I follow Gray through the open gate and up the front stairs. A couple who look to be in their sixties are sitting in two rocking chairs to the left of the front door, sipping from steaming mugs. The woman smiles at me. I give her a small wave with my free hand before we step inside.

The front hallway is cool, with a musty undertone to the air that reminds me of a library or a basement. The walls look like they belong to an art gallery with limited space. Rather than the several feet of typical spacing that separates frames at most museums, mere inches are between the many paintings. The flowered wallpaper beneath is barely visible.

Gray veers to the left of the wooden staircase. I trail after him, taking in the layout of the space. An empty fireplace encompasses most of the opposite wall. To its left is a small sitting area with a couch and two armchairs. To the right is a wide wooden desk. A woman with curly, graying hair is standing behind it, flipping through some papers.

Gray drops my hand and steps forward. “Hi, Marnie.”

The woman glances up at the sound of Gray’s greeting. Instantly, her face transforms. Creases form in the corners of her mouth, and crow’s-feet appear as she steps around the desk and wraps her arms around Gray. She says nothing, just holds him tightly.

Rather than infringe on what feels like a private moment, I look around the room more. Behind the desk is a stack of books, most of them on South Carolina history. A few guidebooks are beside it. Directly below a row of hooks is a picture frame. In uniform and in front of a plane, a handsome blond man stands between Marnie and an older man. Sam and his parents, I’m assuming. I stare at it, taking in his broad smile and twinkling eyes, absorbing the loss of someone I never met and never will.

“And who’s this?” Marnie steps away from Gray, discreetly wiping her cheeks as she glances between the two of us.

Gray clears his throat. “Um, this is Evie. My girlfriend. Evie, this is Marnie.”

I start at the title. I should have seen it coming, I guess. He obviously isn’t going to introduce me as his friend with benefits to a woman he respects.

I hold out a hand and smile. “It’s really nice to meet you, Marnie.”

Marnie brushes my hand away to give me a warm hug. She smells like vanilla and orange. “The pleasure is all mine, dear.” When Marnie pulls back, she looks me over closely. “My goodness, you’re gorgeous. You’re lucky she ever looked twice at you, Grayson.”

Gray rolls his eyes. I laugh.

“You didn’t mention you were seeing anyone,” Marnie says to Gray. Her voice has turned accusing.