“Bella, you’ve heard me mention some arsons in Renegade.” Sam focused her attention on her sister.
Bella nodded.
“Well, at every fire, there has been spray-painted graffiti.”
Bella’s eyes widened.
Sophia jerked her face to Liam’s. “It wasn’t us.”
He exhaled with relief. It was a long jump from the things they’d admitted to doing to intentionally setting fires.
“We didn’t have anything to do with fires,” Bella echoed.
“You understand how we would have a hard time taking your word for it with the lies you’ve been telling.” Liam studied the two teens in front of him.
Tears spilled down their faces.
“I know, Uncle Liam, but I swear it wasn’t us.”
Bella stared at her sister, pleading with her eyes. “We did the fire alarm and some graffiti, but we didn’t have anything to do with fires. When that guy set the trash can on fire, we left.”
Sam looked between the two girls and then to Liam. “I think they’re telling the truth. Finally.”
“I think so too.” He tapped his hand on the tabletop. The doorbell rang, interrupting the tension. “That’s the pizza. Soph, will you get some paper plates while I get the pizza?”
Sophia nodded and wiped the tears from her face.
Liam walked to the front room to collect the pizza. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Sam embracing the girls.
“It’s okay. We’ll get everything figured out,” she told them. “But we need you to be honest with us from now on, okay?”
Both girls nodded into her arms.
Something in his chest shifted, and he now saw Samantha in a whole new light. This woman, with her tough exterior, worked a physically demanding and often heart-wrenching job. But she hadn’t let it make her callous. She still cared about the people she loved.
He pushed those thoughts away and entered the room.
“Pizza’s here.” He was overly cheery. There would be plenty of time for them to discuss what was going on, but right now, everyone needed a break from the heaviness. “Let me say a blessing, and then we can eat.” He set the boxes on the table.
Sam’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t say anything.
He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning. I pray that You bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies and bless the hands that made it. Be with us each and every day and guide our steps. Amen.”
Bella and Sophia echoed the amen. Sam remained silent. He wanted to dig into that, but now was not the time.
At first, the kitchen was quiet, then Samantha started asking Sophia questions, like what kind of hobbies she had. The conversation flowed between bites.
Sam was genuinely interested in what was being said, focusing on each person who spoke. The conversation hadn’t been started to fill the silence, and she wasn’t dismissive when questions were answered. She asked like she really wanted to know. The complete opposite of Giselle.
He listened as they laughed and talked about their favorite movies and television shows. Sam surprised him when she mentioned a classic cartoon. One he loved as well. Nothing like a talking dog solving mysteries.
His gaze kept going back to Samantha. Wisps of her dark-blonde hair had escaped from its braid and framed her face. Her right eye crinkled more than the left when she smiled. Her laugh was like a balm, softening the hard edges of his day.
Another shift in his chest. He was noticing too much. Not good.
He stood up, gathered the trash from the table, and stuffed it in the can. He needed fresh air. He pulled the full bag from the can and took it outside to the garbage bin he kept next to the garage door.
He looked at the sky filled with blues, pinks, and purples as the sun set. God was an amazing artist.
