Page 29 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)
Twenty
By the time Knox left the yacht club with Charlie, he was well and truly done.
While he’d enjoyed talking with her father, and he’d found the Bouchards bland but inoffensive, Randolph had been more obnoxious than ever.
It didn’t help that Charlie’s mother had egged him on, encouraging him to boast at length about his job.
They’d only been driving for a few minutes when Charlie spoke up. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He knew damn well, but he wasn’t going to make it easy on her. He was still annoyed she’d let her mom steamroll over her.
“I had no idea my mom would invite the Bouchards to join us. When she asked if you were free for Thanksgiving, she said she wanted to get to know you better.”
“Funny how she never asked me anything about my life. Not one question.” The only person remotely interested in him had been Charlie’s father.
“I know. For what it’s worth, my dad wasn’t in on it. My mom’s the one who handles their social calendar. When she pulled me into the ladies’ room to tell me Randolph would be there, I threatened to walk out with you. I probably should have. Right?”
But instead, you did nothing. “That wasn’t my call to make, but I would have gone along with whatever you decided.”
“I didn’t want to make a scene. My parents hate public displays of emotion. But that’s no excuse for acting like a coward.” Her voice wobbled. “Maybe…you should drop me off at my place.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No, but I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. So, I’m guessing you’d prefer it if I went home.”
His hands tightened around the steering wheel. He’d wanted to make her understand how much her mom’s actions had hurt him. But if he ended their evening now, he’d spend the rest of the night brooding over it.
Then again, maybe this relationship wasn’t meant to be.
Their worlds couldn’t have been any more different.
But when he turned to look at her, the tears streaming down her cheeks weakened his defenses.
Why was he punishing her like this? It wasn’t her fault that her mom was a status-conscious snob who thought he wasn’t worthy of her daughter.
He softened his tone. “I’d rather not be alone tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
This conversation was too difficult to maintain while driving down a busy road. He put on his blinker, pulled onto a quiet side street, and parked his truck. “Answer me one thing first. Are you ashamed of me?”
“No. Never!” She wiped her eyes. “You work hard at what you do, and you’re good at it. You also did a spectacular job telling everyone about the hotel’s history. My dad was enthralled. Though you did embellish a few of the details.”
His anger faded, replaced by an overwhelming sense of affection. “That’s storytelling, sweetheart.”
A tiny smile crossed her lips. “Well, it worked. And my mom’s devious plan backfired.
Tonight reminded me that leaving Randolph was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Do you know how many dinners I sat through, listening to him boast about his accomplishments?
He’d drone on forever and then joke about my ‘little’ job at the hotel, like I was a kid playing house. It was so demoralizing.”
“Yeah, those cracks about the Duchess were uncalled for.”
She fished a tissue out of her purse and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to put up with him. I promise nothing like that will ever happen again.”
Could she honestly make that promise? He’d seen how desperate she was for her parents’ approval. Then again, she’d told them about Canada’s Most Haunted coming to the hotel, even if it meant facing her mother’s scorn.
“If it helps, I’ll remind my mom I wasn’t okay with her inviting Randolph tonight.” Charlie’s voice hardened. “And if she ever pulls a stunt like that again, I’ll walk out without a second thought, even if it means causing a scene.”
The determined set of her jaw gave Knox hope. Maybe tonight would be a turning point for her. Rather than let her mom push her around, she’d take a stand. “Okay. Let’s put the buffet behind us. If you’re still up for spending the night, I’d like to have you over.”
“Thanks. That would be nice.” She crumpled up the tissue and tucked it into her purse.
He started up his truck again. Though he didn’t want to give up on Charlie, the uncomfortable scene at dinner made him remember all the times he’d felt insecure around Lila.
She’d gone from obscurity to fame in such a short time, whereas he’d remained a lowly screenwriter.
Sure, he’d helped create the show, but most of the time, he worked behind the scenes.
Even if Evan hadn’t been in the picture, she still might have gravitated to someone better suited to her outgoing personality, like another actor whose star was on the rise.
