Page 19 of Ultimate Freedom

“Never had a doubt. You reading those chapters like I asked you to do?”

“Every one of them.” Charlie cleared his throat and added, “Truth is, I finished the book and started reading it for the second time.”

“Hey. Good job. There’s a bunch of reading at the cabin for you to choose another story. And, if you like reading so much, talk to Demi. Remember? I told you she writes books.”

Within a short time, Demi found herself with a garbage bag filled with dirty clothes and a forlorn, uncommunicative kid sitting beside her in the truck’s seat.

Shaking her head, her thoughts in a tangle, she groaned inwardly. Another lost kid. Would she ever get away from orphans and needy souls?

***

Understanding that Charlie didn’t talk a lot, she let him be until they pulled up outside her home. Once there, she parked Blue and then led Charlie to the front door, telling him about therope and why they had it tied between the parking area and the porch.

“You ever have to use it?”

“Yep. Saved my life not too long ago. Well, Nito did when he got me this far. Then I used it to guide me to the front door. Never really understood how cold forty below could be. Froze my feet and hands and parts of my face. Took a long time to heal. Freezing’s no picnic so you have to be careful, right?”

“Okay.”

Suddenly, Demi heard the wolf before she saw him. “Nito, stop growling. You’ll scare Charlie. He’s having a tough day so be good.”

The boy pushed into her space, and she suddenly had the unexpected urge to hug him even closer.Hmm… strange.

“It’s fine, Charlie. Nito’s just being a brat. You’re a stranger and he doesn’t like me being near people he doesn’t know. Just stand still, and he’ll come to you.”

Sure enough, the wolf prowled closer to investigate and stood in front of her and Charlie. She saw his nose working as he smelled the air, almost like he was sniffing the boy’s character. Step by slow step he approached, majestic as hell, his huge head at a proud angle.

Demi, trying to help Charlie relax, pulled him to sit beside her on the porch steps, knowing that Nito would follow. He did, laying in front of them as if on guard.

Then she told the tale of how the canine had been shot not that long ago, and the proof showed in the scar still noticeable on his shoulder.

“Right over there. This wild animal tackled a crazy man with a gun and saved my life.”

“Whoa, true? He’s a hero.”

“Yep. He’s my hero. Wanna know a secret?”

“Sure.”

Demi could see that as they talked, both the boy and the wolf had begun to relax. “I’ve always been terrified of dogs, hated them actually. One bit me when I was a kid, and I never grew out of the fear that I’d be attacked again.”

“Were you?”

“Sure. This little nutcase did a good job of it when I tried to save his life.” By the time Demi had told the story of her adventures with Nito in the fire, she could see Charlie had begun to accept her.

As if that mattered to Nito, the wolf came close enough for Charlie to touch him, pat him, and then went to the door, expecting to be allowed inside. Jumping up, Demi opened the door and sure enough, Pearl sat on the other side, mewing her dislike of being kept from her best friend.

As the animals went towards the banked fire, Demi showed Charlie to Glen’s room. “Make yourself at home. Don’t know how long it’ll be before Whit returns. Until then, you’ll be here with Nito and me. Okay?”

The boy nodded. Standing alone, his eyes huge, he looked terrified… like he hadn’t a friend in the world.

One of the hardest things for Demi to do was to push aside her own insecurities. Hadn’t she been forced to do this at the center more times than she wanted to remember? Yet, when it came to needy kids, something inside her released those impenetrable walls. They’d open, allowing them to see the sincerity of caring she felt for them.

Approaching slowly, she knelt in front of Charlie. “I know you’re scared, Charlie. Truth is, I grew up as an orphan, spent my early years as a foster kid in the system. Just so you know, you don’t have to be afraid when you’re with me. Nobody’s going to hurt you. I promise.”

Bravely, the kid nodded, refusing to speak. Yet the tight expression on his pale face had lightened. He backed away fromher familiarity and threw his plastic bag on the bed. “Do you want I should shovel the porch? I know how to work hard.”

Understanding their moment had passed, she answered lightly. “Not right now. I have two visitors arriving tomorrow, and I’ve run out of my homemade bread. I could sure use some help making a batch.”

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