Something Sparked-nook (8 page)

When Jeannette entered the dining room, she was surprised to see Diego and Luc at a booth rather than their usual spots at the counter. She was also disappointed to see Evan with them. Obviously this wasn’t going to be a social visit.

She was halfway across the room when her cousin Tyson stopped her. “Hey, hotshot,” he said, reaching out for her. “There’s some very interesting gossip flying around this morning about you.”

“Oh my God. This town must be completely bored if my Saturday plans were the most exciting thing that happened last night.”

“So it’s true?”

“Yeah.”

She was surprised when Tyson gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good.”

Jeannette hadn’t realized how much her family worried about her. She was more touched than she could say. “If you want details, apparently Macie is handing out some doozies.”

Tyson chuckled. “I might let her regale me with that story while I drink my coffee.” He looked up when the bell above the door rang and Billy walked in. Tyson lifted his hand to wave and called out, “Thought we’d grab a couple stools at the counter, Billy.”

Billy stepped up and smiled, then looked at Jeannette. “Hey, Nettie.”

“I go by Jeannette now,” she said, not bothering to mask the hostility in her voice.

“Sorry, Jeannette. I’ll just go grab a seat.” Billy walked away quickly.

Jeannette looked at Tyson, trying very hard not to feel deeply hurt. Her cousin had no clue how she felt about Billy, or why.

He gave her a curious glance, but didn’t take her to task for her rudeness. “Billy and I have some business to discuss.” It was clear he felt as though he needed to offer an explanation, even if he didn’t know why.

She nodded. “Okay.”

Tyson studied her face a second longer, then he headed to the counter where Macie was holding court.

Jeannette caught more than a few sideways glances from the patrons in the restaurant. It was sort of unnerving, considering she was invisible most days.

Diego stood up when she got to the booth, gesturing for her to slide in. Before she could sit down, he grabbed her hand and gave her a quick kiss that had her blushing in record time.

“Everything okay?” he murmured.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

“Then good morning.” He gave her another, longer kiss.

“You realize Evan has a gun,” she joked when he released her.

Evan didn’t laugh. “She’s right. I do.”

They sat down, Jeannette, Luc and Diego grinning, while Evan appeared less than amused.

“We’re really slammed. I can’t stay long. You didn’t call me out here to yell at me for last night’s date, did you?” she asked Evan.

Evan tilted his head, his tone dripping in sarcasm. “Yeah, right. That’s what this meeting is about. Because I have complete control of everything my cousins do.”

She laughed at his sardonic tone. “Good point, but maybe you think you’d have a better chance with me?”

“I grew up with six girl cousins and a sister. I’m now married with a daughter. If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s simply this—shut up and nod.”

Diego and Luc chuckled as Jeannette rolled her eyes.

“Then why the meeting?”

Evan reached for a little tub of creamer, adding it to his coffee. “We’ve been sitting here discussing the fires. Diego and Luc told me your thoughts about someone trying to rid the town of eyesores. It could be a good lead, but considering the two people who’ve always bitched the loudest are two of the victims who’ve lost property, I’m struggling for suspects.”

Jeannette gave him a confused look. “You seriously don’t think it was a game of tit for tat between Roy and Buster? Buster burns down Roy’s shed, so Roy reciprocates?”

Evan shook his head. “No. I don’t think that’s it. Have you seen Roy lately?”

“No, but that’s not unusual. Roy keeps to himself. Doesn’t come into the restaurant more than a half-dozen times in any given year.”

“When I went to talk to him about the fire, he could barely make it to the front door. Cancer,” Evan added.

“Oh.” Jeannette glanced back at Tyson and Billy sitting at the counter, speaking quietly, somberly. Suddenly she understood the reason behind Tyson’s so-called business meeting. As a doctor, it was likely he was either playing a role in Roy’s treatment or answering questions for Billy. “I didn’t know that. Billy said he and Scott had come home because their uncle was sick, but he didn’t mention cancer or how bad it was.”

Jeannette would call her Aunt Louise after work. Knowing her aunts, they would want to take over dinner for the family.

