histroubledchildhoodandhisyearsasasoldier.Butwhenaninjurysendshimbacktothesmalltownof
Fairhope,hecan’thidefromhispastorthelightbroughtforthbyabeautifulpastrychef.

Havinglostherparentsatayoungage,JulietteAdamshashadhershareoftragedy,butnowshefills

herdaysmakingsweetdessertsinherbakeryandtryingtorecaptureherhappychildhood.Thenshemeets
anattractive,broodingman,whoisnotonlytearingdownheroldhousebutmightjusttearaparther
fragilefuture.She’snotinterestedinthetragiclovestoryshewasnamedafter—shewantsalovethatwill
liftherup,thatwilllast,andthissexysoldierhasonefootoutthedoor.

Theybothknowtheyshouldignorethesparksbetweenthem,butValentine’sDayfeverhaslitupthe

townandoldlovelettersandlong-buriedsecretskeepbringingthemtogether.Canthesetwowarysouls
getpasttheirfearoflovingandlosingtofinallywinthegreatestloveofall?

Ifso,whatcouldbesweeterthanthat?

SWEETSOMETHINGS

ALLRIGHTSRESERVED

ISBN:9781943781560

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embodiedincriticalarticlesandreviews.

Thisisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,places,andincidentsareproductsoftheauthor'simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Any

resemblancetoactualevents,locales,organizationsorpersons,livingordead,isentirelycoincidental.

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One

JulietteAdamshadbeenatworkinherbakeryforoveranhourwhenthesuncameupoverFairhope,

AlabamaalittlepastsevenonThursdaymorning,thesecondofFebruary.Herkitchensmelledlike
cinnamonandsugar,andtheheatfromtheovenshadputaredflushonhercheeks.Whilesheloved
servinghercustomers,therewasnothingbetterthantheactualbaking:kneadingthedough,whippingthe
cream,layeringthepastry—allofit,really.

Herfathersaidshe'dbeenborntobake,andshe'dalwaysbelievedthat.Nothinghadevermadeher

happierthanearlymorningsinthekitchenlikethis—exceptmaybethemorningswhenherdadhadbeen
thebakerandshe'dbeenhistrustedassistant.Inthosequietanddarkhoursbeforedawn,they'dshared
theirdreams,theirtriumphs,evenafewfallencakes,butithadallbeensospecial—untilithadended
painfullyandabruptly.

Shedrewinabreathasherthoughtsmovedinanegativedirection,andittookallofherwilltoforce

themoutofherhead.

Wipingherflour-coveredhandsonherapron,shepoppedthelasttrayofherValentine'sDayWish

cookiesintotheoven.StartingeveryFebruaryfirstherfatherhadmadethespecialbatchofcookiesin
honoroftheseasonoflove.Accordingtotownlore,dozensofpeoplehadfoundtheirheart'sdesireafter
eatingoneofthemagicalcookies.

Nowitwasuptohertocontinuethetradition—togiveloveandfatealittlehelp.
Hercookiesweregood,butweretheythesame?Weretheymagical?
Shehopedso.Itwasn'tjustthecookiesshewantedtorecreate;itwasthewonderfullifeshe'dhadin

Fairhopebeforeherparentsdied,beforeshehadtomoveawaytoNewYork,beforeshehadtostart
completelyover.

Butherbigcitydayswerebehindhernow.She'dbeenbackintheidyllicsmallcoastaltownof

Fairhopeforfivemonths,andshewasfeelingprettygoodaboutmostthings.

Herbakerybusinesswasgrowingrapidly,andshe'dfoundasecondsalesoutletatDonavan's,the

popularcoffeeshopacrossthestreet.Betweenthetwolocations,shewasbeginningtoshowaprofit,
whichwouldeventuallybringherclosertoherlong-termgoal—tobuythehouseshe'dgrownupin.

TheoldVictorianonPrimroseLanecalledtohereverytimeshewalkeddownthestreet.Thehouse

hadchangedhandsacoupleoftimessinceherparentshaddied,butonedayshehopedtomakeithers,the
wayitshouldhavebeen.

MostofherNewYorkfriends—makethatallofthem—hadthoughtshewasoutofhermindtoleave

oneofthemostexcitingcitiesintheworldtogobacktosmall-townlife,toconsiderbuyingahouse
beforeshewasthirtyormarriedorlivingwithsomeone.Buttheydidn'tunderstandthatwhileshe'd
enjoyedNewYorkandspendingtimewiththem,therewasstillaholeinherheart,andshecouldn'tseem
tofillitnomatterhowhardshetried.

Maybeshe'dhavethesameproblemhere;shehopednot,butonlytimewouldtell.
Astheoventimerwentoff,shequicklyretrievedtwotraysofcookiesandputthemonacoolingrack.

Thenshewentintothefrontofthebakeryandrefilledthedisplaycasesshe'demptiedthenightbefore.

Herstorefrontwassmallbutcozy.Shehadatwelve-footglassdisplaycasethatranmostofthelength

oftheroom,showcasingherpastries,cookies,cakesandpies.Onthewoodedshelfbehindthecaseand
againstthewall,shefeaturedherhomemadebreads:rye,sevengrain,white,wheatandtheoccasional
sourdough.

Infrontofthedisplaycasewasacoffeestandwithalargestainless-steelcanisterforDonavan'sdark

roast,coffeebeansprovidedbyDonavan'sCoffeeShop.Forthefanciercoffeedrinks,customerswould
havetogoacrossthestreet.

Nexttothecoffeeofferingsweretwosmallredcafétablesforthosecustomerswholikedtolinger.
Ashergazemovedtothewindow,shecaughtsightofamanstandingoutside.Hispresencestartled

her—notjusthispresence,actually,butthedark,compellinggazethatseemedtoholdahintofyearning
thatshefoundoddlyunsettling.

Hestraightenedwhenhergazemethis.Hegaveheraslightnodandthentookoff.
Shewalkedovertothewindowandsawhimjoggingdownthestreet.Heworedarktrackpantsanda

hoodiesweatshirt,andhemovedwiththeathleticeaseofalong-timerunner.

Itwasn'tuncommonforsomeofthebefore-dawnworkoutcrowdtohituphershopbeforetheywentto

work,butshe'dneverseenhimbefore.

Hadhejustbeenhungryorhadtherebeensomethingelseinhiseyes?
Shruggingthatoddquestionoutofherhead,sheturnedawayfromthewindowandwentbacktoher

displaycase.She'djustfinishedthattaskwhenherassistantmanagercameinthedoor.

SusanMontgomerywasafifty-year-oldwomanwhoseonlydaughterhadgoneofftocollegeinthe

fall,leavingSusanwithtimeonherhands.She'dbeenthefirstpersonJuliettehadinterviewed,andshe'd
knowninstantlythattheperpetuallycheerfulanddedicatedwomanwouldmaketheperfectassistant
manager.

"Morning,"shesaid.
"Itsuresmellsgoodinhere."Susantookoffhercoatandhungitonahookbythedoorleadingintothe

kitchen."IknowIshouldexpectitbynow,buteverydayI'mstillalittlesurprisedbythedeliciousaroma.
Oh,andGeorgesaidtotellyouhe'sgainedtenpoundssinceIstartedworkinghereandbringinghimhome
extratreats,soIbetterbemorecarefulaboutthat."Shelaughed,adding,"We'renotgoingtotalkabout
howmanypoundsI'vegained."

"Oneofthedangersofworkinginabakery,"shesaid.
"Notforyou,Juliette.Idon'tknowhowyounevergainanounce.Actually,that'snottrue;Idoknow.

Youneverstopworkinglongenoughtoeat."

"Idoenoughtasting,believeme.Igetplentyofcaloriesin.IwantyoutotrymylatestWishcookie."
Susantiedherapronon."Howearlydidyoustarttoday?"
"Four."
"Oh,mygoodness.Youmightaswellstayhereallnight."
"Itmightcometothat.EverydaytherearemorerequestsforWishcookies."
"That'sbecausethey'resoprettyandsogood,"Susansaid,hergazesweepingovertheshortbread,

heart-shapedcookieswiththepurpleicingthatwerenotonlyinthefirstdisplaybutalsoonasample
plateonthecounter.

"Ijustdon'tknowiftheytastethesameasmydad'scookies."
Susanpickedupacookie,bitintoit,chewedforamoment,thenshookherhead."You'reright.They're

terrible."

"Theyare?"sheaskedinsurprise.
"No,they'reamazing,butyoualreadyknowthat.Maybethey'renotthesameasyourdad's;perhaps

they'rebetter."

"Butifthey'renotthesame,Icanhardlymakeaclaimthatthey'llmakesomeone'sValentine'sDay

wishcometrue."

Susanrolledhereyes."Theonlypeoplewhobelieveinthataretwelve-year-oldgirls,Juliette."
Sinceshe'dbeenatwelve-year-oldgirlthelasttimeshe'dmadeawishonthecookie,Susanwas

probablyright.

"Iunderstandthatthewishgimmicksellscookies,butyoureallyshouldn'tworryaboutitsomuch,"

Susancontinued."Thesecookieswillselleveniftheydon'tmakeanywishescometrue."

"I'msureyou'reright.I'llbakesomemorethisafternoon.Ihaveonemorevariationontheingredients

thatIwanttotry."

"Iknowyouwon'tstopuntilyougetitthewayyouwantit,"Susansaid,withaknowinggleaminher

eyes."You'requitetheperfectionistwhenitcomestobaking."

"It'stheonethingI'mconfidentIcangetrightifIputmymindandmyeffortintoit."Shepaused."I'm

goingtotakeourdeliveryovertoDonavan'sandgetanespresso.ShallIbringyoubacksomething?"

"No,thanks.Ialreadyhadtwocupsathome."
"I'llbebackinabit."
"Takeyourtime."
Shegrabbedtheplasticcontainerofassortedbrownies,muffins,cookies,andpastriesshe'dput

togetherearlierandtookthemacrossthestreettothecoffeeshop.

Donavan'swasn'tjustaplacetogetyourdailydoseofcaffeine;itwaswherethetownspeople

gatheredtochat,workontheircomputers,playchess,andwatchthetouristsgoby.Itwasalsoaplace
whereshewasstartingtosellalotofbakedgoods.

AsshewalkedintoDonavan's,shesawDonavan,theprettyblondeownerwiththebigblueeyes

behindthecounter,whippingupcoffeesfortheearlymorningcrowdofcaffeineaddicts.Hercoworker,
Sara,tendedtheregister.Sarahaddarkhairanddarkeyesthatwereframedbyapairofblackglasses.

DonavanandSarahadbecometwoofherclosestfriendssinceshe'dmovedtotownandtentatively

askedDonavanaboutsellingsomeofherbakedgoodsatthecoffeeshop.Donavanhadgenerouslysaid
yes,andithadturnedouttobeagoodbusinessarrangementforbothofthem.

"Goodmorning,"shesaidtoSara,asshewentaroundthecountertounloadherbakedgoods.
"So,didyoubringmoreWishcookies?"Saraasked,eagernessinhereyes."Theyweregone

yesterdaybeforeIgotone."

"I'vegotadozenhere."
"Excellent."
"Iamreadytofindsomelove."
Shelaughed."It'snotjustaboutfindinglove.It'saboutwishingforsomethingyouwant—yourheart's

desire."

"Great,thenI'mgoingtoneedmorethanonecookie.BecauseIhavealotofwishes."
Sheopenedthecontainerandputtheplateofcookiesonthecounter,thenloadedadisplaycasewith

minibananabreadloaves,chocolatemuffins,andraspberrytarts."Ican'tquitebelievepeoplestill
remembertheWishcookiesfromwhenmydadwasthebakerhereintown.It'sbeenfifteenyears,"she
said.

"Aroundhere,peoplehavelongmemories.Fifteenyearsisnothing,"Saratoldher.
"Isuppose."Shewashappythatherdadhadleftbehindanunexpectedlegacy,anditwarmedherheart

thatsomanypeoplerememberedhim.

"Juliette,Ihavesomethingforyou,"Donavansaid,reachingbehindthecountertopulloutaframed

photo."Iwascleaningoutthestorageroomyesterday,andIcameacrosssomeoldphotosmymotherhad
hungontoforwhateverreason."SheturnedthephotoaroundsoJuliettecouldseeit."Whatdoyouthink
aboutthis?"

Herheartsqueezedpainfullyatthesightofherfatherinhisbaker'shatandwhiteapron.Shestood

nexttohimataboutagesix,dressedinexactlythesameoutfit.Theywerestandinginfrontofthedisplay
counterinthebakeryhe'drunsomanyyearsago.Ithadbeenlocatedacrosstown,andwhileshe'dthought
aboutgettingtheexactsamespace,she'ddiscoveredthatbakeryhadbeenturnedintoanItaliancafé,so
she'drentedthepropertyacrossfromDonavan's.

Ithadactuallybeenabetterdecision,becauseDonavan'sprovidedasteadystreamofcustomersand

anotherplacetosellherdesserts.

"Youlookadorable,"Sarasaid,peekingatthephotooverDonavan'sshoulder.
"Ilovedhelpinghimbake.Hewasmyinspirationtobecomeapastrychef."Shetookthephotooutof

Donavan'shandsandpresseditagainstherheart."Thankyou."

Donavangaveherasympatheticsmile.Havinglosthermom,Donavanknewfirsthandaboutparental

loss."Ithoughtyoumightwanttohangitatthebakery."

"Absolutely,"shesaid."I'mlookingforasmanyphotosasIcanfindthatshowoffmydadorhisold

bakery."

"IfIseeanyothers,I'llletyouknow."
"I'dappreciatethat."
"How'sbusinessgoing?"Donavanasked."Itseemslikethereisasteadystreamofcustomersgoing

throughyourfrontdoors."

"It'spickingupeverymonth.Christmaswasverygood.WithValentine'sDaylooming,salesare

stayingstrong.Ijusthavetobeabletokeepupwithdemand.Imighthaveoverextendedmyselfbysigning
uptoprovidedessertsateverypre-Valentine'sDaytownevent.Ican'tquitebelievehowmuchFairhope
getsintotheholidays:theromanticmoviefestival,theloveboatparadeintheharbor,andthe
Sweetheart'sDancetonamejustafew."

"It'sawaytoturnFebruaryintoafunmonthandbringinsomeextratouristdollarsthatwedon't

normallyseeinthewinter,"Donavansaidwithalaugh."AndSaraandI'llberighttherewithyou.We
signedupforeverything,too."

"That'sgreat.I'llbehappytohavethecompany.Inbetweenevents,I'malsostartingtogetalotof

ordersforprivateparties,butI'mnotcomplaining;themorebusiness,thebetter.Iloveseeingalineatmy
counter."Shepaused,asagustofcoolwinddrewhergazetothedoor.Atfirstshethoughtitmightbethe
attractivejoggershe'dseenearlier,butitwasanotherguy.

"Lookingforsomeone?"Donavanaskedcuriouslyassheturnedbacktoher.
"Notreally.Well,sortof…"
"Thatsoundsinteresting—likemaybeyou'relookingforaguy?"sheaskedwithagleaminhereye.
"Therewasamanoutsidemybakeryearlythismorning,"sheadmitted."Hewasjogging,buthe

stoppedtolookinthewindow,and,Idon'tknow…therewassomethingabouthim—hewaskindof
unforgettable."

"Likehehadtwoheadsorhewassuper-hot?"Saraputin,curiosityinherbrowneyes.
"Definitelynottwoheads,"shesaidwithalaugh.
"Sogood-lookingthen,"Saraprodded.
"Definitely.Hehadthissuperintensegaze."Sheshiveredatthememory.
"Thatlookedrightthroughyou?"Donavanasked,agleaminhereyes.
"Yes,exactly."
"I'mprettysurethatwasRomanPrescott,"Donavansaid."Iheardhe'sbackintown.Ihaven'tseen

himsincehighschool,butthatman'sgazewassearing.Therewasn'tagirlintheschoolwhodidn'tthink
so.Ifhe'slookingatyou,youwon'tbeabletodoanythingbutlookback."

"Didyoulookback?"sheasked,wonderingiftherehadbeensomethingbetweenthem.
"Oh,sure,"Donavanadmitted."ButIwastwoyearsyounger,andfartooinnocent.Romanwasnot

interestedinmeinthatway.Helikedthehot,fastgirls."

"Inmyexperience,mosthighschoolboysdo,"shesaiddryly.
"True,butRomanwasdifferentfrommostoftheguysatschool.Hedidn'tgrowuphere,foronething.

Hecametotowntolivewithhisgrandfatherwhenhewasawild,rebelliousteenager,andhecausedall
kindsofproblems,butmostofthemwerejustpranks.Ialwaysthoughthehadagoodheart."

"Hesounds—complicated,"shemurmured.
"Thebestonesalwaysare,"Saraputin."Ihaven'tmetthisRomanPrescott,butnowIreallywantto.

There'snothingwrongwithagoodbadboy."

"Youhaveloveonthebrain,Sara,"Donavantoldherassistant.
"It'salmostValentine'sDay,whatcanIsay?"Shegaveahelplessshrug."It'stheseasonforlove."
"Well,Idon'tthinkRomanwaslookingforlovethismorning,morelikefood,"Juliettesaid."Hewas

probablyhungryfromhisrun,butthebakerywasn'topenyet."

"Hey,JulietteandRoman…thatsoundsalittlelikeRomeoandJuliet,"Sarasaid.
Hernervestingledatthesuggestedcoupling,butshebrushedthecommentoffwithawaveofher

hand."I'veheardthatjokebefore,toomanytimestocount.AndI'mnotlookingforaRomeo;Ihaveno
timeforlove.Onthatnote,I'mgoingbacktowork."

***

Workhadalwaysbeenhistherapy,Romanthought,asheusedacrowbartoripoffapieceofdrywall

inthelivingroomoftheoldVictorianhisgrandfatherwasrestoring.

Learningcarpentryandconstructionhadsavedhimasanangryteenager.He'dfoundaplaceto

hammerouthisfrustrationandbitterness.Hewasn'tsuretheworkwouldhavethesameeffectonhis
burned-out,cynical,andwearythirty-one-year-oldself,butatleastitgavehimafewhoursofrespite
eachdayfromthenightmaresthathauntedhisdreams.

AfterthirteenyearsintheMarineCorps,italsofeltgoodtoberestoringabuilding,bringingitbackto

life,makingitbetter.He'dliketobelievehe'dimprovedthingsinotherplacesintheworld.Certainly,he
hopedhe'dmadesomeofthoseplacessafer,butthegooddidn'talwaysbalanceoutthepainand
destruction.

"Roman,thereyouare."
Helookedupashisseventy-three-year-oldgrandfatherVincentPrescottwalkedintotheroom.Tall

andthin,withdarkeyesanddarkhairthathadnevergrayed,hisgrandfatherhadalwaysbeenanimposing
man.Vincenthaddonethehard,physicalworkofconstructionallhislife,andhiscallusedhandsand
weatheredskinreflectedthoseyears.Hemightbemovingmoreslowlythesedayswithhisarthritis
flaringup,buthissharpgazemissednothing.Hisgrandfatherhadbeenthetoughestbosshe'deverhad,
andthatwassayingsomething.

"WhereelsewouldIbe?"hedrawled."Yougavemeajobtodo,andI'mdoingit."
Heandhisgrandfatherhadhadbothanantagonisticandanawkwardlycaringrelationship.While

Vincehadsavedhimfromthefostercaresystemwhenhewasfifteen,hisgrandfatherhadn'tbeenaround
theterribleyearsbeforethat,andRomanhadneverreallyunderstoodwhy.Buthisgrandfatherwasn'tbig
ontalking.He'djustmovedhimintohishouse,taughthimhowtobuild,andmadesurehehadfoodtoeat
andaplacetosleepwhilehewenttohighschool.

"Lookslikethere'ssomerotbehindthoseboards,"Vincentsaid,tippinghisheadtotheopeningbehind

thesheetrock.

"Isuspectwe'regoingtofindthatthroughoutthehouse,"heagreed."Youmayneedtoincreasethe

budgetonthisoneorchangeupsomeofyourplans."

"Can'tdothat.Justfixwhatneedstobefixed.Whateveritcosts,itcosts."
Henodded,wonderingagainwhyhisgrandfatherhadchosenthisparticularhousetoflip.
Infact,hecouldn'treallyunderstandwhyVincenthadboughtthepropertyatall.He'dbeeninsemi-

retirementbeforehe'dpurchasedthepropertysixmonthsearlier,andhenolongerhadacrewtodothe
work.IfRomanhadn'tbeenputonmedicalleavefromtheMarines,hehadnoideawho'dbeworkingon
thehouse.Butallhesaidwas,"Willdo."

"I'vegotakidcominginafterschooltomorrowtohelpyouwiththedownstairsbathroomdemo,"

Vincentadded."JeffDobbs.He'sMargaret'sgrandson,"headded,referringtohislong-timeneighbor."He
needssomecashforcollege."

"Fine.Icoulduseanextrapairofhands—morethanonewouldbegreat."
"I'mworkingonthat.Ishouldalsobeabletogetbackinheretoworklaterintheweek.Theseflare-

upsdon'tlasttoolong."Heflexedhisfingerswithapainfulgrimace.

"Wheneveryou'reready,butyou'regoingtoneedtohiresubsregardless.Iamalittlesurprisedyou

tookonsuchabigproject."

"Why?"hisgrandfatherasked,anedgetohistone.
Hesuspectedthatsuggestinghisgrandfatherwasoldwouldnotbethebestanswer."Ithoughtyou

werewindingthingsdown."

Vincentdidn'tanswerrightaway,afarawaylightcomingintohiseyes."Ialwayswantedthisproperty.

Ithasonlybeenupforsaleacoupleoftimesinthelastfiftyorsoyears,anditwasnevertherighttime
forme.Whenitcamebackonthemarketlastyear,IknewIhadtogetit.I'vehadideasforitforalong
time.IwanttoseethoseideascometolifebeforeIdie."

Itwasasentimentalreasonforamanwhowasn'tknownforhissentiment,andRomanwasn'tquite

surewhattomakeofit.

Vincent'sgazeswepttheroom."Thearcheddoorwaysandwindows,theexposedbeams,thedetails

areallhere,buttheyneedtobehoned,remade,redone.Thishousecouldbemagnificent.Itdeservestobe
that."Vincentfrownedattheendofhisstatement,asifheregrettedshowingsomuchemotion.Hecleared
histhroat,puttinghisusualcold,stoicexpressionbackonhisface."I'llcheckinwithyoulater.I'mgoing
torunsomeerrandsandthenmeetMaxatDonavan'sforchessandcoffee."

"Soundsgood."Hisgrandfatherspentmostofhisafternoonsatthelocalcoffeeshop.
AsVincentleft,hethoughtaboutgettingsomecoffeehimself.Hehadn'tbeentoDonavan'syet.He

hadn'tbeenreadytofacethesocialsceneheknewhewouldfindthere,buthehadalwayslikedtheowner,
DonavanTurner,andhewascurioustoseewhatkindofbusinessshe'dbuilt.

Twoyearsyoungerthanhim,Donavanhadbeenasweetkidinhighschoolandfiercelyprotectiveof

peoplesheconsideredunderdogs.Backthen,he'dfitintothatcategory,withhalftheschooljudginghim
beforeheeversetfootonthecampus.He'dbeenthenewkidinthetenthgradeinaschoolwhere
everyonehadbeentogethersincekindergarten,andhehadn'tmadeiteasyforpeopletolikehim.

He'dbeenreckless,pissedoffallthetime,impatient,bitter,and…lost.
Hehadn'thadacluehowtoreleasethoseemotionsinapositiveway.He'dmadealotofmistakes;

he'dhurtpeople.Andhe'dbeenhurt.

Waterunderthebridge,hetoldhimself.Histeenageyearshadbeenalongtimeago,andthelastthing

hewantedtodowasrelivethattimeinhislife.Unfortunately,hedidn'tthinkhewouldhaveachoice,
becausealotofthepeoplehe'dgonetoschoolwithwerestillintown,andtherewasnodoubttheywould
judgehimonceagain.

He'dknowncomingbacktoFairhopewouldstirupgossipandoldproblems,butitwastheclosest

thinghehadtoahome,andafterbeinginjuredinaction,he'dbeenforcedtotakeabreakfromthecareer
helovedandthecircleoffriendswho'dbecomebrotherstohim.He'dwanderedaroundfortwomonths
beforefinallygettingonaplanetoFairhope.He'dneededtofeelgroundedagain,togethisfeetback
underhim,torecoverandrechargeandbepartofaworldwherehehadaconnectionwithatleastone
person.

Hisfellowsoldierscheckeduponhimasmuchastheycould,buttheywereontheothersideofthe

world—wherehewouldhavebeen,ifhehadn'tgotteninjured,ifanexplosionhadn'tdamagedhis
hearing,ifbulletshadn'tcrackedhisribsandtornthroughhisshoulder,leavinghimwithpoorrangeof
motionandnervedamagethatwentdownintohisfingers.

He'dgottenalotbetter.Hecoulddomostthingswithoutpain.Hewasworkingouteveryday,andif

hecouldpassthephysicalhehadcomingupinalittleoveraweek,hopefully,he'dbeclearedforactive
dutyagain.Itwasanoptimisticthought,consideringthelevelofskillandfitnessrequiredforhisjoband
thedamagethathe'dsuffered,buthewasn'tgivingupwithoutafight.

Focusinghisattentionbackontheworkathand,herippedoffanotherpieceofdrywall,onlytobe

interruptedagainbyashrill,angryfemalevoice.

"Whatthehellareyoudoingtomyhouse?"shedemanded.
Heswungaround,notonlysurprisedbythequestionbutalsobythebeautifulblueeyesspittingfireat

him.Itwastheattractivebrunettefromthebakery.Therewasnoaproncoveringherslenderbutcurvy
framenow,andshelookedevenprettierinblackjeans,blackbootsandabody-huggingbright-green
sweater.Herlonghairwaspulledbackatthebaseofherneck,herskinclearandshiny,althoughhe
thoughthecouldseeatraceofflouralongherhairline.Hehadtofighttheurgetoleanforwardandwipe
itaway.

"You?"sheasked,moresurpriseinhereyesastheirgazesconnected.
Thatquestionmadehimstiffen.Whatdidshemean—you?

Two

Juliettecouldnotbelievethemanshe'dseenoutsideherbakerywindowearlythatmorningwasnow

rippingdownthewallsofherchildhoodhome.He'dchangedoutofhistrackpantsandsweatshirtinto
well-wornjeansandanavyblueT-shirtthatpulledagainstwhatappearedtobeabroad,muscledchest.

Sheblinkedtwiceandhadtodeliberatelydraghergazebacktohisface.Onlythen,shewasstaring

intohiseyes,hiscompellingandintensebrowneyes.Donavanhadbeenright.Hewasimpossibletolook
awayfrom.

Hecouldn'tbetheownerofthishouse.She'dheardthatanoldermanhadpurchaseditamonthbefore

she'darrivedintown.Ithadbeenrumoredthathewasjustgoingtorentitout,butthatdidn'tappeartobe
theplan.

Shedrewinabreathastheystaredateachotherforfartoolong."Iaskedyouwhatyouweredoing,"

shesaidfinally.

"Actually,Ithinkyousaid,whatthehellareyoudoingtomyhouse.ButI'mconfused,becausethis

houseisn'tyours."

"Itusedtobe.Igrewuphere."
"Okay,"hesaidwarily."Butyoudon'towntheplacenow,soyoushouldhavenoconcernaboutwhat's

happeninghere."

Hewas,ofcourse,absolutelyright.Butwhenshe'dcomedownthestreetandseentheopenfrontdoor

andamanrippingdownthewallsintheentryofheroldhouse,she'dgivennoconsciousthoughttothe
logicofheractions;she'dbeendrivenbypureemotion.

She'dknownitwouldtakeyearstobuythehouse,butshe'dthoughtshe'dhavethoseyears.Maybethe

placemighthavebeenfixedupalittlebythen—withcosmeticchanges,anewcoatofpaint,anewroof—
butwhathewasdoinglookedlikeawholelotmorethanthat.

Thewallsinthelivingroomhadbeengutted,andtherewasatablesaw,stacksofboards,and

toolboxesopenonthefloorintheadjacentdiningroom.Thehallwasdusty,withheapsofdiscardedand
torn-upsheetrockpiledupnearthefrontdoor.

Whenhewasfinished,shehadafeelingheroldhousewouldbecompletelygone.Thethoughtlefther

shaking,notjustwithangerbutalsowithsadness.

Itwaslikehewasrippingherlifeapart,onepieceofwoodatatime.
Sheputahandtohermouth,feelingalittlesick.
Hegaveherasharplook."Areyouallright?"
"Notreally,"shemurmured.
Hegrabbedanunopenedbottleofwateroffanearbytableandhandedittoher."Drinkthis."
Herhandswereshakingsomuchshecouldbarelytwistoffthetop.Hetookitfromherwithan

impatienthand,openedthebottleandthenhandeditbacktoher.

Thefirstlongswallowofcoolwatermadeherfeelalotbetter.Anotherdrink,andshefeltalittleless

dizzy."Thankyou."

"Ithoughtyouweregoingtopassoutforaminutethere."
Shefeltlikeafoolnowthatshewasn'treactingtothewaveofpainfulemotionsshe'dthoughtshe'd

buriedawayalongtimeago."YoumustthinkI'mcrazy."

Hedidn'tseeminterestedinrefutingthatstatement.
"Right,"shesaid."Well,letmeexplain.IlivedinthishousefromthetimeIwasbornuntilIwas

twelve.That'swhenmyparentsdied.IwasherewhenIgotthenews.Myauntwaswatchingme.Wewere
bothasleepwhenthephonerang."Shedrewinadeepbreath."MyparentswereonaboatcruiseinItaly,
andtheshipwentdown.Theydidn'tsurvive."

"Sorry,"hemuttered,hisbrowsfurrowing."That'sawful."
"Itwastheworstnightofmylife."
"I'msureitwas."
"Ididn'tthinkitwasrealforthelongesttime.Ithappenedsofaraway;itfeltlikeanightmare.Butthe

nightmareneverended.Iwouldwakeupandlookforthem,buttheyweren'tthere.Afterthefuneral,my
auntsoldthishouseandtookmetolivewithherinNewYork.IalwayshaditinmyheadthatonedayI'd
returntoFairhopeandbuymyhomeback.ButwhenIcametotownfivemonthsago,thehousehad
recentlybeensold.Everyonetoldmetheoldmanwho'dboughtitwasjustgoingtorentitout,soIdidn't
thinkmuchaboutit,exceptthatIstillhopedtofindawaytobuyitoneday.WhenIcamedownthestreet
justnow,andIsawyourippingdownthewalls…"Shelickedherlips."Itfeltlikeyouweretearingapart
mypast.Isawred.OneminuteIwasonthesidewalk,andthenextminuteIwasinhere.Idon'teven
rememberhowthathappened."

"Okay,"hesaidslowly,understandinginhiseyes."Igetit.Theoldmanismygrandfather,Vincent

Prescott.Ithinkhe'splanningtoselltheplaceafterheremodelsit.Maybeyoucouldbuyitthen."

"Whydoeshehavetotearthewallsdown?It'ssuchabeautifuloldhouse.Ithascharacter."
"Anddryrot."
"Can'tthatjustbefixed?"
"Itcan—afterIripoutthewalls."
"Soyou'renotgoingtoactuallyteardownthehouse?"
"Theplanscallforanextensionintothebackyard,sosomewallsarecomingdown."
"Oh,"shesaid,feelingfaintagain.
"It'sallgood,"heassuredher."Infact,it'sgoingtobegreat.Mygrandfatherwantstomaintainthe

integrityofthearchitecturewhilemakingthehousemuchmorelivableandbettersuitedformodern
families.Therewillbeabathroomaddedtothemaster.Thefirstfloorbedroomandkitchenwillbe
expandedandthebathroomwillberemodeled.Mygrandfatherknowswhathe'sdoing.Thisplacewillbe
betterthaneverwhenhe'sdonewithit."

"Butitwon'tbethesame."
"Timemoveson,"hesaidshortly.
Sheknewhewasright,andthathewasbeingniceenoughjusttotalktoher,becausetheconstruction

wastrulynoneofherbusiness.Sheshouldapologizeforinterruptinghisday,butsomehowshecouldn't
quitegetanI'msorrytocomeoutofhermouth.

"Whenyousawme,"hecontinued,givingheraspeculativelookashecrossedhisarms,"yousaidyou

asifweknoweachother.ButIdon'tthinkwe'vemet."

Sheflushedatthereminder.Shereallydidneedtofindawaytothinkbeforeshespoke,butshenever

seemedtomanagethat."Isawyouearliertodayoutsidemybakery.Youlooked—hungry."

"Iwashungry.I'djustfinishedasix-milerun,andyourbakerysmelledlikeheaven."
"Youshouldhavecomein."
"Youweren'topenyet."
"Itwascloseenough.Rememberthatfornexttime—ifyou'rehungry,thatis."
"Iwill.I'mRomanPrescott."Heextendedhishand.
"JulietteAdams,"shereplied,ashisfingersgrippedhers,andajoltofheatandelectricityrandown

herspine.Shequicklypulledherhandaway."It'snicetomeetyou.I'mreallynotacrazyperson."

"Okay."Hedidn'tsoundentirelyconvinced.
"Soyousaidyourgrandfatherisgoingtosellthehouseaftertheremodel?"

"Ibelieveso."
"Wouldheconsidersellingitasitisrightnow—ifthepricewasright?"
"Idoubtit.Heseemsverydeterminedtoturnthishouseintosomevisionhe'shadinhisheadfor

apparentlyquiteafewyears.You'renotaloneinhavingstrongfeelingsaboutthisplace."

"Why?Whydoeshecareaboutitsomuch?Heneverlivedhere,didhe?"
"Hedidn'tlivehere,andIhavenoideawhyhe'ssointerested,butheis."
"Couldyoufindout?"
"Hedoesn'ttellmemuch.Youcanaskhimifyouwant.He'satDonavan'smostafternoons.Heplays

chesstherewithhisoldfriendMax."

"Okay.MaybeI'llgiveitashot.Itcan'thurt."Shepausedforamoment."Iheardyoujustcamebackto

town."

"Whodidyouhearthatfrom?"
"Donavan.Shesaidyouwenttohighschooltogether."
"Wedid.Iguessbadnewstravelsfast,"hesaidsomewhatdryly.
"Whywoulditbebadnewsthatyou'reback?"
Heshrugged."Justaguess."
Hisvaguenessintriguedher,buthedidn'tseeminterestedinsayinganythingmore.Hedefinitely

wasn'tamanofmanywords.

"SorryIinterruptedyourwork,"shesaid."Comebythebakerysometime,andI'llgiveyouapastry—

onthehouse."Shehesitated,knowingsheshouldgo,butshehadn'tbeeninheroldhomesinceheraunt
hadsoldit."BeforeIleave,doyouthinkIcouldlookaroundalittle?Ihaven'tbeeninsidesinceIwas
twelve.Iwalkbytheplacealmosteveryday;Ievenlookedinthewindowsonce,buttherewasnoone
livingheretoaskifIcouldcomeinforaminute."

"Sure.Goforit."
"Really?"
"Justwatchyourstep."
"Thanks."Shemovedtowardthestairs,knowingexactlywhereshewantedtogofirst—herold

bedroom.

***

Therewerefourroomsonthesecondfloor:themasterbedroom,ahallbathroom,andthentwo

bedrooms,withherroomtuckedawayundertheeavesoftheslopingroof.

She'dalwayslikedthefeelingthatshehadherownlittlehideaway.ShewonderedifRoman's

grandfatherplannedonliftingtheroof,makingtheroombigger,withaceilingyoudidn'thavetoduck
underonyourwaytothecloset.

Probably.
Itwouldaddvaluetothehouse.Butitwouldalsodestroythecozyfeelingofsafety,warmth,

happiness.

Shesteppedacrossthethreshold,thenpaused.Therewasn'tanyfurnitureintheroomnow,butinher

headshecouldseethetwinbedshe'dsleptin,thewhitedresserandmatchingdesk,theshelvesfilled
withbooks,thebigpillowsandstuffedanimalsinwhatshe'dcalledherreadingcorner,whichwasjust
underthewindowandtherecipientofabrightslashofsuneveryafternoonwhenshegothomefrom
school.

Awaveofsadnostalgiaforalifeshecouldvividlyrememberranthroughher,butitwasalifeshe

hadleftfifteenyearsago.Thelasttimeshe'dbeeninthisroomshe'dbeentwelve.Nowshewastwenty-
seven.She'dlivedmorethanhalfofherlifesomewhereelse.

Itwasprobablytimetobreakthetiebetweenherpastandherpresentandmoveontothefuture.But

shestilldidn'tfeelready.

Shewalkedovertothewindowandlookedoutatthebackyard.Weedshadoverrunwhathadonce

beenhermother'sgarden.Landscapingwasnodoubtpartoftheremodelplans,whichwouldbringmore
changes.

Ifshehadn'tputthecashshe'dwonfromabakingcontestintoopeningherbakerybusiness,shewould

havebeenclosertoadownpayment,buthavingtodecidebetweentheoldhouseandanewbusiness,
she'dchosenthenewbusiness,thinkingshe'dhavetimetogetthehouselater,andinthemeantimeshehad
tolive.

Well,itwasn'toveryet.SheneededtotalktoRoman'sgrandfatherandfindoutwhathisplanswere—

forboththeremodelandthesaleofthehouse.Maybeshecouldreasonwithhim.Hopefully,he'dbea
littlemoretalkativethanhisgrandson.

ShehadtoadmitthatRomanPrescottlookedevenbetterinthedaylightthanhehadintheearly

morningshadows.Buthehadallkindsofwallsup.Shedidn'tknowwherethedetachmentcamefrom,but
hewasclearlynotinterestedinbecomingfriends.She'dobviouslymisreadtheinterestshe'dseeninhis
eyesearlier.

Thatwasjustaswell.Shehadenoughonherplatewithoutaddingamanintothemix.
Sheleftheroldbedroomandwalkeddownthehall,pausingatthedoortowhathadoncebeenher

mother'ssewingroom.Therewasadoublebedintheroomnowwithasleepingbagtossedoverthe
mattress.Ahalf-filledsuitcasewasopenonachair.Aguitarwasproppedupagainstthewall.

Someonewaslivinghere—Roman?Ithadtobehim.ThemaleT-shirttossedonthebedmadeher

nervestingle.ShecouldalmostimagineRomanstrippingitoffwhathadtobeasexy,rippedbody.

ShewasgettingasbadasSara…Clearingherthroat,shequicklylefttheroomandhasteneddown

thehall,pausingatonemoredoor.Themasterbedroomhadoncebeenherparents'room.Couldshego
in?

Herheartstartedtobeatfaster.Hermomanddadhadn'tbeeninthatroominmorethanadecade.

Therewasnothingtobenervousabout,butstill…

***

RomanfrownedasheheardJuliettemovingaroundonthesecondfloor.Hecouldsilentlyadmitthat

he'dbeenalittledazzledbytheimageoftheprettywomaninsidethebakeryjustafterdawn,thesweet
warmthofherpastriesspillingouttothestreetasheranby.Butwhileshewasevenprettierinperson,
shewasalsoalunatic,andhe'dneverbeenbigondrama.

Ifhe'dneededareasontostayawayfromher,hecertainlyhadonenow.Butfirsthehadtogetherout

ofthehouse.

Whatthehellwasshedoingupthereanyway?Theonlyfurniturewasinthebedroomhewasusing,

andthatdidn'tinvolvemuch,becausehedidn'tneedmuch.Hisgrandfatherhadofferedhimaroomathis
house,buthepreferredbeingonhisown,andhewasusedtomakingdowiththebarenecessities.

Hepriedoffanotherbigpieceofdrywallandtosseditonapileonthefloor.Hisgrandfatherwanted

toopenupthespacebetweenthelivingroomanddiningroom,makingitfeellikeonebigroom.Itwasa
goodidea,oneofmany,butagainhedidn'tknowhowtheworkwasevergoingtogetdone.His
grandfatherhadbarelydoneanythinginthesixmonthshe'downedthehouse.Buthisjobwasnotto
questionwhy,justwork.Atleastthesequestionskepthimfromthinkingabouthisveryuncertainfuture.

Itwassuddenlyveryquietoverhead.Hetoldhimselftoleaveitalone,butastheminutestickedby,he

knewthatwasn'tgoingtohappen.Hepulledoffhisworkglovesandheadedupthestairs.

Hefoundhersittingcross-leggedonthefloorinthemiddleoftheemptymasterbedroom,herarms

wrappedaroundherwaist.Shedidn'tturnherheadwhenheenteredtheroomandjudgingbythepallorof
herskinandthedistantlookinhereyes,shewassomewherefar,faraway.Heknewthelookoftrauma,of
adeep,agonizingpain.He'dseenitinhisowneyesandtheeyesoffriendswho'dlostpeopletheyloved.

"Juliette?"heaskedquietly,notwantingtoshockhertooquickly.
Shestartedashecamearoundinfrontofher.Hesquatteddown."Youokay?"
Herbeautifulblueeyeswerewideandconfused."Idon'tknowwhythishousebothersmesomuch…

itshouldn't.Logically,Iknowit'snotmine.Ievenknowthatowningitwon'tchangeanything,notreally.
ButIcan'tseemtogetmyemotionsinlinewithmybrain."

Hehadafeelingsheoperatedonlyonemotion,whichwassomethingheneverdid,oratleasthe

hadn'tdoneinaverylongtime.

"MymotherhadalwayswantedtogotoItaly,"shetoldhim."Mydadsurprisedherwiththetrip.She

didn'tknowuntilthatdaywhenmyauntshowedup,andmydadhandedhertheairlineticketsandtoldher
shehadonehourtopackherbags.Itwassoromantic.Itwasgoingtobethetripofalifetime."Shedrew
inabreathandletitout."TheystartedinMilanandworkedtheirwaysouththroughVenice,Florence,
RomeandthendowntoSalerno,wheretheygotonaboatforaluxurycruise.Only,theboatwasn'tthat
luxurious,andtheoperatorshadbeencuttingcorners,andmechanicalproblemsledtoafire,and…"Her
voicetrailedaway."Itwentdown."

Hisgutchurned."I'mverysorry."
"Theyweretwodaysawayfromcominghome.Therewerenogood-byes.NochancetosayIlove

you.Idon'tevenrememberthelastthingIsaidtoeitheroneofthem.Iknowwewereonthephone
togetherthenightbeforethecruise.Theyweretellingmeaboutwhatthey'dseenthatday.I'mprettysure
theyaskedhowschoolwasgoing,andIprobablyrambledonaboutnothing.Ijustdon'tknowwhatit
was."

Theguiltinhereyesresonatedwithinhim."Itdoesn'tmatterifyoudidn'tsayIloveyouorImissyou;

theyknew.Itsoundslikeyouhadahappyfamilylife."

"Wedid.Itwasgreat.Theywerethebestparentsintheworld.ButIdidn'thavethemlongenough."
"No,youdidn't,"heagreed.
"Iwantedtostayhere—inthistown,inthishouse—butmyauntlivedinNewYork,andthat'swhere

herjobwas,andthat'swheresheneededtobe.Ihadtomoveintoacompletelydifferentworld.Herone-
bedroomapartmentwastiny.Welivedthereforalmostthreeyears.Isleptonapull-outcouchinthe
livingroom.Thenshegotmarried,andherhusbandboughtusacondo.Hewasnicetome,butIwasn't
verynicetohim.ItwasanotherchangeinmylifethatIdidn'twant.IkeptthinkingonedayIwouldhave
controlovermylife.Iwouldcalltheshots.It'stakenalongtime,butI'mprettyclosetobeingthere.I
havemyownbusiness.Ijustneed—thishouse."

Hecouldhearthedesperationinhervoice,buthedoubtedthatthehousecouldevergiveherwhatshe

reallyneeded.Hedidn’tthinkshe'dappreciatehearingthat,soinstead,hesaid,"Whendidyoucomeback
toFairhope?"

"Fivemonthsago.Iwonanationalbakingcontest,andtheprizewas$30,000."
"Impressive."
"Ihadconsideredusingthemoneytomakeadownpaymentonthishouse,butithadrecentlybeensold,

andIwastoldthebuyerwasn'tinterestedinsellingyet.Plus$30,000wasn'tgoingtobeenough,notifI
wantedtoopenthebakery,too.SoIhadtochoose.Icouldonlyaffordonedream."

"You'reluckyyoucouldaffordeventhat."
Shestaredbackathim."You'reright.I'msorry.Idon'tknowwhyI'mdumpingallthisonyou.Idon't

usuallygoonandonlikethiswithaperfectstranger."

He'dactuallyenjoyedit,morethanhecaredtoadmit.Ithadbeensometimesincehe'dhadalong

conversationwithanyone."It'snotaproblem.But…"Hestoodup.

"Youneedmetoleave.Iknow."Shegottoherfeet."Thanksforlettingmelookaround."
"Youcancomebackifyoufeeltheneed,"hesaid,thenimmediatelykickedhimselfformakingthat

offer.Hedidn'twanthercomingbackhereforanyreason.She'dalreadydistractedhimandcosthiman
hourofwork.Andwhilehemightbeworkingforhisgrandfather,theoldmanwasashard-assedasany
Marinehe'dworkedunder.

Juliettebrushedthedustoffthebackofherjeans,drawinghisgazetoherveryshapelyrear-end.

Whichhereallydidnotneedtobelookingat.Heturnedandheadedtowardthedoor,leadingtheway
downthestairs.

"Sowheredidyoucomebackfrom,Roman?"sheaskedashereachedthelaststep.
Heshouldhaveknownthequestionswerecoming.Shewastootalkativetojustleavewithoutsaying

anythingelse.

"I'monleavefromtheMarineCorps,soyoucouldsayI'mcomingbackfromallover."
"Idon'trememberyoufromwhenIlivedherebefore."
"IthinkI'molderthanyoubyafewyears.I'mthirty-one."
"I'mtwenty-seven—soafour-yeardifference."
"Ididn'tshowuphereuntilIwasfifteen,whichwouldhavemadeyoueleven.Iguessourpathscould

havecrossed,butwewouldn'thavebeeninthesameschoolatthesametime."

"AndIwasgoneayearlater."Shecockedherheadtotheright,givinghimathoughtfullook.

"Donavansaidyoucametolivewithyourgrandfather.Whathappenedtoyourparents?"

Hislipstightened."Myfatherdiedandmymotherwasn'taround."
"I'msorryaboutyourdad."
"Ididn'tevenknowhim.HediedwhenIwasatoddler."
"Still…"Shefrowned."Youdon'tliketotalkaboutyourself,doyou?"
"No."
"That'sunusual.MostofthemenI'vemetlatelylovetotalkaboutthemselves,andnoneofthemhave

ledveryinterestinglives.Whileyou,ontheotherhand,don'twanttosaymuch,butIsuspectyouhaveall
kindsofstoriesyoucouldtell."

Hedismissedherhopefulsmilebywavinghertowardthedoor."Idoubtthat,andIhaveworktodo,

Ms.Adams."

"Oh,please,it'sJuliette.Nooneisformalinthistown,leastofallme.I'llletyougetbacktowork.

Butpleasecomebythebakerysometimeandcollectyourfreedessert.Youcanpickwhateveryouwant."

"I'mnotmuchonsweets."
Shelaughedindisbelief."Nowaythat'strue.Isawthelookinyoureyesthismorningwhenyougazed

atmydisplaycase.It'snotacrimetoeatalittlesugaronceinawhile."Shegavehimadimpledsmilethat
madehishearttwist."Itmightevensweetenyouupabit."

"I'mnevergoingtobesweet,"hesaid,quitecertainofthatfact.
"You'vealreadybeenverysweettome.ButIwon'ttellanyone.Iwouldn'twanttoruinyourtough-guy,

doesn't-talk-muchimage."

Withthatpartingshot,shefinallymadeitthroughthefrontdoor.Hequicklycloseditbehindher.He

couldn'ttellherthathehadn'tbeenlookingatherdisplaycasewhenhe'dstoppedoutsideherbakery;he'd
beenlookingather.Andthathungerchurninginhisguthadn'thadmuchtodowithcookiesandpies.

Asforsomedessertsweeteninghimup,itwasgoingtotakealotmorethancaketosmoothhisrough

edges.

Notthatheintendedtotry.Helikedthecallusesandscarsoverhisheart.Theywereimportantand

constantremindersnottobelieveinanythingoranyonethatwastoogoodtobetrue,andJulietteAdams
hadallthesignsofbeinginthetoo-good-to-be-truecategory.

Three

Byfouro'clockintheafternoon,hisshoulderswereachingaswellashisback,andRomandecidedto

callitaday.Hedidn’twanttojeopardizehisrecoverybyoverworkinghismuscles.

Throwingonhisblackleatherjacket,helockedthefrontdoorofthehousetoavoidanymore

unwantedvisitorsandheadeddowntownforsomecoffee.Itwasonlyaboutamileandahalftothecenter
oftown,andhewashappyforthewalk.

AshenearedJuliette'sbakery,hedeliberatelycrossedthestreet.Whilehemighttakeheruponher

offerofafreepastryoneday,thatdaywouldn'tbetoday.He'dspentfartoomuchtimealreadythinking
abouther.Heneededabreakbeforehesawheragain.

WalkingintoDonavan's,hewasimmediatelystruckbythewarm,charmingatmosphere.Withexposed

brickwalls,woodentables,andanoldpianoinonecorner,thecoffeehousefeltmorelikesomeone's
livingroomthanacafé.

Alargechalkboardononewalldetailedtheday'sspecials.Acharmingarrayofmugssatonthe

counterandinsidethedisplaycasehesawbrownies,cookies,eclairs,andpastriesfromSweet
Somethings.Obviously,DonavanandJuliettehadabusinessrelationshipaswellasafriendship.

Ashelookedaroundtheroom,hesawhisgrandfathersittingatatableinthecornerwithhisfriend

Max,anAfrican-Americanmaninawheelchair.VincenthadhisbacktohimandMax'sgazewasfocused
onthechessboard,soheleftthemaloneandheadedtothecounter.

Whenhesteppeduptoorder,astrikingblonde,wearingabright-redapron,cameovertothecounter,

herblueeyessparklingafamiliarwelcome."RomanPrescott.It'sabouttimeyoucameinhere.Iheard
you'vebeenbackalmosttwoweeks,andthisisthefirsttimeI'veseenyou."

"Hello,Donavan.Niceplaceyouhavehere.Mygrandfathertellsmethiscoffeeshopisthebestthing

thateverhappenedtothistown."

Shesmiledatthecompliment."It'scertainlythebestthingthateverhappenedtome.I'mgladhefeels

thesameway."

Ashedrewinabreath,hissenseswereassailedwiththescentofcoffee."Damn.Itsmellsgoodin

here."

Shelaughed."It'sourdarkroast.ItcomesfromasmalltowninEthiopia."Shetippedherheadtothe

maponthewallwhereseveralcoloredtagsshowedwherethedifferentcoffeebeansweregrown.

"YougetyourbeansfromEthiopia?"
"Ido.Andacoupleoftimesayearweholdfundraiserstosendmoneytosomeofthepoorestofthe

poorintheareasthatgrowourcoffee.Itseemsonlyfair.We'reactuallyhavingoneofthosenextweek.
Maybeyoucancome."

DonavanTurnerhadalwaysbeenthekindofpersonwholookedoutforotherpeople;she'dlookedout

forhimonce.Andhe'dneverforgottenthat.Although,shewasprobablyalittletoooptimistic,always
wantingtobelievethateveryonehadagoodside,whensomepeoplewerejustbadallthewaythrough.

"Iwilldefinitelytrytocome,"hesaid.
"WhatcanIgetyou?"
"I'lltakethedarkroast."
"I'massumingyouwantitstraightup—nowhippedcreamorsprinkles?"
"Definitelynot."
AdarkbrunettecameupbehindDonavan,givinghimacuriouslook.

"Sara,"Donavansaid."ThisisRomanPrescott.Wewenttohighschooltogether."
"It'snicetomeetyou,"Sarasaid."Iassumeyou'reVince'sgrandson?"
"Thatwouldbeme.Andit'snicetomeetyou,too."
"I'llgetyourcoffee,"Donavansaid.
"AndI'lltakeyourmoney,"Saraadded.
"No,thisoneisonthehouse,"DonavantoldSara.
"Youdon'thavetodothat,"hereplied,handingSaraafive-dollarbill.
"Butit'syourwelcome-backcoffee,"Donavansaid.
"ConsideritmydonationtothegoodpeopleofEthiopia."
"Inthatcase—allright."Donavanhandedhimaceramicmugofcoffee."Youneverdidliketoowe

people.And,yes,Iputthisinato-stayinsteadofinato-gocup,becauseIthoughtwemightchatfora
minute."

Seeingthedeterminationinhereyes,heknewtherewasnowayhewasgoingtoescapewithoutthat

chat.Andthefactofthematterwashedidn'treallyhavesomewhereelseheneededtobe."Sure."

Hereyebrowarchedinsurprise."ThatwaseasierthanIthought,butI'lltakeit."Shecamearoundthe

counter,andtheysatdownatasmalltable.

"Isawthepiano,"hesaid."Doyoustillplay?"
"WheneverIgetthechance.Howaboutyou?Stillstrummingthatguitar?"
"Justtookitupagainrecently."
"That'sgreat.Howareyoudoing,Roman?IheardyouwereinjuredandhadtoleavetheMarines.The

detailsaremurky,though."

That'sbecausenooneknewthedetails,includinghisgrandfather."That'sprettymuchthestory.Imay

stillgoback.I'monmedicalleave."

"Well,I'mgladyouweren'ttoobadlyhurt.It'sbeenwhat—eleven,twelveyears—sinceyouwere

here?"

"Thirteen.Ileftafewweeksaftermyeighteenthbirthday."Ashesippedhiscoffee,headded,"This

mightbethebestcupofcoffeeI'veeverhad."

Hersmilebroadened."I'mgladtohearthat.IhavetosayIwasn'tsureyou'devercomebacktothis

town,Roman.Thingsweren'tgreatwhenyouleft."

"Notheyweren't,butitwasalongtimeago."
"I'msureyourgrandfatherishappytohaveyouback.Hesaidyou'reworkingforhimnow."
"Temporarilyanyway."
"Well,Ihopeyou'llstayaslongasyoucan."
"Thanks,butyoumaynotsharethepopularopinionwhenitcomestomestayingintown,"hedrawled,

seeingtwoolderwomenacrosstheroom,oneofwhomwasglaringathim.

Shefollowedhisgaze."Don'tworryaboutMarthaGrayson.Noonelistenstoher."
"Thathasn'tbeenmyexperience."
"Well,evenifpeoplelistentoher,theyknowshe'sjustgossiping.Givethetownachancetoshowyou

ithasgrownup,justlikeyouhave.AndwhileMarthacanbetheultimatesmall-mindedmeangirl,her
sisterCeceliaisn'tsobad,andsometimesshecankeepMarthainline."

Hesmiledatheroptimism."Sure,shecan.Butthanks.Youwerealwayskindtome,evenwhenI

didn'tdeserveit."

"Youdiddeserveit.Mostpeoplejustdidn'tseetherealyou,Roman.Andthatwasn'ttheirfault;itwas

yours.Youdidn'tletpeoplein.Youhadahugewallup."

"That'strue,butIdidletafewin,andthatdidn'tworkwell."
"Ineverreallyunderstoodwhathappened."
"Youandmeboth."Hepausedasafamiliarwomancamethroughthedoorofthecoffeeshop,andjust

likeearlierintheday,everymuscleinhisbodytightenedandwarningbellswentoffinhishead.Juliette's
gaze,however,wentstraighttohisgrandfather,andassheheadedovertothemen'stablewitha
purposefulwalk,hewasactuallycurioustoseewhatwouldhappen.

