Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  Lori shook her head. “There’s no one here. Bruce’s family lives in California.”

  “Will there be a service for him?”

  A shrug and a sigh. “There’s no one here who cares and his family isn’t religious. Maybe they’ll want to say good-bye.” Her eyes filled with tears. “When I called his mother, she told me they would have a private memorial. If I wanted to come, she’d let me know when it was scheduled.”

  “Oh my,” Lydia breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “No, it’s nothing you need to worry about. They never liked me.” She turned away and took a breath.

  “Surely Bruce’s partner and J. J., Ryan, and Patrick would want to celebrate his life.”

  Lori passed her hand across her eyes and then scowled. “Wayne might, but the rest of them can go to hell. They treated him like dirt when he was alive. I don’t want them around to share in my grief.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Lydia said.

  Lori shook her head. “It’s not all three of them. But Patrick’s marriage to that woman didn’t help. Again, I’m sorry. This isn’t yours to deal with. I will figure it out.”

  “We’re here to help if you let us,” Polly said quietly.

  Lori finally looked at her. “You‘re the one who found him,” she said.

  “Yes I did. I wish I had known him before that. I wish I had known you before today.”

  “Was he …” Lori stopped. “I don’t even know what to ask. You don’t know what he went through before he died. It probably wasn’t even real to you.”

  “Oh, it was very real,” Polly said softly. “But I knew that I had to be careful so Sheriff Merritt could get all the information he needed. I’m so sorry, though.”

  “I called the police when he didn’t come home, but they told me I had to wait. I couldn’t make them understand that Bruce was never late and he would never stay away overnight. He knows I need help with Seth.”

  She checked her watch again. “Excuse me. I need to wake him up.” She slipped quietly up the steps and Polly smiled as she heard her speaking to her son. It took several minutes before they came back down the steps.

  Seth Victor was a beautiful little boy with a bright smile and the flat face and slanted eyes that signified Down syndrome. This woman not only had lost her husband, but now had to raise a special needs child on her own.

  He grinned at the two women on the sofa and said, “Hi.”

  Lydia moved off the couch to the floor, kneeling in front of him. “I’m Lydia and this is Polly. You are beautiful!”

  He beamed at his mother and she smiled down at the two on the floor.

  “Can you show me your toys, Seth?” Lydia asked, crawling over to the play area at the edge of the living room. He toddled over and plopped down in front of some blocks and began to collect them. Polly watched as Lydia sat in front of him.

  “She’s wonderful with children,” Polly said to Lori.

  “She must be wonderful with everyone. I can’t believe she’s here.”

  “If she asks to help you, she means it sincerely. The woman doesn’t offer without expecting someone to say yes. Will you stay in Bellingwood?”

  Lori shrugged. “I don’t know. There are programs for Seth here and I’ve made contact with therapists. The elementary school is prepared for him. They’ve had several children with Down syndrome.” She smiled. “Have you ever met Maude Wallers?”

  “I met her just the other night for the first time. She seems like a wonderful teacher.”

  “She’s the teacher they put me in touch with when I first realized that we would be putting him into school next year. She and Ken have a daughter who is now in high school.”

  “With Down syndrome? I had no idea,” Polly said. “I talk to Ken all the time and he’s never said anything about his kids.”

  “Just having a single person around who understands what Seth needs means the world to me, but now that Bruce is gone, I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to stay. I need to get a job, but I can’t afford to leave Seth alone.”

  “Is this why you don’t want to fly back to California?”

  “Seth is horrible on plane trips. By the time we are landing, I’m certain the entire plane is ready to shoot us. He’s miserable, I’m miserable and so is everyone around us. Bruce’s family isn’t comfortable around him either. His parents are disappointed that they don’t have a real grandson.”

  The two looked over and Lydia was on her back, flying a small plane over her head toward the window and back to the little boy.

  “She has grandkids, right?” Lori asked, chuckling.

