Matriarch of Botany Lodge

By L S Mason

Thirty year old Edwin adopts Deanna aged thirteen and destroys all her hopes and dreams when she is eighteen; then tries to kill her when she is twenty. She hides out in the home of aging Park Ranger Eli. Deanna makes a promise to Eli that she doesn't want to keep but he shares two secrets with her that forces her to keep the promise.
Before the promise comes due Deanna is studying with a top botanist, Graham Whitmore, and falling in love with him when Edwin shows up. Eli, Deanna, and Graham deal with Edwin who threatens to disrupt all their lives.
Deanna is on the verge of getting a degree and Graham expects her to become his assistant on a major expedition and she wants to go so very much. But the promise falls due and she has to give up her studies and Graham. It is then she learns something about herself that pushes her over the edge. Graham doesn't give up on her and works long and hard to find out why she tried to close him out and what shut her mind into a safe place within itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L S Mason
• Release date: Aug 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311531971

L S Mason

Growing up in a large southern city and spending summers in the small town where I was born was the extremes of fast and slow living that broke the monotony of sameness. Now I live in an apartment in that same small town. Reach me at: [e-mail]

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Matriarch of Botany Lodge

L. S. Mason

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 L. S. Mason

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

L.S. Mason

License Notes

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

CHAPTER FOURTY

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE

CHAPTER FOURTY-TWO

CHAPTER FOURTY-THREE

CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FOURTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FOURTY-SIX

CHAPTER FOURTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE

CHAPTER FIFTY

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

CHAPTER SIXTY

Thank you

Other titles by L.S. Mason

CHAPTER ONE

If someone had asked Deanna how she made it to the age of thirteen, she would have said luck and the kindness of others. Dad left when she was seven because he couldn't take Mom's drinking anymore. Deanna always wondered why he didn’t take her with him.

She went hungry when Mom drank their grocery money and took cold baths in the dark when the bill money was liquefied. School and the library were Deanna's salvation. Both were warm in winter and cool in summer. She qualified for a free lunch at school and stayed at the library after school until almost dark; home was only two blocks away.

Mrs. Dreynis, assistant librarian, took a special interest in Deanna, letting her help with returned books and giving her a sandwich and milk every day. Deanna needed the food and attention and read every book Mrs. Dreynis suggested.

On Deanna’s thirteenth birthday Mrs. Dreynis introduced her friend Edwin Northrop and they took her out to eat to celebrate. He bought her a dress and when she rushed home to show her mother, Deanna was crushed to find her passed out on the couch as usual. Deanna had hoped the day her daughter became a teenager would be more special to her than the next bottle.

Mr. Northrop came to the library often after that and Deanna and he had wonderful conversations. He asked her to call him Edwin, and never anything else. Edwin, aged thirty, never talked down to her and always made her feel special. And then one day he changed her life.

Mom had agreed to let Edwin adopt her, he said, but the final decision was up to her. He gave her one week to decide and promised Mom would be taken care of if she said yes. Deanna spent that week trying to talk to Mom and finally gave up and went with Edwin.

He told her not to take anything at all and made her leave the bag of pictures and family things she meant to keep. Mom would take care of them, he said, because she was going to check into a clinic to sober up.

Edwin lived in a three bedroom apartment in Manhattan and had already hired a live-in tutor and companion combination to look after Deanna. Her name was Sheila and they liked each other at once

The thought struck Deanna that papers must have been signed before she agreed to it; she was already adopted. It was a fleeting thought that she never took time to check into.

Aside from regular schoolwork, Deanna was taught all the qualities of a refined lady. She was taken to parties and introduced to adults; but she was never exposed to young people her own age. Her life was a whirlwind of beautiful clothes and beautiful people who accepted her as one of them. Then there was Edwin, and her goal in life, at the time, was to please him.

Every time she asked to see her mother, he made excuses; she couldn't have visitors, she wasn't ready to see Deanna, or she had a relapse. Then he said she drank too much during a relapse and died of alcohol poisoning.

