Page 17 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

Twelve

When Knox woke up on Monday morning, he was still thinking about the note he’d left for Charlie. Had he revealed too much? Too little? Not that it mattered, since the deed was done.

Rather than waste another minute brooding, he drove to Goldstream Park—a wooded area filled with hiking trails—and spent the day taking photos of the striking fall colors.

Years ago, he’d bought a Nikon camera and devoted hours to studying photography, just to have another skill set in his arsenal.

Though he didn’t post his pictures online, he’d framed some of his best ones and given them to family members as gifts.

By the end of the day, he still hadn’t heard from Charlie.

Maybe he’d mucked up everything. No doubt she’d found the interview where Lila had accused him of having a frightening temper, or the one where Evan had hinted at Mac’s so-called alcohol abuse. But it was better Charlie learn about all of it now, instead of a few months down the road.

On Tuesday morning, he received a text from her. He braced for the worst, but her message revealed very little.

Charlie: Could we meet up before work today? I don’t have to go in until 3.

That could mean anything. But whether she intended to deliver good news or bad, he was grateful for a chance to talk to her in person.

Knox: Want to get lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf? Barb’s Fish & Chips at 1?

Charlie: I love Fisherman’s Wharf!! I’ll see you there.

Of course she loved Fisherman’s Wharf. It was the kind of fun, touristy place that had Charlie written all over it.

Located just west of Victoria’s Inner Harbour, it was a waterfront area filled with sailboats and fishing vessels, as well as food kiosks and souvenir shops geared toward out-of-town visitors.

But the main reason people came to the wharf was to check out the floating homes.

Thirty-three tiny houses, decorated in a riot of colors, were moored at various berths in the harbor, easily viewable via a series of wooden boardwalks.

When he arrived, Charlie was already seated at a picnic table by the fish and chips kiosk, wearing sunglasses and a light pink T-shirt with the words “The book was better” written in a stylized cursive.

She waved at him. “Hey, Knox. I grabbed a spot for us because it’s super busy here. I’ve been guarding it with my life.”

Around them, the other tables were filled with a large collection of elderly folks, all wearing Day-Glo lanyards. Knox assumed they’d come to Fisherman’s Wharf as part of a tour. “Thanks. How’s your cold?”

“I’m still kind of stuffed up, but I’m much better than I was on Sunday.

It feels so good to be outside. Isn’t the weather glorious?

” She tilted her head toward the sun, as if basking in its warmth.

“I love this time of year. Not too hot, but still plenty of sunshine. I stashed my work clothes in my car because I didn’t want to wear them until I have to. ”

“I don’t blame you.” He couldn’t help but notice how her scoop-neck shirt revealed a tantalizing hint of cleavage.

She stood up. “What do you want? It’s on me.” When he started to protest, she held up her hand. “Nope. You bought all those groceries and took care of me on Sunday. The least I can do is buy you lunch.”

“Fair enough. I’ll have a large lemonade and the fish and chips basket with cod.”

“Nice. That’s what I usually get.” She inched around the table and headed for the kiosk.

He tried not to stare, but her faded jeans hugged her ass in a way that was far too tempting. She looked so adorable, moving her hands animatedly as she chatted with the man behind the kiosk window.

She returned with a wooden sign and set it atop the table before sitting back down.

“Our food will be ready in a few minutes. In the meantime, can we talk about the letter you left me? It was so sweet and thoughtful. Just like the way you treated me when you came over. Sorry I fell asleep before the movie ended.”

“I’m sure you needed your rest. I would have stayed, but I felt weird watching you sleep.”

“Kinda like Edward Cullen from Twilight ,” she said.

“That’s what I was thinking.” When she raised her eyebrows, he chuckled. “My younger sister was obsessed with those books. She made me watch all the movies.”

Charlie folded her hands and placed them on the table. “Back to your note—I want to thank you for sharing so much with me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. And thanks for giving me a little breathing room so I could take it all in.”

Relief washed over him, loosening the knot at the back of his neck. “I wanted to give you a chance to view the story from all the angles.”

She nodded. “I appreciate that, but I still have a few questions. Is that okay? If you don’t want to answer them, just say ‘no comment.’ I won’t be offended.”

