Page 37 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

Twenty-Seven

After spending the past three years living above her parents’ garage, wavering over whether to strike out on her own again, Charlie didn’t expect to resolve her dilemma so effortlessly.

But by Sunday evening, it was done. All it had taken was a phone call with Laurel, a meet-up at her apartment, and a handshake agreement.

Come December first, Charlie would be moving in with her.

Though Laurel’s building was on the older side, it was within walking distance of two coffeehouses and a fifteen-minute drive from the Duchess.

Only one step remained. Charlie needed to talk to her parents.

Maybe her news could wait. After all, she’d accomplished a lot in one day.

Don’t be a coward.

If she didn’t face them now, she’d probably put it off until the last possible minute.

Better to give them plenty of notice. She went inside their house and found them seated in the living room.

Her father was reading a thick tome about the Hudson’s Bay Company while her mother leafed through a fashion magazine.

Neither of them appeared to be dressed for an evening out.

Charlie caught a whiff of something savory and heard activity from the kitchen.

Her father looked up from his book. “Would you like to join us for dinner? Magda’s making hunter’s stew and steamed dumplings.”

Magda was a Polish chef who cooked for the Frasers three nights a week. On those occasions when Charlie had joined her parents, the food had been excellent. The hunter’s stew was among her favorites, with its mixture of kielbasa sausage, potatoes, bacon, and sauerkraut.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” She sat down on the stiff, floral-print armchair across from the couch and took a deep breath. “I wanted to let you know I’ll be leaving the apartment at the end of November. I’m moving in with my friend Laurel, who works with me at the Duchess.”

“Are you sure, muffin?” her father asked. “Even if you’re sharing a place, rent in Victoria can be quite steep.”

“I’ll be okay. I created a preliminary budget to keep my spending on track.” She’d borrowed the template from Rosie, who was a whiz at spreadsheets. “I’ll still come visit, but I’m ready to try living on my own again.”

Her father’s warm smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Obviously, we’ll miss having you around, but it might be time for you to spread your wings.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Her mother slapped the magazine on the coffee table with a loud whack. “Really, Art? Last time Charlie was left to her own devices, she racked up a significant amount of debt.”

Charlie clenched her jaw. Of course her mother would bring that up. “Only because I was trying to meet Randolph’s expectations. But I paid off all my credit cards.”

“Is this about that…boy? The one with the truck? Are you moving in with him?”

Had her mother heard nothing? “No. I just told you—I’m moving in with my friend Laurel. This isn’t about Knox.”

“Then why move out now? Was this hi s idea?”

Even if Charlie’s argument with Knox had led her down this path, she’d still made the decision on her own.

Now that she’d set her course, she couldn’t believe she’d waited this long.

“No. I felt like it was time. But since we’re on the subject of Knox, I’m not happy with that stunt you pulled on Thanksgiving. ”

Her mother waved a hand in dismissal. “That was two weeks ago. Water under the bridge.”

“Not to me. When you invited Randolph to join us and encouraged him to brag about his promotion, you made Knox feel uncomfortable. Like he paled in comparison.” Charlie rubbed her forehead as the first inklings of a headache nagged at her.

“Knox is a really nice guy. I don’t understand why you’re set against him. ”

“Because he’s a man with a dead-end job. How do you expect him to take care of you?”

“To take care of me?” What kind of old-school bullshit was that? “This isn’t the 1950s. I can take care of myself.”

“That remains to be seen. Even if you manage to stay out of debt, your future is hardly secure. What if the Duchess goes out of business? Marrying a man like Randolph would ensure you never have to worry about money again.”

Why was her mother so fixated on this? It wasn’t as if she’d grown up in poverty.

Charlie addressed her father, hoping he’d take her side. “Dad? What do you think?”

With a drawn-out sigh, he set down his book, as though he wasn’t keen on mediating between the two of them. “About you moving out? Or about the fellow you’re dating?”

“About Knox.”

“I rather liked him.” He took off his reading glasses and polished them with a handkerchief.

“He was well-spoken with an excellent knowledge of local history. But regardless of what I think, you’re old enough to decide for yourself.

The same goes for your choice to strike out on your own. I have faith in you.”

Charlie’s eyes welled up in gratitude. Receiving his validation was a huge win. She gnawed on her lip, wanting her mother to agree with him. “Mom? Please don’t be upset. It’s not like I’m moving to Toronto. I can come back and visit anytime you want.”

“I just worry about you,” she said. “You haven’t always made the best decisions.”

Like dating Randolph? Or spending an exorbitant amount to keep him happy?

In both instances, Charlie had been heavily influenced by her mother, but she also bore some of the responsibility since she hadn’t possessed the courage to stand up for herself.

“That’s true. When I was with Randolph, I let him bully me into spending too much.

He used to get annoyed if I wore the same outfits too many times.

Or if he thought my clothes looked cheap.

He insisted I get my hair and my nails done all the time.

Just so I’d look good when we were together. ”

Her mother frowned. “Do you really think it’s fair to place all the blame on Randolph?”

