“Jail?” Grady’s voice was scratchy and barely above a whisper.
Graham leaned forward. “You’re going to be arrested. Honestly, it’s the only thing that can save your life right now.”
THIRTEEN
The drive from Seattle to Port Angeles would take three hours. With traffic, Rennie looked at a four- or possibly five-hour drive. In the early hours of the morning, long before the sun rose, she got in her car and headed west. Her client Grady Chamberlain would be arrested in his hospital room and arraigned the next day. He faced multiples charges, all of which Rennie hoped she’d be able to plea down to misdemeanors as long as her client went to rehab. Their encounter today would be the first time she’d interacted with Grady since his outburst over the summer, and she wasn’t sure how their meeting would go. Graham had done his best to prepare her for his brother’s defiant attitude and the woe-is-me mentality Grady had. She had also spent considerable hours with Jefferson, going over the game plan. If this case went to trial, he would sit second chair with Rennie, in case she needed him. One thing was for sure—Grady’s case reminded her why she had never gone down the criminal route; she was torn between what she felt was an obligation to the Chamberlains and taking someone who could harm another off the streets. Her ethics told her Grady deserved jail for breaking the law, even though it was unlikely he’d ever see the inside of a cell. Meanwhile, her heart told her Grady needed help and a second chance, and she could help him obtain one.
Rennie pulled into the parking lot of the two-story hospital and parked next to Graham’s car. She looked over, surprised to find him in his car. Rennie exited her vehicle and went over to Graham’s. He was asleep and looked peaceful. Her fingers itched to touch his face, to follow the fine lines in his forehead, and to feel his scruff against her skin. She held back, though. Rennie was committed to another man, and the relationship she and Graham had years ago had washed out to sea.
She tapped lightly on the window. Graham startled. He looked around until he saw her, and a slow smile crept over him. He pressed the button on the door handle and dropped the window that was separating them.
“Good morning,” she said. “How long have you been in the parking lot?”
Graham ran his hand over his face and groaned. “All night. I slept out here while my parents stayed with Grady. What time is it?”
“A little after nine,” Rennie replied. “Want to go to the diner down the street and get breakfast? We have a little over an hour before everything is scheduled to go down.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You make today sound like a mob hit.” He motioned for her to get into his car. She walked around the front and was surprised to find the door already ajar for her. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Graham asked as he started his car and pulled out of the parking spot.
“For opening the door. For trusting me with your brother. For being my friend.”
Graham remained silent for the one-minute drive. He found a parking spot close to the door, and after he turned off his car, he was out in a flash. By the time he reached the passenger side, Rennie was out and standing there. His face fell; she saw the dejection instantly. Rennie would pay more attention when with Graham. When she was with Theo, the little things like opening and holding doors or letting her walk in front of him never really happened. There were times when Rennie wondered if it was because of the way their relationship started—in between the sheets—and that he never had to woo her or vice versa. Graham had always been a gentleman from the day she met him as a teenager, and it would seem he never lost that part of him.
Rennie stepped into the diner first and greeted the hostess, telling her she had two in her party. Graham followed Rennie toward their booth and set his hand on her lower back. A familiar sense of longing washed over her, but she ignored it. Her feelings for Graham needed to remain buried. Their time had come, and they had missed their chance.
They ordered coffee to start and both glanced at the menu. Rennie’s mouth watered when she read their special for the day: pancakes with berry compote. She made up her mind when she pictured a pile of whipped cream on top of the berries.
“Do you know what you’re getting?” she asked Graham as she set the menu down on the edge of the table. She picked up her mug and brought her coffee to her lips, sipping gingerly.
“Steak and eggs. It’ll keep me full until dinner.”
“You don’t plan to eat lunch?”
He set his menu on top of hers and wrapped his hands around his cup of coffee. “I think my stomach might be in knots around lunchtime.”
She understood. Many of her clients forgot to eat before court because of nerves. There were times when a loud stomach growl would interrupt a cross-examination or a summation. The first couple of times she’d heard the sound, the noise caught her off guard. Now, Rennie didn’t falter. Her professionalism saved a lot of face, especially when it was her client.
The server came by, and they placed their orders. Graham looked pensive, completely lost in thought. “What’s on your mind?” Rennie asked him.
“The past,” he said as he made eye contact with her.
Rennie nodded. It had been on her mind a lot too. “I think because we’ve spent so much time together in these past few weeks.”
“I’m glad you found someone like Theo.” Graham’s words sent a jolt through her; she was taken aback by his admission. “He’s a good guy. I may not like him, but Bowie does, and Brooklyn speaks very highly of him.”
“He’s different from our crew.” She glossed over the fact that Graham said he didn’t like Theo. She was curious but didn’t want to know the reasons why. “He didn’t grow up on the beach with bonfires and close-knit friends. He’s a skier. That’s his thing. I’ve been trying to mix both of our lifestyles, but it’s hard.”
“How so?” Graham took a sip of his coffee and the whole time never took his eyes off Rennie.
“He’s not a fan of sand in places it shouldn’t be, whereas I don’t care. I’m not a fan of skiing. I’m not a fan of the snow, but I’ll go because it means something to him. I’m hoping that after our New Year’s trip, he’ll be more amenable to the beach.”
“Shouldn’t he go to the beach because it means something to you?” Graham countered. He was right, but Rennie would never admit it aloud.
The server returned in the nick of time, saving Rennie from having to answer Graham’s question. She smiled at the waitress and licked her lips in anticipation as she set her pancakes down.
“Are there any pancakes with the whipped cream?” Graham chuckled at his joke.
“Be quiet, you,” Rennie said to him as she set her napkin in her lap. She used her fork to take a heaping scoop of the fluffy white concoction off the top and hummed in response when sweetness hit her taste buds. “This is the best.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. So, we talked about my love life. Tell me about yours. Are you seeing anyone? Maybe your cute bartender?”
Graham cut into his steak. He stabbed a piece of meat, added ketchup and some hash browns to his fork before stuffing it into his mouth. Rennie suspected he planned to avoid her questions, and she had no intention of letting him do such a thing. So, she waited. Her foot tapped against the tiled floor, and she watched his every move.