As the three of them sat through the short graveside service, Deanna wanted her mother back. It was Sheila, not Edwin, who gave her comfort.

Deanna's life was wonderful for the next five years. She and Sheila took short trips and holidays; the best to Deanna was when Edwin went with them. When Deanna turned eighteen she voiced a desire to attend college. Edwin asked her to put it off a while and marry him. She was of course infatuated with him, being the only male she could fantasize about. Sheila had to leave but he promised Deanna could visit her. The housekeeper moved into Sheila's room and Deanna thought that was odd, but let it pass.

Edwin was a renowned lawyer with political aspirations, so the wedding was a huge affair crowded with influential people. Edwin was painting a domestic picture with Deanna in the center of it. He let her know that what he wanted from her was a child right away.

By the time Deanna was twenty; her goal in life was to be free of Edwin. He wanted her as a symbol and nothing more. His doll to dress, flaunt, and leave alone to await his return and his pleasure.

Her only means of defiance was using birth control pills supplied by Sheila. Deanna assumed it was from feeling guilt at helping Edwin turn her into his puppet; she never knew if Sheila knew what he had in mind or not. She was the only one Deanna was allowed to visit alone. It was probably because Edwin thought she was bought, and she was, but loved Deanna enough to help her the only way she could.

There came a day when Deanna couldn't take it anymore and told Edwin she wanted a divorce. He sent the housekeeper out and told her to stay away for three hours.

Edwin was calm as he reminded Deanna of what she was when he took her in and all that he had done for her. It was then she learned that her mother never went to a clinic, but drank herself to death on the ten thousand dollars she sold her daughter for. While she was still staggering from that, he asked her how she was going to live since she would have no income or working skills.

He cowed Deanna until she was physically sick and put her to bed for two days. It gave her time to think about how he had wiped away her memory of any relatives she might call on for help. He had planned it all from the beginning, but he didn't foresee her determination; when the time was right again, she would have answers for him.

They fell back into routines as if nothing had happened. Deanna wanted to learn how to use a computer but Edwin glared thoughtfully before saying there was no need. The housekeeper stopped going out for items she needed and went with Deanna to visit Sheila; who was totally surprised on the first of such visits.

Sheila stayed cool and managed to spill tea on Deanna and sent her to the bathroom to clean her dress. Deanna found the pills, shoved them into her underwear, and hurried back for small talk. Sheila hid them in a different place each month and pointed Deanna to them with hints.

One day Edwin asked Deanna where she would like to go on a short vacation. Not wanting to go anywhere with him and knowing he didn't like outdoor activities, she said a camping trip in Arizona. Certain he would say no, she was shocked when he said that was perfect.

Wasting no time, they flew to a small town near a state park. They bought clothes and gear at a local shop and Edwin went out of his way to let it be known that Deanna had chosen the trip. She thought that was strange at the time, but it was another of those fleeting observations she didn't pursue.

From day one, Edwin had always chosen everything for Deanna; clothes, food, books, TV programs, where she could go, and where she couldn't go. At first she thought it was because he loved her as a daughter, but as his wife, she felt she should determine those things for herself. He was not one to be questioned or defied, as he sternly pointed out on their wedding night.

They stayed in a motel that first night in Arizona and Edwin was almost too sweet. He said they could use this time together to renew their love. Love? There was no love that she could see or feel. She was his property and wasn't even grateful to him for anything anymore. She felt manipulated and humiliated and wondered how much worse it could get.

The next morning they were one of four couples who set out on a trail leading down to a camp site in the state park. Deanna carried a bag and lightweight backpack. Edwin carried a large heavy backpack. She was impressed that he would and could bear such a load.

Edwin was overly solicitous, as always in public, and seemed concerned with her comfort. He was always a charming person to be around and made it a point to draw everyone to him. Deanna laid it down to his political goals.

The hike was great for Deanna and she didn't care if Edwin liked it or not; he would fit into the group by agreeing to their opinions no matter what he thought. That night when they set up camp, Deanna was embarrassed to look at anyone. While they sat on logs eating from cans and paper plates, she sat in a canvass chair eating from a china plate. No wonder Edwin's pack was so much larger than the others. Even he sat on a log; why was he going so overboard?

