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“The Pioneer across the street,” Rob replies.
Todd speaks up again. “Oh, I suspect you will. The Pioneer is known to be haunted, for sure.”
Leaning my hip against the bar, I fold my arms across my chest. “He’s right. There have been several reports of The Pioneer being haunted over the years. A couple of ghost hunting shows have even filmed there.”
Nate shakes his head. “Shit. Now I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Rob chuckles. “Well, this trip just got more interesting.”
His comment creates the perfect opportunity for me to find out what I’ve been wondering. “What are you guys doing in town, anyway? Are you here for work?”
They both nod, and Nate responds. “Yep. We’re doing some work at Fort Worden.”
“Fort Worden’s haunted, too!” Todd adds from his end of the bar, and we look at him again. “I’ll betcha you experience some weird things there.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Rob replies, and Todd goes back to eating his lunch.
Stifling a laugh, I don’t want to offend Todd, but I’m also amused by how this conversation is going. Between these two hot, mysterious customers and talk of the town being haunted, this ordinary day has turned to anything but!
Nate chuckles quietly, seemingly amused by Todd before continuing. “We’re actually in the Navy,” he says, pointing between Rob and himself. “They sent us here to do a little work at the fort for a few days.”
As if I wasn’t already interested enough in these two—especially Nate—the fact that they’re in the Navy just makes them even more appealing. “Oh, really? Are you stationed at Whidbey?”
Rob answers this time. “No, we’re at Bremerton.”
“Oh, nice,” I reply. “My dad was stationed at Whidbey before he retired.”
Nate’s eyes light up. “Your dad was in the Navy?”
“Yeah, he was a pilot,” I reply, smiling at the memory of my dad.
“That’s awesome. I bet he’s a great guy, being in the Navy and all.” Nate’s voice sounds sincere, and it pulls at my heartstrings.
“He was. He passed away a couple of years ago. Hence, why I inherited the bar.”
Nate’s face falls. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. You didn’t know—”
“Order up!” one of my cooks calls from the kitchen, alerting me that Nate and Rob’s orders are up.
I look toward the kitchen, then back at Nate and Rob. “I’ll be right back,” I say before turning and walking away to fetch their plates.
I manage to make it through the next half hour or so that Nate and Rob are in the bar. I keep myself occupied while they eat, not wanting to bother them too much. Before they leave, Nate promises he’ll let me know if he has any paranormal experiences at the hotel. The thought of seeing him again excites me. Just knowing I’ll get to see this gorgeous man’s face again has me feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
What’s wrong with me?
