Rennie stepped into the diner first and greeted the hostess, telling her she had two in her party. Graham followed Rennie toward their booth and set his hand on her lower back. A familiar sense of longing washed over her, but she ignored it. Her feelings for Graham needed to remain buried. Their time had come, and they had missed their chance.
They ordered coffee to start and both glanced at the menu. Rennie’s mouth watered when she read their special for the day: pancakes with berry compote. She made up her mind when she pictured a pile of whipped cream on top of the berries.
“Do you know what you’re getting?” she asked Graham as she set the menu down on the edge of the table. She picked up her mug and brought her coffee to her lips, sipping gingerly.
“Steak and eggs. It’ll keep me full until dinner.”
“You don’t plan to eat lunch?”
He set his menu on top of hers and wrapped his hands around his cup of coffee. “I think my stomach might be in knots around lunchtime.”
She understood. Many of her clients forgot to eat before court because of nerves. There were times when a loud stomach growl would interrupt a cross-examination or a summation. The first couple of times she’d heard the sound, the noise caught her off guard. Now, Rennie didn’t falter. Her professionalism saved a lot of face, especially when it was her client.
The server came by, and they placed their orders. Graham looked pensive, completely lost in thought. “What’s on your mind?” Rennie asked him.
“The past,” he said as he made eye contact with her.
Rennie nodded. It had been on her mind a lot too. “I think because we’ve spent so much time together in these past few weeks.”
“I’m glad you found someone like Theo.” Graham’s words sent a jolt through her; she was taken aback by his admission. “He’s a good guy. I may not like him, but Bowie does, and Brooklyn speaks very highly of him.”
“He’s different from our crew.” She glossed over the fact that Graham said he didn’t like Theo. She was curious but didn’t want to know the reasons why. “He didn’t grow up on the beach with bonfires and close-knit friends. He’s a skier. That’s his thing. I’ve been trying to mix both of our lifestyles, but it’s hard.”
“How so?” Graham took a sip of his coffee and the whole time never took his eyes off Rennie.
“He’s not a fan of sand in places it shouldn’t be, whereas I don’t care. I’m not a fan of skiing. I’m not a fan of the snow, but I’ll go because it means something to him. I’m hoping that after our New Year’s trip, he’ll be more amenable to the beach.”
“Shouldn’t he go to the beach because it means something to you?” Graham countered. He was right, but Rennie would never admit it aloud.
The server returned in the nick of time, saving Rennie from having to answer Graham’s question. She smiled at the waitress and licked her lips in anticipation as she set her pancakes down.
“Are there any pancakes with the whipped cream?” Graham chuckled at his joke.
“Be quiet, you,” Rennie said to him as she set her napkin in her lap. She used her fork to take a heaping scoop of the fluffy white concoction off the top and hummed in response when sweetness hit her taste buds. “This is the best.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. So, we talked about my love life. Tell me about yours. Are you seeing anyone? Maybe your cute bartender?”
Graham cut into his steak. He stabbed a piece of meat, added ketchup and some hash browns to his fork before stuffing it into his mouth. Rennie suspected he planned to avoid her questions, and she had no intention of letting him do such a thing. So, she waited. Her foot tapped against the tiled floor, and she watched his every move.
“Stalker much?”
“Answer me.”
Graham sighed. “I’m not seeing anyone. I haven’t dated in a while. Krista is happily married.”
“Why aren’t you dating?”
Graham pushed his food around on his plate and kept his eyes downcast. “I’m the brother of the town drunk. Not exactly bring-home-to-Mom material.”
Rennie’s heart sank. Graham was 1,000 percent the man you brought home to your parents. She knew this early on and never hesitated to introduce him to her parents. “I’m sorry.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Rennie waited a long moment before asking, “Whatever happened to what’s her face from college? I thought for sure you’d get married.”
“Monica?”
Rennie nodded.
“Grady happened,” Graham stated matter-of-factly. “After the funeral, shit went south fast. My parents needed help. We all thought Grady was going through this phase. He needed me, so I stayed. There was nothing here for Monica. The idea of giving up her career to live in a small-town tourist trap wasn’t something she wanted, and I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want it, either, but here I am. You ask me why I’m not dating. If Grady isn’t the obvious reason, it’s also because I have nothing to offer someone.”