Rennie flung her arms around Graham’s shoulders and smashed her flowers into his chest. “I’m sorry too, Graham.” She looked deep into his eyes and could easily see herself falling very hard and very fast for him. “I’m happy you’re here, but why are you here?” She laughed at her question.
“I had to see you. I didn’t want to wait until this weekend, because I have to work a ton. I gave Krista the weekend off.”
“Good—she deserves it.” Rennie took her flowers and held the smashed petals to her nose. “I think I broke them.” She held her hand out for Graham to follow her as she gave him a quick tour. She showed him her guest bedroom, the small bathroom, the living room, the kitchen and finally her bedroom.
“This is cozy.”
“I like it. Come on—I was about to order some dinner. Are you hungry?” She walked back toward the kitchen with him hot on her heels.
“Sure.”
They stood at the counter and looked at the menus together, finally settling on dim sum. Rennie placed the order while Graham wandered around her living room. When she hung up, she went to him and pulled him toward her favorite oversize stuffed chair. He sat first, and she crawled onto his lap.
“I’m happy you’re here.”
“You are?”
“Absolutely.” She caressed the side of his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. Within seconds, passion ignited between them. “I want you,” she told him, only to have him pull back.
“Can we talk?”
She could only nod, because her heart was in her throat.
Graham adjusted in the seat, turning slightly so he could look at Rennie. He smiled, but she didn’t see his eyes light up like they normally did. “I saw Grady the other day, and he said something to me that got me thinking.”
“About?”
“Us. He said it in reference to him and Monroe. Roe has always liked Grady and has cared for him a lot over the years, but he wants her to move on, because she is part of his past. I know his situation is different from ours, but we were all affected by the accident, and I fear that things between us could be residual feelings. The last thing I want for either of us is to jump two feet in and then start to backpedal because we don’t really know each other. I know Rennie Wallace from age sixteen to twenty-two, but for the past fifteen years, minus the last six months, I don’t know the Rennie sitting on my lap, and I want to know. I want to know her more than anything, but she needs to know me too. I’m not the same guy I was all those years ago.”
Rennie looked away and let his words sink in. She hated everything Graham said but respected him greatly for saying it.
Graham brought her chin toward him so they could look each other in the eyes. “I want to fall in love with you, Renee Wallace. But I want to do it because it’s right and it’s what we both want. I think rushing into a relationship isn’t healthy for either of us. You’re just coming off a long relationship, and I have Grady . . .” Graham paused. “I want to be the man you deserve, not the one who has to cancel on you or changes plans because his brother needs a little extra help right now.”
She cupped Graham’s cheeks and noticed he had tears in his eyes. “I don’t deserve a man like you—I really don’t—but damn I respect the hell out of you right now. Ever since I returned, I’ve had this lingering feeling something was off. Not with you, but us. It’s like we missed a step, and you’re right; we need to date. You need to wine and dine me; show me the world, Mr. Chamberlain, because I’m about to do the same for you. I believe in us, Graham.”
He pulled her close and held her to his chest, where they stayed until their food arrived. They ate together on her couch and talked a bit more about his session with Grady. When Graham stood to leave, Rennie protested.
“You can’t leave.”
“I have to. If I stay, I’m taking you to bed, and that defeats the purpose. I want to be your partner in life, Rennie, not your hookup, and if we have sex, we’ll never figure out if we can hack a relationship together. To me, that’s more important.”
Rennie stood and stared into his eyes. “When did you become so wise?”
He pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled. “It was Grady. What he said made sense, and I want us to work.”
“Me too.” She rose up and placed her lips to his. She kept it chaste, knowing the last thing either of them needed was more temptation. Rennie walked Graham to the door, and they promised to talk later in the week. She stood on her stoop and watched him walk down the street with tears in her eyes. Her heart broke with the thought that they might have missed their chance at happiness together.