"I don't know where it is. Did you try to call me?"
"No, I was too busy trying to get things wrapped up so I could get home on time."
"Dial it, would you?"
He used his phone to call hers and when she didn't hear his ring tone, Polly panicked. "I can't believe I've lost my phone. You know how I depend on that thing."
"It has to be here. Where did you go today?"
She thought back over her day. "I haven't left the property. I was down in the barn for a while, I walked the dogs a couple of times, and I was in my office."
Henry walked over to their bedroom. Polly followed and so did the dogs. The cats jumped down from their ledges on the cat tree when Polly and Henry entered the room.
He strode over to her side of the bed and picked up her phone. "Things were a little chaotic this morning. But I still can't believe you walked out of this place without it."
"I can't either." Polly took it out of his hands and sat down on the end of the bed. When she swiped it, nothing happened. "I think it's dead."
"Of course it is."
"This has never happened to me before. Am I losing my mind?"
He chuckled. "Three girls, two dogs, two cats and a husband are too much for your early morning workout, eh?"
"I guess that's over my limit." She plugged her phone in. "So who called me and what did I miss?"
"That's what I don't fully understand. I can't believe she wasn't here worrying about you when you didn't answer your phone. She never called me back all worried either."
"Who?"
"Lydia. Something about an important girls' night tonight."
Polly jumped at the knock at their front door. "You don't suppose that's her, do you?"
"I'll go see," he said.
Her phone had just crested the one percent mark for power. "I can. You change. We need to talk about tonight."
He looked at her, his brows knit together.
"No big deal. Get comfortable. I'll see who it is." Polly walked across the living room to the front door and found Jeff there with his hand raised to knock again.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he said. "I totally forgot to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"Lydia stopped by while you were across the street at the pool getting the kids and I was supposed to have you call her right away. I got busy with those crazy church ladies and totally forgot. She's going to kill me."
Polly laughed. "It's my fault. I forgot my phone this morning and it's dead. I'll call her now. Henry just told me."
He ran the back of his hand across his forehead with great drama. "Thank goodness. I thought my life had ended. She's no one that I want to have angry at me."
Polly patted his shoulder. "You'll live. I'll take the hit on this one. But you owe me."
"Uh huh. I could have made you talk to those little old ladies."
"Jeff?" Stephanie's voice came up from the bottom of the stairs.
"Be right there, my sweet," he called back. "See. It never ends."
"You're a nut." Polly grinned as he ran back down the steps. It should have felt weird to have her home and business in the same building, but it couldn't be any more normal. She loved having these people around.
"Is it charged enough yet?" she asked loudly after shutting the door and starting back to the bedroom.
"I dunno," Henry said.
Polly shut the door to the bedroom once she got in there. "I don't want to go out tonight. This has been a crazy day and I just let Rebecca invite Kayla and Andrew to spend the evening. I hate leaving you with that."
"Because they're so hard to get along with?" he asked. "It's fine. I have work to do in the office anyway."
"But I'm making you cook dinner and everything."
"If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. Call Lydia. Tell her you're alive and that you'll be there. It's been a while since you've all spent time together. Go. Get silly."
~~~
Polly walked into the coffee shop and looked for her friends. After Lydia had bawled her out for being unavailable all day and terrifying her to within an inch of a heart attack, she finally told Polly that they were meeting at six o'clock. She sat down at a table, arranging herself so she could see the front door.
Most of the shops were open in the evenings this week before school started. A couple of stores had started it the summer Polly moved into town and in the last two years, it had taken on a festival-type atmosphere. Kids had one last hurrah with their friends before homework and activities absorbed their evenings. Stores offered great deals on back-to-school items before they put everything out for clearance and the whole community enjoyed beautiful summer evenings in town.
Polly had promised Rebecca that they could come up Friday night for the street dance.
"Do you want something to drink?" Polly looked up to see Jeff standing over her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Camille and I are taking care of the evenings this week. The young'uns are back in school and you know how evenings are on campus. None of them had planned on working these hours. I'd forgotten about this week. So, we've got it."
Polly smirked at him. "No Helena?"
"She might have gotten fired today," he said with a smile.
"Sylvie says she's always quit before she got fired. But I'm glad. She had some interesting ideas about who she would work for."
"We don't need that," he replied. "This place should be relaxing and fun for everyone, including my manager. She doesn't need an employee terrorizing her. None of us do."
"That's good." Polly said. "Have you seen Lydia? I'm supposed to meet her."
"No," he said. "And I didn't forget to give you any other messages from her. I promise."
"Don't worry. It was my fault."
"So... coffee?"
Polly glanced up at the menu on the wall. She was hungry, but since Lydia hadn't told her what was happening tonight, she didn't feel safe in ordering. "No, I'd better wait."
"Let me know," Jeff walked away to a table filled with high school girls. He stopped and talked to them, then moved on to another table with two women.
Polly watched him work the room and grinned as she realized she was feeling proud. He was natural and comfortable with people.
After a few more minutes of waiting, she couldn't stand it and sent a text to Lydia. "You said the coffee shop at six, right?"
