Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5) by Diane Greenwood Muir Page A

             
    "They're really different than horses. I thought they'd be exactly like them, just smaller. I like their ears. They're all soft and fuzzy."
    Andrew followed the donkeys from a safe distance, watching them explore their surroundings. He finally sat down beside Polly. "Eliseo told me I have to be calm and quiet and not startle them. I try not to get really excited, but they're fun!"
    Both donkeys wandered back out as Jason sat down on Polly's other side. They waited patiently for the animals to join them and before long, they were all laughing and snuggling Tom and Huck.
    Polly looked up when Eliseo returned.
    "It looks like you have been making friends," he said. "How are things going?"
    "Do you think I could ride Tom or Huck someday?" Andrew asked Eliseo.
    The older man grinned, "Of course you can!"
    Andrew said to Polly, "At least if I fall, it’s close to the ground."
    "You're right!" she laughed. "Do you think you’d like that?"
    He nodded and pulled Tom's neck close to his face. "I think he likes me."
    She smiled at Eliseo and he winked, the damaged skin on his face pulling along his cheekbone. She rarely saw his burns. Every once in a while, he did something to remind her how badly he’d been hurt, but most of the time he was simply Eliseo.
    "Jason and I are going to do evening chores," he said. "Andrew, if you want to stick around, I can show you what we will do for the donkeys. I'd love to have you help us."
    "Can I, Polly?" he asked.
    "Sure! What should I do?" she asked Eliseo.
    "You aren't dressed for this," he said. "We'll take care of things tonight. You have guests upstairs. That should keep you busy."
    "Thanks." He was right. She wanted to make sure they had supper. Maybe Sylvie would have leftovers from the reception. Or maybe they'd really like a pizza. She'd check with Sylvie first.
    A quick glance into the kitchen when Polly returned to the main building told her that they were much too busy to deal with any special requests, so she went on up to her apartment.
    She flopped down on the sofa and was soon surrounded by her three inside animals. Obiwan immediately began to sniff her, trying to identify the new animal scents on her clothing. Luke and Leia gave perfunctory attention to her clothes and then settled back to sleep. Polly glimpsed the package from the dresser on her coffee table and after pushing Obiwan out of the way, sat up and flipped it over. There wasn't anything on it, a simple sealed envelope, about the size of a large greeting card. The glue on the seal easily gave way and she gently pulled the contents out.
    It was an old Christmas card. The front said, To a sweet little girl at Christmas , and had an adorable drawing of a little cherub dressed for winter. She was singing from a caroling book held in her little mittened hands. Polly opened the card and found several photographs of a happy family. In one, two older brothers were proudly holding their new baby sister and the parents were seated on either side of them. In another, the children were a little older and dressed to play outside in the snow. The little girl was bundled from head to toe and her brothers were standing on either side of her, holding her hands. Another photograph was obviously a professional shot done of the three children, followed by a family photograph of all of them. In addition to the photographs, there was a handwritten letter, neatly folded.
    Polly looked at the inside of the Christmas card and found written there, in a shaky hand:
    "Dear Marian, You may never remember your mommy and daddy, but they loved you very much. There isn't much left to give you so that you will have any memories of your life with them, but I have enclosed what I could. I hope you treasure these memories as much as they treasured you. Your mommy didn't live for very many days after the accident, but I helped her write one last letter to you. Always know that you were loved. Beatrice Hogan."
    "Wow," Polly said