They stayed two nights and the guide made sure they were all there to begin the grueling hike back up the trail. The last rest stop had an overhang with a low rail around the edge and Edwin pulled her over there to look at the view.

He helped her off with her backpack and shoulder bag and she helped him off with his. He kept her standing the whole rest period and she was tired and a little weak. He ate a power bar but she wasn't allowed to because they had too many calories; her weight had to remain the same at all times. When the group was ready to continue up the trail, Edwin pulled Deanna to him for a kiss just as she put her bag on her shoulder. It totally surprised her because he always said kissing in public was vulgar.

He held the kiss until the last of the group rounded the curve in the trail and then whispered into her ear that no ungrateful bitch was ever going to leave him. He lifted her into the air and tossed her over the rail. Her scream was cut off when the strap on her bag caught on a branch and swung her sideways. She passed out from the pain in her shoulder. Edwin didn't see that because he turned toward the trail yelling lamentations over the accident that brought the hikers running back.

Sometime later, Deanna woke to the sound of people calling her name. Her shoulder hurt badly and the voices seemed far away and below her. Branches covered her and a horrible stench surrounded her. She tried to move a branch and whatever she was lying on moved a little. Since she was apparently hidden, she lay still hoping to wait out the searchers and drifted in and out of consciousness before falling asleep from exhaustion.

She awoke after dark and heard the searchers above her talking about coming back at daylight with dogs. A while after the voices died away, Deanna started moving branches and realized she was in an old Eagle nest atop a spindly tree that swayed with her every movement.

If she had taken time to think about it, she would never have tried to climb down that tree, but she started down without a thought. It was hard not using her right arm, and slow going.

Starting to slip, she instinctively grabbed an upper branch with her right hand and felt something move inside her shoulder and the pain stopped. Without hesitating she kept moving until reaching the ground safely.

The timing was perfect because a thunder storm rolled in and she was sure she couldn't have made it down a wet tree swaying in the wind. She had somehow held onto her bag that held hers and Edwin's rain wear, power bars, two handkerchiefs, a bottle of water, and the only thing she had ever stolen up to that point.

She was looking around while Edwin bought things for the hike and something overtook her when she came across small bottles of oil. She knew they were to disguise the human scent of hunters, but one would also confuse dogs. That one she slipped into her pocket and didn't know why; perhaps a premonition.

Her rain wear was tight fitted, clearly for looks, while Edwin's was loose pants, long over-shirt, and a wide brimmed hat. She put his on over hers against the chill setting in as the rain fell hard and fast. There was a movement at her side and she looked down at a small wet fur ball huddled for shelter beneath the overhang as she was. She scooped the shivering thing up and deposited it into her dry pocket.

The downpour gave way to a slow steady rain and needing a better shelter, Deanna started walking. Her way was lit by sporadic lightning flashes and when she stopped to wait for one, lightning struck a huge boulder in the side of a hill. She screamed and squatted on the ground. Bits of rock flew in all directions and before she could stand, the same place was struck again.

She stayed close to the ground for a long time before standing to examine the boulder. Even without light, she felt around the hole and knew it was the shelter she sought. Using a large flat shard, she scraped the floor clear and huddled inside the recessed cavity to the right of the opening. Deanna fell asleep sitting up leaning against the wall.

She woke to a squirming pocket. The rain had stopped and dogs barked close by. She released the chipmunk and splashed oil on a handkerchief. Sure enough, the dogs came straight to her and stuck their heads in. She waved the handkerchief in their faces and they whimpered while backing out. The men laughed at the dogs reaction to a little ole skunk and moved on.

While Deanna huddled in her now stinking hiding place hoping they would give up the search, it hit her all at once. The shaking began in her legs and moved upward until her teeth chattered. If they found her they would return her to Edwin and he tried to kill her. Even if she got out of the park, there was no one to turn to, no one to trust.

