Chapter 9 Graham
Chapter nine
Graham
Ispotted Eric through the brewery windows before I even pulled the truck into the open spot out front on Main Street. He was at a high-top by the window, talking to Mrs. Wilkins.
I slip in the door just as she pats his hand and heads toward the table where her husband, Will, sits. Lifting my chin in greeting to Rhys behind the bar, I head toward my best friend, whose face breaks into a wide grin when he spots me.
“Graham!” He’s on his feet, crossing the space between us in three strides. “Perfect timing, my friend. Have I got news for you.”
I clap him on the shoulder, excitement thrumming through me. “I’ve got news, too.”
The words roll easily off my tongue. I can’t wait to tell him about Brenna. About the woman who walked into my life last night and turned everything upside down. He’ll be thrilled that I’ve finally met someone worth talking about.
“Everything okay?”
I smile at his concern. “Everything’s great, but you first.”
“No, you—” Eric stops mid-sentence, his gaze shifting over my shoulder. “Actually, I will go first, since there’s someone I want you to meet.”
I turn, following his line of sight, and every muscle in my body goes rigid.
Brenna.
She’s frozen halfway between the bathroom and our table, those green eyes wide. The same woman who fell apart in my arms last night, who trusted me with her innocence, who left me a note this morning saying she hoped I was okay.
There were a dozen things I wanted to say to her when I saw her again, starting with laying my heart bare. But the words I rehearsed on my drive into town die in my throat because Eric’s standing right there.
Plus, more importantly, why does Eric want me to meet Brenna? Christ, does he know her somehow? My mind races through possibilities, but nothing makes sense. There’s no way.
“Brenna,” Eric calls, waving her over. “Come meet my best friend.”
My heart hammers against my ribs as she approaches, her fingers clutching her purse strap. Her movements are careful, controlled, as if she’s unsure what’s going to happen now. When she gets close enough, the familiar scent of her perfume hits me.
“Graham,” Eric says, his voice betraying his excitement, “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Brenna.”
Daughter?
The word detonates in my chest and burns hot. Brenna is Eric’s daughter? The same Eric who’s been my anchor since I came back broken from Afghanistan. Who helped me rebuild my life from nothing? Who trusts me completely?
And I took his daughter’s virginity.
Less than twelve hours ago.
My first instinct hits like a lightning strike—I want to grab her, haul her somewhere private, and demand to know why the hell she told me father was in finance. I want to put her over my knee for letting me touch her when she knew damn well what it would mean.
But then I catch the way her teeth worry her bottom lip. The uncertainty flickering in her green eyes. And understanding crashes over me like ice water.
She didn’t know either.
Christ. She came here looking for Eric, not knowing the man is my closest friend. Not knowing that sleeping with me would complicate everything she’d driven here to find. The realization turns my world upside down, but it doesn’t change the fact she’s as trapped in this mess as I am right now.
And one thing’s for sure. Eric can’t find out. It would ruin things between them. Between us.
Hell and damnation.
Brenna’s lips curve into a smile, and she steps close to me.
Too close. I thrust out a hand to stop her, only turning it at the last second to appear as if I’m going for a handshake.
Wrinkles crisscross her brow as she reluctantly slips her hand in mine.
Her skin is soft against my palm, and the contact sends electricity straight through me.
Fuck.
“Actually, we—” she starts, her gaze flicking to mine.
“Nice to meet you,” I bark out, too loud and too fast, cutting her off. My gaze locks onto hers, and she blinks, confusion flashing across her delicate features. I try to send her a message with my gaze.
“Likewise,” she replies quietly, dropping my hand as if it’s burned her.
For a moment, none of us speaks. The silence stretches until Eric lets out a laugh.
“You’re speechless, aren’t you?” Eric grins, enjoying my reaction.
I clear my throat, trying to find my voice. “I’m… shocked.”
“I knew you’d be.” Eric beams with pride. “Twenty-two years of wondering, and she just walked into my life today.”
Brenna moves to my right as Eric talks. The gesture is so subtle I doubt he notices, but it hits me. She remembers. And cares. Even after I’ve just treated her like a complete stranger. The realization makes me hate myself even more than I already do.
“You said best friend?” Her voice is carefully neutral as she glances between us, her fingers working her purse strap.
“When my dad passed away last year, Graham showed up at my door with homemade soup and stayed for a week, chopping wood and taking care of everything without me even asking.” Eric’s eyes shine with emotion. “Salt of the earth, this one. The kind of man you can trust with anything or anyone.”
