As I set Lorne's plate in front of him on the dining table, I said, "Grilled chicken breast with an exotic mushroom cream sauce, flame-roasted endives, Basmati rice and sliced Roma tomatoes with shredded basil."

"Superb plating, Kate. Looks too perfect to disturb."

"Aww, thank you." I grinned at him, set my plate down and sat. "You can ogle yours while Cynth and I eat."

A short while later, after he had finished a second bite of the chicken, Lorne nodded. "Not before thought this way about butterflying, but the uniform thickness allows the entire breast to be moist and au point."

"Exactly! Otherwise, the edges and tip char and dry while the thicker centre cooks."

We carried on a rambling banter as we ate, then Cynthia said, "You two are so compatible, and with the energy I sense between you ..." She paused and winced. "Darn! My matchmaking again, and with Nathan so recent ..." She slapped a hand to her mouth.

Smiling, I patted her arm. "It's fine, Cynth. Lorne has helped me move on, and my mind has pretty much laid Nathan to rest."

She nodded, and after another bite and a sip of wine, she said, "Watching you two interact – impossible to miss the love."

I shrugged. "We were born within a week of each other, and as next-door neighbours, we learned to crawl, walk and talk together, and –" I paused to giggle. "And we explored the differences with gender anatomy long before we started kindergarten."

"Oh, I did that – but I don't remember with whom."

"I think, given the opportunity, most of us have. It's a basic curiosity."

We ate in silence for a short while, then Lorne said, "And that curiosity still remains for me. But when I was sixteen, a psychiatrist stuffed my head with misinformation about sexuality. Later, doctors and another shrink added to my confusion, convincing me I was either mentally, physically or emotionally deficient – or all three."

Cynthia looked up from her plate, shaking her head. "It's none of those, Lorne. Asexuality is as natural as sexuality – it's an orientation, not a disorder."

"I understand that now. But years of believing I'd not be able to satisfy Kate, kept me from taking our relationship further."

"Oh, my! But satisfying is more than sex, Lorne." Cynthia shrugged. "Pleasing a woman goes far beyond that, but I know some asexual people can and do have sex."

I gazed into Lorne's eyes and smiled. "We may as well tell her. Seems she's pushing us into getting it on."

"What? No! No, I was only suggesting there's no reason for you not to ..." She paused and smiled. "Maybe I am pushing."

Lorne shook his head. "But there's no need for you to push, Cynthia. Circumstances did that while we hunkered down aboard my boat, hiding from Rinaldi's goons and learning about Nathan's murder. With the close quarters and my need to protect and comfort Kate, I discovered a desire I had not previously experienced."

"Oh, my! And did you ..." Cynthia slapped a hand to her mouth again. "Me and my runaway yap."

"I love your refreshing candour, Cynth." I grinned at her and nodded. "Yes, we did, and his desire continues."

She fist-pumped. "Oh, wow! Classic demisexuality. This explains the looks, the whispers and the touching."

Now fully outed, Lorne and I were freed from having to limit our spoken and physical shows of endearment. And with nothing left to hide, our relationship found fresh life.

Our days passed with no set routine, and having such a variety of activities to occupy us, we lost track of time. Cynthia was surprised when cramps announced the pending arrival of Aunt Flo, and fortunately, she had her choice from the large selection of Natracare products Lorne had bought in his eager innocence.

We continued personalising blog posts for the task force, and Lorne received regular updates from Driscoll. Partway into reading the latest, he raised his arms and shook them as he shouted, "NABBED! They've nabbed Rinaldi and six of his heavies with a sting in his office."

"Whoo-hoo!" I mimicked Lorne's arm cheer. "So, it's finally over."

"No, the end is just beginning, Kate. A team has now occupied the office to sift through files, continue the routine correspondence and further identify members of his Mob."

Two days later, while we sat at our computers, Lorne shouted another cheer as he pointed toward his screen. "Here! Look at this press release."

Cynthia and I scooted closer, and together we all read:

For Immediate Release

The RCMP, the OPP and the SQ completed a coordinated joint operation earlier today, arresting three hundred and twelve people across Canada. This was the culmination of a long investigation involving a broad range of charges, including commercial fraud, money laundering, arson, human trafficking and murder.

The active portion of the operation involved more than nine hundred officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and la Sûreté du Québec. They were armed with three hundred and twenty-four arrest warrants as they moved in on ninety-six addresses in twenty-seven communities across the country.

The number of outstanding warrants is expected to diminish as follow-up operations continue. Computers and files have been seized, and the ongoing investigations are adding to the number of suspects. More warrants will be issued. Further details to follow.

-30-

"Wow! So many. So, it's again safe for us out there." I swivelled my head to take in my surroundings, sighing. "But now, I don't want to leave."

Lorne chuckled. "But it's still not entirely safe. We don't know what those not yet nabbed might do. Some may still believe we're keys in their convictions, and they want us silenced. Though Rinaldi now knows we're unimportant, not all are yet aware of this."

I furrowed my brow. "Unimportant? Not yet aware?"

"Within twenty-four hours of an arrest, the accused must be informed of the charges against them. Some of the minor players might be granted bail, but with all the documented evidence, they'll be aware of how much the police know, and they'll realise that silencing us will not affect any of the trials."

I nodded. "And those not yet nabbed and canned won't know this, so they might continue searching for us."

"Yes, but with reports of this filling the news media for the next long while, the few who slipped through the net will soon be aware of the Mob's collapse, and they'll try to slither away. I'll confirm with Driscoll, but I think we can safely return to Vancouver tomorrow."

I ran my eyes around the vast space again, examining the climbing wall, the massive reclaimed beams of the roof vaults and along them to the wall-filling window overlooking the heart of Whistler. "This place has become part of me, Lorne. I'll miss it."

"We'll come back as often as you wish, Kate."