Polly looked at Lydia, whose eyes were filling with tears. She grabbed a few tissues and scurried to the kitchen, shoving two of them into Lydia's waiting fingers.
"Thank you, Dad,” Bruce said. “I would like to come home. That's where we were headed when we got sidetracked. I wanted to do this on my own with you, but it looks like we managed to get everyone else involved."
His father took a deep breath, then said, "I know you have some legal trouble, son. Your mother says we're going to help you out with that, too."
"No, you don't have to. It's all settled. There's no more legal trouble. They have the guy who set us up. We're cleared and free to go." Bruce replied.
"You know I'm not an easy man to get along with, but your mother, well, she makes me remember that I'm not the only person on the earth who has pride." He turned around and looked at Lydia. "I'm also supposed to apologize for being rude to you. I suppose I was and if I don't tell you I'm sorry for it, she told me I'm sleeping in the barn for the rest of the winter." He glanced at his wife, who smiled at him. "And that's cold and lonely. I'm not so stubborn that I want to do that and I'm not so difficult that I don't know when I've been rude to a woman. So, I apologize."
Lydia nodded at him in acceptance.
Shirley McKenzie spoke up, "We don't have anything ready for you, though, Hannah." She turned to Polly, "Would it be alright if they spent another night or two here. We'd be glad to pay you. That way we can get the basement ready for them."
"You can stay here as long as you need to," Polly said to Bruce and Hannah.
Shirley took Hannah's hand, drawing her up off the sofa. "Will you introduce me to your little ones tonight before we leave?"
"Sure," Hannah said. "Let's go over to our room."
"Bruce," Polly said, "Go ahead and send Andrew and Jason back over here. I think they're spending the night." She turned to Lydia. "Whoops, I forgot to ask their mom if that was alright. I'd better go do that."
The two went downstairs and discovered that much of the crowd had thinned out. Aaron was waiting at the bottom of the steps for them.
"Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Oh, Polly and I got to witness one more Christmas miracle," Lydia said as she sidled up to her husband and slipped her arm around his waist. "Sycamore House keeps handing them out, doesn't it!"
Polly walked over to stand by the front door which had been opened as people were leaving. Henry came up behind her.
"The snow is beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.
"It is," she responded. "It kind of makes the entire evening perfect."
"You know, I didn't get a chance to tell you before, but you are beautiful tonight, too." He reached down and took her hand in his very warm hand and squeezed it lightly. "I'm glad you're here, Polly Giller. Very glad you're here." Then, he lightly touched her lips with his and they stood together looking at the snow come down.
"I'm glad too," Polly whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "Merry Christmas."
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All Roads Lead Home (Bellingwood) Page 37