Tomostpeople,hisgruff,short-temperedgrandfatherwouldprobablybeintimidating,butJuliette

didn'tseematallworried.Thenagain,shewasonamission,andshewasn'tabouttoletanyonestopher
frommakingherpitch.

"Whoareyoulookingat?"Donavanasked,thenturnedherheadtosee."Oh,JulietteAdams."She

turnedbacktohimwithaknowinggleaminhereyes."Julietterunsthebakeryacrossthestreet—Sweet
Somethings."

"Iknow.Imethertoday,"hemurmured.
"Shespentherearlychildhoodhere,thencamebackseveralmonthsago.Herbakeryhasreallytaken

off.Wesellalotofherdesserts.She'sverynice."

Hedidn'tcomment,thinkingthatthewordnicedidn'tfullydescribeJuliette.Notthatshewasn'tnice,

butshewasalotmorecomplicatedthanthat.

"Donavan,"Sarasaid,wavingahandfromthecounter,wherethelinehadgrown.
Donavangavehimanapologeticsmile."Sorry.Ibettergetbacktowork."
"Noproblem."
"Don'tbeastranger,Roman."
AsDonavanleft,hisattentionshiftedbacktoJuliette,andhewasremarkablygladthatshewas

speakingloudenoughforhimtohear.

"I'mreallysorrytointerrupt,"shesaid."I'mJulietteAdams,Mr.Prescott,andIwanttoknowifyou

mightbeinterestedinsellingthepropertyonPrimroseLanetome."

Vincentsatupalittlestraighteratherquestion."I'mjuststartingaremodelonthathouse."
"Yes,Iknowthat,butIwonderifyou'dconsideranofferbeforeyoudoanymorework."
"Whatkindofanoffer?"heasked,rubbinghischinthoughtfully.
"Well,I'mnotsure.I'dneedtogetanappraisal,butdoyouhaveanumberinmind?"
"Whydoyouwantthathouse?"
"Myparentsusedtoownit.IlivedthereuntilIwastwelve."
"YousaidyournamewasAdams,"Vincesaid."FrankandTricia—thosewereyourparents?"
Shenodded."Yes."
"Tragicwhathappenedtothem."
"Didyouknowthem?"
"Imetyourdadafewtimes.Hewasabaker."
"AndI'mfollowinginhisfootsteps.IruntheSweetSomethingsBakeryacrossthestreet.Butgetting

backtothehouse—"

"Sorry,butI'mnotinterestedinsellingrightnow,"hisgrandfathersaidfirmly."Oncetheremodelis

done,I'llconsiderit.Youcanbuyitthenifyoustillwantit."

"ButIwantitthewayitisnow."
"Why?It'sgotalotofproblems."
"Becauseit'spartofmyhistory."
"It'sjustahouse.It'spartofalotofpeople'shistory.Itwastherebeforeyou,anditwillbethereafter

you.You'reayoungwoman.Therewillbeplentyofhousesinyourlife."

AfrowncrossedJuliette'sface.Sheobviouslydidn'tcareforhisgrandfather'sdismissivecomment.

"Well,ifyouchangeyourmind,willyouletmeknow?"sheasked.

"Iwon'tchangemymind."
Juliettelookedtakenabackbyhisgrandfather'sbluntwords,butshenoddedandthenwalkedaway

fromthetable.Sheheadedtowardthecounter,andshewasalmosttherewhenshesawhim.Shehesitated

andthenchangedcourse,takingtheseatacrossfromhim.

"Youheardallthat?"sheasked.
"Yes.I'mnotsurprised."
"Idon’tunderstandwhyyourgrandfatherisbeingsostubborn."
"Heprobablythinksthesamethingaboutyou."
"Ihaveapersonalreasonforwantingthehouse;hedoesn't."
"Thehousewillbebetterafterit'sremodeled.Youmightlikeitevenmorethen."
Shesatbackinherchair,foldingherarmsacrossherchest."NooneseemstounderstandthatI'mnot

interestedinaremodel.Iwantittobethesameasitwas."

"That'syourchoice,Juliette.Butlet'sbehonest.Youdon'thavethemoneytobuythehousenow

anyway,regardlessofwhatitwouldbeappraisedat,doyou?"

Hecouldseethetruthinhereyes.
"Imightbeabletomakesomethinghappen,"shesaid."Icouldborrowmoneyfrommyaunt,maybeget

aloan."Sheblewoutabreath."Butthat'sallpointlessifyourgrandfatherwon'tsell.Ireallywishyou'd
talktohim."

"Itwouldn'tmakeadifference.Hedoesn'tcarewhatIthink;heneverhas."
Shestaredbackathimwithdefianceinhereyes."Well,I'mnotgivingup."
"Ifigured,"hesaid,impressedshewasstillreadytodobattle.Helikedsomeonewhowaswillingto

fightforwhattheywanted.

Shepushedbackherchairandstoodup."Ineedsomecoffee."
Aftersheleftthetable,acoldblastofwindenteredtheroom,andhelookedtowardthefrontdoor.A

manabouthisagewalkedintothecoffeeshopwearingblackslacks,acream-coloreddressshirt,anda
maroonandgraystripedtie,hisbrownhairedgedwithblondhighlights,hishazeleyesveryfamiliar.

DougWintershadcertainlyagedwell,boastingthesamegood-lookingfeaturesthathadgottenhim

dateswithhalfthehighschoolcheerleadingsquad.

Doughadbeentheclosestthingtoabestfriendhe'deverhad,butthatfriendshiphadendedona

summernightaweekbeforehelefttowntojointheMarines.

Astheirgazesmet,hesawsurpriseandwarinessflashthroughDoug'seyes.Apparently,thirteenyears

hadnotbeenlongenoughforanyonetoforget.

Hetookthefinalsipofhiscoffeeandsethismugdownonthetable,thengottohisfeet.
Dougmovedinfrontofhim."So,it'strue.Youliedagain.Youdidcomeback,eventhoughyousaid

youneverwould."

"IsaidalotofstupidthingswhenIwaseighteen."Hepaused,lookingDougstraightintheeye."So

didyou."

MorediscomfortenteredDoug'sgaze,andhislipsdrewintoaworriedline."Howlongareyou

staying?"

"Notsure."
"Idon'twantanytrouble,Roman."
"Whywouldtherebetrouble?"
"Youknowwhy."Dougdrewinabreath.
Theystaredateachotherforagoodthirtyseconds,andhecouldseebeadsofsweatappearonDoug's

brow.Thatsurprisedhimalittle.Doughadalwaysbeencockyashellasateenager,convincedthathis
father,who'dbeenchiefofpolice,andhismother,whoranthePTA,wouldbeabletogethimoutofany
problems.And,infact,they'ddonejustthat.Sowhytheworrynow?

Dougclearedhisthroat."Idon'tknowifyou'veheard,butI'mrunningformayor."
Ah—nowheunderstoodtheconcern.Dougwasafraidhewouldtrytodamagehisreputation."Good

luck,"hesaid.

"Idon'twantanytroublewithyou,Roman.Canweletthepastbethepast?"
Hewasn'tatallinterestedinsoothingDoug'snerves."Iguesswe'llfindout."

***

JuliettetappedherfingersrestlesslyonthecounterwhileDonavanmadeherespresso.Sheprobably

shouldn'tbegettingcoffee;shefeltinmoreemotionalturmoilnowthanshehadinyears.Butsheneededa
tasteofsomethingstrong,somethinggrounding,somethingtogivehertheenergytokeepthinkingand
strategizing.HeroutreachtoRoman'sgrandfatherhadbeenunsuccessful.Butshewasn'tdonetrying.As
she'dtoldRoman,shedidn'tquiteasily.Shejustneededanewapproach.

ThinkingaboutRomanfilledherwithmoreturmoil…butadifferentkind—thekindthatcamewith

butterfliesinherstomachandsweatypalmsandatinglyfeelingofanticipation,uncertainty.

Shewashappyhe'dleftthecoffeeshop,althoughshewascuriousaboutthetenseexchangehe'djust

hadwithDougWinters.Shehadn’tbeencloseenoughtoheartheirwords,buttherewasnodenyingthe
angry,tensebodylanguage.

Shewonderedwhatitwasallabout.Dougwasoneofthemostwell-likedpeopleintown.Hewasa

lawyerandacitycouncilman,andnowhewasrunningformayor.Romanmighthavebeenatroublemaker
inhighschool,buthe'dgoneontobecomeasoldier,aMarine.Theybothseemedtohavealotgoingfor
them,butsomethingfromthepastwasstillbetweenthem,andshewasverycuriousastowhatthatwas.

"Hello,ladies,"Dougsaid,ashesteppeduptothecounter."Howiseveryonetoday?"
"Great,"Donavanreplied."Theusual,Doug?"
"Givemetwoshotsofespressotoday,andI'lltakeato-gocup."
"Mustbeatoughday,"Donavancommented,agleaminhereyes."Ordiditgettougherwhenyousaw

Roman?"

"Romanhasalwaysmademylifemoredifficult,"hesaid,thenturnedtowardJuliette."Ihavetotell

youthatthecoconutlemoncakeyoumadeformymother'sbirthdayhaswonmealotofpoints.Shesaidit
wasthebestpresentIevergaveher."

"I'msoglad.It'soneofmyfavorites."
"Thebakerylookslikeit'sdoingwell."
"Verywell,"shesaid.
"That'sgreat.It'snicetohaveyouaspartofthebusinesscommunity."Hepaused."Weshouldhave

dinneronenight.I'dlovetotakeyouout."

"Oh—sure,"shesaid,alittlesurprisedbytheinvitation.
"Good.I'llgiveyouacallorI'llstopbythebakery."Hepickeduphiscoffee,tippedhisheadto

Donavanandthenleftthecoffeeshop.

"SoundslikeDougisinterestedinyou,"Donavansaid,agleaminhereyes."Anyinterestback?"
"Uh,Idon'tknow."Shegaveahelplesssmile."He'sdefinitelyattractive.Heseemslikeagoodguy."

Shepaused."IstheresomethingbetweenDougandRoman?Theycertainlyhadatenseexchangewhen
theysaweachother."

"There'salotofhistorythere.Theywerefriendsinhighschool,butsomestuffhappenedsenioryear

thatRomantooktheheatfor,andI'vealwayswonderedifDougwasasinnocentasheclaimedtobe."

"Whatkindofstuff?"
BeforeDonavancouldexplain,acrowdofteenagerscameintothecoffeeshop,overwhelmingthe

counter.

"Sorry,Ican'ttalknow,butlater,"Donavanpromised.
"Ofcourse."
Shemovedawayfromthecountertoallowmorespaceforthenewcustomers.

Donavan'swordshadmadehercurious,whichdidnotmakeherhappy.She'dalreadythoughtabout

Romanwaytoomuch;nowshehadtowonderaboutDoug,too.

Four

JuliettebeatheralarmbyanhouronFridaymorning,bringinganendtohersleeplessnightaround

fourinthemorninginsteadofherusualfivea.m.wake-uptime.She'dbeensleepingsowellinFairhope.
She'dactuallythoughtshe'dbeatenherinsomniauntillastnight,whenhermixed-upbrainranaroundin
circlesbetweenherchildhoodhomeonPrimroseLane,thesexyandsomewhatbroodingRomanPrescott,
hisstubborngrandfather,andfinallythecharmingDougWinters.

Toomanymen,shedecided,asshegotoutofbed.Theywerequicklybecomingthesourceofallher

problems.Sheneededtoputastoptothat.

NotthatRomanwantedtobeaprobleminherlife;he'dprobablybehappyifheneversawheragain.

Andnodoubthisgrandfatherfeltthesameway.

Doug—hewasanotherstory,astoryshewantedtoknowmoreabout,notjustbecausehewantedto

takehertodinner,butalsobecausethefirsttimeshe'deverseenhimflusteredwasafterhe'dspokento
Roman.Therewassomemysterythere,andshecouldn'thelpwonderingwhatitwasassheshoweredand
changedintoleggings,along-sleevedtunictop,andhersuper-comfortablebunnyslippers.Whileshe'd
slipintoherbootsoncethebakeryopened,she'dbeonherfeetafewhoursbeforethat,andshewantedto
becomfortable.

Whenshe'dfinisheddressing,shewentdownstairs,happyagainthatherlandlordhadnotonlyrented

herthebakeryspacebutthestudioapartmentonthesecondfloor.Hercommutewasperfect.

Itwasdarkoutside,andshequicklyturnedonthelightsandstartedpreheatingtheovens.Herfirstjob

ofthedaywastogetherbreadloavesbaking,andwithinminutesshefellintohermorningroutine.Happy
tobedoingwhatsheloved,shelostherselfintherhythmofbaking,andsoonthesunhadcomeupover
town.

Oncethebreadwasdone,sheturnedherattentiontoherWishcookies.Yesterday'sbatchhadbeen

prettyclosetowhatsheremembered.She'dduplicatethatandstoptryingtotweaktherecipe.Thecookies
weregoodandasmagicalasshecouldmakethem.

Withallovensfiringandtimersset,shewentintothestoreandrefilledherdisplaycases.Thenshe

madecoffeefromDonavan'sforthosecustomerswhodidn'thitthecoffeehouseacrossthestreet.

Withthatdone,shewipeddownthecafétablesbythewindow.Shecouldn'thelpbuttakeafewquick

glancesoutsidetoseeiftherewereanyattractiveearlymorningjoggersheadedherway,buttheblock
wasempty.

Romanhadprobablydecidedtotakeadifferentrouteaftertheirtwoencountersyesterday.Notonly

hadshehadameltdowninheroldhouserightinfrontofhim,butthenshe'dgottenintoanawkward
discussionwithhisgrandfather,alloverahousethatinrealityshecouldnotaffordtobuy.

Shedidn'tknowwhatshewasthinking,beggingMr.Prescotttosellittoherwhenshedidn'thaveany

money.Sheneededtostartthinkingfirstbeforeacting.Notthatshe'dgivenupontheideaofgettingher
houseback,butsheneededtogotoMr.Prescottwithamuchbetterinformedandplannedstrategy.

Astheclockstruckseventhirty,sheunlockedherdoorsandturnedtheClosedsignaround.She'dbeen

openingearlierandearliersinceChristmas,asmoreandmorepeoplestoppedinontheirwaytoworkto
pickupamorningsweetortoputinanorderforaspecialcakeordessertforsomeimportantoccasionin
theirlives.Sinceshewasstillbuildingherbusiness,she'dtakecustomersanytimeshecouldgetthem.

"Goodmorning,"Susansaid,assheenteredthroughthefrontdoor.
"Howareyoutoday?"

"I'mreadyforanotherbusydaysellingWishcookies."
"Theyarepopular."
"Ican'ttellyouhowmanystoriesIheardyesterday,"Susansaid."Thecookiesbringbackalotof

specialmemoriesformorepeoplethanyouwouldthink.IhavetoadmitIwasskepticalwhenyoufirst
toldmeaboutthetradition,butIhavebeenprovedwrong."

Shelaughed."Ithinkpeoplewanttobelieveinmagic,nomatterwhatformitcomesin."
"Ithinkso,too."Thedoorbelldinged,andthefirstcustomersofthedaywalkedin."Ibettergetto

work,"Susansaid.

WhileSusanfilledorders,shewentbackintothekitchenandadornedanothertrayofWishcookies

withlavenderfrostingandtinyredhearts.Thenshetookthemouttothefrontofthestoreandfilledthe
displaytraysofmix-and-matchcookiesthatwereopentothecustomerstopickandchoosetheirfavorite
cookies.Therestofthedesserts,theykeptontheirsideoftheglass.

Thelinehadgrownevenlonger,soshehelpedSusanoutatthecashregister,happytoseesomany

familiarfacescomingbackfordesserts.ShewasstartingtofeelapartoftheFairhopefamilyagain,and
thatwasanamazingfeeling.

Asshefinishedwithacustomer,shenoticedasmallboybythecookiecase.Hewasabouteightor

nine,withblondhairandblueeyes.She'dseenhiminthebakerybeforeandhadthoughthelookedalittle
ragged.Hisskinseemedpaleandunhealthy,hisclotheslookingliketheyhadn'tseenawasherinawhile.

Thekidgaveafewfurtivelooksaroundhim,thengrabbedacoupleWishcookiesfromthehelp-

yourselftray,stuffedthemintothepocketofhisjacket,andthenranforthedoor.Heduckedunderthearm
ofawomancomingintothebakery,almostknockingheroffherfeet.

Frowning,shetoldSusanshe'dbebackinaminuteandwentoutthedoorafterhim.
Hewasablockaheadofherandmovingfast,butsheneededtocatchhim.Itwasn'tsomuchthatshe

couldn'taffordtolosethetwocookies;itwasmorethatshewantedtoknowwhohewas,whyhewas
stealingfromher,andmoreimportantly,whyhelookedlikeheneededsomeonetogoafterhim.

Hecutaroundthecorner,runningdownanalleybehindarowofretailshops.Heflungaquicklook

overhisshoulderandthenranfasterwhenhesawher.

Ashecameoutofthealleyanddartedaroundacorner,shelosthimforasecond,thenpickedhimup

againwhenhereachedthenextintersection.Hewasheadingoutofthedowntownareaandintoa
residentialneighborhood.

Herbunnyslippersfloppedonherfeet,impedingherprogress.Shereallywishedshehadherboots

on,butshe'dneverhadasecondtochangeintoherstreetshoes.

Thekiddartedthroughsometreesanddownasideyardnexttoabig,two-storyhouse.Shequickly

followed,butasshewenttowardtheopenbackyard,abigdogcameboundingtowardherwitha
ferociousbark.

Stoppingabruptly,shefroze,thenwhirledaroundandstartedtorunbackthewayshe'dcome—onlyto

barrelstraightintoahardmalechest.

Aman'shandscameouttocatchher—Roman!
Shestaredathiminshock,onlytohavesurpriseturntofearasthebigdogcamecloser,stillbarking

hisheadoff.

"Wehavetogetoutofhere,"shesaid."Idon'tthinkthatdogisfriendly."
"Areyoukidding?He'ssuperfriendly."RomanturnedhisheadtowardtheGermanshepherd.

"Barkley,calmdown,buddy."HeletgoofJuliettetopetthedog,whosebarksofwarninghadturnedinto
woofsofjoy.

"Youknowthisdog?"sheaskedinamazement.
"Yeah,hechasesmealmosteverymorningforabouttwoblocks.Helikestorunwithpeople."
Herracingheartbegantoslowdown."Goodtoknow.Ithoughthewasgoingtotakeabiteoutofme."

"Whywereyourunningintohisbackyard?"
"Iwasfollowingsomeone."
"Thatlittlekid?"
"Yousawhim?"
"Yeah,Isawyouchasinghim."
"Soyoufollowedme?"
"Well,youwerefollowinghim,"hereturned."Iwascuriousastowhy."
"Hestolesomecookiesoutofthebakery."
Romanraisedaneyebrow."Andyoualwayschasedowneight-year-oldthieves?"
Shefeltalittlefoolishnow.Shereallywasn'tgivingRomanthebestimpressionofher."Notnormally.

Butthisisn'tthefirsttimehewasinthebakery,andhehasalookabouthimthatworriesme.Iwondered
whathisstorywas.ButIlosthimwhenBarkleyheredecidedtocomeafterme."Shepaused."Haveyou
seenthelittleboybefore?"

"Nope—notthatI'venoticedanyway."
Sheglancedtowardtheneatlylandscapedpropertyandthestatelyhouse."Idon'tthinkheliveshere."
"Youdon'tthinkrichkidscanstealcookies?"heasked,asharpnoteinhisvoice.
"Ididn'tsaythat."
"It'swhatyouwerethinking.You'dhavefeltmuchbetterifhe'dtakenyoutheotherdirection,tothe

apartmentbuildingsonRandolphStreet,ortherun-downareaoffGardner."

"Iwasn'tthinkinganything.Hestoletwocookies.Ifollowedhim.That'sasfarasmythoughtprocess

got."Sherealizedherdefensewasn'tpaintingherinthatgoodofalight.

"You'reright.Iforgothowimpulsiveyouare."
"Consideringyou'veknownmeforlessthanaday,Idon'tseehowyoucanmakethatstatement."
Hesmiled—themanactuallysmiled—anditsentacrazyshiverdownherspine.Itwasthefirsttime

hehadn'tlookedannoyedorclosedoff,anditwasshockinglysexy.

"Icouldhavemadethatstatementfiveminutesafteryouburstintomygrandfather'shouse,"hesaid.

"Firstyouwanttostoparemodelonahouseyoudon'town,thenyouwanttobuyahouseyoucan'tafford.
Nowyou'rechasingacookiethiefinapairofbunnyslippers."

"IwearthemwhenIbake,"shesaiddefensively."They'recomfortableforstandingupforhourson

end.Iwasgoingtochange,butIdidn'thaveachance."Shepaused."Justsoyouknow,Iwasn'tgoingto
yellatthekid;Iwasgoingtoaskhimifhewashungry,ifheneededhelp.Therewassomethinginhis
eyes.Itlookedlike—desperation."Sheshookherhead."Youwouldn'tunderstand."

"NowthatIwouldunderstand,"hesaidquietly.
Shestaredbackathim,sensingtherewasmorebehindhiswordsthanhewouldevertellher."Would

you?"

Henodded,butdidn'telaborate.
"Well,maybehe'llcomebackanotherday,"shesaid,takingonelastglancearound,butsheknewthe

childwaslonggone.

"Probablynotforafewdaysifhesawyouchasinghim."
"Hedidseeme."Shethoughtforamoment."IwonderifIshouldgobytheclosestelementaryschool

andseeifIcanfindhim."

"Whoa,seriously?"heaskedinsurprise."You'regoingtoscoutouttheschoolnow?"
"Whatifhe'sintrouble?"
"Whatifhejustwantedtoseeifhecouldstealacookierightoutfromunderyournose?"
"Idon'tthinkitwasthat."
"Itcouldhavebeen."
Hehadapoint."Well,I'llthinkaboutit.Ishouldgetbacktothebakery.Morningsaremybusiesttime.

SusanprobablywonderswherethehellIwent."

Hefellintostepalongsideher,whichsurprisedherevenmore."MaybeI'lltakeyouuponyourfree

dessertoffer.I'mhungry,"hesaid.

"Ithoughtyoudidn'teatsweets."
"SinceIcamebacktoFairhope,I'mdoingalotofthingsInormallydon'tdo."
"Likewhatelse?"sheasked,astheywalkedbacktowardtown.
Heshrugged."Chasewomenwhoarechasinglittleboys."
Shemadeafaceathim."Nooneaskedyoutodothat."
Asmileplayedaroundhislipsagain."Thebunnyslippersintriguedme.Icouldn'tresist."
"Theyslowedmedown.IwouldhavecaughtthatkidifI'dbeeninregularshoes."
"I'msure."
Shecasthimasidewaysglance,knowinghewouldn'tlikehernextquestion,butshecouldn'tstop

herself."What'sthestorywithyouandDougWinters?YourconversationatDonavan'sdidn'tlook
friendly."

Asshe'dexpected,hisexpressionshutdown,hisprofileturninghard."Wewerefriendsbefore.We're

notnow."

"That'sit?Youcan'tbealittlemoreexpansive?Whathappenedbetweenyou?Whydidyoustopbeing

friends?"

"It'snotyourbusiness,Juliette."
Hewasrightaboutthat,butshewastoocurioustobackoff."Maybeitwouldbegoodforyoutotalk

aboutwhathappened.Youcouldgetridofbadfeelings,releasethepast."

"Idoubtthatwouldoccur."Heshotheralook."Youseemtotalkabouteverythingthat'sonyourmind,

andyou'restilltrappedinthepast."

Nowitwasherturntofrown."That'snottrue."
"It'scompletelytrue.That'swhyyouwanttobuyyouroldhouse,isn'tit?Youcan'tletgoofthepast."
"Well,mypastwashappy.Yoursapparentlywasn't."
"You'vegotmethere,butit'smybusiness.Youneedtostopmeddlingineveryoneelse'slife.That

littlekidprobablydoesn'tneedyourhelp,andGodknowsIdon'tneedyourassistance."Hestopped
walkingandgaveheranirritatedlook."I'vechangedmymindaboutthepastry.IthinkI'llsticktoanall-
proteinbreakfast."

"Hey,hangon,"sheprotested,impulsivelygrabbinghisarm."Don'tbelikethat.Iwasjusttryingto

help.Youcankeepyoursecrets.AndIhavetheperfectbreakfastbreadforyou,sopleasecomewithme
tothebakery."

Hesighed."You'realotofwork,Juliette."
"You'renotthefirstpersontotellmethat."Shegavehimapleadingsmile."OthershavesaidI'm

worthit."

"I'dliketomeetsomeofthosepeople,"hemuttered.
"Ifyoucomewithme,Ipromisenottoaskyouanymorequestionsaboutyourmysteriouspastwith

DougWinters."

"Fine.I'llcometothebakery."
Sheletgoofhisarmastheycontinuedwalkingtowarddowntown."So,whatareyoudoingonthe

housetoday?"

"Nothingyouwanttohearabout,"hesaiddryly.
"I'msurprisedyou'relivingthereduringtheconstruction.Isawyourstuffintheupstairsbedroom."
"MygrandfatherandIdon'tmakegoodroommates,andsinceIdon'tknowhowlongI'llbeintown,

thehousesuitsmyneeds.I'vegotabedtosleepon,aTVinthekitchen,runningwaterandelectricity;
whatmoredoIneed?"

"Iwouldwantalotmore,butyoudon'tseemtorequiremuch."
"I'velivedinalotworseplaces."
"Like…"shebegan,knowingshewasprobablytreadingbackintodangerouswaters,butwhileshe'd

agreednottoaskaboutthedistantpast,maybethemorerecentpastwouldprovelessbothersome.

"Likedry,sandy,monochromedesertsthatgoonformiles,thatareunbearablyhot,andfeelalittle

likehellonearth."

"Ithinkthat'sthelongestsentenceyou'veeversaidtome.Sinceyou'renotgivingmeanexactlocation,

I'mguessingthat'ssomewhereintheMiddleEast."

"Somewhere,"heagreed.
"IheardyouwereintheMarines."
"Istillam—forthemoment."
"Whatdoesthatmean?"
Hehesitated,thensaid,"Iwasinjuredandputonmedicalleaveafewmonthsago."
"Soyou'regoingback."
"That'sdebatable.Ihavetopassthephysicalandthatmightnothappen."
Shewassurprisedbyhiswords.Helookedlikehewasinthepeakofphysicalhealth."Youseem

prettyfittome.Youruneveryday."

"Ihavesomehearingissuesthathaven'tresolvedcompletely,aswellasashoulderinjurywithsome

lingeringweakness.IfI'mnotonehundredpercent,Iwon'tbeabletodomyjobandanyweaknesscould
jeopardizetheothermembersofmyunit."

"Buttheremustbeotherjobsyoucoulddo."
"NotthatInecessarilywanttodo,"hecountered."Whatifsomeonetoldyouthatyoucouldstillbea

baker,butyoucouldonlymakevanillacookiesandnothingelse?"

"I'dtellthemthebusinesswouldfailquickly.ButIgetyourpoint.Whenwillyoufindout?"
"Ihaveafollow-upphysicalaweekfromMonday,thenadecisionwillbemade."
Shecouldhearthetensioninhisvoiceandknewhehadalotridingonthatdecision."Whatwillyour

grandfatherdoifyougobacktotheMarines?"

"He'llhavetofindotherworkers."
ShewonderedifRoman'sdeparturemightslowdowntheremodel.Whilethatthoughtwasinteresting,

theideaofhimleavingbeforeshereallygotachancetoknowhimwasnotnearlyasappealing.

"Ihavetoadmitthattheconstructionhasbeenanicechange,"Romancontinued,surprisingherby

volunteeringinformationthatwasn'tindirectresponsetoaquestion."Itfeelsgoodtobeinahouse,tobe
tearingoutsomethingthatwillactuallybemadebetter."

SheheardadeepsadnessinhisvoiceandsuspectedRomanhadbeenthroughthingsshecouldn'teven

imagine.Whatmustitbeliketoputyourlifeonthelineeverysingleday?Itmadeherbakerybusiness
seemquiteinconsequential."Maybeyoucoulddoconstructionifyouhavetochangejobs,"shesuggested.

"Perhaps.Ican'tconsideritrightnow.MylifehasalwaysbeentheMarines.I'masoldier.That'swhat

Idowell."Hestoppedabruptly,asifsuddenlyrealizinghowmuchhewastellingher.

"Youknowwhatyouneedbesidesmyextra-specialbananawalnutbread?"sheasked.
"Ihaveafeelingyou'regoingtotellme."
"AcoupleofmyValentine'sDayWishcookies.Legendhasitthatifyoueatthem,yourwisheswill

cometrue."

Thetensioninhisfaceeasedwithherwords."Legendhasit?"
"Yes.Thetraditionstartedwithmyfather.Heranabakeryhereintownwhenhewasalive,andhe

madethesespecialWishcookieseveryFebruary.He'dsellthemfromthefirsttothefourteenth,andalot
ofpeoplehavetoldmetheirwishescametrueaftereatingthecookies."

"Thewishesareforlove?"

"Actually,foranythingthatbringsyouloveorjoy.Youcouldwishforafullrecoveryfromyour

injuries."

"SoallIhavetodoiseatacookietochangemylife?Ifthat’strue,andyou'rethecookiemaker,why

aren'tyoualreadyamillionaire?"

"Maybethat'snotmywish,"shecountered.
"That'severyone'swish."
"Actually,I'veneverbeenthatmotivatedbymoney.IrespectthatIneedmoneytodowhatIwant,but

it'snotwhatdrivesme."Shepaused."Idon'tthinkit'swhatdrivesyou."

"Youdon'tknowme."
"Well,Idon'tthinkanyonebecomesasoldiertogetrich."
"You'vegotmethere."
"Theseareveryspecialcookies,"shesaid."Youmightbesurprisedattheirpower—ifyoucankeep

anopenmind."

"Icandothat."
"Really?"sheaskeddoubtfullyastheynearedthebakery.
"Yes,"hesaidwithanod."AndIamalittlecurioustoseejusthowgoodthesecookiesare."He

pausedandopenedthedoorofthebakerytoallowtwoolderwomentowalkout.

Thefirstone—thegray-haired,stern-faced,MarthaGrayson—gaveRomanasharp,killinglook.Her

sister—thered-haired,muchsweeter,Cecelia—stumbledintoMartha'sbackasshestoppedabruptly.

"You!"Marthasaid,glaringatRoman.
"Ma'am,"Romanmuttered,hislipsdrawninatightline.
"Goodmorning,ladies,"Juliettesaidcheerfully,tryingtolightenthetensemoment.
"Ican'tbelieveyouhadthenervetocomebackhere,"MarthasaidtoRoman."Haven'tyoudone

enoughdamageinthistown?Youthinkwe'veallforgottenwhatkindofboyyouwere?"

"I'llseeyoulater,Juliette,"Romansaid,lettingthedoorgo.
Ceceliacaughtitwithherhand,whichprobablywouldn'thavemadeRomanhappy,sincenodoubt

he'dwantedtosmashitinMartha'sface,buthehadn'tbotheredtolookback.

JuliettefrownedattheGraysonsistersastheycameontothesidewalk,lettingthedoorclosebehind

them.

"Youshouldnotbetalkingtothatman,"Marthasaid.
"Why?Whathappened?Whatdidhedo?"sheasked.
"Somanythings,"Marthasaid."Idon'tknowwheretostart.Assoonashecametotownasateenager,

therewasnothingbutproblems.Hegotintofights.Goodkidswerefollowinghimdownbadpaths.He
evenstartedafirethatburneddownPhilMarson'shouse.Thepoorfamilyhadtomove.Hecaused
nothingbutpainandmisery,andIcan'tbelievehehadthenervetocomebackhere—orthathis
grandfatherwouldlethim.Idon'tknowwhatVincentwasthinking."

ShewastakenabackbythespewofnastinesscomingfromMartha'smouthaswellasthebarrageof

incidentsthatapparentlyhadRoman'snameonthem.

"Wedon'treallyknowifRomandidallthosethings,"Ceceliaputin,givinghersisterapainedlook.
"Ofcoursewedo,"Marthasaid."Vincentshouldhavesenthimbackwherehecamefromassoonas

herealizedtherewasaproblem,buthedidn'twanttoseewhatwasrightunderhisnose."

"You'vesaidenough,Martha,"Ceceliasaid,givingJulietteanapologeticsmile."We'llbegoingnow."
"You'llstayawayfromhimifyouknowwhat'sgoodforyou,"Marthaadded,sendingonelastparting

shotbeforehersisterurgedherdownthestreet.

SheconsideredMartha'swords.Themanshe'dmetdidn'tseemquicktoangerorexplosivelyviolent,

butitwascertainlypossiblehe'dchangedsincehewasateenager.Marthawasn'ttheonlyonewhohada
problemwithRoman;DougWintersdidaswell.

Butshe'dmakeupherownmindaboutRoman.Shewasn'tgoingtoletMarthadictateheractions.She

alsowasn'tgoingtoletthebutterfliesinherstomachdistractherfromseeinghimforwhohereallywas.

Five

Romanhadalwayslikedhisowncompany,alwaysfeltcomfortablebyhimself,butforsomereason

thesolitudewasgettingonhisnervesandbyfiveFridayafternoon,hewasitchingtogetoutofthehouse
again.

Hedidn'tknowwhy;itwasn'tlikeyesterday'striptothecoffeeshophadgonethatwell.Andthis

morning'srun-inwiththeGraysonsistersatJuliette'sbakeryhadonlyremindedhimthathecouldspenda
lifetimetryingtodefendhimself—ifhewasatallinterestedindoingthat,whichhewasnot.

HesuspectedthatJuliettehadgottenanearfulfromMarthaandhersisterafterheleft.She'dalready

beencuriousaboutDougandthetensionshe'dwitnessedatthecoffeeshop.Well,sheprobablyknew
quiteabitmoreabouthimnow—oratleasttheteenagerhe'doncebeen.Hewonderedifshe'dbelieve
everythingsheheard.

Probably.Everyoneelsehad.
Withafrustratedsigh,hesetdownhistools,grabbedhisjacketandheadedoutside.Avoidingthe

downtownshoppingarea,hewalkedtowardthewater.Itwasaroutesimilartotheoneheranmost
mornings,butnowhewasn'tinterestedsomuchinexerciseasintakingalongbreathofcool,crispair
andgettingawayfromhisthoughts.

Ashewalkedpastamixofmodestandstatelyhouses,mostofwhichweresetonlargelotswith

canopiesoftreesoverhead,herememberedthefirsttimehe'dcometoFairhope.He'dthoughthe'dlanded
inthemiddleofaNormanRockwellpainting.ItwassmalltownAmericawithacharmingdowntown
areaandshopownerswhokneweachother,peoplewhosaidhellowhenyoupassedby.Itwasaplace
wherecommunitymattered,wherefriendsandfamiliescametogethertocelebrateholidaysandbirthdays
andevensaddermoments.

IthadbeenahugechangefromhislifeinSouthernCalifornia,withamotherwhobarelytalkedtohim,

muchlessanykindoffamilyorcommunitytosupporthim.

Deepdown,he'dreallylikedFairhope,buthe'drefusedtoadmitit.He'dbeensentthereagainsthis

will,forcedtoleavewhatfewfriendshehad,tolivewithagrandfatherhe'dnevermet.He'dbarricaded
hisfeelingsbehindangerandsarcasm.

Butinsidehe'dbeenvulnerable,worriedthatifhegottoocomfortable,ifhelikedsomethingtoo

much,itwoulddisappear,becauseitalwayshadbefore.

Sohe'dpretendedtoresenthisgrandfather'srules:breakfastatsix,schoolateight,jobafterschool,

dinneratsix,homework,thenbed.Ithadbeenmorestructurethanhe'deverexperiencedinhislife.Butit
hadfeltgoodtoactuallyknowwhathewassupposedtodoandwhenhewassupposedtodoit.

Hejusthadn'tbeenwillingtoletanyoneelseseethat.He'dbeenjudgedbeforeheevengotoffthe

planeasVincent'stroublemakingteenagegrandson,andithadbeeneasiertobethatthantotrytobe
anyoneelse.Sohe'dactedlikehehatedthehokeysmall-towntraditions,thebusybodyneighbors,the
town'sdesiretocelebrateeverything,theemphasisonculture,onartanddesignandmusicandwriting.
He'dmadefunoftheartistswhopaintedbythepier,themusicianssinginginthesquareforpocketmoney,
theideathatlifecouldbeprettyandperfect,eventhoughinFairhopeitcertainlyseemedlikeitcouldbe.

Withasigh,hepausedashedughisshoesintothebrownsandyshoresofMobileBay.Offtohisright

wasthelongpierthatjuttedintothebay.He'dstoodinthisveryspotmanytimesasateenager,wondering
whathisfutureheld.WouldhegobacktoCalifornia?Wouldhismotherevergetbetterandcomeandget
him?Wouldhestayhereforever?

Theanswershadnevercome,butlookingatthewater,thehorizon,hadhelpedkeepthingsin

perspective.

Heneededsomeofthatperspectivenow.Justlikewhenhe'dcometotownbefore,hewasn'tsurehow

longhe'dstay.He'dleftFairhopetomakealifeforhimselfintheMarineCorps.Helikedthemanhe'd
become,thejobhe'ddone,thepeoplehe'ddoneitwith.Tothinkhemighthavetoactuallygiveitallup
wasdifficulttoswallow,buthewastoomuchofarealistnottoconsiderthatpossibility.Hewasn't
givingup,though—notyet—notuntiltheytoldhimhewasdone.Butinhisgutheknewthingsweregoing
tochange.Hewouldhavetodecidehowhewantedtochangewiththem.

Hiscellphonebuzzed,andhepulleditoutofhispocket,happytoseeColeKenner'snamerunacross

thescreen.Colehadservedwithhimforthepastsevenyears.They'dbeenthroughalottogether,and
they'dalwayshadaninstinctaboutwhentheotherwasintrouble.

"Cole,what'sup?"
"Checkingin.How'ssweethomeAlabama?"
"Nothome,notsweet,butI'mhere."Ashemadethestatement,herealizedhewaswrong.Therewas

sweetnessinthistown,andhernamewasJuliette.

"Whendoyouseethedocagain?"
"AweekfromMonday."
"I'mhopingforgoodnews."
"Youandme,both.Whataboutyou?Howarethingsgoing?"
"Sameasalways.I'mstatesideforafewdays.Lovingalittlebeachaction."
WhichmeantColewasprobablyinSanDiegoatCampPendleton."I'matthebeachrightnow,too—

differentview,though."

"Areyouandyourgrandfathergettingalong?"
"Weare.I'mactuallyhelpinghimwithsomeconstruction."
"Yourshoulderisupforthat?"
"Ithinkit'sgoodtoworkthemuscles."Hedidn'tmentionthattheshoulderwasnotasbigofaconcern

ashishearing.

"Weneedyouback,Roman."
"I'dliketobeback.Anythingnewwithanyone?"
"Jimmygothimselfengaged."
"What?"heaskedwithalaugh."Again?"JimmyhadbeenengagedthreetimesinthefiveyearsRoman

hadknownhim.

"YouknowJimmy.Hefallsinloveeveryotherday."
"Andoutoflove,justasfast."
"True,buthethinksthisonewillstick."
"Ihopeitdoes."
"Igottarun.Letmeknowwhathappensafteryouseethedoc."
"Iwill.Staysafe,Cole."
"Always."
Asheslippedhisphonebackintohispocket,hisgazereturnedtothewater,buthewasn'tseeingthe

sceneinfrontofhim;hewasseeingColeandhisbuddiesplayingcardstopassthetime,runningdrills,
passingoutsoccerballstokids,rebuildingaschool,gettingreadyfortheirnextmission.Somany
memories—bothgoodandbad.Heshouldbewiththem,buthewasn't.

Lettingoutasigh,hetoldhimselftostayinthemomentandstopdwellingonwhathecouldn'tcontrol

orpredict.Heturnedawayfromtheview.Heneededadistraction…maybesomefood.

Spyingacafédowntheroad,hequickenedhissteps,andafewminuteslaterhewassittingatthe

counteroftheSeaBirdCafé.

AcheerfulwomannamedRuthtookhisorderforabowlofturkeychiliandasalad,whichheate

whilewatchingabasketballgameonthetelevisionbehindthecounter.

"Areyounewintown?"Ruthasked,assheclearedhisemptyplates.
"Notexactly.Ilivedherealongtimeago;nowI'mback."
"Welcomehome.Areyougoingtothemoviefesttonight?"
"Idon'tknowwhatthatis."
Shelookedathimasifhe'djustcrawledoutfromunderarock."Youmustnothavebeenbackintown

longifyouhaven'theardaboutthefilmfestival.Itstartstonightinthetownsquare.Theyputupabig
screen,andthey'llbeshowingromanticmoviesthenexttwonights.Tomorrow,they'llalsobehavinga
costumecontestforbestromanticcoupleinhistory.MyboyfriendandIaregoingasRoseandJackfrom
Titanic."

"Thatsounds…"hecouldhardlysayreallybad,sohesettledfor,"likefun."
Shelaughed."ThelookonyourfacematchestheonemyboyfriendgavemewhenIshowedhimour

costumestheotherday."

"Doesn'tJackdie,andRoseendsupwithsomeoneelse?"
"Yes,buttheystillhadthelovestoryofalifetime,andhediedforher.Whatgreaterlovecanyouhave

thanthat?"

Hecouldnotargueherpoint.
"Myboyfriendisbeingagoodsport,"shecontinued."Ofcourse,heagreed,becauseifhewantsto

keepgettinglucky,hehastoputinalittleworkaheadoftime,"shesaidwithamischievoussmile.

Hegrinnedbackather."Isuspecthe'lldowhateverisnecessary."
"Isuspecthewill,too.Areyoumarried?"
"Nope,"hesaid,seeingtheinterestedgleamenterhereyes.
"Thatwillmakealotofsinglewomeninthistownveryhappy."
HefinishedoffhisbeerandthenputenoughcashonthetabletogiveRuthageneroustip.
"Thatistoomuch,"sheprotested.
"Notatall.Youmademydinnerveryenjoyable."
"That'sgood.SometimesIgetintroublefortalkingtoomuch.Youhaveanicenight.MaybeI'llsee

youatthemovies."

"Maybeyouwill."
Despitehiswords,hereallyhadnointentionofgoingtothemoviefest,butashegotcloserto

downtown,thesparklinglightsinthetreesaroundthesquaredrewhisattention.Hecouldjustcheckitout
forafewminutes;hedidn'thavetostay.

Theparkwaspackedwithpeople.Inthecenterofthesquare,adozenorsorowsofchairshadbeen

setupinfrontofabigscreen,andCasablancawasalreadyplaying.Beyondthechairs,couplesand
familieswerealsoatpicnictables,sittinginbeachchairsorsprawledoutonblanketsonthegrass.
Aroundtheoutskirtsofthesquarewereseveraltablessetuptosellcoffee,desserts,andothersnacks.

HesawDonavanfirst,sellingherEthiopiancoffee,thenhisheartspedupashisgazemovedtothe

nexttable—toJuliette.

Shehadonaredsweateranddarkjeans,herlong,brown,wavyhairflowingaroundhershoulders,

hersmilebrightintheeveninglight.Shehadamiddle-agedwomanhelpingherselldesserts,which
lookedtobeagoodthing,sincetheyhadalineofeagercustomers.Hewonderediftheywereallbuying
herWishcookies.

Hesmiledatthememoryofthatridiculousstory.Whowouldeverbelieveacookiecouldgrantyour

deepestdesire?ButhesupposeditwasnodifferentthanbelievinginSantaClaus,thetoothfairyorthe
Easterbunny.

Notthathe'deverbelievedinanyofthosemythicalcharacters.Therecertainlyhadneverbeenany

dollarstuckedunderhispillowatnightafteratoothfellout,andSantahadneverseemedabletofindhis
house,butthentheyhadn'thadachimney.Hismomhadtoldhimoncethatwasthereason.Ithadn'tmade
himfeelanybetter.

HethoughtaboutsayinghellotoJuliette,maybebuyingoneofherdesserts,buthe'dwaituntiltheline

dieddown.Glancingawayfromhertable,hisgazecaughtonachildstandingunderthetreessome
distanceaway.HelookedlikethechildJuliettehadchasedafterearlierintheday.

Heseemedtooyoungtobeallalone,andtherewasawistfulexpressiononhisface,asifhewanted

tobepartofthecrowd,buthejustdidn'tknowhowhecouldbe.Itfeltlikehedidn'tbelongthere.There
wascertainlynofamilyonablanketoratatable,wavingforhimtocomeover.

He'dbeenthatkidonce—andprobablyatthatage.
Hedidn'tknowwhatthechild'sstorywas,butheknewdowndeepinhisgutthatitwasastoryhe'd

heardbefore—livedbefore.

Thequestionwas:whattodoaboutit?
Hecouldtrytotalktohim,butthekidwouldprobablyrun.
"Roman?"
Juliette'svoiceturnedhishead.Hewassurprisedandbemusedtoseeherstandinginfrontofhim.She

hadasmallpaperplateinherhandwithtwopurpleheart-shapedcookiesonit.

"IsawyouandthoughtifIcouldn'tgetyoutocomeinsidethebakery,maybeIshouldbringthebakery

toyou.ThesearetheinfamousWishcookies,"shetoldhim.

"They'repretty,"hesaid,thinkingshewasevenprettierthanthecookieswithhersparklyblueeyes,

rosy-coloredcheeksandsoftpinkmouththathewasitchingtotaste.

"They'realsogood.Caretotryone?"sheasked.
Hewastempted—andnotjustbythecookies.Heswallowedhard."Inasecond."Hetippedhishead

towardthetrees."Doesthatkidlookfamiliar?"

"Oh,mygoodness.That'sthelittleboyfromthismorning.Ihavetotalktohim."
Heputahandonhershoulderasshestartedforward."Areyoureadytorunagain?"
Shefrowned."No.Why?"
"Hesawyouthismorning,right?"
"Yes."
"Letmetakehimthecookies."
"You?Astrangeman,inthedarkwoods,atnight,offeringhimcookies…"
"Goodpoint."
"Let'sdoittogether."
Theboywaslookingintheotherdirection,sotheywereabletogetwithinafewfeetbeforetheboy

sawthem.Hetensedandlookedimmediatelyreadytobolt.

"Ithoughtyoumightwantsomecookies,"Juliettesaidquickly,holdingouttheplateinherhands.
Thekid'seyeswidened,buthemadenomovetotaketheplateofcookies.
"I'mJuliette.Iownthebakery.Thisismyfriend,Roman.Everythingisokay.I'mnotmadaboutthe

cookiesyoutookthismorning."

"Ihavetogo,"thekidmuttered.
"Hangon,"hesaid,grabbingthekid'sarmashetriedtoleave."Wejustwanttotalktoyoufora

second."

"I'mnotsupposedtotalktostrangers,"theboysaid.
"That'ssmart,"Juliettesaid,squattingdowninfrontofhim,soshewasathiseyelevel."Iwas

worriedwhenIsawyouthismorning.That'swhyIranafteryou.Ithoughtyoumightbehungry,oryou
mightneedhelp.What'syourname?"

Theboyhesitated,thensaid,"Cameron."

"It'snicetomeetyou,Cameron,"Juliettesaid."Areyourparentshere?"
Thelittleboyshookhishead.
"Isanyonewithyou?"Julietteaskedwithconcern.
"Mygrandma,"hesaid,withavaguewaveofhishand."Ihavetogo.SorryItookyourcookies."
"CanImeetyourgrandma?"Julietteasked.
"Shedoesn'twanttobebotheredduringthemovie,"Cameronreplied.
"You'realittleyoungtobeouthereinthetreesalone,"Romanputin.
"I'mnotafraid,"hesaid,adefiantnoteinhisvoiceashelookedupathim."Letmego."
"I'llletyougoafteryoutakeustoseeyourgrandmother,"hetoldhimfirmly.
Cameronmeasuredhiswords,thenletoutasigh."Fine."
RomankeptagriponCameron'sarmasthechildledthemintotheparkandovertoanolderwoman

sittinginabeachchairnexttoanotherwoman.Thenheletgo.

"Grandma,"Cameronsaid."IbroughtyousomeWishcookies."
"Oh,my,arethesethecookiesI'vebeenhearingsomuchabout?"thegrandmotherasked.
"Yes,"Juliettesaid,steppingforward."I'mJulietteAdams.IruntheSweetSomethingsBakery."
"Adams?You'reFrankandTricia'sdaughter?Irememberyouwhenyouwerealittlegirl.I'mDonna

Mays,andIseeyou'vemetmygrandson,Cameron."ShegaveCameronashakeofherhead."Itoldyouto
stayintheplayground,notgoovertothedesserttables."

"Sorry,"Cameronmuttered,notadmittinghe'dactuallybeeninthewoods.
Donnabitintooneofthecookies."Sodelicious,"shemurmured."AndIhopeitmakesmywishcome

true."

"CanIhavetheotherone?"Cameronasked.
"Ofcourse,youcan.Georgia,we'llneedtogetyouacookie,too,"Donnaadded,speakingtothe

womansittingnexttoher.

"I'vehadfartoomanycookiesalready,"Georgiasaidwithalaugh."Iloveyourbakery,dear.I'm

GeorgiaRogers."

"It'snicetoseeyouagain,"Juliettesaid.
"Yourbakeryisfilledwithsomuchsweetnessanddelight;you'reverytalented,"Georgiaadded.
"Thanks,"Juliettereplied.
"Areyouenjoyingthemovies?"Donnaasked.
"Ihaven'thadachancetowatchyet,"Juliettesaid."ButIhopetocatchsomeofthefilms."
"Shedoesn'tneedaromanticmovie,"GeorgiatoldDonna."She'syoungenoughtohaveherown

romancegoingon."Georgia'sgazeencompassedthemboth."Thetwoofyouaresuchanattractive
couple."

"Oh,we'renotacouple,"Juliettesaidhastily."We'renottogether."
"Youlooktogethernow,"Donnasaid,withapointedsmile.
"Justfriends,"Juliettesaid,givinghimalooksuggestingthathejoinin,buthedidn'tfeellikesaying

anything.

Noonehadaskedhimwhohewas,andhewasfinewiththat.Donnalookedvaguelyfamiliartohim,

buthecouldn'tquiteplaceher.Maybeshewasoneofhisgrandfather'sfriends.

"Ishouldgetbacktomytable,"Julietteadded."Havefun."
"Oh,wewill,"Donnasaid."Wejustloveromanticmovies,especiallytragiclovestories.Thoseare

thebest.Somuchdrama."

"Youandyourdrama,"Georgiasaidwithalaugh.
Astheladiesteasedeachother,RomanandJuliettewalkedbacktoherdesserttable."Whatdoyou

think?"sheasked.

"Cameronhasagrandmother."

"Whowasn'tpayingverycloseattentiontohim."
"Hewasn'tthatfaraway."
"Yes,hewas,"sheargued."Andhewasalonewhenhetookthecookiesfrommybakery.Ishould

haveaskedheraboutCameron'sparents."Shepaused."MaybeIshouldgobackandtellherwhat
happenedthismorning."

"Youcanifyouwant,buthe'switharesponsibleadult,Juliette.Shemightnotbewatchinghimthe

wayyouwould,butsheseemsnice."

SheglancedbackatCameron,whowassittingonthegroundnexttohisgrandmother'schair."She

doesseemnice.Ijusthaveanuneasyfeeling.There'ssomethingwedon'tknow."

"I'msurethere'salotwedon'tknow,butwecan'tbuttintotheirlives.It'stheirfamilybusiness.And

thefactthatshetoldhimtostayintheplaygroundandhedidn'tisn'tacrime."

"Butyouthinkthere'ssomethingoff,don'tyou?"
HetookanotherlookatCameron,whowasnowflatonhisback,gazingupatthestars.He

remembereddoingthat,too,hopingtofindsomesortofdivineintervention."Ithinkthekidhassome
problems,butIobviouslydon'tknowwhattheyare."

Shelookedathiminsurprise."Really?Ithoughtyouweregoingtodisagreewithme."
"Cameronseemssad,butthatcouldbeduetoanything.AndIdon'tthinkhe'sinanyimmediate

danger."

"No,nottonightanyway.I'mgoingtofindoutmoreabouthim,though."
Hewasamazedbyherpersistentbullheadedness."Don'tyouhaveenoughtoworryabout?You're

buildingabusiness.You'retryingtobuyahouseyoucan'tafford.Nowyouwanttofigureoutwhyone
littleboyissad?"

"IcanfindtimetodoeverythingIneedtodo."Shepaused."Iknowwhatitfeelsliketobesad,

Roman.Iguessthere'ssomethingaboutthatchildthatresonateswithme.Youwouldn'tunderstand."

"Actually,Iwould,"hesaidquietly."Iknowwhatbeingsadasakidfeelslike,too."
Shestaredbackathimandastheirgazesclungtogether,hefeltastrongandintensepullofattraction,

notjustphysical,butemotional.Hedidn'tknowwhyhe'djusttoldhersomethingsopersonal.Hebarely
knewher,andheneverspilledhisguts—nottoanyone.Therewasonlyonepersonwhoknewevenafew
thingsabouthischildhood,andthatpersonwashisgrandfather.He'dnevertalkedabouthispastwith
anyoneelse.Hedidn'tknowwhyhe'dcomesoclosetothesubjectnow,andjudgingbythegleamin
Juliette'seyes,hewasgoingtoregrethisbrieflapseinjudgment.

"Yousaidyourdaddied,andIknowyoucametolivewithyourgrandfatherwhenyouwerefifteen.

Whathappenedtoyourmom?"sheasked.

"Shehadalotofproblems—addictions,mentalissues.Iwastakenawayfromheracoupleoftimes.

Thelasttime,mygrandfathersteppedinandbroughtmehere."

Hergazefilledwithcompassion."I'mreallysorry."
"Itiswhatitis.IlearnedearlyonthattheonlypersonIcouldcountonwasmyself."
Shestaredbackathimwithherbigblueeyes,andhecouldseeadozenmorequestionsbrimmingin

hergaze.Heneededtocutthoseoffrightnow.

"Idon'treallywanttotalkaboutmypast."Hewavedhishandtothecrowdofcustomersatherdessert

table."Youshouldgetbacktowork.Yourassistantlookslikeshe'sgoingunder."

Shestarted."Idoneedtohelpher.CanwetalkaboutCameronagain,maybetomorrow?"
"What'stotalkabout?"
"Howwecanhelphim."
"Wedon'tknowifheneedshelp."
"Yes,wedo.AndIdon'twantCamerontothinkthattheonlypersonhecancountonishimself,"she

said,throwinghiswordsbackathim."Idon'tthinkyoudo,either."

Hewantedtodenyherwords,buthecouldn't.Andwhyfightheronadesiretohelpalittlekid?

MaybestickinghernoseinCameron'sfamilybusinesswasexactlywhatthechildneeded.

Thatdidn'tmeanhehadtohelpher.
Buthewasstartingtorealizethatshewasreallyhardtosaynoto.Therewassomethingabouther

prettyblueeyesandthosetantalizinglips,andthefactthateverytimeshewalkedaway,hewantedtocall
herback.Butheshouldn'tcallherback,andheshouldn'tmakehimselfavailabletoher.Shewasthekind
ofwomanwhowouldwanttoomuchfromaman.She'dwanttogetinsidehishead,hisheart,his
feelings…Hedidnotneedthat.He'dlockedawayalotofstuffalongtimeago,andhewasn'tbreaking
thatsafeopenforherorgivingherakey.Hewasn'tthatreckless—atleast,hedidn'tthinkso.

Six

Saturdaymorning,Romanrolledoutofbedalittleafterfive,putonhisrunningclothesandhitthe

streetsbeforethesuncameup.Heputinsixmilesofhardrunningbeforeheturneddownthestreetwhere
Juliette'sbakerywaslocated.Heslowedhispacedown,butforcedhimselftostayontheothersideofthe
street.

