Page 14 of Ultimate Freedom

Trying not to let out her knowledge about his secret, she sneakily led the topic to when he’d be able to visit… something she did often. Only this time, he told her that he’d convinced Lefty into traveling with him, and they’d like to come soon. Pretending shock, she let out a little scream. “Oh, Harold, I would love that. I can’t wait to see you. I have so much to show you. All the things we’ve done with the cabin, plus introduce you to Charlie and Nito. I have no doubt you’ll like them both.”

Neither he nor she brought his doctor’s diagnosis into the conversation. Unknowing how to bring it up without upsetting the old guy, she decided to wait for that talk until she saw him.

By the time their discussion ended, she felt a bit better. He sounded much the same as usual and seemed thrilled by her acceptance of them coming to Alaska.

In fact, he shut down their call, leaving her surprised at the speed. Usually, he liked to talk for as long as he could string it out. His voice filled with excitement, he said, “I gotta tell Lefty. He wanted to wait for the weather to get better. I told the wuss I didn’t care about a bit of cold and snow. Now, I’ll tell him to get started making our arrangements.”

“It’ll be wonderful to have you here, Harold. I can’t wait to show you what’s been done on the property.”

“Missy, you just can’t understand how much I want to see you, and to show off to the scenery to Lefty that I’ve bragged about for years. No doubt, it’s probably the worst season to travel there, but you know what? I don’t care. Just to smellthe winter mountain air and see those stars again will do me wonders.”

“Hey… what about me?”

Harold laughed loud and hard, his excitement infectious. “It goes without saying that seeing you again will be the best medicine of all.”

“Now you’re just buttering me up.” She laughed with him. “Seriously, let me know when to expect you. I want to share the news with Whit.” She cleared her throat from the huskiness that had suddenly appeared. “And Harold, I can’t wait.”

Feeling better for having had the conversation with a man she thought would sound sickly, only to find him more robust than usual, her depression disappeared. Happier, she called Whit with the news and before she could share, she found out that he had some of his own. Information that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“You’re leaving? Before New Years? Why?”

Chapter Nine

Whit absolutely hated sharing the misery he couldn’t hide from her. “Demi, there’s something I’d meant to tell you about before the shooting took place. After all that excitement, I forgot completely.”

“Is it with your Ophthalmologist? When he called, you hid your conversation, and I was worried that he gave you bad news.”

Hearing the hurt in her voice, Whit figuratively kicked his ass for not telling her about the call when it happened. Trying to save her from being disappointed if he wasn’t chosen for the trials, he’d kept it all a secret. Yet now he finds out, she’d known something all along and felt left out.

Fuck! A guy couldn’t win.

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up. It’s not that I didn’t want to share—”

“I understand. You didn’t want me that involved in your life.”

“No. No, no. It wasn’t like that. Honest to God, sweetheart, I was going to tell you. I promise.” Frustrated with having to deal with such a sensitive topic over the phone, he let his displeasure appear and knew she took it to heart.

Dammit, how could a guy talk to his lady about all the things he wanted to share over a phone?

“So, tell me.” Having no acting skills, she had to be aware that he heard the disappointment she couldn’t hide.

“When the doc called, he told me about a trial they would be doing on eye problems like mine, and he wanted my permission to put my name on the list. But before he could, he explained I’d have to go there for another examination.”

“Okay. But so soon? I don’t understand. Why didn’t he make the arrangements, giving you more time?”

“He did. I got the email the day you were shot. My appointment was to be later in the month. I was going to ask if you wanted to make a trip of it and go with me. But they just called to say it’s been moved up because the specialist in charge of the trials has taken an assignment to work for the Doctors without Borders… for veterans wounded in the war.”

She sounded less huffy when she spoke next. “Okay, when do they want to see you?”

“If I can make it, they want me there the day after tomorrow. Can you be ready to travel with me?”

***

Son of a bitch!

With her good mood now slithering into a mess on the floor, Demi let out a groan. “I can’t. I want to, but it’s impossible. That’s why I was calling. I just got off the phone with Lefty and then Harold.” By the time she’d explained about their future visitors, she wanted to pound the walls. She’d relied on Whit to help her with the two old men.

“Christ. We can’t catch a break, can we? I’d love to have been with you to go pick them up, but I’ll have to leave tomorrow if I want to get to Miami in time. Maybe I should just tell the doc to put me in the next batch of patients. My sight has improved, especially in my left eye. And I do have better vision in my right. It’s not perfect, but I get around fine.”

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