Chapter 47 #2
Charlie walked into the old antique kitchen, carrying the remainder of dirty glasses and plates. “Okay, sorry, can you repeat the entire conversation again? What did he say? Also, we had a couple check into room A on the second floor. So, if Lee shows up tonight, maybe keep it quiet?”
Sutton and I rolled our eyes in unison.
“The entire building is sound-proof. Not because of me, but do you think I want to hear them,” I scoffed.
“True. So, Lee has his gig tonight, and we’re just not going? Sounds rude, but okay,” my brother said.
Sutton whipped her head around. “Honestly, Charles Abner, you have your own drama with Tally. If your sister doesn’t want to talk, you can’t force her arm. If we’re not going to this show, which we’ve received front row and backstage passes to, we’re just not going to go. We shall respect that.”
“I just really like O.A.R.,” my brother mumbled, plunking the dishes in the sink.
“Right. Because that’s what’s important right now, Charlie,” Sutton said, chucking her washing gloves and sponge at him. She turned toward me. “So, he really said he would wait for you?”
I nodded, pushing stoppers into bottles of wine. “He sure did. He said as long as it takes. I can only assume he and Janelle are history?”
Charlie nodded and helped me move the leftover bottles into the industrial fridge. With my insurance money from the bar fire, we’d gutted the place and turned it into exactly what we wanted. A true public house and inn. With all the extra, modern trimmings.
“You can’t lead him on forever,” he said, and Sutton and I nearly snapped our necks as we turned to glare at him.
“In all the time you’ve known me, I’ve never been the type to lead someone on,” I growled, snatching the bottle of wine from his hands and shoving it, maybe a little too neatly, into the perfectly organized fridge. “Except, you know, that one time I almost married someone to save my bar.”
“So, is it lyrics or the truth? And how do we find out? Stay tuned to the next episode of Savannah Sweethearts! Truly, someone call Hallmark,” Sutton laughed, putting the rest of the dishes into the vintage cabinets.
“Well, it’s my decision, right? And besides, I don’t know how a relationship, especially with Lee, would even pan out. After everything that happened, what could we possibly have to say to each other?”
Sutton laughed as she shoved a set of pans into the storage under the sink. She turned to me, crossing her arms and leaning on the sink. “Probably, as I’ve said before, a lot of things that were left unsaid.”
“Alright, enough drama, and if we’re not going to the concert, I have something to announce,” Charlie said, and Sutton and I turned slowly his way.
“Charlie, if this is another one of your stupid hijinks with Tally and her damn seances, count me out,” Sutton said, throwing her hands up.
My brother stifled a chuckle and turned toward me, grabbing me by the shoulders and scooting me around the bar. “That was one time, Sutton! We both just really like spooky stuff.”
Charlie kept guiding me until we reached the front of the inn where guests would check in for their stay.
The foyer was straight out of another time, oozing with history and charm.
The ceiling stretched high, with crown molding that whispered of old-school craftsmanship.
In the center, a massive chandelier sparkled with crystals, throwing a warm, golden light across the shiny hardwood floors.
Dark wood paneling lined the walls, broken up by tall, arched windows draped in heavy velvet curtains that looked like they’d seen a century of guests come and go.
To the left of the entrance, a grand staircase wound its way up, the banister carved with care, practically begging you to see what was upstairs.
Antique furniture, like a plush settee Eunice had found at an estate sale and a big mahogany hall table, added to the cozy yet grand feel of the place.
The air smelled faintly of polished wood and a hint of lavender, making you feel right at home in this elegant, yet welcoming space where every corner held a piece of the past.
Charlie turned my body toward the check-in desk, and a piece of my past was staring straight down at me.
The piece Charlie had created and Lee had commissioned seemed to gaze directly at me, a playful smile on her lips.
She looked a bit rough around the edges—didn’t we all in those days?
—but it was still so stunning it nearly brought me to my knees.
“How?” I murmured, and Charlie explained how he not only tried to save me the night of the fire, but also managed to rescue the portrait and Pickle in one heroic sweep.
I couldn’t hold back the sob that shook through me as I clung to my brother with Sutton beside us, also fighting back tears.
The three of us stood there, tears glistening in our eyes, as we looked up at the artwork.
In that moment, the past and future of O’Malley’s finally came together as one.