Hecouldseethelightsoninherbakery,andashestoppedtostretch,shecameintothefrontofher

storeandstartedfillingupherdisplaycases.

Hisheartflippedoverinhischest.
He'dthoughtabouthermostofthenight.
Hecouldn'thaveher.Hewasleaving.Evenifhewasn't,she'dsoonfigureoutthattheywereas

oppositeasnightandday,aslightanddark,assweetandsour.Hefeltcomfortablehereintheshadows,
wherehissecretsandhispainstayedhidden.Shewasbrightlightsandsweetsmiles,servingupwarm,
deliciousgoodness.Sheevenhadhalfthetownbelievinginamagicalcookie.

Whilehehadhalfthetownbelievinghewasatroublemaker,aliar,acheater.
Yeah,heneededtokeeprunning—asfarawayfromherashecouldget.Shecouldn'tbringhimup,but

hecouldbringherdown,andthatwasthelastthinghewantedtodo.

Hestartedbackdownthestreet,arrivingatthehouseafewmomentslater.Afterashowerandaquick

breakfast,hegottowork.Hedidn'ttakeabreakuntilhisgrandfatherarrivedaroundeleven.

"Looksgood,Roman,"hisgrandfathersaidasheperusedtheworkhe'ddonesofar.
"Thanks."
"Jeffbeenhelpingyouout?"
"Hecameforafewhoursyesterday,buthesaidhehadabasketballtournamentthisweekendsohe

won'tbeabletoworkagainuntilMondayafterschool."

Hisgrandfather'slipstightened."Hedidn'ttellmethat.Hesaidhewasfreetoday."
Heshrugged."It'sfine.I'vegotagoodhandleonthedemo,andhe'snotthatgreatofaworker.Where

areyouonhiringmorecrew,orsubbingoutsomeofthisjob?"

"I'mtalkingtopeople,"hisgrandfathersaidvaguely.
"You'vebeensayingthatsinceIcameback."
"Well,it'sstilltrue."
"YouknowthatIcan'tcommittobeingherelongenoughtohelpyoufinishthis."
"I'maware,"Vincentsaidshortly.
"Youcouldscalebackyourplans,"hesuggested."Youcouldimprovethehouseandaddvaluewithout

pushingoutthebackormovingasmanywallsaround.OryoucouldstoprightnowandsellittoJuliette
Adams.She'lltakeitasis."

Vincent'sbrowsfurrowedtogetherashefrowned."Shecanbuyitwhenit'sdone,butIdoubtshe'llbe

abletoaffordit.She'syoung.Therewillbeotherhousesforher."

"Notonesshegrewupin."Hedidn'tknowwhyhewasfightingJuliette'scause,becauseintruthhe

thoughtshe'dbeweighingherselfdownwiththishouse,anditwouldnevermakeherhappythewayshe
thought.

"LikeItoldher,houseshavemanystories.Hersisonlyone.She'llbeallright.Youjustworryabout

whatneedstobedonenow.I'lltakecareoftherestofit."

"Fine."

"MaxandIaregoingoutonHank'sboatthisafternoon.YouneedanythingfrommebeforeIleave?"
"Nope.I'msetfornow."
"I'llcheckinwithyoutomorrowthen."
"Sure."
Hisgrandfatherhadnosoonerleftwhenthedoorbellrang.
Hecouldn'tstopthesuddenjoltofanticipationthatranthroughhim.Hewasn'texpectinganyworkers

today,sohewasguessingtherewasonlyonepersonwhocouldbeontheothersideofthatdoor.Hejust
wasn'tsurehewasreadytoseeher.

Thebellrangagain,remindinghimthatJuliettewasstubbornandpersistent.
"Iknowyou'reinthere,Roman,"shecalledout.
Hetookoffhisglovesandopenedthedoor,hispulseracingalittlefasterashisgazerandownher

body.Sheworejeansbetterthananyonehe'devermet,withcurvesinalltherightplaces.Herbrownhair
waspulledbackinaponytail,herblueeyesbright,hercheeksaspinkashersoft,clingysweater.

"Whattookyousolong?"sheasked.
"Ihadmyhandsfull,"hesaid,shovingthosehandsinhispocketsbeforehecoulddosomethingfar

moredangerouswiththem.

Shehelduptheplasticcontainerinherhands."Istillhavemyhandsfull,unlessyou'rewillingtohelp

meout."

"What'sinthat?"
"Wishcookies.Cameronandhisgrandmotherateyourslastnight,soIbroughtyousomemore."
"I'mreallynotabigfanofcookies."
"EattheseandIdareyoutosaythatagain."
Hetookthecontaineroutofherhands."Isupposeyouwanttocomein."
"Yes,"shesaidwithouthesitation."IwanttotalktoyouaboutCameron."
"Ifigured."Hesteppedbackasshemovedpasthim.
Shepausedinthemiddleofthehallway."Yougotridofthecloset."
"Itopensupthelivingroom."
"Icanseethat,"shesaidtightly.
"It'sjustacloset,Juliette.Nothingstaysthesame."
"Believeme,Iknowthataswellasanyone,"shesaid,asharperedgetohervoice.Whensheturnedto

lookathim,therewaspaininhereyesalongwithaquestion."Haveyouevergonehome…towherever
youlivedbeforeyoucamehereasateenager?"

"No."
"Haveyoueverthoughtaboutit?"
"Ididn'tleaveahappyhouselikeyoudid.Idon'thavememoriesofaplacewherelifewas

wonderful."

"Really?Nothinginyourlifewithyourmomwasgood?"sheaskedtentatively."Nomemoriesthat

weresweet?"

"Sweet,huh?"heaskedwithafrown."Idon'tthinkso."Butevenashesaidthewords,flashesofhis

momsmiling,laughing,runningalongthebeachasshetriedtolaunchakiteintotheairwentthroughhis
head.

"There'ssomething,"Juliettesaidwithatriumphantsmile."Icanseeitinyoureyes.Whatwasit?"
"Itwasnothing."
"Itwasamemorythatwasn'tbad."
"Wewereflyingkitesonthebeach."
"Whatbeach?"
"SantaMonica.WelivedinLosAngeles.Notonthebeach;wecouldn'taffordthat.Butoccasionally

we'dtakethebusdownthereonahotday.Wedidn'thaveairconditioning,anditwashotalot.
Sometimeswe'dgotothemarket,justsowecouldstandinfrontofthefreezersectionforawhile."

"Whatdidshedoforaliving?Howdidshemakemoney?"
"Shedidalotofstuff—retail,restaurantcashier,dogwalker,holidayelf."
"Holidayelf?"Julietteechoed.
Hefoundhimselfsmilingagain."Yeah,shegotajobatthemall,oneofSanta'selves.Iwasaboutten.

I'dgotherewithherandwanderaroundwhilesheputlittlekidsonSanta'slap."

"Butyoudidn'tbelieveinSantabythen?"
"Ineverbelievedinhim."
"Never?Notevenwhenyouwerereallyyoung?"
Heshrugged."Itried,buthedidn'tshowupatmyhouse.Andwhenmymomworkedatthemall,Isaw

Santathrowingbackshotsintheparkinglot."

"That'snotsomethingyoushouldhaveseen."
"Trustme,that'stheleastofthesomethingsIshouldn'thaveseen."
"Itsoundslikeahardchildhood,Roman."Sympathyfilledhergaze.
Hethoughtaboutherwords."Ididn'treallyknowhowharditwasuntilIgotolder."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Idon'tknowwhywe'retalkingaboutthis."
"BecauseIasked,andwe'refriends."
"Arewe?"
"I'dliketothinkso."
"Wejustmet."
"Isthereamandatorytimerequirementonfriendship?"sheasked."Whydidn'tyouknowhowhard

youhadituntilyouwereolder?"

"Becauseitwasmylife.Itwasmynormal.Andwhenmymomwouldgointorehaborjustdisappear,

andsomesocialworkerputmeinfostercare,Iwaswithotherkidswhowerebadoff,too.ButwhenI
cametoFairhope,Isawanentirelydifferentworld.IthoughtIwasonamoviesetforawhile."

Shesmiled."Itcanfeelthatwayattimes.Youkindoflikedit,though,didn'tyou?"
"Ididn'twantto.Ididn'twanttobehere.Iwantedtogohome."
"Eventhoughitwasn'tgreat?"
"Eventhough,"headmitted."ItwaswhatIknew."
"Thatmakessense.Ijustwishithadn'tbeensobad."
"Well,wedon'tgettochoosewhatfamilywe'reborninto."
"WhichbringsusbacktoCameron."
Hewasactuallyrelievedtheyweremovingoffhispast,becauseonceagainhe'dsaidfartoomuch.

"Whatdoyouwanttodonow?"

"IgotDonnaandCameron'saddress.Ithinkweshouldpaythemavisit.Wecantakethemsome

desserts.SheseemedtoliketheWishcookieslastnight.Maybeifwegetintothehouse,wecanseehow
thingslook."

"It'sreallynotyourbusiness."
"Ifthere'sachildwho'sindanger,it'severyone'sbusiness."Shepaused."IknowIcouldcallFamily

Services,butthatcouldcausealotofproblems,andifI'mwrong,Donnawillbehorriblyinsultedand
embarrassed.I'drathercheckthingsoutmyself."

Havingbeentherecipientofseveralsocialworkervisits,hecouldn'thelpbutagree."Fine,butyou

don'tneedmeforthisplan."

"Ido,actually.IwasthinkingthatImightneedsomeonetodistractDonnawhileIasktousethe

restroom."

"Ontheguiseoflookingaround."
"Yes.Itwilltaketwentyminutes,tops."
"Andyouwanttodothisrightnow?"
"Preferably.Ihavetwohelpersinthebakeryuntilthree,soit'sagoodtimeforme."
"Youknow,Iamworkinghere."
"Can'tyoutakealittletimeoff?Wecangonow,andthenI'llbuyyoulunchafter.Doyoulikeburgers?

There'sanewrestaurantthatservesthemostamazing,fantabulousburgers.Youwilldiewhenyoueat
one."

"Fantabulous?Isthatevenaword?"
"Ifit'snot,itshouldbe;it'stheonlywordthatadequatelydescribesthesehamburgers."
"Idolikeburgers,"hesaidslowly,thinkinghelikedherevenmore.Healsofeltakinshipwith

Cameron,whichwastherealreasonhewascontemplatingsayingyestoherplan."Don'tyouhaveany
otherfriendsyoucouldtakewithyou?"

"Ihaven'tmadealotofotherfriendshere."
"Howisthatpossible?You'reoneofthemostoutgoingpeopleI'veevermet."
"I'vebeenbusy.IloveDonavanandSara,buttheyworkasmuchasIdo."
"Whataboutfriendsfromwhenyoulivedherebefore?"
"Ilosttrackofallofthem.IwastwelvewhenIleft.Thatwasfifteenyearsago.I'verunintoacouple

ofkidsIwenttoschoolwith,butnoonewho'sturnedintoagoodfriend.Justsayyes,Roman.You'll
spendmoretimearguingthanittakestojustgooverthere."

"Youareverypersuasiveandstubborn.Allright,I'llgowithyou."Heraisedthecontainerinhishand.

"Arethesethecookieswe'retaking?They'renotactuallyforme,arethey?"

Shegavehimamischievoussmile."Well,theycouldbe.Wecouldgotothebakeryandgetmore,

or…"

"Orwecantakethesetoher."
"Andgetyoumorelater,"shefinished.
"IwonderifI'mactuallyevergoingtogettoeatoneofthesecookies,"hemurmured.
Shelaughed."Ipromiseyouwill.Butthiswayyou'llhavetimetothinkofagoodwish,makethe

cookiecount."

Healreadyhadawishreadytogo,butitwasprobablyoneheshouldn'tmake.Hehandedherbackthe

containerofcookies."Letmewashmyhandsandchangemyshirt."

"Takeyourtime,"shesaid."I'lljustwanderarounddownhere."

***

AsRomanwentupthestairs,sheletoutabreathofrelief.She'dbeenhopinghe'dsayyestogoing

withhertoDonna'shouse,butshehadn'tbeensureofit.AndasmuchasshewantedtohelpCameron,she
feltalotmoreconfidentmakingthevisitwithRoman.Hopefully,itwouldjustseemfriendlyandnothing
morethanthat.

Whilehewaschanging,shewalkedaroundthedownstairs,feelingamixofemotionswitheverystep

shetook.Flashesofthepaststillmovedthroughherhead,buttheconstruction,theripped-outwalls,and
theclutteroftoolsdidkeepsomeofthememoriesatbay.Thehousewasstartingtofeeldifferentthanthe
onesheremembered.

Sheenteredthekitchenandsawthefirstsignoflifeinthedownstairsarea:acoupleofboxesof

cerealonthecounteraswellasabagofapplesandabunchofbananas.Shesetdownthecontainerof
cookiesandopenedthecupboards,findingplasticplatesandcupsandafewcoffeemugs.Romanreally
waslivingtheminimalisticlife.

Butthen,hewasn'tplanningonbeinghereforlong.Shefrownedatthatthought,thenmovedthrough

thebackdoor,ontotheweathereddeckthathaddefinitelyseenbetterdays.Noonehadtendedtothisyard
inalongtime;itwasfilledwithweedsandovergrownbrush.She'dheardthatthehousehadbeenrented
foryears,beforebeingsoldtoRoman'sgrandfather,sothetenantsprobablyjusthadn'tcaredthatmuch.

Itwassad.Thecornerofthegardenwherehermomhadgrowntomatoes,zucchini,andherbswas

nowjustdirtandweeds.Sheputherarmsaroundherwaist,feelingcolderthantheoutsidetemperature.
Thisyardfeltlikeareminderofthepainofherpast,notthejoy.Butitwouldbebetteroncetheyardwas
landscaped,whenflowersbloomedandgrassgrew.Shecouldstillrecaptureitsglory—ifshehadthe
chance.Atthemoment,thatwasdoubtful.

ShethoughtaboutwhatVincentPrescotthadtoldher—thatthehousecouldandwouldtellmany

stories,notjusthers.She'dneverreallythoughtofitthatwaybefore.Whowouldmoveinnext?Wouldit
beafamily?Wouldtherebekidswhowouldwanttohelptheirmothergrowvegetables,thewayshe'd
done?

"Juliette?"
Roman'svoicebroughtherbacktothepresent.Sheturnedaroundandpushedasmileonherface.

She'dlearnedhowtohidehersadnessalongtimeago.

"Ready?"sheasked.
"Areyou?"hecountered,givingheraspeculativelook."Youlookedlostinthought."
"Iwasbackinthepast."
"Webothseemtobetakingtripstheretoday."
"Thisyardwasmymother'sprideandjoy.Nowit'samess."
"Itwon'tbeforlong."
"Whatisyourgrandfathergoingtodowithit?"
"Replacethedeckwithsomebuilt-inbenches,buildinabarbecueareaandredothelandscaping,but

that'sattheendofaverylonglist."

"Well,thisyardcoulddefinitelyuseallofthat.I'malwayssurprisedwhenpeoplewholiveina

beautifulhouselikethisdon'ttakecareoftheyard.Iftheydon'twantlandtotend,theyshouldliveina
condo.It'sjustnotright."

"Ifwe'regoing,Juliette,weshouldgo."
"You'reright."FollowingRomanintothehouse,shegrabbedhercookiesandputthoughtsofthehouse

behindherastheywentouttothefront.

"Wecantakemycar,"shesaid,wavingherhandtowardhersmallwhiteMiniCooper.
Heraisedaneyebrow."Idon'tthinkI'llfitinthat."
"It'sroomierthanyoumightthink."
"Wecantakemytruck."
Hisweathered,charcoal-graytruckwasdefinitelyalotbigger,butitalsolookedlikeithadseen

betterdays,withdentsonthepassengerdoorandpeelingpaintonthehood."Howlonghaveyouhad
this?"sheasked.

"IboughtitrightbeforeIcamehere."
"Fromwhere—thejunkyard?"
"Acontractor,"hesaiddryly."Itmaynotlookpretty,butit'sgoteverythingIneed."
"Doyoueverwantmorethanyouneed?"sheasked,asshegotintothepassengerside.
Heshotheraquestioninglook."Whatdoyoumean?"
"Youseemtoexistatsurvivallevel,butIdon’tthinkit'snecessarilybecauseyoucan'taffordnicer

things.SoIwonderwhyyoudon'twanttoliveinaniceplaceorbuyanewtruck?"Shegavehima
questioninglook.

"I'mhappywithwhatIhave,"hesaidwithacarelessshrug."Idon'tgetattachedtothings.Idon't

usuallykeepthemthatlong."

Shewonderedifthingsincludedpeople.Knowingalittlemoreabouthispast,shethoughtprobably

so.Romanhadhadtoprotecthimselffromaveryyoungage,notjustfromdangerbutfromheartbreak,and
he'dprobablylearnedasachildthatattachinghimselftopeoplewhowoulddisappointhimandthingshe
wouldlosewasonlygoingtocausehimpain.

Shewonderedwherehismotherwasnow,butthatwasaquestionforanotherday.

Seven

"It'spretty,"Juliettesaid,asRomanparkedinfrontofDonna'stwo-storyhouse.
Thewhitehousewithdark-blueshuttershadabigfrontporchwithaseatingareaofwickerfurniture

andhangingpotsofplants.Theyardwaswell-tended,acolorfularrayofflowersliningthepathtothe
frontsteps.Shedidn'tknowwhatshe'dbeenexpecting,butshewasstartingtohavedoubtsabouthergut
instinctthatCameron'slivingsituationwasnotgood.

"Ihopethisisn'tamistake,"shesaidasshegotoutofthecarandmetRomanonthesidewalk."Maybe

youwereright,andCameronisjustanunhappy,boredkidandhisgrandmotherisawonderfulperson."

"Doyouthinkonlyhappythingsgooninprettyhouses?"heasked.
Shefrowned."Yousaidthatbefore,whenwewererunningafterCameron.I'mnotasnob,Roman,and

Idon'tthinkI'mnaïve."

"Notnaïve,butyoutendtoliveonthebrightsideofthestreet.Wishcookiesandmiraclesandsweet

somethingsfillyourdays."

"Nowtheydo.ButIhavebeenthroughmyownpersonalhell,"sheremindedhim."IfIchoosetomake

mylifesweeterandhappiernow,thenwho'stosaythat'swrong?"

"Definitelynotme."
"Good.AndIwouldn'tbehereifIwasn'twillingtofindoutwhat'sreallygoingonwithCameron—

prettyhouseornot."Shestrodeforwardandrangthebell.

Theywaitedforafewmoments,andshewasbeginningtowonderifnoonewashome.
"IfeellikeI'vebeenherebefore,"Romanmutteredashisgazeswepttheyard."Someonelivedhere.

OneoftheguysIhungoutwith,Ithink."

"Really?Butyoudidn'tknowDonna."
"Shelookedalittlefamiliar,butIdon'trememberanykidswiththelastnameofMays."
Cameronopenedthedoor,interruptingtheirconversation.Hiseyesfilledwithalarmwhenhesaw

them.

"Hi,Cameron,"shesaid,tryingtoeasehisworry."Isyourgrandmotherhere?Ithoughtyoubothmight

likemoreofmyWishcookies."

"Uh…"Helookedoverhisshoulder."She'ssleeping.Shedoesn'tliketobewokenup.Youcanleave

thecookieswithme."

ShetriedtopeerpastCameron,buthedidn'tseeminterestedinlettingherintothehouse.
"Cameron,"awoman'svoicerangout."Issomeoneatthedoor?"
"Soundslikeyourgrandmotherisawakenow,"Romansaid,pushingpastCameron.
Juliettefollowedhiminside,feelingalittleguiltyforjustwalkingin,buttheyweren'tgoingtolearn

anythingfromtheporch.

Donnacamedownthestairs,wearingarobeoveranightgown."Oh,dear,"shesaidwhenshesaw

them."Goodness,Ididn'tknowwehadcompany."

"We'resorrytobotheryou,"Juliettesaid."IwantedtobringyousomemoreofmyWishcookies."
"Well,thatwassweet,"Donnasaid,pattingdownherhair,thenpullingherrobemoretightlyaround

her."Excusemyappearance.Ididn'tsleepwelllastnightsoIstayedinbedthismorning."

"It'sfine.We'redisturbingyou,andthatwasn'tourintent."Actually,itwasexactlytheirintent,butshe

couldn'tsaythat.SheglancedoveratCameron,whohadtakenthelidoffthecontainerandwasbitinginto
oneofhercookiesasifhewerereallyhungry.Thatremindedherofwhytheywerehere."Wouldyou

mindifIuseyourbathroombeforewego?"

"It'sdownthehall,"Donnasaidwithawaveofherhand.
"I'lljustbeasecond,"shetoldRoman,whodidn'tlookthrilledthatshe'dlefthimwithDonna,buthe

simplygaveheranod.

"Youlookfamiliar,"Romansaid,asshelefttheroom.
"DoI?Maybeyousawmeinoneofmyplays.IusedtobeanactressattheCenterTheater.Itwasa

wonderfultime.Iplayedallthegoodparts—StellafromaStreetcarNamedDesireandScarlettfrom
GoneWithTheWind."

TheirvoicesfadedasJuliettemadeherwaydownthehall.Shemovedpastthebathroomtopeekinto

thekitchen.Therewasapileofdishesinthesinkandanoddsmellintheroom,butnothingovertly
horrible.Thebathroomwasinthesamecondition—notexactlydirtybutnotexactlyclean,either.There
wasanofficenexttothebathroomandasshelookedinthere,shesawalotofclutter.

Movinginside,sheperusedthedeskwhichwasstackedhighwithmail:flyers,catalogs,fundraising

requests,andwhatappearedtobebillswithsecondandthirdnoticestampedonthefrontofthe
envelopes.Shefrownedatthose.

Whywasn'tDonnapayingherbills?
Wasshejustlazyordidshenothavethemoney?
Thatquestionwasstillgoingaroundinherheadwhenshereturnedtotheentry.Romangavehera

relievedlookwhileDonnawaslaughingaboutsomestoryshe'djusttold.Cameronwassittingonthe
stairs,workinghiswaythroughthecontainerofcookies,andDonnadidn'tseemtobepayingany
attention.

"Savesomeforyourgrandmother,"shetoldCameronwithasmile.
Guiltfilledhiseyesashesetahalf-eatencookiebackinthecontainer.
"Oh,that'sallright.He'sagrowingboy,"Donnasaid,wavingherhand."Yougoaheadandfinishthat,

Cameron."

"Isthecookiereallymagic?"Cameronaskedher.
"Somepeoplethinkso,"shereplied.
"Why?"heasked.
"Goodquestion,"Romanmuttered.
SheignoredhimandfocusedonCameron."Thecookiesaremadewithaspecialkindofsugarthat

comesfromthesapofacoconuttree.Icanonlygetitatthistimeofyear,andbecauseit'ssospecial,it
givesthepersoneatingthecookiealittlebitofmagic."

Cameron'seyeswidened."SowhateverIwishforwillcometrue?"
"Notallwishescometrue,butsomedo."
"Iwantminetocometrue."Therewassuddenlyaseriousandpurposefullookinhiseyes,andJuliette

wonderedwhathewaswishingsohardfor.

ShelookedatDonna."Ihopeyoudon'tmindmyasking,butIwaswonderingwhereCameron's

parentsare.Dotheylivehere,too?"

"Myson,Travis,broughtCamerontoliveheretwomonthsago,buthehadtotieupsomelooseends

inNewOrleansbeforehecouldmakethemovehimself.He'sactuallycominghometoday;heshouldbe
heresoon.Cameron'smotherisn'taround,"sheadded,atartnoteinhervoice.

SoCameron'sdadwascomingbacktohelphismomtakecareofCameron.Thatsoundedgood.She

feltimmenselyrelieved,becauseshedidn'tthinkDonnawascapableofbeingthesolecaregiver."I'm
gladyou'llhavehelpwithCameron."

"Oh,he'ssuchasweetboy;hedoesn'tneedmuch,"Donnasaid."Thankyouagainforthecookies;it

wasverythoughtful.I'llhavetostopinatyourbakerysometime."

"Ihopeyouwill."

Adoorslammedsomewhereinthebackofthehouse,followedbyheavyfootsteps.Amancamedown

thehallamomentlater.Hewasshortandstocky,withamuscularbuild.Hisclotheslookedwornandlike
theyhadn'tseenawasherinawhile.Hisfacewascoveredwithascruffybeard.Hiseyeswereweary
andred,andanewuneasinessrandownherspine.

"Daddy,"Cameronsquealed.Hegotupandrantohisdad,throwinghisarmsaroundhisfather'swaist.

"Ididn'tthinkyouwereevercomingback."

"ItoldyouIwas,"themanmurmured.
"Travis,Iwasjusttalkingaboutyou,"Donnasaid."ThisisJulietteandRoman."
Travis'sgazeswungfirsttoher,thentoRoman.Hisfacepaled."You?"heasked,givingRomanahard

stare."Whatthehellareyoudoinghere?Ididn'tthinkI'deverseeyouagain."

"Likewise,"Romansaid,aclippedtoneinhisvoice.
"What'sgoingon?"Donnaaskedinconfusionandconcern."Youtwoknoweachother?"
"Ofcourseweknoweachother,"Travissaidtohismother."ThisisRoman.Thekidfromthepark,the

onewhostartedthefire…Don'tyouremember?"

"Oh."Donnalookedtakenaback."I—Ididn'trealize.Ididn'trecallthename.Ishouldhave.Ididn't."
"Getthehelloutofmyhouse,"Travissaid.
"Noproblem.Timetogo,"Romantoldher,ashemovedtowardthefrontdoor.
"Uh,allright,"shesaid."Enjoythecookies."
ShefollowedRomanoutsideandtheydidn'tspeakuntiltheygotintothetruck.
"Sowhatwasthatabout?"
Heputhiskeyintotheignitionandstartedtheengine."Thepast."
Shefrowned."Marthatoldmethatyouwereaccusedofsettingfiretosomeone'shouseorsomething

alongthoselines.IsthatwhatTraviswasreferringto?"

"Yes.Travis,DougandIwereinaparkonenightafterhighschoolgraduation.Ahousenexttothat

parkcaughtfiresometimeaftermidnight.Weweretheprimesuspects.Ididn'tstartthefire.Ihadleftthe
parkbeforethem.Buttheybothpointedtheirfingersatme.Theyliedtoprotectthemselves."Hepaused,
shakinghishead."IknewIrecognizedDonnaandthathouse;Ijustdidn'tputittogether.Travis'slastname
isHastings.IguessDonnausedhermaidennamebecauseshewasanactress."

Finally,hewasbeingforthcoming.Shehadalotofquestionsaboutthefire;shejustdidn'tknow

wheretostart."PuttingyourpastwithTravisasideforthemoment,didn'tyouthinkhelooked…beat-up,
exhausted?"

"Hedidn'tlookgood,"Romansaidtersely,ashepulledawayfromthefrontofthehouseanddrove

downthestreet.

"Cameronobviouslyloveshim,butIstillwonderwhat'sgoingonwiththatfamily.WhenIwas

lookingaroundthehouse,Isawstacksofunpaidbillswithfinalnoticeonthem.Maybetheprettyhouseis
justanillusionforwhat'sreallygoingon."

"DonnatoldusthatTravis'swifeisn'taround,sosomethinghappenedthere.Butbeyondthat,who

knows?"

Sheshiftedinherseat."Whenshefirstsaidhersonwascomingback,Iwasrelieved.Ithoughtnow

Donnahasthehelpsheneeds,becausesheclearlyisn'tuptotakingcareofCamerononherown.But
Travisdidn'tlooklikehehadahandleonthings,either."

"Youneedtoletthisgo,Juliette.Cameronhasafatherandagrandmotherandprobablyotherfamilyor

friendsinthistownforsupport.Youneedtostoptryingtofixhislife."

"I'mjusttryingtohelp."
"I'mgettingthefeelingyourdesiretofixCameron'slifeismoreaboutthefactthatyoucouldn'tfix

yourownproblemswhenyouwereakid."

"That'snottrue."

Heshrugged."Ithinkitcouldbe."
Shethoughtaboutitforamomentanddecidedhewaswrong."IfeelforCameronbecausehereminds

meofwhenIwasasad,scaredkid,andIthinkheremindsyouofyourpast,too.That’swhyyoucame
withme."

"Yes,butIcanacceptwhenit'stimetoletgoandmoveon."
"Icanacceptthat,too.I'mnotcrazy."
Hishardprofileeasedathercommentandhegaveherasmall,drysmileashestoppedatalight."All

evidencetothecontrary."

"Okay,gettingbacktoyou."
Hegroaned."Let'snot."
"Ijustwanttosayonething."
"Iseriouslydoubtyou'llstopthere."
"Let'sfindout,"shesaid."Inoticedsomethinginterestingaboutyourformerfriends.WhenDougsaw

youatDonavan's,andwhenTravissawyoujustnow,theyweren'tjustwaryorangry,theywereafraid.
Why?Dotheythinkyou'llsomehowgetbackatthemnowforpointingtheirfingersatyou?Doyouhave
somethingonthem?Couldyougetthemintotrouble?"

"Justbecauseyoudon'ttakeabreathinbetweenquestionsdoesn'tmakeitonelongquestion,"he

pointedout.

"Andyou'restalling."
"Aren'tyougoingtogivemedirectionstothehamburgerplace?"
"StayonthisroadforthenexttwomilesandthenI'lltellyouwheretogo.Inthemeantime…"
"Idon'tknowwhytheywouldbescaredofme,"hesaid."Ihavenothingonthem,noproofofanything.

Theyprobablyjustdon'twantmearound.I'mareminderofthatfireandsomeoftheotherstuffwedid
togetherthatwasn'tsogreat."

"Yousaidthefirestartedinapark?"
"Inthebushesnexttoahouse.TravisandDoughadbeensmoking."
"Notyou?"
"Iwasdrinkingbeer,butIdidn'thaveatasteforcigarettes."Hepaused."Thenextmorning,Iwas

pickedupbythepoliceforquestioning.Itoldthemthetruth,butnoonebelievedme."

"WereDougandTravisalsopickedupbythepolice?"
"Doug'sfatherwaschiefofpolice.Soheneveractuallywentdowntothestation.Traviswastaken

downthere,buthisfatherwasvicepresidentofthebankandpersonallycontrolledalotofloansforalot
ofpeople."

Shedidn'tlikethesoundofthat."Soyougettaggedforthecrimebecauseyoudidn'thaveapowerful

father?"

"Yes.AndbecauseDougandTravisbothsworethatIdidit.ThefactthatI'dgottenintosometrouble

beforedidn'thelpmycause."

"Whataboutyourgrandfather?Whatdidhedo?"
"HecamedowntothestationandtoldthechiefIwasgoinghomeunlesstheywerepreparedtocharge

me.Itwastheonlytimeinmylifeanyoneeverstoodupforme."

"Hebelievedyouwereinnocent."
"Maybe.Heneveraskedme.He'snotmuchofatalker."
"Thetwoofyoumustsitinsilencealot,"shesaiddryly.
"Wecandefinitelydothat."
"Sowhateverhappened?Noonewasheldresponsibleforthefire?"
"Nope.Thetruthistheydidn'thaveanyevidenceaboutanything,atleastasfarasIknow.Aweek

later,IjoinedtheMarineCorpsandlefttown,swearingI'dneverbeback."Heflungheralook."Yethere

Iam—atleastforthemoment."

"Youcan'tletthemrunyouoffagain."
"Theydidn'trunmeoffthefirsttime.I'dbeenplanningtojointheMarinesaftergraduation.Andit

wasagooddecision.Comingbackherenow—maybenotsogood."

"Whydidyoucomeback?"
"Mygrandfathersaidhecouldusesomehelp,andI'dbeenkickingarounddifferentplacesforafew

months,soIthoughtI'dgivehimsometimewhileIwaitedforeverythingtoheal.Ithoughtthetownmight
haveforgottensomeofwhathappenedbackthen,butIwaswrongaboutthat."

"Mostpeopleprobablyhave,"shesaid."Andlet'snotforgetallthepeoplewho'vecometoFairhope

inthelastthirteenorsoyearswhohaveneverheardofyou.Youmaynotbeasfamousasyouthink."

"Ithinkthewordisinfamous,andyoudoliketopicktheoptimisticviewpoint."
"It'sbetterthangoingnegative."Shesatup,realizingtheroadwassplittingahead."Taketherightturn

toEvansRoad.We'realmostthere."

"Good,becauseI'mreadyfor—whatdidyoucallit—afantabuloushamburger?"
"IhopeIdidn'toversell."
Hesmiled."Ihopeyoudidn't,either.I'mstarving."

***

ThenameBurgerPalacewasobviouslymeanttobeironic,Romanthought,asheparkedinthelotin

frontofthedeliberatelyweatheredshackthatsatonabluffoverlookingthebay.Butwhenhefollowed
Julietteinside,hisstomachrumbledwiththedeliciousaromaofonions,hickory,andbarbecue.

Theygotintoafairlylonglinetoperusethemenuofburgermagnificence."What'sgood?"heasked

her.

"LasttimeIgotthePrincessBurger,"shereplied."ButIdon'tthinkyouwantthatone.Idoubtit's

manlyenoughforyou."

Hegrinned,readingthecolorfullywrittendescriptionofapetiteburgertoppedwithlettuce,tomato,

andsweetpickles."Definitelynotenoughmeat."

"YoushouldgofortheRoyalFlushburger.Threepatties,twolayersofcheese,toppedoffwith

veggiesandsecretsauce."

"Andthat'salittletoomuchmeat.MaybeI'llgetthePrince."Hesteppeduptothecountertoorder.
Ashefinished,Juliettesaid,"I'mpaying,sojustmoveaside.I'lltakethePrincessBurger,"sheadded.

"Nosauce,please."

"Gotit.OnePrinceandonenakedPrincess,"thekidmanningtheregisteryelledbacktothelineof

cooks.

Romanlaughed."Nakedprincess.NowthatIlike."
Shesmiledbackathim."Don'tgetanyideas."
Itwasagoodwarning.Unfortunately,itwascomingtoolate.He'dbeengettingideasabouthersince

thefirstmomentthey'dmet—actuallybeforethat.Hisbodyhadbeenstirringwithattractionsincehe'd
spottedherthroughthebakerywindows.

Pushingthatthoughtaway,hedecidedtograbatablewhileJuliettepaidfortheirorder.
Hefoundoneoutsideonthedeck.Itwasasunny,briskdayandhefiguredtheymightaswelltake

advantageoftheweatherwithaseatneartherailingoverlookingthewater.

Juliettejoinedhimamomentlaterwithtwoglassesofwater."Thisisnice,"shesaid,settlinginthe

chairacrossfromhim."It'sbeenawhilesinceI'vebeenouttolunch.Whataboutyou?"

"Ieatoutafairamount."
"That'sright.Isawtheemptycupboardsinthehouse."

Hesippedhiswater."You'vebeensnoopingalottoday."
Shemadeafaceathim."Icouldtrytodenythat,butIwon't.WhatkindofstorieswasDonnatelling

youwhileIwaslookingaround?"

"Shetoldmeallaboutherdaysasanactress.Apparently,shewasbreakingalotofheartsbackthen.

Shedidmentionthatherhusbanddiedofaheartattackthreeyearsago."

"Iwonderifthat'swhenshestoppedpayingattentiontoherbills.Inhergeneration,thewomanoften

leftthatkindofjobtotheman.Iremembermyparentsarguingaboutthebills,butitwasreversed.My
mothercaredaboutthebills;mydadwasallaboutthebaking."

"Whataboutyou?Whosefootstepsdoyouwalkin?"
"Bothofthem.Ilovethebaking,likemydad.Hewasmyinspirationtobecomeapastrychef,butI

havetocareaboutthebusinessorIdon'thaveenoughmoneytobuyingredientstobake.It'sdifferent,
becauseit'sjustme.Idon'thaveahusbandoraninvestor;Ihavetomakethingswork."

"Doyouhaveanyfamilybesidesyouraunt?"
"SomedistantcousinsIneversee."
Herestedhisarmsonthetable,curioustoknowmoreabouther."DidyoulikeNewYorkatall?"
"Notinthebeginning.Youthoughtyoudidn'tfitinwhenyoucamehere,well,Iwasdefinitelyafish

outofwaterinNewYork.IhadaSouthernaccent.Idressedfunny.Iwassad,sosad,inthebeginningthat
Icouldn'ttalktoanyone.Icouldn'tevengointomyaunt'skitchen.Itfeltwrongtobakewithoutmyfather.
SoIdidprettymuchnothingbutsleepandwatchmindlessTV.Idon'tthinkImadeafriendforatleasta
year."

"That'shardtobelieve.You'resuchafriendlyperson."
"Iwaslostforawhile.Iknowyoucanrelate.Webothhadtomakebigchangesinourteenyears.

Eventhoughthereasonsweredifferent,theresultwasthesame."

"That'strue."
"ButNewYorkeventuallygrewonme.Myaunttriedhardtomakeahomeforme.Sheusedtotakeme

bikeridingandhorsebackridinginCentralParksoIcouldseetreesandsitonthegrassandfeellikeI
wasn'tlivinginaconcretejungle;ithelped.Eventually,ImadefriendsandIstartedtoappreciatethe
museumsandthetheaterandtheexcitementofthecity."

"Butyoustillwantedtocomebackhere."
"IalwaysknewIwould.Whenyouleft,yousworeyou'dnevercomeback,butwhenIleft,Imadethe

oppositepromise—thatIwouldonedayreturnandliveintheplacethat'sreallyhometome."Shepaused.
"MyfriendsthoughtIwasinsanetomovehere,butIjustknewIhadtodoit,especiallyafterIwonthe
bakingcompetitionandIhadthemoney.Theamountwouldn'thaveletmedoanythinginNewYorkCity,
buthereIcouldpayrentonbakeryspaceandanapartment—mylandlordofferedmethestudioupstairs
forpracticallynothing.AndIstillhaveenoughmoneytobuymyingredientsandmakemydesserts."

"Whatwastheprizeagain?"
"$30,000.IneverimaginedIcouldactuallywin,butIwentthroughsixregionalcontestsbefore

becomingoneofthreefinaliststobaketheperfectseven-layercakeonatelevisionfoodshow.AndIwon.
Itwasshockingandamazing."

"Itlookslikeyouputthemoneytogooduseandyourbakeryissuccessful."
"Customersarecomingback,andrepeatbusinessisalwaysagoodsign.Donavanhasbeenawesome

aboutsendingpeoplemywayaswell,alongwithsellingmybakedgoodsinthecoffeeshop."

"Donavanhasalwaysbeenaverycaringperson."
"Yes,sheis.DidyouknowshesendsmoneybacktothevillagesinEthiopiawherehercoffeeis

grown?"

"Shementionedthat,"hesaidwithasmile."Itactuallydidn'tsurpriseme."
"There'safundraisernextweek.I'mgoingtotrytogoinbetweenmymanicbakingsessionstoget

readyforallmyValentine'sDayorders,butI'mnotcomplaining.Busyisgood."

Juliettewasoneofthefewwomenhe'dmetwhoactuallydidn'tcomplainmuch,eventhoughshe'd

certainlyhadhardandunfairthingsinherlifetodealwith.

Shesippedherwater,thensaid,"Iknowyou'regoingtoshutdownagainwhenIaskthis,butI'm

curious…"

"You'realwayscurious."
Shesmiled."That'strue.Mymomusedtosayitwasasignofanintelligentmind."
"That'sagoodwaytospinit.Whatareyoucuriousaboutnow?"
"Yourmother."
Hestiffened."Ialreadytoldyouthatsordidstory.There'snothingmoretosay."
"I'msurethere'salotmore,butIwasjustwondering—wheresheisnow?Doyouseeher,talktoher?

Hasshebeeninyourlifeatallsinceyouwerefifteen?"

"ShelivesinLosAngeles.Shegotsoberaboutthreeyearsago.Sheemailsmeoccasionally,butwe

haven'tactuallyseeneachothersinceIwastakenawayfromherandbroughthere."

"Isthatherchoiceoryours?"
Hethoughtaboutthat."It'sprobablymutual."
"Really?"sheaskeddoubtfully.
"We'renotgoodforeachother.Sheneedstofocusonkeepinghersobrietyandhermentalhealth,and

whenshethinksaboutme,shefeelsguilty.That'snotaproductiveemotionforher."

"Butit'snotjustabouther.Howdoyoufeel?"
"Idon'treallywanttoseeher,either.ItriedsohardtoprotectherwhenIwasakid.ButIcouldn't.I

failed.AndIdon'twanttogetbackintothatimpossibleplaceagain.I'mgladshe'sbetter.Ihopeitstays
thatway.Iwishherwell,butfornowthat'sasfarasitgoes.Maybesomedaythatwillchange,butit'stoo
soon."

"Iunderstand.I'mhappyshegotbetter.Iwasafraidthestorywasgoingtoendonadarkernote."
"Youdon'tlikedarkness,doyou?"
"No,becauseI'vebeenthere,andit'sascaryplacetolivein.SoIchoosenotto."
Ashemethergaze,herealizedhe'dmadeadifferentchoice.He'dembracedthedarknesssoitwould

feelnormal.Intheshadows,hislifehadalwayslookedsomuchbetterthanitreallywas.Hestillhad
troublewiththelight.Itrevealedtoomuch.

Thankfully,theirfartoopersonalconversationendedasthewaitersetdowntheirplates.
Thesightofhisthick,juicyburgermadehismouthwater."Thislooksgood."
"Waituntilyoutasteit."Shebitintoherburgerandsighedwithdelight."It'sbetterthanI

remembered."

Hesmiledatherenthusiasm."Happytohearthat,"hesaid,ashetookabite.
"Well,whatdoyouthink?"sheasked,wipinghermouthwithanapkin.
"Fantabulous."
Shelaughed."It'stheperfectword,isn'tit?"
Everythingaboutthemomentwasperfect:thescenery,thefood,thebeautifulwomanacrossfromhim.

Thereweren'tthatmanytimesinhislifewhenhewishedhecouldfreezetime,butthiswasoneofthem.

Theyateinhappysilenceforthenextfewminutes.
WhenJuliettewasdone,sheletoutasighofsatisfactionandsatbackinherchair."Thatwasamazing.

IonlywishIhadanotherone."

"Youcangetone."
"No,I'mfull.AndsinceIdon'trunmileseverymorninglikeyoudo,Ineedtohavesomerestraint."
"Youcouldgowithme."
"Oh,no,Icouldn't,"shesaid,shakingherhead."Iamnotarunner.Iwilldoyoga,aspinclass,maybe

theelliptical,butrunning…notmything.It'stooboring."

"Idon'tthinkit'sboringatall,especiallynotwhenyou'reoutside.Yougettobreatheincleanairand

enjoynatureatthesametimeyou'reexercising."

"Yeah,butthere'sweathertodealwith.It'stoohotortoocoldortoorainy.AndIhaveneverfeltthat

rushofendorphinsthatrunnerstalkabout.WhenItrytorun,allIcanthinkaboutishowtiredIam,and
I'veonlygonelikehalfablock."

"YouranfartherthanthatwhenyouwerechasingCameron."
"ButthatwasbecauseIhadagoal."
"Sothat'swhatyouneedtorun…somethingtorunfor."
"IplayedsoccerwhenIwasyounger.Ilikerunningafteraballandkickingitinagoal.Buttorunjust

torun…"Sheshrugged."Notreallymything."

"Well,itdoesn'thavetobe.Itworksforme,whereastryingtoturnmyselfintoapretzelinayoga

classsoundspainfulandnotatallinteresting."

"Thepositionsaretogetyourmindreadyformeditation."
"Yeah,okay."
"Itakeityoudon'tmeditate."
"Actually,Ihavedonesomemeditation."
Sheraisedaneyebrow."Seriously?"
"IntheMarineCorps.Therearecertainjobsandskillsthatrequireabsolutelynomovement.Youhave

tobeabletocontrolyourbreath,yourbrain,becompletelystill.Whileitwasn'tthesamekindof
meditationyou'reprobablytalkingabout,itwassimilar."

"Icanseeyoubeingverygoodatcontrollingyourbreath."
"ShouldItakethatasacompliment?"
Shesmiled."Youshould.Imeantitthatway.I'mscattered.Mymindjumpsfromonethingtothenext.I

alwaysseemtohaveamillionideasatthesametime.FocusissomethingIhavetoworkat."

"Maybeallthoseideasarewhatmakeyoucreative.Don'ttrytostiflethemtoomuch."
"AsifIcould."
Helikedhoweasyitwastotalktoher,howopenshewasaboutherstrengthsandherweaknesses.He

alsolikedhowthesuncapturedherfaceandhowthebreezeliftedherhairandwarmedhercheeks.
Lookingathercouldbecomealifelongobsessionifhewasn'tcareful.

"What?"sheasked."DoIhavelettuceinmyteeth?"
"NotthatIcansee."
"Thenyou'restaring,because…"
"It'shardnottowhenyou'rearound,"headmitted.
Anervousgleamenteredhereyes."Really?You'retheonewiththecompellinggazethatmakesithard

tolookaway—notme.Donavansaidallthegirlsinhighschoolusedtotalkaboutyourintenseeyes."

"AndIthoughtitwasmymuscles,damn,"hejoked.
"I'msureyourbodygotsomelooks,too."Sheclearedherthroat."Iguessweshouldgo.Ishouldget

backtothebakery,andI'msureyouhaveworktodoaswell."

"Yes,Ido.Thanksforlunch,"hesaid,astheygotup.
"ThanksforgoingwithmetoCameron's."
"IreallydothinkyoushouldleavethatsituationalonenowthatCameron'sdadisback."
"Iwill…unlessthere'sareasonnotto."
"Well,I'mout.Idon'tneedtogetmoreinvolvedwithTravis."
"Iunderstand."
Heopenedthedoorofthetruckforherandthenwalkedaroundandgotbehindthewheel.Fifteen

minuteslater,hewasparkinginthedrivewayofheroldhouse.Hesawtheyearninglookshegavethe

home,butshedidn'tasktocomein.

"WillIseeyouatthemoviefestagaintonight?"sheasked."They'rehavingthecostumecontest

featuringfamouscouplesorloversfrombooksandmovies."

"Whatareyougoingas?"
"Noone.I'mjustmanningmytable."
"Andyou'renotwearingacostumeforthat?Doesn'tsoundlikeyou'regettingintothespiritofthe

event;I'msurprised."

"CanItellyoualittlesecret?"
Hewantedhertotellhimallofhersecrets,butthatwasdangerous,becauseknowingsomeone's

secretscouldbeahugeburden."Goahead."

"Idon'tlikedressingupthatmuch.IdoitonHalloweenandthat'sit."
Hesmiledatherguiltyexpression."Thatmightbethesanestthingyou'vesaidtome."
Shelaughed."Soyou'renotacostumeguy,either?"
"Idon'tthinkyouevenhavetoaskthat."
"Butyouwearauniformforwork."
"That'sdifferent.That'spartofthejob.It'snotacostume.Thematerialsthatwewearcanactually

saveourlives."

"Iwasjustteasing,"shesaid."Iwearanaprontobake,andthatmightnotsavemylife,butitdoes

savemygoodclothes."

"Exactly.Buttoansweryouroriginalquestion,Idon'tthinkI'llbegoing.Romanticmoviesaren'tmy

thing."

"Well,Imightnotlikecostumes,butIdoloveromanticmovies.Inmybook,thereisnothingwrong

withhappilyeverafter."

"Ithinkthere'salotwrongwiththatphrase.Itsetstoohighofabar."
"Ilikeahighbar,Roman.Youcan'tgetitifyoucan'tdreamit.That'swhatmydadusedtosay."
"Youknowwhatmygrandfatheralwayssays?"
Withafrown,shesaid,"Idon'tthinkIwanttoknow."
"Dreamsareforsuckers.Don'twastetimewantingsomething—gooutandgetit.Workhard.That'sall

thatmatters."

"Idon'tjustthink;Ialsoact,"sheremindedhim.
"That'strue,"hesaidwithasmile."Ialmostforgot.Youdefinitelyactmorethanyouthink.Soyou

don'tneedmyadvice.You'reaforcetobereckonedwith."

"Thanks.IguessI'llseeyouaround.Don'tforgettocomebythebakerysometimeandgetyour

cookies."

"Iwon't."
Theirgazesclungforalongmoment.Hewantedtokisshergood-byeoratleastgiveherahug,but

anymovefeltfraughtwithcomplications.

Damn!
He'dneverbeensoindecisiveabouthisactions,butashewatchedherwalkaway,heknewhewas

hesitatingbecauseJuliettewasimportant.

Hewantedher,buthealsowantedhertokeeplivinginhersweet,happily-ever-afterworld,andthe

twoideasdidn'tseemtogotogether.Sohedughishandsinhispocketsandwatchedherleave,wondering
howlonghecouldstayawayfromher.Becausehercarhadnosoonerroundedthecornerwhenhestarted
tomissher.

Eight

Thefestivalbeganatsixp.m.Saturdaynight.Juliettearrivedatthecoffeeanddesserttablestofind

Sarawearingahoopskirtdressthatmadeitappearasifshe'djuststeppedoffthesetofGoneWithThe
Wind.

"Letmeguess—Scarlett,"shesaid,asshesetdownalargeplasticcontainerofbakedgoods.
"Ofcourse,"Sarasaid,doingalittletwirl."Itwasmyfavoritemovie.AndIlovedScarlettbecause

shewasbeautiful,bold,andpassionate.ButIhavetoadmitIdon'tknowhowwomeneverworethese
hoops.Ikeepbumpingintothings."

Shesmiled."Ihavenoidea,either,butyoulookgood.SodoyouhaveaRhettButlershowingup

tonighttobeyourpartner?"

"AsamatteroffactIdo.He'saguyImetatthecoffeeshopafewweeksago,"Sarasaidwithahappy

smile."HisnameisTimMueller.He'sthemanageratthehardwarestore,andhe'ssupercute.We'veonly
beenoutafewtimes,soit'sstillreallynew,butIhaveabigcrushonhim."

"That'sfun.Iwouldlovetomeethim."
"Heshouldbeheresoon.Whereisyourcostume?"
"Dressingupashalfofacoupledidn'tseemthatexciting,"sheconfessed,notwillingtoadmittoSara

whatshe'dtoldRomanearlierthatcostumesweren'therthing."ButI'llbebehindthistablemostofthe
nightsohopefullynoonewillcare."

"HowaresalesoftheWishcookiesgoing?"
"FlyingoutthedoorsofastIcanbarelykeepup.Doyouwantone?It'sonthehouse."
"Iwouldloveone."
Sheopenedupthebinandpulledoutabaggiewithtwocookieswrappedinredribbon."Enjoy."
"You'resosweet.Doyouwantacoffee?"
"Maybelater.Ibettergetsetup,"sheaddedasmorepeoplepouredintotheparkandagroupof

teenagershoveredafewfeetaway,lookinglonginglyatherdesserts.

"Icanhelpyou,"Sarasaid."I'mallreadytogo."
"Great.What'sthefirstmovietonight?"sheaskedastheysetoutherdesserts.
Saralaughed."Funnyyoushouldask.It'sRomeoandJuliet."
"Awesome,"shesaiddryly.
"Soifanyoneasksaboutyourcostume,justsayyoucameasyourself."
"Goodidea."
"SpeakingofRomeoandJuliet,"Sarasaid,givingheraslysmile."Howarethingsgoingwithyou

andRoman?"

"Iwouldn'tsaythere'sameandRoman."
"Really?Myfriend,Tami,saidshesawyouattheBurgerPalacewithRomantoday."
"Wedidhavelunchthere,"sheadmitted."Thatwasjustacoupleofhoursago.Thegossipmillchurns

fast."

"Itgoesevenfasteraroundeligibleandappealingmen.I'veheardallkindsofrumorsaboutRoman

sincehegotback.Whatdoyouthinkofhim?Ishethedangerousbadboyeveryonesaysheis?"

TherewasanedgetoRoman,nodoubtaboutthat,buthewasalotmorecomplexthanSara's

description."He'sinteresting.Complicated.AndIsuspectveryfewpeopleknowwhohereallyis.He
doesn'tletpeoplein."

"Itsoundslikehe'slettingyouin.Italsosoundslikeyouhaveacrush."
"Oh,no,don'tbesilly,"shesaid,avoidingSara'squestioninggaze."We'rejustfriends."
"Really?You'refriendswiththeguywho'shelpinghisgrandfatherteardownyouroldhouse?"
"It'snotRoman'sfault.Ican'tblamehimforhelpinghisgrandfather."Sheshookherheadatthegleam

inSara'seyes."Stopmatchmaking."

"Why?It'sfun."
"IlikeRoman,butwe'renothavingsomegreattragiclovestorylikeRomeoandJuliet.We'renot

takingpoisonanddyingforeachotherwhileourfamiliesfeud."

Saralaughed."That'sgood.BecauseIdon'twantyoutodie.Yourdessertsaretoogood."
"Thanks,andIhavemyprioritiesstraight.I'mbuildingabusinessrightnow.That'smyfocus.

Speakingofcustomers…"

Saranoddedandgotbehindhertableastheheadofthemoviefestivalsteppeduptothemicrophone

nexttothebigscreentoannouncetheopeningofthefestivalandthescheduleofevents.

RomeoandJulietwouldbeginthenight,followedbythecostumecontest,andthenthemovieThe

Notebook.Theorganizerencouragedthemtogettheircoffeeanddessertsbeforethemoviebeganand
almostimmediatelythelineathertabledoubled.

Forthenexthourandahalf,shewasswampedwithcustomers.Whenitfinallybegantoslow,she

askedSaraifshe'dmindwatchinghertableforafewmoments,whileshewentbacktothebakerytoget
morecookies.

Asshewalkedthroughthetrees,hergazecaughtonthebigscreen,andshestoppedtowatchfora

minute,herinterestcaughtbythepassiononthescreen.Whileshedidn'twantthetragedy—she'dhad
enoughofthat—shedidwantthebiglovestory,thegreatestloveofalltimekindofmoment.

Herparentshadhadit.They'dbeenmadlyinlovewitheachother;they'dtoldhersodozensoftimes.

Shedefinitelywantedwhatthey'dhad.

"Well,isn'tthisappropriate?"amansaid."JuliettewatchingJuliet."
SheturnedtoseeDougWintersapproaching.Hewasn'twearingacostume,buthelookedmore

relaxedthanheusuallydid,outofhisusualsuitandtie,wearingjeansandajacket."Hi,Doug.Howare
you?"

"I'mgood.Tellme,didyourmotherwatchthemoviewhileshewaspregnantandthennameyouafter

it?"

"Yes.Shelovedthemovie,butithasneverbeenafavoriteofmine.Twokidskillingthemselvesfor

love?Imightbearomantic,butthat'sstupid."

Hegrinned."Agirlaftermyownheart."
"Lovestoriesshouldbehappy,"sheadded.
"Iagree.I'mgladIranintoyou.I'dliketotakeyoutodinner.Whatabouttomorrow?Areyoufree?"
Shehesitated.WhileDougwasattractiveandcharming,shedidn'tfeelanythingelseforhim,certainly

notthebutterfliesthatzippedaroundinsideherwhenRomanwasnearby.

Plus,therewasallthebadbloodbetweenDougandRoman,andshedidn'tknowhowshefeltabout

Doug'sactionsinanyofit.Although,tobefair,shehadn'theardhissideofthestory.Maybesheshould.

"Iftomorrowisnogood…"hebegan.
"No,tomorrowisfine,"shesaid,makingaquickdecision."I'dlikethat."
"Good.WhereshallIpickyouup?"
"Iliveoverthebakery."
"That'sconvenient."
"Itis."
Anawkwardpausefollowedherstatement,whichdidn'tbodewellfordinnerthenextnight.
"So,six,"hesaid.

"That'sperfect.Iwasjustgoingtorunbacktomystoretogetmoredesserts,so—"
"SoI'llseeyoutomorrow."Heputhishandonherarmandgaveitasqueeze,thenwalkedintheother

direction.

