gave his hand a squeeze. Once they ordered, she looked up and said, “Tell me how you got into arson investigation.”
He opened his mouth, beginning a protest of the subject when she jumped in. “I’m not trying to talk about work, Sean. I just really want to know more about you.”
He shrugged, a little uneasy talking about himself but pleased that she wanted to know about him. “I thought about college after high school, but my father had served in the military before working for the FBI and it was something that I wanted to do.” Chuckling, he added, “But then at eighteen years old, does anyone really know what they want to do?”
She squeezed his hand and nodded her understanding. “My brother was the same way.”
“After boot camp, I was accepted into Military Police training, and getting a security clearance was no problem since my dad was in the FBI. It was basic to begin with… learning military and civil laws, jurisdiction, investigating collecting evidence, traffic and crowd control, security, arrest and restraint of suspects. Pretty much anything a civilian police officer would learn, with the added aspects of military life. I spent a tour overseas, and to be perfectly honest, it was rough. We were not only looking for enemy personnel and hostile activity but also having to police our own. I knew with specialized training I could become a dog handler, drug control, explosives patrol, and several other specialties, but I was really interested in becoming a criminal investigator.”
“With your father being in the FBI, I’m not surprised that was something that you leaned toward,” she said, still holding his hand.
They were interrupted when the server brought their food, and both laughed at the large servings placed in front of them. Each had opted for the seafood platter, his fried and hers broiled. Shrimp, scallops, fish, and crab threatened to spill off their plates. At Charlie’s, the sides came in big bowls placed in the middle of the table and included garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and hush puppies.
“Oh, my, you were so right when you said I was a big eater!” Harper’s eyes were wide as she stared at her plate.
“God, don’t remind me… I was such an ass when I said that,” he groaned. “It sounded more complimentary in my head.”
“Well, tonight, I’m definitely going to need a doggy bag.”
“I’m not sure I can eat all of this, but I’m going to give it my best try.”
Their conversation slowed as they dug into their meals, murmurs of delight being met with moans of satisfaction. Finally, leaning back and patting her stomach, she said, “I don’t think I can eat another bite.”
Sean looked down, pleased to see that she had eaten most of her meal and not surprised to see almost all of his consumed as well. Sipping on their wine, she prodded, “Tell me more about being an investigator.”
“I finished my Associates Degree while an MP and then applied to CID school. It was another fifteen weeks of courses and then I was back for an overseas tour. I found the work to be stimulating and had already decided that after my enlistment was over I would get out and join the Hope City Police Department.”
Holding his gaze, she asked, “And arson?”
Grinning, he said, “Do you plan on ferreting out all my secrets?”
“I can’t help it. I’m naturally curious and really want to know.”
He watched her eyes light as she laughed, thinking the sound was something he would love to hear all the time. Determined to give as much of himself to her as he could, he continued. “We actually had to deal with an arsonist at my last posting. You’d think with so many people around it would be hard for someone to be sneaky enough to set a fire, but it took us a while to find them. During that process, I was fascinated with the mindset of someone who wanted to destroy things by burning them. We actually brought him down, and I was thrilled we finally were able to get him the help that he needed as well as stop the destruction that he was creating.”
“And you came back here because of your family?”
“I never really considered living anywhere other than Hope City. Some of my siblings were still here. My parents were still here. My best friend was coming back after his stint in the military. Quite simply, I suppose, it’s just home.”
Deciding to skip dessert, Harper moaned as they stood,