recover from them all." Tab stopped in front of a closed door and lowered her voice. "She's been through hell, Polly. The doctor says that she gave birth and it was rough. Whoever dumped her at your place didn't take care of her at all. It didn't happen in a hospital and they took the baby. Between the physical and emotional trauma, she's barely coherent. All she does is moan and call out for you and then for her baby."
"Oh," Polly groaned. "The poor thing. I might as well figure out what's going on."
Tab rubbed her hand up and down Polly's arm. "You're so wonderful. Thank you." She pushed the door open.
Polly felt tears rush to her eyes as she stepped into the room and saw the young woman curled up into herself, rocking and mewling pitifully on the bed.
"How long has she been awake?" Polly asked in a near whisper.
"Maybe two hours," the young nurse in the room said. "When the poor girl woke up, she started calling your name. We didn't know who she was talking about. Honey." She put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
The girl flinched and pulled away.
"Honey, Polly is here."
"Polly? Polly Giller?" She looked up and put her arms out, then pulled them back into herself and sobbed. "Polly, help me. Help me, they took my baby. Don't leave me alone. Please."
An Offering of Hope Page 6