Would that happen with Charlie? She might be done with Randolph, but there were plenty of other guys just like her ex-fiancé. Rich dude-bros with money to spare, fancy cars, and seven-figure salaries.
Enough self-doubt. Here he was, expecting the worst when nothing bad had happened. Tonight might have been rough, but in the end, Charlie was going home with him , not Randolph.
* * *
Even if Knox appeared to have forgiven her, Charlie couldn’t shake her guilt at behaving so submissively during dinner.
She hadn’t stormed out in protest. Nor had she made any attempt to build up Knox.
Instead, he’d done the heavy lifting, winning over her dad with his detailed recounting of the hotel’s haunted history.
Since she hadn’t wanted the night to end in tears and regret, she was grateful Knox was giving her another chance.
In the past, he’d mentioned living alone, in an area north of downtown Victoria.
Other than that, she didn’t know what to expect.
She was pleasantly surprised when he drove up to an attractive four-story complex and parked his truck in the underground lot.
And even more so, when she got her first glimpse of his place, which was spacious and welcoming.
The living room was outfitted with hardwood floors, a large navy couch, an inset brick fireplace, and a wall of bookshelves.
Off to one side, a sliding glass door led to a balcony containing a bistro table and a couple of chairs.
A sleek marble breakfast bar overlooked the kitchen, which was outfitted with a matched set of shiny, stainless-steel appliances.
What struck her the most was how new everything looked.
She paused to gaze at a series of framed photos, taken at various spots around Vancouver Island: the Fisgard lighthouse, the shoreline at Mystic Beach, the lush rain forest along the Juan de Fuca trail. “Did you take all these pictures?”
“Yeah. You’ve seen me with my camera before.”
“I have, but only when you came to take photos of the kids with Santa last Christmas. These are so artistic.” She wouldn’t have been surprised to see them hanging in a gallery.
“Thanks.” He gestured for her to follow him. “I’ll show you the rest of the place.”
The larger of the two bedrooms contained an enormous king bed and a matching dresser.
The smaller one was outfitted with a work desk, a couch, and more bookshelves.
A quick peek at one of the shelves revealed numerous Stephen King books, along with some popular fantasy titles, and a hardbound edition of The Lord of the Rings .
She was dying to know how he could afford a place this size. But after listening to Randolph brag about his salary, the last thing she wanted to do was discuss money.
Knox ended the tour in his kitchen, where one corner housed a small bar, complete with shelves of liqueurs and mixers, a wine cube filled with a dozen bottles, and a cabinet containing different types of glassware.
“I love this setup,” she said. “You have so many different types of liqueurs.”
“This is where I practice making my cocktails. I don’t indulge while I’m on the job, but after my shift ends, I like kicking back with a drink. Sometimes, it’s an old favorite, and other times, I test out a new recipe. Would you like me to whip up something? Or would you rather have more brandy?”
While she was tempted to request a fancy cocktail, she was craving the taste of that sinfully good brandy. “I’d love a glass of brandy.”
He filled two snifters and handed her one. Once they were settled on the couch, he turned down the lights. “I know it’s not that cold out, but how about a fire?”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” He picked up a remote and aimed it toward the fireplace. In an instant, flames began flickering against the dark brick. “It’s just gas. Not as fun as a bonfire, but a lot less work.”
“It’s perfect.” She sipped her drink, luxuriating in the soothing warmth of the brandy.
He set his glass on the coffee table and stood up. “I’ll be right back. I have something for you.” When he returned, he handed her a tiny gift bag decorated with a design featuring colorful balloons and a banner reading “Happy Birthday.”
Her mouth quirked up in a smile. “Thanks, but it’s not my birthday.”
“I know, but I always reuse my gift bags. I hate buying new ones.”
She opened the bag and pulled out a tiny bookshelf containing four miniature Jane Austen books with intricately designed covers, so small they fit in the palm of her hand. “Oh my God. These are adorable. Where did you find them?”
“On Etsy. I was looking for a gift for my sister-in-law and somehow went down the miniature book rabbit hole. I figured you’d like these since they’re romances.”
