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Rose left the office and wandered through downtown with her heart in her throat, thinking back to those long-lost days when she’d been a nobody-babysitter for the Waldens; when she’d hardly had a few pennies to rub together and had spent her days off stretched out on public beaches, eavesdropping on tourists. Everything had sizzled with magic. She’d been so curious about this world that she hadn’t understood.
The diner where she’d gone on her first day off in 1993 was still open all these years later. Rose didn’t go often; it was out of her way, and she didn’t eat as many greasy meals as she had at twenty-one. But sometimes shedipped in to have a slice of pie and chat with the servers, some of whom had worked there thirty-one years ago, too. It felt as though they’d gone through time together.
Rose grabbed her favorite booth and placed Natalie’s diary on the seat beside her. A server by the name of Brenda approached to say, “Rosie, darling! How long has it been?”
Rose smiled and asked Brenda about her grandchildren and the garden that remained her pride and joy. Brenda was frustrated about her grandson. She just couldn’t get him excited about mathematics. “Computers are everything these days. If he wants a job, he needs to learn how all that works!”
“He’s still young,” Rose assured her. “Little boys like running around and getting into scrapes.”
“I know. There’s still time.” But Brenda looked worried. “Do you want your usual?”
“Actually, I’ll have a burger today,” Rose said, surprising herself. She didn’t feel up for the Salt Sisters dinner. She knew it would be obvious how upset she was about Natalie’s diary, and she didn’t want to field questions from Hilary. Not today.
“Fries? Onion rings?”
“Can I get a mix of both?”
Brenda winked. “Anything for our girl.”
That was when the door sprang open, bell jangling. Brenda and Rose turned to watch as a familiar man dressed in uniform appeared, adjusting his hat.
It was Sean.
Chapter Eleven
“I’ve been looking all over for you!” Rose said as Sean approached her table, his smile curious and handsome, so handsome that it tugged at something Rose thought was dormant inside her.
It occurred to Rose that she’d thought of Sean quite often over the past few days. Due to the impending investigation, he’d been a consistent name on her cell phone screen. She’d listened to his voicemail messages, grateful for his tireless efforts.Someone who is honest and respectable in this crazy world.
Brenda arched a perfectly drawn eyebrow at both of them and tapped her notepad with her pencil. “What can I do for you, Sean?”
“I’ll have whatever she’s having,” Sean said.
“Burger and fries and onion rings?”
“Apparently so,” Sean said, his smile widening. “So much for my diet.”
Rose laughed. “It’s been a crazy day. I needed to coat my stomach with grease.”
“I’ve had that kind of day, too,” Sean said. Heremoved his hat to show puffs of strange-looking curls that he attempted to flatten with his hand. “I wish I could share more news about your sculpture.”
Rose shook her head, surprised that she’d spent so much time not thinking about the robbery at all. Sean remained standing at her table, glancing around. Did he want to sit with her? Or had he come here for a bit of privacy and deep thought, as she had?
“You can sit down if you want,” Rose stuttered.
“I don’t want to interrupt.”
“I told you already,” Rose said. “I’ve been looking for you. It’s fate that you came in here.”
Sean hesitated before dropping into the opposite side of the booth. Rose touched the plastic-wrapped diary with the tips of her fingers and told herself not to spring too much on him at once. He’d had a hard day.
Soon after, Brenda brought them two glasses of Diet Coke. She hadn’t asked. She knew what they liked.
“How often do you come here?” Sean asked.
“I haven’t been in a few months,” Rose admitted. “But I came here my first week in Nantucket thirty-one years ago. It’s been a favorite since then.”
It was where she’d first read Natalie’s obituary. It was where she’d learned that so much of the island assumed Oren had been the one to start the fire—and kill Natalie.
