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“Is there a lot of that on the island?”
“A lot of what?”
“Families handing down their business through the generations.”
“You mean like with the inn?”
He shrugged. That wasn’t exactly what he meant. It wasn’t like they were really his family. He hadn’t known anyone on his mother’s side of the family. And so he didn’t feel any guilt about selling the inn. He had no emotional links to it.
“Yes, it’s common. This is how we’re able to sustain ourselves without letting in the big chain stores. And so far it’s worked.”
He couldn’t imagine living in a place that didn’t embrace big business. “But surely you can’t get everything on the island.”
“Not everything. But most things. For the other items, we have the internet and deliveries from the mainland. Trust me, if you move here, you’ll have access to everything you need.”
“I’m not moving here.” His blunt response was greeted with a frown.
What in the world would give her that idea? Certainly it hadn’t been something he’d said, because the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.
He was very happy in California. Okay, maybe not very happy but happy enough. He had his routines, and most importantly, he had his thriving real estate business. He wasn’t about to walk away from it. Not a chance. And certainly not to move to this tiny island with its very unique ways.
“If you want, you can wait here.” Jo reached for the flyers.
All afternoon she’d had him going in this store and that store, delivering flyers. Now all of a sudden she didn’t want him to go inside with her.Interesting.
He couldn’t help but wonder what she was hiding. Had she failed to tell her family that she was fighting with him about the sale of the inn? Maybe her family would side with him and want her to switch things up as far as her career was concerned. Was that too much to hope for? Probably. But he was still curious to meet her family.
He got out of the cart and stared up at the large, white-washed brick building with a red metal roof. “I think I’ll go with you.”
Was that a sigh that passed by her lips? If it was, she didn’t let on. In fact, she didn’t say a word as she turned and headed across the street to the front door.
Like most of the other businesses in Bluestar, when the front door opened a little bell jingled. The big showroom was illuminated by large windows and suspended lighting. The store was the size of a warehouse. He could see furniture as far as his gaze could go.
“Welcome to Turner Furnishings,” came a friendly male voice. Lane turned to find a tall, thin man with thinning gray hair and glasses headed toward him. And then the man’s gaze moved to Jo. “Josie honey, this is a nice surprise.”
“Hey, Dad, are you all alone here?”
Her father gave Jo a quick hug. “Your mother will be here shortly. And your brother is in the office working on the quarterly reports.”
Jo nodded in understanding. “I just stopped by to see if you would hand out some flyers for the bicentennial celebration next week.”
“Certainly.” Her father’s gaze returned to Lane. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Oh, yeah.” Jo let on that she’d forgotten about him, but Lane was pretty certain she didn’t want to introduce him to her father. “Dad, this is Lane. He’s Sandra’s nephew. He’s visiting for a few days. Lane, this is George.”
A warm smile came over the man’s face. He held a hand out to Lane. “It’s good to meet you.” When Lane gripped the man’s hand and shook, her father said, “Your aunt was a great lady. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, but I didn’t have a chance to know her.”
“That’s too bad. Sandra was a kind and generous woman. You would have liked her.”
Would he have? He had no idea. Before he’d stepped foot on this island, he would have bet his business that his aunt was a mean and nasty woman, but now that he was here, he was finding no evidence that she was vindictive like his mother had told him.
Not that he was going to let himself get pulled in by some ancient history. None of it was going to change his mind about the future of the inn.
The front door bell jingled. Everyone turned to find a woman enter the store with a smile on her face. No one had to tell him that this was Jo’s mother. They looked so much alike.
“Sorry, I’m late. I just finished adding some seasoning to the slow cooker. Dinner will be ready as soon as the store closes.” And then the woman’s gaze came to rest on Lane. “Hello. I’m Patty Turner. Can I help you find some furniture?”
