Page 52 of Roam

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 That Shanna had withdrawn it.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.”

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