“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 wife or lie to Rennie. Graham would never be that type of man.
“I hate him,” she mumbled. Her words were garbled.
“I know you do, and you have every right to. I’m not judging you.” He would never judge her. She hadn’t judged him or his family when everything went down with Grady.
“Why did he do this to me?”
“I don’t know,” he said to her. “I was just asking myself the same thing.”
Rennie turned slightly in his arms. “Would you ever do something like this?”
Graham studied her red-rimmed eyes and smeared makeup. He didn’t care what she looked like—she would always be one of the most beautiful women he had ever known. She had strands of hair stuck to her face. Graham tucked them behind her ear and brought his hand down slowly from her ear to her neck.
“No, I would never do that to you.” He paused and wondered if she noticed how he singled her out. When she didn’t turn away, he added, “If I were lucky enough to find a woman who wanted to be with me, marry me, I’d do everything I could to make her the happiest woman alive, and if I wasn’t happy, I’d tell her. No one deserves to be cheated on.”
Graham felt this deep in his heart. Back in college, when he met Monica, he was torn in half by this growing love for her and his undying love for Rennie. He had to draw the line, decide on his future. As much as he wanted one with Rennie, he didn’t see it happening any time in the near future. Monica was there and present. He chose her, and while his heart ached for Rennie, he didn’t regret his decision. He and Rennie were as close as ever but miles apart when it came to life. He made a vow to Monica as her boyfriend and kept it. If things had been different, he likely would’ve asked Monica to marry him. He would’ve asked her if she’d moved with him as well, but they weren’t meant to be.
Rennie snuggled into Graham’s chest. He didn’t care that his sweatshirt would likely be covered with tearstains and makeup. All Graham cared about was Rennie. If this was what she needed, he would give it to her.
“You’re a good guy, Graham Cracker.”
Being a good guy was a great quality to have, but where did it get him? Apparently, on a boat in the middle of winter, holding a brokenhearted woman. He should be bothered. Incensed, really, that she expected him to drop everything for her. He was, in a sense, but it was how they worked—coming to each other’s aid—no questions asked.
Graham inhaled deeply, taking in the sea salt air. He looked out over the harbor, in the darkness, and wondered what was out there. They were close to where Austin’s boat capsized, and that got his mind wondering. Austin’s body had never been recovered. Was he out there? Did he have amnesia? Or had he been buried at sea? These were questions that also plagued Grady and yet were never answered.