“Renee?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, just thinking.”
“About?”
“About Christmas.”
“What is there to think about? We have a plan.”
Rennie sat back down and sighed. She had to rip the bandage off, no matter how bad it was going to hurt. “Theo, I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind lately and decided last night to drive up to Brooklyn’s.”
Theo was silent for much longer than Rennie thought he would be. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.
“Let me see if I can understand this. I ask you to go away with me, and you tell me no because you have to work and then the next day decide to go to Cape Harbor?”
She was the worst girlfriend in the history of girlfriends. “I’ll make it up to you, Theo. I’m sorry. When I thought about coming here, I should’ve called you and made arrangements to meet up. When you come back, fly into Seattle, and I’ll pick you up, and then we can wake up the next day, order room service, and never leave my room.”
Theo cleared his throat. “I don’t want to spend Christmas with your friends, Renee. You know this. I only agreed to drive up Christmas afternoon because I want to make you happy. Waking up in a hotel is not how I want to spend our holiday together.”
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’ll go back to my place. Everything will be as planned.” As she said the words, tears pricked in her eyes. She wanted to spend time with everyone she loved, even her parents, but they were who knows where. Brooklyn and Brystol were her family, and this was where she wanted to be. Why couldn’t he see that?
Theo sighed. “Don’t. We’ll compromise. I’ll come up, but I want you to do me a favor.”
“What is it? I’ll do anything to fix this.” She would. She loved him that much to do whatever he asked unless it meant giving up her family in Cape Harbor.
“I know we talked about my company opening a field office in Seattle. It’s looking more and more unlikely. I hate the distance between us and want to wake up to you every morning, Renee.”
“What are you saying?”
“After the first of the year, I’d like for you to look for jobs in Spokane. I know it’s not what we discussed, but it makes the most sense.”
Um . . . no, it doesn’t.
“Theo, I’m not sure what to say.”
“Say nothing,” he told her. “Think about it. Look at firms that might interest you, or look for office space and think about opening your own firm. Peruse neighborhoods with big fancy houses you want to live in. After the first of the year, you’ll come over here, and we’ll tour. I’ll take you to all my favorite spots. We’ll go ice-skating at the park and make love by the fire. Love, I think this is for the best.”
She didn’t, and she didn’t foresee her mind changing anytime soon. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“I love you, Renee. I’ll call you when I get to San Diego.”
After she told him she loved him in return, they hung up. Rennie stayed in the chair and let tears stream down her face. She loved where she lived, her job, and being close to Brooklyn. If she moved, she’d be six hours away, and her weekends at the inn would come to a halt. Rennie wasn’t sure if she was okay with that.
She went back into her room and changed into sweats. Rennie was content to hang out by herself for a bit. She opened her laptop and searched through her streaming service to find a rom-com to watch. As luck would have it, each movie she was interested in had to do with weddings or babies, neither a topic she wanted to think about.
Rennie closed her laptop and picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts. When she reached Walter’s name, she pressed the icon and put him on speaker.
“Hello?”
“Walter, it’s Renee Wallace. How are you?”
“Merry Christmas,” he said instead of answering her. Walter was a retired police detective who couldn’t give up the job. He started doing investigative work to keep his mind fresh, and Rennie used him as much as she could. “To what do I owe the pleasure on this fine day?”
He made her smile. Every time they spoke, he had this way of cheering her up. “I have a job for you.” Rennie opened her folder on the Chamberlains and gave him a full rundown of everything going on.
“So, you want me to look into this girl, her friends, family, and the days leading up to the accident?”
“Yes, I have a hunch that it was my other client who provided the alcohol.” She explained that Graham and Grady were twins, and even though extensive alcohol use made Grady look older, the men still looked very similar.