Free Out of the Shadows (Bellingwood Book 12) by Diane Greenwood Muir Page A

Sandy.
    "Nothing." Sandy shrugged. "Why?"
    "Sal and Sylvie, myself and Joss Mikkels all eat pizza together over at Pizzazz. Nearly every week. You should join us. It's no big deal; just a chance to get our heads on straight before a new week."
    "Sylvie Donovan, the baker?"
    "Yeah. And Joss is the librarian. We're friends who eat pizza. Sal's boyfriend is Mark Ogden, the veterinarian. Do you have animals?"
    Sandy shook her head. "Are you kidding? I can barely take care of people in my life. I'm much better with lines and drawings than I am with living things."
    "Anyway, his sister runs the dance studio in town and her husband, Dylan, owns Pizzazz, so we hang out."
    "You know everyone, don't you," Sandy said. "If it weren't for these two ladies and Mrs. Merritt, I wouldn't know a soul in Bellingwood."
    Polly laughed. "That's funnier than it should be," she replied. "I spent two years feeling like I didn't know anyone at all. Every time I turned around, I was meeting someone I should have already known. It will get easier. So, Sunday?"
    "Let me see if Benji will be okay if I'm gone. He's not any better with humans, and try as he might, this daddy thing is about to push him over the edge. We were not cut out for this."
    "I know some baby sitters," Polly said.
    "Do you have kids?"
    Polly laughed again. "Oh, Sandy, if you only knew how crazy that question is. You are only a couple of years younger than me. I have two kids, but not because I gave birth. My daughter, Rebecca, is twelve and we adopted her after her mother died last spring. We’re also guardians of a high school junior whose parents were killed a couple of years ago. So, yes, I have kids, but no I didn't have babies."
    "Wow."
    "I guess that describes it. You'll love Sal, because she'll get you, but you'll also love Joss and Sylvie. Joss wants a big family. She and her husband." Polly glanced at Sandy. "That's Nate Mikkels, the pharmacist at the drug store. Anyway, they adopted twins last year. I can promise you that she will help you in any way she can. Sylvie has two boys, a sophomore in high school and a seventh grader. She's on the opposite end of the spectrum as you. She's just getting started with her professional life and loves being a mom, too." Polly reached out to touch Sandy's arm. "You need to know us. We might not give you a lot of help, but we'll have fun."
    "Okay. I didn't expect this."
    "Have you gotten to know Camille?" Polly asked, waving the coffee shop manager over.
    "I just met her today," Sandy said.
    "Camille, you need to know Sandy, too," Polly said. "And you should probably come have pizza with us on Sunday nights."
    Camille smiled. "Sal and Sylvie asked if I'd come. I think this next week I will finally be available. So yes, I'll be there. Are you coming too, Sandy?"
    "It sounds like I'd be crazy to miss it," Sandy said.

 
    CHAPTER SEVEN

     
    The three kids - Andrew, Rebecca and Kayla - were at Polly's dining room table working on homework when her phone rang.
    "Hey Eliseo, what's up?" she asked.
    "Heath didn't come back on the bus. Jason didn't see him."
    "Is Jason there? Can I talk to him?"
    "Just a sec."
    Polly waited for a moment and then Jason said, "Yeah?"
    "Heath didn't say anything to you?" she asked.
    "No, why would he?"
    "I don't know. You both come to Sycamore House and you work together in the barn after school."
    "I'm not his keeper," Jason said. "He does what he wants."
    Polly was done. "Look, Jason. I'm not asking you to be his keeper. He can take care of himself, but I do expect respect and compassion out of you. People have extended themselves to you a lot over the last couple of years and for you to take this attitude with anyone is out of line. I'm tired of it."
    "He didn't get on the bus. He didn't talk to me. That's all I can tell you," Jason said.
    "You know we aren't finished with this conversation, right?"
    "I figured," he muttered. "Here's Eliseo."
    "Trouble?" Eliseo asked.
    "Nothing we can't work out. I'll call