Page 35 of Ultimate Freedom

Demi softened at Harold’s words. She’d been on edge for quite some time and having that old man wanting to protect herdid something to her heart. She’d come to understand that she was important to him. Therefore she was… was worthy. Like a bolt of pure bliss, she allowed the feeling to take hold and knew she’d never experience something quite the same again.

Taking his hand in hers, she leaned nearer to him and said, “I love you dearly, my friend. Thank you for caring.” The words once spoken hadn’t been as hard to say as she’d imagined. When coming from a heart overflowing with true emotion, they’d been surprisingly easy.

“You’re my girl, honey. Always. It’s never too late to adopt a daughter. And I meant what I said. You come and let us look after you.”

She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and squeezed his hand. “I’m expecting Whit home any day now. But… if things turn bad, I’ll come a-knocking. I promise.”

When she dropped them off, Lefty gave her the last hug and held on for a bit longer than usual. “I agree with Harold. Don’t take any chances, honey. We’re here. Remember that.”

Driving home, with their warning ringing in her ears, she felt the tension ramp up inside. What if that legendary lunatic did try and take Charlie away? And the law said he could because of a positive DNA sample? Then what? Could Whit actually stop it from happening? And how? The law was the law.

She wished with all her heart that Whit was beside her and in control of Charlie. She’d personally been involved in a few court cases in Phoenix where parents tried forcing their kids to come back to them. Yet the teens fought against it. They preferred the system to their own homes. The reasons were varied but all legitimate. Some crazies were just not meant to be parents.

By the time she returned to the cabin, she checked on the boys and saw they were happily engrossed in their movie. Unsettled, she went outside to look in on the fawn and foundher cozy in her new home. By the light flowing from the kitchen window, she saw the nearby feed bowl had been filled and the sleeping mat looked comfortable.

Hearing Nito’s approach, she turned to get a cold nose shoved in her cheek. The yellow eyes of the wolf stared into hers, and whining followed. As if the little bastard sensed she was upset, he pushed closer until she wrapped her arm around his neck and buried her face in his thick coat.

The scent of winter filled her lungs as she breathed in the wolf’s smell. His soft undercoat held the secrets of the forest, and it pleased her immensely. Having Nito run wild and yet be there for her whenever she needed him had become a precious gift.

“Hey, boy. You wanna come in and say hi to Pearlie? She misses you.”

Hearing the name of his friend, Nito pulled from her and went straight to the door, waiting.

Demi let him inside and smiled when Charlie brought Teddy to see the animal. “I told you Demi has a wolf.”

Teddy’s eyes grew very large and he held back rather than approach like Charlie. When Nito turned from Pearl and saw the boy rushing forward, he growled a warning. One that Charlie in his haste paid no attention to.

Nito, not allowing himself to be ignored, began to let his teeth show in a snarl and Demi caught Charlie’s arm before he closed in.

“Charlie, he’s telling you he’s not comfortable for you to rush him like that. Best to hold back until he says it’s okay.”

Charlie stopped. Understanding rushed over him and he crouched on one knee and held out his hand in supplication. “I’m sorry Nito. I just want you to meet my friend Teddy. He’s never seen a wolf before.”

Nito backed away to stand close to Demi, leaning against her thigh. He’d stopped making threatening noises, but helooked warily at Charlie as if he knew Charlie belonged, and yet he didn’t know if he could trust him. He waited to see what Demi wanted.

Teddy broke the silence. “It’s okay, Charlie. I really don’t want to touch him. But it’s way cool that he lives here.”

Demi let her hand rest on Nito’s shoulder to show him she was fine. “He’s a good friend but not quite housebroken. Nito’s a wild animal and until he makes up his mind about a person, it’s best to give him a lot of space.”

Charlie stood and backed away. His face wore a sad look, and his eyes filled with regret. “I thought we were friends now. Since he stopped growling at me outside when I feed the fawn, I figured he’d be okay with me touching him. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, he’s just recently allowed Whit to come close, and Glen still gives him a wide berth. The only reason he comes inside is to see Pearl. Otherwise, I doubt if I’d get to be near him myself.”

As if Nito understood what they were saying, he sauntered to the door and looked at Demi, his order obvious. She went to let him out, and the room’s tense atmosphere changed instantly. Everyone relaxed and went back to what they’d been doing.

Chapter Nineteen

Whit tried to keep his eyes open, but they refused to behave. Not only was he exhausted, but the recent series of tests and medications played havoc with his ability to maintain good vision for any length of time.

Determined to get to the nearest airport where they still had flights, he’d checked online and found a disturbing scenario. This part of the country was undergoing huge climate catastrophes and almost every place within a day’s drive wouldn’t be a viable choice.

Between the rainstorms followed by freezing conditions, all flights were grounded. In fact, he’d been caught up in those conditions on the highway and found himself now fighting to keep his car on the road. Thankful for his driving skills built up from years of living in the north, he still had to bear with the horrific traffic where other motorists had no fucking idea what they were doing.

He'd barely missed being in more than one accident. Because of his instincts, he’d managed to steer his way around the disasters. Knowing he should pull over, wait for daylight, and hopefully a lessening of the snow, everything inside screamed no… keep going, get home.

Demi and Charlie needed him there with them. Stubborn, he inched along a mile further, and the choice to continue was taken away. Skidding over to the shoulder just in time to stop from being involved in a huge pileup, he breathed a sigh of relief and let the muscles in his ass relax.

Goddammit, people were crazy. The chances they were taking using speeds only an imbecile would in these conditions was unnerving and downright outrageous.

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