Typical Preston. Every time he came up with one of his “brilliant plans,” he delegated it to someone else. But this was a lot on top of Knox’s regular responsibilities. “I can’t do it. I’ve got my hands full running the bar.”
Preston scowled. “You’re not much of a team player, are you?”
Not anymore. Back in Vancouver, as the executive story editor ofThe Hidden Forest, Knox had put in long hours in the writers’ room, working with his team to break each episode. They’d bonded over late-night sessions where they’d hammered out story beats, debated character arcs, and brainstormed plot twists. But once he was discredited, he left them all behind. Since then, wherever he’d worked, he kept his coworkers at arm’s length. Less to lose that way.
“I do my job,” he muttered.
“You’ll need to do more than that if you want to keep running the Gilded Lily. If that’s not enough incentive, consider this. I know what went down in Vancouver.”
The chill icing Knox’s spine made him feel like a ghost had passed through him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No? When I started working here last year, I did a deep dive into everyone’s background. Yours was trickier because you’re not online anymore. It took me a while before I discovered your pseudonym. Mac Iverson, one of the creators ofThe Hidden Forest. Formerly engaged to Lila Winstead, who plays Princess Elodie on the show. Impressive stuff.”
Fuck.Knox didn’t want to remember any aspect of that life. Especially not Lila. “It’s no one’s business but mine.”
“Then I’ll keep it to myself.Ifyou’ll help me with the show. It’s not a big ask.”
Knox’s jaw tightened. It was ahugeask.
His anger dissolved when Charlotte Fraser, known to her friends as Charlie, breezed into the bar and headed toward them. Though her brow was creased in dismay, she was so beautiful she took Knox’s breath away. Skin like pale cream, a cute dusting of freckles on her upturned nose, jade-green eyes, and short blond hair. Petite and adorable, she was like Tinker Bell, if Tink had been a sweet, sunny hotelier instead of a vengeful fairy with a murderous agenda.
Though he was always glad to see her, he didn’t like the thought of anyone making her upset. “Hey, Charlie. Are you okay?”
Preston frowned at her. “Is there a problem at the front desk?”
She blew out a peeved breath. “There’s a woman at check-in who insists on talking to the manager. She and her friends booked the Duchess for a girls’ getaway through a third-party website. They paid in advance, but now she’s insisting we give them a full refund. Apparently, the rooms aren’t up to her standards.”
Preston regarded her with a condescending smirk. “You’re the front office manager. Surely, you can handle it?”
“I can, but the woman said, ‘Get your boss out here before I make a scene.’ She told me she’s a well-known influencer who’d have no qualms about trashing us online.” Charlie lowered her voice. “To be honest, if she wasthatfamous, she’d be staying at the Grand Duke.”
That made Knox laugh. When Charlie favored him with a warm smile, he found it impossible to break away from her gaze. But his blood ran cold when he realized Preston was observing the two of them. Intently.
“I’ll head over to the front desk and sort it out,” Preston said. “But before I go, I have a quick question. Charlotte, do you believe in ghosts?”
“Ghosts? Gosh, I think so, but I’ve never seen any.”
“I’m asking because a team of paranormal investigators might be coming to the Duchess to shoot an episode.” Preston placed his hand on her arm. “Given your background in customer service, you’d be optimally suited to serve as one of the point people for the show.”
“Me? I’m a total scaredy-cat. I can’t even bring myself to watch horror movies.”
Preston raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure it wouldn’t bethatterrifying. Plus, you wouldn’t be doing this alone. You’d be working with Knox.”
“Oh.” Charlie’s eyes widened. “Then…I could handle it.” She flashed Knox a shy smile. “If it’s okay with you?”
Damn it.Somehow, Preston had zeroed in on Knox’s two weakest spots—his past and his crush on Charlie—and was using both against him.
Aware she was waiting for a reply, Knox didn’t have the heart to turn her down. “Definitely. We’ll make a great team.”
Two
After Preston leftto deal with the demanding guest, Charlie lingered at the bar. Normally, she would have followed right on her boss’s heels to see how he handled the situation. But she wasn’t going anywhere until she got more information from Knox.
She leaned closer and spoke in a hushed voice. “What’s going on? I know Preston wants us to ‘lean into’ Halloween, but hosting a ghost-hunting show seems pretty extreme.”
He chuckled. “You’ve got that right. He doesn’t miss a trick.”
That fleeting glimpse of happy Knox—as opposed to regular, grumpy Knox—hit Charlie like a shot of dopamine. It didn’t matter that he normally came across as gruff and guarded; she’d harbored a crush on him for well over a year. Unlike the rich, entitled guys she’d dated in the past, he was down-to-earth. Solidly built and bearded, with thick brown hair and warm hazel eyes. The kind of guy who looked like he belonged in a timber camp up north.
