Page 10 of Ultimate Freedom

Chapter Seven

Whit hated being away from the cabin and Demi for the days he stayed in town to look after the store. Working the hours that Norrie put in, he soon came to realize that the woman didn’t have a life. Well, apart from her business that is.

She kept the place open until nine in the evening and unlocked the doors at eight the next morning. He’d be talking to her about this crazy itinerary as soon as she returned. The people in the tiny town just took advantage of her good nature.

Thinking back, he knew he’d been a culprit too. And, because they all expected to find the store open, Whit didn’t like to take it upon himself to make any drastic changes. Unsurprisingly, he found that not all the customers were there to shop. They expected to hang out, drink coffee, and catch up on the daily gossip.

Clive stopped by numerous times a day to warm up while clearing snow off the highway and local areas.

Whit teased him after the third break. “Hey man, don’t you have a home life?”

“Nope. My old lady’s going through early menopause, and she’s driving me crazy. At least here, Norrie’s always in a decent mood, and her coffee’s the best in town.”

“Hey, that woman of yours spoils the hell outta you. Maybe Maude just needs a trip to a sunny place. You know the ladies get affected when there’s so little daylight over these winter months. Try sending her to her sister’s place in Oregon for a few weeks. That’ll brighten her spirits up.”

Clive looked thoughtful. “Maybe you’re right. She has been kinda weepy lately and seems depressed. Planning a trip might be the best medicine. Okay. Good call, Whit. I’ll suggest ittoday.” Clive settled in for a chat and asked the same question Whit heard from everyone. “So, what’s the news today?”

“Give me a break. Why do you always figure I’m your Facebook feed?”

“Cause… everyone comes in here to share their stuff. Don’t you listen?”

Personally, he seldom paid attention to the various stories, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. They still expected him to share what he heard from others. He shook his head and went to stack shelves.

If it wasn’t for Demi having her new phone now and being able to Facetime with her every day, he’d be seriously pissed. Even the weather wouldn’t behave. He’d have traveled home each night if the thermometer hadn’t dropped to record lows which made him worry that he might not be able to get back into town the next day.

Instead, he bunked in Norrie’s guestroom and made do with her two affectionate cats for company. As more days passed, he kept hoping he’d hear the news that Norrie and Lexie would be on the next flight, but it seems that either the lawyers needed them to stick around for extra days or the weather held them back.

One of the problems that he dealt with had to do with a kid called Charlie Welch. He’d watched the scruffy little beggar coming in every day, wandering the aisles, and leaving without buying anything. The noticeable bulge in his parka told the story of his activities and rather than call him out, Whit decided to talk to Norrie about him.

“Christ. That poor kid can’t catch a break. They’re new in town… him and his mom who’s a single woman. Beth works at the bar, and Jack lets them stay in the room above. At least it’s warm, and a place to hang out, but that’s about all I can say for it.”

“Jesus. It’s a dump.”

“I know. Jack used to stay up there when he got snowed in, but now he lives in town so it’s usually empty. Look, Whit, I figure if the kid steals a can of stew to feed himself now and again, I can write it off. I gather when Beth goes on a bender, she often disappears for days on end. I hate to think of the kid being hungry. For Christmas, I gave him a bagful of food: peanut butter, chips, cookies; you know, things a kid likes to eat. I asked him about his mom, and he said she wasn’t feeling well and had stayed in bed. But then when Jack showed up, he said Beth was MIA, and that it happens all the time. According to him, if one of the miners comes to town, she takes up with them until they have to go back to work. Then she returns all apologetic and promising it won’t happen again. Jack’s so desperate for workers, he’s allowed her to get away with that shit. I made him promise to leave Charlie alone when this goes on, and he agreed.”

“How old is the boy?”

“I think maybe eleven or twelve. Why?”

“Letting a kid get away with stealing isn’t sending a good message, Norrie. You know that.”

“You’re breaking my heart here.” The uncomfortable ring in her tone let him know she felt bad.

“It’s true and you know it.”

“Yeah, I hear you. But things have been a bit crazy, and it was easier to turn a blind eye than make a fuss.”

“Well, I can’t do that. I’m calling him on his thieving.”

“Oh, Whit, don’t be hard on the kid.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. But by the time you get home, you’ll have a new employee. Bye now.” When he hung up, he did so with a smile on his face.

Not long after, he watched Charlie make his way to the canned soups and waited for a beat before sneaking to the end ofthe aisle, standing with his arms crossed… lingering until the kid noticed him. His eyes picked up on the skinny frame topped by a mass of uneven auburn curls, undoubtedly cut by someone with a pair of scissors and no money.

He moved out of hiding. “What’s that you got there?”

Charlie’s face turned red, and his fingers curled into fists. “Nuthin.”

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