  “A bunch, and her kids aren’t finished. She’s the happiest grandma around.”

  “I’ll bet her family loves her.”

  “We all do and you will too.” Polly watched Seth and Lydia play and then had a thought. “Lori, has Seth ever been around horses?”

  “No. He’s scared of dogs, but that’s because they bark and startle him. Why?”

  “Maybe he would like an outing to a big barn with four immense horses, a couple of donkeys and two barn cats. I would love to have you two come see my menagerie.”

  “We saw you with them last fall. Those are big horses. I’m not sure if he would be comfortable around them or not.”

  The little boy heard the word ‘horse’ and rummaged through a pile of toys. He held up a small plastic horse.

  “Thee horth?” he asked.

  Lori nodded and Polly rushed ahead. “They are big, but they are gentle giants. The donkeys are as sweet as can be, too.”

  Lydia captured his attention again and Lori looked back at Polly, “We’ll have to see. I have quite a few things to take care of before ….” her voice trailed off and she abruptly stood up and left the room.

  Polly looked at Lydia and mouthed, “What did I do?”

  Lydia tilted her head to the dining room and said, “Go.”

  Polly followed Lori into the dining room and found her bent over the table, her shoulders shaking. Polly touched her shoulder. Lori looked up and seemed to steel herself.

  “I’m sorry,” she mouthed. “I’m not ready to deal with all of this.”

  “It’s okay. You worried me.”

  “Seth is going to miss his daddy. They were best friends.”

  “This has to be unbelievably difficult,” Polly said. She wanted to reach out to the woman, but didn’t feel as if Lori was looking for sympathy.

  “The Sheriff asked if I knew anyone who wanted to kill Bruce.”

  “What did you say?”

  “The boys were making it impossible for Bruce to do his job. They didn’t pay him enough and once he started bottling, they cut him out of the decisions. He wouldn’t stand up for himself. We were never going to get ahead. I knew things were going to be bad when those three moved back to Iowa. We were doing just fine without them. Not like any of those entitled brats would do the hard work, though. They just want to strut around and be proud of themselves for bringing Secret Woods to Bellingwood. The only reason they came back here was to show off all their money and to show the town what successes they are.”

  “I didn’t see that in J. J. and Ryan,” Polly said.

  “Have you seen what they drive? J. J. has a Mercedes Roadster and a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Ryan is driving a Dodge Ram that is too big for him and Patrick buys Jaguars for his pretty little bride. They’re showing off.”

  “You’re probably right,” Polly tried to laugh off Lori’s fury. “But if I could afford a Mercedes Roadster and a Rubicon, I’d certainly buy them.”

  “Wayne and Bruce built the infrastructure of this winery over the last five years and will never get any recognition for it. Sometimes I watch Patrick’s stupid little twit living high off the hog and it infuriates me. I couldn’t work because of Seth and now I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Lydia came around the corner, bouncing Seth on her hip. “It seems like it might be time for a snack. Am I right?”

  Lori lo
oked at her watch and her demeanor completely changed. With a sweet, mommy voice, she said, “It certainly is. I forgot all about that, didn’t I, Seth. It isn’t every day we have visitors. Do you want to show them which chair is yours?”

  Seth bubbled liquid from his lips and giggled, then pointed to a chair with a child’s seat firmly attached. “My chair,” he said and squirmed.

  Lydia looked at his mother, who said. “He can climb in all by himself, but needs a little help with the belt buckle.” Lydia put him down on the floor and he toddled to his chair, then climbed in and pointed to the belt.

  “Hep?” He practically batted his eyes at his new friend. Lydia buckled him in, then sat down beside him.

  “You know,” she said to Lori. “I’d be glad to come over tomorrow if you have things you need to do.” She leaned over and kissed him on his head.

  “I can handle it,” Lori said. She opened one of the flaps of the picnic basket. “What did you make?”

