Dead and Breakfast (3 page)

Evelyn sighed. “If we make it to Fantasy Fest. Anyway, ten days a year is not enough to keep us afloat. This place needs to be booked all the time.” She softened her eyes. “And please stop encouraging your Aunt Glenda.”

Autumn balked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, telling her the things
Katie
did.” Evelyn used air quotes when she said Katie’s name. “I overheard you before. Your aunt believes so strongly in these spirits, she won’t consider turning this into a proper guesthouse. She’s afraid she’ll upset the ghosts, not to mention Uncle Duncan. The poor man’s been dead ten years, let him rest in peace.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “No more of this haunted nonsense. It brings in the nuts.” She tilted her chin at the door Mrs. Paulson had sauntered out moments earlier. “It’s you who broke the music box while you were dusting, just admit it.”

Autumn wondered if her own mother thought she, too, was a nut like Mrs. Paulson and Aunt Glenda. She now knew Liam thought so. “I didn’t break the music box.”

Evelyn gave another exasperated sigh. “If we don’t get decent paying customers in through that door all year round, then we’ll all be out of a job.” She frowned at Timothy and then to Autumn. “And a place to live.”

Autumn brightened. “Then it’s back to Jersey?”

Her mother shook her head. “Nope. El Paso.”

“With Grandma?” Autumn groaned, her smile gone. “You’re joking.”

Evelyn lightly patted Autumn’s cheek. “Like most things in this place, I’m dead serious. Now why don’t you go upstairs and study? You have school tomorrow.”

“I know.” The heat of frustration crawled up Autumn’s body like mercury in a thermometer. Why did her mom always have to treat her like a child?

Autumn started to head upstairs to her bedroom, but instead, she smacked right into Liam’s wet torso.

Liam didn’t see Autumn, or he would’ve prepared for the impact. She slammed into his chest, and he instinctively embraced her, wrapping his arms around her while still holding on to his wet T-shirt.

“Oof.” Autumn pulled away. Liam glanced at her flushed cheeks, and he wondered if he looked as embarrassed as she did.

Even after Liam had spent several minutes putting back the pool supplies, his shorts were still soaked. They dripped water on Autumn’s shoes. Liam glanced down at the puddle on the old wood floor. “Sorry about that.”

“No, I’m sorry. I should be more careful where I walk.”

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. There was an awkward silence before Evelyn cleared her throat.

Liam suddenly felt the need to cover himself up. “Can I borrow a dry shirt?” He wasn’t sure who would offer to help. Timothy was so lean, Liam imagined ripping one of his shirts Incredible Hulk-style.

Luckily, Aunt Glenda barreled around the corner. A navy polo shirt with thin white stripes on the collar and sleeves lay draped over her arm. She held the shirt out to Liam. “It belonged to Duncan. You kids would call it vintage now.”

Liam hesitated to accept the shirt. Pops told him how the old lady felt about her dead husband. He would’ve preferred a simple, white cotton T-shirt so he could slink back to work with dignity or out the front door never to return. He couldn’t believe he had fallen into the pool.
It’s crazy to think I was dragged in. Ghosts don’t exist and they definitely don’t drown people. Right?
His headed pounded as if a coal miner had taken a pickax to his skull.

Liam turned his body away from the prying eyes and slipped the polo shirt, which smelled faintly of mothballs and mildew, over his head. He smoothed the shirt’s hem over his hips and then looked up to see Timothy, Autumn, Evelyn, and Glenda all watching him curiously. His skin crawled under their gaze.
I bet they’re thinking I’m just another Breyer loser.
Liam wondered if this job was worth the awkwardness.

Glenda gently placed her hand on Liam’s shoulder. “You probably should just go home.”

Liam wasn’t prepared to be fired. But part of him knew to expect it.

“Don’t worry,” Glenda said kindly. “I’ll still pay you for a full day. You come back tomorrow when you’ve had a good rest.”

“Oh, okay,” Liam said, surprised. So he wasn’t being fired. He still felt reluctant. He wasn’t sure he was comfortable taking the old lady’s money without finishing the work. “I’ll make up the hours tomorrow.”

Glenda smiled broadly and clapped. “Wonderful. I must say, in that shirt, you look just like—” but before she could finish, there was a strange rattle and a loud crack.