“No, because I should have stood up to him a lot sooner. I was so afraid of upsetting him that I put up with all his criticism, no matter how bad it made me feel.” She gave a short laugh. “I don’t even like skiing, and I spent a fortune on all that equipment, just to make him happy.”

She wished she could take back the money she’d spent. After she and Randolph had broken up, she hadn’t kept most of the clothes because they didn’t suit her. Instead, she’d donated them to a women’s shelter.

“But Knox doesn’t make you feel this way?” Her mother’s voice was more curious than adversarial. Like she was actually trying to understand Charlie.

“He likes me just as I am. But like I said, this isn’t about him. It’s about me wanting my own place. I’ll be okay, and I promise I’ll reach out if I need help.”

“Very well. But if you don’t have any plans tonight, you should join us for dinner. You love Magda’s cooking.”

While her mother wasn’t exactly gushing with praise, this invitation was an olive branch. Charlie wasn’t about to turn it down. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll join you.”

Given that she’d skipped today’s grocery store run, the alternative was a can of tomato soup or a bowl of cereal. Magda’s hearty stew sounded infinitely better.

* * *

On Monday morning, Knox woke with a sense of purpose.

After spending much of Sunday outlining the article he planned to write, he forced himself to deal with the most painful aspect of it.

Buried deep in his closet were two cardboard boxes, containing three years’ worth of memories from his time at The Hidden Forest .

Old scripts, notebooks crammed with ideas, memorabilia from various events, free merch, and his own personal journals.

Before leaving Vancouver, he’d packed everything up and almost tossed the whole lot in the dumpster.

In the end, he’d taken the boxes with him but never opened them.

He couldn’t avoid them any longer. If he wanted his story to be accurate, he needed to revisit his old memories, no matter how excruciating.

Today would require more coffee than usual, so he made a whole pot.

Taking a cup with him, he went into the guest room, where he’d set the boxes.

He opened them and tipped them out, spreading the contents across the floor.

As he started leafing through his old journals, his phone buzzed with a text.

Logan: Got your message. Work’s crazy right now, but if you’re ready to spill everything, I’m all for it. I’ll call you tonight.

Knox: No rush. I haven’t started writing yet.

He was tempted to text Charlie. She might be glad to hear what he’d decided.

Unless she was still simmering with anger over Saturday night.

For now, he’d hold off contacting her until he’d written the article, just so he wouldn’t get derailed.

Before getting started, he found Zack and Norah’s business cards and emailed both of them, telling them what he was up to.

He wasn’t sure whether they’d want to be involved, but he figured they might appreciate the opportunity.

After three hours, he’d written a very rough draft.

A few times, he’d been tempted to say, “fuck it” and forget the whole thing.

Reading through his journals forced him to relive the humiliation all over again.

To recall the hurt he’d experienced when he realized how badly Evan had betrayed him.

But he pushed past the pain and kept going.

When he needed a break from rehashing his past, he threw on a fleece jacket and headed outside. Though the wind was brisk, the chill revitalized him. He walked to Chuck’s Deli and picked up an Italian meatball sub for lunch.

He was just heading back when his phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he peeked at the caller ID: Alejandro Rivera, the AGM of the Grand Duke.

Fuck me. Knox had forgotten he was due for an ass-kicking. Better to deal with it now.

“Hello, is this Knox?” Alejandro asked.

“Hey, Alejandro. I’m sorry about Saturday night, but I…” Knox hesitated as he scrambled to come up with a plausible excuse for leaving early. He couldn’t risk revealing the truth until he published his article.

Alejandro’s terse voice broke the silence. “How is it that you know Lila Winstead personally?”

This was not how Knox had expected the conversation to go. “It’s a long story, but we’re old friends. Years ago, we worked together in Vancouver. Why do you ask?”

“She sought me out yesterday and told me you weren’t to blame for leaving your post early.” He clicked his tongue. “For a bartender, you certainly have friends in high places.”

Damn . Knox couldn’t help but smile. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when Lila reached out to Alejandro. He could only imagine the smug hotelier’s stunned reaction. “Did she tell you what happened?”

“She said her useless husband was drunk and unruly and that you tried to calm him down. When he threatened to call security, Lila suggested you and Charlie leave before things got ugly. For that, you have my profound thanks. Dealing with celebrities is difficult enough without getting caught in a tawdry scandal.”

A rush of gratitude engulfed Knox. Lila hadn’t been kidding when she’d promised to have his back. “You’re welcome. Does that mean Charlie and I will still get paid?”

“Only for the hours you worked. No exceptions. But since your ‘friend’ Lila promised to leave a glowing review of our hotel, I’d like to offer you a gift certificate for our restaurant. It’s one of the most highly reviewed dining establishments in Victoria.”

Of course it is. “Sounds good to me. Should I come by and pick it up?”

“No need. I’ll have one of our peons drop it off at your bar. Good day.”

After Alejandro hung up, Knox stared at the phone. The fact that Lila had already come through for him increased his resolve. If he kept working on his article, he could send it to Logan for review before he arrived at the Duchess on Friday with the crew from Canada’s Most Haunted .

Once again, Knox was tempted to text Charlie, but he held off. Better to wait until after the article was done. Then he’d make it up to her by using that gift certificate to treat her to a five-star meal.