Until Then (Cape Harbor #2) - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,91

of a person or force an opinion. You listen to what I have to say. You respect my feelings. You care about me in a way no one else ever has. You’re my best friend, and there isn’t any place I’d rather be right now other than here with you, enjoying a delicious dinner and exploring a place I’ve never been.”

She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw Graham grimace. When the waiter walked by, he asked for the check.

“No dessert?”

“We still need to go to the grocery store,” he reminded her. “We can get some ice cream or whatever it is you want there.”

“Booze,” she said. “Lots and lots of booze.”

“No booze,” Graham told her. “We’re docked, and the boat will sway more. I don’t want you getting seasick.”

“Graham Cracker, you’re such a buzzkill.”

He laughed. “You whine enough as is, Ren. I’m not going to hold your hair back because you decided to drink yourself into a stupor. Believe me; you’ll thank me later.”

When the check came, Graham threw down a wad of cash and got up from the table. He reached for Rennie’s hand, and their fingers intertwined. “Come on—let’s go get gallons of ice cream and tell stories all night long.”

Rennie slapped his chest, and he recoiled. “Only if I can paint your toes and do your hair.”

He shook his head. “Never gonna happen. I will sit outside with you, though, and watch the stars.”

She liked that idea, mostly because that was how they spent their first night together when they were teens, under the stars.

TWENTY-TWO

Graham rolled onto his side, wrapped himself up in his weighted blanket, and readjusted his pillow to cover his ear. Whatever animal had decided to take refuge on the dock after nightfall moaned incredibly loud. Coupled with the constant sway of the boat from the choppy water, Graham was restless. There wasn’t much he could do about the boat, but in the morning, he would talk to the marina manager and see if the animal could find a new place to serenade. Although, that was unlikely as well.

He sighed heavily and rolled onto his back and spread his arms out wide. All he wanted was a couple hours of sleep, but no matter how hard he tried, it wasn’t going to happen. There was too much going on for his mind to shut off, and when it finally started to, images of Rennie popped up, keeping him wide awake.

“Rennie,” he said her name aloud and sat up straight in his bed. The lights from the docks crept through his curtains, giving his room a natural night-light. His heart raced as the sound of the animal grew closer. Only, it wasn’t some sea creature taking refuge on the dock or on the boat; it was Rennie. Graham listened for a moment before getting out of bed. He dressed quickly in sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt and sweatshirt and pulled his weighted blanket off his bed. When he stepped out into the small hallway, he noticed her door was open. He didn’t need to peer in to verify she wasn’t in her room. Her cries were enough to tell him where she was.

On the deck, Rennie sat at the bow, with her back facing the helm. As Graham approached, the sounds that had kept him awake came from her. His steps faltered as he heard his friend wail. He walked faster along the starboard side of the yacht, and when he reached her, Graham draped his blanket over the front of her. He sat down and pulled her between his legs.

“I’ve got you, Ren,” he whispered into her ear. He should’ve been concerned for the few other boats docked, but no one seemed to be awake. Maybe they, too, thought an animal had beached itself. He warned her about the grief earlier but couldn’t predict it would hit her in the middle of the night. It all made sense, though. She was alone with her thoughts, and there wasn’t anyone in her room, once they went to bed, to keep her mind from drifting.

She clutched at his arms, her nails digging into the fabric of his sweatshirt. Rennie sobbed. Her body shook. With each new wave of emotion, Graham held her tighter. He hated what she was going through, and he himself wanted to hunt Theo down and pummel him for what he had done to Rennie. He couldn’t fathom what was going on in Theo’s mind when he decided to cheat on his