Chapter Thirty-Nine
Thirty-Nine
CHARLIE CALLED ON EVERY SINGLE soothing, calming redirection that she could think of or had ever taught her clients.
Nothing was dulling the ache inside of her, or the embarrassment and anger.
With her bags in hand, she began making her way up the dock, completely uncertain of what her next step was.
She just needed to get away from Get Lost Lodge.
Unsurprisingly, Anderson was leaning against one of the poles, looking at something on their phone. They glanced up, tucked a lock of hair behind their ear, and smiled, pushing off the pole.
“Heya, Charlie. How’s it going?” Anderson asked, their easy grin turning into a frown.
“Not my best day, if I’m honest.” Tears threatened. If she’d been honest, none of these things would have happened.
They fell into step beside her. “I got a bit of a heads-up. I was told to watch for you and make sure the two idiots who arrived before you were nowhere around.”
Pulling in a deep breath, she curled her fingers around the handle of her rolling suitcase until her nails were digging into her palm. She sucked in another breath. This town. These people. Even when she was wrong, they had her back.
Anderson jutted their chin toward the suitcase. “You leaving?”
No. Not this time. “No. Not yet. I might go back to California for a bit but not right now. I just need a spot to regroup.”
Anderson nodded, like they understood completely. Which was impossible because Charlie couldn’t wrap her head around anything right now.
“Why don’t you come with me? You ever try Miles’s lemonade slushies? You’ve met him, right? Been to the General Store? That’s Mo’s husband.”
Confused, she shook her head. “No. I mean, yes, I’ve met them but haven’t tried the slushie.”
“Let me take that,” Anderson said, gently tugging the suitcase from her hand, leaving her the bag on her shoulder.
Charlie didn’t have the strength, emotionally or physically, to stop them or put up a fuss. She followed Anderson along the dock, through the parking lot, and across the street to the General Store.
People waved to Anderson as they walked, called out, and she knew Beckett’s Bikes was behind her but she couldn’t process anything other than putting one foot in front of the other.
The cool breeze that hit them the second Anderson opened the door, allowing Charlie to go first, was the only awareness she had of how hot it actually was outside.
Maureen was behind the counter, helping a woman with a baby on her hip. The baby was waving her arms up and down excitedly. Mo leaned over and tapped the baby on the nose.
A sharp pang tore through Charlie. The woman and baby walked past them, saying hello to Anderson.
Anderson walked up to Mo, said something quietly, then turned to Charlie. “Why don’t you head back and say hi to Miles? He’ll fix you up with a slushie.”
Charlie started to walk past, but Anderson stopped her, gently pulled her bag from her shoulder.
“Hey, girl,” Maureen said softly.
“Hey, Mo.”
“You go get Miles to give you a drink, then we’ll chat.”
So she did what she was told. Miles was gregariously talkative, telling her about the post office he also ran from the back of the store, switching easily from topic to topic until Mo came back and joined them.
“Listen, sweets. Anderson said you need a place to sort yourself out, and Miles and I have an apartment upstairs that we rent out now and again. Not that you’re looking for that, but you can stay there for a couple days if you’re needing a rest from the lodge.”
Charlie almost burst into tears from the unexpected kindness. “Just tonight would be amazing. I was going to look for a motel or head over to the mainland. I just need to figure a few things out.”
“Let’s head out the back and I’ll walk you up. Miles, honey, you bring her bags when I come back down.”
“Oh, I can grab them,” Charlie said, feeling like a burden.
“Don’t be silly. Head on up now.” Miles waved her away with a soft smile.
Just like before, she followed behind a person who barely knew her but didn’t seem to mind taking the time out of their day to help Charlie when she couldn’t even articulate what she needed help with.
Behind the store, there was a small alleyway with more buildings on the other side of it.
Mo led her to the side of the General Store and up a narrow set of iron stairs.
She led her into a tiny apartment with a slanted roof on one side, creating a little alcove, with a prettily made bed.
There was a door near the end of the bed that likely led to a bathroom, and the left side of the unit had a kitchenette area and a small table.
The center of the room had two recliners and a coffee table.
“No TV or nothing, but you can figure things out in quiet.”
Charlie walked in and sat in one of the recliners. Maureen closed the door gently behind her and sat in the chair next to Charlie, saying nothing.
