“I get why it’s hard for you to see him.”
She felt badly.Had Tripp said something to him?“I didn’t realize he’d moved here until Mae told me.How’s he doing?Really.”Rafe would tell her straight.
He shrugged.“You know Tripp.He keeps to himself mostly, but he’s pulled inward pretty hard since finishing treatment.”
The way he said it made suspicion niggle at the base of her brain.“Treatment?”
Rafe’s amber gaze lifted to hers.“Yeah.”
“Medical treatment.”
“No.”
Wait.“You mean at the recovery center here?”People came from all over to attend the treatment facility located in a valley near the center of the island.
Rafe didn’t answer.And that told her everything she needed to know.
“Oh, shit.”She set her fork down, rubbed her forehead.“I...I didn’t know.”
“I see that.Ah, hell, I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s...I’m glad I know.”Not only had Tripp gone through painful surgeries and rehab for his physical recovery, he’d also obviously slid into addiction at some point.
She felt like she should have known.Should have made an effort to at least check in on him.But losing her brother was so painful, she hadn’t been able to bear the reminder by seeing or speaking to Tripp.
It seemed like such a selfish, cowardly excuse now.“Was it the meds they had him on, or a mental health thing?”
“Not sure.He never talks about it, and I’ve never asked.”
“I’m guessing his dad was a big part of getting him in there.”The facility was world renowned and incredibly expensive.Way more than a single military contractor could afford, even with disability and insurance coverage.
“Yeah.And his dad’s also why he stayed after.”
They were close.Always had been, but especially since Tripp’s mother had died of breast cancer while he’d still been in the Army.“So, he’s better now?”
“Way better.But like I said, he never talks about it.Anyway, I shouldn’t have brought it up.Let’s change the subject.Tell me how it’s been with Rufus so far.”He leaned over to glance under her chair, where Rufus was still curled up in the shade.
The tension in her middle eased slightly at the shift in conversation, but even as she told Rafe all about Rufus, part of her mind was stuck on Tripp.She hated knowing he’d been in such a dark place.Felt like a coward for avoiding contact with him this whole time, and not reaching out beyond the get-well card she’d sent.
A freaking get-well card.How pathetic was that?
Rafe laughed at a few of the stories she told him about Rufus as they finished lunch.She checked her watch.“Oh, the ferry’s due in soon.I gotta go.”She turned to flag the server down.
“Don’t worry about it, I got this one.”
“You sure?You already got the last one.I don’t want to run up a tab with the sheriff.”
He rolled his eyes.“Go.”
“Okay.Meet you at the station in a bit.”
She headed down the hill to the ferry terminal, Rufus walking nicely at her side.They stuck to the shady side of the street where the leafy green Pacific dogwood trees cast cool shadows across the sidewalk, protecting Rufus’s paw pads from getting too hot.
“Good boy, buddy.You’re doing great.”
The ferry was right on time.She watched it sail into the harbor and dock.Waited as the passengers began disembarking through the terminal, a welcome rush of excitement at the thought of seeing her friend again helping to sweep away guilt over how she’d basically ghosted Tripp.
She spotted her friend’s trademark hairstyle through the crowd—long, thick, bleached blond twists with natural dark roots—and threw her arm up to get her attention.“Bronwyn!”
