She opened the door, and he was going to use this opportunity to his advantage.
“Why did you stop visiting? You knew I was there, didn’t you?” Graham had always wondered why Rennie never came around.
“Mostly out of respect for Brooklyn. She wanted to put everything behind her and didn’t want people asking where she was.”
“Even with Brystol visiting all the time?”
Rennie shrugged and picked at the piece of cheese she had on her plate. “The whole situation with Carly was weird. Their dynamic was odd. Brooklyn and Carly rarely talked, and if they did, it was about Brystol and when she was coming to visit. But then, Brooklyn would get a check from Carly for thousands to put toward her business or to pay for Brystol’s needs.”
“Maybe Carly paid Austin’s child support or something.”
“The interest from Austin’s trust fund went to Brooklyn for support.”
“And now, the kid owns everything.”
“Even part of Chamberwoods,” Rennie pointed out. “What do you think Grady is going to do when he gets out of rehab?”
“I don’t know,” Graham said, shaking his head back and forth slowly. “I can’t offer him a job, obviously. He has one skill, and that’s fishing, but I fear he’ll have some PTSD from the accident that might prevent him from going out on a boat. I want to help him, though. I don’t want him to fall back into the pattern he was in.”
“Maybe Bowie has some work for him?”
His eyes went to hers. “That’s a great idea. I’ll ask Bowie when I get back and bring it up to Grady when I see him next week.”
“How is therapy, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Great, I think. We’ve talked about life, the damage his drinking has done, and skirted around the accident. My only complaint is the drive. It’s long and tedious, but whatever gets Grady the help he needs. And my dad is coming around. It’s a slow and steady process with him.”
“He’s a proud man,” Rennie pointed out.
“That he is.” Graham picked up a cracker and added a slice of salami and a piece of cheese to it before sticking it in his mouth. He looked out the windows and saw ships coming into port and motioned toward the water for Rennie to look.
“Maybe this is a happening place for New Year’s.”
Graham laughed. “I’m sure it is, Ren. I’m going to go shower.”
He got up from the table and went to his room. The shower on the boat was about the same, if not a little worse, than the one on his houseboat. However, he loved that the bathroom was in his bedroom, and he wouldn’t subject any of the neighboring boats to anything lewd. He washed quickly, something he was very used to. He chose not to shave, leaving what little growth he had on his face to protect against the wind. Graham used his hand to clear away the condensation from the mirror and examined himself. He combed the scruff on his face down and applied his cologne and turned slightly to the right and then left and smiled. He was going to the bar with Rennie. Tonight was going to be like old times. According to Rennie, it was going to be crazy fun. It had been a long time since he had let loose, and even if he didn’t show it, he was excited.
When he stepped into his room, he walked around freely without a towel, and some weird part of him wanted to rejoice and dance around at his ability to be naked. He could still recall the mortified look on Shari’s face when she saw him in his birthday suit.
Graham dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark-blue button-down, thankful for the wrinkle-free fabric; otherwise, he would have had to wear one of his T-shirts, which weren’t in the best shape. He put on some socks and shoes and then stood in front of the mirror. He looked presentable, and it was the best she was going to get.
When he made his way to the helm, Rennie was there waiting. “Wow, you look better than I do,” she said, and he smiled at the compliment, even if it wasn’t true. Rennie had on a red dress that stopped at her knees, black heels, and a pearl necklace with matching earrings. She’d pulled her hair to the side and exposed most of her neck. She looked good enough to eat and was far out of his league.
Gorgeous. “I’m going to have to fight all the men that come toward you tonight.”
“Is that your way of giving me a compliment?”
Graham chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I’m not particularly good at relaying my feelings. You’re unbelievably beautiful, Ren.” He held his arm out, signaling for her to walk out in front of him. As she stepped out, a wave rocked the boat a bit too much, and she wobbled. Graham caught her before she toppled over. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he whispered. They made eye contact, and each sucked in their breath. Her cheeks flushed, and he was sure his did as well. She peered at him intently. Was she waiting for him to make the first move? His gaze traveled over her face, and he searched her eyes for the okay to kiss her. His fingers traced along her cheek, downward to her chin. Her lips parted, and his head tilted.
“Happy New Year,” someone yelled. They pulled apart and saw another couple on the dock, waving. Graham wasn’t sure if he wanted to scream at them for interrupting a moment between him and Rennie or go thank them, because as much as he wanted to kiss her, he still had reservations.
“Same to you,” Rennie hollered back. “Shall we go?” she asked Graham as she reached for his hand and tugged him along. He snapped out of the daze he found himself in and squeezed her hand to let her know he was right there with her.
The bar wasn’t any farther than the restaurant they had eaten at the night before. He held the door for her, and as soon as they walked in, he realized how overdressed they were. Most of the patrons were in jeans and T-shirts, a few even in sweatshirts. They found a high-top near the back by the pool table, and she asked the couple playing if anyone had the next game. When the woman said no, Rennie looked at Graham, who understood what she wanted and put money down to signal they would play them. Graham knew he and Rennie would have no problem hustling the table away from them. It was almost comical.
Graham and Rennie ordered a pitcher of margaritas, a couple glasses of water, and a plate of nachos to share. Graham made sure Rennie didn’t have any issues getting up onto the tall chair, and as he expected, she boosted herself up there like a pro. He had no idea how she managed to move in her heels, but she made walking in them look natural.
The waitress brought their pitcher of margaritas along with two filled glasses, which, judging by the smile on Rennie’s face, made her happy.
“What do you think? Do we have this table?” Her eyebrows went up and down, making Graham laugh.
His Rennie was back.
Graham glanced at the table and nodded slightly. “I think you can actually take both of them yourself.”
She chuckled. “Should we let them play for a bit or just send the message early?”
Rennie hustled. It was what made her stand out over everyone else. However, if they showed their cards too soon, the night could be boring. On the other side of the coin, if the bar filled, they could have to wait awhile to play again.
“Your wheels are spinning.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Me too. I say we lose the first, but barely. Send a message we’re a formidable foe.” Graham reached across the table and offered a fist bump to his pool partner.