She cried for a long time before coming to a sniffling numbness. She moved to the opening and sat looking at the dripping trees. Thoughts began creeping in while she nibbled a power bar and sipped water. If she could stay hidden until they stopped looking, she could get away and start over as a different person. How to do that, she didn't know. She would conquer one step at a time.

CHAPTER TWO

The only way Deanna could get food was to steal from the campers at the first rest stop on their way down to the camp site. She hated the thought of going back to the place where her present situation began, but if she could accumulate enough stuff she could walk out of the park.

Not being used to eating much, the power bars kept her going three days. There had been no more dogs and she thought the search was over, and her shoulder didn't hurt much. She found her way back to the rest stop and lay in the thick bushes behind the split log bench where the hikers rested.

Deanna was re-living the trauma of how Edwin's last kiss ended and sweat trickled into her eyes and dripped off her face. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out before she began trying to reach through the bushes without making noise. Everything settled once she focused on what she had to do. Suddenly she heard them coming and felt her heart race.

The hikers dropped backpacks behind the bench as they sat down. One bag with an open pocket was within reach and slowly, ever so slowly, Deanna reached out to retrieve a bag of trail mix. What noise she may have made was covered by the laughter at what the guide was telling.

Deanna stayed until the chatter of the hikers moving on died out and the ranger went back up the trail. She found her way back to the den in time to catch rain water in her one bottle. There had been a shower once a day and she caught barely enough water to keep her going. She washed out the handkerchiefs daily and kept them wet rolled inside rain wear; they helped sooth cuts and scratches on her arms and exposed legs due to the hiking shorts she wore.

Stealing became easier as Deanna began to relax and get braver. She was accumulating odds and ends; some useful, like the comb, and some useless like the empty matchbook. Everyone carried power bars in easy access pockets, and that's mostly what she lived on.

Then came the day she had hoped for. Her haul was big and she was anxious to check it out. The hikers began helping each other with backpacks amid chatter and laughter. Right in front of Deanna was a full pack that no one seemed to notice and she couldn't take her eyes off of it. As soon as the group started down the hill, she reached out to claim what might well be her ticket out of the park.

Her hand smashed into another hand and she looked up into the startled eyes of the aging park ranger. She jerked her hand back and he hesitated before retrieving the pack and calling out to the hikers.

Deanna felt defeated and sick in the minute it took him to get back to her. She didn't have time to think about running before he stood there with the bench between them. He said, Little Lady, stay where you are because someone is coming down the trail.

The ranger called out to the heavy set man wiping sweat from his face as he hurried to the bench. Why are you still hanging around here?

I’m here because they still haven't found her.

As the man plopped down, the ranger chuckled. The search party couldn't find any evidence that she went over the rail. The dogs couldn't pick up a scent because of the heavy rain that night. What are you expecting to happen?

Sighing, the man mopped at his face, I don't know. I can't for the life of me figure out why she screamed and how she disappeared that quickly.

Sticking a toothpick into his mouth, the ranger said, Anybody that knows these woods could have gotten her clear out of the park before a search could get underway. There's a fire road not far from here, could have had a truck waiting. I hear the husband is an overly proud man; might be covering because she screamed when he tried to hold her back.

The man wiped his neck, You weren't here at the time because you were in the hospital, right?

Right.

How come? asked the man.

Not pertinent to your case, my friend. Nobody would blame you for ending your involvement now, unless you're milking your client.

Well, the husband wants me around in case she shows up. He's determined to find a body, living or dead. Swears she went over the rail when he bent down to pick up her pack. Thing is, he seems more fixed on burying her. I'm not comfortable with this case and I'm not one to milk a client as you suggest. You've given me a new perspective on it that sounds plausible. I'm done with it. Walk me back to the station and I'll spot you a cold drink.

Sure. I have a few things to pick up for one of the hikers I'm supposed to meet in a few minutes. Let's go so I can get back here right away.

Deanna knew the ranger was telling her not to leave. It wouldn't do any good to run now that someone knew she was alive. She would tell the ranger what happened and get the whole thing over with. Maybe she could kill Edwin before he killed her, prison would be better than waiting to die. She could even get a college degree while there.

