Until Then (Cape Harbor #2) - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,124

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