Free Treasure Uncovered (Bellingwood #3) by Diane Greenwood Muir

tendency to push back. Polly usually let her out last, but took those extra moments to stroke the girl's forehead. That area right above her nostrils was like velvet and Polly couldn't believe she got to spend time with those glorious beasts.
    "Polly?" Lydia's quiet voice brought Polly up out of her drowsiness.
    She sat straight up, pulling her legs back underneath her. "Is everything alright? Tell me what's happening! Is Beryl going to get into a room? Can we see her?"
    "She's going to be fine," Lydia assured Polly and sat down beside her. Andy sat down across from Polly with red-rimmed eyes.
    "What's going on?"
    "The water heater in her back room exploded. She was on her way out the door, so the back of her legs are badly scalded. The upper part of her body was protected from the hot water by all of the weird clothing she wears out there while she's painting," Lydia said. "But, there was a bad gash in her scalp from a piece of the metal that flew across the room. The rest of her back has also been cut up pretty badly by flying shrapnel, too."
    "Her water heater exploded?" Polly gasped.
    "Yep," Lydia nodded. "Here, look." She pulled out her phone and showed Polly pictures. "Aaron sent these to me. I can't believe our girl is alright at all after seeing these."
    Beryl's studio was a mess. It looked as if a tornado had spun itself out from the back to the front, disrupting and destroying everything.
    “Aaron says he thinks that Beryl got knocked to the floor and then managed to pull herself up and out of the building where Deena found her,” Lydia continued.
    Polly glanced at Andy. She had crossed her arms over her chest and shut her eyes. Polly got up and moved over to sit beside her, put her arms around Andy's shoulders and said, "She's going to be alright. If Lydia says so, I believe it. Do you?"
    "I feel so guilty for having fun while she was lying there, hurting and bleeding all over. She was by herself. She shouldn't have been by herself. How am I going to live with this?"
    Lydia crossed over and sat on the other side of Andy, "You stop it right there, Andy Saner. That's poppycock and you're being more than a little overdramatic. She had Deena there, so she wasn't by herself. If Beryl had any idea you were feeling guilty because of a dalliance with a man, she'd swat you up the backside of your head. You've had plenty of time to be all weepy and upset today and it's time to start dealing. Beryl doesn't need weak, scared friends; she needs us to step in and get her back to normal."
    Andy gave her friend a sideways glance, "You can be a real bitch sometimes, you know that?"
    Polly couldn't help herself and snorted with laughter. "The woman's not much for pity parties, is she?" she said through the laughter.
    "Pity is for those who have no hope," Lydia said. "Not for those who want to feel sorry for themselves."
    "Can it be for those who have had the life scared out of them?" Andy asked.
    "Not any longer," Lydia snipped. She looked over at Polly. "They'll let us know when she gets into a room and we can see her. The doctor said that the scalding was bad enough on her legs, they're going to keep her here for a while to make sure that no infection sets in as they blister. Oh, that woman is going to be miserable."
    A nurse came to tell them what room Beryl was in and Lydia made them stop in the gift shop for a hot pink balloon and an arrangement of colorful carnations before getting on the elevator.
    The three approached the room and found the door cracked open. Lydia knocked and pushed it open, "Beryl, honey?"
    "Go way," Polly heard Beryl say.
    "We're not going to go away unless you mean it. We're desperate to see your face," Lydia responded.
    "Face is a mess. Aw shit, come on in."
    Polly hung back, allowing Lydia and Andy to get close to their friend. Beryl was lying on her stomach, her bruised face turned toward the door.
    "You look awful, Beryl. Is there anyone we can punish for this?" Lydia asked.
    "Thanks for the