Until Then (Cape Harbor #2) - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,42

sign from closed to open and made sure he unlocked the door. He wanted people milling around, coming in, and eating. Graham needed the distraction, anything to take his mind off his brother.

He found himself standing in the middle of the bar, jumping out of his skin when the door flew open. He swore aloud to the ghosts who haunted the Whale Spout, quite certain he could hear them laughing at him, calling him a scaredy-cat. Normally, the haunting didn’t bother him, but he was on edge with everything.

Luke, Bowie’s black Lab, took advantage of the door being open and strolled into the bar. Graham laughed and went behind the counter to get him a treat. Seconds later, Bowie stepped in and pulled the door shut behind him. “Morning,” he said as he sat down at the bar.

“Isn’t it a little too early for a drink?” Graham said to his friend.

“Aren’t bartenders supposed to serve their patrons any time of the day?”

“I’m turning over a new leaf,” he replied, smirking. Still, he set one of his custom-made coasters down and asked Bowie what he’d like to drink. Bowie ordered water and agreed with Graham. It was too early to drink. “Are you working today?”

“Yeah, starting a remodel at the old gristmill. Someone from Texas bought it.”

“What are they doing with it?”

“Turning it into a house.”

“That’ll be cool, especially if they run the water mill.”

“How’s Grady?”

“Shit,” Graham said as he reached for his phone. “I meant to text my mom and have her call me.” He sent a message to his mom, looked to see if Rennie had texted him back, and, when he saw she hadn’t, set his phone down. “When I left last night, he was still in the coma. The doctor hoped they’d be able to bring him out of it today or tomorrow, although his organs are pretty damaged.”

“If he recovers, it’ll be a long road ahead for him.”

“If,” Graham repeated.

Don, one of the three cooks employed at the Whale Spout, announced his arrival, which earned a loud bark from Luke. He came into the bar and filled his large plastic cup with pop and said he’d be out back cleaning. Graham wondered how busy they were over the weekend. He needed to pull the register tapes and check profits.

“You heading back to Port A tonight?”

Graham shook his head. “Tomorrow after work. I have to sit down with Krista and see if we can make some changes to the schedule. Tonight, Peggy is going to help me put some stuff together for my mom, and I’m going to try and get my dad to go up there.”

“Still being stubborn?”

“Like a mule.” Graham sighed. “Do you ever wonder how things could’ve been different?”

Bowie nodded. “Every day. I look at Brooklyn and ask myself why I didn’t follow her or harass her parents about where she was. I let her go and tried to move on. I lost fifteen years . . .” A couple people walked in, and Bowie stopped talking. They sat at the end of the bar, away from Bowie. Graham went to them, tended to their needs, and came back to his friend. “What’s plaguing you?” Bowie asked Graham.

“Grady, obviously. My dad for being in denial. Rennie. She stepped up big time at the hospital, and I hate that I can’t be with her.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Graham wanted them back. He glanced at Bowie, whose eyes widened.

“What?”

Graham shrugged. “Ever since this past summer, when she walked in here and announced herself, I’m back to where I was before everything happened.”

“Do you love Rennie?”

It was a question Graham often asked himself. Deep down, he knew the answer, but it wouldn’t matter, because she was in love with someone else. “I could say yes, but I’d be an idiot for even thinking that way about her. I could say no, but I’d be lying to myself.”

“You should tell her.”

Graham shook his head. “No way. She’s in love with Theo. I’m not going to tell her anything, because what we had was high school and college; it’s Brooklyn’s return, and subsequently Rennie’s as well, that’s dredged up these feelings. Before, we had a fling. It worked for us.” He shrugged. “Now we’re adults. She has a life, and mine’s in limbo. I’m not about to confuse her.”

“Well, sometimes I think she needs a little confusing. And for the record, Brooklyn has a feeling things aren’t great between Rennie and Theo.