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When he invited her for dinner the day before just before he left, he was unsure she’d accept. She might have declined if it hadn’t been for his mom’s suggestion that he include Charlie in the invitation too. It had been an excellent piece of advice. As soon as Charlie heard her name and learned she wouldn’t have to cook dinner, she was in, which meant Jo would be there as well.
Ethan would have been in attendance if he hadn’t been invited to a last-minute interview at a college in California. He hadn’t made his mind up about teaching yet but wanted to keep his doors open. Plus, it didn’t hurt to meet people in his field. Sometimes, those connections were worth more than anything.
Charlie smiled. “Thank you, dear.” She patted his mom on the hand. “You have raised such a good boy. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate him working on the house.”
His mom caught his eye as he left the dining room, smiling ear to ear. “Thank you. I think he’s pretty great. When he isn’t being completely rotten.” She winked.
He feigned insult. “Rude,” he called as he reached the sink and set the plates down. As he went to rinse them, he felt a presence that he’d become familiar with over the last several days.
“Want some help with the dishes?” asked Jo.
“I just need to rinse them so I can stack them in the dishwasher.”
“Oh.”
“Would you want to maybe take a walk when I’m finished?”
She smiled brightly. “Sure. Got anywhere in mind or just aimless?”
He grinned. “Aimless. It feels like a random kind of nightly walk. One that might be filled with all sorts of adventures.”
Her shoulders bounced as she laughed. “You definitely get your humor from your dad.”
“I’ve been told that, but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. He can be kind of corny.”
“It’s good. I like corny.” Her eyes widened. “Not that I’m a judge or that you need to be funny for me or like that or—” She rolled her lips in, mumbling under her breath low enough he couldn’t catch what she said. The woman was just too cute.
Using his elbow, he jabbed at her. “Hey, if I’m going to make anyone laugh, I want it to be you.” He realized what he’d said and returned to rinsing dishes. This whole nervous around women thing was becoming an issue. Well, not women, Jo. She made his brain fuzzy, especially when she was adorable.
He finished with the dishes and cleared his throat as he turned to her. “So, uh, that walk?”
“Okay.”
A weird energy crackled between them as they left the house. It continued as they strolled for a few minutes, building to the point that he nearly pulled on his collar.
“So, uh, are you still not a fan of Wishing Well?” Not the best topic in the world, but he was curious. It seemed like she was having a pretty good time, at least to him it did.
“Actually, it hasn’t been too bad. And I’ve never hated it. I just… I worked hard to build a life in New York. I don’t want to get my grandma’s hopes up that I might stay.”
“Oh,” he said, looking at her. “Has she said she wants you to stay?”
“No, not exactly, but I know she’d like it if I did.”
“Ah.”
A few steps later. “That’s what I need to ask the next time I see Serenity. Or maybe I can email her.”
“Uh, I missed part of this conversation.”
She waved him off as she laughed. “No, I was just thinking about where I was living, and I wonder where Serenity and Ethan will live when she’s not filming. I think it could go either way. Here or Los Angeles or somewhere completely different. Have they said anything to you?” asked Jo.
“Uh, I think, and don’t quote me,” he said and smiled. “But I think they’re going to stay in California. There are a few colleges that are courting him to be a teacher.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, wow. That’s great.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty proud of him. He’s worked hard and deserves all the awards and good things. He’s a good man. He’s going to be a great husband and father…well, one day.”
She glanced at him. “How about you?”
