"Like a day. I think one of the other girls told him and he hauled me out of the room and down to the garage. Then he put a hood over my head so I wouldn't be able to tell where I was and tied my hands together with a rope. Austin said he couldn't risk me trying to get out of the car. He made me take these pills, because he said they'd make it easier for me to deliver the baby. I just cried and cried, but he kept driving. Then all of a sudden, I felt the baby coming. He stopped, came around to the back seat and just pulled the baby out of me. I felt like it was ripping everything apart down there. Then I was bleeding. He started yelling at me, like I'd done something wrong. He said that everything was wrong and I couldn't die. They'd kill him. I must have passed out. The next thing I knew, he was in Bellingwood. He parked the car and told me that I had to find you. He pointed at a big building and said you'd be there, and if you weren't, someone would find you. Then he said that if I didn't find you, I'd die."
"You could have," Kenna said. "It was too cold out there and you were in shock."
"What happened to her?" Polly asked.
Kenna took a deep breath. "The placenta didn't detach from the uterine wall and when her body attempted to deliver it, it pulled at the uterus. It's not common, but there was a lot of trauma in a short period of time. Lexi, your poor body didn't know what to do. When they brought her in, the ER doc realized immediately what was happening. He was a hero."
Lexi nodded. "Do you think my baby is alive?"
"I'm sure it is."
"I don't even know if it's a girl or a boy. Austin wouldn't let me see it. I heard it crying, but that's when I passed out, because I don't remember anything until he made me get out of the car."
"How long were you in the car before you passed out?" Tab asked.
"I don't know for sure. Maybe a half hour. Maybe an hour. It felt like forever."
Kenna nodded. "You shouldn't have had to go through that alone."
"I didn't think he was a bad guy. He was always nice to us."
Polly looked down at her. "He works for slimeballs who steal babies."
"I was already giving my baby up. Why did they do this?"
"Because they had no intention of investing any money in you," Polly said.
As soon as she realized that she'd unloaded everything to them, Lexi collapsed back in on herself. With a small moan, she looked up at Kenna. "Did he screw everything up down there so I can't ever have more babies?"
The nurse smiled. "No, Doctor Mayer took good care of you. We're going to keep you here for a few days so you can heal."
"I don't know why I care," Lexi said. "I never want to go through this again."
"Never say never, sweetie," Kenna said, patting the girl's ankle. "But let's get through this first. You have a long, long life ahead of you."
"I really screwed things up." Lexi wrapped Polly's hand in both of hers. "I don't know what to do next. I needed that money to go to grad school. I had a little saved, but it isn’t enough. And I didn't even show up for school. What will happen? No one knows where I am. Did they even care whether I was there?"
"We can look into that tomorrow or the next day," Polly said, "but we should call your parents."
"Don't bother," Lexi said. "They won't care."
"If the school was looking for you, they probably contacted them. They'll be worried."
"Doubtful."
"I'll check missing person reports," Tab said. "Polly, are you staying here?"
Lexi grabbed Polly's hand even tighter. "Please don't leave me alone. You're the only person I know."
Polly looked at Tab. "I'm staying for now."
"Can you step outside with me?"
"I'll be right back," Polly said, gently taking her hand from Lexi. "Kenna will be here. You won't be alone." She followed Tab and they walked down the hallway.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tab asked. "It’s a big mess."
"I've been in bigger."
"Henry's okay with it?"
Polly chuckled and gave her friend a mock glare. "Even if he wasn't, do you think that would matter?"
"It should. Aaron isn't thrilled that you're caught up in her mess."
"Aaron knows better than to tell me to walk away."
"That's what he said. Are you really spending the night?"
"I don't think so. Once she started telling her story, she threw off her fear. This girl is a fighter. She has a very strong will, but she needed to remember that. I'll spend a few hours and assure her that I'm a phone call away."
"And what do you think will happen when she's released?"
"That's a good question." Polly huffed a laugh. "Henry already asked if he needed to prepare another room."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I don't know," Polly said. "I need to figure out how this Austin-guy knows me."
"Jessie? That’s who works for Henry, isn’t it?"
"Maybe that's it. I have a vague memory of a kid who helped her when she was in trouble with the boy who took her away. He was part of the band or something. And now he's working for a baby theft ring? In Iowa? That's just weird. How do people come up with these things?"
Tab shook her head. "If we lived in New Jersey or Nevada, would you think it was weird?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't be as surprised. Iowans are supposed to be nicer than this."
"There's potential for evil everywhere. Even in Iowa. We're just fortunate to have so many wonderful people like you who make it a nice place to live."
"And you," Polly said, nudging Tab's arm. "You're pretty wonderful."
"Whatever. We need to find out more about the original baby broker. The website. Anything. Do you think you can get more information out of her?"
"I'll keep asking questions. So, when are you and JJ going to start having babies?"
Tab laughed. "You're mean. When I deal with things like this, I try to remember that it isn't my reality, but it does set a person back. However, my mother managed to have a passel of kids without any trouble. She always told me I had the hips for it." She patted her behind. "Yippee."