“Watch out!” Autumn cried, just before she rammed Liam into the reception desk. His back stung from the force. A brass chandelier crashed down onto the floor, right where he had stood.

“Jesus!” cried Evelyn as she stared up at the ceiling. She whirled to Liam. “Are you all right?”

For a moment, her concern touched Liam until he realized she was probably only worried about a lawsuit. He nodded.

“How the hell did that happen?” Evelyn asked, breathless.

Everyone followed Evelyn’s gaze, except for Liam. He’d had enough of this place. He didn’t care what strings or favors Pops had called in; he wasn’t coming back here. Not ever.

Evelyn stared at the broken chandelier, which sat on the floor in a heap of brass. She clucked her tongue. “How much do you think that’s going to cost to replace?”

Glenda clutched her chest. “That chandelier’s been in the house for decades.” She frowned at Liam, grabbed a paper bag from the reception desk, and shoved it into his hands. “Here. Take some of Cora’s cookies for your grandfather. They’re key lime. Her specialty.” Glenda’s voice trembled as she pushed him toward the door.

“Okay.” Liam tried to catch his breath. He wanted to tell the old lady that he’d return the shirt, but he knew that wasn’t likely to happen.

Glenda waved him out the door. Liam didn’t need to be told a second time. On his way out, Evelyn hissed, “That boy is bad luck. We should hire someone else.”

“Pish, Evie. His grandfather and my Duncan were close friends,” said Glenda. “Besides, the poor boy was attacked.” He didn’t wait to hear the rest.

Liam strode over to his scooter, a beat-up 1984 Honda Elite with scratched gold paint and a torn leather seat that he had bought cheap. He kicked a palm leaf out from under the bike and unbuckled the helmet from the handlebars. He took the paper bag and his cell phone and tossed them in the small trunk space on the back of the bike. He was just about to snap on his helmet when Autumn came barreling out of the Cayo.

“Wait!” she cried.

Liam sat up straighter. What did she want now? Couldn’t he just get out of here? The humiliation seemed never ending.

Autumn halted at the bike and pushed a strand of hair from her face. She handed him a bunch of crumpled bills.

“What’s this?”

“It’s your day’s pay. Aunt Glenda thinks you won’t return. She wanted you to have what she promised.” Autumn’s face soured, and Liam couldn’t help but think she looked pretty.

Liam wasn’t used to such generosity. He was more accustomed to glares and suspicious glances. He peeked back and saw Evelyn watching from the window. Yeah, like that.

Liam returned the money to Autumn’s palm. “Tell her she can pay me weekly like we agreed.”

Autumn appeared thoughtful for a moment. “So you’ll be back?”

Liam buckled the helmet’s strap under his chin. “Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll let Aunt Glenda know.” She hesitated before turning to leave.

Liam gently caught her wrist. “I’m sorry I implied you were a freak. I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.”

“Sure you did.” Her smile drooped. “It’s not the first time a guy has called me that. It doesn’t bother me.”

“It should,” Liam said. “It was rude, and I apologize. Also, thank you for pushing me out of the way of that falling light fixture.”

“Chandelier,” she corrected.

“Whatever. I could’ve been hurt. We both could’ve.” The words hung in the air.

Autumn nodded and gave a slight wave before heading back inside the Cayo Hueso. Liam watched her go and caught another glimpse of Evelyn’s disapproving face.

Liam was sick of those looks. He didn’t want to be some divorcee’s minimum-wage lackey. He wanted to work for himself. He wanted to create something of value so that if his father or his deadbeat mother ever came back to Key West, they’d regret running out on him. Unfortunately for Liam, he just didn’t know how.

#

Autumn entered the Cayo’s foyer with its ornate moulding and antique rug. She stared up the long carpeted staircase and blew the bangs off her forehead. The last thing she wanted to do was homework, but if she was ever going to get into a decent college back north, she needed to keep her grades up. She rested her hand on the bannister when Evelyn, who was fussing with brochures on the hallway table, cleared her throat.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Her mother motioned toward her office. “Can you come into the back?”

Dreading a talk with her mother, Autumn stalled before following on Evelyn’s heels like a Cocker spaniel.

Her mother’s office was nothing more than a glorified storage closet, although it did have a small circular window that let in natural light, but little air circulation. Evelyn had claimed the office the minute they had unpacked from their move, grumbling something about never having a proper place to work at the Abernathy’s hardware store. Autumn scanned the pile of folders stacked on the desk and the packages of toilet paper shoved into the corner. Autumn didn’t think this was a proper place to do anything, let alone manage a hotel.

