Chapter 12

It was time to get moving.

Life for David Walsh was going nowhere, slowly. This was my new body, and until the universe decided something else, it was where I was going to be living. When I was alone, I called the attorney in Asheville, properly answered the series of questions I set up ahead of time, and took possession of my North Carolina trust.

That gave me over eighty million dollars, to go with the farm, the G650, and my toys. I asked the lawyer to make sure the guards were paid off and dismissed, and to see that all debts, taxes, insurances, and the like were paid up. I also made sure that Teri and the children were resettled away from the farm, just as the original trust documents and my will specified. The lawyer assured me that Teri and the kids were enjoying their new home, on three acres of land, almost fifty miles away from the low life scum that tried to hurt her.

The kids were back in school, and tutors were hired to bring them up to speed, so they wouldn't be held back. By fall they would be even with, of not ahead of their classmates. Teri was driving the highlander, and wisely not working, choosing to be full time mother since my death. I was also told that Sammy was enjoying the new home, and that the kids loved him almost as much as Teri seemed to, so he appeared to be in a good place.

I really liked Catherine's farm, and even more so after I rebuilt the house to make it all me. As the next phase of my life as David Walsh unfolded, I looked forward to heading back to it and spending the summer.

I asked the lawyer to make sure everything was in working order by the time I arrived in about two weeks, if not before. Since I had complete control of the trust, and the documents were ironclad, if he wanted to keep getting his two-hundred seventy-five dollars and hour, he'd better comply.

I did all this while out for an early morning walk. Cindi and Brenda slept in, while I slipped out to get some fresh air, exercise and handle my personal affairs. I'd deal with explaining my farm to them when it came up, if it ever did. They might simply accept the cover story, that I had a big settlement over the accident.

Either way, I had a life to live. Cindi and Brenda clearly had some role to play in that life, or the universe wouldn't have arranged this little stop over so carefully, and whatever happened after would have to happen, because I was not going to lie awake at night worrying about it. With no one shooting at me, I was rather enjoying being young, rich, and free to choose my path.

Thinking about the ranch, Sammy, and Teri, got me thinking about Benjamin, and that hurt. I was still nowhere near over losing him and knew it wasn't time to go adopt another dog. Sammy was a joy, and he had a good home. Teri would be a great owner for him, and the children would be great companions. Just thinking about another dog made my heart ache for Benjamin.

In some ways losing Colleen was the worst blow I absorbed, including being shot, run over, shot a couple of more times, nearly drowned, and stabbed with a flying chunk of fiberglass. Beth Ann died, then wasn't dead, then left me, twice. Regina was special, but she chose to go own way. I lived through Rebecca's death twice, and that was plenty. Colleen hurt, because we'd stuck together no matter what, until we didn't.

I could see where that train of thought was taking me, and decided to avoid the journey. It was time to get moving, so I got the ladies up and we set out for the glacier.

Glacier Nation Park is amazing!

I don't want you to get the wrong idea, here, so...

Glacier National Park is amazing!

That should make my point pretty clearly.

We rode buses, boats, a helicopter I hired, as well as dined, walked, hiked, and stumbled around. It took all day and most of the next, but we got it all in. At the end of two days, we felt good about departing Northern Montana, because of how much fun we'd had there.

The next morning we checked out of the Inn, had a wonderful going away breakfast put on by the owners, and hit the road. Brenda agreed to another trip away from Coeur d'Alene, to put time and distance between herself and George's famous flame out.

We were on the road before the topic of our destination came up. I was surprised because all I'd said the night before was, "How do you girls feel about taking a trip east and seeing the Smokey mountains while the weather is so perfect?"

They both jumped at the chance to put off reality a little longer. Brenda called her sister from another burner phone I bought and then destroyed when she was finished.

Cindi chose the back seat as we pulled out of Kalispell. "I'm tired," she announced, and promptly stuffed pillows all around herself and went to sleep.

We drove northwest out of Kalispell on US two, and skirted the edges of Glacier National Park, towards Shelby, Montana to Interstate fifteen, south towards Great Falls. That put us driving along the continental divide for a long period though our altitude never made it over about seventy-five hundred feet. It's about one-hundred and sixty miles to Shelby, but it took just over three hours as the road can be very curvy, and the scenery, including a couple of buffalo, and bull moose, can be rather dramatic.

Shelby Montana doesn't have a great deal of tourist appeal, other than the amazing scenery. The dining options are limited – severely – and other than the little casinos, there isn't much to make you want to stay long.

So we didn't. A tank of gas, and a quick Subway sandwich, and we were on our way.

Interstate fifteen took us south to Great Falls and where we hopped off the interstate and took US Eighty-Seven down to Billings. I reserved a king room at the Crowne Plaza in Billings and we were all grateful to be out of the Lexus. The hotel was just about perfect for three tired travelers, who wanted a Jacuzzi room, king bed, and hotel dining room.

We ate, hot tubbed, showered, played around a little, and went down early.

The next phase of our trip was all interstate as we too Ninety to Rapid City South Dakota, and the famed town of Dead Wood. We had a king room reserved at Cadillac Jack's. We rested, I played a little blackjack, and the girls liked the slot machines. The Black Hills provide some of the most scenery in the world. We loved Mount Rushmore, and the Crazy Horse Monument. Mount Rushmore is an amazing sight. The sunset off the face of the mountain is beyond words and we enjoyed it until it was full dark.