Out of the Shadows (Bellingwood Book 12) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Diane Greenwood Muir
maintenance, but he'll pay for the supplies."
"Wow. Okay," Polly said. "Now I have one more thing to ask."
"What's that?"
"Are we doing this?"
Henry smiled as he looked up at her. "If it falls apart, we'll deal with it. I hope that he'll take on this responsibility and be successful."
"Me too. Can I tell him tomorrow?" she asked.
"Okay. Why so soon? We won't get the truck back until next week at the earliest."
"I'd like him to drive to Ames to start getting a feel for it."
Henry nodded. "Sure. You’ll have him trapped in the truck and you can scare the stuffing out of him while he drives."
"I'm good at that." Polly slid her legs back between the sheets and stretched out, snuggling up against Henry's chest. "I like keeping y'all on your toes."
"Yes you do. I'll call Aaron tomorrow."
"I'm wide awake now," she whispered. "Are you?"
CHAPTER THREE
Every day, Heath went to school and then helped in the barn during the evenings and on weekends, but he detached himself from personal involvement. He responded to Polly and Henry when they spoke to him and seemed to enjoy watching football, but there was nothing that made him interesting or unique. He’d shut every bit of his personality away from the world. He wasn't sullen, he didn't get into trouble, he wasn't happy. After he'd separated himself from the group of people he had run with, he didn't have any other friends. The poor guy didn't seem to care and wasn't about to make an effort to put himself out there again. He just existed.
The best conversations he had were with Rebecca. He was quite taken with her and treated her exactly as a big brother should. He was polite with her, responded to her questions with actual conversation and it was only because she pressed him about it that he did any school work.
It broke Polly's heart that she couldn't find a way to break through his shell, but Henry told her to be patient. That wasn't one of her best things, but she knew he was right. After losing his parents, Heath had been thrown into a less-than-loving situation with his aunt and uncle, so he'd never been allowed to grieve. His older brother was too caught up in his own grief as well as worrying how to stay in school. He'd hoped that Heath would be safe, but had no way to make things better for the boy.
Heath loved his brother. They hadn't spent any time together after school started, so she was glad Hayden invited him to spend the weekend. When Heath asked Polly and Henry if it would be okay, it was the first time she'd seen any sign of life in him.
Polly held her hand over the plate of brownies to see if they were cool enough to slip into a bag. There hadn't been much going on downstairs, so she'd spent the entire day cooking and baking. Lydia would be proud. She'd made cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies, lemon-poppyseed muffins (something she'd discovered Heath liked by accident), blueberry muffins, brownies and cream-filled cupcakes. Then, she'd gone up to Sweet Beans, purchased a pound of ground coffee, a loaf of Sylvie's sourdough bread and a half-dozen French rolls. She hadn't packed it all, there was plenty left in the house, but this was her first opportunity to mother Hayden and she was going to attack it with all she had. Heath would probably kill her.
The kitchen was a mess, but Polly didn't care. If she had to spend all day Saturday cleaning, this would be worth it.
Both dogs jumped up from their pillows on the floor in the dining room and Polly glanced at the clock. It was time for Andrew, Kayla and Rebecca to be home. She arranged the goodies on a plate and put it on the dining room table.
The three kids barreled into the dining room, faces flush with excitement and pulled up short when they saw what she'd done.
"Are you impressed with the food or the mess?" Polly asked.
Andrew was the first to speak. "What did you do?"
"I baked. A lot."
"For us?" he asked.
Rebecca swung her backpack at him. "It's for Hayden Harvey, you dope."
"Wow. Okay," Polly said. "Now I have one more thing to ask."
"What's that?"
"Are we doing this?"
Henry smiled as he looked up at her. "If it falls apart, we'll deal with it. I hope that he'll take on this responsibility and be successful."
"Me too. Can I tell him tomorrow?" she asked.
"Okay. Why so soon? We won't get the truck back until next week at the earliest."
"I'd like him to drive to Ames to start getting a feel for it."
Henry nodded. "Sure. You’ll have him trapped in the truck and you can scare the stuffing out of him while he drives."
"I'm good at that." Polly slid her legs back between the sheets and stretched out, snuggling up against Henry's chest. "I like keeping y'all on your toes."
"Yes you do. I'll call Aaron tomorrow."
"I'm wide awake now," she whispered. "Are you?"
CHAPTER THREE
Every day, Heath went to school and then helped in the barn during the evenings and on weekends, but he detached himself from personal involvement. He responded to Polly and Henry when they spoke to him and seemed to enjoy watching football, but there was nothing that made him interesting or unique. He’d shut every bit of his personality away from the world. He wasn't sullen, he didn't get into trouble, he wasn't happy. After he'd separated himself from the group of people he had run with, he didn't have any other friends. The poor guy didn't seem to care and wasn't about to make an effort to put himself out there again. He just existed.
The best conversations he had were with Rebecca. He was quite taken with her and treated her exactly as a big brother should. He was polite with her, responded to her questions with actual conversation and it was only because she pressed him about it that he did any school work.
It broke Polly's heart that she couldn't find a way to break through his shell, but Henry told her to be patient. That wasn't one of her best things, but she knew he was right. After losing his parents, Heath had been thrown into a less-than-loving situation with his aunt and uncle, so he'd never been allowed to grieve. His older brother was too caught up in his own grief as well as worrying how to stay in school. He'd hoped that Heath would be safe, but had no way to make things better for the boy.
Heath loved his brother. They hadn't spent any time together after school started, so she was glad Hayden invited him to spend the weekend. When Heath asked Polly and Henry if it would be okay, it was the first time she'd seen any sign of life in him.
Polly held her hand over the plate of brownies to see if they were cool enough to slip into a bag. There hadn't been much going on downstairs, so she'd spent the entire day cooking and baking. Lydia would be proud. She'd made cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies, lemon-poppyseed muffins (something she'd discovered Heath liked by accident), blueberry muffins, brownies and cream-filled cupcakes. Then, she'd gone up to Sweet Beans, purchased a pound of ground coffee, a loaf of Sylvie's sourdough bread and a half-dozen French rolls. She hadn't packed it all, there was plenty left in the house, but this was her first opportunity to mother Hayden and she was going to attack it with all she had. Heath would probably kill her.
The kitchen was a mess, but Polly didn't care. If she had to spend all day Saturday cleaning, this would be worth it.
Both dogs jumped up from their pillows on the floor in the dining room and Polly glanced at the clock. It was time for Andrew, Kayla and Rebecca to be home. She arranged the goodies on a plate and put it on the dining room table.
The three kids barreled into the dining room, faces flush with excitement and pulled up short when they saw what she'd done.
"Are you impressed with the food or the mess?" Polly asked.
Andrew was the first to speak. "What did you do?"
"I baked. A lot."
"For us?" he asked.
Rebecca swung her backpack at him. "It's for Hayden Harvey, you dope."
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