When Graham arrived back at the bar, there was a nice crowd. Per usual, Bowie’s crew was there playing darts, and some locals had started up a pool game. Krista was busy behind the bar, and Brystol was there, waiting tables. He’d placed an ad in the paper and online, looking for two people to start right away. He owed it to Krista to find help and planned to promote her to assistant manager. She had earned it.
For a brief moment, Graham stood there and looked out over his establishment and smiled. The winter months were hard for any business in a tourist town, but the people of Cape Harbor and its surrounding communities always rallied to support local businesses. Graham was very appreciative of his neighbors.
He took his spot behind the bar but deferred to Krista. In the past months she had been a stellar employee, and the last thing he wanted to do was step on her toes and mess up the system she had in place. He would follow her lead and do as she told him until Krista passed the bar over to him for the night. When Brystol needed an adult’s help, he was there by her side to take the drink orders. He bussed tables, did some dishes, and filled in where they needed him. And he felt good about it. Because of Grady and the help he’d received, Graham’s outlook on life had changed vastly. He wanted to see things in a positive light, and in an odd way, Grady’s stint in rehab was helping Graham as well.
Graham went to take a case of bottles to the back, and Krista stopped him. “There’s a guy at the bar, wasted. He came in about thirty minutes ago, asking for you.” Krista nodded toward the man at the bar, whose head was down, and his hand held a tumbler of light-colored liquid.
Graham knew who it was instantly. “What’s he drinking?”
“Water, with a touch of scotch. I wasn’t going to add to his level of intoxication.”
“I’ll talk to him, but we don’t let him leave unless he has a ride.” Graham already had what could be a costly lawsuit dangling in front of him because someone had accused him of not watching his patrons—he didn’t want another one, and he definitely didn’t want one from Rennie’s ex.
Graham went over to the bar, picked up a dishrag, and cleaned the counter in front of Theo. “Can I get you something to eat?” he asked the man.
Theo’s head rose slowly, his red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes barely open. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, which Graham understood. When he and Monica broke up, he cried the entire way back to Cape Harbor and then vowed to let it go.
“How about I put an order in for a cheeseburger and some fries? Would you like that?” Graham didn’t wait around for a response. He went to his kiosk and placed the order. He then filled a large glass with ice water and added coffee grounds to a filter to brew a pot of coffee. It was late, and no one would drink it except Theo.
“I don’t like you,” Theo said when Graham slid the glass of water toward him.
“It’s okay; I can’t stand you, so I guess we’re even.” Graham walked away. He wasn’t going to get into a tit for tat with a drunk guy, let alone Rennie’s ex. He had nothing to gain by engaging in conversation with the man. Because the bar was busy, he found things to do. He refilled Krista’s orders, collected her tips for her, and filled drink requests.
When Theo’s burger and fries were ready, Krista handed them to him and then stood next to Graham. “Who is he?”
“Rennie’s ex.”
“Damn, he’s taking it hard.”
“Hey,” Theo shouted over the crowd. Graham turned and smiled.
“What can I get for ya?”
“You can tell Renee to take me back,” Theo said. “She’ll listen to you. You’re the only one she seems to listen to.”
While Graham would love to think the same, it wasn’t true. “Rennie”—Graham drew her name out, knowing how much it bothered her that Theo called her Renee—“is a very independent woman. You should know this after spending the last year and however many months you’ve been together. She makes her own decisions.”
“I love her, and she won’t see me. I can’t call her, because she changed her number.”
“Sorry, man. I can’t help you.” Graham turned to walk away, but Theo grabbed his arm and held him in place.
“Do you know until last summer, I had never been here? I had never heard of Cape Harbor, and then all of a sudden, she’s up here every weekend we’re not together, and all I hear are stories about these people she grew up with but hadn’t seen in years. They’re a priority for her. They’re butting into our lives. Interrupting our plans.”