AsDougleft,shesawRomanstandingnearbywatchingher.Shewasshockedtoseehim.He'dmadea

pointofsayinghewouldn'tbecomingtothefestival.Hegaveherabriefnod,butbeforeshecouldmove
inhisdirection,heturnedandwalkedaway.

Frowning,shewonderedwhyhe'dgivenherthebrush-off.
WasitbecauseofDoug?Hadheseenthemtalkingtogether?Washejealous?
Ashiverrandownherspineasshedebatedwhattodo.
Sheshouldlethimgo…shouldn'tshe?

***

JuliettewasinterestedinDoug.
ThatpissedRomanoffmorethanhewouldhaveimagined.ButseeingDougwithhishandonJuliette's

arm,givingherthatsmoothsmilethatsomanypeoplefellfor,madehisbloodboil.

He'dbeenafooltocometothemoviefest,togolookingforher,butafterlunchhe'dthoughtabouther

allthedamnday,andhejusthadn'tbeenabletostophimselffromseeingheragain.

"Roman,wait."
Heheardhervoicebehindhimandpickeduphispace.
"Roman,stop,"shecalledagain.
Thelastthinghewantedtodowasstopandtalktoher,especiallysincehewasbehavinglikea

damnedidiot.Buthecouldhardlykeepgoingwithherchasinghimdownandcallinghisnameeveryother
minute.Thepeoplenearbywerealreadylookinginhisdirection.

Sohestoppedandwaitedforhertocatchup."What?"heaskedshortly.
"Whyareyourunningawayfromme?"
"Doyouhavetotalksoloud?"hecountered,movingawayfromthemoviegoersanddeeperintothe

trees."Peoplearetryingtowatchthemovie."

"Andyoudidn'tanswermyquestion.What'sgoingon?Whythecoldshoulder?"
"Youwerebusy;Ididn'twanttobotheryou."
"Iwasn'tbusy;IwastalkingtoDoug,butyousawthat."
"Areyougoingoutwithhim?"Thequestionlefthismouthbeforehecouldstopit.
Shehesitated."Hedidinvitemetodinnertomorrownight."
"Andyousaidyes?"Heshookhishead."Okay,fine,dowhatyouwant."
"IwilldowhatIwant,"shesnappedback."Butwhyareyousomad?"
"Itoldyouaboutthefire—aboutthewayhehungmeouttodry."
"Youdidtellmeyoursideofthestory.I'mcurioustohearhis."
"SoyoucandecideifI'mlying?Ithoughtyoubelievedme."He'dbeencrazytothinkshe'dtakenhim

athisword.

"Idon'tthinkyou'relying,Roman,butitsoundsliketherearethingsyoudon'tknow."
"Youmeanthingsyoudon'tknow.Youalwayshavetostickyournosewhereitdoesn'tbelong.This

isn'tyourbusiness,Juliette."

Shefrowned."Ifyoucouldstopseeingredforaminute,youmightbeabletohearmewhenIsaythat

myrealinterestinhavingdinnerwithDougistoaskhimaboutthefireandtherumorsfloatingaround
aboutyou.Doyoureallywanttoliveinthistownwithacloudhangingoveryourhead?"

"I'mnotgoingtobeherethatlong,andwhileIamhere,I'lldealwithit.Thisisn'tyourfight,Juliette."
"You'remyfriend.Ifightformyfriends."

Ashelookedintoherfiercelybeautifulblueeyes,hefelttheicearoundhisheartstarttocrack.

Juliettewasn'tlikeanyonehe'devermetbefore.Wasshetellingthetruth?WasthedatewithDoug
abouthim?Ordidhejustwanttobelievethat?

"Friends,huh?"hemuttered,notexactlyhappywiththedescriptionoftheirrelationship.
"Ithinkso.Don'tyou?"
"Idon'tknow."Actually,hedidknow.Thelastthinghewantedtobewasherfriend.
Drivenbyamixofemotionsandadesirethathadbeensmolderingsincehemether,heimpulsively

leanedforwardandkissedherparted,surprisedmouth.Shetastedlikesugar,vanilla,andcoffee—three
ofhisfavoritethings.Hewantedmore.

Hecuppedherheadwithhishands,takinganotherkisswhilehehadthechance.
Hersurpriseturnedtoacceptance,topassion.Herarmscamearoundhisneck,asshekissedhimback

withthesamekindofenthusiasmshebroughttoeveryotherpartofherlife.

Nowhewastheonewhowassurprised…andmaybealittlerattled.He'dcrossedalineheprobably

shouldn'thavecrossed.Heshouldpullaway,butitwasn'teasytoendthebestkissofhislife,eventhough
heknewitwouldonlyleadtolikinghermorethanhealreadydid—whichwasprobablytoomuch.

Butallhecouldthinkaboutwashowlonghecouldgoonkissingherbeforehehadtocomeupforair.
Finally,shepulledawayandtheystaredateachotherwiththeheatoftheirbreathcreatingswirling

cloudsinthecoldnightair.

Sheputahandtohermouth."Thatwas—unexpected."
"Wasit?I'vebeenthinkingaboutitforawhile,"hemurmured.
"Youhave?"Wonderfilledherblueeyes."Ididn'tknow."
"Didn'tyou?"hechallenged.
"I—Idon’tknowwhattosay."
"Well,that'safirst,"hesaiddryly.
Shemadeafaceathim."Really?Youkissmelikethat,andthenyou'resarcastic?"
Hegrinned,likinghowrealitalwayswasbetweenthem."Sorry,butyouusuallyhaveplentytosay."
"Yousurprisedme."
"Itwasjustakiss—akissbetweenfriends,right?"
Shestaredbackathim."Right.Friends.Ihavetogotothebakery.Iranoutofcookies.Iwasonmy

waytherewhen…"

"Doyouwantmetogowithyou?"
Sheimmediatelyshookherhead."No.I'llseeyoulater."
Asshewalkedaway,heletoutabreath,nowherenearasunshakenbythekissashe'dimplied.He'd

definitelyneverhadafriendlikeher.Onlyproblemwashewantedtobefarmorethanherfriend.

***

Dougwascharmingandhandsome,andhavingdinnerwithhimSundaynightatprobablythemost

expensiverestaurantinFairhopemadeJuliettefeelalittlelikeshewasbackinNewYorkagain.Thefood
atGladstone'swasexcellent.Herdatewasmorethanalittleattractiveinslacksandacharcoal-grayshirt,
hislight-brownhairstyled,andhisfacecleanlyshaven.

Shelookedbetterthanshehadinawhile,too,puttingonheelsandadressforthefirsttimeinforever.

She'devenwornmakeupandcurledherhairabit.Itwasallsosophisticated…butalsoalittledull.

Dougwashappytotalkabouthimself:hislawfirm,citycouncilbusiness,andhisupcomingrunfor

mayor,whichshefoundsomewhatinteresting.Shealwayslikedgettingtoknowwhatmadepeopletick,
anditwasclearthatFairhope'sfuturewasabigpartofDoug'sfuture.Shesupposeditwasabigpartof
hers,too,sosheshouldprobablybeexcitedtogettheinsidescoopfromoneofthemorepowerfulpeople

intown.Buttheirconversationfeltmorebusinessthanpersonal,andtheycouldn'tseemtofindanyother
subjectstotalkabout.

ShewantedtobringupwhathadhappenedyearsagobetweenDougandRoman,butsofarDoughad

stayedalmostdeliberatelyawayfromhispast,fromhischildhood.Becausehedidn'twanttotalkabout
beingakidinFairhope,healsodidn'tseemtobethatinterestedinherlifebeforeshe'dcomeback.Ifshe
wasgoingtofindoutDoug'ssideofthefirestory,shewasprobablygoingtohavetoforceanunwanted
tripdownmemorylane.Andasthewaitersetdowncoffeeandadessertmenu,sheknewshewasrunning
outoftimetodothat.

"Theymakeanexcellentchocolatelavacakehere,"Dougsaid."Wanttotryit?"
"I'msureit'sgreat,buttobehonest,Inevereatdessertout,unlessI'mdoingresearchintosomeone

else'scake.Idosomuchtastingduringtheday;Ihavetosavemycalories."

"Youdon'tlooklikeyouneedtowatchyourcalories,"hesaid,anappreciativegleaminhiseyes.
"Thanks,butIdo.Youshouldhavesome,though."
"No,I'mfull,"hesaid,settingdownhismenu.
"Youknow,IkindofrememberyoufromwhenIwasakidhere,"shesaid,makingavaguestatement

thatwasn'ttrueatall,butshehadtofindawaytoopenupthepast.

"Oh,yeah?"
"Yourfatherwasthechiefofpolice,wasn'the?"
Dougnodded."Yes,hewas—foralmosttwentyyears.Heretiredaboutfiveyearsago.Nowheand

mymotherspendtheirtimetravelingorinthedesertheatofPalmSprings.He'sabiggolfer."

"Thatsoundswarm—relaxing."
"It'snice.Theyhaveacondothere."
"Sotheydon'tspendmuchtimehereinFairhope?"
"No,notreally.Theydidn'tevencomebackforChristmasthisyear.Mydadcouldnevertravelwhen

hewaschief.Heworkedmostholidays,somymotherfeltshe'dearnedtheirretirement.Andhe'dearned
it,too.Hetookgoodcareofthistown.Nowit'smyturn."

"It'sgoodthatyoucaresomuch.That'sonethingI'venoticedbeingabusinessownerhere—howmuch

everyonecaresaboutkeepingthecitygreat."

"It'sallaboutsupportingeachother."Hepaused."IhopeI'llhaveyoursupportformayor."
"Ofcourse,"shesaid,eventhoughshehadnoideawhowasevenrunningagainsthim.Sheneededto

getabitmoreinvolvedintownbusiness,too.

"Great.I'mhappytohearthat."Hegaveherabeamingsmile.
Shesmiledback,knowingshewasprobablyabouttobursthishappyballoon,butshewasstartingto

feellikeitwasnowornever."There'ssomethingIwanttoaskyouabout."

"Shoot.Mylifeisanopenbook."
Sheseriouslydoubtedthat,butshewasabouttofindout."It'saboutRomanPrescott."
Hisopen-bookfaceimmediatelyclosedashesatbackinhischair."Whatabouthim?"
"IsawyourtenseexchangeinthecoffeeshoponFriday.IaskedDonavanaboutit.Shesaidyouand

Romanwerefriendsandthenyouweren't—thattherewassomemysteryaboutafirethatstartedinapark
andspreadtoahouse."

"Therewasnomystery.Romanwassmokingintheparkthewayhealwaysdid.Drinking,too.Hegot

carelessandsetthebrushonfireandranaway,lettingtheMarsons'housegoupinflames.Thenhetried
toblameme."

Shecouldhearthebitternessinhisvoiceandthenoteofbetrayal,thesamenoteshe'dheardin

Roman'svoice."IspoketoRomanaboutit.Hesaidhewasn'tsmokingthatnight,andhe'dleftthepark
hoursbeforethefirestarted."

"WhywouldyoutalktoRomanaboutthatoldfire?"Dougaskedsharply.

"We'vebecomefriends."
"Howdidthathappen?"
"Well,he'sremodelingthehouseIusedtolivein.Istoppedbyoneday,andwestartedtalking."
"BeingfriendswithRomanisnotasmartidea.He'strouble.Healwayshasbeen.Wewerefriends

once,andRomanledmedownalotofpathsIshouldnothavegone.Alotmorehappenedthanjustthat
fire."

"Likewhat?"
"Romangotintofightsonadailybasis.Didhetellyouhowatesthehadn'tstudiedforsuddenlywent

missingfromMrs.Stewart'sdesk?Ordidhementionhowmoneyraisedforthehighschoolfootballteam
disappeared?Orhowthehighschoolmascotendeduponaraftinthemiddleofthelake?"

"Thebulldog?"sheaskedinsurprise."HeputBillythebulldoginthelake?"
"Yes,rightbeforethebiggame."
Shecouldn'thelpthesmilethatteasedherlips,butshecouldseeDougdidn'tappreciateherreaction.
"Okay,maybethatwasn'tabigdeal,"Dougsaid."Buthecausedalotofpeoplealotoftrouble."
"Ifyouknewhewasstealingtestsandmoney,whywereyoufriendswithhim?"shechallenged.
"Ididn'tknowatthetime.AndRomanwas…fun,"hesaid,thewordcomingwithgreatreluctance.

"Heshookthingsup.Hewasnewtotheschool,andhewasfromCalifornia.HehadideasthatIhadnever
had.Iwasstupidtofollowhimanywhere.Whenheturnedonmeafterthefire,Isawwhathewasreally
about.Icouldhavelostmyadmittancetocollegebecauseofhim.Anddon'tthinkitwasjustmehetriedto
takedown.Ourfriend,Travis,alsogotthrownunderthebusbyRoman.Hehadabaseballscholarship
thatwasputintojeopardybyRoman'sactions.Romanwastheonlyonewhohadnothingtolose,butstill
hepointedthefingeratus."

Dougwasacompletelydifferentpersoninthismoment.Hewasfiredup.Hewasangryandbitterand

therewasrealemotionbehindhiseyes.Itwasalmostlikeseeingadifferentperson.Sheactuallyliked
thisguybetterthantheonewhoworethesmooth,charmingmask.

"Idon'tknowwhywe'retalkingaboutallthis,"Dougadded,startingtopullhimselftogether."Itwasa

longtimeago."

"WhatIdon'tunderstandisifRomandidit,whywasn'thearrested?"
"Therewasn'tenoughevidencetoholdhim.Mydadhadtolethimgo."
"That'sright.Yourfatherwasthechiefofpolice."
Hefrowned."HedidnottrytorailroadRomantoprotectme—ifthat'swhatyou'rethinking.Isthat

whatRomantoldyou?"

"Heactuallydidn'tsaythatmuchaboutit,butIsawhisfacewhenMarthaGraysonverballyattacked

himinfrontofmybakery.Shesaidsomeveryhatefulthings."

"Marthadoesn'tlikeanyone,andIdoubtheropinionmatteredtoRoman."
"Ithinkitbotheredhimmorethanhemightadmit."
Douggaveherasharplook."AmImissingsomething?Areyoutwoseeingeachother?"
"No,we'rejustfriends.Weonlymettheotherday."Shefeltheatrunthroughheratthememoryoftheir

kissintheparkthenightbefore,butshedidn'tplanontellingDougaboutthat.

"Well,good,becauselikeIsaid,heistroubleyoudonotneedtohave.I'mjusthopinghedoesn'tstay

long.Iheardhe'srecuperatingfromsomeinjuryandthengoingbacktotheMarines."

"That'swhathesaid,"sheagreed."Idon'tknowwho'sgoingtofinishthehouseremodelwhenhe

leaves."

"IsawtheplansforthehousewhenVincentbroughtthembeforetheplanningcommission.I'm

interestedinbuyingtheplaceafterit'sdone."

"Really?Why?"sheaskedinsurprise.
"It'sgoingtobeabeautifulhouse."

Shefrowned."Itwasbeautifulbefore."
"Andold.Itneededmassiveupdating."
Thelastthingsheneededweremorepracticalopinionsaboutheroldhouse."Well,welikedit—my

parentsandme."

"It'sagreatfamilyhouse,"hecontinued."Icouldseehavingafamilythere."
"Ican,too,"shesaid,notcaringatallfortheideaofDouginherhouse.He'dturnitintosome

centerpiecefortowneventsandpoliticaldinners."I'dliketobuytheplacemyself.Ijusthavetofigureout
howtopullsomemoneytogethertodothat."

"Well,let'snotgetinabiddingwar,"hesaidwithasmile."Maybewecanworksomethingout

together."

"Maybe,"shesaidvaguely.Sheputhernapkinonthetable,relievedtoseethewaiterbringovertheir

check.Shewasreadytobedonewiththeirdate.

Dougpaidthebill,thenescortedhertothecar.Theymadesomesmalltalkonthewaybacktoher

apartment,mostlyabouthowcolditwas,whichjustshowedhowlittletheyhadtodiscusswhenatthe
endofthenightalltheyweretalkingaboutwastheweather.

Heparkeddownthestreetfromherapartmentandinsistedonwalkinghertothedoor.Ontheway,he

said,"DoyouhaveadatefortheSweetheart'sDancenextSaturday?"

"I'mactuallygoingtobeworkingthedance.Theorganizertalkedtomeaboutprovidingadessert

table."

"Sobringyourdessertsandthenbemydate.I'magooddancer.Ipromisenottosteponyourfeet,"he

addedwithasmoothsmile.

"I—Idon'tknow,"shesaid,notwantingtohurthisfeelingsbutalsonotsureanotherdatewasinthe

cards."It'shardtomixbusinessandpleasure."

"Justthinkaboutit,"hesaid."Youcangivemeyouranswerlater."
"Idon’twanttostopyoufromaskingsomeoneelse."
"You'retheonlyoneIwanttogowith."
"That'sveryflatteringandI'msurequiteuntrue.DonavanandSaratoldmeyou'reoneofthemost

eligiblebachelorsintown."

Hestoppedinfrontofherdoor,thetensionleavinghiseyesathercomment."Youaskedthemabout

me?"

Sherealizedquicklythatshe'dgivenhimthewrongidea,butshecouldhardlytakeitback."Your

namecameuponeday."

"I'msingleforareason,Juliette.I'vebeenwaitingfortherightwoman,andIhaveafeelingyouandI

couldbegoodtogether.You'reabusinesswoman.You'reambitiousandhardworking,andIrespectthat."

"Thankyou.Butwebarelyknoweachother."
"Itdoesn'thavetotakelongtoknowsomeoneisrightforyou."
Sheactuallyagreedwithhim.Unfortunately,thingsdidn'tfeelrightwithhim,andshedidn'tthinkthey

everwould.

"Anyway,"hesaid."IknowI'mrushingyou.I'mjustamanwholikestogoafterwhathewants."
Heleanedoverandkissedher.Itwasn'tmorethanabriefpeck,butitstillfeltcold.Shewonderedif

itfeltthatwaytohim.

Apparentlynot.Heliftedhishead,gaveherasmileandsaid,"I'llseeyousoon."
Afterheheadeddownthestreet,sheunlockedherdoorandsteppedinside.Shepausedonthelanding.

Shedidn'tfeellikegoingupstairstoherapartment.Shefeltunsettled,notbecausethekisshadhadany
impact,butbecauseithadn't—becauseshe'dwishedthatitwasRoman'smouthonhers.

ShenevershouldhavegoneoutwithDoug.Herrealmotivationhadbeentolearnmoreaboutthefire,

andshe'ddonethat,butshe'dalsogivenDougthewrongidea.Shedidn'twanttohurthisfeelings,butshe

neededtoendthingsbeforetheywentanyfurther.

She'dliketodoitnow,butitseemedalittletoocrueltorunafterDougjusttotellhimshenever

wantedtodatehimagain.

Butshehadtodosomethingwithherrestlessenergy,whichmeantshehadtobake.Itwastheonly

waytoburnoffsomesteam.

Sheopenedherdoorandsteppedbackoutonthesidewalk,shockedtoseeRomanwalkingawayfrom

herdoor."Roman,"shecalled.

Heturnedaround,givingherawarylook.
"Whatareyoudoinghere?"sheasked."Wereyoucomingtoseeme?"
"Iwastakingawalk.Iwasgoingtosayhello,butIsawyoukissingDouggoodnight,"hesaid,aterse

noteinhisvoice."Ididn'twanttointerrupt."

"Oh,Ididn'tseeyou."
"Itdidn'tlooklikeyoudid.Howwasthedate?"
"Itwasallright."
"Well,I'llseeyouaround."
"Wait,"shesaid,notreadytolethimgo."Doyouwanttocomeupforaminute?Myapartmentis

upstairs."

Hehesitated."It'sgettinglate."
"Notthatlate."Herrestlessfeelinghadvanished,replacedbyexcitementandanticipation.
"Icouldcomeup,Iguess,"hemuttered."Butweren'tyoujustgoingsomewhere?"
"Iwasthinkingaboutdoingsomeprepworkfortomorrow'sbaking,butIcanleaveituntilmorning.

That'sonlyafewhoursfromnowanyway."Sheopenedthedoor."Comein."

"Whattimedoyoustartwork?"heasked,followingherupthestairs.
"Five,sometimesfour,dependingonhowmuchIhavetodo."
"Seriously?"
"Howdoyouthinkallthecakesandcookiesgetmadeandputintothedisplaycase?"
"IguessIdidn'tthinkabouttheactualbakingpart."
"Themostimportantpart."Sheunlockedherdoorandmovedintothestudioapartment,takingaquick

looktomakesureshedidn'thaveanyunderwearlyingaround,butthankfullyshe'ddonelaundryearlierin
theday,andeverythingwasneatlyfoldedinthebasketbythebathroom."Asyoucansee,it'snotvery
big."

"Butitisveryyou,"hesaid,hisgazesweepingtheroom,notingthedoublebed,thedeskbythe

window,thedresserwiththesmall,ancientTVonthetop,thearmchairandottomanwhereshespentany
sparetimeshehadreading.Therewasasmallbathroomoffthekitchenette,whichboastedanovenwith
stovetop,arefrigerator,amicrowave,andacoupleofcabinets.Butwhilethefurnishingswerewornand
simpleindesign,she'daddedcolorfulthrowblanketstothebedandthechair,acoupleofplantsbythe
window,andsomefamilypicturesonthedesktomakeitfeelmorehomey.

Romanwanderedovertothoseframedphotographs."Thisisyourfamily,"hesaid,pickingupthelast

pictureshehadofherfamilytogether.

"Yes,itwastakentheChristmasbeforetheydied.WealwayscutdownourChristmastree,whichwas

whatwedidthatday.Thenwedecorateditwhiledrinkinghotcocoawithmarshmallowsandlisteningto
Christmasmusic.Mydadlovedtheoldies.He'dsingalongatthetopofhisvoicewithDeanMartindoing
'Baby,It'sColdOutside.'"Shestopped,feelingthemoisturegatherinhereyes.Sheblinkeditaway,but
notfastenoughforRomannottosee.

"Sorry,Ididn'tmeantomakeyousad,"hesaid.
"Youdidn't.Iliketalkingaboutthem.Idon'tgetthechanceveryoften,especiallynowthatIdon'tsee

myaunt,whoistheonlyoneinmylifewhoknewmyparents."

"Whataboutyourgrandparents?Whathappenedtothem?"
"Myfather'sparentsdiedbeforeIwasborn.Mymom'sparentsweredivorced,andsheneversawher

fatheraftershegotmarried,soI'venevermethim.HermomwasaroundwhenIwasachild.Shewas
verycool.Shewasanartist.Shepaintedbeautifullandscapes.Shediedaboutsixmonthsbeforemymom
did.Ithinkithitmyauntreallyhardtolosenotonlyhermotherbutalsohersisterinsuchashortperiod
oftime."

"Butshehadyou—thatmusthavehelped."
"Iwasn'tsogreatthefirstyear.Infact,Iwasapainintheass.Butthankfullysheletmegetthroughit

onmyown."

"Whatdoesshedo?"
"SheworksinfinanceforacommercialrealestatefirminNewYork."
"Sheneverhadkids?"
"Nope.IusedtoaskherifthatwasbecauseIwassuchaheadacheshecouldn'tthinkabouthaving

anotherkid,butshesaidno,she'djustneverreallywantedtofillahousewithchildren.Sheandher
husbandtravelalot.They'reveryhappy."

"Noteveryoneismeanttohavekids."Hesetdownthefamilyphotoandpickeduptheonenexttoit—

theoneDonavanhadrecentlygivenher."Ilikethis,"hesaidwithasmile."Youwereborntobeabaker."

"Yes,andIfinallygrewintothathat.Donavanactuallyfoundthatamonghermother'spossessions.I

don'tknowhowitgotthere,butshegaveittometheotherday.Ishouldputitinthebakery;Ijusthaven't
hadachance."

"Yourfatherwouldbeproudthatyoufollowedinhisfootsteps."
"Ithinkhewouldbe.WetalkedaboutitalotwhenIwasakid.Itwasourthing.We'dbaketogether

mostweekends.Hedidn'tcookanythingelse.Mymomwasinchargeofalltheothermeals.Buthewas
thekingofdessert."

"Whatwashisfavoritedessert?"
"Chocolatesouffléwashisfavoriteandhisbiggestchallenge.Meringuesareextremelysensitiveto

humidity,temperature,andmovement—youhavetodelicatelyandcarefullywhipandfoldthemeringues
andthenbesuperpatientandresistopeningtheovendooruntilthetimergoesoff.Whenitallgoeswell,
it'sheaven.Whenitdoesn't,it'saflop."

"Doyousellthosedownstairs?"
"No,butIoccasionallymakeitforaprivateparty.Actually,Ishouldthinkaboutdoingthatfor

Valentine'sDay.I'mcateringthedessertforfourprivatedinners."

"Itsoundslikeyou'regoingtohaveaworkingValentine'sDay,"hecommented.
"It'sabusytimeforsweets,butI'mhappyaboutthat.Andthenthere'sEasternottoolongafter."
"What'stheslowseason?"
"Probablythesummer.ItgetstoohotandpeoplethinkmoreaboutPopsiclesthancake.Butitnever

fallsoffentirely."

Hesetthephotodownandtookaseatontheottomaninfrontofthearmchair.
Sheperchedontheendofthebed."Sowhydidyoureallycometoseeme,Roman?"
"ItoldyouIwastakingawalk."
"Yougetalotofexercise."
"Ido,andthisblockisonmyroute."Hepaused."Sodidyougettheinformationyouwantedfrom

Doug?"

"Finally,youaskthequestionIknowyoucameheretoask."
"Iactuallydon'tcarewhathesaid,butyouwerecurious."
Shedidn'tbuythatforasecond,butshe'dlethimkeephispride."Iaskedhimaboutthefire.Hetold

methatyoudiditandblameditonhimandTravis."

"Ofcourse,hedid,"Romanmuttered."Itoldyouhewould."
"Healsosaidyouweretrouble,andIshouldstayawayfromyou."
"He'ssingingthesameoldsong."
"DidyoureallyputBillythebulldoginthemiddleofthelake?"
Hetippedhishead."Itseemedlikeagoodideaatthetime.Ithoughthe'djumpofftheraftandswim

back,butitturnedoutthathedidn'tlikethewater.Hebarkedallnightuntilsomeonefromthefire
departmentgotinarowboatandwentouttorescuehim."Hepaused."WhatelsedidDougtellyou?"

"Notmuch.Hemadealotofvaguereferencestothingsthathewantedtopinonyou."
"So,thereyouhaveit.You'veheardbothsides.Whodoyoubelieve?"
Nowsheknewwhathe'dreallycomeheretoask,andtherewasatensionabouthimthattoldherthat

heranswerwasimportant."Ibelieveyou."

Hisexpressionlightenedashetookinaquickbreath."Why?"
"Becauseyouhaven'tliedtomeyet.Haveyou?"
"No.Butgoingbythatcriteria,hasDougliedtoyou?"
"Notexactlylied,butIgotthefeelingthathetookmetodinnermorebecausehewasinterestedin

gettingmysupportforhisrunformayorthanbecausehefoundmewildlyattractive."

"Idon'tbelievethatwasthereasonhetookyoutodinner.Dougisambitious,buthe'snotblind,and

I'msurehe'sveryinterestedinyou.Hedidkissyougoodnight,afterall."Romangottohisfeet."Ishould
goandletyougettobed.Iknowyourmorningiscomingearly."

Shestoodup,notreadytoseeRomango,butaskinghimtostaywasprobablynotagoodidea.
Whentheygottothedoor,hepausedandlookedbackather,andherstomachflutteredwith

anticipationunderhisdarkgaze.

Hereachedoutahandandslidhisthumbalongherjaw,andherheartbeatfaster."Youareso

beautiful,Juliette,moresobecauseyouhavenoideajusthowprettyyouare.Andifyouhadn'talready
hadonegood-nightkissfromamanIreallydon'tlike,I'dbetempted…"Hisvoicetrailedaway.

Shewantedtosaythatgood-nightkisshadalreadybeencompletelyforgotten,butRoman'shandfell

awayfromherface,andheheadedoutthedooranddownthestairs,leavingherwitharacingpulseand
thefeelingthatshe'dmissedoutonsomethingamazing.

Forasplitsecond,shewastemptedtogoafterhim,butshehadenoughsensetofightagainstit.Things

werealreadygettingtoohottoofast.Sheneededtoturndowntheheatbeforesheburnedeverythingup.

Nine

RomanthoughtaboutJuliettealldaylong.Hekeptputtingheroutofhisheadandthenshe'dpopback

inagain.Hecouldn'trememberthelasttimeawomanhadbeenonhismindsomuch.Butthiswomanwas
thewrongwoman.

Juliettewasamazing,butshewouldwantsomuchmorefromamanthanhecouldgiveher,andhe

wouldn'tbegoodforher.Shewassweetnessandlight,andhewasnot.He'djustdragherintothe
darknesswithhim,andthatwasthelastthinghewanted.She'dhadaroughchildhood—losingher
parents,beingrippedoutofherhome.Butshe'drebounded,andshewasmakingalifeforherself—a
goodlife.Hedidn'twanttogetinthewayofthat.

Nordidhehonestlybelievehecouldeverbepartofthekindoflifeshewanted.Itwasonethingto

hangoutinFairhopeforawhile,helphisgrandfather,butitwasn'talong-termmove,justaninterimstop
onthewaytosomewhereelse.Hejustdidn'tknowwherethatsomewhereelsewas,buthedoubtedit
wouldbethistown—aplacefilledwithpeoplewhodidn'tthinkmuchofhimandprobablyneverwould.

Ashisthoughtsrandark,hegotupandflippedonsomelights.Itwasafterfiveandthesunwas

sinkinglowinthesky.Hewasabouttoheadintothekitchenwhenheheardthefrontdooropenanda
malevoicecallout.

HeleftthedownstairsbedroomandwalkedintothehallasDougsteppedintotheentry."Whatdoyou

want?"

"Ineedtotalktoyou."Dougshutthedoorbehindhim.
"Ican'timaginewhy."
"Yes,youcan,"Dougsaid,givinghimapointedlook."Weneedtogetafewthingsstraight,Roman.

Juliettebroughtupthefiretomelastnight.Whyareyoutalkingaboutthatwithher?Whyareyou
drummingupthepast?Iwouldthinkit'sthelastthingyou'dwanttodiscuss."

"JulietteaskedmeaboutthefireafterhearingaboutitfromMarthaGrayson."
"Whydon'tyoujustadmityoudidit?Takeresponsibilityandmoveon."
"BecauseIdidn'tdoit,andIdon'tconfesstothingsIdidn'tdo."
"You'relying,Roman."
"I'mnot.Ifsomeoneneedstoconfess,lookinthemirror."
"Ididn'tstartthefire."
"Lookslikewe'restillgoingaroundincircles."Hepaused."Look,Igetwhyyoucouldn'tconfess

backthen,Doug.Yourdadwasthepolicechief.YourmomwasheadofthePTA.Youweretheirgolden
boy,theirprideandjoy.Knowingyouweren'tperfect,thatyoucouldbeasstupidandrecklessasanyone,
wouldhaveruinedthem.Ialmostcouldn'tblameyouforputtingtheblameonme.I'msureyoufeltyouhad
alotmoretolosethanIdid,andIsuspectTravisfeltthesame.Butthatdoesn'texcuseeitherofyoufrom
puttingaknifeinmyback."

Dougstaredathimlikehewasoutofhismind."Whatareyoutalkingabout?Ididn'tputtheblameon

you.ItoldmydadIdidn'tknowwhathappened."

"Sureyoudid,"hesaid.
"That'sthetruth.Ifanyoneputtheblameonyou,itwasTravis."
"Itwasbothofyou.Youwereateam.You'dbeenbestfriendssincechildhood.Iwastheeasiestone

toblame.Admitit."

"That'snotthewayitwentdown,Roman.MydadtoldmethatyousaidTravisandIdidit,andyou

weren'tevenintheparkthatnight."

HestaredatDoug,wonderingifitwaspossiblethechiefhadliedtoeachofthemaboutwhattheother

said."Whatever.Idon'tactuallycareanymore."

"Well,I'mstartingtocareagain,becauseIcan'thavethatoldmysteryhauntingmycampaignfor

mayor."

Heshrugged."Idon'tknowwhatyou'regoingtodoaboutit.Youcan'tkeeppeoplefromtalking.You

certainlycan'tstopMarthafromspreadingrumors."

"Howlongareyouherefor?"
"Ihaven'tdecided."
"Butyou'renotplanningtostay,right?Youalwayssaidthistownwastoosmallforyou."
"I'llleavewhenI'mreadytoleave."
"Look,Roman,we'vebothgrownup.We'remennow,notstupidboys.I'msureyou'vechanged,andso

haveI.Idon’twantustobetrappedbythepast."

"Thenlet'sendthisconversation."
"Iwouldn'thavestarteditifJuliettehadn'tgrilledmelastnight."
Hewasn'tsurprisedJuliettehadputDougonthedefensive.Shedidhaveapersistenceaboutherthat

couldbeunsettling."I'msureshe'lldropit.There'snothinglefttodiscuss.There'snoevidence,notruthto
befound;itiswhatitis."

"What'sgoingonbetweenyouandher?"Dougasked.
"Whydoyoucare?"
"She'stryingtobuildabusinessinthistown,abusinessthat'sgoingtorequiregoodwill,peoplewho

wanttobuytheirbakedgoodsfromher.Thatmightchangeifshehooksupwithyou."

"Youmustbeonehellofalawyer,Doug,alwaysthinkingoftheangles."
"Youdidn'tanswermyquestion."
"Whateverisbetweenusisbetweenus."
"SoI'mgoingtohavetogetaroundyoutogettoher?"
"That'saquestionyou'dhavetoaskher."
"Iusedtobeatyouwhenitcametothegirls,"Dougremindedhim,afamiliar,cockynoteinhisvoice.
"We'llseeifyourluckholdsup."
"Iguesswewill."Dougturnedandleft,shuttingthedoorforciblybehindhim.
Hestoodthereforalongminute,thinkingabouttheirconversation.He'dalwaysthoughtDoughad

turnedonhim—Travis,too—butnowhewondered.HadDoug'sfathermadehimbelievethatinsome
efforttoprotecthisson?Itmadesense.Hecouldclearlyrememberthechiefsittinghimdown,looking
himintheeye,andtellinghimthatDougandTravishadbothgivenswornstatementsthathe'dlitthe
branchesofthetreeonfireforfun,andthenhadrunwhenthefiregottoobig.Theyhadn'tevensaiditwas
anaccident;they'dswornhe'ddoneitonpurpose.

Dougwastellingadifferentstorynow.Buthewasalsodesperatetobeelectedmayor.Howcouldhe

believeanythingDoughadtosay?AndthereactionTravishadhadtohimwhenthey'drunintoeachother
hadbeenfilledwithangerandbitterness.Thechiefhadprobablytoldhimadifferentstory,too.

MaybethepersonDougshouldbetalkingtowashisfather.
Ontheotherhand,hedoubtedthechiefwouldtellhissonanythingthatcontradictedhispaststory.The

Wintershadalwaysbeenafamilythatprotectedtheirown.AndhisfriendshipwithDoughadbeenseen
asacancer.They'dwantedtocuthimoutofDoug'slifelongbeforethefire.Hewasprobablyluckythe
chiefhadn'tfoundawaytosendhimtojail,butfortunatelytherereallyhadn'tbeenanyevidencethat
pointedtohim.

Shakinghishead,hetoldhimselftostopthinkingaboutit.Hecouldn'tchangethepast,sotherewasno

pointingoingbackthere.Heneededtostayinthepresent.

Thedooropenedagain,andthistimehisgrandfatherwalkedin.
"WasthatDougWintersIsawdrivingawayfromhere?"Vincentasked.
"Itwas."
"Why?"
"HewantedtoknowifIwasgoingtocausehimtroubleinhisrunformayor."
"Becauseofthepast,"Vincentsaidwithanirritatednod."Ican'tbelievehisnerve.You'renotthinking

ofleavingearlybecauseofhim?"

"No.Hewon'thaveanythingtodowithanydecisionsImake."
"Good.Ineedyourhelponthisjobaslongasyoucangiveit."
"Aboutthat.Youkeeppromisingmesomehelpers,butnooneshowsup."
"Therearesomeothercontractorsrunningbigjobsrightnow.Everyoneisbusy."
"Thisprojectisn'tgoingtogetdonewithjustmeworkingonit.AndIcouldbegoneinafewweeks

dependingonwhathappenswithmynextphysical.Whatareyougoingtodothen?"

"I'llfindsomehelp."Hisgrandfatherwalkeddownthehall,andhefollowedhimintothebedroom

he'dbeenworkingon.

Vincentlookedatthestripped-downwalls.Theyweregoingtoeventuallypushthebackbedroom

walloutthreefeetintothebackyard.

"It'scomingalong,"Vincentsaid,neveronetoheaptoomuchpraiseonaworker."You'regoingfaster

thanIthought.Youhaven'tforgottenyourskills."

"TheycamebacktomefasterthanIthoughttheywould."
"It'sgoodwork,Roman.You'dmakeafinecontractor.Ifyoucan'tcontinueasasoldier,youshould

thinkaboutconstruction."

"It'sdefinitelyonthelist,"hesaid.
"Allright.Doyouwanttogetsomedinner?I'mheadeddowntown."
"No,IthinkI'llkeepgoingawhilelonger."
"I'llcheckinwithyoutomorrowthen."
"Great."Afterhisgrandfatherleft,hegotbacktoworkonthelastpartoftheroom,thecloset.He

rippedupthecarpetthatcoveredthefloorandtosseditaside,thenpulledupseverallooseboards.Ashe
didso,hesawsomethingunexpected:anoldmetalboxabouteightbyteninchesinsize.Hesquatted
downandpulledtheboxoutofwhathadobviouslybeenahidingplace.

Hisheartbeatalittlefaster.DidtheboxbelongtoJuliette?Ortosomeoneinherfamily?She'dtold

himherbedroomhadbeenupstairs,butwhoknewwhatthey'dusedthisroomfor?

Therewasalatchonthebox,andafteramoment'shesitation,hepulleditopen.
Insidewasastackoffoldednotes.Hepickedupthefirstoneandreadafewwordsofwhatwas

clearlyaloveletter.WasitbetweenJuliette'sparents?Therewerenonamesonthenote,justareference
toagreatlove.

TheseletterscouldbelongtomorerecenttenantsortopeoplewhohadlivedherebeforeJuliette's

family.Buthehadtoshowthemtoher.Iftherewasanychancetheywerelettersbetweenherparents,then
she'dwanttoseethem.

Ontheotherhand,thelettershadbeenhiddenaway.Maybethelettersweren'tbetweenahusbandand

awife,butsomethingmoreillicit.Whatifoneofherparentshadbeenhavinganaffair?She'dbe
devastated.

Hedebatedhisoptions.Hedidn'twanttohurther,buthealsodidn'twanttomakethedecisionforher.

Juliettecoulddecideforherselfifshewantedtoreadtheletters.

Takingouthisphone,hepunchedinhernumber.
"Hello?Roman?"shesaid.
"Ifoundsomethinginthehouseyouneedtosee."

"Whatisit?"sheaskedwarily.
"Canyoucomeover?"
"Youcan'ttellmeoverthephone."
"No."
"ThenI'llbethereintenminutes."

***

Juliettecouldn'timaginewhatRomanhadfoundinheroldhouse.Ithadtohavesomethingtodowith

herparents.Shewasbothexcitedandnervousaboutwhatthatcouldbeafteralltheseyears.

Whenshearrived,theupstairswasdark,buttherewerelightsonthroughoutthefirstfloor.Herheart

waspoundingasshewentuptothedoor.Itwasopen,soshewalkedthroughit,callingoutforRoman.

Hemetherinthehallway."It'sinhere."
"Whatisit?"
Hedidn'tanswer,justledherintothefirst-floorbedroom.Theroomwascompletelytornapart.

Romanpickedametalboxoffthefloor.

"Ifoundthishiddenunderthecarpetandthefloorboardsinthecloset."
"What'sinside?"
"Lookslikeloveletters."
"What?Really?"sheaskedinsurprise."Frommyparents?"
"I'mnotsure.Therearen'tanynamesmentioned."
"CanIsee?"
"That'swhyIcalledyou.Whydon'twetakethemintothekitchen?"
"Okay,"shesaid,followinghimacrossthehall.Shetookoffhercoatasshesatdownatthekitchen

table.

Romanplacedtheboxinfrontofher,andsheopenedthelid.AsRomanhadsaid,therewasastackof

letterswrappedwitharibbon.Thefirstonehadbeentakenoutofthepack,probablytheoneRomanhad
read.

Shepickeditupandunfoldedthenotepaper,thenreadthenotealoud.
ToMyLove,
Ican'tbelievewefinallymettoday.I'vethoughtabouthowthatwouldhappenforsolong.Ihad

madeupscenesinmyheadwhereweaccidentallyranintoeachother,butIneverexpecteditwouldbe
inthecoldmedicineaisleatthedrugstore.I'msorryyou'resickbutI'mnotsorrythatwebumpedinto
eachother,thatyousaidmynamethewayI'ddreamedofhearingyousayit.

Maybeyourvoicewasdeeperbecauseofyourcold,butIprefertothinkit'sbecauseItookyour

breathaway.Isn'tthatsilly?

I'masillygirl.Everyonesaysso.I'llneversendyouthisletter,butmaybeoneday,ifthingswork

out,I'llshowittoyou,andI'lltellyouthatIknewthefirstsecondwemetthatweweredestinedtobe
together.

Withallmylove
ShelookedupatRoman."Itsoundslikethewritingofaveryyoungwoman."
"Doyouthinkitwasyourmother?"
Sheshookherhead."ShemetmydadonavacationshetooktoMiamiBeach."
"Wasitpossiblehehadacoldatthetime?"Romansaidlightly.
Shethoughtaboutthatforamoment."Isupposeit'spossible,butIneverheardthatstory."
"Thereareabouttenmoreletters.Maybeitwillbecomemoreclearwho'swritingandwhothey're

writingaboutasyoureadthroughthem."

Shestareddownatthebeautifulcursivehandwritingandwonderedwhohadtakenpentopaperatthe

firstfeelingofloveandamazement.Andwhyhadtheyhiddentheletterinaboxundersomefloorboards
inthecloset?

"Whatdidyouusethatbedroomfor?"Romanasked,drawingherattentionbacktohim.
"What?"Shehadtothinkforaminute."Thebedroomwasmydad'sden.There'snowayhewrotethe

letter.Hewasnotromanticatall.Mymomusedtocomplainallthetimeaboutthegiftshe'dgether.They
werealwayspractical,likeavacuumcleaneroranewmicrowaveoven."

"Thosecanbegoodgifts."
Shesmiled."Mymomwantedjewelryorlingerieorsomethingpersonal."
"Sowecanruleoutyourfather,whichmakessense.Itsoundslikeawoman.Andyoujustsaidyour

momlikedromance."

"Butthisdoesn'tsoundlikeher."Shepaused."I'dhavetoreadmore."
"Doyouwantsomethingtodrinkbeforeyougetintothat?"heasked,gettingtohisfeettoopenthe

refrigeratordoor."I'vegotbeerandorangejuice."

"I'lltakethebeer,"shesaid,feelinglikesheneededadrink.
Heopenedabottleandhandedittoher.Shetookalongswig,thensetitdownandreachedforthe

nextletterinthepile.

ToMyLove,shereadaloud."Itwouldhavebeenniceifshe'dusedaname."
"Keepreading,"hesaid,sittingbackdownatthetable.
Sheturnedherattentionbacktotheletter.
It'sbeenthreemagicalweekssincewemetatthedrugstore.Yougavemeascarethosefirstfew

dayswhenyoudidn'tcall.IwasafraidI'druinedthingsbybeingtoofriendly.Mysistersaysaman
likestochase,andIshouldlearntobemoreelusive.It'sjustnotinmynaturetopretend,atleastnot
withyou.Ifeellikeyou'retooimportanttoplaygameswith.

Anyway,Iwassohappywhenyouaskedmetogotothegamewithyou.Idon'tevenlikefootball,

butitdidn'tmatter.Sittingtherewithyouwasenoughforme.

You'refunnierthanIimagined.Ibetmostpeopledon'tthinkyoucanbefunny,butyourwitissharp

andquick.Ilikedtalkingtoyou.Iwantedtokeeptalkingtoyou.Butthenwewentbacktomyhouse,
andIdidn'twanttotalkanymore.

"Nowwe'regettingtothegoodstuff,"Romaninterrupted.
Shemadeafaceathim."Idon'tthinkit'sgettingthatgoodthatfast."
"Let'sfindout."
Shelookedbackatthenote.
Itwastheperfectfirstkiss.Ithoughtitwouldbeawkward,butitwasn't.Itfeltsorighttohave

yourmouthonmine.Iwantedittogoonforever.Butofcoursewehadtostop.Myparentswereright
inside.

I'mgoingtomissyousomuch.Ican'twaituntilweseeeachotheragain.IfeellikeI'mstandingon

theedgeofacliff,butI'mnotscared,becauseyou'retheretocatchme.

Seeyousoon,mylove.
JuliettesetdowntheletterandlookedatRoman."Definitelynotmymother.Thiswomanwasliving

withherparentswhenshewrotetheseletters.Andit'slikeshe'swritingtohimbutalsotoherself.She
didn'tmailthese,didshe?Arethereanyenvelopes?"

"Ijustsawthenotes,"hesaid."Butwedon'tknowifshewaslivinghereandhidingthenotesaway

likepagesinadiaryorifshesentthenotestoherloveandhewastheonewholivedhereandhidthe
notesinthebox.Maybehedidn'twanthisfriendsorhisfatherorhisbrotherstoseethem."

"That'sagoodpoint."
"Butiftheydon'tbelongtoyourmomanddad,thenweshouldprobablyjusttossthem."

"What?No,"shesaid,annoyedatthesuggestion."Weshouldfindoutwhotheybelongto,andreturn

them."

"Whywouldwedothat?"
"Because…"Thehandwritingcaughthereyeagain."Becausetheyareaboutloveandtheyfeel

important."

"Theywouldonlybeimportanttothepeopleinvolved."
"Ortheirkids.Iwanttokeepreadingandfindoutwhathappensnext."
Hegaveheraknowingsmile."I'mnotsurprised—notwithyourcuriosity."
"CanItakethembacktomyplace?"
"Ithinkyoushouldreadthemhere,"hesaid.
"Oh,soyou'recurious,too."
"Imightbealittleinterested,"headmitted."Haveyoueatendinneryet?"
"No,Iwasworkinglateatthebakery."
"SowasI.Whydon'tIorderusapizza?Wecanreadtheletterswhilewe'rewaiting."
"Okay,"shesaid."Piazza'shasthebestpizzaintown."
"Irememberthatplace.It'sstillaround?"
"Andbetterthanever.Plus,theydeliver."
"Perfect."Hepulledouthisphoneandlookedupthenumber."Whatdoyoulike?"
"I'mameatpizzakindofgirl,sosausage,pepperoni,ham,andwhateverveggiesyouwanttothrowon

top."

"Soundsgoodtome,"hesaid,punchinginthenumbertoplacetheorder.Whenthatwasdone,he

lookedbackather."I'mreadyforthenextletter."

"Youwantmetokeepreadingthemaloud?You'renotfindingthemtoosweetandsappy?"
"Oh,they'redefinitelysappy,butI'mstillinterestedinthecontent."
Shepickedupthenextnote."Ithinkthey'reinorder,atleasttheyhavebeensofar,althoughthere

aren'tanydates."Sheunfoldedthepaperandbegantoreadaloud.

ToMyLove,
Lastnightwasthemostwonderfulnightofmylife.Youtouchedmewithsuchtenderness.You

kissedmewithsuchpassionandferocity.Ifeltdesiredandloved.Ineverimagineditcouldbelike
this.Andthenyouheldmethroughthenight.ItoldyouIsleptwell,butIdidn'tsleepatall.Istayed
awake,listeningtothesoundofyourheartbeat,theswooshofyourbreath.Ididn'twanttoclosemy
eyes.Ididn'twanttomissasecond.

Iwishyouhadn'tleftsoearly.IfeltlikeIneededmoretimewithyou.Ihavethisfearthatthings

aremovingtoofastandyetnotfastenough.Idon'twanttoloseyou.I'msureyouwouldsaythat
you'renotgoinganywhere,butIcan'tseemtobelievethat.Ican'tkeeptheworryoutofmyheart.Ifit
werejustaboutus,thenmaybeIcouldbemoreconfident…butit'snotjustaboutus.

IjusthopeyouknowhowmuchIloveyou.Ishouldhavesaidthewordslastnight.Butsometimes

thewordsdon'tcomewhenwe'retogether.I'mafraidI'llsaytoomuchornotenough.Maybeyoufeel
thesame.

Nowthewordsareflowing,alongwiththequestionsandthedoubts.AmIfoolishtobelievethat

somethingsowonderfulcouldlastforever?BecausethenImustbethemostfoolishpersononearth.

"That'sit,"Juliettesaid,settingthenotedown."Soundsliketheyslepttogether."
Henodded."Andshe'snotsureofhisfeelings."
"Iwonderwhatshemeantwhenshesaid:ifitwerejustaboutus,butit'snot."
"Maybeoneofthemwasmarried."
"Iwasthinkingthat,too.Atfirst,itseemedliketheletterswerewrittenbyateenager,butmaybenot,

perhapsjustaveryyoungwoman."

"Didyoueverwriteletterslikethis?"
"No,"shesaid,withashakeofherhead."IhadadiarywhenIwasveryyoung.Iusedtowriteunder

mywindowupstairs.Ihadtheroomwiththeslopingceilings,andthesunwouldcomethroughthe
windowandlightupthatcorner.Ihadbigpillowstoflopon,andI'dsitthereandreadorwriteinmy
journal."

"Aboutboys?"heaskedwithateasingsmile."YourfutureRomeo?"
"Therewereafewboysmentionedinmyjournal.IhadabigcrushonKyleDaniels.Hewasblond

andblue-eyedandoh,socute.ButheonlyhadeyesforTracyStone.Shewasalsoblondeandblue-eyed
andoh,socute."Shepaused."Iwonderwhathappenedtothem.TheyweredatingwhenIleftschool."

"Didyoukeepintouchwithanyoneafteryouleft?"
"MyfriendCassie.ShelivesinChicagonow,butwe'veseeneachotherafewtimesovertheyears.

WhenevershecametoNewYork,we'dgettogether.I'mhopingshe'llcometoFairhopesometimetovisit
herparents.SheskippedChristmasheretogotoherboyfriend'sparents'house.ButmaybeEaster."

"Sothisisitforyou?Fairhopeisyourpermanenthome?"
"I'dlikeittobe.Ifeellikeit'stherightfitforme."
Henodded,agreementinhiseyes."Ido,too."
Shelookedaroundthekitchen."It'skindofweirdtobesittingherewithyou.EvenstrangerthatItook

thisparticularseat,becausewehadatableinexactlythislocation,andthiswasmyseat."

"Oldhabits,"hemurmuredwithashrug.
"Iusedtodomyhomeworkherewhilemymomcookeddinner."Shethoughtforamoment."Somany

ofmymemoriesinvolvefood.Iwaseitherinherewithmymommakingdinnerorinthebakeryhelping
mydad.Iguessit'snotthatunusual.Mealtimesareusuallyfamilytimes."

"Theycanbe."
"Iknowyourmotherhadissues,butdidshecookforyou?"
"Rarely.Iusuallycookedforher."
"Whatdidyoumake?"
"Iwasreallygoodatspaghettiandmacandcheesethatcameoutofabox.Tunawasapopular

favorite.Hotdogsoccasionally."

"Anythingfromthefruitorvegetablesectionofthegrocerystore?"sheaskedwithasmile.
"Notveryoften.Sometimesaneighborwoulddropoffapplesororanges."
"Didyouliveinahouseoranapartment?"
"Lotsofdifferentapartments.Sometimestherewereroommates."
"Maleroommates?"
"Bothmaleandfemale.Mostofthemwereniceenough."
"YoulivedaverydifferentlifethanIdid,"shemurmured.
"Idid.Idon'twanttopaintitallblack,Juliette.Mymomwasnotabadorevilperson.Shehad

problems,andshedidn'thandlethemwell,butshewasn'tmean.Shelovedmeinherownway,asbestshe
could."

ShehadafeelingRomanhadbeendefendinghismotherforaverylongtime,andsherespectedthe

factthathedidn'tblameherforruininghislifeormakingithard,becausetherewasnodoubtithadbeen
difficult.

Thedoorbellrang.
"Thatwasfast,"Romansaid."I'llgetourpizza.Don'treadahead.We'redoingthistogether."
"I'llwaitforyou,"shesaid,sippingherbeerashelefttheroom.
Whilehewasgone,sheclosedhereyesforjustamomentandletherselfremembertheolddays.She

couldalmostpictureherhomeworkbeforeher,hermomatthestove,thesoundoftheTVintheliving
roomwhereherdadwatchedthenewseverynight.Buttheimageswereblurry,thesoundsnotassharpas

shewouldhavethoughtthey'dbe,sittinghereintheroomwhereithadallhappened.

Sheopenedhereyes,feelingalittledisappointmentthathermemoriesweren'tbetter,thatthehouse

hadn'tmadethembrighter.Maybeshe'dbeenafooltothinktheywouldbeanydifferenthere.

Romancamebackintotheroom,andsheputasmileonherfaceashesetdownthepizzaandthen

grabbedpaperplatesandnapkinsforthem.Shedidn'twanttothinkaboutthepastanymore.

"SotellmeabouttheMarines,"shesaidasshegrabbedherfirstpiece."Aboutyourfriends—theguys

inyourunit."

"Well,Coleisprobablymyclosestfriend.He'sfromTexas,andhe'sgotabig,loudpersonality.

Jimmyisloud,too,butmoreofaflirt,moreofaladies'man.Henryisthequietone.Wesometimesforget
he'sintheroom.Buthisinstinctsarerazor-sharp.Thenthere'sWalton;hecomesfromtheLouisiana
bayou,andhetalksendlesslyaboutfishingandcrocodilesandallotherkindsofswampcreatures.He's
themostsuperstitious,too.Hehasallkindsofritualstowardoffevil.Ifoundmyselfdoingthecraziest
thingsjustsoIwouldn'tbreaksomesuperstitiousrule.HetookustoMardiGrasoneyear,andImethis
crazyrelativesandfinallyunderstoodwherehisbeliefscamefrom."

Shelikedthesoftnessinhisvoicewhenhetalkedabouthisfriends."Youmissthem,don'tyou?"
"Ido.We'vespentmostofthepastsevenyearstogether.We'rebrothers."Hetookabreath,then

added,"IneverhadanyoneinmylifewhowatchedmybackuntilIjoinedtheMarines."

"Notevenyourgrandfather?"
"Hedidtheonetime—afterthefire.Idon'tthinkIappreciateditatthetime.ButtheguysIservedwith

—theywoulddieforme,andIwoulddothesameforthem.KnowingthatthereweremenIcouldcount
onmademewanttobethepersontheycouldcounton."

"I'msureyouwerethatperson."
"UntilIgothurt."
"Probablyprotectingsomeoneelse,"sheguessed.
"Youdon'tknowthat."
"AmIwrong?"
Heshrugged."Therewasalotgoingonthatday."
Sheknewhewasn'tgoingtogiveheranymoreinformationthanthat."Well,Idon'tknowhowanyof

youdowhatyoudo.Ittakesanincredibleamountofbraverytofacethatkindofdangertokeepour
countrysafe."

"WhenIjoinedup,myinterestdidn'treallycomefromaplaceofpatriotism,"hesaidcandidly."It

wasmoreabouthavingnootherrealoptionsthatIcouldsee.ButonceIgotinit,traveledtheworld,saw
whatIwasfightingfor,IknewI'dmadetherightdecision.Iwasproud.Firsttimeinmylife."