"Anything else?" Polly asked as they approached the door to Lexi's room.
"That should do it. Take care of yourself, Polly. There are a lot of us who count on you being okay."
Polly gave her a quick hug. "No worries. This is my jam. I can handle it."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rolling over, Polly opened one eye to look at the time on her phone. Five thirty. Well, Wednesday was going to stink. Henry was already downstairs. The man was such a morning person.
She'd stayed at the hospital until midnight. Lexi slept through most of the evening, but every time Polly moved, the poor girl whimpered and clutched at her. She'd finally convinced Lexi that she would be safe in the hospital and that Polly would be back every day. Anyone who was traumatized like Lexi had been, not only on Monday, but for the last five months, had every right to demand that a rescuer stick close.
After a quick shower, Polly dressed and headed downstairs. She wanted to talk to Henry face to face. He'd been asleep when she got home last night. Heath was already up and in the shower. When she walked past Hayden and Cat's apartment, they were moving around. This household wasn't much for sleeping in during the week. Even Rebecca was getting better about waking up when her alarm went off. Cilla and Kayla had been instrumental in pushing her to get moving. Cilla had grown tired of Rebecca's late mornings early in the school year and if she didn't get a text from Rebecca by seven-fifteen, she was at the house, dragging her friend out of bed. It only took one time. Amazing motivation.
"Good morning," Henry said from the sofa at the back of the kitchen.
Polly stopped and looked at him. "What are you doing back here?"
"I let the dogs out and the sofa looked comfortable. What time did you get in last night? I was afraid you might not come home."
"About twelve-thirty. You were sound asleep."
"Are you going back down today?"
"At some point.
I have things that I need to do first." Polly sat down beside him and took his hand. "She has no one, Henry."
He chuckled. "I'm not surprised. Should we clear out your craft room for her?"
"I don't know." Polly shook her head. "I just don't know. It's been so long since I brought anyone new into the house. This feels like a bigger deal than ever before."
"Tell me why."
"There are five little kids in the house now. They have to be a priority for me. What kind of crap would come into our home with her?"
"Do you think it's worse than what Shelly brought when she moved in?"
"But we didn't have Cassidy or her brothers."
"Would that have made a difference? Really? She needed you. It wasn't for very long, but she needed you."
Polly leaned against his shoulder. "Do you remember when you were so upset at the thought of moving Rebecca and her mother into Sycamore House? You were pretty adamant about me getting all caught up in someone else's life."
"I was a fool. I didn't know who you were. I also might have been a bit jealous, though I never would have admitted that. I barely knew you and the last thing I wanted was for you to overextend yourself for someone you didn't know … someone who would need you to invest your time, energy and money in them. Little did I know that not only would you do all of that, but I would learn to love that about you. It's what makes you one of the most amazing people I've ever met."
"What are you telling me?"
"I guess what I'm saying is that if you think this girl needs our family, we'll be ready to embrace her. You understand people better than anyone else. You'll know if she can fit in with this crazy crew."
"She might need a lot of help, both emotional and physical for a while."
"We have resources. Trust yourself, Polly." He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "If we have to move kids around so Evelyn Morrow can help us, we will. If we need to move things around down here, so she doesn't have to do stairs, we'll make that happen. I talked to Heath, Hayden, and Cat last night. They're ready to dig in and make a nice home for her. Maybe you want to ask Agnes to move in …" He cut himself off and shook his head. "Don't make me do that, please."
Polly chuckled. "Are you afraid she'd never move out?"
"A little. But maybe she'd spend a few days with Lexi while the girl recuperates. She's abrasive, but she is more loving than people expect."
"How did I get so lucky," Polly said.
"You trust us. We trust you. And I'll never forget the beating you gave me when I got too chauvinistic for my own good."
Polly looked up at him and waggled her eyebrows. "You're a quick study."
They both jumped at the sound of feet on the back steps. Heath walked in, his hair still wet from the shower. As he’d grown older, he got better looking, his face becoming more chiseled. The boy she'd taken in had transformed into a young man, responsible and a hard worker. She'd trusted him to be part of her family; she could trust again.
"Hayden and I are making breakfast for everyone today. I don't have to be at class until ten. Tell me what to do to get the kids out the door."
She smiled up at him, then stood and crossed over to give him a hug. "Thank you. They usually get toast and cereal during the week. Whatever you two want to do is fine with me."
He peered past her to Henry. "Did you ask about moving a room around for this girl?"
Polly touched his arm. "You all believe that I'm bringing her home?"
That made him laugh. "If you weren't who you are, there are a whole pile of us who wouldn't have had a chance to be successful. I told Ella last night about this girl. She asked me the strangest question."
"What was that?"
Heath put his hands up in front of Polly. "Do not make more out of this than it is. We're just talking about things. There's no plans in place. Nothing. Promise?"
She turned and grinned at Henry. "No promises. But I'll try."
"Anyway, she asked if I was going to want to rescue people like you do when the two of us were married."
Polly bit her upper lip and smirked at him.
"I knew it," he said, hissing out a breath. "You just can't let it be a conversation."
