Page 91 of Sweet Somethings

"So you're all buddies again?"

"Looks that way."

She turned to face him. "You're starting to fit into this town, Roman. Both of us are. I left when I was a kid; you left when you were a teenager. We came back as adults, and I think we've both been trying to figure out our places."

"You definitely fit, Juliette. You're like Donavan. You give and give to this town, and you are part of the heartbeat, just like she is."

"I would like that. And that has nothing to do with recapturing the past."

"Got it."

"I hope now that you and Doug and Travis are on the same page, the news can get out to the rest of the town. I would love to shut Martha up."

"I suspect you'll get another chance, hopefully, before she tries to get me arrested for kissing you."

She laughed at the reminder. "For a minute, I thought that knock on the window of your truck was a cop."

"She was worse than a cop."

"She gave me quite the talking-to. But now that I know there's something in her past making her act the way she does, I'm going to see if I can find out what it is."

"Of course you are," he said with a wry smile.

"And I still want to find out who Cecelia wrote those letters to. I can't help being curious, Roman. I spend a lot of time alone with butter and flour and sugar—my brain tends to wander off into whatever puzzle I'm trying to solve. By the way, Cecelia never came by to get her letters. I wonder if she's having second thoughts about taking them back."

"That's possible. Some people like to leave the past alone."

"I think my parents would have liked you," she said.

He raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Really? I've never been very popular with parents."

"That was when you were a teenager, I'm guessing. What about now? I'm sure there have been women in your life."

"I never met any of their parents."

"So no one serious?"

He shook his head. "Nope. What about you? Did you break any hearts when you left New York?"

"Not a one. I dated, of course, but never that seriously." She paused, realizing the parade was coming to an end. "Let's walk back to the pier. I think the band is going to start soon."

"Sounds good."

When they got back to the center of the action, she saw Cecelia and Martha waiting in line at a booth run by a local wine bar. Not far away was Roman's grandfather. There was something about his stance, the fierceness of his gaze aimed at the Grayson sisters that gave her a jolt, that told her she might just have stumbled on the answer to one of her questions.

She stopped abruptly and put her hand on Roman's arm. "Look at your grandfather."

"Where is he?"

"Over there." She tipped her head in Vincent's direction.

"He's just standing there," Roman said in bewilderment. "What's the big deal?"

"He's not just standing there. He's watching Cecelia."

Roman's brows furrowed. "I guess—maybe."

"No maybe about it. His gaze is on her."

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