Page 21 of Ultimate Freedom

Glen’s sudden serious agreement let her know something cheeky would follow.

“It must be the reason Whit’s stuck around.”

She lightly punched at his arm. “Quit teasing. You know Whit likes me for my brains.”

Both laughing, they carried on talking about other subjects… like the folks at the New Year’s Eve party. “It was good to see Lexie and Norrie enjoying themselves so much.”

“Yeah, and Dawson and Margie were dancing up a storm. For once, the town appears to be in a calm state.”

Glen reminded her of her own dilemma. “Other than yourself and Charlie. Where did you stash him during the festivities last night?”

“He wanted to stay at Norrie’s with her cats. I couldn’t bring him to the dance and put him through the torture of being fawned over by the moms in town.Weknow they’re only sharing their sadness for his plight, but it could be overwhelming for a kid who’s lacking in social skills.”

“Good. You did the right thing.”

Demi looked over at the smiling man sitting so casually behind the wheel of Whit’s big truck. Speaking of good things, she thought back to the first time she saw Glen. What a change. Handsome devil that he was now, healthy in body and a clear gaze. It made her heart swell.

“Hey, what’s the latest on Whit’s situation? I meant to ask earlier.”

“Turns out, he rushed there and then got held up as the trial was again pushed out a few more days. His own doctor did follow through on the examination he insisted on, but all the test results aren’t in yet. Poor guy’s sitting on pins and needles waiting.”

“That can’t be going well. Never knew a dude who hated being left to twiddle his thumbs so much.”

“See… you get him too. He’s livid about the delay. I asked him what the rest of the trial entailed?”

“You mean like an operation?”

“Right. But Whit didn’t know if they would be operating or if it just meant taking shots or even pills. He has to wait to talk with the guy in charge. Once he’s told if he’s a candidate, I guess they’ll go into more details. It’s maddening as hell when a person doesn’t know what to expect.”

“I can imagine. But knowing Whit, he’ll come through with no problem. He’s a winner, that man.”

“That’s true. Oh look, I think we just made it in time. There’s a plane landing.”

Rushing to get into the airport with Glen right behind her, Demi flew through the arrivals entrance and was anxiously waiting when Harold and Lefty were the first to arrive through the doors.

“Harold.” Demi waved and rushed toward him, slowing down with shyness as she closed in. Harold would have none of that nonsense. He reached for her and hugged her hard. “Demi, my girl. You’re a sight for sore eyes.” He continued to hold onto her hand until forced to release it.

Once the rest of the introductions were made, and while they still had daylight, they took the oldies for lunch and a short drive around the city before heading to Hyder.

At one point, Lefty sneakily brushed up against Demi and whispered, “Harry’s faking his strength. Best not keep him out too long.”

Demi gave him a sad smile in reply, but then addressed the group. “Time to head home. Pearl and Nito need to be fed. First we’ll drop you at Whit’s house, the place we arranged for you to stay. We’ve set everything up there, so you’ll be very comfy. A big dish of stew is in the fridge and can be heated when you’re ready to eat.”

Lefty spoke for them both. “No problem. I work a mean microwave.”

Laughing, Demi added, “I’m hoping once you’ve had a chance to rest well tonight, and if you’re feeling up to it, I’ll bring you to the cabin tomorrow so we can spend more time catching up.”

Purposely turning to watch the road, within a few moments, she heard the sounds of snoring and looked back to see Harold out cold with his head leaning against Lefty’s shoulder.

What a precious sight? Lefty caught her peeking and winked at her, making her heart swell with the joy of their arrival. Seconds later, her heart twisted painfully, accepting the truth… Harold was very sick.

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning in her cabin, she looked at Charlie eating breakfast and felt her heart melt at the memory of the day before. When she’d arrived at Norrie’s to pick him up, he’d worn a shocked expression before a smile lit his pale freckled face and had his green eyes glowing with relief.

“You came.”

“Of course. I promised, didn’t I? Wanna grab your gear, and we’ll head home?”

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