The Sweetheart Deal

Later that morning, Adam bundled up and once again trekked out into the frigid landscape. He carried the two thermoses and a plastic bag full of cups, stirrers and packets of cream and sugar. When he reached the corner of Main and Lincoln, he paused. It looked as if a bomb had exploded. He moved to the barricades and motioned to one of the workers. “I brought you guys coffee.”

Keith walked over. “Thanks, man.”

“Anyone get trapped?”

“They’re getting the baker out now. She was there when the roof collapsed. And they’re still digging some of the tenants out at the apartments. In a weird way, it’s a good thing it happened so early in the morning. Less people around to get hurt.”

Adam closed his eyes at the thought of Megan trapped under snow and ice. She had to be okay.

Keith gave a grin. “I’m going to miss her double-chocolate muffins though. Those got me through many a shift.”

“How long do you think it will take to get this cleaned up?”

Keith looked back and shrugged. “Day or two. But longer to rebuild.” He accepted the thermoses and bags. “Appreciate it.”

“Courtesy of the bank.”

The man seemed to wince a little but returned to his crew with the coffee. Several turned to Adam and yelled their thanks. He nodded and turned to go back to the bank.

And then he saw her.

Megan emerged from the bakery, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and ambled between two emergency workers. Her sister ran to her and put her arms around her. She didn’t look as if she’d been badly injured. He hoped she wasn’t.

Before now he hadn’t noticed that the Sweetheart was smack-dab in the middle of the most damage. He thought of the bank where he’d be needed. But his feet betrayed him as he walked slowly until he stood in front of her. “I’m sorry about the Sweetheart, Megan. But I’m glad you’re all right.”

She glanced up sharply at him then shifted away. Her sister, Kelly, rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet you’re sorry. Go find someone else to harass.”

Okay, maybe he’d deserved that before, but he’d changed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “When you’re ready to discuss rebuilding...”

Megan looked at the card held out to her, then after many long seconds, she took it and put it in the pocket of her jeans. Never saying a word.

Adam turned and almost bumped into a man. He apologized, then paused. He didn’t need to ask if the man he’d almost knocked down was Bobby Snow or not since he looked much the same. He still wore glasses, and the chubbiness of adolescence had remained. Bobby recognized him, too, as he made to leave. Adam followed him, however, weaving through the crowd of people who had come to witness the destruction. Adam called after him, “Wait, Bobby. I just want to talk to you.”

“Leave me the hell alone.”

“I want to apologize.”

The other man stopped and faced Adam. “You’re joking, right?” He turned to see if anyone else in the crowd was listening to him. “Is this guy kidding me? Because an apology won’t make up for what you did.”

“I was a jerk in high school. I’m sorry for the awful things I said and did to you.”

“Such as...” Bobby crossed his arms over his chest.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. “You really want a list? Fine. I’m sorry for shoving you into the girls’ restroom about once a week for three years. I’m sorry that I called you Piggy and Fatty and oinked when you walked down the hall at school.” He started counting things off on his fingers. “I apologize for stealing your lunch. For having Sarah McGillis write you a love letter as a joke. For having my team members TP your house. And your car.”

“You made Sarah write that note?” Bobby shook his head. “Of course you did. You hated me, so why not humiliate me?”

“I’m sorry.” Adam sighed. “I want to apologize and see if I can do anything to make it up to you.”

“Why?”

His other victims always asked that question, and he’d never been able to come up with the right answer. “Because I hate how I treated you when we were in high school. You didn’t deserve it, and I’m sorry.”

Bobby looked him over. “What can you possibly do to atone for making my life miserable for four years?”

Adam shifted his weight from side to side. This was always the hardest part. Because how could he make up for that? For some, it was easy to lend them a helping hand. Others let him off the hook without requiring anything. But Bobby seemed to be the type that would never forgive him no matter what. “What do you want, Bobby? How can I make this up to you?”

Bobby started to laugh, and people started to stare at them. “You really think you can do something to change the stuff that happened twelve years ago? That was the time to make amends. Not now.” He hesitated then shook his head again. “Forget it.”

He started to walk away, but Adam reached out and grabbed his arm. “Please. There’s got to be something.”

“You can’t change what happened with us, but if you really want to do something you can go talk to the kids in high school like me who have bullies like you. Better yet, you can tell the entire high school how bullying turned you into a big shot while your victims suffered humiliation beyond high school, and worse, died.”

Adam paled and dropped his hand. He was right.

Bobby waved him off. “You’re all talk, but when it comes to action, you’ve got nothing. I don’t accept your apology. Now you can live with that.”

And he spun on his heel and left Adam among the crowd, who eyed him warily. He’d done what he came to do, so Adam took his leave and tromped through the snow heading to the bank. So much rebuilding was left to do in this town.

And the easiest part would be the buildings. The attitudes and memories would take much longer.

* * *

THE PARAMEDIC REMOVED the blood pressure cuff and nodded at Megs. “Your pressure is a little elevated, but that’s understandable. There’s no need to insist you go to the hospital, but I recommend taking it easy the rest of the day.”

Megs agreed. “Not as if I can go back to work.”

Her sister, Kelly, handed her a jacket she’d brought with her since Megs’s was buried under rubble. “We should go home. There’s nothing more we can do here.”

Megs slowly walked away from the ambulance toward the crowd gathered to watch the crew pull down part of the standing back wall. She blinked away the tears that froze in the frigid wind. “You go ahead. I’m staying.”

Her sister’s boyfriend, Sam, put a hand on her shoulder. “It won’t help, Megs. Let the workers do what they have to, and I’ll go in with you tomorrow when they give us the all-clear.”

How could you go in something that no longer had a roof and four walls? Her heart was heavy. She teared up again.

Kelly and Sam watched her intently until finally she couldn’t stand it any longer. “Listen, I’m cold and I’m hungry. We could go get something to eat, but then I’m coming straight back. I can’t go home. Not yet.”

Kelly offered her a hopeful smile. “Fine. But if you’re staying, I am, too.” To Sam, she said, “I’m not going anywhere without her.”

He put his arms around her sister and kissed the top of her hat. “I know you won’t. We’ll all stay.”

He steered both sisters down the street toward Rick’s diner. They had to wait several minutes for a table to open up since it seemed everyone had the same idea: get warmth and food before heading back to the disaster on Lincoln. When they managed to claim a window booth that overlooked Main, Megs stared at the menu but didn’t really see the words. Not that she needed to see what was there to know what was listed. She’d spent many mealtimes in the diner since her mother had left them after her father died thirteen years ago. She shook away the emptiness that settled over her at the thought of Grammy. Oh, Grammy, you’d hate to see the Sweetheart today.

At least what was left of it.

She looked up to find Kelly peering at her over the top of her menu. Her sister lowered it and reached across the table to grab her hand. “Grammy would be feeling exactly what you are right now. I know it.”

Megs doubted it. Because she felt as if she was mourning Grammy all over again. First to lose her beloved grandmother and mentor, and now her business, too? If Grammy was here...