Until Then (Cape Harbor #2) - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,88

honestly, Graham was ready to settle down. He wanted kids and the laid-back life Cape Harbor provided.

Graham leaned back and put his arm around Rennie to give her a one-armed hug. She snuggled into him, gripping his shirt with her fist. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a friend like you, Graham Cracker.”

“I feel the same way, Ren. You’re my best girl. Always have been.”

And she would always be.

TWENTY-ONE

Graham held true to his word. After they docked, he took a shower while Rennie got ready for dinner. Most of the clothes she had packed were for lounging around the lodge, but they would suffice for now. Thankfully, the fleece-lined pants she had bought online would still come in handy, because it was a bit chilly on the island. Rennie waited for Graham in the upper salon, and when he came up the stairs, he was dressed in a white button-down and a pair of medium-wash jeans. It wasn’t what he was wearing that caught her attention. It was the way he smelled. Earlier, when she had showered at his house, she used his soap, hoping to smell like him, but the scent she craved was his cologne. He was old fashioned and wore Old Spice, just like her grandfather had. It comforted her, especially when she wore his sweatshirt.

He led her off the boat and through the marina. They walked side by side up a small hill until they reached the main street. She had never been to Friday Harbor or any of the other San Juan Islands and was already starting to fall in love with the quaint little town. When they rounded a corner, Graham reached for her hand, and she gave it willingly. They walked a block or two until he stopped and held open a wooden door for her.

“Hi, welcome to the Lavender. How many?”

“Two,” Rennie said to the hostess, who grabbed two menus and asked them to follow her. The restaurant was dimly lit, and she could hear people cheering from the bar. Rennie almost asked Graham if he wanted to sit in there and watch whatever game was on but also thought Graham might want a break from the bar scene. The hostess showed them to their seats and told them their waiter would be by shortly. The tablecloth was purple with a sprig of lavender in a small jar sitting in the middle of it.

“What is with all the lavender?” she asked him.

“Odd as it may sound, lavender grows here. The soil is perfect for it. There are fields everywhere once you leave this area.”

“How did I not know this? I’ve lived in this state my entire life.”

“How much of it have you explored?”

She thought for a minute. “Honestly, not much. I think I need to get out more. Maybe that’ll be my New Year’s resolution: travel Washington more.”

“Sounds like a good one.” Graham opened his menu, and Rennie did the same. She scanned the items available, each one making her mouth water, until she came to the seafood. Internally, she gave herself a fist bump. There would be no more complaining about Theo’s sushi-eating habits or arguing about where they’d go to dinner. She found herself smiling and chanced a look at Graham, only to see him staring at his phone.

“What is it?” she asked. She saw his thumb move on his phone.

“Brooklyn is worried because you’re not answering your phone. She says Theo has been by the house looking for you.”

“Oh” was all she could manage to say at first. “I don’t want him coming here, and I don’t want to see him.”

“I know.” Graham typed out a message and showed her his phone. She’s with me. She’s safe and will call you later. Send Theo packing.

“That’s a lot. Maybe just say she hates Theo and to shoot him?”

Graham shook his head and took his phone back. “If you don’t care about him, why do you care whether he finds you or not?”

Rennie appraised Graham for a moment. He was right. If she didn’t care, why keep her location a secret? Truth was, she needed time before she faced Theo, which she hoped would be the first of never. Graham didn’t wait for a response.

“Theo has no idea where you are, and Bowie and especially Brooklyn won’t tell him. You have nothing to worry about.”

“But when we get back . . .”

“When we get back, we’ll deal with it. I’m sure he’ll be sitting on your steps when