Page 16 of Ultimate Freedom

At first, all Demi could think of was their lovemaking… their passion and how it ignited so quickly. Would she ever tire of seeing that man? Of being drawn to his magic?

Completely honest with herself, she admitted that as much as she craved his body, she cared even more for how he made her feel by just looking at her.

Sadness flowed, and she had no way of controlling it.

Once again, she hadn’t told Whit how much she loved him.

Chapter Ten

Demi enjoyed the days she had alone, but as soon as Norrie and Lexie reappeared, she was more than ready for company. Able to drive Blue into town now that the road had been cleared, and there hadn’t been more snow, she did her town chores as well as catching up on their news.

“Tell me about your trip.” She’d talked Norrie into leaving the store with her casual worker so they could sit and have lunch together at the café. “I’m glad Edna got back in time for Whit to leave.”

“Yeah, me too. She had a good visit with her sister in Vancouver, but she needs some extra hours… says she spent a fortune while in the city.”

“Easy to do.” Demi understood that concept. “With her wanting more hours, you can take some time to yourself. What about Charlie? Whit told me about him. How’s he working out?”

“Seems to be okay. He’s been on time every day and stays busy without me needing to scold him. Strange thing though, when he first arrived, he asked for his list. I told him he didn’t need one, but he said that Whit had given him a list of chores every day. Something about if he couldn’t understand it, then he had to read a page from a book that Whit had left by the till. I told him I’d get Whit to explain it to me, but for that day, I could just tell him what I wanted him to do. He looked kinda miserable. I wasn’t sure if it was because Whit had left and I was back, or he missed not having to read. I’ll get to the bottom of it when Whit returns my call. In the meantime, do you know what it’s all about?”

Demi nodded. “Just a bit. Best talk to Whit, and he’ll explain more. But the day he’d made those arrangements with Charlie, he told me that when he’d realized that Charlie didn’tread very well, he’d made a deal with him. If he couldn’t make out what he’d printed on the daily list, then Charlie had to read him a whole page from a book he’d given him. He had a copy and gave one to Charlie. Guess the boy got into it. Whit said that at first he’d read from the beginning pages, but Whit could see he’d been reading it at home and was soon reading from the middle section. I’m sure he left it for you at the store.”

“I’ll look for it.” Norrie chuckled, shaking her head. “Typical Whit. The man’s a genius for getting through to people without them knowing he was playing them. Look at Duffy; Whit’s been bankrolling the man for years… giving him all kinds of work on purpose to keep the garage afloat. Even makes sure that the Premiere Mine project sends work his way. Same with Mrs. Libby. He eats there a lot, sends his co-workers to the place, and pays a portion of her rent so the bank only charges her half. Now he’s making me let him pay Charlie’s wages… said he’d hired him, and he would take care of the boy.”

“I never knew he was such a philanthropist.” Demi’s pride swelled for the man she considered her boyfriend.

Norrie eyed her, grinning at her obvious pleasure at hearing about Whit’s generosity. “Why do you think I asked him to look after my store when I was stuck without Edna? I can trust him implicitly. He’s stepped in other times and saved my bacon after Mom died. Once I actually got to see how badly she’d mishandled the place, it could have closed down without Whit’s financial help. I’d do anything for that man.”

“Me, too. But now you have Lexie in your life. What did you two get into while you were away… apart from the legal stuff that must have been difficult?”

By the time Norrie had finished raving about what a wonderful time they’d had, Demi felt a lot lighter about life in general. Once she’d explained about Harold and Lefty’s upcoming visit, she’d brightened up considerably.

Making up her mind to look ahead and enjoy what life had to offer, she promised to come into town for the New Year’s Eve festivities at the Glacier Inn. She even agreed to spend the night with Norrie before heading to Terrace the next day to pick up Harold and Lefty.

During the next day with Glen sharing his time between the cabin and Rudy’s house, they had more chances than ever to get closer. Over a meal of meatloaf, gravy, mashed potatoes, and the delicious corn on the cob she’d frozen in the fall, they sat and caught up with each other’s lives.

Demi had to ask, “What happened when Rudy told his brothers about Fred’s passing?”

“You mean did he tell them he was gay?”

“That too.”

“I promised to stay with him while he admitted his truth. I wanted to be there as a backup. But you know what, they were fine. Took the news well. Frank admitted he’d guessed, and the younger one, Brian, shook Rudy’s hand and said he was glad the old man hadn’t found out. That’s when we told the boys what happened.”

“Good. I hoped you would.”

“It wasn’t easy… but necessary. Both of those guys had taken their share of beatings from Fred, dealing with his black moods. Neither had any love for the man. According to them both, they’d only come back for their little brother’s sake. Frank, who owns his own place in Ketchikan, wanted nothing to do with Fred’s business here, but Brian’s been jobless for some time. He’s kind of a loner with his own drinking problem.”

“Not surprised.” Demi sighed with sadness. She’d seen that happen a lot. She’d heard it referred to as the circle of life – a child growing up with an alcoholic parent then taking up the same vice as an adult.

“Yeah, me either. After hearing Fred’s story, they both had more sympathy for what the old shit had gone through... Brian’s words, not mine. When Rudy willingly offered him a job with the possibility of working his way to half-owner, Brian began to cry. Like he couldn’t believe anyone would be that good to him. He actually asked Rudy, ‘In all seriousness, you’d do that for me?’

“I was so proud of the way Rudy answered him. ‘Of course. I remember the times you hid me and took the beatings alone. You’re a good man, Brian. As long as you can control the boozing, we can make it work. Let’s say you give it a try and see how things pan out.’”

By the time Glen had finished telling Demi how it all went down, she had to fight her own sorrow. “Jesus, Glen. I saw so much of this kind of dysfunction working at the center. For some crazy reason, I didn’t understand how prevalent it is among every walk of life. So many people are hurting and have social, never mind economic problems. I’m glad you two are healthy now and can help Brian. Let’s have them over tomorrow for a meal so I can meet them.”

“They’d be thrilled to get a homecooked dinner. I’ll call later and let them know. Now… what about you? How are you doing?”

“Me? I’m fine. Why?”

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