“Can you think of anyone else who bitched about the shack and those outbuildings?” Evan asked. “Considering this is a gathering place and the hub for gossip about all things Maris, I figured you might have heard someone else complaining.”

Jeannette pondered the question, but couldn’t think of a single person who grumbled louder or more often than the rest. “Not really. I mean, that abandoned shack and Buster’s rundown shed have been discussed from time to time and most people usually hop on the tear-’em-down bandwagon. Hell, Mayor Rock was in here a few weeks ago, promising to do something about them if he was reelected next month, but I wouldn’t say anyone was overly annoyed by their presence.”

Evan blew out a long breath.

“You still think it’s a serial arsonist?” she asked.

Diego rubbed his chin. “Apparently the fire marshal is having trouble proving the fires are all connected.”

“Really? I mean they have to be, don’t they? To have so many fires in such a short time? What else could it be?”

“Oh, we’re sure it’s arson. And we’re relatively sure it’s the same person,” Luc explained. “It’s just going to be tough to prove that.”

“Why?” she asked.

Evan took a sip of his coffee. “Because whoever is doing it is clearly an amateur, and it looks like they’ve made Maris their classroom.”

She was confused. “What do you mean?”

Diego rested his arm along the back of the booth, leaning toward her. She wasn’t sure if the action was his attempt to keep their conversation private or to pull her closer. “Whoever is setting the fires is using different accelerants, different ignition devices.”

Luc stretched his leg out along the side of the booth and Jeannette finally understood why he and Diego preferred the stools at the counter. Both men were too large to sit comfortably in the booth. “Every fire was set differently. It’s like the guy is trying out different things to see how everything works.”

Evan tapped his fork on the table a couple of times, clearly frustrated at the lack of evidence. “And he’s using common everyday items, so it’s not like we can run down to the hardware store to see who’d bought some unusual wire. He set the first with rags and gasoline, the second with a cigarette in a trashcan, and he took the shack down with paint thinners and a candle.”

“You keep saying ‘he’. Do you know it’s a guy?”

Evan shrugged. “Most likely. That’s the only lead that offers any hope.”

Diego snorted. “You call that hope?”

Evan grimaced, silently acknowledging it clearly wasn’t much. “We’ve found fresh footprints at all three scenes made from a man’s boot.”

“Can’t you narrow down the suspects according to who has that type of boot and the size?”

Evan rubbed his forehead wearily. “It’s been three
different
pairs of boots—all common brands—and in slightly differing sizes, each pair off by a half size.”

Jeannette grimaced. “So the guy is smart enough to cover his tracks.”

“Yep.” Evan sighed. “Well, I guess I’m back at it. I’m going to head out to all three fire sites again today to see if there’s something we missed.”

Evan didn’t bother to say what they were all thinking. Without more evidence, the arsonist would likely remain free to set another fire.

Evan tossed a few dollars on the table, and then slid out of the booth after Luc stood to let him out. Jeannette looked at Diego, expecting him to rise as well.

He kept her trapped.

“I really do need to get back to work.”

Diego didn’t budge. Instead he tucked his arm around her shoulder.

From the corner of her eye, Jeannette saw several heads turn in their direction.

“What are you doing?” she murmured.

“I’ve heard a lot of tongues wagging around here this morning. Everyone seems pretty interested in our date.”

That was an understatement. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”

Luc laughed. “Seriously? Jeannette, how many Sunday mornings have we been the topic of conversation in here?”

She couldn’t possibly tabulate that number. “A lot of them. God. Maybe all of them.”

He nodded. “And how many Sundays have the good people of Maris discussed Jeannette Sparks?”

She didn’t even have to think about it. “None.”

“So maybe the question is, are
you
uncomfortable?” Luc asked.

Part of her wondered if she should be ashamed to be the subject of such speculation—all of it racy—but she couldn’t summon a single ounce of embarrassment. She’d wanted to break out of her shell and, well, by God, she’d done it. At least for a little while, before she’d freaked out and ruined the whole damn thing. “I’m…sort of…” She sucked at playing it casual or coy, so she said what she felt. “It’s slightly annoying, but if I’m being completely honest, it’s kind of cool too,” she confessed.

