Page 85 of Voice to Raise
“Of course.” I echoed the words. Given how little he actually made, that would’ve been a sacrifice. “And you came to work for This Land is Ours.”
“Yep. Full circle. Back to where my parents started forty years ago.”
“But you have a chance. You know how the system works.”
“Not really. I don’t have connections to the back rooms. I can’t influence politicians and policy makers. I’m adept at reading documents and finding flaws, but what good is that really?”
I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. “You still fight for the disadvantaged. That night, at city council—”The night you almost fucked everything up.
He chuckled. “Not one of my better nights.”
“I’m sorry—”
“You don’t need to be. Your passion far exceeded mine. I hoped I could apply logic and reason. You showed them people cared. Understood what was at stake.” He sniffed.
“Where do you go from here?”
“I don’t know. I took the job with the hope of somehow making a difference. Of honoring Pike’s legacy. I’m not sure I’m succeeding.”
“You take on a lot of battles.”
“Yep. Indigenous rights. The environment. Poverty. Systemic racism. I’m trying to fight on so many fronts, and making little headway with any of them.”
And working yourself to the bone.Something had to give. I just didn’t know what. Before I could say anything, though, he kept speaking.
“Winter solstice was his favorite time of year. Followed by summer solstice. That last winter, he invited me up to join him. I—” He swallowed. “I had a major project due at the beginning of the year and I put him off. Within a couple of months, he’d died, and I’d turned whistleblower. I didn’t even go up for his funeral. Honestly, I wasn’t certain I’d be welcome.”
That hurt my heart. “And you remember him on each solstice?”
“Yeah. Last year I trekked up to the Arctic circle for the summer solstice. Longest day of the year. Night was barely a blink. No way would I go up in the dead of winter, though. I like my daylight, thank you very much.”
“You just don’t want your cock to freeze and fall off.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that too.”
“Would you want to go? To where he died? To where he lived?”
“I don’t think so. I keep him in my heart. I honor his memory by doing whatever I can to advance the causes he believed in. Doing more would be better…”
“But you’re only one person, and you only have so many hours in the day.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
I knew when he usedyeahthat he was getting tired. “Will you let me hold you?”
“Yeah. I’d really like that.”
“Turn over. Scooch back against me. Let me keep you close. Let me keep you safe.” I wouldn’t always be here, of course. A private island off of Greece beckoned. But, for this one night, I could hold him close. I’d go to the lawyer’s tomorrow and sign the paperwork. We’d move Spencer and Moses into the house. We’d celebrate Christmas.
Then, on the fourth of January, I’d board a private jet and head into an unknown world.
Frankly, I was fucking terrified.
Long after his breathing had evened, mine did as well.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Spencer