They both stared at nothing, or, Charlie did. She didn’t know what Maureen was looking at, but she recognized the tactic. She was waiting for Charlie to speak first.
“My father was Bryce Colter.”
Maureen whistled. “Talented man. Love his music.”
Charlie smiled. All of these years later, he was still beloved. What kind of lasting impact would she leave behind?
“That means Bernie is … was … your dad’s uncle.”
Charlie nodded. “My mother was going to get remarried. She told me in front of my would-be step-siblings, then followed it up by mentioning she wanted me to be part of a reality show. I didn’t handle it well.
” She didn’t know if she’d ever get the chance to tell Gray the whole truth, but she was done hiding. Done lying. Done with half-truths.
“You don’t seem like the reality-show type of person,” Maureen said, leaning back in the chair.
Giving a humorless laugh, Charlie leaned back as well, set her head against the rounded back.
“That’s an understatement. But I’d just signed a contract to become a play therapist at a renowned health center in California.
The step-sibs recorded my reaction, edited it to make me look awful, and released it.
I was let go of my job before I even started.
I’d reached out to Bernie a while back when I was anxious to learn more about my dad and then, when I had nowhere to go, I just came here. ”
Maureen let out a long sigh. “And fell in love with Grayson.”
Charlie’s head whipped toward Mo’s. “What? No.” Her shoulders dropped. She was done lying. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter now.” The look in his eyes had sent ice into her veins.
“Oh, honey. Love always matters.”
She lowered her gaze. “I didn’t tell him any of this. And he found out in the worst way.”
Maureen reached out, took Charlie’s hand in her own.
“He’s been hurt. His ex-wife was a self-proclaimed princess who lived a nice life on Daddy’s money and her own charm.
Grayson doesn’t like to fail. To him, a divorce is failing.
We’ve been taking polls on whether or not that boy would actually let himself live again.
My vote was no, until you came along. Space is one thing, but is that what this is, Charlie? Or are you running?”
She turned her head back to stare at the wall.
“Not anymore. But that doesn’t mean I should stay.
He wouldn’t want me to stay, to have to see me here.
No matter what I feel, it was supposed to be temporary.
I have the contract to teach at the university, but I have some time.
Maybe I’ll go back for a bit. To California.
Check on my mom. See how she’s doing. She called off the wedding.
Then, I’ll come back, settle near the university. ”
“And pretend all of this meant nothing? Try to act like everything you’ve been through hasn’t changed you? Shaped you into someone a little different?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“You can run, but you know you can’t escape what’s inside of you.
Guess you better figure out what that is.
” Maureen got up, squeezed her shoulder.
“Just remember, Charlie, distance doesn’t make things easier.
There’s no amount of it that’ll make doing something you know is wrong for you feel right.
And consider this, you just said you’d go back to California. Not home. Just back.”
She walked to the door, leaving Charlie there, but said, as she left, “Miles will bring up your stuff and some food. There’s nowhere you need to be and no limit on how long you can use this space.
You’re one of us now, Charlie. No matter where you live or how much you beat yourself up for being human. ”
Charlie closed her eyes when the door shut and let the tears come. She didn’t give herself long, though. Swiping at her damp cheeks, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed her mom.
“Hi, honey. I miss you,” Vivi said, her booming voice making it feel like she was right there.
“Hey, Mom,” Charlie said.
“What’s wrong?” Vivi’s voice went on immediate alert. “What is it, baby girl?”
And the tears flowed again because as much as she sometimes drove her around the bend and felt more like a sibling than a parent, no one knew her like her mom did.
“I think I’m going to come see you. I miss you, too.”
“Not for long. I’ll be in Smile tomorrow afternoon,” her mom said.
Charlie bounced out of the chair. “What?”
“I told you, honey. Too much time apart and I’ll come see for myself that you’re okay.”
“Mom, you don’t need to come here.”
“Well, it’s too late now. I’m already in Chicago on a layover. You should see this hotel, honey. Gorgeous. I’m going to have a eucalyptus soak and a glass of wine. Tomorrow I’ve got a short flight, a ferry ride, and I’ve already arranged for a pickup.”
Charlie sank back down into the seat. She had no idea what to do. Her brain was actually blank.
And as much as she really did miss her mom and want to see her, Charlie wasn’t at all sure that Smile was ready for the whirlwind that was Vivica Colter. And even if they were, she was pretty certain Grayson Keller was not.