Page 6 of Hoodoo House
Charlie’s stomach grumbled. He was hungry and though Declan had picked him up a latte, he hadn’t brought him a pastry. When Charlie went to the café he always bought treats, but Declan had made it a personal rule never to buy them. Whenever Charlie came upstairs with sweets, Declan acted like a five-year-old who was told that he had to eat Brussels sprouts. He’d say that he was afraid they’d go right to his waist. Charlie found his mind drifting above Declan’s waist to his beautifully sculpted abs. It would take a lot of pastries to undo that physique.
Charlie shook his head and made his way to Declan’s office. “I just have to pop out for a sec. Be right back.”
“Don’t go bringing cookies into this place,” Declan said without looking up. Charlie smiled.
On his way down to the café, he thought about the decision he’d recently made regarding his relationship with Declan. He was convinced he’d made the right choice.I’m here to keep things running efficiently—and that’s it. It wouldn’t make sense to mix business with pleasure. But a little voice in the back of his head kept asking,How are you going to feel if Declan finds someone else?Charlie knew how sick he’d felt when Declan had fallen for that cop Luke while working on the Ian Mann case a few months ago. Sure, that hadn’t worked out, but if Charlie didn’t make a move soon…
Charlie exited onto the street. Loud voices were coming from the café. The words were muffled. He couldn’t make out their meaning, but the intention was clear. Someone was giving the owner Gwen a hard time. Charlie rushed through the door and saw that Gwen was going head-to-head with a very large cop who was waving a parking ticket in her face.
“So you’re telling me you can’t fix this for me?” she hollered, poking the cop in the shoulder. “I’ve parked there ever since I opened this place and no one’s complained about it before!”
“I’m just saying the cop that issued this ticket was right,” he yelled back. “They changed the rules and now you have to pay for street parking from nine a.m. to four p.m.”
Charlie recognized the voice.
“Good morning, Sergeant Hunt,” he said. The cop was Gwen’s husband…and Declan’s father.
“Charlie, maybe you can talk some sense into this woman,” he said before storming out of the café.
“What was all that about?” Charlie asked.
“What good is being married to a cop if he won’t fix a traffic ticket for you?”
She glanced out of the window and yelled, “Don’t you dare put it back on my windshield!”
“Men,” she muttered before heading back around the counter. She shook her head and smiled at Charlie. “Now, what can I get you?”
A man of my own that I can yell at?Charlie thought.
“A scone, please,” he answered. “Better make it two.”
Gwen raised her eyebrows.
“Don’t worry. They’re both for me.”
“Good. I don’t want to get yelled at by two Hunts in one day,” she said, packing up the pastries.
Charlie shot her a crooked smile then headed back up to the office, pastries in hand. Declan had said not to come back with cookies but he’d said nothing about scones.
Charlie took a swig of his latte and munched on one of his scones before heading into Declan’s office. Declan sat deep in thought staring at a picture in a silver frame which he held in his hand. Charlie paused, then knocked on the door jamb.
“I had a call from Mr Attwal this morning.”
Declan set down the frame and looked blankly at Charlie. “Sorry. What did you say?”
“Mr Attwal. He has our monthly accounting statements ready. It’s good news. We’re in the black.”
“Good to know,” he said.
Charlie pointed to the framed portrait. “That’s a good-looking young man. Is he a relative of yours?”
Declan shook his head. “No. Just someone from a long time ago.”
Charlie considered offering Declan one of the scones as comfort food, but knew better. Then he remembered. “Oh, by any chance did you receive an email from the Alberta LGBTQ+ Business Association? Actually, did you receive six emails from them over the last few days?”
“Who the hell are they?”
“Well, if I were to take a wild shot at it, I’d guess that they’re an association of LGBTQ+ business owners.”
