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“Nope. But he’s doing all right. We’re all gettin’ together tomorrow afternoon at my uncle’s racetrack if you want to come. Place isn’t open yet. But we’re having a cookout. I’d love to have you both there.”
“You sure it’s not a family thing?” Roman asked.
Eraser tilted his head and gave me a can-you-believe-this-guy eyeroll. “I just said you’re family, did I not?”
Roman glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. Was he looking for my yes, or for me to give him a reason to say no. I couldn’t think of any reason not to go. Besides, I wanted to learn more about the friends Roman had made at the Castle. He still wouldn’t open up about what happened there.
“We don’t have to work until six. I’d love to go,” I said.
Roman’s smile seemed genuine, maybe even relieved, and I felt good about my decision.
“We’ll be there,” Roman promised.
“Do you want ice cream?” I asked Eraser. “I’m about to close up but I can make you a milkshake or something.”
He ducked his head and gave me a sheepish grin, like he really wanted one but didn’t want to ask me to make it. “Do you have strawberry?”
“I sure do.” I squeezed Roman’s arm. “You two catch up, I’ll go make it.”
Ulfric gave me permission to give free ice cream to my friends when he hired me. Vienna didn’t eat ice cream and I really didn’t have any other friends who came to visit besides Roman, so I didn’t get to take advantage of that perk often.
When the shake finished, I capped it, grabbed a straw and slid it onto the counter.
“Thanks, Juliet.” Eraser said.
I made two more and set them aside, then broke down the machine and cleaned everything.
Roman walked in the side door as I was finishing up. “Sorry, you should’ve waited for me to do that.”
“It’s my job.” I waved my hand at the windows. “I wanted you to catch up with your friend.”
His expression slid into an animated smile. “I’m so happy he’s doing okay. He’d been trying to get placed with his uncle for a while. And it sounds like it’s working out.”
“Was he in foster care too?” I asked.
“Yeah. In and out.”
That vague answer was all Roman would say. But I guess Eraser’s story wasn’t his to share.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Roman
Juliet handed me the car keys the next afternoon.
“What’s this?”
“You should drive us out to your friend’s place.” She opened the passenger side door. “You’ve got your license now.”
We were running late, so I didn’t argue. I slid behind the wheel and moved the seat back. “You worried I don’t want my friends to think I’m whipped or something?”
She chuckled and rolled her window down. “No.”
“Because I’m not one of those guys who has a problem with his girl driving him around.”
More of her sweet laughter. “I know you’re not.”
“You get to play co-pilot, then.”
“No problem.” She studied the directions Eraser had scribbled on a napkin last night. “Take a left when we reach Main Street. Looks like we follow that for a while.”
Uncomfortable sensations crawled over my skin. That was in the direction of the Castle. I didn’t want to be anywhere near that place. But I swallowed the brutal memories and put the car into gear.
Juliet guided me there easily. Only the last few steps gave us trouble. The sign for Zips was sun-faded and covered by years of overgrowth.
“I think that was the right back there,” Juliet said.
No one was coming from the other direction, so I whipped the car around and sped back to the turnoff. I took it slow over the gravel and dirt path until we encountered an eight-foot chain-link fence. The gate was open but the whole place looked abandoned.
“You sure this is it?” I asked.
I caught Juliet’s shrug from the corner of my eye. “Zips.” She pointed to a sign above us. “Must be the place.”
“All right.” I continued on the dirt path, finally entering what looked like a parking area. In the distance, I spied what looked like stands to sit in, a racetrack and some other scattered buildings.
I parked next to a shiny black late’60s Mustang Fastback.
“Cool car,” Juliet said.
“Eraser’s uncle is supposedly into all kinds of classics.”
“Well, he owns a racetrack. So that makes sense.”
“Smart-ass.” I leaned over and kissed her. “Thanks for coming out here with me today.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” She studied my face for a moment, then hesitantly opened her mouth. “I, uh, was happy to meet one of your friends. You don’t talk much about what happened when you were…away.”
My jaw tightened. I didn’t ever want to talk about that. “You’re my best friend, Juliet. Always.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re my best friend too. That’s why I want you to know you can always tell me anything.”
Wrong. The things I’d been through were too ugly to put inside her head. “Thank you.” I left it at that.