"Yes, I can," she said with a laugh, pulling him back into a hug. "What was your answer?"
"I don't know. It's cool when you and Henry take people in, but you guys are normal and stable. Henry had a business and you were on your way to building a successful business, so you weren't worried about money. I don't know if I'll be that stable."
"Please don't think you have to be like me to help people," Polly said. "The thing that makes it so easy for me is the number of friends I have who keep my life moving when I have to stop to help. That's how this all works. If you can't take people into your home because it just isn't the right thing for your family, then you should do what you're doing this morning — offer to help those who are reaching out. There is always something you can do."
"I guess." He looked at Henry again. "Should we pack up that room like we talked about?"
Henry came over to stand beside Polly. "What do you think?"
"If it isn't Lexi, it might be someone else," She slumped her shoulders. "And just when I thought I was making a really nice sewing and craft room for myself."
"Do you have time for sewing and crafting?"
"No, but Christmas is coming. I like to make things for Christmas gifts. And Cat is going to have a baby. I have all sorts of things I want to make for the nursery. I even have the fabric for a baby quilt." Polly knew she was whining, but she couldn't help it.
"What if I told you that when my office goes up out at the new shop site, our office here won't be necessary."
She laughed. "See, you're such a good husband. Here's what I know. As soon as I occupy that space, someone else will need to move in and I'll just have to move it again. Besides, it’s a great place for the kids to work when they need to use the computer."
"You could move into that empty room beside where the boys play in the basement," Heath said. "You probably wouldn’t move someone down there."
She let the whine come back. "But it's so far away. It's one thing to send the boys to the basement so their noise is contained, but I want to be part of the family."
Heath breathed out. "I don't know what to do now."
"Polly," Henry said, his hand on her elbow. "Do you have your crafts in any kind of particular order?"
She scowled at him. "Are you implying there's no organization to that room?"
Heath turned and walked into the kitchen. "This feels like a very bad conversation to be part of. I'm going to start mixing pancakes for the kids."
"You don't have to work that hard," Polly said.
"Trust me, I'm not standing anywhere near Henry right now." Heath darted a grin their way before opening the refrigerator and hiding behind the door. "It isn't safe."
Henry looked toward the stairway as footsteps came their way. "I didn't imply anything. But if we were to pack things up, do you have a specific order you'd like us to follow."
She chuckled. "You all are being so good about this, I don't care. Don't put fabric in the same box as anything sticky or wet like paint or glue. Since it's chilly outside, the safest place to hide things would be the attic, don't you think?"
"Those two rooms are all cleared out," Henry said, pointing to the ceiling above them. He was talking about the rooms where the rotted carpets and taxidermy had been stored. They'd cleared that out a month ago. Nothing was worth saving, even the large animals. Simon had come back with a local taxidermist who had been quite distressed to see what terrible shape the pieces were in. He'd considered saving one or two pieces, but when they were moved, they fell apart. Everything was hauled out to Betty and Dick's farm and burned in a massive bonfire. It had been a horrible mess. Polly and Rebecca spent hours cleaning the floors and walls in those two rooms, but at least most of what made Polly shudder was gone.
"That's actually a great idea," Polly said. "Can yo
u take those bookshelves up, too?"
"No problem," Hayden said, walking into the room. "Most of your fabric is already in plastic containers. We'll take those up first. What we don't get today, we'll take up tonight or tomorrow. When do you think this girl will be ready to come home?"
She smiled at his use of the word 'home.' Hayden hadn't necessarily needed a home when he moved in with the family, but he and Cat were now an integral part of everything. "It won't be for a few days."
"That will give me time to find furniture," Henry said. "Mom wants to get rid of a bedroom set before they move."
Polly frowned. "She got rid of a bunch of stuff this summer."
"I know," he agreed. "But Dad had hidden an entire set out in the shop. She thought it was long gone. It was one he made for Lonnie when she was in elementary school. It isn't childish or anything. They bought her a new set when she was in high school. I don't even remember why. It's nice. We just need to clean it up. There's a bed and a dresser and a little bookcase. I’ll pick up a mattress today or tomorrow."
"You three are too much," Polly said, shaking her head. "Lexi has no idea how much care she'll receive here. She's spent the last five months in a single room, sleeping on a cot. It doesn't sound like it had much in the way of comforts. They had their beds and a bathroom. No television, a few books, and not much else."
"How do you even live like that?" Heath asked as he cracked eggs into a bowl. "That's inhumane. How is she not just totally fu ..." He looked around and shook his head. "Sorry. Messed up?"
"She is pretty messed up," Polly said. "It was hard to listen to her describe what happened because it was like she'd watched it from the outside and didn't really experience it. Except she knew how traumatic it was at the end. It was as if her emotions shut down until she was dumped outside of Sycamore House."
"Who was this guy that dumped her?" Heath asked.
"I don't know yet," Polly said. "I think it's someone that Jessie knew. She talked about a boy who helped her get home when she left with that band."
Henry huffed out a breath. "That was such a bad time for her."
"She's come a long way." Polly smiled at him. "You gave her another chance."
An Offering of Hope Page 8