Evelyn sat in her black office chair and pointed to a folding chair next to the desk. Autumn hated when Evelyn did this stuff—called her into the office like an employee instead of just talking to her like a mom.

Autumn plopped into the chair and carefully tucked her knees under the desk. “What’s up?”

Evelyn jiggled the mouse before turning the computer monitor toward her daughter. It was the email Autumn had sent her father a few days ago. Autumn’s stomach soured. She wasn’t sure what upset her more—that her father had betrayed her by forwarding the email to her mother, or that Evelyn had seen how far Autumn was willing to go to move back home.

Evelyn’s eyes darkened a little. “I know you’re not happy about being in Florida, but you can’t keep asking your dad to move back in with him.” Evelyn swallowed. “He has a new life now, and we’re not a part of it.”

“That’s only true for you,” Autumn said. Evelyn blanched, and Autumn regretted her words. “I mean, he’s still my father. And I’m still his daughter, even if he is remarried.”

“To a child,” Evelyn snapped. “Ugh, Jennifer is only a few years older than you.” She dropped her voice. “Do you hate it here that much that you’d want to return to the man who destroyed our family? Do you hate me that much?”

Autumn cringed inwardly. Why did her mother always have to make everything about her? “I don’t hate you, Mom.” Autumn picked up a brass apple, a paperweight, and cupped the fruit in her hand. The apple-picking season was coming to an end in New Jersey. She and her parents used to go to Meadow Farms every September and pluck juicy red apples from the trees. “I miss home. I miss cool temperatures and dried leaves and bonfires.”

Evelyn reached over and patted Autumn’s hand. “I miss that stuff too. Fall was my favorite time of year. I mean, I named you after the season, for goodness sake. But Key West has its own benefits. Like turquoise water and palm trees. Besides, we have an opportunity to make a new life here. To start fresh and leave the past behind.”

Autumn didn’t want to leave the past behind. She liked the past. In the past, her parents were happily married. “Key West is nice. For now.”

Evelyn knitted her brows. “What do you mean for now?”

“Well, I’m not living here forever. I’m applying to college in New Jersey.”

Evelyn slumped back into her chair. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Suddenly, Evelyn’s words felt heavier than that stupid brass paperweight. “What?”

“There isn’t money to send you to college in the northeast.”

Autumn gripped the edge of the desk. “What do you mean no money? I have a college fund. Don’t I?”

Evelyn shook her head, but didn’t glance up. “You had a college fund. You have to understand. The hardware store was hemorrhaging money and the divorce left me and your father broke.”

Autumn felt tears threatening to come. “What did you do with my college fund?”

“Your aunt needed some cash to keep this place running and so I used it as an investment.”

“You spent my college fund on this dump!” Autumn leaped up, and her eyes fell on the paperweight. She suddenly felt the urge to hurl the brass apple at that tiny glass window.

“Autumn!” Evelyn rose. “I get that you’re upset, but don’t you see? This place could be our future.”

“You mean your future! My future is gone because there’s no money for college.”

“You can go to community college. We’ll figure something out.” She reached for Autumn’s hand again, but Autumn snatched it away.

“I’m going to college next year in New Jersey, whether Dad wants me home or not. I’ll find a way.” Autumn stormed away from her mother’s cramped office and thundered up the stairs to her bedroom.

Autumn and her mother shared a set of rooms and an adjoining bathroom on the Cayo’s third floor, which was technically the finished half of the attic; the other half was for storage. Here, the rooflines pitched, forcing Autumn to duck her head as she entered her bedroom. She made a beeline for the ancient air-conditioning unit in the window and flicked on the switch. It sputtered to life and then roared.

She longed for the kind of crisp fall afternoon where a fleece pullover provided enough warmth so that cool air on her cheeks didn’t make her shiver. She missed orange pumpkins and bursts of red leaves. She couldn’t appreciate the Florida heat, especially because it seemed so relentless.

When Autumn felt better, well physically better, she pushed herself off the air conditioner. The anger simmered underneath her skin. Her mother blew her college fund on this crappy hotel. Autumn loved her Aunt Glenda, and she didn’t want to see the Cayo fail, but not at the expense of her college education. What had her mother been thinking?