Chapter Thirty-Four
Thirty-Four
GRAYSON LIKED THE FEEL OF Charlie’s hand in his.
Things felt better between them after they had some food, talked about things that didn’t feel so weighted down.
She needed to phone her mom and he had paperwork to deal with, on top of looking at scheduling for the next few months with his staff changing.
“How’s it going, Gray? Hi, Charlie,” Anderson said as they made their way down to the boat slip.
“Things are great. I think we got an influx of tourists today.” Gray looked around. Even the marina was busy with people. Boat rentals were on the other side of the island, but Middle Street had been unusually busy today.
“I like your hat,” Charlie said to Anderson.
They tipped the brim of their ball cap with a smile.
It had a bright rainbow and curved over the top of it were the words I DO EVERYTHING.
“Thanks, I had it made.” They nodded at Gray.
“You’ve got a couple of guests waiting by your boat.
I already loaded their bags. Jilly texted saying you’d bring them over at three PM. ”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Eventually, you’re going to have to let me put you on payroll, even as a casual. You do too much,” Grayson said.
“We take care of our own,” Anderson said, waving to them as they walked away.
“How many jobs do they have?” Charlie asked as she and Gray walked toward his boat.
“I don’t even know. Off the top of my head, hairdresser, barber, Uber driver, working at the marina, pitching in at several of the restaurants as a busser and server, plus a bunch of their own side hustles like selling things to tourists.”
“I love that,” Charlie said, looking at him.
He leaned down for a kiss, almost nervous to feel so much happiness.
As they approached the boat, he saw two men waiting.
One had slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair.
Gray would bet anything that if the guy turned around, he’d have a small ponytail.
He wore a light blue T-shirt and jeans ripped at the knees.
The other guy looked more polished and younger, about Gray’s age.
He had wavy brown movie-star hair that looked almost fake, it was so perfect.
Despite the heat, he wore a black shirt, black pants, and black boots. They were talking animatedly.
Beside him, Charlie sucked in a sharp breath. Gray stopped, looked at her. “You okay?”
She nodded but tears filled her eyes, piercing his heart. Gray dropped his bag, put a hand on her back, and rubbed up and down. “Hey. You’re okay.”
Charlie shook her head. “Can Anderson take this group over? Let’s stay here for a bit longer.”
Gray dipped his chin, bringing their faces lower. “Charlie, what’s wrong?”
She pressed her hands to his chest and moved closer, like she’d step all the way through him if she could. Grayson put his arms around her, holding her close.
“I just … I need to tell you some things, but I’ve been too scared, too lost in my own desire to push the outside world away to do it.”
His heart hammered and he wanted to give her everything she needed in this moment, but he also had clients.
“Charlie, we can talk at the lodge. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.
We’ll figure it out.” In saying that, it cemented something for him; this wasn’t fleeting or short term.
Maybe the actual relationship was, would have to be if he couldn’t convince her to stay, but how he felt about her wasn’t going anywhere.
He was falling in love with this woman. The one shaking slightly in his arms, looking at him with an untethered longing and … trust.
“It can’t wait that long.”
The guys laughed loudly behind Gray and he glanced over toward his boat. They waved and unease crested in his gut. He looked down at Charlie. “Let’s get these guys to the lodge.”
She bit her lip like she was trying to hold back tears, words, fears. Gray squeezed tighter, whispered her name.
Whatever walls he’d tried to build back up crumbled under the weight of her stare, her unabashed need for him to support her in this moment.
“One of those men is my ex-boyfriend. I don’t know why he’s here.”
Gray jolted, like he’d been shocked, but he kept his hold on Charlie steady. He told himself not to act like a jealous boyfriend. Breathe. Be what she needs. Be who she needs.
He rubbed both hands up and down her arms. “Is he dangerous?” For the first time in all of this, he wondered if she was running from something that jeopardized her safety. And now, his family’s safety.
She shook her head. “No. Just an asshole.”
