Healing Lake

Chapter 11

Patch left for a couple of days. Talina had given him time off to ease his mind. She'd flown him down to Juneau to shop for the lodge, reassuring him she would take care of the guests until he returned.

Devin didn't have a say in it. Since the outburst in the kitchen, he had been sleeping in the office. He hadn't wanted to make anything worse for Patch considering they shared a room. He didn't understand the mental overload he was going through, and the thought of making Patch hate him made Devin stay away from him.

He hadn't realized how much he had grown accustomed to sleeping with Patch until the bed was cold to his left. Patch was a walking, talking heater. It didn't matter how chilly it was in the room or how many clothes he went to bed wearing. As soon as Patch fell asleep, the bed was ten times hotter. Devin always woke up without a shirt and sometimes pants depending on the temperature.

Sleeping in the office had shown him just how comfortable he was with the other man. He felt safer, more secure sharing a bed with Patch. It wasn't just about sex. Since Kip had stayed, they'd only screwed around that one time and another in the shower.

It wasn't from lack of trying, but they were always tired. One wanted it, but the other was sleepy. It didn't seem fair to make the other do anything he wouldn't enjoy so they just went to bed. But the act of going to bed had become a routine. Once it was broken, Devin had a hard time sleeping.

With Patch gone, Talina had picked up on making the meals. The guests had asked about their normal chef, but Devin's mother had fielded the questions easily. As far as the guests knew, Patch had a personal emergency he had to take care of and would return the next day. The guests wished him well and went on about their vacation.

Devin had seen a different side of his mother. He remembered when his dad died. The woman his dad had been seeing showed up to the reading of the will thinking she was going to get something. When it was apparent she wasn't, she had a fit in the attorney's office. Talina had promptly put her in her place, reminding her she was simply a side piece who would never get a piece of her husband's estate. She hadn't backed down, but she also hadn't cursed the woman out. Amelia had, but it was warranted since the woman had been on the young woman's case about being thin.

When Talina had started flying people back and forth across the state, they had all thought she was doing it for extra money. Now it was completely apparent that she was helping those who couldn't help themselves. She was helping people get out of abusive situations who wouldn't have the means to do it themselves.

Watching the way she handled Patch's outburst and revelations made Devin realize his father had done this to his mother. He had never hit her, but he had made sure she knew he was cheating on her. But Talina was prideful, and divorce was not an option. She wasn't going to give her husband the satisfaction of leaving her when it was her business sense that had kept the lodge afloat for so long. It had been tough, but knowing now that she was doing it for her kids made it a little more bearable.

Amelia was escorting the guests out to the van when they heard the distinct sound of Ilay's diesel truck. Devin and Jimmy were cleaning the lunch dishes as metal hitting metal rang throughout the lodge. Amelia said something, her voice pitched way too high. Ilay's deep, rumbly voice followed hers before the sound of an engine starting up drowned them out.

Devin dried the salad bowl and placed it on the shelf. He heard Ilay's boots tromping around the foyer followed shortly by his angry Russian words. Whenever his brother-in-law started talking in Russian, he was pissed.

"Go in the kitchen and sit down." Whoever Ilay was talking to slowly made their way towards the kitchen doors.

Usually the door would slam open as someone came through. This time, it barely made a sound. Devin was busy putting up the rest of the dishes to pay attention. He was more concerned with the tone of Ilay's voice to look at the door.