  “Little boys love spaghetti, don’t they? And there’s some homemade macaroni and cheese in there. I thought he might like that too,” Lydia said.

  “Those are his favorites.”

  “They’re pretty much every little boy’s favorites. There is some chicken salad that would be wonderful with Polly’s bread. I sliced up a roast beef and made mashed potatoes and gravy and there are four individual pot pies in there that you can put in the freezer and pull out whenever you want something different.”

  “This is too much!”

  “It’s never too much. You have a wonderful little boy to take care of and I want to make sure that is all you worry about.” Lydia stood up. “We’ll get out of your hair now, but let me know when I can watch him for you.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t forget, there are people who are glad to help.

  “Thank you both,” Lori said and started to walk out of the dining room, then stopped. “Seth, say goodbye to Lydia and Polly, okay?”

  “K. Bye!” He waved and smiled as they left the dining room.

  “He’s a wonderful little boy,” Lydia said. “You’re very lucky.”

  “Thank you.”

  “He’s bright, too.”

  “His testing shows that he will have some successes,” Lori affirmed. “It’s never going to be easy, but we’ll be fine.”

  Polly slipped her jacket on and followed Lydia to the front door. “Please call if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” She watched them leave and then shut the door as Polly got into Lydia’s Jeep.

  “She was doing better than I expected,” Polly said to Lydia.

  “She has a little boy to take care of. That’s her focus now.”

  “You know I want to fix this for her, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, after we figure out who did this to Bruce and string them up by their toes, I want to help get her involved with people so she isn’t alone.”

  “Of course you do,” Lydia chuckled. “And I’m sure you will find a unique way to add her to the Sycamore House family. You just can’t stand to see someone on the outside, can you?”

  “Nope. I can’t. Did you know her son had Down syndrome?”

  “Not until I met him. But he is a sweetie.”

  “Did you know Maude and Ken Wallers have a daughter with Down syndrome?”

  “Sure. That’s Naomi. She’s a sweetheart. Her older sister, Gwen, keeps an eye on her at school. Naomi does okay, but she’ll live with Ken and Maude for the rest of her life.”

  “Do we need some music?” Lydia pressed a button and Serpentine Fire blasted through the Jeep. They were both bouncing and twisting in their seats when they got back to Sycamore House.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Smoothing out the bedspread in the master bedroom at Henry’s house, Polly heard his truck pull in to the driveway. She looked out the window and watched Henry follow his Dad to the side door. She patted the comforter down and went to the top of the steps. The side door opened to a short hallway at the base of the stairway and Bill Sturtz grinned up at her.

  “Have you finally moved in? It’s about time.”

  Polly laughed and walked downstairs. She hugged Henry’s dad. “Not yet, Bill. Your boy hasn’t asked me. And besides, if you and Marie are coming home, that’s a lot of people in this house.”

  “My blood has gotten thin living down south. It’s cold up here,” Bill complained. “But if my boy needs me, I’m ready.”

  “You don’t have to work today, Dad. You have all weekend to settle in before we get busy on Monday.”

  “Have they opened up the job site yet?” Polly asked.

  “Aaron told me I could have it this afternoon. The boys and I will set up the trailer tomorrow so we’re ready on Monday.”

  “I’m going with you,” Bill Sturtz announced. “If I’m to manage things from this end, I want to know everything you are doing.”

  “Then you’ll want to put your running shoes on, Dad. There are a lot of projects in the works.”

  Henry moved into the dining room and set two suitcases on the floor. Then, with his foot, pushed the door shut. “Dad, take your coat off and occupy Polly while I take your things upstairs. Polly, will you be up for dinner tonight?”

  “Why don’t you two come over to Sycamore House? I’ll cook. There’s a wedding downstairs, but we can show your dad around since he didn’t get a chance to see it over Christmas.”

  “Dad? How does that sound?”

  “Until Marie shows up, I’m a free man. I can go anywhere and do anything.”