Without meaning to, he laughed. “Okay. That I can handle. Do you want to stay here and I’ll come get you later?”
They were paying guests, but if they posed any threat to Charlie or anyone else, he’d ensure they didn’t make it to the lodge. But if it was just a sticky situation because they were together now, and she didn’t want her two lives, past and present, to coexist, they could work around it.
Charlie pulled in a deep breath, straightened her spine. “Normally, I’d say stay here. I’m really good at running away. It’s what I do.”
He wanted to be the person she didn’t run from. “The difference, between all the other times you’ve made that choice and right this minute, is I’m beside you, and not going anywhere. You’re not alone, Charlie.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, felt her shuddery breath.
He pulled back. “What do you want to do?”
“Let’s get on the boat,” she said with an unexpected resolve. It made him proud. “Let’s just see how he plays this.”
He grinned. “You got it. But later, we’ll have that talk, yeah?”
Charlie nodded, her eyes hesitant.
“No more secrets, Charlie.”
She smiled, her gaze still glassy, but she nodded.
“Hey, guys,” Grayson greeted as they walked toward the boat.
The one guy, the younger one, watched Charlie in a way that made Gray’s hands want to curl into themselves.
He might not be dangerous, but he couldn’t be here by coincidence or with good intentions.
Grabbing Charlie’s bag from her, Gray tossed it and his own into the back of his boat.
He helped Charlie on and followed.
Turning, keeping Charlie close to his side, he reached out to shake their hands. “I’m Grayson Keller. I own Get Lost Lodge and I’ll be taking you over there for your stay.”
The slick one shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. Jenning Black, and this is my buddy, Isaiah Phelp.”
Gray dropped his hand, his guard up. “I saw you taking some video of the marina. Ever been here before?”
Both guys climbed in while Gray untied the boat.
Isaiah sat on one of the captain’s chairs in the back.
This boat seated up to six people if necessary.
It was more used for their family and personal errands, but Grayson kept everything in good shape, or paid to, so any of the three boats they had could ferry passengers.
Isaiah was looking a little pale and his hand gripped the handle of the chair.
Jenning seemed more at ease, taking the seat next to Gray’s. “No. First time. I’m making a little documentary, we’ll call it. Trying to capture some great footage.” He pointed the camera on his phone in Charlie’s direction.
Gray stepped in front of her. “The interesting thing about that is, I’m pretty sure to film someone specifically, or even my lodge and other establishments, you need some sort of release form, don’t you?”
Jenning smirked, and Gray knew that even without Charlie telling him she knew one of the guys, these two would get under his skin like a burr.
“Of course. You don’t just go around filming people without their permission.”
Gray started the engine, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile to Charlie. She and Isaiah hadn’t looked at each other. She was going to need to give him all the details sooner rather than later. They needed to get to the lodge and then get some privacy.
He looked at Isaiah, holding his gaze. “You okay back there?”
Isaiah only nodded.
Jenning laughed beside Gray. “He doesn’t like boats. Hope it’s not a long ride.” His gaze kept flitting to Charlie.
The water was calm and beautiful today and Grayson knew how to make it a smooth trip. “Not long at all. Just try to relax and we’ll be there in no time.” His words were more for Charlie than either of these guests.
True to his word, Grayson soon pulled up to his own dock and parked. The guys tossed all the bags up to the dock. Charlie remained, unmoving.
“You coming?” He leaned down, brushed a kiss against her cheek.
“I’ll wait, go to Bernie’s cabin. Grayson.” She gripped his hand. He hated the urgency of the action. “Don’t listen to anything he says. I’ll tell you everything, but please, just let it come from me.”
Worry crowded his chest. He squatted down so he could be eye level. “Charlie, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than an ex-boyfriend’s idiotic claims to get in the way of what I feel for you.”
She reached out, cupped his cheek. He leaned into it. “Promise?”
His breath hitched. He said he’d never make another promise to a woman again. Not one that involved his heart. Taking her hand, he kissed the center, right in the middle of her palm, and held her gaze as he said, “I promise.”