Shesmiled."Soyourfriends...aretheyallinitforthelongterm?Idon'tknowmuchabouttheMarine

Corps.Dotheykickyououtafteracertainage?"

"No,butyouusuallymoveontolessaction-filledrolesasyougetolder.Noteveryonewantsthat.

Andevenbeforethat,sometimesyoujustgettiredofthefighting,thedeployments,beingawayfromyour
family.It'saloteasierwhenyou'resingle,whenthere'snoonewaitingathomeforyou."

"Areanyoftheguysyoujustmentionedmarried?"
"No,Jimmyjustgotengaged,buthegetsengagedeveryotheryearandneverseemstomakeitdown

theaisle.Henrywillprobablyactuallygetmarried.He'sbeendatingawomanhemetinthefirstgrade.I
thinkthingsaregettingserious."

"Ifhegetsmarried,willyouallbeinthewedding?"
"Hardtosaywhereanyonewillbe,butwe'dcertainlytrytogetthereforhim."
"WhatIdoseemssotrivialincomparisontoyourjob.Imakecake.Theworldreallydoesn'tneed

morecake,buteverydayImakeacouplemore."

Helaughed."It'sgoodcake.Atleast,that'swhatIhear."

"Ishouldhavebroughtyousomecookies.Damn.Iforgot.Youcaughtmeoffguardwithyourcall,and

Ijustrushedrightoverhere.Onedayyouaregoingtotasteoneofthem."

"Nexttime."
Ashesaidthewordssocasually,shewasremindedthatjustlastnightshe'dtoldherselfsheshould

stopseeingRoman,buthereshewasagain.Andshewasn'tinanyhurrytoleave.

Itwasn'tjustbecausethelettershadcaughtherinterest;itwashim.Hewasquitesimplyoneofthe

mostintriguingmenshe'devermet.

Hepushedthelastpieceofpizzainherdirection."That'syours."
Sheshookherhead."I'mstuffed.Saveitfortomorrow.Pizzaforbreakfastisalwaysagoodchoice."
"Iwouldhavetoagree.Soyouwanttokeepreading?"
"Okay."Shepushedheremptyplateaside,andpulledoutthenextnote.
MyLove,
I'msorryaboutmyfather—whathesaidtoyoulastnight.Itwaswrong.Youdidn'tmeantohurt

me.Andyoudidn'ttalkmeintoanything,either.IwishyouhadstayedaroundsoIcouldhavetoldyou
that.

Idon'tknowwhereyouarerightnow,butIhopeyou'resafe,andIhopeyoucomeback,soIcan

tellyouhowmuchIloveyou.Sowecanfigureouthowtomakethisright.

You'retheonlymanforme.It'syouornoone.Thatmightsounddramatic,butit'showIfeel.

Pleasecomebacktome.Pleasedon'tletlastnightreallybeourlastnight.

"Troubleinparadise,"Romansaidasshefinishedreading.
Shefrowned."Itsoundslikeherfatherdoesn'tlikeherlover."
"Igotthefeelingshemightbepregnant."
"Maybe,butshedoesn'tmentionababy,anditseemslikeshewould."
Eagertofindoutwhathappened,shegrabbedthenextnoteonthestack.
Therewasnosalutationthistime.Thewomanjustdoverightin.
Ican'tmarryhim.Iwon'tmarryhim.Idon'tlovehim.Marriagecan'tbeaboutmoney,aboutunion

offamilies,aboutbusiness,aboutwho'srightonpaper.Ithastobeaboutlove.

I'mwillingtofightforyou,forus,butwhereareyou?Youhavetofightwithme.Wecandothis

together.Wecanhavewhatwewant.Iknowwecan.

Shelookedup."Thenotesaregettingshorter,moredesperate.Evenherhandwritinglooksscared."

SheturnedthenotetowardRomansohecouldseeit."Don'tyouthink?"

"Idon'tknow.Itlookslikewordstome."
"Thefirstfewnotesweremuchmoredescriptive."Shelookedintothebox."Twomoretogo."
"I'montheedgeofmyseat."
Oh,myLove,
HowIlongforyou.Myheartaches.Ididn'tknowthatlovecouldbesoconsuming.It'sintheairI

breathe.Itinhabitsmydreams.Itmakesmethirstyandravenous,butnothingwillfilltheemptiness
insideofme.Ifeelallislost.

AndthenIseeyouagain.You'reacrossthestreet.Youlooksohandsome.Ican'tquitebelievehow

longit'sbeensinceIsawyou.

Yousmile,thathalf-smile,theonethatmakesmynervestingle,theonethatmakesmebelieveyou

loveme,too,nomatterwhatyousay,whatyoudo.

Youtipyourhead.Thatsmallacknowledgmentmakesmyheartpoundagainstmychest.
Andthenyouturnaway.
Ihaveseenyourbacksomanytimes.Iyearntocallyourname.ButIcan't.
I'msuchacoward.IwishIcouldbebraver.
Oneday…

"Onedaywhat?"Romanaskedimpatiently.
"That'sit.Itjustendswiththreedots."
"Well,let'sreadthelastone.Ihopethisstoryhasanending."
"Idon'tthinkshewrotethesenotesasifshewereputtingabooktogether,"shesaid,butshekindof

hopedtherewasahappyending,too."Lastone,heregoes."

MyDearestLove
Ididit.IranawayfromthemarriageIdidn’twantandfromthemanIdidn'tlove.ButwhenIgot

toyourhouse,Iheardyouhadlefttown.

Myheartbrokeintwo.Ihadleftittoolate.IshouldhavetoldyouthatIwouldn'tgothroughwith

it,thatIwouldfindawaytosayno,tobewithyouandnotwithhim.

Nowit'stoolate.You'vechosenanotherlife.Imustletyougo.
Iwantyoutobehappy.Iwantyoutohavechildren,toloveandbeloved.Iwantyoutolivethelife

youweremeanttolead.

Butinthedarkofthenight,Iwantyoutorememberme,thewaywelovedeachother,thepassion

ofayouthI'llneverforget.Iknowit'smyfault.Iwastooafraidtospeak.I'veneverevenbeenableto
sendyoutheseletters.Iwantto.Icanseethemailboxfrommywindow.

DareIgooutthereandatleastletyouknowhowI'vealwaysfelt?Willthatmakeyouhappy?Or

willitmakeyousadandangry?

IwishIknewtheanswer.
Good-bye,mylove.
"I'mgoingtocry,"shesaidwithasniff."ThisisnotthehappyendingIwanted."
"It'sreallife,"Romansaid,asshedabbedathereyeswiththenapkin."Noteveryonegetswhatthey

want."

"Iwonderwhatreallyhappened.Itsoundslikeshewasbeingurgedorforcedtomarrysomeonefor

moneyandatthelastminuteshebailedout,butitwastoolate.Herreallovewasgone."

"That'swhatIgotfromit,too."
"Iwonderwhosheis."Shesatbackinherchairandfoldedherarmsacrossherchest."Iwanttofind

out."

Helaughedandshookhishead."Ofcourseyoudo,buthow?"
"Idon'tknow.Shemusthavelivedhere.Andtheremustbearecordsomewhereofeveryonewho

livedhere."

"Maybeinthecountyrecords,butyoudon'tknowthatshelivedhere.Maybehedid.Maybeshesent

theletterstohimintheend,buthewasmarriedtosomeoneelsebythen.Hecouldhavehiddenthemin
theboxunderthefloorboardssohiswifewouldneverseethem."

"That'strue.Hewouldhaveareasontohidethemifhehadmarriedanotherwoman.Butshecould

havealsohiddenthemawayfromherfamily—herfather.Ireallywanttoknowwhosheis—whoheis.
Andwhathappenedtobothofthem.Didhepineforher?Ordidhefindhappinesswithsomeoneelse?
Didshefallinloveagain?Didsheevermarry?Didtheyeverseeeachother?"

Romansmiled."Youaresocaughtupinthis."
"Ican'thelpit.Herlovespeakstome.Herwordsarefilledwithsomuchemotion.Icanfeelher

longing,herpain.Iwanttodosomethingaboutit."

"Thiscouldhaveallhappenedalongtimeago,Juliette."
"Ornotthatlongago,"shecountered."Areyougoingtohelpmefigureitout?"
"Youmean,amIgoingtodelveintosomeoneelse'slifeandmaybecausethemmorepainandturmoil?

Sure.Thatsoundslikeaplan."

Shemadeafaceathim."Youalwayslookattheglasshalf-full.Wecouldbereturningthelettersto

someonewhoreallywantsthem.Orwecouldbetellingsomeoneaboutaloveheneverthoughthereally

had."

"Whichcouldbreakupamarriageortwo,hurtsomeone'schildren…"
Hedidhaveapoint."Itcouldturnoutthatway,butthat'sthepessimisticpointofview,"shesaid."We

couldjusttakeitfarenoughtoseewhatwe'redealingwith,thenmakeadecision."

"That'sexactlywhatyousaidwhenyouaskedmetogowithyoutoCameron'shouse."
"Well,thatdidn'tworkoutsobad.Atleastweknowhisfatherlivesthere,soit'snotjusthisbatty

grandmotherwatchinghim.AndIdroppeditafterthat."

"HisfatherwhoIneverwantedtoseeagainandwhoneverwantedtoseeme,"heremindedher.
"Youbothcamethroughtheencounterwithoutanymortalwounds."
"You'regoingtodothiswhetherIhelpyouornot,aren'tyou?"
"Iam,"sheagreed."ButI'dratherhaveyourhelp.Iknowyou'recurious,despiteyourcynicism.You

wanttoknowwhathappenedtothem,too."

Hestaredbackather."You'reverypersuasive."
Shesmiled."Isthatayes?"
"Ihavetogodowntothecountyofficestomorrowtocheckonsomepermits.Icouldpossiblygoby

theHallofRecordsandseeifIcangetalistofthepreviousownersofthishouse."

"Wouldyou?Thatwouldbeperfect.I'dlovetogowithyou,butIamswampedwithbakingthisweek,

andIonlyhaveSusan'shelpforafewhourstomorrow.Imightbeabletodoitlaterintheday,butIcan't
commit."

"Don'tworryaboutit.I'llseewhatIcanfindoutandletyouknow."
"You'rebeingverynice,Roman."
Helaughed."Justsavingmyselftimetryingtoargueyououtofthisidea."
"Smartman."
"AmI?"Hegaveherabemusedlook."WhenIleftyourapartmentlastnight,ItoldmyselfIprobably

shouldn'tseeyouforawhile."

Herheartquickened."Whywouldyoutellyourselfthat?"
"Youknowwhy.There'ssomethingbetweenus."
Shelickedherlipsathisbluntresponse."I'mnotdatingDoug,ifthat'saconcerntoyou.I'mnot

interestedinhim."

Roman'sgazedarkened."I'mglad."
"Areyou?"
"Yeah.But…"
Shewaitedamoment,thensaid,"Areyougoingtofinishthatsentence?"
Heletoutasigh."MaybewhenIcomeupwithanending.YouknowI'mleaving,Juliette.Idon'tknow

when,butitwillprobablybesoon."

Sheswallowedhardatthereminder."Iknow."
"So…Ishouldwalkyouout."
Shereallydidn'twanttoleaveitlikethat,butRomanwasalreadyonhisfeet.Sheslowlystoodup.

"DoyoumindifIhangontotheletters?"

"No,Ithinkyoushould."
"Okay."Shefollowedhimouttothefrontdoor,notsurewhattodonext.Shouldshekisshim?Should

shesaygood-nightandjustleave?

Whileshewasthinkingaboutit,hegrabbedherarmsandhauledherupagainsthischestina

possessivemannerthatstoleherbreathaway.

"Notsofast,"hemurmured."Ididn'tgetmykissyet."
"Ididn'tthinkyouwantedone."
"Oh,butIdo."

Hismouthtouchedherswithaheatedwarmththatmeltedherinsides.Sheleanedintohiskiss,inviting

histonguetotanglewithhers,wrappingherarmsaroundhisneckasshepulledhisheaddown.

Itwasn'tsomuchasagood-nightkissasalet's-keep-this-goingkiss.Butalltoosoonitended.
Romanliftedhishead,hisgazeunreadableashestareddownather."Thatsweetmouthofyourspacks

apunch."

"Onlywithyou,"shemurmured.
"Ilikethat."
"Ifiguredyouwould.Andit'sthetruth."
"I'llseeyoutomorrow."
Shenodded,thenhislipstouchedhersagain,onelastteasingtastethatshesavoredallthewayhome.

Ten

"Juliette,"Susansaid."WeneedmoreWishcookies."
ShestaredatherassistantinconfusionlateTuesdayafternoon,realizingshe'dbeencompletelylostin

thought.Thathadbeenhappeningalotsinceshe'dmetRoman.Shespentwaytoomuchtimethinking
abouthim.Andlastnight'sdreamshadcertainlybeenfilledwithhisimage.

"There'smoreintheback,"shesaid."I'llgetthem."Shewentintothekitchenandthenbroughtout

anothertrayofthepopularcookies.

Whensheputtheminthedisplaycase,anolderwomanwithjet-blackhairandbright-pinklipstick

gaveherahugesmileofrelief.

"Thankgoodness,"thewomansaid."Iwasafraidyouwereoutofthosecookies."
"Howmanydoyouwant?"
"I'lltakethewholetray."
"Really?Allofthem?"sheaskedinsurprise."Therearethirty-sixcookieshere."
"AndIhavealotoffriendswhowanttomakewishes.I'mDoloresBaker.IworkattheMorning

GloryRetirementCenter.We'rehavingapre-Valentine'sDaypartytomorrow,andIcan'ttellyouhow
manyoftheresidentsaskedmeifIwasgettingyourWishcookies."

"That'ssweet,"shesaid,grabbingalargebox.
"Mymotherisoneofthoseresidents.Shetoldmethatfifteenyearsago,asawidow,sheboughta

cookiefromyourfather.Shewishedthatshewouldfindloveagain.Itseemedimpossibletoheratthe
time;shewasstillgrievingformydad.ButattheValentine'sDaySweetheart'sDance,shemetanother
widower,MalcolmHodges.Theystartedtalkingandtheyendedupmarriedsixmonthslater.Hemadeher
happyfortwelveyears.Sadly,hepassedawaythreeyearsago.Ithinkthesecookiesarejustwhatshe
needstobehopefulagain,evenifit'sjustallfun."

ShewastouchedbyDolores'sstory."That'sreallysweet.I'mgladyousharedthatwithme,andIhope

thesecookiesbringalotofhappinesstoallofyourfriends."

"I'msuretheywill.Andattheveryleast,they'lltastegood."
Sherangupthepurchase,thensaidgood-bye.
"Ithinkthat'sit,"Susansaid,lettingoutatiredsighasshefinishedwiththelastcustomer."Busyday.

Anditlookslikeyou'reheadedforanearlymorningwithmorebaking.Theorderscontinuetopourin.At
somepoint,youmayjusthavetosayno.There'salimittohowmuchyoucando."

"Icanmakeitallwork.Idon’tneedmuchsleep."
Susangaveheradoubtfullook."IthinkyoushouldreconsiderthedessertorderfortheWayfarer

restaurant.It'sjusttoobig.Theywantsixtoastedalmondcakesandsixmoltenlavachocolatecakes,and
theycalleditintwentyminutesagofortomorrow'slunch.Whatweretheythinking?"

"Theysaidtheywerehopingforamiracle.I'mgoingtogivethemone."
"Andkillyourselfintheprocess."
"I'llbefine."Shepaused,lookingattheclock."Youcango.I'llclosedown."
"Areyousure?Ihateleavingyoutohandleallthisbakingonyourown,butyouknowI'mnogoodin

thekitchen."

Shenodded.ShehadtriedtouseSusanafewtimes,andshejustdidn'thavetheenthusiasmorskillset

forbaking."You'vealreadyworkedhardenoughtoday.Goandbewithyourhusband."

"Okay,butyoudoneedtostartthinkingaboutgettinganassistanttohelpwiththebaking.Iknowyou

don'ttrustanyone,butyouonlyhavetwohands."

"Iamthinkingaboutit.IjustfeellikeIcan'tsellanythingIhaven'tmademyself."
"Youhavetogetoverthat."
"I'msureyou'reright."
Susantookoffherapron."I'vebeenmeaningtoask—whathappenedwithDougtheothernight?You

neversaidhowyourdinnerwas."

"Itwasfine."
"Thatdoesn'tsoundveryexciting."
"Itwasn't.Wejustdidn'thaveanysparks."
Susanlookeddisappointed."That'sashame.Iwasthinkingyou'dmakeagoodmayor'swife."
Shelaughedatthat."I'dmakeaterriblepolitician'swife.IoftenspeakbeforeIthink."
"Thatcanberefreshing."
"Orcareerkilling,"shesaid,followingSusantothedoor."Seeyoutomorrow."Afterherassistant

left,shelockedthedoorandturnedthesigntoClosed,thenstartedtounloadthedisplaycases,andput
someoftheitemsbackintotherefrigerator.

Whenthatwasdone,shegrabbedaquickbiteupstairs,makingsomesouptogowithasalad.Thenshe

headedbackdownstairsaroundseventostartprepforthenextday.She'djustre-enteredthekitchenwhen
shegotatextfromRoman.

Herheartzingedatjustthesightofhisname.Shereallyneededtogetagriponheremotions.Histext

saidhehadsomeinformationforher.

Shetoldhimtocometothebakery.Shewasreallycurioustoseeifhe'ddiscoveredtheidentityofthe

letterwriter.

Hesaidhe'dbethereinaboutahalfhour,soshedecidedtogetsomeworkdonebeforethen.Setting

downthephone,sheputonherapronandturnedherattentiontoherprepwork.

Shewasdeepinflour,butter,andcreamwhenherphonebuzzedagainwithatextthatRomanwasout

front.Shequicklyhurriedouttothefrontdoortolethimin.

Helookedbetterthandessert,shethought,hishairmussedfromthewindyevening,hischeeks

glowing,hisbrowneyessparkling.

"Coldoutthere,warminhere,"hesaidwithagrin,asheunzippedhisjacket.
"I'mpreheatingtheovens.Comeintheback."
Hefollowedherintothekitchen,thenpulledabigenvelopeoutofhispocketbeforehanginghis

jacketonthehookbythedoor.

"Sothisiswherethemagichappens,"hesaid.
"Thisisit."Shewavedherhandaroundtheroom."Butitdoesn'tlookmuchlikemagicrightnow.I

haveahugeorderduetomorrowbyeleven,soit'sgoingtobealongnight."

"Wedon'thavetodothisnowifyou'rebusy."
"Ofcoursewehavetodothisnow.I'mbusybutI'malsocurious."
"Didanyoneevertellyoucuriositykilledthecat?"
"Mydadusedtosaythattomealot,butI'mnotacat,soI'mnotworried."
Shewavedhimtowardastoolbytheislandcounter."Haveaseat."Hesatdownandshetookthe

stoolnexttohim."Sowhatdidyoufindout?"

"Iwentdowntothecountycourthouseandwasabletogetthelistofrecordeddeedsonyour

property."

"That'sgreat."
"Ihavetowarnyouthatthisdatadoesn’treflecttenants.Soifyourletterwriterwasarenterandnot

anowner,shewon'tbeinhere."

"Gotit.Let'sstartwiththeowners."

"Okay."Hepulledapieceofpaperfromtheenvelope."It'snottoolongofalist.Thehousewasbuilt

in1917,andtherehavebeensevenownersinthelasthundredyears,fourownersbeforeyourparentsand
twoafterward,includingmygrandfather."

"Seven,"shemuttered.Itwasn'talotforahundredyears,butitremindedheragainthatherstorywas

justoneofthemanystoriesthehousewouldtell.

Hearchedaneyebrow,givingheraspeculativelook."WhatdidIsay?"
"Nothing.Whoaretheowners?"
"JeremyBascombuiltthehouseandlivedthereforeighteenyears.Hemovedoutin1933."
"Thatwasduringthedepression.Iwonderifhehadtosell."
"Possibly.Iwasalsotalkingtothewomanintherecorder'soffice,andshetoldmethatmostdeedsup

untilthe1950swereheldinaman'snameonly,regardlessofhismaritalstatus.SowhenIgiveyoua
man'sname,itdoesn'tnecessarilymeanhewassingle."

"It'shardtobelievethatitwasn'tthatlongagothatwomencouldn'townpropertyintheirownname.

Who'snextonthelist?"

Romanconsultedthesheetofpaperinfrontofhim."HarrySackmore.Heownedthepropertyfrom

1933to1958.NextwasMaxandJaneGrayson,from1958to1972."

"Wait,aretheGraysonsistersrelatedtoMaxandJane?"
"Ifthoseweretheirparents,I'dsayso,butIdon'tknowforsure."
"That'sinteresting.Who'snext?"
"ConnieJacobsonownedthehousefrom1972to1987,whenyourparentsboughtit.Idon'tknowif

shewasasinglewomanorjustheldthedeedinhername."Hepaused."Doweneedtogoonwiththe
ownersafteryourparents?"

"Therewasjustone,wasn'tthere?"
"Yes,DeeandBillHannington,from2003to2016.Thenmygrandfatherpurchasedtheproperty.That

bringsustonow."

Shethoughtaboutwhatshe'djustlearned.Shehadnames,butsheneededmore.
"Letmeaskyousomething,"Romansaid."Wasthatbedroomandclosetcarpetedwhenyoulived

there?"

"Ithinkso,"shesaidslowly."Ifeellikeallofthebedroomswerecarpeted."
"Doyourememberyourparentsputtingdownnewcarpet?"
"No,notreally.Whyallthequestionsaboutcarpeting?"
"Justtryingtoseeifwecanruleoutanyone.Ifthecarpetwasplacedovertheboardswherethebox

washidden,thenitprobablyhappenedbeforeyoumovedin."

"That'strue,butwhoknowshowmanytimesitwasre-carpeted?Ithinkwehavetobaseourtheoryon

thefactthattheletterssoundold-fashioned."

"Iagree,"hesaidwithanod."Herlanguage,andherconcernaboutherfatherforcinghertomarry,

sounddated."

"Soweneedtoresearchthefourownersbeforemyparents.Thatshouldn'tbetoodifficult."She

paused."MaybeIshouldstartwiththeGraysons."

Hegroaned."Ifyouwanttostartthere,I'mout.You'llgetfurtheronyourown."
Sheknewhewasright,butshedidn'twanthimtobeout.Shewantedhimtobeworkingwithher.

"Thenlet'sstartatthebeginning.IwonderwhatwecanfindoutontheInternet."

"Probablyquiteabit.Doyouwanttostartnow?"
"Ireallydo,"shesaid,"but…"
"Butyouhavecakestobake.Noproblem.Thiscanwait.Thoselettershavebeenhiddenforyears.

There'snorealurgencytofigureoutwhoownsthemnow."

"ExceptthatIreallywantto,butitwillhavetowaituntiltomorrownight."

"Ishouldletyougetbacktowork."
"Or…"shesaidimpulsively.
Hegaveherawarylook."Idon'tthinkIlikethesoundofthat."
"Youcouldhelpmebake.Icoulduseanothersetofhands."Shecouldn'tquitebelieveshewasasking

Romantohelpwhenshe'dalreadyturnedawaySusan'soffer,butshejusthatedtoseehimleaveagainso
soon.

"Myhands?"heaskeddoubtfully."Idon'tthinkI'llbemuchhelp."
"I'lltellyouwhattodo."
"Whatareyoumaking?"
"ToastedalmondcakeswithmascarponecreamandAmarenacherries,decoratedwithpinkandred

hearts."

"Thatsoundshard."
"They'renotdifficult,buttheyaretime-consuming.AndIneedsixofthem.Ialsoneedsixmoltenlava

chocolatecakes.It'saspecialorderforaprivateluncheon.That'swhyIcouldusethehelp."

"Andyoudon'thaveanyoneelsetoask?"
"Ireallydon't."
"You'regoingtoregretthis,Juliette."
Shesmiled."Idon'tthinkso.You'reasmartguy.Andyousaidyourselfyouusedtocookforyouand

yourmom."

"IalsosaidImadehotdogsandspaghetti."
"Youcandoit.I'magreatteacher."
"Well,you'refilledwithconfidencetonight."Hegottohisfeetandpushedupthesleevesofhis

sweater."Fine.You'reon.Iamyourstocommand."

"Great."Shestoodupandmovedovertothebuilt-insetofdrawers,pullingoutanapronandabaker's

hat."First,youdress."

"Youwantmetowearanapron?"heaskeddoubtfully.
"Andahat.Healthregulations."
"NooneisheretoseewhatI'mwearing."
"I'llsee.Andwhathappenedto—Iamyourstocommand?"
"Fine,"hegrumbled,puttingtheaprononandtyingitbehindhisback.
Sheputthehatonhishead."Youlooksexy."
"Iseriouslydoubtthat,"hesaiddryly."Saveyourbuttering-upforthecakepans."
Shelaughed."That'sagoodone.Butyoudolooksexy,andifyoudoanamazingjobtonight,I'llprove

ittoyou."Herrecklessdarebroughtagleamtohiseyes.

"Oh,yeah?Whatareyougoingtodo?"
"You'llhavetowaitandsee.First,youhavetoshowmeyoucanfollowinstructionsandletmebethe

boss."

"I'magoodsoldier,"hesaidlightly."Whatdoyouwantmetodofirst?"
"Getthepansready."
"Okay,thatsoundseasy."
"Itis,butifyoumessitup,thecakeswon'tcomeoutofthepans,andwe'llhavetostartoveragain."
"Soalittlepressurethen.Waytobuildmyconfidence,boss."
"Ijustwantyoutoknowwhat'satstake,"shesaid."Allkiddingaside,Roman,thesehavetobe

perfect.Thisismybusiness,mybrand,andithastobeamazing."

"Igetit,"hesaid,givingherareassuringsmile."I'lldothebestIcan.Butatanypointyouwanttofire

me,justsaytheword."

Sheprobablyshouldn'thavehiredhiminthefirstplace,butspendingthenightbakingwithRoman

soundedalotmorefunthandoingitbyherself.

***

Juliettewastough,Romanthoughttwohourslater,ashewipedthesweatoffhisforeheadwitha

papertowel.She'dtoldhimthatshetookherbusinessseriously,andshehadn'tbeenlying.Oncethey'd
gottenintothebaking,herinstructionshadbeencrisp,clear,purposeful,andherattitudehadgonefrom
sweetandeasygoingtoseriousandperfection-driven.

Hewishedhecouldsayhelikedherlessnow,butitwasjusttheopposite.Hecouldseeherpassion,

herdrive,herdeterminationtodowell,tomeetherownveryhighstandards,andherwillingnesstodo
thingsoverandoveruntiltheyweredoneexactlythewaysheneededthemtobedone.

Whenshe'daskedhimtohelp,he'dsortofexpectedhe'dbeplayingaroundinsomeflour,cracking

someeggs,andwatchinghersweet,sexybodymovearoundthekitchen,butinsteadhe'dbeentaughthow
tomaketoastedalmondcake,filling,icing,andpinkandredheartstoadddecorationtothetopofthe
cakes.He'dfeltabitclumsythroughoutmostofthetasks,buthehadtoadmithe'denjoyedthework.

Glancingattheclockonthewall,herealizeditwasalmostten.Thelastalmondcakewasintheoven,

buttheyhadyettostartthechocolatecakes.Juliettestillhadalotofworkaheadofher.Hehadafeeling
herenthusiasmforeverythingmightbeleadingherintoover-bookingherself.

"Onemoretogo,"shesaid,givinghimanabsent-mindedsmile,asshecheckedtheoven."ThenI'lllet

everythingcoolbeforeIdecorate.Whilethat’shappening,Icanstartonthechocolatecakes."

"Youknowit'snearlyten,right?"
"What?"
Hepointedtotheclock.
Dismayflashedacrossherface."Oh,Ididn'trealizeitwassolate.IguessI'lldothecakesinthe

morning.That'sprobablyabetterplananyway."

"Whattimedoyougetup?"
"Tomorrow—probablyfour."
"That'ssixhoursfromnow."
"I'musedtogoingonlittlesleep."
"SoamI,butatsomepointitcatchesuptoyou.Youcan'tdoyourbestworkwhenyou'reexhausted,"

hesaid.

"Iappreciatethat,butIfeelprettygood.IamsorryIkeptyousolong.Itendtolosetrackoftimewhen

I'mbaking."

"Inoticedthat."
"Yourhelpwasinvaluable,Roman.Ifeelbetterhavinggottensomuchdonetonight."
"I'mgladIwasabletohelpalittle.Ilikeyourdrive,"hesaid,steppingforwardtowipeasmudgeof

flouroffhercheek.

Herblueeyessparkedbackathim,andsuddenlyhehadafeelingthatneitheroneofthemwasthinking

aboutcakeanymore.

"Ilikeyourwillingnesstolearn,"shesaid.
"Whatelsedoyoulike?"heaskedsoftly.
Shedrewinanunsteadybreath."Youreyes,theintensityofyourgaze.Whenyou'relookingatme,I

don’tfeellikethere'sanyoneelseintheroom."

"Iknowthefeeling.Whatelse?"
"Searchingforcompliments?"sheteased.
"It'smorethatIwanttoknowwhatyoulike."
"Ilikethewayyoukissme,thewayyouholdme,prettymucheverythingaboutit."

"Ilikethewayyoukissmeback,"hesaidsoftly.Heslippedhisarmsaroundherwaistandpulledher

upagainsthim."IthinkI'veearnedmyrewardforbeingasexyassistantinanapronandahat."

Shesmiledatthereminder."First,tellmewhatyoulikeaboutme."
"WheredoIstart?"
"Anywhereyouwant."
"Ilikeyourhair,thewayitcurlsupfromthesteamyovens.Ilikethewayyourcheeksflushwhenyou

cookorwhenyoutalkorwhenyouthinkI'mgoingtokissyou."

Sheputherhandsonhercheeks."Aretheypinknow?"
"Abeautifulshadeofrose—likeyourlips…yoursoft,sexy,temptinglips."
"Oh,my,"shesaid,breathingin."WhenIfirstmetyou,Ithoughtyouwereamanoffewwords,butI'm

likingthewordsyouchoosealotbetternow."

"So,isittimeformyreward?"heasked.
"Yes,"shesaid,smilingbackathim."You'veearneditinsomanyways."Herhandsslidaroundhis

neckasshepressedontiptoetokisshim.

Thekissstartedoutsoft,tender,butwithinsecondsitbecameexplosiveandhot.Hewasfast

becomingaddictedtohertaste,tothefeelofherbodyinhisarms,tothescentsofsugarandcinnamonand
vanillathatseemedtoclingtoherskin.Shewassweetandsexy—adeadlycombination.Nottomention
smartandfunandeagertoexplorewhatevershewascuriousabout.

Hetriedtoputabrakeonhisthoughts,buteverykissbetweenthemjustmadehimlikehermore.He

knewheshouldstop.Shehadtogetupearly.Andthisfirecouldsoeasilyburnoutofcontrol.Hedidn't
wanttohurther.Hedidn'twanttoleaveher.Buthewasafraidbothwouldhappen—andprobablytoo
soonforeitherofthem.

Hisbodytoldhisbraintoshutup,enjoythemomentandnotthinkabouttomorrow.
Itseemedlikegoodadvice,especiallywhenherbreastspressedagainsthischest.
Andthentheoventimerwentoff.
Thesoundtookamomenttoregister.
Juliettewokeupfirst,pullingoutofhisembrace."Thecake,"shemuttered,hervoicesomewhat

bemused.Sheranintothecornerofthecounterasshehurriedtowardtheoven,yelpedwithahintofpain,
thenmovedaroundthecountertoopentheoven.

Shepulledouthercakeandsetitonthecounter.Thensherubbedherhipbone.
"Areyouallright?"heasked.
"Yes."Sheletoutabreath."It'sfine."
"Goodthingyousetthetimer.Wemighthaveforgottenaboutthatcake."
"That'sagoodbet."Shetuckedherhairbehindherearwithasomewhatself-conscioussmile."Itend

toforgetalotwhenwestartkissing."

Henoddedinagreement,wishingshewasn'tontheothersideofthebigisland,butsheseemedtolike

thedistancebetweenthemnow,andmaybeitwasagoodthing.Otherwise,hewouldprobablynever
leave.

"Ididappreciateyourhelp,Roman,"sheadded."Itwasniceofyoutooffer."
"Idon'tknowifIexactlyoffered,butyou'rewelcome.Ishouldgo.Andyoushould,too."
Shenodded."I'lljustcleanupafewthingsandthenheadupstairs."
"CanIhelp?"
"No,you'vedoneenough."
Hefrowned."Idon'tliketoleaveyouherealone."
"I'mherealoneallthetime.It'sverysafe."
"Youhavetogoouttothestreettogoupstairs."
"Whichisalsoverysafe,andit'saboutasix-footdistancebetweendoors.Youdon'tneedtoworry

aboutme."

"Allright—ifyou'resure."Hetookoffhisapronandhatandsetthemonthecounter.
"Idowanttofollowupontheinformationyougotfromthecountyontheprevioushomeowners.

Hopefully,Icanfindsometimetogetonline."

"I'llleavethepaperworkwithyou.Wecantouchbasetomorrownight."
"Thatwouldbegood.It'sgoingtobecrazyuntilthen.ShouldIcomeovertothehouse,andwecango

ontheInternettogether?Wait,doyouhaveInternetthere?"

"Ihaveahotspotonmyphone."
"Thatwillwork."
"Butactuallytomorrownightisn'tgood.HowaboutThursday?"
"Sure.What'sgoingontomorrow?Orwouldyourathernotsay?"Shepaused,frowningalittle."Do

youhaveadate?"

"No,it'snotadate."
"Thenwhatareyoudoing?"
"I'mplayingguitaratMickelson'sBar.JohnMickelsonisafriendofmygrandfather,andhepersuaded

metositinwithoneofthebandstomorrownight."

Surpriseranthroughhereyes."Wait.What?Youplaytheguitarwellenoughtoplayinaband?"
"We'llfindthatouttomorrownight,"hesaidlightly."I'malittlerusty."
"Ihavetoadmit,I'msurprised.Youareamanofmanylayers."
Heshrugged."Notthatmany.Doyouwanttowalkmeout?"
Shehesitated,thenshookherhead."I'mgoingtostayrightwhereIam,becauseIreallydoneedtogo

tobed,andyoureallydoneedtoleave,andifweendupatthedoortogether,whoknowswhatwill
happen?"

Hesmiled."I'dliketofindout."
"That'snotgoingtohappentonight."
"Fairenough.Goodluckwiththebakingtomorrow."
"Thanks.Goodluckwiththeplaying.Areyougoingtosing,too?"
"Idon'tthinkhe'llbeabletotalkmeintothat."
"Ibetyouhaveagoodvoice."
"Idon'tknowwhatyou'rebasingthatbeton."
"Gutinstinct."
"YouwereshockedIplayed.NowyourinstincttellsyouI'masinger?"
Shelaughed."Fine,I'llwaitandseeformyself."
Hispulsespedup."You'regoingtocome?"
"OfcourseI'mgoingtocome.Yousingingandplayingtheguitar—Iwouldn'tmissitfortheworld."

Eleven

WednesdaymorningpassedinablurasJulietteworkedfromfoura.m.untilelevenwhenshewentto

theWayfarerrestauranttodropoffherdesserts,whichwerereceivedwithagreatdealofaweandpraise.

Onherwaybacktothebakery,shestoppedinatDonavan'sforsomemuch-neededcoffee.She'dsent

SusantomakethemorningdeliverytoDonavan's,soshe'dmissedherearlymorningespresso.

SaraandDonavanwerebothworkingbehindthecounter,andshenoticedthatRoman'sgrandfather,

Vincent,andhisfriendMaxwerechattingattheirusualtablewithanothergray-hairedman.

ShesteppeduptothecounterandgaveDonavanasmile."Iamindesperateneedofcoffee."
"WhatcanIgetyou?"
"IthinkI'lltrythedarkroasttoday.Itsmellssogood."
"You'vegotit,"Donavansaid.
"Youlooktired,"Saracommented,asshetookhercreditcardandswipedit.
"I'mexhausted.IjustfinishedupahugeorderforaprivatelunchattheWayfarerrestaurant."
"That'sagoodplacetoshowoffyourdesserts."
"Ihopeso.Thecakesturnedoutwell,whichisalwaysareliefwhenIgetaspecialorder."
Donavansetdownamugofcoffeeinfrontofherinsteadofherusualto-gocup."Whydon'tyousit

downandreadthenewspaperorsomething?You'vebeengoingnonstopfordays.Theshadowsunder
youreyesaregettingbigger."

"IwishIcould,but—"
"Butnothing.Sit,"Donavanordered."Youhavetopaceyourself,Juliette.Irecognizeyourneedto

makeeverythinggreatimmediately.Butit'shardtobuildasteadybusiness.You'regoingtoneedstrength
tokeepalltheballsintheair,soafewminuteshereandtheretobreatheareabsolutelyrequired."

"Iknowyou'reright.It'sjustsohardtotakethoseminuteswhentimeisprecious."
Donavangaveheranunderstandingsmile."FromwhatIcansee,you'redoingreallywell."
"Iactuallydofeelkindofproudofmyself,"sheadmitted."Idreamedaboutowningabakeryfora

longtime,andIwasn'tsureIcoulddoitallbymyself,butsomehowI'mdoingit."

"Andyou'llkeepdoingit,afteryousitdownandhavesomecoffee."
"Thanks."Shetookhercoffeeovertoatableandsatdown.Someonehadleftanewspaperbehind,so

shebrowsedthroughthelocalnews,thinkingithadbeenalongtimesinceshe'dactuallyreada
newspaper.Mostinformationshegotonline.Itdidfeelrelaxingtoactuallybeoutsomewhereandnot
havesomethingpressingtodoforafewminutes.

Sarabroughtoverasandwichonaplateandsetitdowninfrontofher.
"What'sthis?"sheasked.
"IpickedupsandwichesatConnor'sDelibutthenElicalledinsick,soIhaveanextra.It'sturkeyand

jackcheesewithtomatoesandsprouts.Willthatwork?"

"It'sperfect."
Saratooktheseatacrossfromher."Soanythingnewhappening?DidyouevergooutwithDoug?"
"Asamatteroffact,Idid—lastSundaynight.HetookmetodinneratGladstone's."
"Fancy,"Sarasaidwitharaiseofherbrow."Dougdoesknowhowtocharmtheladies.Andthenwhat

didyoudo?"

ShesawtheexpectantlookinSara'seyesandknewshewasgoingtodisappointher."Hetookme

homeandwesaidgood-night."

"Nokiss?"
"Justapeck."
"Sowilltherebeaseconddate?"
"No.Dougisgreat,andIthinkwecouldbefriends,butthat'sit."
"Oh,toobad.Doeshefeelthesameway?"
"Ihaven'theardfromhimsinceSundaynight,soI'mguessingyes.Idon'thavetimetodaterightnow

anyway.Whataboutyou?HowwasyournightwithTimafterthemoviefestival?"

"Itwasreallyfunandthereweredefinitelysparkswhenwekissedgood-night.Hehadtogovisithis

sisterinKansasCity,becauseshe'shavingababy,buthe'stextedmeafewtimessincethen."

"That'spromising."
"We'llsee."Shepushedbackherchairandstoodup."Ibettergetbacktowork."
AsSaraleft,Traviscameintothecoffeehouse.Hisstepsslowedwhenhesawher.Hegavehera

quick,curtnodandthenheadedtothecounter.Hedidn'tlookmuchbettertodaythanhehadoverthe
weekendwhenthey'dfirstmet.Hisclotheswerestillwrinkled,hisbeardstillscruffy,hisskinpaleand
unhealthylooking.ShereallyhopedCameronwasallright.

"Travis,"Donavansaid."Yourmothersaidyouwerebackintown.It'ssogoodtoseeyouagain."
"Iheardyouhaveagoodbusinessgoinghere,"Travissaid,lookingaround."It'snice."
"Thanks.WhatcanIgetyou?"
"Actually,Ididn'tcomehereforthecoffee;I'mlookingforajob.Iwaswonderingifyoumightneed

anyone."

"Oh,well,I'msorry,"Donavansaid,givinghimanapologeticsmile."We'renotlookingforanyhelp

rightnow."

"Okay,"hesaidheavily."Ifyouhearofanyopeningsanywhere,willyouletmeknow?CanIleave

youmynumber?"

"Sure,"Donavansaid,jottingdownTravis'snumber."Isthereanykindofworkyou'reparticularly

lookingfor?"

"Whateverwillpaysomebills.I'vebeensellingcarsthelastfewyears,buttherearen'tany

dealershipsaroundhere,andIneedtostayclosetohome.I'vegotakidnow—ason."

"Cameron,right?"Donavansaid."He'scomeinwithyourmotherafewtimes.He'scute."
"Yeah,I'mhopingthisisagoodmoveforhim."Heclearedhisthroat."I'mgoodwithconstruction,

too.Icanpaint,whatever."

JuliettecouldhearthedesperationinTravis'svoiceandjudgingbyDonavan'ssympatheticexpression,

shecould,too.

"Iwilldefinitelykeepmyearsopen,"Donavansaid."YoumighttalktoMr.Prescott.He'srightover

there.He'sdoingabigremodel."

Traviscastaquicklookatthemeninthecornerandshookhishead."Roman'sgrandfather?Idon't

thinkso.Butanyoneelse—letmeknow."

"Sure,"Donavanreplied."Butmaybeit'stimetoburythatoldproblem."
"Notmychoice,"Travissaidshortly,thentippedhisheadandwalkedoutofthecoffeeshop.
AsTravisleft,shecouldn'thelpwonderingwhathadhappenedtohiswife,whyhisfinanceshad

gottensodire.HerconcernsaboutCameron'swell-beingreturned.Hopefully,Traviscouldfindwork
somewhereintown.Romanprobablycouldusehishelpontheremodel,butsheknewthatwasanon-
starter.Travishadn'tevenwantedtotalktoVincent.Onceagain,thepastwasrearingitsuglyhead,and
onceagain,shewonderedwhohadactuallystartedthefire.Shewonderedifanyonereallyknew.

Butthatwasaworryforanotherday.Shetookherplateandmugtothecounter,thenheadedbackto

work.

Hernextbreakdidn'tcomeuntilaftersix,whensheclosedupthebakeryandmadeherwayupstairs.

Theshortnightofsleepwascatchinguptoher,butshehadtostayawake.Therewasnowayshewas
goingtomissRomanplayingatMickelson'sBar.

Shetookashowertowakeup,blew-dryherhair,appliedsomemakeup,andthenmadesome

scrambledeggsfordinner.Afterthat,shegotonhercomputerwiththelistofnamesthatRomanhadgotten
forheryesterday.Shemightaswelldoalittleresearchbeforesheleft.

Shestartedwiththefirstowner,JeremyBascom.Twentyminuteslater,allshe'dfoundwasan

obituarynoticethatmadenomentionofawifeorchildren.Shedecidedtomoveontothenextowner,
whichwasHarrySackmore,who'downedthehousefrom1933to1958.ShefoundoutthatHarrywasa
dentistandthathe'ddiedin1958.He'dbeensurvivedbyhiswifeLeonoraandhissonFranklin.Franklin
wasadentistlikehisfather,andhe'ddiedin1986,survivedbyawife,Carol.

Frowning,shejotteddownnotes,notreallysureexactlywhatshewaslookingfor,butherguttoldher

thattheletterwriterhadbeenasingleyoungwoman—whichtookhertotheGraysons.MaxandJane
Graysonhadboughtthehousein1958andlivedthereuntil1972.They'dhadtwodaughters,Marthaand
Cecelia.Maxhadworkedatalawfirmintownbeforehisdeathin1990.Therewasnoinformationon
Jane.

MarthaandCeceliahadlivedinFairhopetheirentirelives.Marthahadbeenonthestaffofadifferent

lawfirmthantheoneherfatherhadworkedat.She'dbeenalegalsecretaryuntilshe'dretiredin2008.
Ceceliaranthelocalnurseryandvolunteeredforseveralcharities.

Shedidn'tneedtheInternettolearnmoreaboutthem;shecouldjusttalktothem.Theycameintoher

bakeryseveraltimesaweek.Butshewasn'tquitesurehowtobroachthequestionofwhetherornotone
ofthemhadwrittenletterstoaloverandthenburiedthemundersomefloorboards.

Shecouldn'timagineMarthalovinganyone.Ceceliawasdefinitelysofterandnicer.Maybeithad

beenher.Orperhapsithadn'tbeeneitheroneofthem,butitwasthebestleadshehad.

Anditwasinterestingthattherehadn'tbeenanymenintheirlives,oratleastnomarriages.Wasthat

becauseoneofthemstillpinedforthemanshe'dlost?

PerhapsthatwaswhyMarthawassobitter.OrmaybeitwaswhyCeceliaseemedsolonely.
Settingthemaside,shelookedforthelastownerbeforeherparents—ConnieJacobson.Therewere

severalConnieJacobsonsonsocialmedia,butnoonelistingtheirhometownasFairhope.Shetriedfor
marriageandobituarylistingsandfinallyfoundaConnieJacobsonwhohaddiedofcancerin1985,
whichwastwoyearsbeforethehousehadsoldtoJuliette'sparents.

Conniehadbeensurvivedbythreesons:Nathan,PhilipandAdrian.Therewasnomentionofa

husband.Itlookedlikethesonshadsoldthehousetoherparents.

ItwaspossibleConniehadbeentheletterwriter.Maybeherhusbandhadleftherordied.
Shetappedafewmorekeys,lookingforanyotherinfoshecouldfindonthesons.NathanJacobson,

whichimpliedJacobsonwasConnie'smarriedname,wasarealtorintown.Finally,anotherlead.

Sheclosedthecomputer.Shehadthreepeopletotalktonow—theGraysonsistersandNathan—but

theywouldallhavetowaituntiltomorrow.Checkingherwatch,shegotup,grabbedacoatandheaded
outtoMickelson'sBar.

***

Whatthehellhadhebeenthinking?Henevershouldhaveagreedtoplaytonight,Romanthought,

ashelookedaroundthecrowdedbar.Sofar,hehadn'tseenanyfamiliarfaces,butthatdidn'tmeansome
peoplefromhispastwouldn'tshowup.Andthosewhocamecouldverywellbepeoplewhodidn'tlike
himatall.Hewasnotonlyputtinghisrustyguitarskillsondisplay,hewasalsoputtinghimselfina
positionforsomenastyheckling.

Hedidn'treallycarewhatanyonesaidtohim,buthedidlikeJohn,theownerofthebar,andthelast

thinghewantedtodowascreateanyproblemsforhim.

Hestoodofftotheside,adjustingthetensiononhisstrings,whileaguysetuptheamps.He'dmet

Bobby,thedrummer,andDavid,thebassguitarist,andtheybothseemedlikegoodguys.Hopefully,he
couldkeepupwiththem.

Asthedoortothebaropened,hefoundhimselflookingforacertainprettybrunettewithdazzlingblue

eyes,butJuliettehadnotshownupyet.Hetoldhimselfshemightnotcome.Shehadtobeexhaustedfrom
allthework,butsomehowhethoughtshewouldbethere,andhewasbothexcitedandalittlewaryabout
herpresence.Hefoundhimselfwantingtoimpressher,andithadbeenalongtimesincehe'dfelttheneed
todothatforanyone.

Butitwasn'tJuliettewhowalkedin;itwasDonavanandheryoungersisterBecky.WhileBeckywent

tothebar,Donavancameovertohim.

"Areyouplaying?"sheasked,surpriseinhereyes.
"Theguitargaveitaway,huh?"
"Yes.Ican'tquitebelieveit."
"Me,either.JohnMickelsoncaughtmeinaweakmoment."
"Irememberwhenyouusedtositonthepierandstrumyourguitar.Ican'ttellyouhowmanygirls

showedupthereaccidentallyonpurposetohearyouplay."

"Idon'trememberthat,"hesaid.
"Youwereinyourownworldwhenyouhadthatguitarinyourhands.Actually,Ithinkyouwerein

yourownworldalotofthetime.It'swhatmadeyousointeresting.Youwereelusive."

"Elusive?Iwasn'ttryingtobe,butokay."
"RomanPrescott?"
Heturnedhisheadtoseeawomanwithbrightcopper-coloredhairwalkingtowardhim.
"Isthatyou?"sheasked."I'mVanessaHenderson.Rememberme?"
Hedidn'treally,butshelookedvaguelyfamiliar."Vanessa,sure.Howareyou?"
"Indisbeliefthatyou'reactuallyhere.Iheardyouwereintown,butyouhaven'tshownupanywhere

beforenow."

"I'vebeenworkingformygrandfather.Howareyou?"
"I'msingleagain,"shesaid.
"Again?"
"Iwasmarriedforacoupleofyears—sillymistake.Butyouknowme,Icanbeimpulsive.Remember

thattimewemadeoutatthemovies?"sheaskedwithamischievoussmile."Weshoulddothatagain
sometime."

Heclearedhisthroat.Ifhe'dmadeoutwithher,hehadabsolutelynorecollectionofit."Ineedtoget

readyformyset."

"Maybewe'lltalk…later."
"Maybe,"hesaid,knowinghewoulddoeverythingtoavoidthat.
DonavanwasallsmileswhenVanessawalkedaway,andhelookedinherdirection.
"See,"shesaid."Noteveryoneintownhasbadmemoriesofyou."Sheloweredhervoice."But

Vanessa?Really?Ialwaysthoughtshemadethatupaboutthemoviesandyourmake-outsession."

"Idon'trememberit,butlet'skeepthatbetweenus."
"You'vegotit.AndnowI'mprettysureshedidmakeitup.Goodlucktonight."
"Thanks."
AsDonavanleft,Bobbycameoverwithayoungwomaninherearlytwenties.Shehadlong,black

hairanddarkeyes,abohemianlooktoherflowyclothes.

"ThisisFiona,"Bobbysaid."Oursinger."
"Goodtomeetyou,"hesaid,shakingherhand.

"Likewise.Ihaven'tseenyouaroundherebefore."
"Justgotbackintotown."
"Youreadytorock?"sheasked.
"Definitely."
Theywentoverthefirstfewsongstheywouldbeplaying.Fortunately,heknewthefirstonereally

wellandthesecondtwohecouldkeepupwith.Afterthat,whoknew…

Hetookadeepbreathashegotontothestage.Hecouldn'trememberthelasttimehe'dplayedfor

anyonebuthimself.Hopefully,hewouldn'tembarrasstheband.

Fionasteppeduptothemic,andwithaone-two-three,theywereoff.
Hefeltridiculouslyrustyatfirst,eventhoughhe'dpracticedafewhoursearlierintheday.Itwasvery

differentplayingonastageinfrontofpeoplethaninanemptyhouse.Butoncethemusicandbeatstarted
flowingthroughhim,hebegantorelax.

Fiona'svoicehadaraspy,almostmagicalquality,thatinstantlyquietedthecrowd,andallattention

turnedtotheband.

Bytheendofthefirstsong,hewasfeelingit.Andhalfwaythroughthesecondsong,hethoughthe

mightgetthroughthenightwithoutanyproblems.

ThenJuliettewalkedthroughthedoor,andhelosthisfocusforasecond,hittingthewrongchord.
Hequicklycorrectedandhopednoonewouldnotice.Hewatchedhermakeherwaytothebackofthe

room.Damn,shewaspretty.Eveninthedimlight,sheseemedtosparkle.

Heforcedhimselftolookawayfromherandfocusonthemusic.Hewantedtogetitright,notjustfor

thebandorthecrowd,butforher.

Theyplayedthreemoresongsbeforeendingtheirsettoaroundofapplause.Ashegotoffthestage,

hesawDougstandingwithJuliette.Thatstoppedhiminhistracks.

Heheadedtothebarandgotabeerfromthebartender,feelinginstantlydeflatedbythesightof

JulietteandDougtogether.She'dsaidshewasn'tinterestedinhim,buthe'dseenDougchangeagirl's
mindmanyatime.

JohnMickelsoncameoverandgavehimaslapontheback."Iknewyouwerestillgood,Roman."
Helookedintothesilver-blueeyesofhisgrandfather'sfriend."Thanks.Itwasfun."
"Youcancomebackanytime."
"Imighttakeyouuponthat."
"Howarethingsgoingforyouaroundhere?"
"They'reallright,"hesaid,takingaswigofhisbeer.
"Yourgrandfatherishappyyou'reback."
"It'snotfortoolong."
"That'swhathesaid.CanIofferasuggestion,eventhoughit'snoneofmybusiness?"
Hegaveanod."Sure."
"Yourgrandfatherwouldlovenothingmorethantogiveyouhisbusiness,buthedoesn'twantyouto

feelobligatedtotakeit,ifyourheartissomewhereelse."

HestaredatJohninsurprise."He'snevertoldmethat."
"Well,Vinceisn'tonetosaymuchaboutwhatmatterstohim.Butyou'rehisfamily—hisblood.He's

proudofyou."

"FromwhatIcansee,exceptforthislatestremodel,hisbusinessisprettymuchdone."
"NotifyouturnthehouseonPrimroseLaneintoawinner.Yourgrandfatherhasagreateye,andhe

knowshowtomakethemostoutofahouse.He'sagoodmanager,butheneedssomeonetobuildthe
businessuptowhatitusedtobe."

"I'maMarine,notacontractor."
"Iknowyou'reasoldier.AndfromwhatIhear,you'vebeenadamngoodone.Butiftherecomesa

timewhenyoudecidetomakeachange,youmightwanttogiveconstructionandFairhopeachance.I
knowonemanyou'llmakeveryhappywiththatdecision."

Hewonderedaboutthat.He'dneverreallythoughtmuchabouthisrelationshipwithhisgrandfather.

Theydidn'tspeakaboutemotionsorfeelingsoranythingpersonal.Theywereblood,buttheywere
strangersinalotofways.

"Youknow,hewantedyourdadtotakeoverhisbusiness,"Johnadded."ButBrettcouldn'thammera

boardwithouthittinghisthumb.Iftherewasapaintcantotripover,he'dsomehowenduponhisback
withpaintalloverhim."

Hewasshockedtorealizeitwasthefirsttimeanyone,outsideofhisgrandfatherormother,hadever

mentionedhisfathertohim.Evenwhenhe'dlivedinFairhopebefore,thesubjecthadnevercomeup.
Although,thatmighthavebeenbecausehehadrarelyspokentoadultsduringthosefewrebelliousteenage
years.

"YourgrandfatherwasdisappointedthatBrettwouldn'tcarryonhisbusiness,butthemanjustdidn't

havethetalentforit.Hewasagoodmusician,though.Youmusthavegottenthosegenesfromhim.He
playedguitar,too."

"Ihadnoidea."
"Seriously?Yourgrandfathernevertoldyou?"
"Wedon'ttalkaboutmyfather."
"Well,yourdadwasverytalented.Hehadabandinhighschool."
Hewasmorethanalittlesurprisedatthat."Aband,huh?"
"Yeah.Idon'tthinkyourgrandfatherlikeditmuch,butBrettdidwhathewanted.Thatseemstobethe

Prescottway."

"Idon'tknowanythingaboutmyfather.Hewasn'twithmymotherlongerthanafewmonthsafterIwas

born,andthenhediedwhenIwasthree.Ididn'tmeetVincentuntilIwasfifteen.Bythen,mydadhad
beengonealongtime,andmygrandfatherdidn'tliketotalkabouthim,sowedidn't."

Johnnoddedwithunderstanding."Well,theybuttedheadsalot.Bretthadhisheadintheclouds,and

Vincentisapracticalsort.Hedidn'tlikethatBrettwouldn'tevertakehisadvice."