  Polly slipped past them and went into the living room. The drapes were still at the cleaners and wouldn’t be back until Monday, but she didn’t figure the two men would worry about that. They had hired carpet cleaners to come in on Monday, so if Bill and Henry were both out of the house and busy, that would make it much easier.

  Bill followed her and took his coat off, dropping it on the sofa. He sat down beside it. “It feels odd to be here without Marie. She makes my house a home. Everything looks familiar, but it just doesn’t feel right yet.” He looked up at the windows. “Did Henry decide to do without the drapes?”

  “No, they’re at the cleaners. We thought it would be nice to clean them before your wife arrived so she could enjoy being back in her home.”

  “I guess you don’t know my Marie very well,” Bill laughed. “That woman will feel like she’s unnecessary if you don’t leave something for her to do. She’s been looking forward to digging back into this house since Henry called us. Our little condo doesn’t get very dirty and she has been watching way too much daytime television.”

  “Henry couldn’t let her come back and think he’d been a slob,” Polly said.

  “That boy is no slouch. I taught him how to keep a shop clean so that he could find things. Now, his bedroom was always a problem. We used to have to wade through his dirty underwear to get to his bed in the morning. I told Mother that we should buy a squirt gun and shoot him from the doorway so we didn’t have to worry about contracting the plague.”

  Henry had walked in while Bill was talking and shook his head. “It was never that bad. Lonnie was much worse. Mom used to open the windows in the middle of winter just to air it out.”

  “You two!” Polly scolded. “She’s not here to defend herself. Stop it.” Then she poked Henry in the side. “It’s nice to hear you used to have a problem with cleanliness though, after all the trouble you give me about my apartment.”

  “I’ve never given you any trouble. I just help you clean it.”

  “If he’s helping, it has to be bad.” Bill Sturtz lifted himself off the sofa and walked to the other side of the living room. “Does old Mrs. Naylor still call you to fix things for her?”

  “I’m over there for something every week.”

  “You’re a good boy.” Bill ran his hand along the top of a glass front hutch. “Do you remember helping me build this? It’s your mother’s favorite
piece.”

  “I remember, Dad. It’s still one of the most beautiful things we’ve made.”

  “You didn’t even take her china out of it!”

  “That’s where the china belongs. What did you think I was going to do, put it in boxes?”

  “You haven’t changed a thing in this house, son. What were you thinking? We left it to you.”

  “Well, you’re back. And you can decide whether you want to leave your things as they are or move them around.”

  “Maybe that’s what Marie can do. She can sort through all of our old stuff and get rid of it.”

  “Whatever she wants. This is your house again and as long as you are living in Bellingwood, that’s how it’s going to be. Okay, Dad?”

  “We’ll talk about that some other time. This might be too much work for your mom. She’s getting old, you know.” The man laughed at his own joke. Marie Sturtz was in her early sixties and still walked a mile or two every morning before Bill got out of bed. She talked about her gardens in Arizona and that was one thing Henry lamented. He’d let the gardens go at the house since he had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with them.

  “I’d like to see you try to tell Mom she was too old to do anything,” Henry laughed.

  Polly watched the two men reconnect. Bill and Marie Sturtz had moved to Arizona because she hated Iowa winters, but also because they wanted to get out of Henry’s way. He’d been unable to convince them that he could make his own way even if they stayed in town, but they had insisted. Now that he’d asked them to come back, Polly hoped they would all be able to make it work. He didn’t often say it, but she knew he missed having his dad around to help in the shop. His mother meant the world to him and he was looking forward to having her back, too.

  “I’m going to pick up the boys from school,” Polly said. “Will I see you two later?”

  Bill clapped his son on the back, “Is she a good cook or am I going to nod politely tonight?”

  “She’s good, Dad. You don’t see me starving to death.”

  “Then we’ll see you later. Henry and I will bring ice cream.”