“So we’re ready for phase two,” Luc declared.

She frowned. “Phase two?”

Luc winked at her. “We’re going to put Nervous Nettie to rest once and for all. Today, you’re Jeannette again.”

“I’d like that. Does it involve more dancing or…kissing?”

Diego looked at Luc. “I think we’ve created a monster.”

Luc didn’t appear concerned and, for a moment, Jeannette thought she saw something pass between them, some unspoken desire.

“Maybe we should go for broke,” Luc suggested.

Diego didn’t respond immediately and when he did, Jeannette was certain he was answering a question she hadn’t heard. “Yeah. Maybe we should.”

Diego didn’t give her a chance to ask what that meant. He bent his head and kissed her. This was no friendly, hey-how-you-doin’ kiss. It was a big one. Lips, teeth, tongue, hands in her hair. It was so delicious—Diego’s breath tasted like bacon and maple syrup—she didn’t have time to consider the fact that most of her family was there witnessing it.

Finally, twelve years later, Diego released her. “I’m not sure that will hold me until Wednesday. Might have to stop in for a helping of that every day until then.”

“I…” Jeannette couldn’t have formed another word if someone was offering her a million dollars for it.

Diego rose from the booth and reached down to help her slide out. Luc was standing next to him. God, if he kissed her like that right now, she’d expire on the spot.

Mercifully, he gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. She’d thought herself spared, but Luc gripped the nape of her neck as he whispered in her ear, “I’ll be by later to collect mine when there are fewer people around.”

She nodded her assent, unable to deny something she would spend the next few hours anxiously anticipating. “Okay.”

Jeannette headed back to the kitchen, perfectly aware that everyone in the restaurant was looking at her. In the past, she would have hated every single step until she was out of view. Today, she simply threw her head back and forged straight ahead.

Her confidence didn’t begin to waver until she reached the kitchen door.

Billy was staring straight at her, his expression unreadable.

She scowled at him, and then pushed through the swinging doors, refusing to think about him or what he thought. She wasn’t the girl she used to be. He’d made sure of that. So he sure as hell didn’t get to have an opinion about what she was doing to reinvent herself.

Once she was safely tucked away in the kitchen, she released a long breath and closed her eyes. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so she couldn’t reasonably expect that she’d become someone new overnight.

“You okay?” Sydney asked.

She wasn’t. Not yet. But she was definitely getting there.

“Yeah. I am.”

And for the first time in years, that answer didn’t feel like a lie.

Jeannette glanced out the front window for the tenth time in as many minutes. Luc had called a couple hours earlier to say they would be late. There had been a car accident on Merryman’s Lane and they’d needed to respond.

She had offered to reschedule, almost grateful for the reprieve. She’d had too much time to think about tonight and her nerves were completely frazzled.

Luc had refused. Telling her they would be there as soon as they could.

Jeannette had been dressed and ready to go when they’d called, even though it was an hour before they’d originally intended to arrive. She suspected Gia would have teased her for that if she’d been around. Only a nerd was ready for a date an hour ahead of time.

She glanced down at her dress, hoping they liked it. She had walked around the department store for ages before picking it out. Prior to this week, she never would’ve worn a dress like this in a million years. It was red—the color reminding her of the guys’ truck—and short. The flared skirt ended a few inches above her knees. The top part had a deep vee, showing off more cleavage than she’d ever bared in her life.

Jeannette had paced the floor for all of twenty minutes after Luc’s call, then decided fuck it. She’d gone into the kitchen and started whipping up lasagna. Cooking helped soothe her and was a welcome distraction. Once she had the lasagna in the oven, she went to work on mixing a Caesar salad, taking the time to make homemade croutons.

When Diego had called ten minutes earlier to tell her they were on the way, she asked him how they would feel about staying in for dinner. He had been delighted. He’d sounded tired, so she was glad she’d made the decision to cook.

When she saw their headlights flash against the wall, she put the garlic bread in the oven, took off her apron and went to open the front door.

Luc lifted a bottle of red wine. “We made a quick pit stop when we found out we were staying in for dinner.”