Page 104 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“What happens if he’s sentenced to prison?” I added.

“I can’t answer that either.”

“The assets will be liquidated and distributed according to the stipulations set forth in section four-b of the Roaring Fork Trust,” Hammer answered, reading from the document he’d snatched from in front of Six-pack.

“What else does it say?” I asked.

Hammer slammed the papers down on the table. “Not a fucking thing.”

I felt Buck’s eyes on me and looked in his direction. “Cord and I need to leave.Now.”

I stood and followed him out of the office.

31

JUNIPER

“Ican’t shake the feeling that whatever is happening isn’t good,” said TJ, looking down at her baby suckling her breast beneath a blanket. She glanced at me. “You might not know this, but in my former life, I was a journalist.”

“You’re right. I didn’t know.”

“But you know what’s happening, don’t you?” she prodded.

I looked out at the horizon. “I do not. At least not what’s being discussed in the meeting.”

“But something else.”

I looked at her and nodded.

“It’s about Buck,” TJ muttered.

“Please don’t ask me,” I whispered.

She cupped her baby’s head with her palm. “Will he be okay?”

“I believe he will be.”

The woman nodded. “The person I’m most worried about is Porter.”

I thought about her statement for several seconds, then said, “Me too.”

“How’s Cord?”

For the second time, I thought before I spoke. “He’s good.”

TJ reached under the blanket, fiddled with something, then moved the baby so his head rested on her shoulder.

The park was close enough to the attorney’s office that we’d know when the meeting broke up, in the event we hadn’t heard from anyone before that.

I turned my head to check again and saw Cord and Buck walk out of the office and get in one of the SUVs.

“What’s going on?” TJ asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“Should we?—”

“No.”

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