"Doyouknowwhatdrovethemapart?Wasthereaspecificincident?"
"Therewas.Brettdroppedoutofcollegewithouttellingyourgrandfather.HesoldeverythingVincent

hadgivenhimandtookthecashandwenttoCalifornia.Vincentdidn'tfindhimforalmostayear.Brett
saidhejustdidn'thavethenervetotellhimhehatedschool.Theyhadsomebigconfrontation.Vincent
camebackandsaidtheyweredone.That'sallIknow.Youshouldaskyourgrandfather,ifyouwantto
knowmore."

"Idoubthe'dtellmemore,"hemurmured."Ican'tbelievemyfatherdidn'ttellmygrandfatherhewas

leavingschool."

"LikeIsaid,hewasheadstrongandstubborn."
AsJohnsteppedbehindthebartoanswersomethingforthebartender,Romanthoughtaboutwhathe'd

justlearned.He'dgivenuponaskinghismotherforinformationabouthisfather,becauseitalwaysmade
hercry,andwhenhe'dbroachedthesubjectwithhisgrandfather,thereactionhadbeenanger.Sohe'dlet
itbe,figuringhedidn'treallyneedtoknowaboutamanwho'dgivenhimnothingmorethanalastname.

Butknowingthathisfatherlikedmusic…somehowthatchangedthingsalittle,fleshedouttheghostly

figureinhishead.

"Roman,youwereamazing."
HeturnedhisheadtoseeJuliette'sbrightsmileanddazzlingblueeyes."Thanks.You'rebeing

generousasusual."

"I'mreallynot.Iwasactuallyquiteimpressed.Everyonewas.I'vebeentobarswherepeoplejust

keeptalkingwhenthebandplays,butyouhadeveryone'sattention."

"IthinkthatwasFiona."
"Shewasgood,too."
"CanIbuyyouadrinkorareyoustillworkingonthatone?"Hetippedhisheadtothequarter-full

glassofwineinherhand.

"I'mjustgoingtofinishthis.I'mafraidifIdrinkanymore,I'llfallasleepwithmyheadonthebar."
"I'msurprisedyou'reawakeatallafteryourmarathonnightandmorning."
"Iwantedtohearyouplay."
Awaveofemotionranthroughhimathersimplewords.Hedidn'tquiteknowhowtohandleit.He

clearedhisthroat."IsawyoutalkingtoDoug."Hewassorrytheinstanthebroughtuptheotherman's
name,butitwastoolate.

"Ifiguredthat'swhyyoudidn'tcomeovertosayhello."Shepaused."You'renotgoingtolikethis—"
"Thenmaybedon'tsayit,"hesuggested.
"ButIthinkyoushouldconsiderthefactthatmaybeyou,Doug,andTravisneedtohashoutthepastso

youcanallmoveon."

Hesighed."It'sover.Forgetaboutit."
"Look,Iwasn'tgoingtobringitupagainwithDoug,buthedidithimself."
Hedranktherestofhisbeerinonelongswallow."Idon'tcarewhathethinks,Juliette."
"Hecareswhatyouthink."
"No,hedoesn't."
"Yes,hedoes.Hesaidyouthinkheturnedonyou,buthedidn't."
"Hejustwantstowinanelection,Juliette.He'llsaywhateverhethinkswillmakehimappearlikea

goodguy."

"I'lladmitthathe'sself-serving.Hedoesn'treallypretendnottobe.Itoldhimthathe'sprobablythe

onlyofyouwhocanactuallyfindoutwhattrulyhappened,whateveryonesaid,andthatifhewantstoget
tothetruth,hemighttrylookingforit.Hisfatherwasthechiefofpolice.Hecanspeaktohim,orhecan
asktoseethecasefile.Maybetherearetranscriptsoftheinterviewseachofyouhad.There'satruththatI
don’tthinkanyofyouknow.AndifDougwantstoprovethathisfatherdidn'tprotecthimbygoingafter
you,thenhe'sgoingtoneedammunition."

"Hedoesn'twanttoprovethat.Whateverhesaidtoyouwasjusttomakepoints,getyouonhisside."
"ItoldhimIwasonthesideofthetruth."
Hewouldhavepreferredifshe'dsaidshewasonhisside.
"Oh,andIsawTravisatDonavan'stoday,"shecontinued."HelookedasbadashedidonSaturday,

andhewasaskingDonavanforajob.Hesaidhewasdesperatetofindwork.IthinkCameron'swell-
beingisstillupintheair."

Hedidn'treallyknowhowtofeelaboutTravis.BecauseDoug'sdadhadbeentheonetopresshim

aboutconfessinghisguilt,he'dalwaysblamedDougmorethanTravis,butthetwoofthemhadalways
beenbetterfriendswitheachotherthanwithhim.Hehadnodoubtthatthey'dmadesuretheirstories
matchedup,ortheirfathershadmadesureofit.

ButJuliettewasrightaboutonething—Travis'sunemploymentsituationdidn'tbodewellforCameron.

"I'msurehe'llfindwork.Hisfatherwaswell-likedinthetown.MaybeDougwillgivehimajob.Didyou
tellhimhewaslooking?"

"Hesaidhehadn'ttalkedtoTravisinyears.HeseemstoblameTravisforsomesortofbetrayal,along

withyou.Ithinkthethreeofyoushouldtalk."

"AndIthinkyouneedtobackoutofthisandworryaboutyourownlife,"hesaidsharply.
Sheflinchedathisharshstatement,buthereyeswerestilldefiant."Iwillbackoff,butIhaveone

morethingtosay.Travissaidhe'sgoodatconstruction.That'sit,I'mdone."

"Noway.Iamnotgoingtohirehim,andmygrandfatherwouldn'tconsiderit,either."

"It'sbeenalongtime,Roman.Peoplegrowup;theychange.Itsoundslikeyouchanged.Can'tyoulet

DougandTravischange,too?"

Shehadapoint,eventhoughhedidn'twanttohearit.Buthadtheychanged?Dougseemedprettymuch

thesame.Travis—whoknew?Heseemedtohavealotofotherproblemsthathadnothingtodowiththeir
sharedpast.

"So,areyougoingtoplayagain?"sheasked,changingthesubject.
"No,there'sanewbandcomingupnext."
"IthinkI'llgohomethen."
"I'llwalkoutwithyou."
Shesetherglassonthebar.Hegrabbedhisguitar,andthentheyleftthebar.
"Wheredidyoupark?"heasked.
"Ididn't;Iwalked."
"Seriously?Ithoughtyoudidn'tlikewalkingorrunningunlessthere'saballinvolved,"heteased.
"IfeltlikeIneededtheexerciseandthefreshairtowakeup.It'sonlyaboutamile.AndIfiguredit

wouldbeearlyenoughtowalkbackonmyown."

"I'vegotmytruck;I'llgiveyouaride."
"It'sreallynotthatfar,"shesaid,somewhathalfheartedly.
"AndIamreallynotgoingtoletyouwalkhome."
"Okay,youcangivemearide."
"Thatwasfast,"hesaidwithalaugh.
Theywalkeddownthestreettohistruck.Heopenedherdoorandputhisguitarbehindtheseat,then

wavedherinside.Heslidbehindthewheelamomentlaterandstartedtheengine.Ashepulledaway
fromtheclub,hesaid,"Thispartoftownisalotnicerthanitusedtobe.Thatyogastudiooverthereused
tobeastripclub."

"TheKittyKatKlub,"shesaid."IrememberthethreeK'slinedupontheneonsign."
"AndIrememberwhenIsnuckintherewithDougandTravis."
"Wait,youthreedidsomethingbesidessmokeinthepark?"
Hegaveheradrysmile."Wedidalotofthings.OneofthegirlsthatDougwasdatinghadacousin

whoworkedthere.Sheletusinthroughthebackdoor.Welastedaboutthreeminutesonthemainfloor
beforethebouncerskickedusout."

"Seeanythingyouliked?"
"Definitely,"hesaid."Wewereactuallyalittlestunned,Ithink.Notthatweactedanythingbutcool."
"Ofcoursenot.Whowasthatoldermanyouweretalkingtoatthebar?Yourconversationseemed

intense.Iwaitedtotalktoyou,becauseIdidn'twanttointerrupt."

"ThatwasJohnMickelson,theowner.He'sbeenfriendswithmygrandfatherforfortyplusyears.He

startedtellingmestuffaboutmyfather.Itwasstrange.HewastalkingaboutsomeoneIdon'trememberat
all."

"Whatwashesaying?"sheaskedcuriously.
"Hesaidmyfatherapparentlycouldn'thammeranailandthatmygrandfatherhadwantedhimtogo

intobusinesswithhim,butitwasn'tinthecards.Healsotoldmemydaddroppedoutofcollegewithout
tellingmygrandfather.HesoldhisbelongingsandranofftoLAtofindhistruepassion—whateverthat
was.Oh,andIguessheusedtoplaytheguitar."

"Soyouhavesomethingincommonwithhim.Howdoesthatmakeyoufeel?"
"Ihonestlydon'tknow."
"Doesitmakeyouwanttoknowmoreabouthim?"
"Maybe."
"Hasn'tyourgrandfathertoldyouabouthim?"

"No.MaybeifI'dasked,he'dhaveanswered,butIneverdid.Mydadwasn'tpartofmylife.Ihad

otherproblemstoworryabout."

"Thatmakessense."Shepaused."YouknowwhatIlikedmostaboutyourmusictonight?"
"What'sthat?"
"Icouldfeelemotioncomingfromyourstrings.Youdon'tliketoshowhowyoufeel.You'vegotthe

toughguymaskonalmostallthetime.Buttonightwasdifferent.Youwerepartofagroup.Youwere
engagedwiththemusic.Itwaslikeitreleasedsomethinginyou,openedagateoralock."

"Idon'tknowexactlywhereyou'regoingwiththis,butIwilladmitthatmusicwasalwaysanescape

forme."

"Whendidyoustartplaying?"
"Iwasabouteightornine.Oneofmymom'sboyfriendswasaguitarplayer.Hetaughtmehowtoplay,

andheleftmeaguitarwhenhetookoff.Ikeptplayingit."Hethoughtaboutallthedarknightswhenmusic
hadblockedoutreality.Butrealizinghowmuchhewasgivingaway,heclearedhisthroatandsaid,
"Bakingmustbelikethatforyou."

"Itwasn'tinthebeginning.Itoldyou,rightaftermyparentsdied,Icouldn'tgonearthekitchen,but

thenitbecameasafeplaceformeagain."

"AndFairhopeisanevensaferplace."
"Yes.ButIdon'tfeellikeIranawayfromNewYork.Fairhopeisaniceplacetolive,anditsuitsme

morethanthebigcity.Ithinkyoulikeit,too,eventhoughyouprobablywouldn'tadmitit."

"It'snotallbad."
"Highpraise,"shesaiddryly.
"Speakingofpraise,howdidourcakesgoovertoday?"
"They'reourcakesnow?"sheteased.
"IfeelIhavesomewhatofaclaimonthetoastedalmondcakes."
"Theywereamazing.Therestaurantlovedthemonsight,andtheycalledmelatertotellmethat

everyoneatthepartyravedaboutthem."

"Congratulations."
"Thanks.Hopefully,I'llgetmorebusinessoutofit."
"Ithinkyou'regoingtohavemorebusinessthanyoucanmanage.Youmighthavetoconsiderhiring

someoneandlettinggoofsomeofyourcontrolinthekitchen,notthatthatwouldbeeasyforyou.Youare
astoughasanydrillsergeantI'veeverhad."

Shelookedsurprisedatthat."I'mnottough.I'msweet—everyonesaysso."
"Notinthekitchen,babe."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"You'recutthroat.IwasafraidformylifewhenIdustedthepanswrong."
"Youwerenot,"shesaidwithafrown."AndIjustwantedtogeteverythingright."
"Whichyoudid.Justsayingyoumightcomeacrosstosomepeoplelikeacreampuff,butyou'vegota

lotofsteelinyourbackbone."

"I'mtryingtofindawaytotakethatasacompliment."
"Itisacompliment.Yourunatightshipinthekitchen,andyoushould.Youhavehighstandards,andI

respectthat."Hepulledupinfrontofherbakeryandshutofftheengine."Likeyou,Idon'tbelievein
doinganythinghalfway."

"That'strue.Ifyou'regoingtogoforsomething,youhavetogoallin.That'swhatmydadalways

said."

"Smartman."Ashelookedather,heknewhewantedtogoallin—withher.Buthowcouldhe?His

futurewasuncertain.Andhe'djustsaidhedidn'tbelieveindoinganythinghalfway.Startingsomething
withherthathemightnotbeabletofinish…itseemedriskyandpotentiallypainful—forbothofthem.

"You'restaring,Roman,"shesaidsoftly.
"Idon'tknowwhattodoaboutyou."
"Doyouhavetodosomething?"
"Idon'twanttogiveyouthewrongidea,Juliette."
"Whichwouldbewhat?Thatyoulikemealittle?"
"Ilikeyoualot,butyouknowI'mprobablygoingtoleave.IfIpassmyphysicaltogetreinstated,I

couldbegonequickly."

"Iknowyouhavedecisionstomakeandacareeryoulove.Everythingyousaidistrue.I'mstayingand

you'reprobablyleaving.I'mbuildingabusinessthattakesalotofenergyandthelastthingIneedisa
complicatedsociallife.But…Ireallywanttokissyourightnowandworryabouttomorrow—tomorrow."

Hersoftconfessionstolethebreathfromhischest."Thenkissme."
Sheleanedforwardandhemetherhalfway,theirlipstouchingoffanimmediatewaveofheat.He

couldn'trememberthelasttimehe'dmadeoutinthecabofatruck—probablywhenhewasateenager,
andhefeltalittlelikeateenagernow,drivenbydesireforabeautifulgirl,whocouldeasilyupsetallof
hisplans.ButitwasimpossibletothinkwithJuliette'ssweetmouthunderhis.

Theyweregoodtogether.Thechemistrywasunmistakable,andhewantedtogetherintobed.He

wantedtotakehistimewithher.Nomorehurried,rushed,good-nightkisses.Justhimandher,asoft
mattress,alongnight…

Buttherewasalwaysamorning.ThelastthinghewantedtodowashurtJuliette.
AndthelastthinghewantedJuliettetodowastohurthim.Theyweretreadingintodangerous

territory.

Sohehadtoretreat.
He'ddoneitbeforeinbattle.Iftherewasnoimmediatewaytowin,backup,fightagainanotherday.

That'swhathe'ddo—inaminute…ortwo.

Andthensomeonebangedonthewindow.
Theyjoltedapart.
HestaredindisbeliefatthewomanknockingonJuliette'swindow."You'vegottobekiddingme."
"It'sMarthaGrayson,"Juliettemuttered,assheopenedthedoor."MissGrayson.Issomething

wrong?"

"Iwasjustgoingtoaskyouthat.He'snotattackingyou,ishe?"MarthagaveRomanaglaringlook.

"Areyouallright?"shecontinued."ShouldIcallthepolice?"

"No,he'snotattackingme.Everythingisfine,"Juliettesaid."Idon'tknowwhyyou'dthinkitwasn't."
"Itlookedlikeyouwerestruggling."
"Iwasn'tstruggling,"Juliettesaid."Iwaskissinghim."
"Well,thatwasastupididea.Areyougettingoutnow?Ijustwanttomakesureyougetsafelyinside."
Julietteflunghimaquestioninglook.Heshrugged.Itwasjustaswelltheysaidgood-night,andhe

doubtedMarthawasgoingtoleavethemalonetogetheranyway."I'lltalktoyoutomorrow.Thanksfor
comingtonight."

"You'rewelcome.Ihadfun."
"SodidI,"hesaid,astheyexchangedanintimatelook.
Juliettegotoutofthetruckandclosedthedoor.Hestartedtheengineanddrovedownthestreet,

thinkingthatJuliettewasn'tgoingtogetawayfromMarthaasfastashewas.

Twelve

"YoureallyshouldstayawayfromRomanPrescott,"MarthatoldJuliette."Iknowayoungwomanlike

yourselfcangetcaughtupinamanashandsomeasthat,buthe'snogood."

"Romanisagoodperson,"Juliettedefended."Youshouldgettoknowhim.Youshouldjudgehimby

whoheistodayandnotwhohewasasateenager."

Marthalookedtakenabackbyherremarks."Youweren'therewhenhewasterrorizingthetownanda

leoparddoesn'tchangehisspots."

"Butamancangrowup,"shepointedout."AndifRomanhadbeenguiltyofanything,thenitseems

likehewouldhaveendedupinjail,whichdidn'thappen."

"Justbecausehegotawaywithsomethingdoesn'tmeanhe'sinnocent.Youknow,hisfatherwas

nothinglikehim.Hewasalwaysatthetopofhisclass.Idon'tknowhowhesiredsuchawildone."

"Roman'sfatherwasanAstudent?"Thatdidn'tsoundliketheguywho'dsoldhisbelongingsand

droppedoutofcollege.

"Oh,yes.Brettwassmartandfunny,too.Everyonelikedhim.Heusedtobaggroceriesatthemarket.

Healwayshelpedmeouttomycar.IheardheleftschoolandranofftoCalifornia.Iguessoncehegot
there,heforgotallabouthisgoodupbringing.It'sashame.I'msureVincentwasdisappointed.Healways
wantedasontofollowinhisfootsteps."

"MaybeRomanwilldothat,"shesuggested,knowingthatwasjustwishfulthinkingonherpart.

Roman'sheartwasinthemilitary.Hewantedtogoback,andsheneededtorememberthat,notfantasize
abouthimstayinginFairhopetobuildhousesandbeherboyfriend.

"Idon'tseethathappening,"Marthasaid."Anyway,Ishouldgohome."
AsMarthamentionedthewordhome,Juliettewasremindedofherearlierresearchandher

connectiontotheGraysons."Onesecond,Iwantedtoaskyousomething,"shesaid."Iunderstandthatyou
oncelivedinmyoldchildhoodhomeonPrimroseLane."

Martha'seyebrowsarchedinsurprise.Thensheslowlynodded."That'sright.Iforgotyoulivedthere

asachild."

"Whydidyourfamilymoveoutofthehouse?"
"MyparentswantedtogetasmallerplaceafterCeceliaandIhadlefthome,sotheysoldthehouse

andmovedintoacondo.Wedidlovegrowingupthere,though."

"Whenyoulivedinthehouse,doyourememberasecrethidingplaceunderthefloorboardsinthe

downstairsbedroomcloset?"

Martha'seyeswidened."What?"
"Romanfoundthesecrethidingplaceduringhisdemoworkonthehouseandthoughtitwasalittle

odd."Shedidn'twanttomentionthelettersuntilshegotafeelforwhatMarthaknew.

"Ineverknewaboutanyhidingplacelikethat.Myfatherusedtheroomasastudy,soIwasrarelyin

there.Wastheresomethinghiddeninside?"

"Romansaiditwasaboxofletters,"shesaid.
"Letters?"shesaidfaintly."Fromwho?"
"Thereweren'tanynamesmentioned."
"Oh,well,thenitwillbeimpossibletofindtheowner."
Shewasactuallystartingtothinkitmightbeverypossible,andthatshemightbetalkingtotheowner

rightnow.Marthadefinitelyknewmorethanshewassaying.

"Itwouldbeashametojustthrowthemaway,"shesaid.
"Whatelsecanyoudo?"Marthaasked."Ifthepersonwhowrotetheletterswantedtokeepthem,they

wouldn'thaveleftthembehind."

"Isupposethat'strue."
"Ihavetogo,"Marthasaidabruptly.
"Ofcourse.Goodnight."
AsshewatchedMarthahurrydownthestreet,shewonderedaboutheroddresponse.Herattitude

towardthelettershadbeenoff.Why?Weretheyhers?

Marthawouldbethelastpersonshecouldimaginewritingsuchbeautiful,romanticlovenotes.
Ontheotherhand,thewomanhadnevermarried…
Sheponderedthatthoughtassheunlockedherdoorandwalkedupthestairstoherapartment.
IfMarthaweretheowneroftheletters,she'dmadeitclearthatshedidn'twantthem.
Butifshewasn'ttheowner…
Shesatdownontheedgeofherbedandkickedoffhershoes.Therewasanotherwomantoconsider

inthisscenario—Martha'ssister,Cecelia,whodefinitelyseemedmorethetypetowritealoveletter.
Maybesheneededtotalktoher.ButshehadafeelingitwouldbebettertodothatwithoutMarthaaround.

Shefloppedbackonherbed,suddenlyexhausted,butasshestifledayawn,herfingerstouchedher

stilltinglinglips,andherthoughtsfledbacktoRoman.

Thingsweregettinghottereachtimetheyweretogether.
ButlikeRoman,shedidn'tknowwhattodoaboutit.Shejustdidn'twantittoend…andsheknewit

hadto.

Shecouldn'tthinkaboutthatnow.Butsomedayshewasgoingtohavetofacereality,andshehada

feelingitwasgoingtohurt.

***

AsRomansignedoffonadeliveryofsheetrockandwoodThursdayafternoon,hefeltalittle

overwhelmedbytheenormousamountofworkinfrontofhim.Demowasonething.Buildingwasgoing
totakemoretime,moreskill,andmorehelp.

Hisgrandfatherhadcomebyearlierandtoldhimhewaslookingintosubcontractorsforsheetrock,

electrical,andplumbingandwasjustwaitingforsomepeopletogetbacktohim.Inthemeantime,Roman
shouldjustkeepdoingwhathewasdoing.

Hewashappytokeepworking,buthisphysicalwasinthreedays.Whatifhewasclearedtogoback

toduty?Howwashegoingtolethisgrandfatherhandleallthisonhisown?

EvenifVincentcouldhiresubs,theywouldbillatahigherratethanlaborers,andthebudgetwould

gothroughtheroof.

Hewassurprisedthathisgrandfatherdidn'tseemtounderstandthat.He'dalwaysbeenexcellentat

estimatingtimeandmaterials,buteverythingaboutthisprojectseemeddifferentthantheoneshis
grandfatherusedtorun.Hadhelostsomeofhismentalsharpness?Orwashelettingsomesentimentabout
thehousedrivehisdecisions?

Withafrown,herealizedhewasjustwastingtimewonderingwhenhecouldgivehisgrandfather

practicalhelpbyjustgettingbacktowork.

Hewasabouttodothatwhenthedoorbellrang.Hestrodedownthehallandopenedit,thinking—

hoping—itmightbeJuliette.

Itwasn't.ItwasTravis.
Heworejeans,along-sleevedT-shirt,andabaseballcaponhishead.Hisbeardwasasraggedasit

hadbeenafewdaysago,andthereweredarkshadowsunderhiseyes.Juliettewasright;Travisstill

lookedlikehell.

"Whatareyoudoinghere?"heaskedshortly,notinthemoodtodealwithTravis.
"Iwasjustdownatthelumberyard.Theysaidyourgrandfatherislookingforlaborers."
"Seriously,Travis?"
"Ineedthework,"Travissaid,abitteredgetohisvoice.
"AndyouthinkyouandIaregoingtoworktogether?"HewasstunnedthatTraviswouldshowupand

askforajobaftereverythingthathadgonedownbetweenthem.

"Look,wehaveapast,butthatdoesn'tmatter.I'mworriedaboutthepresent.Ilostmyjob.Mymother

ishavinghealthissues.Mywifetookoffandhasnointerestinraisingourkid.Ihavebeenalloverthis
townlookingforwork.Ifyouhavework,Icandoit.Wedon'thavetotalk.Wedon'thavetobefriends."

"Justlikethat,I'msupposedtoforgetyoutriedtosendmetojail?Youthinkmygrandfatherhas

forgottenthat?"

"Youdidthesametome."
"No,Ididn't."
"That'swhatChiefWinterssaid."
"Ididn'ttalktothepoliceatall.Isatthereinsilenceforhours.Andthenthechiefcameinandtoldme

youandDouggavemeup."

"Hesaidtheoppositetome."
Travis'sstorymatchedtheoneDoughadtoldhim.HadChiefWintersturnedthemagainsteach

other?HewasstillthinkingaboutthatwhenhesawacarpullupinfrontofthehouseandDougWinters
gotout.

"Whatisgoingon?"hemuttered.
DougpausedwhenhesawTravisontheporch,butthenhesquaredhisshouldersandcameforward.
"DidImissthereunionnotice?"Dougasked.
"Whatareyoudoinghere?"heasked.
"Weneedtotalkaboutthefire."DougshotTravisalook."It'sgoodyou'rehere,too.Savedmeatrip

totrytofindyou."

"Idon'twanttotalkaboutthefire.I'mlookingforajob,"Travissaid."I'magrownmanwithakidto

feed.Thatoldstoryisn'tofinteresttome."

"Well,itistome,"Dougsaid."Let'sgoinside."
Withoutwaitingforaninvitation,DougpushedpasthimandthenTravisfollowed.
Thethreeofthemstoodawkwardlyintheemptylivingroom.
"Yougotchairsanywhere?"Dougasked.
"Idon'tthinkyou'llbestayinglongenoughtosit,"hesaid,foldinghisarmsacrosshischest.
"Imightbe.IwastalkingtoJuliettelastnightandshesaidifIreallywantedtoknowthetruth,Ishould

lookforit."Dougletoutabreath."SoIwentdowntothepolicestationtodayandIaskedthemforthe
casefileregardingthefire.Ireadthrougheachofourstatementsandtheotherinterviewsthatwere
conducted.Itseemsthatnoneofusactuallyaccusedtheothersofsettingthefire."

"What?"Travisaskedinsurprise."Thatcan'tbetrue."
"Itistrue.Myfatherplayedusoffagainsteachother."
"Evenyou—thegoldenboy?"Romanasked.
"Evenme,"Dougreplied,lookinghimstraightintheeye."IthinkhewantedtomakesureInever

talkedtoeitheroneofyouagain.Itworked."

Hethoughtaboutthat.Itmadesense."Allright,"hesaidslowly."Soweweren'trats,butnoone

steppedupandconfessed.Unlessnoneofuswereguilty.IknowIdidn'tsetthefire."

"NeitherdidI,"Dougsaid.
"Orme,"Travisputin."Iwasthelastoneinthepark,butIstoppedsmokingwhenyouguysleft.Kathy

Marsonsnuckouttomeetme.Wemadeoutforawhile,andthenshewenthomeandsodidI.Everything
wasfine."

"YouneversaidyouwerewithKathy,"Dougsaidwithafrown."Ididn'tseethatinthefile."
"Ididn'ttellanyone.Ididn'twanttogetherintroubleforsneakingoutaftercurfew.Andherhousehad

justburneddown.Shewasdevastated.ButsheknewIdidn'thaveanythingtodowithit."

Dougnodded."Ibelieveyou,Travis,andIbelieveyou,Roman,becauseitturnedoutthereweretwo

othersuspicioushousefiresinthecountythatyear.Theyweren'tinFairhope,buttheyweren'tthatfar
away.Oneofthosehouseswaslocatednexttoaparkaswell.Theotherwasnearaschoolplayground.
Nosuspectswereeverarrested."

Hewassurprisedatthatnewpieceofinformation."Idon'trememberhearingaboutthat."
"Idon't,either,"Travissaid.
"Itwasn'tinthenewspapers,"Dougadmitted."Thepolicereportsaidthefireinvestigatorscouldn't

findadefinitivelink.ButIbelievetherealreasontherewassolittlefollow-uponthisfirewasbecause
myfatherwasprotectingme.Heprobablywasn'tahundredpercentsureIwasinnocent.I'dbeen
disappointinghimallyear.Andhehatedyou,Roman.Hethoughtyouledmedownthewrongroad."

"Onlyyouwererighttherenexttome,notbehindme,"heremindedDoug.
"Iknow."HehandedRomanthefilefolder."Youcanreadthroughit.You'llseethatI'mtellingyouthe

truth."

"Sowhatdoyouwantfrommenow?"heasked.
"Idon'tknow.Wewerefriendsonce.Maybeattheveryleastwecouldstopbeingenemies.Thisisa

smalltown.Ifwe'reallhere,we'regoingtorunintoeachother."

"I'mnotstayingthatlong,"hesaid."Andlet'sbehonest—yourrealreasonfortryingtocleanthisupis

soyourrunformayorwon'tbetainted."

"Thatwasabigpartofmymotivation,"Dougadmitted."Butitwasalsoaboutfindingoutwhatmy

fatherdidbackthen.Ihavebigplansformyfuture,andIdon'twantanysurprises."

HeactuallyappreciatedDoug'shonestyabouthisambition.
"Whatdoyouthink,Travis?"Dougasked.
"I'mhopingthatthisnewinformationmeansRomanmighthireme."Travis'sgazeswungtohim."Does

whatDougfoundoutchangeanything?"

Heponderedthatquestion.Washereallygoingtohangontoanoldgrudgethathadobviouslybeen

basedonmisinformation?Andwasn'thejustasguiltyforbelievingintheirbetrayalasthey'dbeenfor
believinginhis?

"Yes,"hesaid,givingTravisanod."I'llhireyoubythehourforthenextthreedays.Mygrandfather

willhavetosignoffonanythingbeyondthat,butifyouareanasset,I'llrecommendthathedothat.
There'salotofwork,soifyou'regood,you'llprobablystaybusy."

"AllIneedisachance,"Travissaid,reliefinhiseyes.
"You'vegotit."HelookedatDoug."Iwillnotimpedeyoureffortstobemayor."
"Thankyou.Inreturn,I'llmakesurethatMarthaGraysonandsomeoftheothertowncriershavethe

correctinformationregardingthefire,"Dougsaiddryly.

"Howdoyouthinkyourfatherwillrespondtothat?"heasked.
"Hewon'tloveit,butI'mhappythathedidn'tdoanythingillegalduringhisinvestigation.Hejust

didn'tworkthathardtogettotherealculprit.Butevenifhehad,it'sdoubtfulhewouldhavefoundthe
arsonist.Neitheroftheothertwofireshaseverbeensolved."Hepaused."Ifyouwanttostayhere,
Roman,youcanstartoverwithacleanslate."

"I'mnotsureitwillbethatcleanevenifwewipethefireoffenseaway.Iwasn'texactlyachoirboy."
Dougsmiled."True.Wedidhavesomefunbackthen."
"Yeah,wedid,"hemuttered.

"Thebestwasputtingthatbulldoginthelake,"Travisadded,hisexpressionmuchlighternow.
"Ireallythoughthe'djustjumpoffandswimback,"hesaid."Ididn'tthinktheentirefiredepartment

wouldcomeouttorescuehim."

"Ithoughtthebesttimewaswhenyouputcrimescenetapearoundtheprincipal'scar,andspread

ketchupontheground,"Dougsaid."Hehadadayoffbuteveryonethoughthewasdeadforawhile."

Hegroaned."Idon'tthinkweneedtorehashtheolddays."
"Well,ifwedo,weshoulddoitoverabeer,"Travissaid."Doyouhaveany,Roman?"
"Ihavesomeinthefridge,"headmitted.
"Alongwithsomechairs?"Dougasked."Lookslikewe'regoingtostaylongenoughtosit."
"Looksthatway,"heagreed,leadingthemintothekitchen.

***

JulietteleftthebakeryinSusan'scapablehandsaroundfouro'clockonThursdayafternoon.She'd

beenthinkingaboutherconversationwithMarthaallday,andshereallywantedtotalktoCecelia
Graysonwhileshewasatworkandnotwithhersister.

CeceliamanagedtheBellaTerranurserydownbythebay.Thenurseryconsistedofaredbrick

building,agreenhouse,andtwoacresofplants.

ShemadeherwayintothemainshowroomandaskedasaleswomanifCeceliawasthere.Shewas

directedtotheoutdoorpatio,whereshefoundCeceliawithherhandsinabigpotofsoil.

"Hello,Juliette,"Ceceliasaidwithawelcomingsmile."Ican'tbelieveyou'reawayfromyourbakery.

There'salwaysalineintherenowwhenIpassby."

"IthasbeenbusywithValentine'sDayaroundthecorner.Youmustbesellingalotofflowersas

well."

"Oh,absolutely,butwe'rereallymoreaboutlong-termplantshere.CanIhelpyou?Areyoulooking

forsomethinginparticular?"

"Actually,Iwantedtotalktoyou,ifyouhaveamoment."
"Ofcourse."Shewipedoffherhandsonanearbytowel."Whatisit?"
"Idon'tknowifyou'reawareofthis,butIgrewupinahouseonPrimroseLane—thesameoneyou

grewupin."

Surprisepassedthroughherexpression."Ididn'tknowthat.Whatacoincidence.Ilovedthathouse."
"SodidI.Ihadtomovebecausemyparentsdiedunexpectedly."
"Yes,Irememberthathorribleaccident,"Ceceliasaidwithsympathyinhereyes."Itwassotragic;

youweresoyoung.Ididn'tknowyourparentswell,butI'dvisitedyourfather'sbakery,andyourmother
usedtocomehereandbuyplantsforheryard."

"Shelovedtogarden,"Juliettesaid."Unfortunately,Ididn'tinherithergreenthumb."
"Well,youhaveothertalents."
"Anyway,I'vehadthoughtsofbuyingthehouseback,butrightnowit'sbeingremodeled,soI'llhaveto

waitandseewhatMr.Prescottwantstosellitforwhenheputsitonthemarket.Inthemeantime,I've
beenspendingalittletimethere.Myfriend,Roman,ishandlingtheconstruction."

"Yes,Iheardthat."Ceceliadidn'tlooktoohappyatthementionofRoman'sname."I'msuretheold

houseneedsamakeover."

"Thatseemstobetheconsensus.TheotherdayRomanwaspullingupsomecarpetinginthe

downstairsbedroom,andhefoundaboxfilledwithloveletters.We'rewonderingifyoumightknow
anythingaboutthem."

Cecelia'sfacepaled,andtherewasnotadoubtinJuliette'smindthatCeceliaknewabouttheletters,

nomatterwhatshesaidnext.

"Letters?"Ceceliaechoed,hervoiceshaky.
"Loveletterstoaman.Therearen'tanynames,butthelettersarebeautifullywritten.RomanandI

didn'twanttojustthrowthemaway,sowethoughtwe'dtrytofindtheowner."

"Youreadtheletters?"Ceceliaaskedtightly.
"Wedid,"sheadmitted."Wewerehopingtofindacluetothewriter'sidentity,butwhatwefoundwas

aratherhauntinglovestory.Itstartsoutfilledwithhopeandgiddydesireandendswithheartbreak.I
havetoadmitwe'rekindofcuriousaboutwhathappened."

BeforeCeceliacouldspeak,Marthacamethroughthedoor,givingthembothasurprisedlook.
"Juliette,whatareyoudoinghere?"Marthaasked.
"IwantedtoaskCeceliaaboutthelettersIfound,"shesaid,decidingnottobeataroundthebush."The

onesItoldyouaboutlastnight."

"Shetoldyoulastnight?"CeceliamutteredtoMartha.
"AndItoldherthatIdidn'tknowanythingaboutanyletters,"Marthasaid,sendingCeceliaapointed

look.

"Itseemslikeyoubothknowsomething,"Juliettecutin,drawingtheirgazesbacktoher.
"It'snoneofyourbusiness,"Marthasaidsharply.
"Stop,"Ceceliasaid."It'sfine."
"Cici,"Marthasaidwarningly.
"It'sallright,Martha,"Ceceliasaid."Idon'tmindtellingher.Iwrotetheletters."
Itwasexactlywhatshe'dthought."Butyouneversentthem,didyou?Iwasn'tsure,becauseinthelast

letteryouwerelookingatthemailboxandthinkingaboutmailingthem."

"Ineversentthem.Icouldn't.Hewasmarriedbythen.Icouldn'tbreakupahome.Itwastoolate."

Cecelia'seyeshadafarawaylookinthem,asifshewasbeingsweptbackintime."Iwrotethoseletters
fiftyyearsago.Ican'tbelieveyoufoundthemnow."

"Whydidn'tyoutakethemwithyouwhenyoumoved?"sheasked."Whyleavethemhiddenunderthe

floorboards?"

"Imeanttotakethemwithme,butIwasawaywhenmyparentsdecidedtogetthehousereadytosell.

WhenIcameback,they'dlaiddownnewcarpetinthatcloset.Icouldn'tripitupbecauseofsomeold
letters.AndIcertainlycouldn'ttellmyparentsabouttheletters.Theywouldnothavebeenhappywithmy
behavior,myfather,especially.That'swhyIhidtheminaboxunderthefloorboardinthefirstplace."

Itallmadesensenow."CanIaskwhothemanwas?"
"That'snoneofyourbusiness,"Marthainterrupted."Itwasalongtimeago,andCeceliahasletallthat

go.Ican'tbelieveyou'rebringingitupagain.Youhavenoideahowmuchpainyou'recausingher."

"I'msorry;that'snotmyintent."
"It'sallright,"Ceceliasaid,givingheratroubledlook."IadmitI'malittleshocked,butI'llbeall

right."

"Wouldyoulikethelettersback?"ShefeltalittleguiltyforhavingaskedaboutCecelia'soldlover.

Marthawasright;itwasnoneofherbusiness.TheletterswereCecelia'sreallife;theyweren'tfor
someoneelse'sentertainment.

"Sayno,"Marthatoldhersister.
Ceceliahesitated."IthinkIwouldlikethemback."
Marthaletoutalong,annoyedsigh."That'sthewrongdecision.Letmetakethemanddestroythem.

Youdonotwanttoreadthemagain.Irememberhowsadyouwerefordaysandmonthsonend.Idon't
wanttoseeyougodownthatroad.There'snopoint.Lifehasmovedon."

WhileMarthawasbeingherusualbossyself,JuliettewastouchedbytheclearloveMarthahadfor

hersister.ItgaveheradimensionthatJuliettehadn’tseenbefore.

"Itwasallaverylongtimeago,"Ceceliasaid."Iwouldliketoseethelettersagain.Didyoubring

themwithyou?"

"No.Iwasn'tsureyouweretheowner.Iwasjustguessing."
"Youguessedcorrectly,"Ceceliasaidwithasadsmile.
"Icanbringthemtoyoutomorrow,oryoucancomebythebakeryifyou'dlike."
"I'lldothat,"Ceceliasaidwithanod."I'llgetthemfromyou.Idon'twanttoputyoutoanytrouble."
"Thisisabadidea,"Marthasaid."Idon'tlikeitatall."
"Well,they'renotyourletters,"Ceceliasaid,standinguptohersister.
"Justdon'tcomecryingtomeaboutyourheartbreakingagain,"Marthasaidharshly,thenturnedonher

heelandleftthepatio.

"Don'tmindher.Shedoeshavegoodintentions,"Ceceliasaid."Andthankyoufortakingthetimeto

trackmedown.Mostpeoplewouldn'thavetriedthathardtofindtheownerofabunchofoldletters."

Shelookedintotheolderwoman'seyes."Yourwordswerebeautiful.Youevokedsomanyemotions

inmewhenIreadthem.Ihavetoadmit;Iwascompletelycaughtupinyourstory.Iwashopingithada
happierendingthanwhatIread."

"I'vehadahappylife,"Ceceliasaid."AndthemanIwaswritingaboutwasalsohappyinhischoice.

Wejustweren'thappytogether.Sometimes,that'sthewayitis.Youhavetoacceptwhatyoucan'tchange."

"Ihaveahardtimedoingthat,"sheconfessed."Evenwhenpeopletellmenoahundredtimes,Istill

thinkthere'sawaytogetayes."

Ceceliasmiled."That'sagoodtrait.You'reastrong,modernwoman.Youhaveconfidenceand

determination.Iwasnotlikethat,especiallynotwhenIwasyourage."

"Itwasadifferenttime."
"That'strue.Weweren'tbroughtuptospeakourminds.Ithinkthat'spartlywhynoonecanshutmy

sisterupanymore.Onceshefoundhervoice,shecouldn'tstoptalking."

ShesmiledatthequiethumorinCecelia'seyes."IguessIunderstandbutMarthaisabitterrifying."
"Iknowshetakesthingstoofar.Shejudgestooquicklyandshehastroublewithforgiveness,butshe's

beenaloyalsister,andtherearethingsshe'sgonethroughinherlifethathavemadeherbitter.It'snotan
excuse,butmaybeit'sanexplanationthatwillhelpyouunderstandalittlebetter."Ceceliapaused."She
wasrudetoRomantheotherday.Itoldhertogivethatboyachance,butonceshemakesuphermind
aboutsomeone,it'shardtochangeit."

"Romanisagoodman.I'msurehemademistakeswhenhewasyounger,buthe'sasoldier.Hefights

forourcountry.Hewasinjuredinthelineofduty.Marthaneedstobackoff."

"Iwilltellherthat,andsoshouldyou,ifyoufeelinclined."
"Ididtellherthatlastnight,butshedidn'twanttohearme."
"Sheheardyou;we'lljusthavetoseeifshedecidestolisten."
Shenodded."Ishouldgetbacktothebakery."
"I'llcomebytomorrowandpickuptheletters.IhavetoadmitIneedalittletimetogetreadytoread

themagain."

"I'llseeyouthen."Asshewalkedoutofthenursery,shewashappytohavesolvedhalfofthemystery,

butshewasstillcuriousaboutCecelia'soldlover.Washesomeoneintown?Itseemedlikelysince
CeceliahadlivedinFairhopemostofherlife.Although,itwascertainlypossiblethemaninquestionhad
movedawayyearsago.

Sheprobablywasn'tgoingtofindouttheanswer,unlessCeceliahadachangeofheartaboutsharing

betweennowandtomorrow.Butwhywouldshe?Itwasherpersonalbusinessandithadobviouslybeen
apainfulbreakup.

Asshegotintohercar,sheimpulsivelypulledoutherphoneandcalledRoman.Sheknewhewould

beinterestedtohearwhatshehadfoundout.Plus,shejustreallywantedtotalktohim.

Heansweredafteracoupleofrings,andshewasalittlesurprisedtohearmaleconversationinthe

background."Hi,it'sme,"shesaid."Areyououtsomewhere?"

"No,I'minthehouse.Hangonasecond."Hepausedforamoment."Okay,Imoved.It'squieterhere."
"Whoisatthehousewithyou?Itsoundslikeyou'rehavingaparty."
"Notaparty,butwehavehadafewbeers."
"Youandwhoelse?"
"You'renotgoingtobelieveme."
"Doug,"sheguessed.
"AndTravis."
"Howonearthdidthathappen?LastIheard,youweremortalenemies."
"Thingshavechangedremarkablyfast,"heagreed."Traviscamebylookingforwork.Iwasaboutto

turnhimawaywhenDougshowedupwiththeoldpolicefilesonthefire.Apparently,hedecidedtoget
moreinformation,asyouobviouslyencouragedhimtodo."

"I'mgladhedid,especiallysinceitsoundslikewhateverhefoundouthasbroughtthethreeofyou

togetheragain."

"We'retalking.Iwouldn'tsaywe'rebestfriends,butit'sclearthattherewerealotof

misunderstandingssurroundingourpoliceinterviews.Anditturnsouttheremighthavebeenanactual
arsonistinvolved.Dougdiscoveredthereweresimilarfiresstartedelsewherethatwereneversolved."

"Sononeofyouwereresponsible?"
"Nope.Ibelievewhattheotherguyshavetoldme,andtheyseemtobelieveme."
"I'msoglad,"shesaid,genuinelyhappyhe'dbeenabletogetridofthatdark,hangingcloud.
"Ididn'tthinkIcaredthatmuch,butnowthatwe'veclearedtheair,itdoesfeelgood.Ofcourse,Doug

admittedthathewenttothelengthsthathedidtoprotecthisrunformayorandfuturepoliticalambitions,
butIappreciatedthefactthatheowneduptoit."

"Thisisgreat.I'mreallyhappyforyou.AndIthinkIhavetoremindyouthatsomeofthismighthave

happenedbecauseIstuckmynoseintoit."

Hislaughwarmedherheart."Nodoubt,Juliette,nodoubt.Whathaveyoubeenuptotoday?Baking

likeamadwoman?"

"Definitely,butIdohavesomeothernews."
"Ican'twaittohearit."
Shesettledintoherseat,thinkinghowniceitfelttohaveRomantotalkto."Ifiguredouttheidentityof

theletterwriter."

"Nokidding?Who?"
"It'ssomeonewebothknow—"
"Ifyoutellmeit'sMartha,Idon'tknowwhatI'llsay,"hesaiddryly.
"It'snotMartha;it'shersister,Cecelia."
"Howdidyoufigurethatout?"
"IgotaninklingwhenMarthawaslecturingmeaboutbeingwithyoulastnight."
"Wait,shewaslecturingyou?I'msorry.Ishouldhavestuckarounduntilyougotintothehouse."
"Itwasfine.Ididn'tcarewhatshehadtosay,buttogetheroffthesubjectofmeandyou,Itoldher

we'dfoundlettersinheroldhouse.Shegotthestrangestlookonherfaceeventhoughshesaidshehadno
ideawhatIwastalkingabout.SoIwenttoseeCeceliatoday,thinkingshe'dgivemeabetteranswer,and
sheconfessedthatshewasinlovewithamanwhomarriedsomeoneelse.Apparently,shewasoutof
townwhenherparentshadtheroomandclosetcarpeted,andshejustfiguredtheletterswerelostforever.
ItoldhershecouldcomebytomorrowandI'dgivethemtoher."

"That'samazing,Juliette.Thereisnothingyoucan'tfigureout,isthere?"
"I'mhavingaprettygoodweek,"sheadmitted.
"Isuspectyouhavealotofgoodweeks.Youtendtoaccomplisheverythingyousetyourmindto."He

paused."SowhowasCecelia'slover?"

"Shewouldn'ttellme.AndMarthascoldedmeforasking."
"Wait—Marthawasthere,too?"
"Shecameinduringourconversation.Shetriedtoshutitdown,butCeceliawouldn'tlether.Itwas

interestingtoseetheirloyaltyandloveforeachother.Marthacanbeamean-spiritedperson,butshe
adoreshersister.CeceliaalludedtosomethinginthepastthathadmadeMarthabitterandunforgiving.I
wonderwhatthatwas."

Romangroaned."Notanothermysterytosolve,Juliette—youjustfiguredthisoneout.Can'tyouat

leasttakeabreathinbetween?"

Shelaughed."Yes,Icantakeabreath,andI'mnotplanningtoaddthattomylist,justcommenting."
"Well,I'mgladyoucangiveCeceliabackherletters.It'sbetterthanthrowingthemout."
"Itis."Shepaused."I'llletyougetbacktotheguys.Areyourehashingoldtimes?"
"MorethanI'dlike,butthat'swhatafewbeerswilldo."
"WhataboutTravis?Doyoufeellikehiringhimnow?"
"ItoldhimI'dhirehimforthreedays.Mygrandfatherwillhavetosignoffonanythinglongerthan

that.IfTravisdoesagoodjob,thenIseenoreasonwhyhecan'tcontinue."

"ThatwillbegoodforCameronandprobablyDonna,too."ShewasproudofRomanforbeingableto

putthepastasidetohelpoutTravis.

"Ihopeso."Heletoutabreath."Imissedyoutoday."
Thehusky,sensualnoteinhisvoicemadeherheartskipabeatashiswordsfeltfarmoreintimatethan

theconversationthey'dbeenhaving.

"Iknow,"sheadmitted."ItseemslikeforeversinceIsawyou,anditwasjustlastnight."
"Iwasgoingtoseeifyouwantedtogetdinner,butIthinkI'vehadafewtoomanybeersforthat,and

I'mnotsureI'llgeteitheroftheseguysoutofthehouseanytimesoon."

"Youshouldhangoutwiththem.Ihavetonsofbakingtodo.I'mgoingtogetaquickbiteandgetdown

toit."

"Don'tworktoohard."
"IwillworkashardasIneedto."Shewasn'tquitereadytosaygood-bye,andshedidn'twanttohang

upthephonewithoutmakingaplantoseehim."Sotomorrowthey'rehavingtheloveboatparade."

"Whatonearthisthat?"
"It'saparadeofbrightlylitboatsjustaftersunset.Theyalsohavelivebandsandotherentertainment

onthepierwhileit'shappening.Doyouwanttocomeandcheckitoutwithme?"

"Don'ttellmeyou'reprovidingdessertsforthat,too?"
"No.Igavetheparadeapass,soIcouldbefreetowanderaround."
"I'llmeetyoudownthere.Ihavesomesubcontractorscominglateintheafternoontogivemesome

bids.Butoncethey'redone,I'llheadtothepier."

"Great.I'llseeyouthere."
Shefoundherselfsmilingasshedrovebacktothebakery.Ithadbeenalongtimesincejusthearinga

man'svoiceonthephonehadmadehersohappy.Shejustwishedthisparticularmandidn'thaveonefoot
outthedoor.

Butitdidn'tmatterhowoftenshetoldherselftoholdback,toguardherheart,totrytostayawayfrom

him;shejustcouldn'tdoit.Shelikedhimtoomuch.Forbetterorworse,shewasinthistiltheend.

Thirteen

"Thatcallmusthavebeenfromawoman,"DougtoldRomanashereturnedtothekitchen.
"Whywouldyousaythat?"
"BecauseyouhavethatlookonyourfacethatyouusedtohavewhenAmyDowningcalledyou."
"AmyDowning,"heechoedwithalaugh."Thatisanameoutofthepast.Doyouknowwhathappened

toher?"

"Ido,"Travisputin."ShemarriedalawyerwhobecameastatesenatorinIllinoislastyear.They

havethreekidsandapparentlyquiteabitofmoney.Oh,andIsawapictureofAmyrecently,andshe's
stillhot,myfriend."

Romanlaughed."Howdoyouknowallthat?"
"Mymotherisfriendswithhermother."
"Itoldyouthatyoushouldhavecalledheraftergraduation,"Dougremindedhim."Youblewit."
Heshookhishead."Ididn'tcallher,becauseitwasover.ItoldherIwasgoingtoenlist,andshesaid

havefun,butdon'tthinkI'llbewaitingaroundforyoutocomehome."

"Ouch,"Travissaid."Younevertoldusthat."
"Itwasn'texactlynewsIwantedtospreadaround."
"Sowhoputthatgrinonyourfacetoday?"Dougasked."OrdoIhavetoask?It'sJuliette,isn'tit?

You'vegotathingforher."

Hecouldn'tdenyit,buthealsodidn'twanttotalkaboutit.BecauseJuliettewasfarmoreimportantto

himthanhewantedtotelltheseguys,sohejustshrugged.

"Iknewshewasintoyouwhenshebroughtyouuponourdate,"Dougsaid.
"Wait,youdatedJuliette?"Travisasked."Arewegoingtohaveanotherproblemonourhands?

BecauseIdon'twanttobeinthemiddleofsomelovetriangle."

"There'snotriangle,"Dougsaid."Julietteisintohim,andhe'sintoher."
"Thanksfortherecap,"hesaiddryly.Hereachedintothefridgeandpulledoutanotherbeer.
"Youshouldbecareful,"Dougsaid,amoreseriousnoteinhisvoicenow."She'sgoingtobehardto

leave.Andyouareleaving,aren'tyou?"

"Thatistheplan,"headmitted."Julietteknowsthat."Hetookalongdraughtofbeer,notwantingto

thinkaboutthemomentwhenhemighthavetosaygood-byetoher.Hesatbackdownatthetable."So,
who'sgoingtotheloveboatparadetomorrow?"

"I'llbeonthewater,"Dougsaid."I'dinviteyouontheboat,butwe'refull."
"That'sfine."HeturnedtoTravis."Whataboutyou?"
"IthoughtI'dtakeCameronoverthere.Helikesboats."
"Whathappenedtoyourwife?"DougaskedTravis."Ifyoudon'tmindmeasking."
"Sinceyoualreadyasked,"Travissaid,hislipsdrawingintoatightline,"sheleftusaboutsixmonths

ago.Shesaidshewasboredwithbeingawifeandamother,andshereadsomebookabouttravelingand
hikingandfindingherself,andthenextthingIknewshewasgone.Oh,andshetookmostofoursavings
forhertrip."

"Sorry,"Dougsaid."That'srough."
"Yeah,"Travissaid."Iunderstandwhysheleftme,butnotwhysheleftCameron.Shehasn'tcalled.I

can'treachher.Hecan'ttalktoher.It'slikeshedied,onlyshedidn't.ButI'mgoingtotrytomakethings
rightforCameronandformymother,whohasherownissues."TravislookedatRoman."Shesaidyou

andJuliettewerecheckinguponher."

"OnlybecauseCameronlookedalittlelostbeforeyoucameback."
"Ihadnoideashewasasscatteredassheis.Iwon'tbeaskinghertobabysitagain."Hepaused."Ido

appreciateyourlookingoutformykid."

"WhenJulietteseessomeoneintrouble,shedoesn'tlookaway."
"Youdon't,either,"Travissaidquietly.
Hefeltalittleguiltythathe'dtriedtolookawaywhenTravisfirstarrivedatthehouse."Yougiveme

morecreditthanIdeserve."

"Ithinkweshouldgetsomefood,"Douginterrupted."HowaboutIorderin?"
"Sincenoneofusareupfordriving,I'dsaythat'sagoodidea."
Dougnodded."Bytheway,yourguitarskillshavecertainlyimproved."HeturnedtoTravis."Roman

playedatMickelson'sBarlastnight."

"Soyoukeptupwiththat.Goodforyou."
"Thanks.SomeonecallforsomeChinesefoodorsomething.I'mstarving."
"I'monit,"Dougsaid,pullingouthisphone.
"Ineedtocallmymom,"Travissaid."IjustwanttomakesureCameronisgoodforanotherhour."
"Callyourmom,"Romanechoedwithalaugh."Now,itreallydoesfeellikeoldtimes."

***

Juliettewasluckyenoughtofindaspotnearthepier.Thegreatthingaboutdrivingasmallcarwas

thatitfitinanywhere.

Asshewalkedthroughtheparkinglot,adozenorsopeoplestoppedhertosayhelloandoffera

complimentaboutherbakeryoroneofherdesserts,andeachcommentbroadenedhersmileanddeepened
hersenseofbelonging.

Fairhopewasbecominghertownagain.Shefeltconnectedtothecommunity.Shemightnothavemade

alotofclose,personalfriendsyet—mostlybecauseshehadn'thadthetime—butshewasdefinitely
startingtofeellikeshefitin.Itwaswhatshe'dwanted,whatshe'dcomebackfor,anditfeltgood.

"Juliette,waitup."
ShepausedasSarahurriedtocatchupwithher."Hi,Sara."
"I'mgladyoucame;Iwasn'tsureyou'dbeabletotearyourselfawayfromthebakery."
"Iprobablyshouldn'thavetornmyselfaway,butIdidn'twanttomisstheparade.And,frankly,Icould

usesomefreshair.Iwasbeginningtofeellikeabigbagofsugar."

"SometimesIfeellikeabigbagofcoffeebeans,"Sarasaidwithalaugh."Thescentstickstomy

skin."

"Maybewebetternotgettooclosetoanyone,"shejoked."We'llmakethemhungryfordessertandin

themoodforcoffee."

"Whichwouldbegreatifwewereworkingtonight,butDonavanandIagreedthatwewilldothe

Sweetheart'sDanceonSaturday,andthatisit—atleastuntilEaster."

"Mythoughts,exactly.SowhereisyourhandsomeRhettButlertonight?"
"YouknowhisnameisTim,right?"
Shelaughed."Okay,Tim."
"Heshouldbeheresoon.Whataboutyou?Where'syourRomeo?"sheaskedwithateasingsmile.
"Romanalsosaidhe'dmeetmehere."
"Youtwoaredestinedtobetogether."
SheknewSarawasjoking,buttherewasapartofherthatwantedtobelievethat,too.Shewasjust

afraiddestinywasgoingtothrowheracurveball.

"WhatdidIsay?"Saraasked,givingheraconcernedlook."Yoursmilejustwentdark."
"Nothing."
"ArethingsnotgoingaswellwithRomanasyouhoped?"
"They'regoingbetterthanIhoped.That'stheproblem.Idon'tknowwhatI'mgoingtodowhenit

ends."