The ranger made a lot of noise so she would know he was back. Little Lady, I'm not going to give you away, no need to worry about that. You wouldn't be hiding out if you didn't have a good reason. Come out now and we can talk about it.

Despite her plans, Deanna was scared to speak. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she shook inside.

The ranger waited and then said, Its okay, you don't have to come out until you're ready. These woods are dangerous if you don't know your way around and if you don't trust someone, you might not come out alive. You can stay at my place if you want to. It's isolated and nobody would bother you. What do you say?

Still she couldn't speak or move.

Alright then, here's some stuff that might make you more comfortable. Come back tomorrow and I'll have more for you. He laid a rolled sleeping bag in front of her and left.

Back at the den she unrolled the bag and found two bottles of water, a box of matches, and what was surely the old man’s lunch; two sandwiches and an apple.

Her theft for the day was an emery board, antibiotic salve, hard candy, and four power bars. She cleaned and doctored all her scratches and ate a peanut butter and banana sandwich for breakfast.

It was good to have something to do. Deanna spent hours fixing a safe place to build a fire and gathering wood that she piled inside, anticipating the rain that did come.

That night she slept warm and sound for the first time since she had been there. It felt so good to stretch out instead of huddling in two sets of rain wear, afraid of all the night sounds. It was amazing what comfort a fire gave; warmth and protection.

When she opened her eyes in the morning, there sat a chipmunk starring at her. Good morning Chippy. What can I do for you? He didn't run away when she got up, leading her to think he was the same one who took refuge in her pocket. She picked out peanuts from some trail mix and laid them near him. He came closer and eyed her as he ate and then scooted away.

Five days a week, during the season, camping groups went up and down the trail to different camp sites, all in the opposite direction from Deanna. She needed to get food every day to, hopefully, have something for the weekend.

She went early because she was anxious to get it over with if the ranger had contacted Edwin or other authorities. Not knowing what to expect wore on her nerves. She was barely in the bushes when the ranger scurried down the trail with a backpack hanging on one shoulder.

Little Lady? Thank goodness you're here. There are only four hikers today and they're going to start early. Are you going to talk to me today? He waited for the answer her fear wouldn't allow. Okay. Take this and hustle yourself so you don't get caught. He plopped the pack in her face and shot back up the trail.

The pack was heavy as she wrestled to get it onto her back. She was out of breath when she reached the den. It was filled with bottled water and sandwiches and the front pouch had chocolate bars; something Edwin never let her have because it was fattening.

An envelope held a small calendar, hiker's schedule, and a note telling her today was Friday and she should go back Monday for more supplies. The calendar was circled with the current date and the date she disappeared. It seemed like a lot longer than two weeks to Deanna. It was good not to have to steal, even if it led to being turned over to Edwin. She was at peace with it.

Chippy came and went. When the nuts were gone he wouldn't eat anything else but didn't stop coming.

Deanna thought hard about talking to the ranger on Monday, but couldn't when the time came. He sat a bag over the bench and she pushed the empty pack through the bushes. Laughing, he called it a good trade, wished her well and left.

This time he gave her one bottle of water, two sandwiches, and a map with instructions to find what he called his secret place.

CHAPTER THREE

A ham and cheese sandwich made a good breakfast. Blindly trusting the ranger, Deanna packed her belongings, hers by theft and charity, and set out to follow the map. She tried to leave the den area looking as if no one had stayed there.

The ranger made it easy by describing landmarks. At her destination, she was to find a green rope handle among the vines and pull hard on it. She didn't relish being underground.

Using a long stick to poke around and beat the ground, she spent a long time searching before giving up. While eating another sandwich, she sought out anything that didn't look right. When that didn't pan out, the only place left to look was in the vines growing upward on the rocky hillside.

Surprised, she found the rope and was pulling with both hands when something suddenly gave. Spitting and sputtering, she pulled herself out of the ground vines and entered a low opening, visible because of a light within.

