Page 174 of Angel

She helped her daughter pack away stacks of cloth nappies, organize the changing table, and check off a list of baby gear.

She’d found and bought a stunning modern four-bedroom apartment in Downtown Nashville with wraparound views of the city.

My respect for my mum-in-law grew daily as she handled her new freedom with such grace.

As for Reese, all his sins soon came to light.

One evening, Roxy and I sat on our lounge, the hearth crackling as the news channel flashed a graphic of Reese in handcuffs.

The newsreader shifted papers, his face tightening.

‘A massive class-action suit is pending in the Circuit Court against the specific financial institutions that enabled and prolonged Mr. Rosedale’s operations,’ a news anchor reported. ‘The complaint alleges these banks ignored glaring red flags, failed to verify physical collateral, and processed transactions that allowed Rosedale to keep paying older backers with fresh cash. For many families who invested their life savings, retirement funds, and family business capital, the collapse was catastrophic. The class action seeks to recover those massive losses from the firms whose conduct made the scheme possible.’

The sheer scale of the devastation hit me, and I mulled on it.

‘I’m thinking of channeling some of The Sanctuary’s resources to help fix this, Rox,’ I murmured, turning to face my wife.

The charity was funded by proceeds from our Six Sinners’ sales and helped those in need across Nashville.

‘What do you think of launching a relief fund to provide resources to those who lost everything due to Reese’s greed?’

Roxy tilted her head at me, with a soft smile.

‘You’re a beautiful man, Angel; I always knew it. As for the idea, yes, I like it; let’s do it.’

Chapter 32

ANGEL

Our final prenatal visit went well; our baby’s tiny heartbeat was strong and healthy.

To celebrate, we hit a baby store and went a little wild loading a shopping cart with plush teddy bears, wooden rattles, and soft blankets.

Later, I took Roxy for a gelato in Nashville before we headed home to the farm.

The afternoon sun washed over the rolling green pastures along the highway, turning the hills into gold as I drove with one hand on the wheel.

My other hand held Roxy’s fingers, lifting them to my lips to plant soft kisses on her knuckles, my beard tickling her palm.

She let out a laugh, then drew in a breath as her stomach rippled.

‘Woah, somebody is kicking hard today,’ she murmured, looking down at her bump. ‘Feels like a full-on soccer match in there.’

‘Nah, he’s a musician doing riffs up inside you,’ I rasped with a grin.

‘Well, your kid only calms down when you pull out that acoustic guitar,’ Roxy said, squeezing my fingers back. ‘So you might need to play when we get home.’

I guided my Defender into the driveway, killed the ignition, and rounded the hood to open Roxy’s door.

She swung her legs out, her face radiant in the late afternoon sun as she rested both hands over her pregnant belly.

‘You’re glowing, babe,’ I said, catching her waist to ease her off the leather seat.

‘It’s sweat, Angel, you know what effort it takes to lug this baby around,’ she teased, leaning her forehead against my chest. ‘I’m working hard here.’

‘Hell, woman, I adore you for it.’

I cupped her jaw, tilting her head back to claim her mouth in a long, melding kiss that left us both breathless.