Until Then (Cape Harbor #2) - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,23
to be near him. Oftentimes, he stayed away, and she suspected it was because of Theo. Deep down, she thanked Graham for being the levelheaded one, because she wasn’t so sure she could control herself around him. Rennie loved to flirt with Graham. She had done it the night she returned to Cape Harbor without reservation and despite being in a relationship with another man. She couldn’t help herself. Graham made her feel. When he was around, she had butterflies in her stomach, and her heart pounded a bit faster. When they hugged, her body melded to his, and she clung to him, almost as if her life depended on it. As much as she wanted to go back to those carefree days, she couldn’t. They were adults now. They had responsibilities and commitments to others.
Still, as she sat there gazing at the surfer, she couldn’t help but think about the spring break their junior year of college. A bunch of them pooled their money and decided to rent a house Rennie had seen an ad for on campus, which promised an amazing view, access to the beach, and the beds to sleep ten. The owner described the house as small but cozy. Turned out to be a one-bedroom shack a foot away from the beach with an RV-size refrigerator and a bathroom you had to back up into to use.
Rennie stood there with her backpack slung over her shoulder. Everyone around her was quiet, most likely stunned by what they were seeing. “Um . . .” She didn’t know how to finish her sentence.
“What did the ad say again?” Graham asked as he ran his hand through his hair.
“Comfortable house on the shores of Malibu, sleeps ten,” Rennie muttered.
“Maybe ten outside,” one of Graham’s roommates quipped.
“Maybe there’s more around the corner.” Rennie spoke with optimism. She refused to believe what she saw. There was no way she’d fallen for a con. Yet, with each step she took into the house, her demeanor changed. What she saw when she opened the front door was it. The house was nothing more than a shack. She turned to her group of friends and tried to smile. “At least we don’t have to walk far to the beach.”
People grumbled. Some talked about getting their money back, but it was Graham who took her into his arms and told her everything was going to be okay. “Why don’t we head to the store and see if there are any tents or pop-up shelters.”
“And chairs and a cooler, because we don’t have those either,” someone yelled while another added, “And I’m not paying any more money.”
She could never ask anyone to give more than they already had. This was her fault. She should’ve driven out and inspected the place before she sent the owner money through Western Union. She was too trusting, something she would have to work on before law school.
Graham and Rennie drove to the nearest store, the one that had every possible inflatable toy somehow pinned to the storefront. Inside, Rennie walked up and down each aisle, trying to find everything they would need. There were ten of them now, but she knew others were coming. She filled her arms with air mattresses, Koozies, and a couple of inflatable chairs. When she caught up with Graham, he had five or so bags of ice in his arms, and he pushed Styrofoam coolers with his foot.
“What are we doing?” She sighed.
“Making a bad situation better.”
“I feel so stupid.” Rennie wanted to cry. She wanted to go back to her dorm room and hide until school started.
“Don’t. You didn’t know.”
When they returned, Graham took over. He told the group that if they were uncomfortable with the accommodations, they could leave, but that they were all responsible because they had all agreed when Rennie read them the ad. Rennie smiled. Graham had a way of making her feel better. After she unpacked everything, she found the courage to tell her friends, “If you want to use one of the air mattresses, you’re responsible for blowing it up.” A few grumbled, but in the end, everyone did their part.
“Come on.” Graham took Rennie’s hand and pulled her behind him. He had on his wet suit, and the arms slapped his butt with each step he took. They walked toward the surf, trudging through the sand.
“You’re not going to try and teach me again, are you?” she asked when they stopped by a surfboard.