17. Evan

17

Evan

A round mid-morning, I was feeling tired and lay down to rest. The research of my evil ancestor proved what I already thought. Few people had good things to say about him.

For the most part, he was a jerk. He was well-documented, though, and I even found his eulogy online in the local newspaper’s archives. The mayor at the time had written it.

The tragic end of Leon Cordelia doesn’t negate the influence he brought to the southern Oregon coast. His efforts brought jobs and prosperity to the region even after the short-lived gold rush ended.

That was it. He’d been good at business, basically. It took more digging to discover he’d been found dead in the basement of the manor. There weren’t many details other than my ancestor, Inez, had been accused of killing him and not long after, she’d been convicted of killing his son Andre.

Of course, now I knew that wasn’t true. Inez had been living at her friend’s Elisa’s home, and her friend even testified to that fact. That left the question of who had actually killed Leon Cordelia. Being the total asshole he was and still seemed to be probably made for a long suspect list.

I lay back on the bed, letting my mind drift away from the horrible man. Luckily, I didn’t have to check out early since I had a standing reservation thanks to the sexy Cary Beacroft. Having gotten some distance, I was able to think about him without all the estate drama involved.

My somewhat harsh first impression notwithstanding, Cary was in every way my type. Tall, fit, brooding, and handsome in a rugged way. The witch thing confused me, though. I didn’t know what I thought of when I envisioned a witch, but it wasn’t him.

My mouth watered as I thought of his six-pack and strong arms. I mean, the truth was, Cary was out of my league. I was just a short, skinny, and not all that handsome guy. Lord knew, my ex Andy had told me often enough how plain I looked.

Ugh, why had I stayed with him so long? I’d come to realize, our relationship was all in the timing. I’d lost my dad in a horrible car accident just when I’d started dating Andy. I’d already moved in with him when, a few months later, Grandma succumbed to cancer.

Clearly, I’d rushed into things with Andy. But even with him being a complete asshole, he was still better than being alone. Or at least that’s what I’d told myself. Now, I wasn’t so sure. If only Andy had been a little kinder, a little more understanding, a little more like Cary seemed to be, maybe we would’ve worked out in the long run.

The knock on the door made me jump. “Who is it?” I yelled from the bed. The irrational fear coursing through me told me I was far from overcoming the trauma of the past couple of days.

“It’s me, Cary. I wondered if we could talk.”

The memory of seeing his defined muscles when he’d had only the muslin wrap on infiltrated my brain before I could respond. It didn’t help that I’d just been thinking about them… I mean him.

“Um, I need a moment. Can you go down to the lobby and grab us both a cup of coffee?” I yelled through the door.

“Yeah, I’ll be right back.”

I rushed to the bathroom, splashed water on my face, then quickly brushed my teeth, not wanting him to smell my nasty coffee-infused morning breath. Not that we’d necessarily get that close, but still. Damn, my hair was a fucked-up mess too. No time to fix that , I thought, rummaging through my bag until I found my Cavaliers’ ball cap.

My dad had been a huge fan of the Virginia Cavaliers, which meant I was also a fan. You couldn’t love my dad without catching his excitement about all things baseball, especially NCAA. He’d adopted his new home state’s main college team with wild abandon and whenever their games were broadcast, we’d watch together.

I opened the door just as Cary came up the stairs holding two coffees. “Hey, thanks for doing that,” I said, taking my cup from him.

I stepped aside to let him in, and he barked out a laugh at the over-the-top décor. “Wow, I heard about this place, but had no idea it looked like a pink flamingo threw up in here.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I followed his gaze around the room. “I’m lucky I’m here this early in the year. The place is almost full as it is, and one of the owners told me this morning they’re booked up from the end of this month throughout the entire summer.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it’s popular,” he said as he picked up a furry pink pillow and dropped it on the floor before sitting down on it. “Um, so I wondered if we could talk. I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, and I want to apologize.”

I studied the man before sitting down on the edge of the bed. “If you’re worried about your job, I can stipulate whoever buys the place will have to keep you on.”

Cary’s eyes grew large before the smile lines danced around them. “I’m not worried about my job. Although, it’ll be hard to give up the cottage. But, no, I mean you and me. With all that happened.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry for bolting like I did from the bed-and-breakfast, but that really freaked me out,” I said, and sighed. “I don’t know much about spirits or witchcraft, but having my mind controlled was more over-the-top than this hotel room.”

Cary’s smile wavered. “Christie shouldn’t have done that. We aren’t supposed to, and I think she believed we were friends. I don’t hide my abilities, at least not from most people I get to know, so she just assumed you were aware.”

“Even so, I bet most people don’t know witches actually have powers like that.”

“If it helps,” Cary said, the smile brightening on his face, “…most of us don’t.”

I stared at him a moment too long as I wondered if maybe my attraction to him was because of his abilities. Then I glanced down and saw his huge biceps and almost laughed. Nope, I didn’t need him using his power on me to cause me to drool.

“So,” I quickly said to distract myself from thinking about that, “…what do you have in mind? About us, I mean.”

