Secrets and Revelations (Bellingwood #4) by Diane Greenwood Muir Read Free Book Online

She began to feel sorry for herself and felt tears welling in her eyes again.
    "Stop it," she said out loud. "No crying. He told you that he might be busy and just because he can't always be there when you want to do something , doesn't mean he won't take care of you."
    It didn't help. She was gone. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text message and she ignored it, curling in on herself and letting the tears leak out.
    Polly knew that if she didn't deal with the email that was haunting her, her emotions would continue to be all over the place, so she left her phone on the bed and went out to the living room and picked up her laptop. She read the email one more time and then replied,
    "I know nothing about you, but if you would like to come to Bellingwood, I'd be happy to meet with you."
    She hesitated with her hand on the mouse, then sent the email and stood up.
    There was a knock on her bedroom door and she looked up to see Andrew standing there.
    "What's up, bud?" she asked.
    "Mom said she has breakfast if you want to come down. She also made a special pot of coffee for you."
    Polly followed him back through the bedroom, scooping up her phone and slipping it into her pocket.
    At the bottom of the steps, Andrew opened the door to the storage room and Polly smelled sausage.
    "Thanks for coming up to get me, Andrew. This smells great."
    "You're going to love it!" he said.
    Polly had purchased a rustic trestle table for the kitchen, placed so that anyone sitting there could look out into the back yard. She tried not to feel guilty that she hadn't followed through on the vegetable garden this year and hoped that next spring would be a different story. Benches fit under the table and there was easily room for eight people. Sylvie had set out plates and silverware and was pulling a casserole out of the oven.
    "What did you make?" Polly asked.
    "I found a recipe for a sausage and gravy casserole. It calls for canned biscuits on top, but I make my own."
    "Wow. It looks awesome."
    "Taste the coffee in the little pot over there. Dan, the sales guy, asked if I wanted to try something new."
    Polly poured a cup and sniffed it, inhaling the spicy scent. "It smells wonderful!"
    "He thought I might want to have it available this fall. This is a Chai-spiced coffee. They have pumpkin and ginger as well. I think these might be perfect for some of the fall and winter wedding receptions."
    "Mmmm," Polly said as she sipped it. "I like it."
    "I knew you would." Sylvie dished up some casserole on a plate and set it in front of Andrew. "Do you suppose Eliseo and Jason are coming up?"
    "Call them," Polly said, taking another sip.
    Jeff wandered in and sat down beside her. "That smells good.”
    "Try it," she responded and handed him the mug.
    He sniffed it and handed it back, "Oh, that's good. I'll get my own. Over here?" He pointed at the coffee pot. Polly nodded.
    "They'll be up in a minute. Andrew keep an eye out, they're coming in the back door." Sylvie said.
    She stayed busy while everyone ate, even though they all protested. Jason and Eliseo came in the back door and joined them. Polly looked around the table at her family. It felt like it was always expanding and she couldn't wait to see who would be next to join them.
    Sylvie pulled three coffee cakes out of the oven and began slicing them into pieces. Jeff arranged things on carts, much as he had the day before and left the kitchen.
    "Can we ride now?" Jason asked Eliseo.
    "Whenever you're finished," he responded.
    "Let's go! I want Mom to see," Jason said, jumping up.
    Eliseo quietly began picking up their dishes, moving slowly enough that Jason was bouncing at the door. "Don't you think we ought to help your mom clean up after she made breakfast for us?" he asked.
    "She can do it," Jason said. "She knows where everything goes." He had his hand on the door handle.
    "No, that's not how I work. If you want this to go faster, you'll help," Eliseo responded.
    Polly looked at Andrew who had a