She set them down, then leaned over and hugged him. “I do. They’re going to look so cute in my shadow box. Thank you.” She regarded him with admiration. “Is there anything you can’t do, Mr. McIntyre?”
“What do you mean? This isn’t a big deal. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.”
She placed her hand over his. “You’re really thoughtful, you’re a talented mixologist, you wrote an award-winning TV show, you take photos worthy of National Geographic , you’re very nurturing, and you’re great in bed.” The last statement made her blush, but it needed to be said.
He laughed. “Thanks, but I’m also a guy who’d rather stay inside and read than go to a party. Or any big social events, for that matter. And I can’t dance for shit. If you invite me to a wedding, you’re not getting me on the dance floor under any circumstances.”
“No dancing? Really? What if I played a romantic song on my phone right now? Wouldn’t you be tempted to spin me around the room?”
“Nope.” He gave her a mock scowl. “Don’t even try it. And don’t suggest dance lessons. Been there, done that.”
With Lila, she assumed. Not that she wanted to bring up his ex. “That’s okay. I can live without a dance partner.” Honestly, she’d rather go out dancing with the Damsels than anyone else. Give Rosie a few drinks and she was all over the dance floor.
She snuggled closer to Knox. “How did you find this apartment? It looks so new.”
“It’s a condo. The complex was built three years ago. My sister-in-law works in real estate, and she told me about it. I was one of the first people to buy in.”
He owned it? She tried to squelch her look of surprise, but it was impossible. Even if this place was a little far from Victoria’s downtown core, it couldn’t have come cheaply. “Oh, wow, that’s…um…”
“Not what you expected from a bartender?” He raised his eyebrows.
“I wasn’t going to say that. But I know for a fact Rosie makes more than most of us, since she’s the hotel’s assistant manager, and her place isn’t nearly this nice.” Charlie gnawed on her lip, hoping she hadn’t messed things up again. “Not…that it’s any of my business how you can afford it.”
He placed his hand on her thigh. “It’s okay to ask. I don’t want you to feel like the subject of money is off-limits.”
“Thanks. I just felt awkward after the way Randolph was boasting at dinner about his seven-figure job.”
“Yeah, that was a lot. When he made that crack about me being an aspiring author, I was tempted to lay down the whole story—just to prove him wrong. But I’m not ready for that yet.”
“I’ll never reveal a word to anyone. If you feel like telling people, I’ll support you, but I wouldn’t expose your secrets.” Though she wanted to brag about him, she could understand why he’d kept his accomplishments hidden.
“I appreciate it. The truth is, Evan and I got paid a decent sum for the pilot of The Hidden Forest . Once the show was picked up, our agent went to bat for us and made sure we were well paid. Evan went on a spending spree—bought a Porsche, a whole new wardrobe, a ton of shit—but I squirreled my money away. I grew up with frugal parents, and those habits were hard to break. My sister-in-law helped me invest some of it in a bit of property up island, and when its value doubled, I sold the land. I might not brag about it, but I’m doing just fine. ”
He hid it so well. The beat-up truck, the casual clothes, the utter lack of pretension. He was just a down-to-earth guy. “I’m glad to hear it. But even if you lived in a shithole with three roommates, avocado-green appliances, and a junky futon, I’d still want to spend the night.”
He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “Sorry I got bent out of shape about dinner, but I don’t like being judged on the basis of my job. There’s nothing wrong with working in the service industry.”
She squeezed his hand. “You’re preaching to the choir. My whole job is centered around customer service, and I’m proud of it. I’m a lot less impressed with someone like Randolph, whose primary goal is to make a ton of money for his millionaire investors.”
“So, you weren’t tempted by his fancy boat?” His tone was light, teasing her. “What about his BMW?”
“I’d rather spend all day in your truck than ten minutes driving around town with him.” Looking into Knox’s eyes, she couldn’t hold back her feelings any longer. “In case it isn’t obvious, I really like you.”
“Sweetheart, the feeling is mutual.” He gave her a sly smile. “Now, finish up your brandy so I can sweep you off to bed and show you exactly how I feel.”