Unexpected Riches (Bellingwood Book 13) by Diane Greenwood Muir
Authors: Diane Greenwood Muir
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fine."
"Okay." Rebecca heaved a big sigh, picked her backpack up and carried it out of the bedroom, then dropped it on the sofa before going into the bathroom.
Polly flipped off the bedroom light and sat on the back of the same sofa to wait for the girl to re-emerge. How in the world did parents live through these years? Everything could be going along just wonderfully and then out of the blue, the entire world fell apart. She chuckled, wishing there was a safe word she could use to just tap out of the situation.
"I'm ready." Rebecca came out of the bathroom, her head down and her hair pulled in front of her face.
"I'll drive you. Get your coat," Polly said. "I have your backpack."
When they got into the truck, Rebecca buckled in and then looked over at Polly. "What's my punishment this time?"
Polly laughed. "Your bedroom is a terrible mess and your bathroom needs some attention."
"I was afraid of that. When will I ever learn?"
This was the normal Rebecca. Polly felt relief. At least she'd be able to have a good day in school. "I'm not sure," Polly said. "Part of me hopes this is the last time it ever happens, but another part of me appreciates that your bathroom will get scrubbed down on a regular basis."
"Polly!" Rebecca protested.
She chuckled. "You're the one who asked." Polly reached over and lightly squeezed Rebecca's leg. "I love you and it's all going to work out. You're growing up just fine and I'm proud of who you are."
"Even when I sulk?"
"Even then."
"I'm not getting a phone this year, am I?"
Polly shook her head. "No, but like I said, we'll talk about it tonight." She pulled up in front of the school. "Now let this go and have a good day. Remember that I love you, okay?"
"Okay. I love you, too."
CHAPTER NINE
"Yes, I'm addicted to coffee," Polly muttered as she drove away from the elementary school. "I might have a problem." Her phone rang and she chuckled at herself.
"Hello, Grey. How are you this morning?"
"Fine, thank you, but I'm afraid that I am in need of your assistance. Are you too busy to spend time at the inn today?"
Polly made a quick turn. "Of course not. What's wrong?"
"It would appear that our young man fell into something he shouldn't have and was transported to the hospital last night," Grey said. "I must see him and find out what has happened."
"Our young man?"
"Young Denis. I thought he was achieving a great many goals, but my ecstasy over his progress dimmed my sight. He overdosed last night."
"Oh no!" Polly cried. "Will he be okay?"
"I fear this will set him back, but to hold out hope is to stand against the gods."
Polly felt like she was in a foreign film and needed subtitles. She tried again. "Will he live?"
"Why yes," Grey said. "Of course he will. And they will release him from the hospital just as soon as his mother and I discuss his options."
She took a deep breath. "What was that about hope and the gods?"
Grey chuckled. "When we hope, we stand and shake our fists at the gods. The tales of the ancient Greek gods were told so humanity understood who tormented them. They released evil upon evil into the world when Pandora opened her box. One of the gods - likely Zeus - placed hope inside that box and it remains there so we can continue in the face of tragedy. We must remember that we have survived and the Greek gods have long since surrendered to the erosion of time."
"I'm parking right now," Polly said. "I'll be right in." She closed her phone and looked down at what she was wearing. She'd dressed to work at the Bell House. Her jeans and sweatshirt were clean, but not professional.
Grey came out from behind the counter. "Thank you so much for doing this. I won't be gone all day."
"Take the time that you need," she said. "I'll see if someone can bring better clothes for me to wear. I'm not dressed for this."
"You look fine, but we do have Sycamore House t-shirts behind the counter," Grey said.
"What happened last night?"
He shook his head. "I don't
"Okay." Rebecca heaved a big sigh, picked her backpack up and carried it out of the bedroom, then dropped it on the sofa before going into the bathroom.
Polly flipped off the bedroom light and sat on the back of the same sofa to wait for the girl to re-emerge. How in the world did parents live through these years? Everything could be going along just wonderfully and then out of the blue, the entire world fell apart. She chuckled, wishing there was a safe word she could use to just tap out of the situation.
"I'm ready." Rebecca came out of the bathroom, her head down and her hair pulled in front of her face.
"I'll drive you. Get your coat," Polly said. "I have your backpack."
When they got into the truck, Rebecca buckled in and then looked over at Polly. "What's my punishment this time?"
Polly laughed. "Your bedroom is a terrible mess and your bathroom needs some attention."
"I was afraid of that. When will I ever learn?"
This was the normal Rebecca. Polly felt relief. At least she'd be able to have a good day in school. "I'm not sure," Polly said. "Part of me hopes this is the last time it ever happens, but another part of me appreciates that your bathroom will get scrubbed down on a regular basis."
"Polly!" Rebecca protested.
She chuckled. "You're the one who asked." Polly reached over and lightly squeezed Rebecca's leg. "I love you and it's all going to work out. You're growing up just fine and I'm proud of who you are."
"Even when I sulk?"
"Even then."
"I'm not getting a phone this year, am I?"
Polly shook her head. "No, but like I said, we'll talk about it tonight." She pulled up in front of the school. "Now let this go and have a good day. Remember that I love you, okay?"
"Okay. I love you, too."
CHAPTER NINE
"Yes, I'm addicted to coffee," Polly muttered as she drove away from the elementary school. "I might have a problem." Her phone rang and she chuckled at herself.
"Hello, Grey. How are you this morning?"
"Fine, thank you, but I'm afraid that I am in need of your assistance. Are you too busy to spend time at the inn today?"
Polly made a quick turn. "Of course not. What's wrong?"
"It would appear that our young man fell into something he shouldn't have and was transported to the hospital last night," Grey said. "I must see him and find out what has happened."
"Our young man?"
"Young Denis. I thought he was achieving a great many goals, but my ecstasy over his progress dimmed my sight. He overdosed last night."
"Oh no!" Polly cried. "Will he be okay?"
"I fear this will set him back, but to hold out hope is to stand against the gods."
Polly felt like she was in a foreign film and needed subtitles. She tried again. "Will he live?"
"Why yes," Grey said. "Of course he will. And they will release him from the hospital just as soon as his mother and I discuss his options."
She took a deep breath. "What was that about hope and the gods?"
Grey chuckled. "When we hope, we stand and shake our fists at the gods. The tales of the ancient Greek gods were told so humanity understood who tormented them. They released evil upon evil into the world when Pandora opened her box. One of the gods - likely Zeus - placed hope inside that box and it remains there so we can continue in the face of tragedy. We must remember that we have survived and the Greek gods have long since surrendered to the erosion of time."
"I'm parking right now," Polly said. "I'll be right in." She closed her phone and looked down at what she was wearing. She'd dressed to work at the Bell House. Her jeans and sweatshirt were clean, but not professional.
Grey came out from behind the counter. "Thank you so much for doing this. I won't be gone all day."
"Take the time that you need," she said. "I'll see if someone can bring better clothes for me to wear. I'm not dressed for this."
"You look fine, but we do have Sycamore House t-shirts behind the counter," Grey said.
"What happened last night?"
He shook his head. "I don't
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