She had nothing to gain by being dishonest. Rennie nodded.
“And the next day?”
Rennie nodded again.
Angela looked at her in disbelief. “And the following weekend, right? He had a business trip. You know, I’m just going to assume that every time my husband was out of town, he was with you. He wears a ring. Why wasn’t that enough to stop you?” Angela pointed out.
“Like I said, I didn’t know. He may wear one when he’s home, but the day I met Theo, he did not have a ring on and hasn’t since that day.” Which made her wonder if she was truly the only woman he had cheated on Angela with. The more she sat there, the more she hated him.
“You know, I’m sitting here and wondering why you. What do you have that I don’t? What did my husband, my high school sweetheart, see in you that he doesn’t see in me? I’ve given him everything, and I don’t understand why he’s done this to me.”
Slowly, Rennie shook her head back and forth. “I don’t know. From my experience at work, sometimes it’s nothing. Sometimes, men cheat, or women do. Some say they’re bored or their partner isn’t satisfying in bed. Others do it because they don’t get caught. I can tell you anything you want about our relationship, but as to his state of mind and why he’s done this, I don’t have an answer for you. If I knew he was married, I would’ve never entertained the idea. I would’ve walked away. I deal with divorce on a daily basis. I’m not going to be the catalyst for one. That’s not who I am as a person.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Rennie adjusted in her seat. “At one time, yes, I was. But we drifted apart a little. We planned the trip for a few months, and we were going to use it to reconnect. Again, I knew nothing about you, so I had no idea you spent your honeymoon there.”
“Whose idea was the trip?”
“His. I don’t ski. I agreed because it was something he wanted to do.” Rennie paused and contemplated what she was about to tell Angela. “You should know, he asked me to move to Spokane, to live with him. And a few days ago, he sat in my friend’s bar, demanding my friend help him get me back.”
Angela nodded. “So, no business trip?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since the beginning of last week.” Rennie reached for her bag again. “Look, I’m really sorry. I am. If you decide to stay in your marriage, I wish you the best of luck, but if you decide to leave him, you’ll need a damn good lawyer. He’s a manipulator. I really have to go.” Rennie walked away. She left Theo’s wife at the restaurant and never looked back.
THIRTY
The saying “The writing is on the wall” never meant much to Graham. He wasn’t the type of guy who looked for signs or omens or believed in superstition, which hadn’t made a ton of sense since he ran what many considered to be a haunted bar. Graham chalked those stories up to old wives’ tales or stories that had been embellished over time. He likened most of them to the game of telephone that he played in kindergarten. By the time the message got to the last kid, it was nothing like the way it had started.
It had been weeks since Rennie had visited Cape Harbor. She was busy; that was the excuse she gave Graham every Thursday or Friday. Her caseload was heavy, and she didn’t have time to drive north; she had court, too many meetings, mediation. When Graham suggested he come down, her excuse was that he would be a distraction. He tried not to let the rejection hurt, but it had, and he had gone back to the ridiculous what-if game. What if he had told her no when they were on the boat? What if he had dropped her off at Brooklyn’s instead of bringing her to his house? Graham could come up with a dozen or more questions, all with no answer. His hindsight game was strong, and at this point in his life, he should’ve made a career out of it.
As much as Rennie’s absence bothered him, he refused to show it. He went about his day, returned her text messages when she would return his, and made every-other-day trips to see Grady. For everything Rennie was doing to Graham in regard to their relationship, he couldn’t be mad at her, because she was there when he needed her most, and because of her swift actions, she had brought Grady back to Graham.
Grady thrived in rehab. Their weekly family therapy sessions weren’t always serious. There had been a lot of laughter, jokes, and overdue apologies. Grady was apologetic for what he’d put everyone through, and they, in turn, were sorry they’d waited so long to get him the help he needed.
When Graham arrived at the facility, he carried a box of doughnuts. Bringing one to Grady had become a habit, and he told his brother that the staff hinted they would like one. Graham was happy to oblige and started bringing a dozen. He checked in, waited for the security guard to take his doughnut, and then made his way to the rec room, where visitation started.
It wasn’t long until Grady came in; he was looking more and more like Graham every day. If someone who didn’t already know they were identical twins met the brothers now, they’d at least know they were related. Grady looked like an older version of Graham. But he was healthy, and that was the only thing that mattered.
“They’re seriously going to miss you when I get out of here,” Grady said as he sat down. He chose his maple bar and took a bite. Following Grady’s last checkup, Dr. Field informed the family that Grady’s organs were healing, but he needed to stay clean. One relapse would kill him. Thankfully, they removed Grady’s feeding tube, and he could start eating more substantial meals.
“They’ll have to con someone else into bringing them treats.”
Grady looked at his brother and smiled. “You visit more than anyone out of everyone here.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I appreciate it. I’ve missed being your brother.”
Graham reached across the table and squeezed Grady’s hand. “Me too, brother.” The boys shared a moment, and when Graham pulled his hand back, he had to look away. He didn’t want his brother to see him cry. “So, you have about a month left.”
“Yeah,” Grady said as he picked at the pastry. “I have a new lawyer. His name is Jeff something or other. He works with Rennie. She said he’s more equipped to handle my case. I like him.”
“Rennie does too. She said he had helped her with your arraignment.”
“Jeff said I wouldn’t serve any jail time. He worked out a deal with the state or whatever. One-year probation, license suspended for a year, and two years community service, plus three years of court-mandated treatment.”
“Wait, you have to stay here for three years?”
Grady laughed. “No, like AA or whatever. The state will assign me a counselor and all that.”
Graham understood now. “Maybe it can be in Skagit Valley or somewhere close.”
“Yeah, I’ll ask.”
“Grady.” Graham spoke his brother’s name softly. “I’m really proud of you. I thought you would’ve fought us on this last push to get you into rehab, made things hard, but you’re doing really well.”
Grady stayed silent and focused on his breakfast. When he finally spoke, he said, “I’m going to need a job.”