"Maybeitwon'tend."
Shewantedtobetheoptimistwhocouldbelievethat,butshewashavingtroublegettingthere.

Fortunately,Sara'sattentionwasdrawntoTim,atall,skinnymanwhogreetedherwithahug.

"DoyourememberJuliettefromthemoviefestival?"Saraasked.
Timnodded."Nicetoseeyouagain."
"You,too.Youlookalotdifferenttonight."
"IwashappytoleaveRhettButlerbehind."
"Looksliketheboatsaregettingreadytostart,"Sarainterrupted."Let'sgetagoodspotonthepier."
"Youtwogoahead,"shesaid."I'mgoingtokeepaneyeoutforRoman."
"Seeyoulater,"Sarasaid,asTimputhisarmaroundherwaist,andtheywalkedofftogether.
Therewerecertainlyalotofcouplesouttonight,shethought,asshewanderedthroughthecrowd,

feelingalittletoosingle.Sheshouldn'tbesurprised.Lovewasintheair.Andshewasdoingherbestto
contributetothatlovewithherWishcookies.She'dalreadyhadacoupleofpeoplestopbythebakeryto
tellherthatthey'dgottenadateforValentine'sDayaftermakingtheirwishonhercookies.

Shelikedthatherfather'straditionwascontinuing,andsheenjoyedbeingpartofotherpeople's

happiness.Butshewasstartingtowonderifsheshouldhavewishedforsomethingforherselfwhile
bakingsomeofthosecookies.

Asshewandereddownthepath,shesawRomancominginherdirection,andjustlikethat,her

pensivemoodbrightenedup.

Hesmiledwhenhesawher,andshecouldn’thelpthinkingthathesmiledalotmorethesedays.He

talkedmore,too.Maybehewasstartingtofeellikehefitinaswell.

Anythoughtofnotkissinghimhellovanished,ashegrabbedherhandsandpulledherinforawarm,

lingeringkissthattoldherhewasashappytoseeherasshewastoseehim.

"I'msogladyoucame,"shesaid,alittlebreathlessfromhiskiss.
"I'msogladyou'rehere."
"Iguesswe'rebothprettyhappyrightnow."
Hegrinned."Iguessweare."Hetippedhisheaddownthepath."Isawanemptybenchbackthatway.

Wanttocheckitout?Getawayfromthecrowds?"

"Sure."Shefollowedhimovertothewoodenbenchthatwasfartherawayfromthestartoftheparade

buthadaperfectviewofthewater."Thisisgreat."

Heputhisarmaroundhershoulders,andshecouldn'thelpbutsnuggleupnexttohim.
"Howdidtoday'sbakingbonanzago?"heasked.
"Verywell.I'mkeepingup—barely.Butthenextthreedayswillbecrazy.Ijustgotanordertodayfor

aValentine'sDayweddingcake."

"What?Valentine'sDayisTuesday.It'sFriday.Whodecidestoorderaweddingcakefourdaysout?I

hopeyousaidno."

"Ineversayno,"sheconfessedwithasigh."It'ssoromantic.Thecouplewasgoingtogetmarriedin

thespring,butherfatherisill,andshedoesn'twanttowaitthatlong.Sotheydecidedtodoiton
Valentine'sDayinherparents'backyard."

"Howbigisthiscakesupposedtobe?"
"Bigenoughtofeedaboutfortypeople.Soprobablythreegood-sizedlayers.Icandoit,"shesaid,

tryingtoinfusesomeconfidenceintohervoice."Ihavetodoit."

Hemovedalittleawayfromher,dislodgingherheadfromhisshoulder.
"Hey,Iwasjustgettingcomfortable,"sheprotested.
"Whatareyoutryingtoprove,Juliette?"
"Whatdoyoumean?"sheaskedwarily.
"You'renotsuperhuman.Youcan'tbakeeverythingeveryonewantsyoutomake."
"I'mbuildingabusiness,Roman.Ihavetoputmyselfoutthere.Ihavetopushrightnow."
"Isitreallyjustaboutbuildingthebakeryup?"
Shedidn'tlikethechallengeinhisvoiceorthewayhewaslookingather,asifheknewsomething

abouthershedidn'tknow—ordidn'twanttoknow."Whatdoesthatmean?"

"Forgetit."
Shesatupstraighter."No,I'mnotgoingtoforgetit.Youwanttosaysomething,sayit."
"Fine.Ithinkyourreasonsfortakingonsomuchwork,nottomentionsolvingotherpeople's

problems,aremoreaboutkeepingyourselftoobusytothink.You'rerunningawayfromyourself."

"That'sridiculous."
"No,it'snot.Youcamebackheretorecaptureyourchildhood,butI'mguessingthatthememories

aren'tassharpasyouthoughttheywouldbe,thatyoudon'tfeelyourparents'presence,youdon'theartheir
laughter,youcan'trememberwhattheirfavoritefoodswereorwhatflowersyourmomplantedinthe
springeveryyear.Aslongasyou'refixingotherpeople'slivesandworkingatabreakneckpace,youdon't
havetoacknowledgethat."

Shestaredbackathim.She'doncethoughthewasamanoffewwords,buthecertainlyseemedto

haveplentytosaynow.

"I'mnottryingtohurtyou,"Romanadded,regretinhiseyes."Butyouhavetoslowyourpacedown,

oryou'llburnoutordropfromexhaustion.Idon'twanttoseethathappen.AndIhaveseenithappen."

"Areyoutalkingaboutyourselfnow?"
"Yes.IwasguiltyofasimilarobsessionwhenIfirstgotintotheCorps.Ihadtobethebestat

everything.IhadtoproveIwasnottheirresponsiblekideveryonethoughtIwas.Iwasrelentlessinmy
ambitiontobebetterthanIusedtobe."

"There'snothingwrongwithambition,withwantingtobethebest."
"Aslongasyou'rehonestaboutit.IthoughtifIcouldbesomeoneelse,someonebetter,thatwould

changeeverything.IcouldsayI'masoldierandnothingelsewouldmatter.Iwouldsuddenlybe
transformed.Butthat'snotthewayitworked.Iwasagoodsoldier,butIwasalsoakidwhogrewupwith
anaddictforamother.Ihadtolearnhowtotrustinthepeoplenexttome,notjustmyself."

Itwasthemostrevealingthinghe'deversaidabouthimself,andshewastouchedthathetrustedher

enoughtosharehisstory."Howdidyoulearnhowtostoprunningawayfromyourself,howtotrust?"she
asked.

"Mystaffsergeantlockedmeupfortwenty-fourhoursoneday.HetoldmewhenIwasdonefighting

myself,thenIcouldfightforothers.OnlythencouldIbethesoldierheneededmetobe.Iwasnineteenat
thetimeandmadashellaboutit,butallthosehourswithnothingelsetododidfinallymakemestopand
thinkabouteverything.Hewasright.Iwasabettersoldierafterthat."Hepaused."Andyou'dbeabetter
bakerifyoudidn'ttakeonsucharidiculousamountofwork,ifyouacknowledgedthatyoucanbehappy
evenifyoudon'trememberorreliveeverymomentofthepast."

"You'renotexactly…wrong,"shesaidslowly."Ididthinkthatcominghomewouldfeelmorelike

homethanithas.Don'tgetmewrong;IloveFairhope.Butit'snotthesame.AndIdon'tseemyparents
aroundeverycornerthewayIthoughtIwould."Shepaused."IfeelbetterwhenIbake.Icancontrolmy
kitchen.Everythingturnsoutbeautiful.Outside,it'snotalwaysthatway."

"No,it'snot."
"ButImostlytakeontoomuchwork,becauseIhatedisappointingpeople.Idon'tliketosayno.Idon't

wanttobeseenasweakorunabletomanagemybusiness.It'smydreamjob,andIhavetobesuccessful.
There'snothingelseIwanttodo.Thisisit."

Henodded."Igetit.Butyoucansaynoandstillbesuccessful."
"I'mgoingtohavetoworkonthat."
"I'msorryifIcameontoostrong,"hesaid.
"IguessIshouldbegratefulyoudidn'ttrytolockmeupsomewherefortwenty-fourhours,"shesaid

dryly."Didthatreallyhappen,orwereyouembellishing?"

"Itreallyhappened,"hesaidwithasmile."Iwasahardhead.Hewantedtoknocksomesenseintome.

Itworked."

"Doyou…"Shehesitatedoverhernextquestion,thendecidedsincetheywerebeingsohonest,she

wouldaskit."Doyouforgiveyourmotherforthewayshetreatedyou?"

Hethoughtaboutherquestion."Yes,"hesaidfinally."It'stakenalongtime,andsometimesIstillfeel

someanger,butIknowthatheraddictionswerealwaysabouther,notaboutme.Shelovedme,butshe
wasn'tmeanttobeamother."

"Thatseemslikeaveryhealthyperspective."
"I'vehadalongtimetomakemypeace.Beingangrywithherdidn'taccomplishanything."
"Iwasreallyangrywhenmyparentsdied,"sheconfessed."Iwasmadthattheytookthattripwithout

me,whichiscrazy,becauseIwouldhavediedwiththem,soIshouldbegratefulIwasn'tinvited."

"Butyoufeltleftout."
"Beforeandafter,"sheadmitted."I'veneversaidthattoanyone.Itsoundsabsurd.They'redead,and

I'mangrywiththemfordyingwithoutme."

"Theyjustgotonaboat,Juliette.That'salltheydid."
"Iknow.Ijustwishtheyhadn't."
Henoddedandthenputhisarmsaroundher."Iwishthat,too."
Heheldherforafewminutes,thensaid,"Hey,you'remissingtheparade."
Sheturnedaroundandtheysettledbackagainstthebenchasthebrightlylitboatsmadetheirway

acrossthewaterinfrontofthem."They'resopretty,"shemurmured.

"Notasprettyasyou,butnotbad."
"Nowyou'regoingtosweet-talkme?"
Helaughed."IhopeyouknowthatIjustwantyoutobehappy."
"Iwantyoutobehappy,too."Sheturnedtolookathim."So,yourphysicalisMonday?"
"Yes."
"Areyounervous?"
"Notaboutdoingit,buttheresultscoulddeterminetherestofmylife,sothat'sunsettling."
"You'reingoodshape;itseemslikelyyou'llpass—don'tyouthink?"
"Istillgetsomeringinginmyears.It'sbetterbutIdon'tknowifit'sgoodenough."
"Won'ttheyjustextendyourdisabilitythen?"
"Idon'tknowwhat'sgoingtohappen,"hesaid,tighteninghisarmaroundher."I'msuretherearejobs

I'llbeofferedifIcan'tgobacktomyunit."

"Wouldyoutakeadifferentjob?"
"Ishould.It'sallaboutservice.It'sneverbeenaboutwhatIwanttodobutwhattheMarinesneedme

todo.TheCorpshasbeenmylife,myfamily,myjobforthirteenyears.Ican'timagineleaving,butIalso
can'timaginenotbeingabletodotheworkIwastrainedtodo."

Awaveofsadnessranthroughherathiswords.Hewasbeinghonest,butthathonestywasbreaking

herheart.Howcouldsheevenwanthimtoleaveeverythingforher?

Maybegoingbacktohisjobwouldn'tmeantheendoftheirrelationship.Soldiersfellinlove,got

married,andstillserved.Butherlifewouldhavetocomesecondtohis.She'dhavetofollowhim.How

couldshedothat?Howcouldshegiveupthislifeshewasbuilding?

Sheknewshewasgettingwayaheadofherself,buttimewasmovingfast.NextweekRomancouldbe

gone.Shedidn'tknowwhethersheshouldmakethemostofwhatevertimetheyhadleftorstartpushing
himawaynowsoitwouldn'thurtsomuch.

However,theideaofpushinghimawaywhenhefeltsogoodrightnexttoherseemedimpossibleto

fathom.So,shewasn'tgoingtodoit.Decisiontimewouldcomesoonenough.

Theywatchedtheboatsforthenexthalfhour,comfortablewithsilencenow.
"ThatmustbeDoug'sboat,"Romansaid,breakingintotheirquiettopointoutalargeyachtwithaflag

fortheUniversityofAlabama'sCrimsonTidefootballprogram.

"SpeakingofDoug.Whathappenedlastnight?"
"Wetalkedeverythingout—me,Doug,andTravis."
"Soyou'reallbuddiesagain?"
"Looksthatway."
Sheturnedtofacehim."You'restartingtofitintothistown,Roman.Bothofusare.IleftwhenIwasa

kid;youleftwhenyouwereateenager.Wecamebackasadults,andIthinkwe'vebothbeentryingto
figureoutourplaces."

"Youdefinitelyfit,Juliette.You'relikeDonavan.Yougiveandgivetothistown,andyouarepartof

theheartbeat,justlikesheis."

"Iwouldlikethat.Andthathasnothingtodowithrecapturingthepast."
"Gotit."
"IhopenowthatyouandDougandTravisareonthesamepage,thenewscangetouttotherestofthe

town.IwouldlovetoshutMarthaup."

"Isuspectyou'llgetanotherchance,hopefully,beforeshetriestogetmearrestedforkissingyou."
Shelaughedatthereminder."Foraminute,Ithoughtthatknockonthewindowofyourtruckwasa

cop."

"Shewasworsethanacop."
"Shegavemequitethetalking-to.ButnowthatIknowthere'ssomethinginherpastmakingheractthe

wayshedoes,I'mgoingtoseeifIcanfindoutwhatitis."

"Ofcourseyouare,"hesaidwithawrysmile.
"AndIstillwanttofindoutwhoCeceliawrotethoselettersto.Ican'thelpbeingcurious,Roman.I

spendalotoftimealonewithbutterandflourandsugar—mybraintendstowanderoffintowhatever
puzzleI'mtryingtosolve.Bytheway,Cecelianevercamebytogetherletters.Iwonderifshe'shaving
secondthoughtsabouttakingthemback."

"That'spossible.Somepeopleliketoleavethepastalone."
"Ithinkmyparentswouldhavelikedyou,"shesaid.
Heraisedadoubtfuleyebrow."Really?I'veneverbeenverypopularwithparents."
"Thatwaswhenyouwereateenager,I'mguessing.Whataboutnow?I'msuretherehavebeenwomen

inyourlife."

"Inevermetanyoftheirparents."
"Sonooneserious?"
Heshookhishead."Nope.Whataboutyou?DidyoubreakanyheartswhenyouleftNewYork?"
"Notaone.Idated,ofcourse,butneverthatseriously."Shepaused,realizingtheparadewascoming

toanend."Let'swalkbacktothepier.Ithinkthebandisgoingtostartsoon."

"Soundsgood."
Whentheygotbacktothecenteroftheaction,shesawCeceliaandMarthawaitinginlineatabooth

runbyalocalwinebar.NotfarawaywasRoman'sgrandfather.Therewassomethingabouthisstance,
thefiercenessofhisgazeaimedattheGraysonsistersthatgaveherajolt,thattoldhershemightjusthave

stumbledontheanswertooneofherquestions.

ShestoppedabruptlyandputherhandonRoman'sarm."Lookatyourgrandfather."
"Whereishe?"
"Overthere."ShetippedherheadinVincent'sdirection.
"He'sjuststandingthere,"Romansaidinbewilderment."What'sthebigdeal?"
"He'snotjuststandingthere.He'swatchingCecelia."
Roman'sbrowsfurrowed."Iguess—maybe."
"Nomaybeaboutit.Hisgazeisonher."
"Iknowwhereyou'regoingwiththis,butyou'retakingabigleap.Mygrandfatherwashappily

marriedforalongtime."

"SowasCecelia'slover,"sheremindedhim."They'reaboutthesameage."
"Yes,andtheyhavebothlivedinthistownformostoftheirlives.Mygrandmotherhasbeendeadfor

twentyplusyears.Iftheywerecarryingatorchforeachother,wouldn'toneofthemhavedonesomething
aboutitbynow?"

"Itdependsonhowmuchtheirbreakuphurt,howbetrayedtheyfelt,howscaredtheywouldbetotake

anotherchanceandriskallthatpainagain.YouheardthesorrowinCecelia'svoicewhenwereadthe
letters."

"Isupposeit'spossible,butthere'snothingforyouorustodoaboutit.YoutoldCeceliaaboutthe

letters.Youhavetolethermakeherowndecision."

"Butyourgrandfathermightnotknowaboutthem.Maybetheyneedagentlepushintherightdirection.

They'vebothbeeneatingmyWishcookiesallweek.Soundsliketheyhavesomethingtowishfor."

"Mygrandfathermaylikeshortbreadcookies,butIcantellyouforcertainthathedoesn'tthinkthey're

magic."

"Weshouldtrytogettheminthesameroomorinthesameplace,"shecontinuedon,dismissinghis

opinion."Iwonderifthey'regoingtothedancetomorrownight.Thatwouldbeagoodplaceforthemto
meetup."

"IdoubtmygrandfatherisgoingtotheSweetheart'sDance."
"Youshouldgethimtogo.AndI'llencourageCecelia.Ifshedoesn'tcomebythebakerytomorrow,I

cantakeherthelettersandtalktoheraboutthedance."

"Juliette,didn'tyoujustsayyouhadnonstopworktodo?"
"There'salwaystimeforlove,"shesaid.
"Well,you'reonyourownwiththisone.Ican'tmessaroundwithmygrandfather'slovelife."
"Butwe'resogoodwhenweworktogether.Anddon’tyouwanttoseeyourgrandfatherhappy?"
"Ithinkhe'shappyenough."
"Oh,comeon.Anyoneishappierwithloveintheirlife.AllyouhavetodoisaskhimaboutCecelia."
"That'sall,huh?MygrandfatherandItalkaboutnailsandplumbingandelectrical;wedon'ttalkabout

women.Hedoesn'taskmequestions,andIdon'taskhim.That'sthewayit'salwaysbeen."

"Youcouldchangethat.Ihaveanidea."
"Wait,holdon,"hesaid,asshestarteddownthepath."Whatareyougoingtodo?"
"Tellyourgrandfatherabouttheletters.Ifhe'snotthepersonthey'reabout,thenhewon'tcare."
Romangrabbedherbythearm."Ceceliadidn'ttellyouwhoshewaswritingabout.Youshould

respectthat."

Shewaveredslightly."I'mnotgoingtosaythelettersareabouthim.Ijustthinkweshouldtellhim

abouttheletters.Heistheownerofthehouse,afterall."ShepulledawayfromRomanandwalked
quicklydownthepath."Mr.Prescott,"shesaid,drawingVincent'sattentiontoher."Hello."

Hegaveheranod."MissAdams,Roman.What'sthisIhearaboutyouhiringTravisHastings?"
"Iwasgoingtotalktoyouaboutthat.Heneedsajob,andyouneedhelp."

"Ithoughtofthetwoofyoudidn'tspeak,"Vincentsaid,apuzzledexpressiononhisface.
"Wedidalotofspeakingyesterday.I'llfillyouinlater.It'salongstory."
"Allright,butifhedoesn'tdoagoodjob,he'sout."
"Itoldhimthat,"Romansaid.
"There'ssomethingIwantedtotellyou,Mr.Prescott,"sheinterrupted."Romanfoundametalbox

filledwithlovelettershiddenunderthefloorboardsinthedownstairsbedroom."

"What?"heasked,hisfacetightening."Lovelettersfromwho?"
"Therearen'tanynamesmentioned,"shesaid."ButwefiguredoutthattheletterswerefromCecelia

Graysontosomeonesheonceloved."

Lookingathimintheshadowylight,shecouldn'tquitetellifhepaledorifshejustwantedtobelieve

that.

"Idon'tknowanythingaboutanyletters,"hesaidgruffly."Whydoyouthinktheybelongtoher?"
"Romanlookedupwhoownedthehousebeforemyparents,and—"
"Youlookeditup?"Vincentinterrupted,givinghisgrandsonahardlook."Whydidyoudothat?"
"Originally,IthoughtthelettersmightbelongtoJuliette'sparents,butwhenitwascleartheydidn't,

wethoughtwe'dseewhoelseownedthehouse,"Romanexplained.

"Wherearethelettersnow?"
"Ihavethem,"sheanswered."ItoldCeceliaI'dgivethembacktoher."
"Sheknowsyoufoundthem?"
Juliettenodded."Yes,shesaidshewrotethem,butsheneversaidwhotheywereabout."
Vincent'sgazedriftedbacktoCeceliaandMartha."Well,that'sherbusiness.I'mgladyoufoundthem

andthatshe'llgetthemback.Excuseme,Ihavetospeaktosomeone."

AsVincentleft,sheturnedtoRoman,excitementrunningthroughherbody."It'shim.He'sherlover;I

knowit."

Romanslowlynodded,hisgazereflective."Ithinkyou'reright.Andthoselettersmightexplain

somethingaboutwhyheboughtthehouse."

"Maybebecausehewasinlovewithherwhenshelivedthere."
"It'spossible."
AsshelookedatRoman,shesuddenlyrealizedthatinherenthusiasmtomatchupVincentand

Cecelia,shewasoverlookingRoman'spersonalhistory."IhopeyouknowI'mnottryingtosaythatyour
grandfatherdidn'tloveyourgrandmotheroryourfatherorhislife."

"Ididn'tthinkyouweresayingthat."
"Okay,good.So,whatdoyouthinkweshoulddonow?"
"Nothing."
"Roman,"sheprotested,disappointedinhisanswer.
"Idon'tknowwhatyouwantmetosay.You'vetoldthembothabouttheletters.Whateverhappensnext

isuptothem."

Hewasright.Itwastheirmove."IwillgiveCeceliabacktheletters."Shesmiledathissighof

resignation."ThenIwillbeoutofit."

"I'llbelievethatwhenIseeit."
Ashefinishedspeaking,shesawTraviscomedownthepath,withCameronridinghighonhisfather's

shoulders,abiggrinonhisface."Look,Roman.LookhowhappyCameronis."

"AshappyasI'veseenhim,"Romanadmitted."Travis,too."
Travissawthemandcameovertosayhello.Whenhereachedthem,hesetCamerondownonhisfeet.
"Hi,Juliette,"Cameronsaid."Didyouseetheboats?"
"Idid.Theywerereallypretty."
"IwasjustgoingtogetCameronsomehotapplecider.Anyonewantone?"Travisasked.

"Thatdoessoundgood,"shesaid.
"I'llgowithyou,"RomantoldTravis,leavingCameronwithJuliette.
CameronslippedhishandintoJuliette'sandgaveherashysmile."Igotmywish,"hesaid."TheoneI

madeonthecookies."

"Youdid?That'swonderful."Shesawhisgazedrifttohisfather.TravisandRomanwerelaughing

aboutsomethingastheystoodatthebackofthelineforrefreshments."Wasitforyourfathertocome
home?Wait,youdon'thavetotellme.It'syourwish."

"Itwasn'tjustforhimtocomehome.Itwasforhisfacetolooklikethat,"hesaid,pointingtohis

father.

"Youwantedhimtobehappyagain,"shemurmured,thinkinghowsweetawishthatwas.
"Heusedtolooklikethatallthetime,untilmymomleft.Thenhewasalwayssad.Butnowhe's

back."

"I'msoglad."
"I'msorryItookyourcookieswithoutpaying,"Cameronadded,givingheranotherguiltylook."Ican

payyoubackfrommyallowance.DaddysaysIcanstartmakingfivedollarsaweekifIhelpGrandma
more."

"Youkeepyourmoney,Cameron.Saveitforsomethingreallyspecial."
"IwanttobuymydadanewfishingrodwhenIhaveenough.Mymombrokehiswhensheleft."
Shefrownedatthatpieceofinformation,notfeelingtoomuchregardforTravis'smissingmother.But

shecertainlywasn'tgoingtosayanythingtoCameronaboutit.

"Hotapplecider,"Romantoldher,ashecamebackwithasteamingpapercup.
"Hmm,smellsdelicious,"shesaid,inhalingthescentassheblewonthehotliquid.
"Weneedtoletitcooldown,buddy,"Travistoldhisson."I'llhangontoituntilthen.You'llburnyour

mouth."

"There'sSam,"Cameronsaid,lettinggoofJuliettetopointtoafriendofhis."Canwegooverthere?

Samismybestfriend."

"Sure,"Travissaid."I'dliketomeetyourbestfriend."HegaveRomanandJulietteanodasthey

walkedaway.

"Travislooksamilliontimesbetter,"shesaid,asshecarefullysippedhercider."Thisisgood.You

didn'tgetanyforyourself?"

"Notreallyaciderfan.IguesshavingajobhaseasedsomeofTravis'sworries,"Romansaid.
"Camerontoldmethathewishedonthecookiesforhisdadtobehappyagain.Lookslikehiswish

cametrue."

"It'sanotherValentine'sDaymiracleduetoyourspecialcookies,"heteased.
Shelaughed."Itis.Speakingofcookies…"Sheendedthatthoughtwithasigh."Idon'twanttoleave,

butIhavetogobacktothebakery.There'sjusttoomuchtodo.Ican'twaituntilmorning."

"Iknow.I'llwalkyoutoyourcar,"hesaid,puttinghisarmaroundhershouldersasthebandstartedto

play.

"Youshouldstayandhavefun,"shesaid,sippingherciderastheyslowlymadetheirwaytothe

parkinglot.

"Imightgobackforawhile."
"Good,becauseyou'vebeenworkinghard,too.Andasmuchasyoudon'twanttotalkaboutitor

admitit,I'mprettysurethatyou'reworryingjustabitaboutyourphysicalonMonday."

"I'mtryingnotto."
"Howisthatworkingout?"
"Notthatwell.There'snothingIcandoaboutit.I'vedonemypartontherehab.Ijusthavetoseewhat

happens."

Romandefinitelyhadafatalisticattitudeaboutsomethings.Shecouldn'tblamehim.Notwanting

thingstoomuchwasaprotectiveinstincthe'dlearnedasachild.

"Well,I'mkeepinggoodthoughts,"shesaid.Although,secretlyshehadtoadmitshehadmixed

feelingsabouthisupcomingphysical.Shewantedhimtobecompletelywell,butbeingbackatone
hundredpercentwouldtakehimawayfromher.Still,itwaswhathewanted,whathedeserved,andshe
couldn'tgoagainstthat.

Astheyreachedhercar,insteadofopeningherdoorforher,Romanpressedherbackagainstitand

tookhistimeexploringhermouthwithhistongue.

Shefeltenvelopedbyhisbody,byhiswarmth,feelingbothsafeandprotectedandwildlyrecklessall

atthesametime.Itwasthekindoffeelinghealwaysdrummedupinsideofher—likeshecouldtakethe
biggestriskbecausehe'dbetheretocatchherifshefell.

Unfortunately,hecouldn’tprotectherfromfallingforhim.Somehow,shewasgoingtohavetofinda

waytosaveherself.

Hesteppedbackandopenedherdoorforher."Trytosleepatleastafewhourstonight."
"Iwill.Tomorrowwillbecrazy.Idon'tknowwhenI'llcomeupforair,probablynotuntilthedance.I

hopeIseeyouthere—maybeyouandyourgrandfather."

Heshookhishead."Youneverquit.EvenifIgethimthere,youdon'thavetimetowrangleCecelia

intogoing."

"I'lljusttalktoherwhenshestopsby;thatwon'ttakemuchtime."
"Nopromises,Juliette,butI'lldowhatIcan."
"You'llmakeithappen;Ihaveconfidenceinyou."Shegavehimaquickkiss."I'llseeyoulater."

***

RomangottoworkearlyonSaturday.Travisarrivedbynine,andtheyquicklyfellintoanatural

groove.HerealizedasheworkedalongsideTravisthattheywerebothquietbynature.Doug'sbig
personalityhadalwaysbeenthecenteroftheirtrio.

Theytalkedabithereandthere,butmostlyitwasaboutthework.SeeinghowgoodTraviswasat

followingdirectionsandworkingindependentlygavehimhopethathe'dfinallyfoundanotherpersonhis
grandfathercouldcounton.

Withhisphysicalandcareerdecisionslooming,hewantedtogetsomehelplinedup.He'd

interviewedseveralsubsthedaybeforeandhadsomegoodleadstopresenttohisgrandfather.Hopefully,
he'dtakethem.

Asheheardhisgrandfather'sbig,boomingvoice,heleftTravisinthebackbedroomwhilehewent

outtogreetVincent."I'mgladyou'rehere,"hesaid."Ialreadygotonebidonframingoutthebackendof
thehousethismorning."

"Fromtheguyyoutalkedtoyesterday?"Vinceaskedinsurprise.
"Yes,oneofhisjobsfellthrough,sohecanstartnextweekifyouliketheprice.Itseemedgoodto

me."Hemovedovertothestackofwoodwherehe'dlefttheestimate."Hereyougo."

"I'lltakealook.HowisTravisworkingout?"
"Good.He'sahardworker.He'sverymotivatedbecauseheneedstotakecareofhissonandhis

mother.Ithinkhe'sjustwhatyouneedtohandlealotoftheeasierbutmoretediouslabor."

"Ican'tbelieveyouboysjustkissedandmadeup,"Vincesaidgruffly.
"Wedidn'tgothatfar,"hesaiddryly."ButitturnsoutChiefWintersmadeapointofturningusagainst

eachothertotrytogetsomeonetoconfesstothefire—someoneotherthanhisson."

"Well,Iknewthat.Ijustdidn'tknowwhichoneofthosetwodidit.IhadmymoneyonDoug.Hewas

entitled."

"Noneofusdidit.Itwasprobablytheworkofanarsonistwhostartedtwootherfiresinthecounty

thatyear,butIdoubtwe'lleverknowforsure."

"Anarsonist,huh?You'reconfidentyoucanbelieveDougandTravis?"
"Iam,"hesaidwithafirmnod."Dougwentdowntothepolicedepartmentandcamebackwiththe

actualfile.Ireadtheinterviewsandtheinvestigativenotes.It'sallthere."

"WhydidDougdothat?"
"Ithinkhewastryingtogetinfrontofanyproblemsbeforehisrunformayor."
"Makessense."
"IdidwanttosaysomethingIshouldhavesaidalongtimeago—thanksforbailingmeoutbackthen,

standingbyme,eventhoughyoudidn'tknowifIwasinnocentorguilty.Ialwayswonderedwhyyou
didn'task."

"Iknewyouwereinnocent;Ididn'thavetoask.Youwereatroublemaker,yes,andyouhadyour

problems,butyoucaredaboutpeople.Notmanypeoplesawthat,butIdid.Yougaveyourjackettoa
homelessmanandtoldmeyoulostit.Isawthatguywearingitoutsidethedrugstore,andhesaidyougave
ittohim."

Heshrugged,feelingawkwardaboutthatoldincident."Iprobablydidn'tlikethejacket."
"Andyousavedthatskinnykidwiththeglassesfromafight.Iwascomingbackfromworkandsawa

bunchofkidsbehindtheconveniencestore.Andthereyouwere,pullingthatkidawayfromsomebullies.
Iwouldhavestopped,butyouhaditundercontrol."Vincentpaused."Youwerealwaysbetterthananyone
thought—betterthanyouthought.WhenyoufirstjoinedtheMarines,Ididn'tlikeit,butitmadesense.You
feltgoodwhenyoucouldhelpsomeoneelse.Yourfatherwasalittlelikethat—inadifferentway."

"Whatdoyoumean?"heasked,surprisedthatVincenthadactuallybroughtuphisfather.
"Brettlikedtoencouragepeopletofollowtheirdreams,too.Theywereusuallymusicians,artists,or

poets.Iwantedhimtohaveapracticaljob,asolidincome,anormallife.Buthewantedtotraveland
workwhenhewanted.Itwasallaboutfreedomforhim.Ofcourse,heusedmymoneytogethimselfthat
freedom.Heneverrecognizedthat."

"That'swhyyoudidn'ttalktoeachother?Becausehesoldthestuffyougavehim?"
"Itwasn'tthemoney;itwasthebetrayal.Andthenitwastoolate.Wordsweresaidthatcouldn'tbe

unspoken.I'veregrettedthechoicesImadebackthen,butthere'snothingIcandoaboutthemnow."He
exhaled."IalsoregretthatIdidn'tkeepintouchwithyourmotherafterBrett'sfuneral.Shedisappeared,
butIcouldhavetriedhardertofindherandyou.Ishouldhavebeenthereforyou."

"Iusedtothinkthat,too,"headmitted."Butintheend,youweretherewhenitcounted.Youprobably

savedmylifewhenyoupickedmeupandbroughtmehere."

"IjustwishI'ddoneitsooner.Haveyouspokentoher—yourmother?"
"She'ssentmeafewemails.She'ssober—threeyearsrunning."
"Yougoingtoseeher?"
"Notanytimesoon.Ithinkwe'rebetteroffapartfornow."
"Iagree."
Hetookabreath,notsureheshouldriskruiningwhatwasthemostpersonalconversationhe'dever

hadwithhisgrandfather,buthehadpromisedJuliettehewouldtrytospeaktohimaboutCecelia.The
timingseemedrightwithVincentinareflectivemood."Speakingofregretsandnothavingthechanceto
makethingsright…maybeyoushouldtalktoCeceliaGraysonaboutthelettersshewrote."

Hisgrandfather'seyesdarkened."WhywouldIdothat?"
"BecauseI'mfairlycertainthey'reaboutyou.Isawthewayyoulookedatherlastnight.Itwasyou,

wasn'tit?That'swhyyouwantedtobuythishouse.Ithadsomethingtodowithherhavingbeenoneofthe
residents."

Hisgrandfatherdidn'tanswerrightaway,andtherewasbothpainandangerinhiseyesnow.

"Look,"Romancontinued."Youdon'thavetotalktomeaboutit,butasyoujustsaid,youdon'talways

getasecondchanceinlife.Ifyoudo,youshouldtakeit."

Vincentstaredbackathim."Itwasalifetimeago,"hemuttered.
Sohisgrandfatherwasadmittingit.Hewassomewhatstunned."Whathappened?"
"Timing.Herfather."Vincentshookhishead."Alackofcourage."
"Butyoudidloveher."
"Itwasn'tenough."
"Couldyoutryagain?"Juliettehadreallyrubbedoffonhim.Hedidn’tusuallygetinvolvedinother

people'slovelives.

"We'reoldnow.There'snotimeleft."
"You'renotdeadyet,"hesaidbluntly,becausethat'sthekindofplaintalkhisgrandfatherunderstood.

"Iftherewaseveratimetotakeachance,it'snow."

"Ican'timagineherreactionifIevensaidhellotoherafteralltheseyears."
"Youdon'tsayhello?"
"Sometimesoureyesmeet,butthenoneofuslooksaway."
"Sonexttime,don'tlookaway."
"Nexttime?"Vincentaskedwarily.
"WeshouldgototheSweetheart'sDancetonight.Everyonewillbethere—probablyCecelia.Andit's

foragoodcause.Theticketsalesaregoingtosupportthehomelesssheltersintown."

"Iknowthat,butifI'mgoingtoadance,I'mnotgoingwithmygrandson,"hesaidroughly.
Hegrinned."Iadmityou'renotmychoiceofadate,either.Wecanmeetthere.Maybewewon'tendup

aloneattheendofthenight."

"You'vegotyoureyesonJuliette,"Vincentsaidwithagleaminhiseyes.
"Hardnotto,"headmitted.
"She'sabeauty,"hisgrandfatheragreed."Andspunky,too.Remindsmeofyourgrandmother."Hetook

abreath."Idon'twantyoutothinkIdidn’tloveyourgrandmother,becauseIdid.Wehadagoodlife
together.Ifshewasalive,I'dbewithher,andI'dbehappy."

"Iunderstand."
"CiciandIhadadifferentstory."
"Itlookslikeyourstorymighthaveanotherchapter."
"We'llsee.Idefinitelyhavesomethingstothinkabout."
Hehopedhisgrandfatherdidn'tthinktoolong,didn'twastethismomentintime,butitwasuptohim

now.He'ddonehispart.

Fourteen

"Yourapartmentiscozyandcute,"CeceliatoldJulietteasshewanderedaroundthestudioSaturday

afternoon."Itremindsmeofmyfirstplace.Ifeltsoindependent,somodern,tobeonmyown."Hersmile
wasabitsad."Thatwasalongtimeago."

"Please,sitdown."ShewavedCeceliatowardoneofthetwochairsathersmallkitchentable.While

she'dbeenswampedinthebakerydownstairs,whenCeceliahadshownup,shecouldn'tresisttakinga
breakandinvitingherupstairssoshecouldtalktoherbeforeshehandedovertheletters.

"Idon'twanttotakeuptoomuchofyourtime,"Ceceliasaid.
"Don'tworryaboutit.Icoulduseafewminutesoff.Mydaystartedaroundfour,soI'vealreadyputin

twelvehours."

"That'ssoearly.Idon'tknowhowyoudoit."
"It'sabusytimeoftheyearforme,butIloveit."
"That'sthewayitshouldbe."Cecelia'sgazestrayedtothemetalboxbetweenthem."Istillcan'tquite

believeyoufoundthat."

"Romanwastheonewhodiscovereditunderthefloorboard.Hethoughtthelettersmightbelongtomy

parents;that'swhyhecalledmeaboutit.Butwesoonrealizedthatthey'dmostlikelybeenwrittenyears
before.CanIsayagainhowbeautifulyourwritingis?IfeltlikeIwasexperiencingthesameemotions
youwere.Iwascompletelycaughtupinyourstory."

"That'ssweetofyoutosay.I'vealwaysfeltmorecomfortablewritingthanspeaking.Wordscome

easierwhenIdon'thavetosaythemoutloud."Shedrewinabreath."Youwanttoknowthewholestory,
don'tyou?"

"Ifyouhaveanyinterestinsharing—yes.IthinkIknowthemanyouwerewritingabout."
"Ihadafeelingyoumightfigurethatout."Shepaused,gatheringherthoughts."ImetVincentwhenI

wasnineteenyearsold.Hewastwenty-threeandsohandsome,soworldly.Ihadseenhimaround,butthe
firsttimeIspoketohimwasinthedrugstore.Hehadacold,andheaskedmeifIknewwhatmedicinehe
shouldtake."Shesmiledtoherself."Itshouldn'thavebeenromanticatall,butwhenhesmiledatme,Ifelt
aflutteringinmyheartthatI'dneverfeltbefore."

"That'ssweet,"shewhispered,onceagaincaughtupinCecelia'sstory.
"Itseemedlikefatehadthrownustogether.Weprobablywouldn'thavemetotherwise.Myparents

wereveryprotectiveofme,andVincentwasadiamondintherough,youknow?Hewasaconstruction
worker,andmyfatherhadbiggerplansformyfuture.ButIdidn'tcareaboutthoseplans.VincentandI
saweachotherwheneverIcouldsneakouttomeethim.Beingwithhimwas…exhilarating."

JuliettesmiledattheloveinCecelia'seyes.Theyearswerefadingawayasshetoldthestory,asshe

rememberedthegirlshe'doncebeen.

"Ifellmadlyinlovewithhim,"Ceceliacontinued."Icouldn'teat,couldn'tsleep,couldn'twaituntilI

couldseehimagain.Hewasmyworld.Itwasallhim—everybreaththatItook."Thegleaminhereyes
dimmed."Untilmyfatherfoundoutaboutus.Iknowitwillseemsillytoawomanofyourgeneration,but
fiftyyearsago,myfatherruledourhouse.Whathewantedforhischildrenwasallthatmattered,andhe
wantedmetomarrythesonoftheseniorpartnerathislawfirm.Hesaiditwouldmakehiscareer,thathe
wouldbenamedapartner,thathewouldneverhavetoworryaboutbeingfired,andthatweneededthe
security.Mymotherhadalotofhealthproblems,andhercarewasexpensive."

"Itsoundssomercenary,"shemuttered.

Cecelianodded."Itwasallaboutthemoney.Themaninquestion—hewasn'tbad.Hewaseven

somewhatattractive.Ijustdidn'tlovehim.AndIcouldn'ttalktohimthewayItalkedtoVincent.HeandI
coulddiscussanything.Wecouldshareourdreamsandnotfeelfoolish.Thatwasn'tthecasewiththe
otherman.Ididn'tknowwhattodo,Juliette.Ididn'tknowhowtosaynotomyfather.Anditwasn'tjust
abouthim;itwasaboutmymother,too.Shewasill,andIdidwantthebestcareforher."

"Itsoundslikeacomplicatedsituation.Butyouhadasister.Whycouldn'tMarthamarryhimandsave

thefamily?"

"Marthawasalreadyengaged.Herfiancéwasinmedicalschool.Hewassomeonemyfather

approvedof,becausehewasgoingtobeadoctor.Hethoughthisgirlswouldhavedreamlivesasthe
wifeofadoctorandthewifeofalawyer."

"SoyoubrokethingsoffwithVincentandagreedtomarrytheotherman?"sheasked,eagertohearthe

restofthestory.

"Yes.ItwasthemostdifficultthingIeverhadtodo.Vincentwasangryandhurt.Thepaininhiseyes

almostkilledme.HethoughtIwasweakandacoward,andhewasn'twrong.Hesaidhorriblethings,and
IfeltlikeIdeservedthem."Cecelia'schestheavedasshetriedtobreathethroughthepainfulmemories.
"Vincentlefttownshortlyafterourbreakup.Hesaidhecouldn'tstayandwatchmemarrysomeoneelse.
Forthenextyear,Iplannedmyweddingandtriedtopretendmylifewasn'tending.Butasthedateneared,
Igotcoldfeet.IknewIcouldn'tgothroughwithit.Icouldn'tmarrythismanwhenIlovedsomeoneelse.
Itwasn'tfairtohimortome.Ifinallygotupthecouragetocallitoff."

"Thatmusthavebeenincrediblydifficult."
"Itwasawful,"shesaidwithashudder."Ihurthimterribly.Ifeltsobadaboutthat."
"DidyougotoVincentthen?"
"Yes.Ifoundoutwherehewasliving,andIwenttofindhim.IwantedtotellhimIwassorry,thatI

lovedhimandonlyhim,butwhenIgotthere,Isawhiminapubwithanotherwoman.Theyhadtheir
friendswiththem,andtheyweretoastingtoVincent'sengagement.Iwatchedhimkissher,andthenIleft
withoutsayingaword.Theygotmarriedafewmonthsafterthat,andsixorsevenyearslater,theycame
backtoFairhopewithason."

"I'msosorry,"shesaid."Ireallywishyourstorywouldhaveendeddifferently."
Ceceliagaveherawaterysmile."Itwasmyownfault.Ididn'thavethecouragetopickthemanI

reallywanted,togoagainstmyfather,tostandupforVincent.IknowVincentwasdisheartenedbymy
lackofstrength.Hedidn'tbelieveIlovedhimenough."

"I'msureheunderstoodthatyourfatherwastoopowerfulforyoutofight."
"Atsomelevel,perhaps,buteverymanwantsawomanwhowillfightforhim.Atanyrate,Itriedto

behappythatVincenthadfoundhappinesswithsomeoneelse.Hedeservedthat.Hiswifewasagood
woman.Igottoknowherabitovertheyears."

"Really?"
"It'sasmalltown.Ourcirclessometimesintersected.Idon'tthinksheknewanythingaboutthe

romanceIhadwithVincent.Inevertoldher,andIdon'tthinkhedid,either."

"Didyouevercomeclosetomarryinganyoneelse?"
Ceceliashookherhead."No.Inevermetamanwhotouchedmyheartinthatway.Thereweresome

menIcaredfor.OneIlivedwithforawhile,butheeventuallyleftwhenherealizedmyheartwasnot
thereforhim.Iwasn'treallylonely;IhadMartha."

"Wait!WhathappenedtoMartha'sfiancé?"
"Hefinishedmedicalschoolanddecidedhedidn'twanttomarryheraftershe'dwaitedallthose

years.Sohebrokeitoff."

"Andsheneverfoundanyoneelse,either?"
"Actually,shedid.Shewasengagedagaininherthirties,butthatmandiedinafreakskiingaccident.

Afterthat,shegaveuponlove.Shesaidweweredestinedtobespinstersisters.Shewasright.She's
beenthereforme,andI'vebeenthereforher."

ShethoughtaboutCecelia'swordsasanotherthoughtoccurredtoher."IsMarthawhyyounevertalked

toVincentafterhiswifedied?Didyoufeellikeyoucouldn'tbreakthesisterspinsterbond?Because
surelyyoumusthavethoughtaboutit."

"Imighthavehadapassingthought,butitwastoolate.Thirtyyearshadpassedbeforehiswifedied.

Hehadason,agrandson.Ourtimewasover."

"It'snevertoolate,"shesaid,daringtopushalittle,becauseitwasclearthatwhateverCeceliahad

feltforVincent,itwasstillthere.

"Yousaythatbecauseyouareyoung,becauseyoustillseeforever.Iseemytimeleftinyears."
"Thenyoushouldmakethemostofthoseyears."
"MarthaandIareapair.We'retheGraysonsisters."
"You'dstillbesisters.Ifshelovesyou,she'dwantyoutobehappy,justasyou'dwanthertobehappy

ifthesituationwerereversed."

"Idon'tknowaboutthat,"Ceceliasaid."Marthacanbeverycontrolling.She'salotlikemyfather.

EvenifIwantedtotry…I'msureVincentstillhatesme.Hecan'tevensayhellotomewhenourpaths
cross.Healwayslooksaway."

"Maybeheneedsareasontokeeplooking—asmile,awelcome.Oneofyouhastomakethefirst

move.Andithastobeyou,becauseyou'retheonewhobrokethingsoff.Youhavetobetheonetotake
therisknow."

"Idon'tknowifIcould."
"Youshouldgotothedancetonight.Vincentwillbethere.Whatbettertimetoreconnectthanatthe

Sweetheart'sDance?"

"I'msureVincentwon'tgotothat.He'snotadancer."
"Hemightgo.Romanistryingtotalkhimintoit."
Ceceliasmiled."SoyouandRomanhaveaplan,doyou?"
"It'smostlymyplan,"sheadmitted."Itonlyextendstogettingyoubothinthesameplace.Therestis

uptoyou.Iwillsayonething,though.WhenItoldVincentthatRomanfoundlovelettershiddenawayin
thehouse,hewasshaken.Ithinkheboughtthehousebecauseyouoncelivedthere."

"IwonderedaboutthatwhenIheardthathehadpurchasedit.Ilovedthathouse,andIespecially

lovedthebackyard.Wehadahammockbetweenthetreesbackthen.Iusedtositthereinthesummerand
dreamaboutmylife,mylove,myfuture.ButVincentdidn'tsharemyloveforthehouse.Hesaidthose
wallskeptmeawayfromhim.Inthathouse,myfatherwasking.Icouldn'tgoagainsthim.AndVincent
andIcouldnevermeetthere."Shepaused."Ididn'tunderstandwhyhewouldbuymyoldhome."

AndnowsheunderstoodexactlywhyVincentwantedtochangeit."Ihavethiscrazyideathathewants

toripdownthewallsthatkeptyouapart.Itwon'tbeyourfather'shouseanymore;itwillbehis…maybe
yours."

"Thatwouldbeinsane.It'sbeensomanyyears,andsomanypeoplelivedthereafterme.Youlived

there."

"Ilovedthathouse,too,"shesaid,wonderingwhyitfeltsuddenlymorelikeCecelia'shomethanhers.

"IwasdevastatedwhenIhadtoleave.WhenIcamebackhere,ItoldmyselfonedayIwouldbuyit.But
thenIsawthatthePrescottswerechangingitcompletely,andatfirst,itreallythrewme.Ifeltlikethey
weretearingupmypast."

"Iunderstand,dear."
"ButnowI'mstartingtorealizethatthehousehasseenmorestoriesthanmine.Itwasfoolishtothinkit

waswaitingformetocomeback."Shepaused."Willyoucometothedancetonight?IfnotforVincent,
justcomeandhavefun.I'llbethere.I'mbringingdesserts."

"I'llthinkaboutit,"Ceceliasaid,asshegottoherfeet.
"Don'tforgetthis."ShestoodupandhandedCeceliathemetalbox.
"Thankyouforthese,Juliette.IdoubtIwouldhavegoneasfarasyoudidtofindtheowner."
"RomansaysIalwaysgotoofar,"shesaid,asshewalkedCeceliaoutofherapartmentanddownthe

stairs.

"Sometimesthat'swhatittakestobespecial."
Shelaughed,thinkingspecialwasanicewayofsayingpushy,butshe'dtakeit.
AsshewatchedCeceliawalkdownthestreet,shereallyhopedshe'dcometothedance.
WhatamiracleitwouldbeifCeceliaandVincentcouldfindtheirwaybacktoeachother.Cecelia

wasinterested.Hopefully,Vincentwas,too.

***

TheSweetheart'sDancewasheldintherecreationcenter,buttheusuallyplainauditoriumhadbeen

turnedintoaromantichavenfortheeveningwithpinkstreamers,bouquetsofflowersonhigh-standing
cocktailtables,black-and-whitephotographsoffamousromanticcouplesthroughtheyearsadorningthe
walls,andromanticmusiccomingfromabandonthestage.WhenthepeopleofFairhopewentallinon
aholiday,theywentallin,Romanthought,asheperusedtheroom.

Hedidn'tcarethatmuchaboutthedecorations;hewasfarmoreinterestedinfindingonebeautiful

brunette.

WhenhesawJuliette,hisheartjumpedabeat,andhefeltatightnessinhischest.
Shewasstandinginthebackcorneroftheroomwithadessertbuffetbarsetupinfrontofher.Nextto

hertablewascoffeefromDonavan's,mannedbySaraandDonavan.Allthreewomenworecocktail
dresses,butheonlyhadeyesforJuliette.

Helovedthatshe'dleftherhairdownandlovedevenmoretheshort,dark-red,spaghetti-strapped

dressthathuggedeverybeautifulcurve.Hecouldn'twaittogethishandsonthosecurves.Itwasthemain
reasonhe'dcometothedance.Heknewhe'dhaveanopportunitytodojustthat.Hewasn'tabigfanof
dancing,butifitmeanthecouldholdontoJulietteforawhile,hewasonboard.

Hemadehiswaytohertable,happytoseehergazelightupwhenshesawhim.Hewaitedforherto

handthecoupleinfrontofhimtwochocolate-coveredrosesandthenhesteppedup."How'sitgoing?"

"Wonderful.I'msogladyoucame,Roman."
"Ican'tbelieveyou'rehereandlookingmorerelaxedthanyoushouldbewithyourworkload."
"I'mnotthinkingaboutanyofthatrightnow.Itfeelsgoodtobeawayfromtheovens."
Donavanmovedovertosayhello."Nicetoseeyou,Roman.Youcleanupwell."
"Thankyou.Youladieslookbeautifultonight."
"Wouldyoulikesomecoffee?"Donavanasked.
"No,thanks.I'mgoodfornowoncoffeeanddessert."
"Well,havefun,"Donavansaidasshewenttohelpamiddle-agedcouplewhohadquestionsabout

whetherthecoffeewasactuallydecaf.

"Youdolookhandsomeinthatsuit,"Juliettesaid."I'malittlesurprisedyouownone."
"Don'tgettooexcited.Thisistheonlyone.Iusuallydon'twearitforhappyoccasions."Herfacefell

alittle,andhementallykickedhimselfforbringingdownthemood."Buttonightisdifferent."

"Itisahappyoccasion,"sheagreed."ItwillbeevenbetterifyourgrandfatherandCeceliashowup."
"Imademypitchyesterday."
"SodidI.Ceceliaisstillinlovewithyourgrandfather.Shethinksit'stoolate,butIsayit'snevertoo

late."

Juliettecertainlydidn'thavethewordquitinhervocabulary."Whatelsedidshetellyou?"

"Thewholestory.Herfatherwantedhertomarrysomeoneinhislawfirmthatwouldensurethefuture

ofhisjob,andshedidn'tsayno.Eventually,shecalleditoff,butbythenyourgrandfatherwasengagedto
yourgrandmother.Oh,andshedidtellmethatMarthawasdumpedafterwaitingyearsforherfiancéto
finishmedicalschoolandthenthenexttimeshetookachanceonlove,herfiancédied."

"That'srough.Ialmostfeelsorryforher."
"IthinkitexplainswhyMarthaissuchanunhappyperson."
"Iguesseveryonehasastory,don'tthey?"
"Theydo.Whatdidyourgrandfathersay?"
"Thathehasn'tspokentoCeceliainyears."
"Shesaidthesamething;thatevenwhentheycrosspaths,theyjustlookateachotherandthen

someonelooksaway."

"Wordforword,hetoldmetheexactsamething."
"Sothey'rebothsuperawareofeachother.Wehavetogetthemtogether."
"Weputouttheinvitation.Theyhavetodotherest."Hecouldseetheimpatienceinhereyes."Iknow

youwantthebestforthem,butlovehappensbetweentwopeople—notfour."

Shesmiledatthat."Iknowthat,butwecangivethemalittlepush."
"We'vealreadydonethat."
"Hangononesecond,"shesaid,movingtothetabletohandoutsomemoredesserts.
Asshedidso,hisgazemovedtowardthedoor,andhesawhisgrandfatherwalkintotheroom,along

withhisfriendMax,whowheeledinnexttohim.

AsMaxfellintoconversationwithawoman,Vincentmovedafewfeetaway,hisgazesweepingthe

room.HesawRomanandgavehimashortnod,thencontinuedlookingaroundthehall.

"Yourgrandfatherishere,"Juliettesaidwithexcitement,movingnexttohim."Onedown,onetogo."

Shegrabbedhishand."Wait,there'sCecelia.ShejustcameinwithMartha.Ourplanisworking."

Hesmiled."Calmdown.Nothinghashappenedyet.Theyjustwalkedin."
"Thehardestpartwasgettingthembothhere."
"I'mnotsurethatwasthemostdifficultpart."
"You'reright.Howdowegetthemtotalktoeachother?Maybeyoucouldgooverandgetyour

grandfatherandwalkhimovertoCecelia."

"Yeah,that'snotgoingtohappen,"hesaiddryly."Justgiveitafewminutes."
Shewaitedforaboutthirtyseconds,thensaid,"Ican'tjustdonothing.Watchmytableandhandout

dessertstowhoeverwantsthem.There'snomoneyinvolved.It'sallfree.Youcandoit."

Heknewhecoulddoit;hejustdidn'twantto.ButJuliettewasalreadywalkingaway.Hemoved

behindhertableandalmostimmediatelywasdelugedwithpeoplewantingdesserts.Saragavehimahand
whenhehadtogolookingthroughplasticbinsformorecookies,butotherwisehewasonhisown.

Atonepoint,hesawJuliettetalkingtoCecelia,thenhelosttrackofher.
"What'sthis?"Dougasked,approachingthetablewithanattractiveredhead."You'reworkingdesserts

now,Roman?"

"JustholdingdownthefortforJuliette."
"Sothingsmustbegoingwellthere,"Dougsaid,aknowinggleaminhiseyes.
"Who'syourfriend?"heasked,ignoringDoug'scomment.
"ThisisValerieMarks—RomanPrescott."
"Nicetomeetyou,"shesaid,extendingherhand.
"You,too,"hereplied.
"Valerieisinpublicrelations,"Dougadded."She'sgoingtohelpmewithmycampaign."
"Iamnotjustgoingtohelpyou;I'mgoingtogetyouelected,"Valeriesaidconfidently.
"Soundslikeyou'reset,"Romansaid,thinkingthatDougandValeriemadeagoodmatch.Notthathe

expectedDougtogetseriousaboutawomanrightnow.Hehadonegoalonhismindandthatwasbeing
mayor."WhatcanIgetyou?"

"WewantsomeoftheWishcookies,"Valeriesaid,slippingherarmthroughDoug's.Shegavehima

sidewaysglance."Ialreadyknowwhatmywishis.Whataboutyou?"

"Sameasyours,"Dougsaidwithalaugh."TwoWishcookies,Roman."
Hehandedthemeachacookieonanapkin."Hereyougo.Enjoy."
AsDougandValeriemovedaway,hesawJulietteandCeceliainconversation.Healsosawthathis

grandfatherhadseenCeceliaaswell.Heknewwhatheneededtodoandthatwasnottogethis
grandfathertomove;itwastogetJulietteoutofthepicture.