"We're here, where are you?" came back the reply.
Polly recognized a few people, but none were her friends.
"What in the hell?" she sent. "You're freaking me out."
"Serves you right."
The front door opened and Lydia came bustling in with Beryl. They made a beeline for Polly's table and the two women each grabbed an arm and lifted Polly out of the seat.
"Mess with my heart, will you?" Lydia said. "That is unacceptable."
"I said I was sorry. I had no idea that I'd gotten that far out of contact with you," Polly protested. Then she locked her legs in place to stop their forward movement. "And besides, isn't this whole thing a little last minute?"
Lydia grinned at her. "You're so easy. Come outside. Sylvie's on the patio with Andy. We figured you would see us out there."
"What are we doing tonight? I'm starving," Polly said. She waved to Sylvie and Andy when they turned the corner.
"We're working for our dinner tonight," Beryl said, dropping into a chair beside Sylvie. "Sit and I'll explain."
"Do you know what's going on?" Polly asked Andy, who shook her head no.
Beryl pulled up two manila envelopes. "We're breaking into two teams and each is responsible for parts of our dinner. Inside the envelope is your first clue. Go to the shop or house that the clue refers you to and they'll give you the dinner item and your next clue. Since it's my game, I'm playing along the route. You'll see me at random times. Polly, you and Andy are one team while Lydia and Sylvie are the other. Are you ready?"
"Is the food going to go bad before we get
to wherever we're going?" Lydia asked.
Beryl gestured with her head to two red coolers behind them. "Lydia, you take one for your Jeep and Polly, you take the other in your truck. There's ice in each of them to keep things cool enough. Any hot dishes will be insulated." She wriggled her nose at Lydia. "I may not be much of a cook, but I know how to avoid poisoning my friends."
Andy raised her hand and waited for Beryl to acknowledge that she had a question. "Where are we supposed to go when we're finished?"
"Don't worry," Beryl said. "That's the last clue." She waved the two envelopes in front of them. "Just so you know, there are prizes. You might want to think fast. Are you ready?"
Polly nodded at Andy, who took the envelope that Beryl was waving in front of her face. Lydia snatched the other one and scooted close to Sylvie so they could read it together.
"I've got the cooler, Andy," Polly said. "Let's go." Polly picked up the top cooler and carried it with her to the truck. She put it in the back behind her seat and climbed in, waiting for Andy to shut the door. "Okay, what does it say?"
"She dances rings round you and me, her waifs fly to the bumblebee." Andy said.
"Lisa Foster's dance studio?" Polly asked. "I can't believe they're open tonight. It's just up here around the corner."
Andy nodded. "My granddaughter was in her show last spring. They did Flight of the Bumblebee."
Polly drove around the block and pulled into a space in front of the studio. Lights were on so she and Andy jumped out and approached the door. When she tugged on it, it opened and they went inside.
"May I help you?" a young girl in tights asked from behind a counter.
"This is going to sound crazy," Polly responded, "but do you have something for Polly Giller and Andy Specek?"
The girl laughed and bent down. She came back up with a small basket. "You guys must have fun."
Andy laughed. "We do. We always do. Is there a card in there?"
Polly opened the basket and the smell of garlic wafted up from within. Bundles wrapped in foil were nestled in red and white checked fabric, a tablecloth from Dylan Foster's pizza shop, Pizzazz. His wife, Lisa not only owned the dance studio, but was Mark Ogden's sister. She handed Andy the card.
"Thank you," Polly said as they left.
"Have fun!"
"Where to next?"
They climbed back into the truck and Andy said, "From the highest heights to the lowest lows, you need his help if you don't have the goes."
"What?" Polly asked, laughing. "The goes?"
Andy dropped her head and Polly watched her mutter the rhyme again. "She wouldn't mean the pharmacy, would she?"
Polly thought about it. "Ahhh, of course she would." She laughed and laughed as she backed out of the parking space and headed back downtown. They parked in front of the pharmacy and went inside, heading for the back.
Nate was waiting for them with a bag in hand. "I think this is for you," he said.
"Do you help people who don't have the goes?" Polly asked.
"What?"
"Never mind. Beryl dropped this off, didn't she?"
"Yeah. Earlier this morning. She said you'd be in. I haven't opened it. I hope I'm not helping pass contraband."
Polly opened the tote bag and saw red checked napkins and plastic wine glasses. "Nope. Just helping us put dinner together. Have you heard from your wife? Is she having a good week?"
He nodded. "She actually sounds more relaxed than she has in a long time. Her mother is doing everything and forcing her to rest and just play with the kids. I'm glad she went."
"Awesome. When are you and Henry getting back to the cars?"
"That's up to you," Nate said. "You give him the night off and I'll have someone here to work for me."
Polly scowled at him. "He can have any night he wants. I don't make his schedule."
Nate chuckled. "I know. Just messing with you. He said something about maybe tomorrow night. I'm flying out to drive back with Joss this weekend. She thought her dad was staying in Chicago longer than he really is. She shouldn't have to make the whole trip alone."
"You're a good man," Andy said. She tugged on Polly's sleeve. "We'd better hurry. What's the next clue?"