Gray turned and hopped out of the boat. “Come on up,” he said. “We’ll get you checked in.”
Both guys looked back toward the boat but Gray started walking.
“Your girlfriend isn’t coming?” Isaiah asked.
Gray ignored the interest in the guy’s voice. “How long is your stay?” Should he even let them stay? There was no manual for how to deal with this particular situation.
The people from cabin one were playing Frisbee, and a few guests were hanging out at the picnic tables they’d tucked into the curves in the bushes.
“Just a few days,” Jenning said.
“Where you from?” Grayson asked, wondering if they’d be honest. They must be from California where Charlie lived. A low-key jealousy washed over him when he thought of this man touching her, being close to her, being the reason for that laugh that curled around his heart like the best hug.
“California,” Isaiah said.
Gray stopped walking. He faced Isaiah. “Really? Long way to come for a few days. What brings you this way?”
Jenning smiled at him and something slithered over Gray’s nerves.
“We heard great things,” Jenning said.
“Oh, yeah?” Gray didn’t trust him, he just couldn’t say why. “Mind if I ask how? We’re always trying to figure out which marketing avenues work best.”
“I forget,” Jenning said.
Sure he did. Gray led the rest of the way to the lodge. He took the stairs up, opened the door, and looked back at them.
Gray checked them in himself, which, he could tell, Jillian didn’t like. He also took them up to their rooms and told them if they needed anything to talk to him.
When he went back downstairs, Jillian was hanging up the phone.
She glared at him. “Someone returned bossy and grumpy.” She came around the counter and he noticed she finally had the tiniest bump out in her stomach. She wasn’t done being mad at him, though. “I feel like you had reason to come back in a much better mood.”
Grayson knew he shouldn’t grin and he felt bad for being gruff, but his baby sister was going to have another baby and now it actually looked like it. “You’re showing a bit.”
She pointed her finger at him. “Don’t change the subject.”
Gray grabbed her finger and pulled her into a hug.
“Sorry. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but the younger of those guys is Charlie’s ex-boyfriend.
Whatever brought her here apparently followed her, and I just wanted them situated before I went to get the rest of the story from her.
But even without that connection, I don’t like them and don’t want you alone with them. ”
Jilly squeezed him and pulled back. “Oh. Okay. I don’t like that.”
He let her go and looked up toward the second level. “Me neither. I’ll talk to Becks and Levi. We’ll keep an eye on them. Once I talk to Charlie, I’ll see if I’m even going to let them stay.” He took a deep breath, let it out. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good. Everything was really smooth while you were gone. I spoke to the staff at Cupid’s Cove Resort. They’re set to come on Friday to cover for the weekend.”
“You’re a genius for thinking of this.”
Jillian had used her and Presley’s networking prowess to arrange for senior staff from a nearby resort to provide overnight coverage, ensuring that the entire family could focus only on the wedding.
“I am. You should give me a raise.” She grinned.
Gray smiled, happy for the small reprieve from the tension wrapping around his rib cage.
“Is Charlie okay?” Jilly asked, her gaze softening with genuine concern. They all cared about her. They wanted her here. Was there any chance that she belonged here? With him?
He needed to find out. He needed to tell her that was what he wanted.
It was all well and good to pretend he could avoid falling in love when the option wasn’t right in front of him, but the second he’d seen Charlie, something shifted inside of him and now he knew, whatever it was, it was making room for her.
He needed her and he wanted her to know.
“She will be. I’m going to talk to her. Seriously, text Levi and tell him what I said about those guys, okay?”
Maybe he should have just left them on Smile, but he couldn’t change that now.
He needed to talk to Charlie. Needed to hold her and kiss her and get her to open up about her past so he could tell her he wanted her in his future.
Hurrying out of the lodge, he was on his way to Bernie’s cabin when he looked toward the dock. His boat. Fuck.
It, and Charlie, were gone.