"Sara,wouldyoumindkeepinganeyeonthetable?"heaskedher.
"Sure,noproblem."
Hemovedacrosstheroomasthebandbegantoplay."Ithinkthisismydance,"hetoldJuliette.
"Oh,but—"
Hecutheroff."Youpromised."
"Yougoandhavefunwiththishandsomeyoungman,"Ceceliasaid.
"Allright.We'lltalklater."
"I'msureofit,"Ceceliasaid.
AshepulledJulietteontothedancefloor,shesaid,"Iwasjustabouttotakeherovertoyour

grandfather,Roman.Hekeptgettingintoconversationwithotherpeople,buthewasfinallyfree."

"Iknow,butItoldyouthatthenextmovehadtobetheirs.Look."Heswungheraroundsoshecould

seehisgrandfatherapproachingCecelia."Iknewhewasn'tgoingovertherewhileyouwerewithher."

"Soyoudidn'twanttodancewithme;youwantedtogetmeoutoftheway."
Helaughed."Ididwanttodancewithyou,andIalsowantedtogetyououtoftheway.Youcansay

thankyou."

"Thankyou,"shesaidwithagrin.
TheyfellsilentastheywatchedVincentsaysomethingtoCecelia.Shemurmuredsomethingback.And

thentheystoppedtalking,buttheireyesneverlefteachother.

"I'msonervous,"Juliettewhisperedtohim.
"Me,too,"headmittedastheyjustswayedtothemusic,theirattentionontheoldercouple.
"Oh,myGod,they'regoingtodance,"Juliettesaid,herarmtighteningaroundhim.
Tohisamazement,VincenttookCecelia'shandandledhertothedancefloor.
"It'sworking,"Julietteadded,excitementinhervoice.
"Ithinkitis,"heagreed.
VincentandCeceliaweren'tdancingparticularlyclose,andtherewastensioninbothoftheirbodies,

butitwasthekindoftensionthatspokeofalingeringattraction.Wasitpossiblethatthesetwocouldfind
theirwaybacktoeachother?Hehadn'tactuallybelievedthatuntilnow.

Hisgrandfathercaughthimlookingandgavehimararesmile,thenhepulledCeceliaalittlecloser.
"Didyouseethat?"Julietteasked.
"Idid.ButIthinkthey'rejustgoingtodance;Idoubtthey'llannounceanengagementwhentheband

stopsplaying."

Shemadeafaceathim."IknowI'mwaytooinvolvedinthis,butitjustmakesmesohappytosee

themtakingtherisk.Thanksforhelpingtogethimhere."

"AsifIcouldresistyou.You'reaforceofnature,JulietteAdams."
"Ijustwantpeopletobehappy."
"Iwantyoutobehappy."
"Iam,but…"
"No,"hegroaned."Nobuts…"

"Ishouldprobablygetbacktomytable."
"Oryoucanleteveryonegettheirowndesserts."Hepulledherupagainsthischest,wrappinghis

armsaroundher."Howdoesthatsound?"

"Likeareallygoodidea,"shesaidwithasoftsigh.
"Thenlet'sdance."
Shewrappedherarmsaroundhisneckastheirbodiesswayedinperfectrhythm.
Theydancedthroughthenextthreesongswithoutathoughttobreakingapart.Butwhenthebandwent

forafastersong,Juliettesuggestedtheytakeabreak.Itwasfinewithhim.Hedidn'twanttodanceas
muchashewantedtoholdher.

Theywalkedbacktothedesserttable,hand-in-hand.
"Everythingisprettymuchgone,"shesaid."JusttwoWishcookiesleft."
"Lookslikeyoumighthavetwotakers,"hesaidashisgrandfatherandCeceliaapproachedthetable.
"Hello,Roman,"Ceceliasaidinhersweetvoice.
"Nicetoseeyou,"hesaid.
"Wewantedtothankyou,"Ceceliaadded,hergazeencompassingJuliette."Bothofyou.You

encouragedustocomehere,and,well,it'sbeenverynice."ShelookedatVincentwithherheartinher
eyes."Ican'tbelievewehaven'tspokenalltheseyears."

"Ididn'tknowyouwantedto,"hesaidgruffly.
"AndIdidn'tknowyouwantedto.Whatapairofoldfoolsarewe."
Vincenttookherhand."We'regoingtokeeptalking."
"Wewill,"shepromised."Anyway,wewantedtosaygoodnight,"sheadded,turningbacktothem.
"Goodnight,"Romansaid.
"We'rereallyhappyforyou,"Julietteputin."IhavetwoofmyWishcookiesleft.Wouldyoulike

them?"

Ceceliashookherhead."Ialreadygotmywish."
VincentsmiledatCecelia."SodidI."
Andwiththat,thetwoofthemwalkedaway.
"ThatwasthemostromanticthingI'veeverheard,"Juliettesaid,dabbingathereyes.
"Itwasn'tbad,"hesaid,notwillingtoadmithischesthadtightenedatthelookofloveinhis

grandfather'seyes.

"Itwasbetterthannotbad.Youhavequitethegiftforunderstatement,Roman."
"True.Soareyouhappynowthatyougotthemtogether?"
"Iam.But—"
"Anotherbut?"
"Icouldbehappierifyoudancedwithmeagain."
"You'vegotit."

***

"Idon'twantthisnighttoend,"JuliettesaidasshewalkedouttohercarwithRoman.Mostpeople

hadleftthedancealready.Itwasalmostmidnight,butshe'dbeenreluctanttocallitanightuntiltheband
hadpackeduptheirinstrumentsandthey'dbeenforcedoutofthehall.

Romansmiledather."Doesithavetoend?Justbecausethedanceisoverdoesn'tmeanwehavetogo

home."Hisfingerrandownthesideofherface."Wecouldtakeawalk,getcoffeesomewhere,gobackto
oneofourplaces…"

Shewastemptedtosayyestoanyandallsuggestions,buttherewasalogicalpartofherbrainthat

wasscreamingcaution."It'stoocoldtowalk,noplacestillopentogetcoffee,andIhavetogotoworkin

likefourhours."

"Timingiseverything,"hedrawled."I'llsaygoodnightthen."
Sheputherarmsaroundhisneckandpulledhisheaddownforakiss.Hislipswerehotinthecold

nightair,andherheadspunfromtherushofdesireshefeltforhim.KissingRomanwaslikequicksand.
Everytouchofhismouthtookherdeeper.Shewasnevergoingtogetout,butthenagain,shedidn'treally
wantto,notaslongashestayedwithher.

Buthewouldn'tbewithher…notforever.
Thethoughtgaveherstrengthtopushhimaway.
Hestareddownatherwithaseriousgleaminhisglitteringeyes."Juliette,wehaveafewhoursuntil

morning."

Hernervestingledatthepromiseinhiseyes."I—Ican't,"shesaid."It'snotthatIdon'twantto,

Roman.Butmyworkissobusyandyourlifeisupintheair."

"Iknow,"hesaid,ahuskynoteinhisvoice."Ishouldgettobed,too.Iwanttogetagoodworkoutin

tomorrowbeforemyfitnesstestsonMonday."

"Fitnesstests?Ithoughtitwasaphysical."
"It'sboth.I'mflyingtoSouthCarolina,tothebaseatParrisIsland,tomorrownight.Thetestswillstart

aroundteninthemorningonMonday.I'llbedonebythreeandbebackherearoundteno'clockMonday
night."

"Ididn'trealizeyouhadtogosomewhereelseforthetests.Whatdotheymakeyoudo?"
"Everythingfromrunningtopull-ups,agilityanddexteritytests,rifleskills.Thelistgoeson."
"Doyoufeelready?"
"Foreverythingbuttheresults,"hesaidsoberly.
"I'msureyou'lldogreat.Willyouletmeknowhowitgoes?"
"Yes,butIwon'tknowanythingofficialMonday.Itwillprobablytakeafewdays."
"Maybeyou'llhaveabetteridea,though."
"Maybe."
Themoodhaddefinitelychangedwiththeturnintheirconversation.
Shetookherkeysoutofherbag."IfIdon'ttalktoyoubeforeMonday,goodluck.Ireallydomean

that."Hervoicecaughtalittleasawaveofemotionsranthroughher."Iwantyoutohaveeverythingyou
want."

"Iknow,"hesaid,meetinghergaze."Iwantthesameforyou."
Shewishedwhattheybothwantedwasthesamething,butitdidn'tappearthatitwas.Shegavehima

waterysmile."I'lltalktoyoulater."

"Don'tworktoohard."Heshutthedoorbehindherandthenstoodtherewithhishandsinhispockets

asshedroveaway.

Shedidn'ttakehereyesofftherearviewmirroruntilshehadtoturnthecorner.
Shehadtofighttheurgetoturnaroundandgobacktohim—takewhatevertimetheyhadleftandenjoy

everysecond.Butshewasafraidtomakeherselfevenmorevulnerabletotheheartbreakshesawcoming.

Shedidn'twanthimtogobacktotheMarines.Shedidn'twanthimtoleaveFairhope,butitwasn'ther

call.Itwasuptohimtogoortostay.

Shehatedfeelingpowerless.Itremindedherofwhenherparentsdied,whenheraunthadtakenherto

NewYork,whennothinginherlifehadbeenunderhercontrol.

WasshereallygoingtogiveallthepowertoRoman?
Shewasstillthinkingaboutthatwhensheenteredherapartment.

Fifteen

ThelasttimeRomanhadmadethetripfromFairhopetotheMarinebaseatParrisIsland,South

Carolina,he'dbeeneighteenyearsoldandanewrecruit,notatallreadyfortheworldthatawaitedhim.

Backthen,he'darrivedlateatnight,andhadbeenimmediatelythrustintoawhirlwindofevents.He'd

gonethroughprocessing,gottenahaircut,receivedhisuniformandgear,andundergoneamedical
evaluationandastrengthtest.ThenitwasontomeetinghisdrillinstructorsandlearningabouttheMarine
Corps,beforemovingontoagruelingcampthattestedhimphysically,mentally,andemotionally.

AshewalkedunderthesignthatsaidWeMakeMarines,hefeltlikehe'dcomefullcircle.
Watchingthenewrecruitsrunby,hewasstunnedbyhowyoungtheylooked.Hewasonlythirty-one,

buthefeltlikeanoldmanincomparison.Theseboyswouldbecomemenveryquickly,though.Heknew
whatwaswaitingforthem.Healsoknewnotallofthemwouldbeabletohandlethepressure.They
thoughttheycouldnow,becausetheyknewnothingofwhattheywouldseewhentheyweredeployedto
fight,tobethefirstbootsontheground,tofacefearsotherscouldonlyimagine.Buttheywouldfindout.
Andtheywouldbewell-trained.

Itreallydidseemlikealongtimeagothathehadbeenthatyoung.Buttodaywasn'tabouthispastbut

ratherhisfuture.Whenthegroupofrunnerspassed,hecontinuedontothefitnesscenter,wherehe'dbegin
hisdayoftesting.

Itfeltstrangetoseeuniformsagain,tosalute,tobebackintheCorps.Thishadbeenhisworldfor

thirteenyears,andhe'dlovedbeingpartofit.He'dneverthoughthewouldleave,buthavingbeenforced
tobeoutofitthepastfewmonths,hehadtoadmitthathisperspectivehadstartedtochange.He'dseen
anotherworld,onehemightlikejustasmuch,andthatlifeincludedawomanhedidn'twanttolose.

Buthealsodidn'twanttolosehiscareer.Wouldhehavetochoose?
Thatquestionhadbeenworryinghimalmostasmuchaswhetherornothewouldbefitenoughtohave

achoice.

Onlyonewaytofindout.
Hejoggedupthesteps,thenpausedasthedoortothecenteropened,andamaninuniformcameout.

Thesquare-faced,hard-jawed,baldmanwasveryfamiliar.SergeantJerryWoods,hisfirstdrill
instructor,hadbeenbothhisheroandhistormentor.Hecouldn'tbelievehewasstillhere,stilltraining
recruits.

Ashesaluted,herealizedthesergeantwasnowamajor.
MajorWoodsstoppedandgavehimahardlook."RomanPrescott?"
"Goodmemory.Congratulationsonthepromotion,sir.It'sgoodtoseeyouagain."
"Thankyou.Whatareyoudoinghere?"
"I'mtryingtogetmyjobback.I'vebeenonmedicalleaveforafewmonths.I'mhereforan

evaluation."

"Right,"hesaidwithanod."Iheardwhathappenedtoyourunit.Iwasproudtohearhowyouhandled

yourself,howyouprotectedyourfellowsoldiers.Iwasn'tsurprised,though.Icanpickwinnersfromthe
firstdayofbootcamp."

He'dneverguessedthathisdrillinstructorhadthoughthewasawinner,especiallynotduringthose

firstweeks."Iappreciateyousayingthatnow.Ididn'tthinkthatwasyouropinionbackthen."

Themajorcrackedasmile."Iliketogivemyrecruitssomethingtostrivefor."
"Youalwaysdidthat."

"Goodlucktoday.RememberwhatIalwaystoldyou—"
"Youcandomorethanyoueverthoughtyoucould,"hefinished.
"Don'tforgetit."
"Iwon't."Asthemajorleft,hemovedintothefitnesscenterandsignedinforhisscheduledtests.
HefeltchargedupafterseeingMajorWoods.Themanhadalwaysinspiredhimtodobetter.

Hopefully,thatwouldbethecasetoday.

Forthenextseveralhours,hewasputthroughaseriesofgruelingtestsandthenathoroughmedical

evaluation.Whenhewasdone,hehadjustenoughtimetograbhisbagfromthemotelwherehe'dspent
thenightandheadtotheairport.Whilehewaswaitingtoboardhisplane,hecalledJuliette,eagertohear
hervoice.Unfortunately,hiscallwenttovoicemail.

Hefeltincrediblydisappointed.Itfeltlikeforeversincehe'dlastspokentoher,butshewasprobably

uptoherelbowsinflourandsugar.

Heleftabriefmessage."It'sRoman.I'mgettingonaplaneinafewminutes.Callmebackifyouhave

time.Everythingwentwell,"hesaid,thenhungup,feelingfrustratedthattheyhadn'tconnected.

She'dbeenonhismindallday,throughthethree-milerun,thestomachcrunches,thepush-upsand

pull-ups,throughthehearingandvisiontests,evenattheriflerange,whichwasnotagoodplacetohave
awomaninyourhead.

Heputhisphonebackinhispocketandstretchedouthislegs,feelingawearyacheinhismuscles.

He'dpushedhimselftothelimittoday.He'ddoneeverythinghecould.Nowitwasuptothemedical
evaluationboard,andhehadnoideawhatwouldhappen.

Heknewmostofhisresultsweregood,butthehearingwasstillanissue.Hedidn'tknowhowbadit

was,becausethelabtechrunningthetesthadbeennon-committal.Therehadalsobeensomelimittothe
rangeofmotioninhisshoulder.WeretheproblemsenoughtokickhimoutoftheCorpsorattheveryleast
gethimreassigned?

Hereallywishedheknew.Hewastiredofwaiting,tiredofwondering.
Ontheotherhand,hewasn'tquitereadytohearthefinaldecision.Becausethenhe'dhavetodealwith

reality,arealitythatmighttakehimawayfromawomanwho'dbecomeveryimportanttohim,awoman
whowantednothingmorethantoputdownthedeepestrootspossibleinthetownshe'dbeenbornin.She
wasn'tgoingtowanttofollowamanaroundtheworld.Sheneededtheroots,thecommunity,tobehappy.
She'dleftNewYorktogetthem,andshewaswellonherwaytohergoals.Hecouldn'taskhertochange
thosegoalsforhim.

Couldhe?

***

Damn.She'dmissedRoman'scall.Checkingtheclock,Juliettesawithadcomeinfifteenminutes

earlier.Maybehewasstillwaitingtoboardhisplane.Shewipedherhandsandcalledhimback.

"Hello?"hesaid.
"It'sme.Iwasn'tsureifyou'dgottenontheplaneyet."
"I'vegotaboutfiveminutes."
Thatwasnowherenearlongenoughforeverythingshewantedtosaytohim,butshe'dtakeit."How

diditgo?"

"Itwentwell.Ipassedallthecombat-readytests.It'sdowntothephysicallimitations.Therewas

someimprovementsincemylastmedicalevaluation.Willitbeenough?Ihavenoidea."

Hesoundedabitdown,eventhoughhe'djustsaideverythinghadgonegreat."Well,youdid

everythingyoucoulddo.Whenwillyoufindout?"

"Soon.Italkedtothecommanderofmyunit,andhesaidthere'ssomethingcomingupthey'dliketouse

mefor,ifIgetcleared.Hewasgoingtoseewhathecouldfindout."

Theideaofhimleavingsoonmadeherfeelweak,andshepulledoverastoolandsatdown."Where

wouldyougo?"

"Ihonestlydon'tknowanythingmorethanthat."
"Doyoufeelreadytoreturn?"
Hedidn'tanswerherquestionrightaway,thensaid,"IwouldbereadyifIneededtobe."Hepaused.

"Howarethingsgoingwithyou?Areyoubakingrightnow?"

"Iam.Ijustfinishedtheweddingcake.Itlooksamazing.They'repickingitupinthemorning,soI'm

relievedtohavethatdone.ButIstillhaveadozenmoreorderstofillbeforetomorrowafternoon."

"You'renotgoingtosleep,areyou?"
"Doesputtingmyheaddownonthetablecount?"
"No.Youshouldtakealittlebreak,justsoyoudon'taccidentallypourrumintoacarrotcake."
"Hmm,that'snotabadideaforacombination."
Helaughed."Iwasn'ttryingtogiveyouideas."
"Iknow,andIammakingsuretobecareful,becauseIdorealizethatI'mworkingonalotofcaffeine

andnotmuchelse.ButValentine'sDayistomorrow.Iwantittobeperfectforeveryone.Oh,hey,didyou
talktoyourgrandfather?"

"No,why?"heaskedwarily.
"HeandCeceliaarehavingdinnertogethertomorrownightathishouse,andheaskedmetomake

themacake.Isn'tthatamazing?"

"Ican'tbelieveyoutookanotherorderforacake."
"Didn'tyouhearme?It'snotaboutthecake;it'saboutyourgrandfatherandCecelia."
"Iheardyou.I'mgladthey'restilltalking."
"Hesoundedhappywhenhespoketome,likereallyhappy.Wouldn'titbeincredibleiftheygot

togetherafterallthistime?"

"Itlookslikethey'reheadinginthatdirection.IhopeMarthadoesn'tgetintheway."
"SodoI.Shecouldruinthings.Ontheotherhand,Idon'tthinkCeceliawillletanyonestopherifshe

decidestogoforitthistime."

"Whattimeisthedinner?"
"Theysaidthey'remeetingaboutseventhirty,soItoldhimI'dbringthecakebyateight-thirty.He'llbe

mylastdelivery."

"Youreallyneedtogetsomehelp."
"Aftertomorrowisover,Iamgoingtolookintothat."Silencefellbetweenthem.Thereweresomany

thingsshewantedtosaybutinlightofalltheuncertainty,shedidn'tknowifsheshouldsaythem.
Unfortunately,sheseemedtohavelittlerestraintwhenitcametoRoman."Imissedyoutoday."

"Rightbackatyou,"hesaid,atendernoteinhisvoice."IguessI'llseeyoutomorrowafterallthe

crazybakingisdone."

"Ican'twait,"shemurmured."Haveasafeflight."
"Don'tfallasleepinthecakebatter."
"I'lltrynotto."Assheendedthecall,shefoundherselfsmilingandfeelingalotlesswearythanshe

hadafewminutesearlier.Shecoulddothis.Shecouldgetthroughthenightandthedayandthenshe'dsee
Romanagain.Shedidn'twanttothinkpastthatmoment.Fornow,itwasenough.

***

JuliettewasstandinginthekitchenofRoman'sgrandfather'shouse,pullinghiscakeoutofitsboxon

Tuesdaynight,whenRomanenteredthroughthebackdoor.

Herheartjumpedwiththesightofhishandsomefaceandshealmostdroppedthecake.Thatwould

havebeenadisaster.Shecarefullyputitonthecounter,thenturnedtolookathim.

Hewascloserthanshe'dthought,slippinghisarmsaroundherwaist,loweringhisheadtokissher

hello.Itwasalong,tenderkiss,filledwithpromise—atleastshehopedthatwaspromiseandnotjust
wishfulthinking.

"You'restillalive,"heteased,asheliftedhisheadtogiveherasmile.
"Iam.Imadeitthroughtheday.WhoknewValentine'sDaywouldbesoharrowing?Thisismylast

delivery."

"How'sitgoingwithmygrandfather?"
"Let'stakeapeek,"shesaid,leadingthewayintothehall.Theycreptquietlytowardthediningroom,

thenpausedsotheywouldn'tbeseen.

VincentandCeceliasatclosetogetheratoneendofthetable,whichwaslitwithcandlesand

decoratedwithflowers.

"Wow,didhedoallthat?"Romanmuttered.
"It'sbeautiful.Iwonderifhecooked.Therearen'tanydishesinthesink."
"Heprobablyorderedout."Hepaused."Helookslikeateenagerinlove."
"Cecelialooksyoung,too.Theyfoundtheirwaybacktoeachother.Istillcan'tquitebelieveit."
"You'retheonewhomadeithappen,"heremindedherastheymadetheirwayquietlybacktothe

kitchen.

"Andyou,"shesaid."I'mjustgladourmeddlinghadagoodresult."
"Me,too.Wemakegoodpartnersincrime."
"Idon'tknowifwe'llrobanybankstogether,butIgetyourpoint."
Hesmiled."Ihaveafeelingyoucouldtalkmeintoanything."
Andshehadafeelingthattheonethingshecouldn'ttalkhimintowaswhatshewantedmost.That

thoughtwasdepressing,andshewassuddenlyovercomewithexhaustion.She'dbeenrunningon
adrenalinefortoomanydays,andshedidn'tthinkshecouldhandleanemotionalconversationrightnow.

"Ishouldgo,"shesaidabruptly."Youcanservethemthecakeinafewminutes."
"Don'tyouwanttodothat?"heaskedinsurprise."It'syourdessert."
"It'stheirsnow.I'llleaveittoyou."
Hefollowedheroutofthehouse."Juliette,wait.Whyareyourushingaway?"
"Because,"shesaidwithahelplessshrug."Ican'ttalktoyourightnow."
"Whynot?"
"Idon'twantyoutotellmethatyou'releaving.AndIknowyouwill.Maybenottonight,ortomorrow,

butsoon.WhenI'mnotsotired,I'llbeabletohandleitbetter.I'llwishyouwellandoffertothrowyoua
good-byepartyandpretendeverythingisgreat."Hervoicecaught,andshehadtoblinkbackasudden
wellingoftearsbehindhereyes.

"Hey,"hesaidsoftly,takingherhand."Nothingisdecided."
"Isn'tit,Roman?You'reingoodshape.You'llgobacktotheMarines.Maybeitwon'tbeyourexact

job,butitwillbesomething.Iwantthatforyou,becauseyouwantit.You'reasoldier.That'syourlife.I
justneedalittletimeto…Idon'tknow…sleep."Shepulledherhandawayfromhis."HappyValentine's
Day.I'llseeyouaround."

Shewalkedquicklytohercar,hopinghewouldn'tfollow.Shedidn'twanttocryinfrontofhim.

***

AsJuliettepulledoutofthedriveway,hefelttornbetweengoingafterherandlettingherhavethe

spaceshe'daskedfor.

He'dseentheemotioninhereyesandknewshewasbarelyholdingittogether,andhe'dhatedtosee

hersovulnerable.He'dwantedtoreassureherthatwhateverwasbetweenthemwasn'tending,buthe
didn'twanttolietoher.

Hedidn'tknowwhatwasgoingtohappenwithhisjob,wherehe'dbeaweekfromnoworamonthor

ayear.Theuncertaintyhadalwaysbeenokaywithhimbefore.He'dneverhadanyonetoworryabout
excepthimself.

Stillponderingthebestmove,hewentbackintothehouse.He'djustenteredthekitchenwhenhis

grandfatherandCeceliawalkedin.

"Roman,"hisgrandfathersaidwithsurprise."Iheardsomeoneinhere;IthoughtitwasJuliette."
"Shejustleft.Iwassupposedtobringyouthedessert,butyoubeatmetoit."
"Oh,thecakelookslovely,"Ceceliasaid,eyingJuliette'slatestmasterpieceofchocolateand

strawberries."Sheissotalented.Andchocolateandstrawberriesaremyfavoritecombination."Cecelia
turnedtoVincent."Yourememberedthat?"

"Wedippedstrawberriesinchocolateonourseconddate,"hesaid."I'veneverforgottenthelookof

joyonyourface."

"Ican'tbelieveyourememberthat,"Ceceliasaidinwonder.
"Irememberalotofothertimes,too,"hetoldher.
"SodoI,"shereplied.
Ashisgrandfatherandhisloveexchangedapoignantlook,Romanfeltverymuchlikeathirdwheel.

Heclearedhisthroat."I'mgoingtogetoutofyourwayandletyouenjoyyournight."

"Youcanstayandhavecakewithus,"Ceceliasuggested.
"No,hecan't,"Vincentsaid,shakinghishead.
Romanlaughed."Ireallycan't."Thelastthinghewantedtodowascramphisgrandfather'sstyle.
"Youdon'thaveadatetonightwithJuliette?"Ceceliaasked,givinghimaspeculativelook.
"She'sabouttocollapsefromallthebaking."
"Oh,I'msurethat'strue.ButIbetshe'dstillliketospendsometimewithyou."
"Sheactuallytoldmeshewantedtogohomeandsleep,"hesaid."Anyway,youtwohavefun."
"TellJuliettethankyou,"Ceceliasaid."Notjustforthecake,butforeverything.Whenyouseeher,"

sheaddedwithamischievoussmile.

"Iwilldothat.WhenIseeher,"heechoed.
"Makethatsoon,"Vincenttoldhim."Don'tletprideorfearordoubtskeepyouapart.Youdon'twant

towaittoolongtobewiththeoneyoulove.Sometimesyoudon'tgetasecondchance."

"Ithinkthat'swhatIsaidtoyou."
"Oh,there'sonemorething."Vincentwalkedacrosstheroomandpickedupanenvelopefromthe

counter."IleftthisforJuliette,butIguessshedidn'tseeit.Canyougiveittoher?"

"Whatisit?"
"You'llfindoutwhensheopensit,"hisgrandfathersaidwithasmile.
"Allright."Hefiguredtheenvelopegavehimanotherreasontogotohernow.
She'dtoldhimshedidn'twanttotalktohimtonight,buthecouldn'twaituntiltomorrow.Maybehe

couldn'tpromisethefuture,buthecouldatleasttellherhowhefelt.

***

Thekitchenofherbakerylookedlikeadisasterzone.Thepotsandpanswerepiledhighinthesinks.

Oneveryavailablesurfaceshesawremnantsofhermadbakingmarathonofthepasttwenty-fourhours
withflour,sugar,cinnamon,excessdough,miscellaneousfruits,chocolates,andjamsallwaitingtobe
cleanedup.

Juliettesighedasshelookedatthemess.Shereallywantedtoturnoffthelightsandgoupstairs,but

shewastooconscientiousforthat.

EventhoughValentine'sDaywasover,thebakerywouldbeopentomorrow,andwhilethey'dbe

puttingoutdessertsthatwerealreadybaked,shewouldstillneedtothrowafewbreadloavesfromthe
refrigeratorintotheovensinthemorningandmakesomebatchesofchocolatechipandoatmealraisin
cookies,whichwouldbebackinpopularitynowthattheWishcookiesweredone.

Thosecookieshaddonethetrickforatleastafewpeople,shethoughtwithasmile,asshestartedto

wipedownthecounter.SeveralpeoplehadtoldheryesterdaythattheyweresuretheirValentine'sDay
plansweretheresultofthecookies.Shewashappytobeapartofthetraditionherfatherhadstarted.But
shewasalsoeagertoputitbehindheruntilnextyear.

ShewasalittleoverwhelmedbyherownturbulentemotionsaboutRomanandallthecouplesfalling

inlovearoundher.SeeingVincentandCeceliatogetherhadmadeherheartachewithhappinessforthem,
butshealsocouldn'thelpthinkingaboutalltheyearsthey'dlost.

She'dalwaysthoughtlovewaseasy,thatwhenitwasright,everythingworkedout.That'sthewayher

parents'relationshiphadlookedtoher.Ofcourse,shehadnorealideawhatthey'dgonethrough.She'd
beenachild,watchingthetwopeoplesheadored.Hadtheyfought?Hadtheircourtshipbeenmore
complicatedthanshe'dheard?Hadtheyeverwonderediftheycouldgothedistance?Wouldtheyhave
madeitforty,fifty,sixtyyearstogetherifthey'dlived?

She'dneverknow,butthey'dbehappyforeverinhermind,andmaybethatwasallthatmattered.
Thebakerybellpealed,andshejumped.
ItwasprobablyRoman.
Apartofherwantedtostayinthebackandhopehejustwentaway,butasthebellrangagain,she

didn'tthinkhewasgoingtoleave.

Shewalkedouttothefrontandopenedthedoor."Roman,it'slate,andItoldyouIdidn'twanttotalk."
"ButIdo."Hepushedpastherandwalkedthroughthestoreandintothekitchen.Whenhesawthe

stateoftheroom,hehadoneword."Wow."

"IusuallycleanasIgo,butnottoday,"shesaiddefensively,pushingastrandofhairoffherface.

"Nowdoyouseewhyit'snotagoodtimetohaveaconversation?TheflipsideofaromanticValentine's
Dayisamesslikethis."

Hegaveherasmilethatwarmedherupdespiteherbestefforttokeephimatarm'sdistance."I'llhelp

youcleanup."Hetookoffhisjacketandhungitonahook.

"Youdon'tneedtodothat."
"ButI'mgoingto."Herolleduphissleevesandwentovertothesinks.
"Youdidn'tcomeoverheretowashdishes."
"No,Icameovertoseeyou.Ihaveafewthingstosay,buttheycanwait."
"Maybeyoushouldjustsaythemandgo."
Heturnedonthewater."OryoucangoupstairsandliedownwhileItakecareofthis."
Shecouldn'tbelievehewasofferingtocleanupthekitchen."Ican'tletyoudothat."
"You'renotlettingme,"hetoldher,givingherapurposefullook."I'mdoingit.Sostandandwatchor

goupstairsandrelax—yourchoice."

"Ihaveanotherchoice,"shesaid."I'llhelpyou.Itwillgofaster."
Whilehewashedthebiggerpansandloadedthesmalleritemsintothedishwasher,sheputingredients

away,wipeddownthecountersandtookoutthetrash.

Whenshecameinfromthebackalley,shefoundherselfsmilingatthesightofRomaninsoapy

dishwateruptohiselbows.Ifthetruthweretold,he'dneverlookedsexierthanhedidrightnow.

"What?"heasked,givingheraspeculativelook.
"Justthinkinghowhotyoulookrightnow."

"Yeah,sure,"hesaidwithalaugh.
"It'strue.Youcontinuetosurpriseme.I'veneverhadanyoneoffertocleanupmykitchenbefore."
"Thenyou'vebeenhangingoutwiththewrongpeople."
Hesetthelastdishinthedryingrackandwipedhishandsonatowel."Ifyouhadn'tbeenworking

tonight,IwouldhavelikedtotakeyououtforValentine'sDay."

"Whatwouldwehavedone?What'syourideaofaromanticevening?"
"Well,foryouIwouldhaveskippedthedesserts,becausenothingcomparestowhatyoumake,andI

wouldn'thavewantedyoutodoanyworkforourdate."

"So,thenwhat…"
Hetiltedhishead."Iwouldhavetakenyoudowntothewater,rentedaboat—maybeDoug'sbig

yacht,ifhewasn'tusingit—andwecouldhavesailedacrossthebay."Hepaused."Doyoulikeboats?"

"Ilovethem.Thatwouldhavebeenfun,Roman."Shefeltalittlesadthatshe'dmissedoutonthat.
"Itwouldn'thavematteredwhatwedid,aslongasweweretogether,"hesaidquietly.
"You'reright."Aknotgrewinherthroat."Ilikeeverythingwedotogether,includingthis."
Asmilecurvedhislips."WhoknewallIhadtodowereafewdishestowarmyourheart?"
"Youwarmedmyheartfromthebeginning—well,maybenottheverybeginning,"sheamended.
"Youdidnotlikemetearingdownyourhouse,"hesaid."Butweseemtohavegottenpastthat."
"Well,itwasn'tyouridea;youwerejusthelpingyourgrandfather.HowcouldIblameyouforthat?"
Hesteppedforward,takingherhandsinhis."ItoldyouIcameoverheretotalktoyou."
"AndIstillthinkweshouldsaveanymoreconversationfortomorroworthenextdayormaybealong

timefromnow."

"Idon'twanttoendthis,Juliette."
"Really?"Hopesparkedwithinher.
"Really.Look,Idon'tknowwhat'sgoingtohappen,butIthinkweshouldworkitouttogether."
"Together?"sheechoed."Howcanwe?It'syourchoicewhatyoudowithyourcareer,notmine.I

won'taskyoutogiveuptheMarinesforme.Iwon'taskyoutostayinFairhope.Itwouldn'tbefair.You
arewhoyouare,andyouhavetodowhatmakesyouhappy."

"Areyoudone?"
"Forthemoment."
Hesqueezedherfingers."YesterdaywhenIwastakingallthosetests,youwererighttherewithme.

Youwererunning,doingpush-ups,pull-ups—everything."

"Wow,I'mveryactiveinyourthoughts,"shesaidlightly.
Hegrinned."Yes,youare.ButmypointisthatIcouldn'tstopthinkingaboutyou.Atfirst,whenI

walkedontothebase,IthoughtthisiswhereIbelong.ThisiswhereIfeelcomfortable,whereIknow
whoIam,butattheendoftheday,allIwantedtodowasseeyouagain.WhenIcalledyouonthephone
fromtheairport,andyoudidn'tanswer,Icouldn'tbelievehowdisappointedIwas.Ihadneverfeltlike
thatbefore."

"Ididcallyouback."
"Andmademeveryhappy."
"Sowhatdowedo?Waitandseewhathappens?Asyouknow,I'mnotverypatientwithinaction."
"MyguttellsmethatI'mnotgoingtobeclearedtogobacktomyoldjob.Theyneedmeoperatingat

onehundredpercent,andIstillhavelimitations.Thatmeansareassignment,orImightbeableto
terminatemycontractearly."

Shedrewinabreathathiswords,notwantingtoletherselfbelievehemightactuallystay."Youmight

stillgettoahundredpercent,Roman."

"OrImightfindthatbeingacontractorinasmallcoastaltowniswhereIbelongnow."
"Doyouthinkyou'dlikethat?"

"Fairhopehasgrownonme.Mygrandfatherishere.Butthereallureisyou.Thisiswhereyouwant

tobe—whereyou'vefoundhappiness.AndI'mnottalkingaboutthepastanymore.You'rebuildingalife
foryourself."

"Ithasroomforyouinit."
"Good,becauseI'mfallinginlovewithyou.SinceImetyou,youhavechangedmylife.Youhave

pushedmetogetinvolved,tocareaboutstrangers,tomakeupwithmyfriends,todobetter.Andyou've
broughtthelightback.MyonlyconcernisthatI'llbringyoudown."

"Youwon'tdothat.Youpushme,too,Roman.Youmakemethinkaboutthingslonger,andyoucallme

outwhenI'mlyingtomyself."

"I'mgladyouthinkthat'sagoodthing."
"I'veneverfeltlikemyrealselfwithamanbefore.Youseeme—therealme—andthatfeelsgood."
"Itgoesbothways."Hepaused."BeforeIstartkissingyou—which,bytheway,isgoingtohappen

reallysoon—mygrandfatheraskedmetogiveyousomething."

Hewalkedovertohisjacket,pulledoutanenvelopeandbroughtitbacktoher.
"What'sthis?"sheasked.
"HesaidI'dfindoutwhenyoudid."
Sheopenedtheenvelopeandpulledouttwopiecesofpaperandstaredattheminshock."Oh,my

goodness.It'sadeed,Roman.It'sadeedtomyoldhouse."

"Seriously?"
"Andanotefromyourgrandfather."
"Whatdoeshesay?"
Shereadthenotealoud:Juliette,IboughtthehousetofeelconnectedtothewomanIonceloved,

butyougaveherbacktome.AndnowI'mgivingyoubackthehouseyoulovesomuch.Iwilltransfer
thisdeedintoyourname.I'llsellthehousetoyouforwhatIboughtitfor.Ifyouneedaloan,I'll
financeoneforyou.I'llfinishtheremodel,butyou'llhavefullsayoverwhatyouwantdonefromhere
onout.ThankyouagainforbringingCeceliabacktome.

"Icannotbelievehe'sgoingtogiveyouthehouseandincludetheremodelinthesamepricehepaid

forit,"Romansaid.

"It'stoogenerous."
"Well,it'swhathewantstodo.You'renotgoingtotrytogiveitbacktohim,Ihope.Becausehe'sa

stubbornman."

"AndI'mastubbornwoman."
"Don'tIknowit,butmygrandfatherwillstillbeatoughfight."
Shesetthepapersdownonthecounter."Thetruthis,Roman,Idon'twantthehouseanymore."
Heraisedaneyebrow."Ican'tbelievethat."
"It'strue.It'snotthehousethatwillmakemehappy.Iknowthatnow.It'syou,andmybusiness,and

thistownthatbringmejoy.WhenI'mreadytomovesomewhere,Iwanttostartfreshinaplacethat'sall
mine,that'sgoingtotellthenextpartofmystory...andmaybeyours."Shetookabreath."Andeventhough
Iwouldlovetostayhere,iftheMarinestakeyouaway,youmightfindmestowingawayinyour
backpack."

"Iwouldlikethat."
"AndIlikethatyouwanttoincludemeinthedecisions,soIwanttodothesame.Iwanttogiveusa

chancetofindoutwherethislovetakesus."

"Me,too."
Sheletoutabreath."Thisisallmovingsofast.Afewminutesago,Ithoughtyouwereleaving,andI

didn'tknowhowIwasgoingtosaygood-bye.Nowyoumightstay,andI'mhopingI'mnotdeliriously
tiredandthisisalladream."

"It'snotadream.It'svery,veryreal."
Shelaughed."Ican'tbelieveit.IfinallyfoundmyRomeo."
"Andifyoucallmethat,I'llhaveto…"
"Havetowhat?"sheteased.
"Kissyousenseless."
"Inthatcase,Romeo,Romeo,Rom—"
Hecutoffherwordsashemadegoodonhisthreat,kissingherlongandhard,withpassionand

tendernessandlove.Heliftedhisheadandsmiledather."Youknowwhat'sfunny?"

"What?"
"IneverateoneofyourWishcookies,butIgotmywishanyway."
"Well,it'stoolatenow.They'reallgone.Themagicisoveruntilnextyear."
"Themagicwasneverinthecookies,Juliette;itwasinyou.You'vechangedpeople'slivesinthis

town:Cameron,Donna,Travis,Cecelia,mygrandfather,Doug,me—probablyevenMartha."

"I'mnotsosureaboutthat,butthere'sstilltime."
"Foreverythingwewant,"heagreed.
"Everythingisreallyjustyou,"sheconfessed.
"Andyou,"hewhispered."Let'sgoupstairsandgetyoutobed…"

###

Author'sNote:IhopeyouhadfunwatchingJulietteandRomanfallinlovein

SWEETSOMETHINGS

andthatyouenjoyedyourtimeinFairhope.Ihadagreattimewritingthisbook.Itisactuallypartofa
collaborativeproject.Iwasapproachedbythecreatorsofamoviecalled

COFFEESHOP

towritea

bookintheirworld.Ithoughthowfunitwouldbetohavecharacterscrossoverbetweenamovieanda
book.Thebookandmoviearecompletelyseparateandindependentstories,butsomefamiliarcharacters
doappearinboth.Inthemovie

COFFEESHOP

,you'llgettoseeDonavan'sstory.Click

here

formore

informationonwheretogetthemovie.

Keepreadingforanexcerptfrom

ONANIGHTLIKETHIS

,thefirstbookinmyNewYorkTimes

BestsellingSeries:TheCallaways!

Ifyou'dliketoreadsomeofmyotherbooks,followingtheexcerptisacompletebooklist.Youcanalso
findmoreinformationatmywebsite:

barbarafreethy.com

.Inaddition,youcanfollowmeonFacebookat

facebook.com/barbarafreethybooks

.Don'twanttomissoutonanyofmynewreleases?Signupformy

newsalerts

here

ExcerptfromONANIGHTLIKETHIS

(Callaways#1)

AllRightsReserved

ChapterOne

Asateenager,seeingherfather’scarinthedrivewaywhenshecamehomefromschoolhadalways

madeSaraDavidsonuneasy.Shewouldsteelherselffortheeveningtocome,neverquitesurewhyshe
feltafraid.StephenDavidsonhadneverphysicallyabusedher,buthehadbeendemanding,andhiswords
cutlikeaknife.Itwasn’talwayswhathesaidthatwastheworstpart;itwastherejectioninhisgaze,and
thecoldquietthatusuallyfollowedhisdisappointmentinher.

Itwouldbedifferentnow,Saratoldherselfasshegotoutofherrentalcar.Shewastwenty-nineyears

old,asuccessfullawyer,andshehadn'tlivedathomeintenyears.Sowhydidshefeeltrepidation?

Becauseherrelationshipwithherfatherhadneverbeenquiteright.
Theywerebiologicallyconnected,butemotionallytheywereasdistantastwopeoplecouldbe.Her

mother,Valerie,hadbeenthebufferbetweenthem,buthermomhaddiedwhenSarawasnineteenyears
old.Forthepastdecadeithadbeenjustherandherdad.Actually,ithadmostlybeenjusther.

Whileherfatherhadpaidforhereducationandlivingexpenses,hehadn’tcometohergraduations—

notfromcollegeorfromlawschool.Thelasttimeshe’dseenhiminpersonhadbeenfiveyearsagowhen
they’dbothattendedthefuneralofhergrandmother,herfather'smother.

Shewalkedupthepath,pausingatthebottomofthestairs,herhandtighteningaroundthebottleof

wineshe’dbroughtforherdad’ssixty-fifthbirthdayonSunday.She’dtriedherbesttogethimsomething
awineconnoisseurwouldappreciate–abottleof1989ChateauMoutonRothschildBordeaux.Thewine
hadcostasmuchashermonthlycarpayment;shehopeditwouldbeworthit.Herfatherwasheronly
livingrelative,andshestill,probablyfoolishly,wantedtobelievetheycouldfindawaytoconnectwith
eachother.

Hernervestightened,andshehadtofightbacktheurgetoflee.She'dflownallthewayacrossthe

countrytoseehim;shecouldn’tbackdown.Tryingtocalmherracingheart,shelookedaround,reminding
herselfthatthishadoncebeenhome.

Herfather’stwo-storyhousewiththewhitepaintanddarkbrowntrimwaslocatedinthemiddleof

theblockinaSanFrancisconeighborhoodknownasSt.FrancisWood.Notfarfromtheocean,thehouses
inthispartofthecityweredetachedandhadyards,unlikemuchofthecitywherethehomesshared
commonwalls.

Herfamilyhadmovedintothishousewhenshewasnineyearsold,andoneofherfavoriteplacesto

bewassittingintheswingonthefrontporch.She’dspentmanyhoursreadingorwatchingthekidswho
livednextdoor.TheCallawayswereabig,Irish-Catholicblendedfamily.JackCallaway,awidower
withfourboys,hadmarriedLyndaKane,adivorceewithtwogirls.Together,they’dhadfraternaltwins,a
boyandagirl,roundingoutthefamilyateightkids.

Asanonlychild,SarahadbeenfascinatedbytheCallawaysandalittleenvious.JackCallawaywas

agregariousIrishmanwhotoldgreatstoriesandhadnevermetastranger.JackwasaSanFrancisco
firefighter,followinginhisfather’sandgrandfather’sfootsteps.TheCallawayshadbeenborntoserve
andprotect,andallofthekidshadbeenencouragedtofollowthefamilytradition.Atleasttwoofthe
boyshadbecomefirefighters,andlastshe'dheardherfriendEmmahaddonethesame,butshehadn't
spokentoEmmainalongtime.

Awaveofnostalgiahitherashergazedrifteddowntheblock.She'dletherchildhoodfriendsgo—

notthattherehadbeenthatmany,butshecouldstillhearthesoundsofthepast,kidslaughingandplaying.
TheCallawayboyshadruntheneighborhood,takingoverthestreetonsummernightstoplaybaseball,
football,oranyothergamethey'dinvent.She'doccasionallybeenpartofthosegames,butnotoften.

ShemighthavegrownupnextdoortotheCallaways,butshe'dlivedinanentirelydifferentworld—a

worldofquietstructureanddiscipline,aworldwhereexpectationsforgradesandachievementwere
high,andhavingfundidn'tfactorintoanyequation.

Sighing,shepushedthepastbackwhereitbelongedandwalkedupthestairs.Timetostop

procrastinating.

Sherangthebell,andamomentlaterthefrontdoorswungopen.Shedrewinaquickbreathasshe

metherfather'sdarkgaze.Atsixfootfour,StephenDavidsonwasafoottallerthanshewas,andhad
alwaysscaredthehelloutofher.Hehaddarkbrownhair,browneyes,andwiryframe.Today,hewore
blackslacksandawhitebutton-downshirtthathadalwaysbeenhisuniformduringtheweek.Heseemed
thinnerthansheremembered,althoughhe’dalwaysbeenfit.Hissenseofdisciplineextendedtoevery
partofhislife.

"Surprise!"shesaid,forcingasmileonherface.
"Whatareyoudoinghere,Sara?"
"It'syourbirthdayonSunday."
"Youshouldhavecalled."
"Youwouldhavetoldmenottocome."
"Yes,Iwouldhavedonethat,"heagreed."It'snotagoodtime."
Ithadn'tbeenagoodtimeinoveradecade."CanIcomein?"sheasked.
Hehesitatedforalongmoment,thengavearesignednod.
Shecrossedthethreshold,feelingasifshe'djustgottenoverthefirsthurdle.Therewouldbemore

coming,butatleastshe'dmadeitthroughthedoor.Pausingintheentry,sheglancedtowardtheliving
roomonherright.Itwasaformalroom,withwhitecouches,glasstables,andexpensiveartwork.They'd
neverspentanytimeinthatroomasafamily,anditdidn'tappearthatthathadchanged.Turningherhead
totheleft,shecouldseethelongmahoganytableinthediningroomandthesamedriedflower
arrangementthathadalwaysbeenthecenterpiece.

Thefactthatthehousehadn'tchangedintenyearswasprobablyasignthatherfatherhadn'tchanged

either.

"Youshouldn'thavecomewithoutcalling,Sara,”herfatherrepeated,drawingherattentionbackto

him.

"Well,I'mhere,andIbroughtyouapresent."Shehandedhimthewine.
Hereluctantlytookthebottle,barelyglancingatthelabel."Thankyou."
"It'sveryrare,"shesaid,wishingforabiggerreaction.
"I'msureitis."Hesetthebottledownonasidetable.
Shesquaredhershoulders,irritatedbyhislackofenthusiasm.Butsheknewitwouldtakemorethana

bottleofwinetocracktheicebergbetweenthem."I'dliketostayfortheweekend."

"Youwanttostayhere?"heasked,dismayinhiseyes.
"Whynot?Youhavetheroom."Sheheadedupthestairs,figuringitwouldbebestnottogiveher

fathertimetoargue.Hewasanexcellentattorneywhoknewhowtowinanargument.Butshewaspretty

good,too.

Whenshereachedtheupstairslanding,hergazecaughtontheonlytwofamilypicturesthathadever

hunginthehouse.Ontheleftwasafamilyshotofthethreeofthem,takenwhenshewasabouteleven
yearsold.Sherememberedquiteclearlyhowdesperatelyhermotherhadwantedaprofessionalfamily
pictureandhowhardherfatherhadfoughtagainstit,butitwasoneofthefewbattlesthatValeriehad
won.

Theotherphotowasofherandhermothertakenatherhighschoolgraduation.Hermotherhada

proudsmileonherface.Theylookedalotalike,sharingmanyofthesamefeatures:anoval-shapedface,
long,thicklightbrownhairthatfellpasttheirshoulders,andwide-setdarkbrowneyes.Awaveof
sadnessranthroughherassherealizedthiswasthelastphotoofherandhermother.Valeriehaddiedtwo
yearslater.

Turningawayfromthememories,shemoveddownthehall.Herroomwasatthefarendofthe

corridor.Ithadbeenstrippeddowntothebasics:amattressandboxspring,herolddeskononewall,her
dresserontheother.Thebookshelveswereemptyandsowerethedrawers.Onlyafewnailsrevealed
thattherehadoncebeenpicturesonthewall.Therewasabsolutelynotraceofherchildhood.

Sheshouldn'tbesurprised.Herfatherhadshippedherseveralboxesacoupleofyearsago,butitstill

feltalittlesadtoseehowherearlylifehadbeencompletelyerased.

Movingtothewindow,shelookedoutatafamiliarview–theCallaways'backyard.Thelarge

woodenplaystructurethatwasbuiltlikeafortwithslidesandtunnelswasemptynow.Likeherself,the
Callawayshadgrownup.Shewonderedifanyofthemstilllivedathome.

"Asyoucansee,I'mnotsetupforguests,"herdadsaid,interruptingherthoughts.
Sheturnedtoseehimstandinginthedoorway."I'msuretherearesomeextrasheetsinthelinencloset.

Idon'tneedmuch."

Hestaredbackather,hiseyesdarkandunreadable."Whyareyouhere,Sara?"
"Iwantedtobehereforyourbirthday.It'sbeenalongtimesincewe'vesharedmorethananemail.We

shouldtalk,catchupwitheachother."

"Whyonearthwouldyouwanttotalktome?"
Theconfusioninhiseyesmadeherrealizejusthowfarapartthey'ddrifted."Becauseyou'remyfather.

You'remyfamily.We'retheonlyonesleft."

"Doyouneedmoney?"
"Thisisn'taboutmoney.Momwouldnothavewantedustoenduplikestrangers.Weneedtotryto

improveourrelationship."

Hestaredbackatherforalongmoment,thensaid,"There'snothingleftforyouhere,Sara.Iwishyou

well,butwebothneedtomoveon.Ifyoustay,itwon'tgowell.We'llonlydisappointeachother."

Herchesttightened,thefinalityofhiswordsbringingpainaswellasanger.Herfatherwaslikea

brickwall.Shekeptthrowingherselfathim,tryingtobreakthroughhisresistance,butallsheever
achievedwasanewbatchofemotionalbruises.

"You'reagrownwomannow,"headded."Youdon'tneedafather."
"NotthatIeverreallyhadone,"shecountered,surprisingherselfalittlewiththewords.Shewas

usedtoholdinghertonguewhenitcametoherdad,becausetalkingusuallymadethingsworse.

"Ididmybest,"hesaid.
"Didyou?"shechallenged.
Aticklecaughtatherthroatandhereyesblurredwithunwantedtears.Shehadnotcomeheretocry.

Shesniffed,wonderingwhytheairfeltsothick.Ittookaminutetoregisterthatitwasnotheremotions
thatweremakinghereyeswater,butsmoke.

Thesameawarenessflashedinherfather'seyes."Damn,"heswore."Thekitchen—Iwascooking—"
Heranoutoftheroom,andshefollowedhimdownthestairs,shockedbyhowthickthesmokewasin

theentry.

Shewasonherdad'sheelswhenheenteredthekitchen.Thescenewasunbelievable.Flamesshottwo

feetintheairoffasizzlingpotonthestove.Thefirehadfoundmorefuelinastackofnewspapersonthe
counterthathadbeenlefttooclosetotheburner,thosesparksleapingtothenearbycurtains.

Herfathergrabbedatowelandtriedtobeatoutsomeoftheflames,buthiseffortsonlyseemedto

makethingsworse.Embersfleweverywhere,findingnewplacestoburn,theheatgrowingmoreand
moreintense.Movingtothesink,sheturnedonthefaucetandfilledupapitcher,butitwastakingtoolong
togetenoughwater.Shethrewsomeofitatthefire,butitmadenodifference.

"Moveaside,"herdadshouted,grabbingtwohotpads.
"Whatareyoudoing?"sheaskedinconfusion.
Hetriedtograbthepotandmoveittothesink,butshewasintheway,andhestumbled,droppingthe

potinthegarbage.Shejumpedbackfromanexplosionofnewfire.

"Wehavetocall911,"shesaidfrantically.Buttherewasnophoneinthekitchen,andhercellphone

wasinherbagbytheentry."Let'sgetoutofhere."

Herfatherwasstilltryingtoputoutthefire,buthewasgettingnowhere.
"Dad,please."
"Getout,Sara,"hesaidforcefully,thenranintotheadjacentlaundryroom.
"Wait!Whereareyougoing?"
"Ihavetogetsomethingimportant,"heyelledbackather.
"Dad.Weneedtogetoutofthehouse."Shecoughedoutthewords,butshemightaswellhave

remainedsilentbecauseherdadhadvanishedthroughthelaundryroomanddownthebackstairstothe
basement.Shecouldn'timaginewhathehadtoget.Therewasnothingbutgardeningtoolsandcleaning
suppliesdownthere.

Shestartedtofollowhim,thenjumpedbackasthefirecaughtthewallpapernexttoherhead,sizzling

andleapingtowardsherclothing.

"Dad,"shescreamed."Weneedtogetoutofthehouse."
Acrashechoedthroughthehouse.Thenallshecouldhearwasthecracklingofthefire.

Buy

ONANIGHTLIKETHIS

BookList

TheCallawayFamilySeries
#1

(ACallawayWeddingNovella)

#10

(ACallawayNovella)

#11

CloserToYou

#12OnceYou'reMine,ComingSoon!

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LightningStrikesTrilogy
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BeautifulStorm

LightningLingers

SummerRain

7Bridesfor7Brothers-Multi-AuthorSeries
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#1

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TheWishSeries
#1

ASecretWish

JustAWishAway

WhenWishesCollide

TheWishSeriesBoxedSet

ContemporaryRomanceNovels

AlmostHome
AskMariah
Daniel’sGift
JustTheWayYouAre
LoveWillFindAWay
OneTrueLove
Ryan’sReturn
SomeKindofWonderful
SummerSecrets
SweetSomethings
TheSweetestThing
TheWayBackHome

RomanticSuspenseNovels

AllSheEverWanted
Don’tSayAWord
GoldenLies

TheSandersBrothersRomanicSuspenseDuo
#1

SilentRun

SilentFall

TheDeceptionRomanticSuspenseDuo
#1

Angel’sBaySeries
#1

AboutTheAuthor

BarbaraFreethyisa#1NewYorkTimesBestsellingAuthorof52novelsrangingfromcontemporary

romancetoromanticsuspenseandwomen'sfiction.Traditionallypublishedformanyyears,Barbara
openedherownpublishingcompanyin2011andhassincesoldover7millionbooks!Twenty-twoofher
titleshaveappearedontheNewYorkTimesandUSATodayBestsellerLists.Sheisasix-timefinalist
andtwo-timewinnerintheRomanceWritersofAmericaacclaimedRITAcontest.

Knownforheremotionalandcompellingstoriesoflove,family,mysteryandromance,Barbara

enjoyswritingaboutordinarypeoplecaughtupinextraordinaryadventures.RomanceReviewsToday
callshera"masterstoryteller".LibraryJournalsays,"BarbaraFreethyhasagiftforwritinguniqueand
compellingcharacters."

Forinformation:

barbara@barbarafreethy.com

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Document Outline

Table of Contents
SWEET SOMETHINGS
ALSO AVAILABLE
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Excerpt from ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS
Book List
About The Author

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