“That’s fine. Fire away.” For the first time in years, he was ready to share this chapter of his life with someone.

A man came over with a tray and set down their baskets of fish and chips, along with their drinks. Knox inhaled the mouthwatering smell of fried cod and wanted to dive in. He resisted the urge, knowing the food would be piping hot.

Charlie thanked their server, then waited until he left to speak up again. “My biggest question is—what happened? Why did Lila agree to marry you and then dump you for Evan? Why didn’t she go after him from the start?”

Knox took a sip of lemonade, relishing the icy-cold sweetness.

“Evan and I met Lila when she was still a struggling actress. We belonged to a motley group of actors and writers that used to get together for coffee every Sunday. We’d exchange tips, share our victories, and commiserate with each other.

After Evan and I sold the pilot for The Hidden Forest and got the green light for the first season, Lila was cast as Princess Elodie.

It was the best kismet, ever. The three of us grew pretty tight. ”

A seagull swooped down onto their table, but Charlie shooed it away. “Scram! Go bug the tourists. They’ll probably feed you.”

Sure enough, a group of people at the nearby table were tossing their fries to a squawking gull. Bad move. It only made the pesky birds more aggressive.

Knox continued. “Right from the start, I had a thing for Lila, but I assumed if she was going to pick either of us, she’d go after Evan.

He was the fun one, the life of the party, always up for hours of clubbing or a midnight pizza run.

Whereas I was an introvert who preferred to hole up in my writing cave.

But…Lila was starved for affection. She’d grown up with emotionally abusive parents and needed someone who could cherish and nurture her and offer her the stability she’d never gotten as a child. I fit that role perfectly.”

“I can see that. You took really good care of me on Sunday.”

I’d do it again in a heartbeat . “I liked looking after you. It made me feel needed.”

“I’m pretty sure that soup you brought me had healing powers. I’ve never recovered from a cold this quickly.” She picked up a fry and bit into it, then set it down and took a quick sip of lemonade. “Still too hot. When will I ever learn to be patient? Sorry, keep going.”

“Lila and I started dating during the first season of the show. By the second, I was so head over heels that I proposed. Should I have waited? Probably, but I was in too deep to see the red flags.” He frowned, remembering how foolish he’d been, thinking he could erase all of Lila’s past trauma just by being supportive.

“Now I realize I shouldn’t have rushed her into such a huge commitment. ”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were in love with her. There was no reason to think it wouldn’t work out.”

He appreciated that Charlie’s voice bore no judgment. Just support and understanding. “By the start of the third season, the show took off. We’d won awards for season two and were getting invited to parties and events. Which I hated.”

Her mouth quirked up in a smile. “Imagine that.”

“Big social events aren’t my style.” He broke off a piece of cod, dipped it in tartar sauce, and ate it.

The crisp filling melted in his mouth, so delicious he indulged in a few more bites before carrying on with his story.

“Evan loved the celebrity scene, so he always offered to escort Lila. I never got jealous because, at the end of the night, I was the one she came home to. She’d fill me in on all the hottest gossip and make jokes about Evan turning into a total player. ”

He remembered those nights with fondness. She’d join him in bed, giving off the faint aroma of jasmine perfume, and recount the evening in elaborate detail. Together, they’d laugh over Evan’s endless quest to find the next A-list hookup.

“A few weeks before the writers’ room was scheduled to plot out the fourth season, my grandfather had a heart attack,” he said.

“I went home to visit him in the hospital, and he passed away three days later. I stayed there for almost two weeks, supporting my mom and helping arrange the funeral. When I got back to Vancouver, I came into the apartment and saw Evan and Lila sitting together on the couch. Like they were waiting for me.”

Charlie let out a little cry. “No! That’s terrible timing.”

“No kidding. Here I was, assuming Evan had invited Lila over to console me, but I’d misjudged everything.

She handed me her engagement ring and said that…

” He paused, searching for the strength to get the words out.

“Even though she cared for me, she didn’t feel any passion.

Not like she did with Evan, who made her come alive. ”

“Oh, Knox, I’m so sorry.”