I didn’t mean that the way it probably sounded, and Cary blushed a bit and then smiled shyly. “There’s a dinner and show over at the local theater tonight. I’ve been given tickets and wondered if you’d like to join me.”

“What kind of show?” I asked, surprised he was asking me. Like, was this a date or something? Wasn’t I his boss? No, scratch that. I’d have to be able to pay him before I could be his boss.

“It’s a concert, actually. Drew Andreassen is performing. He’s sort of a local celebrity.”

The man’s name sounded familiar. “Wait, didn’t he open for Opia when she was touring?”

Cary shrugged. “No idea, but his style is similar to Opia’s, so maybe. He’s really quite good.”

I’d been a fan of the folksy Irish singer since I’d heard of her in high school. I’d only grown to love her music more over the years.

“Yeah, I mean, that sounds fun. But…” I said, and it was my turn to blush, “…is this like a date or something?”

Cary’s smile lines returned, and he shrugged noncommittally. “I’m not opposed to that, if you aren’t. Or this can just be a friendly attempt to start again. If you want it to be more, that’s entirely up to you, Evan.”

His jovial attitude was a good sign. He wasn’t putting the moves on me or pressuring me into anything. I knew I could be easy to manipulate, and a handsome man wouldn’t have to work too hard at it—especially one as charming as Cary Beacroft.

“Well, let’s just see what happens,” I said, and looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling shy. “But, I need to figure out what to do about a place to stay. I don’t have the funds to pay for a hotel, and I have no idea when or if I’ll sell the manor, so I need to be able to stay there for now. But I’d rather not put my life in jeopardy either.”

“We’re working on that,” he said, and I met his gaze.

“ We as in the incubus woman?”

Cary laughed. “No, her wife is our coven leader, but Christie isn’t usually involved in our day-to-day affairs. I don’t want to make this awkward again, but we spoke to Drew, the guy singing tonight. He’s a sort of specialist on the paranormal, and he thinks to truly deal with whatever’s going on there, you’ll need to face it head-on. We should be able to help, though.”

I sighed heavily and nodded. “Yeah, I got a similar message this morning,” I said, and when Cary tilted his head questioningly, I shook mine. “I’ve been having dreams since I got here, dreams of my great-grandmother and a kid. I think he was the son of the original owner, and she was the boy’s nanny. He’s also the one she was convicted of murdering, but I really don’t believe that’s what happened.”

“You say you’ve seen them in dreams?” Cary asked, sitting up straighter and clearly interested. “Have they communicated with you directly in any of them?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them a few times now, but this morning was more of a vision than a dream. I was awake, at least it felt like I was, and my great-grandmother talked to me. Told me I needed to face the evil man, just like you said.”

“Interesting,” Cary said, and it looked as if the news had sent his mind racing. “Anything else?”

I nodded, unsure of how much to share since I had no discernable proof other than in my own mind. But with Cary listening so intently and looking at me with such concern, I felt I could trust him. “Yeah, the entity that attacked me. I think he’s my ancestor as well, the biological father of my grandmother. But I don’t think the conception of my grandmother was consensual.”

“We came to the same conclusion. I’m sorry that happened to your great-grandmother, and I’m almost sure that’s why this entity is after you. But with that knowledge, we should be able to fight him now.”

“I’ve been doing research too. He wasn’t a good man, and I don’t think anyone liked him very much. Not even his own son, maybe especially not him.”

Cary nodded, a sad but determined look crossing his face. “We all came to that same conclusion as well. Anyway, there’s no need to worry about that right now. You’ve been through enough. I’d be honored to treat you to breakfast, then maybe we can drive up to Tillamook so you can meet my buddy Deke. His grandfather owns the hotel chain that leased the manor. I think Deke might be able to give you some insights and even help you figure out what to do with the estate while you’re preparing to sell it.”

I looked at him, shocked. “Wow, that would be helpful. Really helpful. I need to figure something out, and that sooner the better.”

“Tillamook is just north of here, and it’s a pretty drive. Also, they have great cheese and ice cream. It’ll be fun.”

I shrugged, and secretly wondered if the trip would also count as a date too. “Sure, that’d be great. But I need a shower first.”

“I’ll give you some time. I’ll go grab another cup of coffee from the lobby and wait in the car. Do you mind eating breakfast over at Al and Christie’s? I know Christie wants to apologize for yesterday.”

I couldn’t stifle my groan. “Ugh, well, I guess if I’m going to stay in a small town, I have to make nice with the locals.”

Cary chuckled. “Especially those locals.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just give me a few minutes to get ready.”

Cary ventured back downstairs while I climbed into the shower. I can’t say I wasn’t engulfed in reservations about remaining in town, let alone confronting an evil spirit even with his help. Ghosts, witches, the life-altering events of inheriting an estate. Was I truly prepared to handle all of it?

My worries were tempered by a small thrill tucked under my ribcage. Was I an idiot for thinking I had a chance with Cary? For thinking about him in that way? Probably. But what’d be the harm in spending the day with a strong, confident man who actually listened to me and seemed to enjoy my company? Especially, since I’d feel a hell of a lot safer taking a scenic drive to go eat ice cream with him well clear of here than I would being in my house of horrors.