Chapter Twenty-Nine

R oam rang up his client and flipped the walk-ins welcome sign to closed. Rascal was grabbing them lunch. Sprite had left to take Blake to look at the puppies. He'd planned on going. But when Sprite mentioned who all was going, he'd decided to let Sprite and Blake have some special time with the women of Bluff Creek.

He had a call to return but he was going to get Matthew's bottle ready before he called. If he didn't, there was a good chance that he wouldn't be able to hear the call if Matthew woke up. That boy had a set of lungs on him that he wasn't ashamed to use if he was wet or hungry.

Roam walked by the playpen he'd added to the office and saw Matthew lying there looking around. He leaned over and picked him up, snuggling him against him.

"How's my little buddy? Are you hungry for some lunch?"

"How about you let me hold him while you get his bottle," Bear said from the doorway.

"Hey, why aren't you at the diner?"

Bear laid a package on the desk, then held out his hands for Matthew. Roam reluctantly handed his son over because hello, sometimes he'd actually like to hold his own son.

"Open it," Bear nodded toward the package.

Roam opened the sack and pulled out a navy blue and white crocheted blanket.

"Aww, Bear, did you make this for him?"

Bear nodded, swaying with Matthew and making faces at him.

Roam patted his shoulder. "Thank you. I love it and it means a lot."

Bear nodded. "I waited to bring it until I had Oakley one and Blake one. Just text me tonight or tomorrow night when I can bring them to the girls."

Roam nodded. Bear making them blankets would be one more thing telling the girls that they were a part of Bluff Creek. Blake had mentioned how soft Grant's blanket was that Bear had crocheted for him. Roam was excited to see Blake's face when Bear gave it to her.

Roam fixed the bottle and then handed it to Bear.

"I'm going to return this call. Is Rascal bringing your lunch too?"

Bear nodded, "Go, Daddy. We've got this, don't we, Matthew?"

Roam walked out into the reception area and stretched his back as he returned the call. He wondered why his lawyer's office was calling. Once the receptionist answered and he identified himself, she didn't even put him on hold but transferred him immediately. He hoped it wasn't a snag with Matthew. The social worker had called and said she'd be by next week sometime. Roam had been surprised that she warned them, but she indicated she considered these visits a formality and wasn't worried about them.

Once his lawyer answered and informed him on the update, Roam had a hard time believing it, but he thanked his lawyer and then sat down in the chair out front. Could it really be this easy? He'd been worried what would happen when Shanna eventually got out.

"Food's here," Rascal called from the break room. Roam hadn't even heard anyone come in the back door. He walked into the room, and Rascal paused unloading the food.

"What's wrong? What happened? You look like you're in shock?"

"Shanna's dead. She was found hanging in her cell. Her cellmate was in the infirmary for the night because of food poisoning. No one saw anything. It almost seems too easy."

Bear burped Matthew and nodded.

"I agree. There are still a couple questions that aren't answered. I want to know why she was selling Matthew because she took all that money from you. I mean, isn't that what the CEO said? That Shanna had withdrawn it. Why would she need money from selling Matthew if she had over two hundred thousand dollars?" Rascal questioned.

"Ditto. I mean, I know I'm Mr. Worst-Case Scenario and Conspiracy Theory like Dad, but where is the money? Two hundred thousand is a lot of cash. You don't just carry that around in a bag. If it was transferred, where was it transferred to?" Bear wondered.

Roam nodded. It wasn't that he didn't agree with them, but this was almost what he'd consider a gift.

"Does it make me a horrible person that the only thing I feel is relief? I don't have to deal with a trial. The kids never need to wonder why she won't come around because she's dead. I'm not sure I want the answers. Would it be nice to have the money back? Sure, because it took awhile for me to save that amount with her constant spending, but it's also been a constant roller coaster ride since Sprite and I got together. I want to spend some time getting to know her. Just her. No kids. I don't even know her favorite food."

Rascal lifted Matthew out of Bear's arms without even asking and Roam hid his grin at Bear's glare.

"He's got my name. I get some time with him."

"Old man, he's with you all day here. Seriously."

Roam listened to them argue over who should hold his son longer and ate his lunch. He couldn't feel bad about Shanna dying. One of his big worries was that she'd get out of jail or get off on a technicality and never leave him, Sprite and the kids alone.

If she was alive, he'd always worry when the other shoe was going to drop. He would have never had her killed but he wasn't going to cry any tears that she was no longer polluting this world.

The front door rang and footsteps came down the hall. War, Baron, Flick, Scoop and Cannon walked in.

"What's going on?"

"Umm, well, Rascal texted Shanna's dead so we're either here with a drink to good riddance to the bitch..." Cannon said, holding up a bottle.

"Or we're so sorry for your loss if it upset you," Flick said, holding up pumpkin bread.

"Hey, is that Sarah's pumpkin bread? How did you get that? I was going to have it for breakfast and it was gone this morning," Scoop asked.

"I was by yesterday because one of the daycare workers cut her hand and Sarah gave it to me for a thank you," Flick said.

"Fucker, she is my wife and that is my pumpkin bread."

"She may be your wife, but this is my pumpkin bread which I was going to share with Roam if he was upset."

Flick looked toward him inquiringly.

"Umm, I really want some pumpkin bread, but I'm not upset. I'm relieved even though Rascal and Bear pointed out that there are still questions unanswered."

Roam scooted so they could all sit at the table. Baron took Matthew out of Rascal's arms. Glaring ensued but Roam wouldn't have it any other way.

"What questions?" Scoop asked.

"Like where's the money?" Bear asked.

Roam caught a strange look between War, his dad and Rascal.

"Do you want to share with everyone?"

"Dad was going to tell you this weekend that the money is in an account waiting for you."

"Dad?"

"When Rascal and I paid the CEO a visit, he had all the money and was getting ready to meet Shanna. We took your money back but gave him twenty thousand dollars of our money for him to leave town and meet Shanna. Beth followed him but he never met Shanna. If he had, Beth was going to make sure Shanna was served. When we couldn't find Shanna and you weren't divorced, I didn't want to give the money back. Kansas isn't a community property state, but Shanna didn't have a job. Plus, she was a good actress. I didn't want you losing the money to her in a divorce. You were fine without it, and I planned on returning it once the divorce was final. Your mother and I had decided to give her fifty thousand dollars to sign the papers if she was found. Son, I've felt guilty since we found out she was trying to sell Matthew. Did the decisions I made force that to happen?"

His dad's voice quivered. The big biker with the heart of gold would always do what was best for the family. Roam could be upset but his dad had protected him. If he would have ended up in court, he could honestly say he had no idea where the money was.

Roam laid his hand on top of his dad's hand. "You played no part in that happening. Sprite was low on money and she never thought to sell a kid. Shanna was a broken individual who always tried to do what was easy. She could have worked for money and didn't. So I say we have pumpkin bread and some whiskey because it's a celebration."

Relief relaxed his dad's face and Roam grinned at his dad. He glanced around at his family and caught his twin smiling at him. So many years ago, they'd come here and look where they were at now. Family, friends and love. Who could ask for anything more?