There was room to stand and an oil lamp sat on a narrow table. Deanna sat in the one chair to read another note. Sitting normally seemed strange after so many days on folded legs.

She learned that she was in a cave that extended deep into the hillside. The ranger was Eli Stone and no one else knew about the place and she could stay as long as he could get supplies to her. He listed a few instructions, one of which concerned the disposal of body waste so she wouldn't contaminate the water supply.

Opposite the door was a narrow bed against a wall that had a shelf chiseled into it. There were wooden shelves wedged inside another chiseled out wall. A wood burning stove stood next to a heavy curtain covering another entryway. Behind it was a small stream of water that seemed to come from nowhere and go nowhere, yet it moved. Across the stream was a lot of piled rubble.

Eli left a detailed map to his house in case she decided to go there. She had to wind a clock every day to help keep up with when to set out empty cans and bring in new supplies. Closed inside, she couldn't tell night from day.

More than hunger or rest was her need for a whole bath. She heated water on the stove that needed no more than a match to light. She moved new pajamas, slippers, towels and wash cloths from the bed and turned down the covers in readiness. It was good to be clean and even better to snuggle into a real bed afterward.

She woke hungry and curious. Running her hand across cans stacked three high on the shelves, Deanna smiled because they were all what Edwin didn't allow her to eat for one reason or another. The fire was dying so she added a log from the pile by the door; each a perfect fit for the stove. She found a can opener in one of the many niches in the walls.

Sitting at the table eating out of the pan she looked around and was pleased to see nuts, chips, candy, and coffee; all denied to her by Edwin.

There was a post-it on the chips telling her to store the perishables in the metal box beneath the bed because of all the little creatures who found their way inside. She put them in the box and opened a second box.

It was filled with numbered journals. The first was written in a child's hand and was the beginning of Eli's story; Deanna was intrigued from the first page.

Eli's father, John, was an honest man who was relentlessly cold to the point of being cruel. His mother, Mary, was fragile, gentle, and never spared hugs, kisses, and praise in an effort to make up for his father's neglect.

John declared that humans were also animals and should be pushed from the nest as soon as they could survive alone. Mary told Eli that the most he could hope for from his father was respect. She told him to listen to his father to learn what he expected from Eli, but to never look for praise or recognition should he manage that expectation.

The journal was filled with the pain of a son searching for ways to make his father love him. Deanna cried for that little boy who reminded her of the anxiety she felt to please Edwin so he wouldn't regret adopting her.

Five months before Eli's thirteenth birthday, he went home to find her gone and his father home. Your mother died and will be buried tomorrow; I'm going back to work. Eli was left to morn alone and wonder what she died of and how he could live without her.

Deanna cried again for the lone boy, at least she had Sheila.

On Eli's thirteenth birthday, instead of a gift from his mother, he got a notice from his father that he had to pay rent from then on. Although it was only a dollar a week, to a child not yet old enough to be employed, it seemed impossible. Kids his age got much more as an allowance.

Eli survived a period of feeling sorry for himself and landed a job delivering papers on weekends by lying about his age. When he turned fifteen his father said he had to feed himself in addition to paying rent. Since he had a good work record he asked for, and got, a route delivering newspapers twice daily weekdays, and bagged groceries on weekends. He ate a lot of hot dogs and soup those years and struggled with homework before falling into bed.

It was on Eli's sixteenth birthday that John spoke of his father for the first time. It was only a couple of sentences, but Eli took it for the warning it was meant to be. The day John graduated high school; his father drove him to a distant, unfamiliar town and left him there. Eli began to save every cent he could.

Eli had a friend named Walt who was somewhat selfish but was a loyal friend because Eli accepted him as he was. Walt's mother invited Eli to eat with them anytime. Although it helped him save money, it was the attention she lavished on him that he craved. Each time she hugged him, it was his mother Eli hugged back.

Walt wanted to be in law enforcement and Eli wanted some sort of outside job. He really hadn't had time to think about his future because he was so busy trying to survive the present. When Walt found a college that specialized in his chosen field, he persuaded Eli to go with him. His winning argument was that Eli could train as a Forrest Ranger in the same town.

