The Davonshire Series 2: Loving Words Read Online Free PDF Page B

the outside world for the past five years had been his brother and sister seated itself upon his chest. 
David got married and now he wants to meddle in my life?
    The perfectly hued café au lait skin had become flushed. Small red hives had begun to appear on his neck, forearms and hands.  The steady hands that had just petted and calmed a Mustang Stallion were now quivering with uncertainty. Rod watched in amazement, wondering if the five stages of grief could be applied to what Wilfred was currently experiencing.  This could easily be defined as the stage of shock or denial, but the fear and the reaction that he was seeing was very real. Rod’s heart went out to this man who had created a world where he could be in control, a world where he had surrounded himself with people who were of no threat to him.  There was an office manned by his cousin, an assistant who hated to be touched, and a woman so odd in her appearance that she would never have the courage to make a move on a man as attractive as her boss.
    The pain Wilfred was experiencing was evident on his face.  His eyes darted back and forth and he searched for meaning in this move by his brother.  There had been many an evening when he felt guilty as he watched his tired brother’s eyes droop while they played late evenings of chess.  He knew his brother had other priorities, but he would still come to the ranch once a month and ride with him.  There had been many late evenings of discussions on the literary merits of half written movie plots, poorly written scripts, plays, and even books.  Wilfred now felt foolish thinking that his brother had enjoyed his company– now it felt as if David had felt sorry for him and saw him as pathetic.
    “Rod, give me a copy of that damned contract!”  Wilfred said and then began barking orders at the staff.
    “Rita, get this contract over to legal and have them comb through every single word.”  He handed her the document after only perusing the pages and seeing David’s signature.  “Find me a loophole and out clause or something and I want some kind of answer by the close of business.”
    He walked to the door.  “Jaelon, get Chuck on the line, I need him here at 7 am, and I want wheels up by 9, with Rod on that plane headed to Atlanta.”
    He called Rita back into the office once again.  “Find out everything you can on this ghostwriter, Catherine Whatever-her-damn-name-is. I want to know everything about her – even what type of toothpaste she uses!”
    The itching had started, Wilfred was pacing, and before he completely collapsed in a flop on the couch in his office, he yelled, “And somebody get me some frickin’ Benadryl!”

8
Sweating Bullets
    The day seemed to drag on as Wilfred tried to figure out what to do with himself while he waited for Rod to return from Atlanta.  He sat in his office drawing circles on a piece of paper, waiting for something to happen, what – he was uncertain.  He jumped when the fax machine began to spit out sheet after sheet of paper on Catherine Marie de La Croix, the ghostwriter that David had hired.
    He eyed the different photos of the copy editor and she was in fact very easy on the eyes.  There were about 25 sheets that had come through and on paper she was impressive.  Catherine held a master’s degree in literature and a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications with a minor in rhetorical design. 
    She sounds like a Chatty Cathy.
    He spent a few more minutes reviewing her photos and something about her eyes and mouth made him uncomfortable.  He pulled up her blog and her Facebook page.  She had two cats and a very large dog.  She had not officially published any major works, but often referred to her novel as a work in progress.
    “She looks like a work in progress herself,” he said, scowling at the eyes on the sheet that stared back at him.  There was something comforting in her face and he could easily see why David had chosen this woman,