Page 36 of Sweet Somethings

"I don't know why they would be scared of me," he said. "I have nothing on them, no proof of anything. They probably just don't want me around. I'm a reminder of that fire and some of the other stuff we did together that wasn't so great."

"You said the fire started in a park?"

"In the bushes next to a house. Travis and Doug had been smoking."

"Not you?"

"I was drinking beer, but I didn't have a taste for cigarettes." He paused. "The next morning, I was picked up by the police for questioning. I told them the truth, but no one believed me."

"Were Doug and Travis also picked up by the police?"

"Doug's father was chief of police. So he never actually went down to the station. Travis was taken down there, but his father was vice president of the bank and personally controlled a lot of loans for a lot of people."

She didn't like the sound of that. "So you get tagged for the crime because you didn't have a powerful father?"

"Yes. And because Doug and Travis both swore that I did it. The fact that I'd gotten into some trouble before didn't help my cause."

"What about your grandfather? What did he do?"

"He came down to the station and told the chief I was going home unless they were prepared to charge me. It was the only time in my life anyone ever stood up for me."

"He believed you were innocent."

"Maybe. He never asked me. He's not much of a talker."

"The two of you must sit in silence a lot," she said dryly.

"We can definitely do that."

"So whatever happened? No one was held responsible for the fire?"

"Nope. The truth is they didn't have any evidence about anything, at least as far as I know. A week later, I joined the Marine Corps and left town, swearing I'd never be back." He flung her a look. "Yet here I am—at least for the moment."

"You can't let them run you off again."

"They didn't run me off the first time. I'd been planning to join the Marines after graduation. And it was a good decision. Coming back here now—maybe not so good."

"Why did you come back?"

"My grandfather said he could use some help, and I'd been kicking around different places for a few months, so I thought I'd give him some time while I waited for everything to heal. I thought the town might have forgotten some of what happened back then, but I was wrong about that."

"Most people probably have," she said. "And let's not forget all the people who've come to Fairhope in the last thirteen or so years who have never heard of you. You may not be as famous as you think."

"I think the word is infamous, and you do like to pick the optimistic viewpoint."

"It's better than going negative." She sat up, realizing the road was splitting ahead. "Take the right turn to Evans Road. We're almost there."

"Good, because I'm ready for—what did you call it—a fantabulous hamburger?"

"I hope I didn't oversell."

He smiled. "I hope you didn't, either. I'm starving."

* * *

The name Burger Palace was obviously meant to be ironic, Roman thought, as he parked in the lot in front of the deliberately weathered shack that sat on a bluff overlooking the bay. But when he followed Juliette inside, his stomach rumbled with the delicious aroma of onions, hickory, and barbecue.

They got into a fairly long line to peruse the menu of burger magnificence. "What's good?" he asked her.

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