Johanna got up from her seat and walked out of the room. George, Graham, Grady, and Dr. Andrews sat there, stunned, until George stood, called after his wife, and asked her to wait. When the door shut, everyone jumped.
The air was thick with tension as the brothers stared at each other. No words were exchanged between the brothers, at least none Dr. Andrews would be able to hear. The twins had their own language, and when Grady dropped his head, Graham knew his brother received his message loud and clear: get clean, or don’t come home.
Dr. Andrews asked Graham if he were willing to return for more sessions. As much as Graham loathed the idea, he said he would. He wanted his brother to get better. He missed his best friend and for the last fifteen years had felt like a piece of him was missing. Whether or not Grady and Graham liked it, they were connected and needed each other to feel whole again.
Graham stood and went over to his brother. He held his hand out, and when Grady placed his hand in Graham’s, he pulled his brother up into his arms. They hugged for the first time in fifteen years. Tears came instantly for Graham when his brother tightened his arms around Graham’s waist.
“I love you, Grady.”
“I love you too,” Grady replied.
When the brothers parted, Dr. Andrews had a smile on his face. “I call this a breakthrough.”
Graham nodded. “There have been a lot of unsaid things over the years. I just want this guy to get better.” He slapped Grady on his shoulder. Graham took his leave and found his parents in the waiting room. He filled them in on the last bits of the conversation and told them they had to come back. George grumbled but agreed.
In the parking lot, Graham saw a woman who reminded him of Rennie. He didn’t know what spurred him to pull out his phone and send her a text, inviting her to dinner, but when her response came instantly, he smiled. He also looked at the number on the piece of paper his mother had given him and put Lacey’s name and number into his phone. The last thing he wanted was to send his jeans through the wash and lose her number. He suspected Lacey’s mother, Cindy, had already told her Graham would call, and he wasn’t about to let his mother down.
For most of the ride back, the mood in the car was somber. George sat up front, fiddled with the radio until he found a sports talk channel, and then proceeded to argue every point brought up. Typically, this would be an annoyance. Graham didn’t care. He felt like a stack, not a ton, of bricks had been lifted off his shoulders when he confronted his brother, and he looked forward to going back next week. There was a glimmer of hope when it came to Grady, and while he knew he shouldn’t look too far into it, he couldn’t help himself. He was honest earlier when he told Grady he wanted his brother back. He did.
After Graham dropped his parents off, he stopped at the market and picked up dinner. He would toss a couple of steaks onto the grill, along with some sliced potatoes, and make a salad. Before he checked out, he picked up a bottle of red wine and made his way home. His family couldn’t afford to pay Rennie, but he could make her a nice dinner to thank her for everything she had done for his brother and what she was about to do for him.
SEVENTEEN
White lights sparkled on the outside of Graham’s houseboat. The sight of them gave Rennie pause. Not many single men decorated for the holidays, let alone the outside of their homes, especially those stationary in the water. Still, seeing lights brought a smile to her face.
Rennie stepped onto the patio and raised her hand to knock. The door opened before she had a chance. Graham stood on the other side, looking devilishly handsome and happy. It had been a long time since she’d seen him smile brightly, and it warmed her to think she was part of this change.
“Hey,” he said as he held the screen door open. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“It’s not exactly short when you have nothing to do.” She started to take her coat off and felt his hands on her shoulders. The gesture was automatic for Graham, and her thoughts instantly went to Theo and how his and Graham’s manners were so opposite. She shook her head to clear her mind and shrugged out of her jacket. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” Graham disappeared up his floating staircase, leaving her to explore his house. The houseboat had an open-concept feel. It was small yet cozy, with a love seat, a coffee table, and a chair that she pictured Graham sitting in and reading a book. The kitchen sink and stove faced the dock, and across from the counter was a small table set for dinner. She half expected there to be a candle burning, but that would send a romantic message, and they were friends. Best friends, if Rennie had to put a label on their relationship.
Graham came thundering down the stairs with a smile on his face. “What do you think?”
“It’s cute.”
He laughed. “It’s small, but I like it. I’ve thought about buying a house, but I love living out here. Come on. I’ll show you the rest.”
Rennie followed Graham through the living room and out onto the deck. It was wide and comfortable with two adirondack chairs, which had afghans thrown over the armrests; a grill; and a space heater.
“I like to sit out here,” he told her as he motioned toward the heater. “It can be downright chilly, but it’s refreshing.”
Graham took Rennie back into the house. He showed her the all-too-small bathroom before taking her upstairs. She remembered Brooklyn saying something about building Graham a staircase, sometime in the fall. “Is this safe?” she asked as she put her foot on the first step and wiggled.
“It is. If not, blame your bestie.”
Rennie climbed up after Graham, and when she reached the second floor, her eyes went wide. The bedroom wasn’t grand by any means, but the view from the second floor was what caught her attention.
“You wake up to this every day?”
“I did this morning. I haven’t in a long time. I’ve kept my blackout curtains closed. But last night, I left them open, and this morning I watched the sunrise. It was the best damn feeling I’ve had in a long time, and I have you to thank for it.”
“Me?” She pointed her finger at her chest.
Graham nodded and stepped closer. For a brief moment, Rennie thought he was going to kiss her, but he brushed by her and went to the sliding glass door. He opened it and stepped out. She followed and placed her hands on the railings. The first-floor deck was nice, but the view from Graham’s bedroom was breathtaking.
“What did I do?” she asked him, needing to know what spurred the change in him.
“Rennie, I’ll never be able to thank you for what you’ve done for my family.”
“I didn’t—”
Graham held his hand up, and she stopped speaking. “You did, and you didn’t have to. You went to bat for Grady, protecting him from jail. I’m not sure where he would be if you hadn’t stepped in. I believe in the trickle effect. Because Grady is in a better place, my parents are happy. My dad, he bantered back and forth with my mom. He admitted he enabled Grady. These things may not mean much to someone on the outside, but they do to me. My family will never be the same, but we’re moving toward what hopefully is a new normal.”
“I don’t know what to say, Graham. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.” Even as she spoke the words, Rennie knew she lied. Usually, clients came to her. She never sought anyone out. But when the police came for Grady, she jumped into action, even though she knew nothing about criminal law.