Page 53 of Roam

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?

Chapter Thirty

Roam got the canvases ready. Their plans hadn’t turned out quite like they thought. The girls’ trip was rescheduled to tomorrow, three days after they’d originally planned. When Beth had called to double-check they could come see the puppies, the owner had said he was closing for a couple days. He was driving to a friend’s shelter because hers was overflowing. He didn’t feel comfortable having his help deal with all the animals alone and be open for people to visit.

When Sprite finished her last client, instead of heading home for supper, they were having a getting to know you night. Roam had been trying to figure out what to do, then watching Sprite sketch a tattoo had given him the idea.

He and Sprite, along with Matthew, would be hanging out for a couple hours while Matthew took his last nap before supper. Baron and Regina were taking all the kids for dinner at the diner, then they were going to take them home.

Sprite cashed out her client and then closed and locked the door. She smiled as she walked back toward him.

“So, what’s this special thing we’re doing?”

“Come in here, my gorgeous woman,” he said, leading her into the break room. He’d set up table easels with sixteen-by-twenty canvases. He had sketching pencils and paint for their activity.

“We’re going to ask each other questions and get those answers we didn’t get with our unconventional love story. I find I want to know everything there is to know about you. While we do that, we’re going to paint something. Every twenty minutes, we switch canvases and continue the other person’s painting.”

He adored seeing her smile and the anticipation in her eyes. She got her stuff ready and so did he. He set the timer and started on the first question. He’d deliberately set up their canvases so they couldn’t see what the other person was sketching and then painting.

“First question for you, if you could choose to visit anywhere, where would you go?”

Sprite tilted her head as she sketched, then answered him. “In the US, I’d love to visit the Grand Canyon. I want to see the way the water has chiseled it out and the colors in the ground that remain. Outside the US, I think I’d like to visit art museums. It’s hard to pick. My turn?”

He nodded and finished his rough sketch and squirted some paint on the plate. He mixed a little yellow and white, then did some sweeping strokes across the canvas. Sprite was working on her painting too.

“I know you’re close to all your family and the MC. Who’s your best friend?”

He smiled. If she would have asked him before he went to the competition, his answer would have been different.

“With you here and how I feel about you, I consider you my best friend. After you, I’m closest to Rascal and War. But they all feel like family.”

The timer went off and Roam set down his brush. “So the paintings don’t look like colors are off, we’re just trading spots so the paint and canvas stay together.”

He stood and walked over to Sprite’s canvas and chuckled as she walked over to his. She had painted a sunrise with the edge of their porch visible. The colors were darn close to what he used on what he’d started on. He sat down and smiled at her face when she saw his painting. He set the timer and picked up the brush.

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