Polly used both hands to open the bag in front of Andy, who reached in and took out a third white card.
"She walks in beauty like the night. You'll find her tools a great dee-light."
Both of them said, "The beauty shop."
"Thanks, Nate," Polly said as they left the store. She put the bag in the back seat and followed Andy to the beauty shop. The owner's name was Dee Ryder. Polly didn't know her well. There were two shops in town and she'd ended up at the other one.
When they walked in the front door, Beryl spun on a stool and said, "You'd better hurry, Lydia is ahead of you and you don't want the loser's prizes tonight."
Andy crossed to the counter and said, "How are you, Dee? Do you know Polly Giller?"
The woman put her hand out. "It's nice to meet you. You're friends with these two?"
"I claim Andy all the time," Polly said. "But Beryl is a risk. I only claim her when I have to." She jumped as Beryl slid her arms around Polly's waist.
"What are you doing?" Polly asked.
"Just testing a theory."
"What theory is that?"
"You like me better than you say. You didn't even hit me."
Polly chuckled. "Do people often hit you when you sneak up on them?"
"You'd be surprised," Beryl said as she hustled them toward the front door. "Now you two better hurry and get out of here. You don't want them to beat you."
Andy headed for the front door and then turned back. "Hey," she said. "Stop that."
Beryl cackled. "Got 'cha." She took the tote bag from Dee and handed it to Polly. "Put that in the cooler. Dee kept it in the fridge for me today."
"Nice to meet you," Polly said as they left. She opened the cooler and put the tote bag in, then remembered that she needed the card from inside it.
When they were back in the truck, she handed it to Andy. "Okay, now where."
"Verdant growth, be it blue or green. The boys are cute, though no Charlie Sheen. Drive away, sweet girls, to the end of the lane and find our libation, though it be this group's bane."
"Secret Woods Winery," Polly said, laughing. "I wonder how much she had them set aside for us."
"Please not that much. I still haven't heard the end of that from Len. He can't believe I got drunk at my age."
"At your age?" Polly said. "What does that mean?"
Andy swatted at her. "I know! That's what I asked. Then I told him that he didn't marry an old lady and he couldn't treat me like one."
"Good for you." Polly drove down the highway and turned just past Sycamore Inn.
"How's your new guy working out?" Andy asked. "I've heard he's kind of a character."
"He is such a nice man. There's just something about him that makes you feel instantly safe and comfortable. I hope he stays for a long time." Polly pulled to a stop between two cars. "Well, let's go in and see what we've got."
They walked up to the front door and went inside. Sounds of a party came from one of the back rooms and a young man in a black vest and tie came forward. "May I help you?" he asked.
"I'm Polly Giller and this is Andy Specek. Do you have something for us?"
He nodded. "Just a moment."
Andy took a deep breath. "I wonder what Beryl's prizes are. She scares me. That woman likes to play games."
"How bad can it get?" Polly asked.
"You have to ask?"
Polly chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't. Do you think we're nearly at the end of our trek?"
"I hope so," Andy said. "I'm starving. That garlic bread is killing me. Why did she make us pick it up first? To torture us?"
J. J. Roberts came out with an insulated bag and handed it to Polly. "Sounds like you girls are having quite the party tonight. Are you sure you wouldn't like company?"
"How much wine is in there?" Andy asked with a gasp.
"Just six bottles," he said.
"Six bottles! What does that woman think she's doing to us? I'm not getting drunk again."
He laughed. "I'm just kidding. There are only three in here. She told me about your last escapade. I'm just glad we were a small part of it." He handed a white card to Andy. "And I'm supposed to give you this, too. Have a good time tonight."
"Thanks, J. J.," Polly said. "Everything going well out here?"
"It's been a good summer," he replied. "Patrick is back in California for a few months. They needed him to work with Sword Lords, but he'll be back right at harvest." J. J. shrugged. "You know, the first couple of years are tough. But we're sticking with it. You guys have been great. Rachel is a great chef and Jeff Lyndsay is good to work with. We appreciate the extra business he throws our way."
It made Polly feel good to know that he trusted these guys with his guests. "I'm glad we can work together," she said.
"We need to hurry," Andy said, then looked at the two of them. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. We'll talk later, J. J.," Polly said.
He held the door for them as they left.
"Well, where do we go now?"
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from - T.S. Eliot." Andy replied.
"Are you kidding me?"
"What do you mean?"
"We're going back to the coffee shop," Polly said, shaking her head.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Once they got back downtown, Polly drove to the side of the coffee shop and parked in front of the patio. Lydia and Sylvie weren't back yet, but Beryl was at their table, spinning a bright yellow parasol over her head. She snapped her fingers as Polly got out and Rebecca, Kayla and Andrew came out of the coffee shop, dressed in black pants and white shirts. They did their best to keep straight faces as they crossed to Polly's truck.
"What are you three doing?" Polly asked.
"We're here to serve, ma'am," Andrew replied. "I will escort you two beautiful young women to your seats, while my associates retrieve your packages."
Look Always Forward (Bellingwood Book 11) Page 23
