Rennie called Ester into her office. “Hey, can you get me a copy of Donna’s case, the one involving the paralyzed teenager?”
“Of course.”
As soon as Ester left her office, Rennie began to pace. Deep in the recesses of her bag, her cell phone rang. She searched for it and answered without looking at the caller identification. “What?”
“I’m not sure how to respond.”
Shit. Theo hated rudeness. Rennie closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and counted to ten. “I’m sorry. Long day.”
“I was calling to see how court went.”
Rennie smiled. “It went really well. My clients are happy. How was your day?”
“Busy. I have to go to San Diego for a couple of days and wanted to see if you wanted to go with me?”
She did. She wanted to go sit on the beach and bask in the warm sun. Work plagued her, though. Rennie had to talk to Graham about this other lawsuit, and there was a lingering suspicion that something was off at work. “Oh, Theo, I would love to, but I’m so busy right now.”
“I see.” She sensed disappointment in Theo’s tone, which angered her.
“No, I don’t think you do. It’s a great luxury you have, being able to travel. I can’t. My clients need me, and I already have a vacation booked this month. I can’t drop everything on a whim and leave, Theo. You know this.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? Because right now I feel like you don’t.”
“Believe me, Renee. I do. I just wanted to offer because I know how much you enjoy the coast.”
He made her feel like an ass. She slumped over and rested her head on her desk. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly into the phone. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I feel like we have this disconnect, and I want nothing more than to go with you.”
“I know, love. Soon, we’ll be together for a nice long week. Nothing will interrupt us.”
His words brought a smile to her face. “I can’t wait.”
“Excuse me, Ms. Wallace?”
Rennie’s head popped up at the sound of Ester’s voice. She had papers in her hand, which Rennie believed to be the complaint against Graham. “Theo, I have to call you back. Love you,” she said and hung up.
Ester came forward. “I don’t know what’s going on, but some of us have noticed Ms. Pere acting weird, especially around you, and when you asked for this case, it’s clear there’s a conflict with the parties involved.” She handed the documents to Rennie. “I printed it out instead of emailing.”
“You’re smart, Ester. Thank you.” Ester turned and walked toward the door. “Hey, if you don’t mind, can you keep your ears open but nose clean?”
Ester smiled. “Already on it.”
Rennie read the complaint and wished she had taken her criminal law classes more seriously. She understood the jargon but not how Graham could be responsible. She looked at the clock and calculated the time it would take her to get to Cape Harbor. To go now or wait—the decision weighed heavily on her mind. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Rennie was tired, exhausted from the drive, and needed to go home. Cape Harbor would have to wait.
FOURTEEN
For the first time in a long time, Graham was back to work, and he was happy. Ecstatic. The Whale Spout gave him a sense of purpose, belonging, even though running a family-owned business, especially a bar, in a tourist town was the last thing he’d ever wanted for a career. However, he loved it. He loved the regulars who frequented the bar, the groups of people, from the fishermen to the locals—who for generations made the Whale Spout their only watering hole—and he adored the tourists. They were what made living and working in a small town enjoyable. And, it took Grady almost dying for Graham to figure out it was time for him to move on. The only question that plagued him was, “What does it mean to move on?” He didn’t have the answer, and he was certain he wasn’t going to find it scrawled in messy handwriting on the bathroom stall door. It was Rennie who brought about this sudden change in him. He’d lain awake the previous night, staring at his ceiling—which, as of late, was a common occurrence for him—and thought about how his life could’ve been different.
Graham pulled in front of the house he shared in the wee hours of the morning. He had driven straight from Cape Harbor, surviving on convenience store coffee, fast food, and chips. Graham was long past the point of exhaustion, mentally and physically drained. His life altered in ways he’d never thought possible. Graham was too young to lose one of his closest friends, and knowing he would never see or speak to Austin again hurt. The pain cut him deeply.
It had been two weeks, maybe even three—Graham had lost count since he had last been in California. He’d also lost his job, in the sense he’d been demoted back to entry level, a position he hadn’t even had coming out of college. It was the most his employer was willing to offer since he had exhausted all his vacation and sick time. They were angry, and while he understood, none of it made sense to Graham. His best friend went missing, was declared dead, and all Graham had waiting for him back in California was a demotion and a pay cut to go with it. He, too, felt like he’d lost everything.
And then there was Grady.
His brother drank himself into a stupor every single night. The first couple of nights, Graham and Bowie were right there with Grady, matching drink for drink. They’d close the bar down and make their way down to the docks, where they’d yell for Austin until the sun came up or the police took them home. The next night, they’d start all over again. It was their way of coping, of helping Grady get through an unbearable time. They had all lost Austin, but Grady took it the hardest. He’d been there and had been unable to save his best friend and business partner.
After the funeral, it was time to get back to life. Only, life as Graham knew it was never going to be the same. He had to make a decision, one he never thought he would have to make at the age of twenty-two. Stay in California and work two jobs until he could get back to where he’d been, or go home. Home meant he’d be with his friends, his brother, and his parents. Home meant Rennie would still be there because of Brooklyn. But what about Monica? Did he love her?
He did.
Graham opened the front door of his house as quietly as possible. He tiptoed down the hall and opened his door. He flipped his light switch on and gasped loudly. There was someone in his bed, but who? His heart raced, pounded forcefully with each step he took toward his bed. Graham leaned over the covered lump to peer at their face. His body relaxed when he saw it was Monica. He sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed heavily. Graham hoped to slow his beating heart and not to wake his girlfriend.
Monica stirred. Graham turned to look at her from over his shoulder. He missed her while he was gone, but he also enjoyed the time he spent with Rennie. These two women owned him, but in different ways.
“Hey,” she said softly as she reached for him. Monica rolled over and held the blankets open for Graham. He kicked his shoes off, slipped out of his shorts, and pulled his T-shirt over his head. The moment their bodies met, his lips were on hers, and her hands pulled him close. Graham needed Monica. He wanted to feel like himself again, the person he was when he was with her and who they were as a couple in San Jose. They were in love, they had a future, and he prayed she would go with him back to Washington, where they could start their lives. Monica and Graham made love until the sun rose, and though he was tired, he couldn’t close his eyes and find sleep.