The irony cuts me like a blade. Eric’s absolute faith in my character, his complete trust, makes the weight of what I’ve done twist like a knife between my ribs.
Brenna’s face has gone pale as he continues.
“We’ve been through a lot together, Graham and I,” Eric says, shooting a smile my way. I wince.
“Yeah, some real…curveballs,” I offer weakly.
“That’s what friends do,” Eric says, hands on his hips. “Weather storms together. Speaking of which, did you come up yesterday?” he asks her. “That storm last night was something, hmm?”
Both Brenna and I go perfectly still. Her face drains of color, and I can practically see her mind working.
“The storm,” she repeats faintly. “Yeah, I was driving in it and—”
“Driving in it?” Eric exclaims, taking a step closer to her. “Please tell me you made it somewhere safe and warm.”
I don’t remember the last time I felt so nauseous. I breathe through my nose and pray I don’t throw up.
“I… Yes. I found shelter,” she whispers.
Eric doesn’t notice the way her voice breaks, too caught up in his paternal concern. “Good. I would feel terrible knowing my daughter was stuck out in that weather all alone on her first night here.”
“Nope, all good,” she adds, her eyes meeting the floor.
“So what was your news?” Eric asks, turning back to me with expectant eyes.
Brenna’s eyes snap to my face, watching closely as I scramble. My mouth opens and then closes. I can’t exactly tell him I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with when that woman is standing right here. And I haven’t even told her yet. And she’s his long-lost daughter.
“It’s nothing,” I finally choke out. “Just…another commission. Nothing that compares to this.”
“Another magazine feature?” Eric presses. “Like that Architectural Digest cover?”
Brenna’s eyes sharpen, but I shake my head. “No, nothing like that.”
“Well, I can’t wait to hear more about it.” Eric’s grin returns full force. “But hell,” he continued, his gaze sliding back to Brenna, “twenty-two years, Graham. Twenty-two years, I’ve wondered about her, and here she is.”
Guilt shoots down my spine. Leave it to me to complicate the one moment Eric waited for half of his life. And it’s just my luck to finally fall for the one woman I can’t have.
“I should go,” Brenna says suddenly, already inching backward.
“Already? But we just—”
“I’m tired from the drive,” she cuts him off then adds more gently, “And it’s been a big day.”
Eric nods, understanding flickering in his eyes. “Of course. Where are you staying? Serenity Slopes? I can pick you up there tomorrow for our hike.”
“Actually, I’m at a rental cabin. Out of town.”
My blood runs cold.
“A rental?” Eric says, surprised. “Where?”
Brenna hesitates, shooting me a quick sidelong look before answering. “A few miles out of Wildwood. There was a pottery wheel on the back patio in the pictures I saw online, and I…just couldn't resist.”
Eric’s brow furrows, and he rubs his jaw. “A pottery wheel…” His voice trails off, and I practically see him trying to place a memory. “That sounds familiar.”
I rock from side to side on my feet. Brenna’s perceptive green eyes narrow as she studies my face. I see the exact moment realization dawns. Her father likely knows there’s a pottery wheel at my rental. Her lips part in a small gasp.
“It was nice to meet you,” I say quickly, hoping to distract Eric. “But you should get some rest. Your father’s hikes are legendary, but they’re long if you’re not used to them.”
Eric’s gaze drops to her feet. “Do you have any hiking boots? If not, I can—”
“I’m set, thank you.”
“Of course. Can I pick you up in the morning?”
She sucks in a breath. “How about I meet you at your counter again? Say nine o’clock?”
“I can’t wait.”
She moves to leave then pauses and turns back to me. “It was nice meeting you, too, Graham.”
The way she says my name, with a hint of something that could be longing or accusation, makes me want to follow her out the door.
But I don’t. Eric settles back onto his stool, shaking his head. “Can you believe it? My daughter.”
I force myself to sit across from him, my hands still clenched into fists.
But Eric doesn’t notice. He’s staring into his water glass, his thumb stroking the side as his voice turns thoughtful.
“Whatever happened in the city, with her family growing up… I don’t know, but she’s looking for something here. Something real.”
The irony cuts deep. She found something real, all right. She found me.
“I’m thinking of asking her to stay,” Eric continues. “She said she’s never felt like she belonged down there.”
My heart trips over itself. I’d give anything for Brenna to stay, but the knowledge comes with a sick twist in my gut because I’ve already stepped on the landmine. Eric’s talking about forever while I’m counting down to the explosion.