Eli wanted to cheat John out of the rite of dumping him. He and Walt loaded their stuff into Walt's car, a gift from his parents, and left Pennsylvania for Arizona immediately following the graduation ceremony. It was painful for Eli to know John wanted to erase him from his life. He vowed to never see his father again. Deanna cried for Eli and herself; Edwin wanted to erase her from all life.

Roaming the forest of Arizona, Eli learned firsthand everything he could. Walt explored women and parties and took everything he wanted. The women in Eli's early years were few and far between. He ended relationships that seemed to be going somewhere because he feared continuing the legacy his father saddled him with; it might be in the genes and he didn't trust fate.

Walt's mother sent word to Eli that his father married again and Eli pitied the woman and hoped she didn't have children.

On one of her breaks from the journals, Deanna tried to make coffee. Mom didn't buy it because it didn't come in a bottle and Edwin didn't allow her to drink it. Sheila served it before the housekeeper began tagging along on visits. Deanna didn't know how to make it, especially in a pot that didn't plug up. What she made had to be poured out.

A short line with dangling clothespins reminded her she needed to wash the clothes she lived in so long. She must have been used to herself because her clothes smelled awful when she picked them up. Hand washing wasn't new to her because the power was off so much at home with Mom. Her manicured nails were chipped and broken anyway. She didn't waste any time on the washing, being in a hurry to read more in the journals.

Eli's life was to his liking; he was a Forest Ranger with miles of woodlands to explore and camped out as much as he liked. He eventually chose a tract of land and stopped paying rent to begin mortgage payments. Living off the land, for the most part, allowed him to make double payments.

Walt married but couldn't settle into his role as husband and father. Divorce led to his ex-wife and two children moving out of the state and Walt didn't seem to care.

Walt did, however, make a good lawman. He and Eli remained good friends because Eli never judged him. Walt had his women and good times; Eli had nature and peaceful nights.

Deanna had peaceful nights once she overcame total darkness and gave in to the soothing gurgle of gently flowing water. It was great to wake naturally and lie still a few minutes. One morning she reached for the flashlight on the shelf and her hand touched something soft and warm. Her heart stopped in the two seconds it took to turn it on.

Large eyes blinked above a fluffy tail wrapped around a striped ball of fur. Deanna had never had a pet and this one was the best kind to have. He was totally independent, coming and going at will and required nothing from her. She was thrilled to see Chippy.

She made a trail of nuts from the bed to the table and while she ate breakfast, Chippy ate his way to her. He scared a gasp from her by running up her leg to jump onto the table. They stared at each other until she smiled and gave him four more nuts. It must have been enough because he leaped to the bed and to the floor and disappeared under the curtain.

While she read the journals, Chippy was in and out constantly but Deanna didn't pay much attention to him. She was getting to know Eli through the journals and knew in her heart that she could trust him. It was time to set out the empty cans and later bring in supplies. She wrote him a note to thank him and ask how to make coffee.

When she brought everything in she poked around until she found the chocolate bars she was now addicted to. They were wrapped in his note. It was sweet that he called her Little Lady; she knew he knew her name. She got a glimpse of Chippy as he ran behind the wood pile.

He looked deformed and she stepped over to inspect him. It was a shock to see him digging acorns out of his cheeks to add to the pile already there. He must plan to stay through winter.

CHAPTER FOUR

Coffee wasn't hard to make once Deanna knew how much to use and how long to let it perk. She watched the water turn darker with each spurt into the glass knob on the pot lid. It turned out good and she discovered she liked chips with it. Now she had both during breaks from reading.

While Eli was paying for his land, he was cutting and stripping trees to build a log house. He drew up the plans to allow him to build one room at a time while living in it. He hired a crew to erect each section when the required logs were readied and the money available.

Walt was eventually elected sheriff and Eli asked to be assigned to the park that bordered his property.

Nothing significant happened in the next two journals and then Eli related a biggie. He was scouting for trees to fell for his last room when