“Exactly.” She’d never seen him so at ease. Was it because of her? Or because he was off duty? Either way, she wanted more.
She walked him to the door and waited while he put on his sneakers. As he was leaving, she was gripped with the urge to prolong their time together, even for a few more minutes. “I’ll walk you out. I could use a little fresh air.”
“It’s a nice night. Still pretty warm for September.”
A surge of self-confidence rushed through her. I did it. I had Knox over, and he wasn’t scared off by my shadow boxes, my DVDs, and my raunchy paperbacks.
But when they reached the circular drive in front of her parents’ house, where he’d parked his truck, she stopped short. Her parents stood outside their doorway, talking to another couple.
And right beside them…was Randolph.
Four
Knox couldn’t rememberthe last time he’d enjoyed himself so much. While the ghost-hunting show had been cheesy and repetitious, he would have sat through another ten episodes if it meant spending more time with Charlie. He’d thought she was sweet and funny before, but tonight, he’d discovered so many hidden depths about her. Like her obsession with miniature toys. Her collection of old-school romance novels. And her love ofThe Hidden Forest. More specifically, the first three seasons, when he’d worked as the show’s head writer.
For a brief moment, he’d been tempted to tell her about his connection to the show. To explain that he’d written some of the episodes she loved. He didn’t, of course. After five years of keeping that shit to himself, that was a level of intimacy he wasn’t ready for. But after tonight, one thing was certain—he wanted to spend more time with Charlie. Not just at work, either. He liked being able to talk to her without anyone interrupting them.
As they walked along the circular driveway that graced the front of her parents’ house, he was struck by the sheer size of the place. Even in the dark, there was no mistaking how massive it was, easily twice as big as the ramshackle home where he’d grown up with five siblings. He was taken aback when Charlie stopped suddenly. The pained expression on her face made it look like she wanted to turn tail and run.
Fifty feet in front of them, a group of people stood next to the front walkway. Before Knox could ask Charlie what was wrong, two well-dressed couples approached them, led by a tall, blond woman in a pink dress. Based on the resemblance, Knox guessed she was Charlie’s mother. Trailing behind the couples was a guy his age, dressed in a polo shirt and khakis, all blond and tanned, like he belonged in a Ralph Lauren ad.
Charlie gave them a feeble wave. “Hey, Mom. I wasn’t sure if your cocktail night was still going on.”
“We’re just finishing up. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Knox McIntyre. He works with me at the Duchess. Knox, these are my parents and their friends, the Bouchards. And…um…their son, Randolph Bouchard.”
Knox had never seen Charlie this ill at ease, not even when dealing with the hotel’s most demanding guests. He wasn’t sure what was up, but he greeted everyone politely. When he got to Randolph, the guy shook his hand vigorously. The type of handshake meant to indicatehewas the alpha dog.
“What do you do at the hotel?” Randolph asked. “Are you a front desk clerk, like Charlie?”
Front desk clerk? Charlie was the goddamn front officemanager, a position she’d worked hard to earn. Even so, Knox didn’t correct him. “I’m the head bartender at the Gilded Lily, the hotel’s cocktail lounge.”
Randolph snickered. “Let me guess—you’re not just a bartender. You’re also an aspiring actor, waiting on your big break? Or a writer, hoping to sell the great Canadian novel?”
The other adults laughed, as if Randolph’s comments were the height of wittiness. Knox had heard it all before. “Nope. I’m just a guy who likes mixing cocktails.”
“I guess that’s as good a job as any, even if the pay is shit,” Randolph said. “But you’d never catchmeserving someone a drink.”
“Randolph is in finance,” Charlie’s mom said. “He and Charlotte were engaged to be married.”
Knox reeled inwardly. Not because Charlie had once been engaged, but because she’d contemplated marrying a d-bag like Randolph.
Then again, why was he so surprised? The guy obviously came from money, like Charlie did. Though she never bragged about her family’s wealth, the size of her parents’ house was a dead giveaway. Located in Uplands—one of the richest neighborhoods in Victoria—it was probably worth a cool three million dollars.
“We’re not engaged anymore.” Charlie latched onto Knox’s arm. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re heading out.”
Knox didn’t know what was going on, but he was willing to roll with it. Anything to support Charlie.
“What time will you be home, dear?” her mom asked.
“I’m not sure. See you all later.” As Charlie tugged Knox away from the group, she lowered her voice so only he could hear. “Keep walking.Please. Once we get to your truck, I need you to drive me around for a bit.”
“You got it.” He’d drive her anywhere she needed to go. All night, if necessary. When they reached his truck, he opened the passenger door for her and waited until she got inside and put on her seat belt before shutting it. He sensed the group was watching them, but he kept his gaze focused on her as he got in and started the engine. Only after he’d driven a few blocks did he speak up again.
“You okay, Charlie?”
“I…I’m sorry. You must think I’m totally unhinged.”
