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“Mom,” Jo said, “this is Sandra’s nephew.”
“Oh, you’re Lane. Sorry about that. It’s nice to meet you.” She held her hand out to him.
He shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
He found it interesting that the mom knew his name without anyone telling her. So, who had been talking about him? Was it Jo? By the way she kept averting her gaze and her unusual quietness, he had a feeling it was her.
And then it came to him. This was a small town, and weren’t they usually full of gossip? Plus, he’d been making the rounds today and getting some unusual looks and unexpected questions about his plans for the inn, which he’d artfully dodged.
He couldn’t blame the residents of Bluestar for being curious about him. After all, he had never visited the island before. Of course, his mother had talked about Bluestar. At times, she had gone on and on about this place. Some good. Some not so good.
He grew up thinking Bluestar sounded like something out of a storybook. And now that he was here, he was finding his mother’s outrageous stories weren’t so outlandish after all. Only she’d failed to mention the meandering goats.
Just then a younger man stepped out of an office behind the large counter. He headed toward them. “I thought I heard people out here.”
Mrs. Turner smiled. “You’re just in time to meet Lane.” The woman turned back to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your last name.”
“It’s Johnson. Lane Johnson.”
The man appeared to be around his own age. The guy hesitated before greeting him. It was like he was giving Lane a once-over.
Eventually, the man held out his hand and they shook. “I’m Kent.”
“Oh, yes, Jo’s brother.”
“One of them.”
“One?” He realized then how much he didn’t know about Jo.
Kent nodded. “There are six of us Turner kids. And we watch out for our sister.”
“Kent!” Jo’s cheeks filled with color. Lane couldn’t tell if she was angry at her brother’s protectiveness or if she was embarrassed that her brother was making more of her relationship with Lane than really existed.
“Six?” Lane said. “That’s a big family.”
Kent acted as though he hadn’t heard his sister’s admonishment. “When my parents do something, they do it in a big way.”
In the background the parents proudly smiled, and the mother nodded.Interesting. Off to the side, Jo rolled her eyes. This was the first time he’d witnessed Jo truly uncomfortable, and it amused him. He resisted a smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.
Mrs. Turner stepped forward. “Let’s see, the oldest is Grant. But he’s not living on the island at the moment. He’s a doctor on the mainland. And then there’s Kent, and he’s helping us here at the store.”
“Until I can convince you and Dad to retire,” Kent said.
“Maybe if our kids would settle down and give us a grandkid or two to spoil, we’d gladly retire.” Mrs. Turner turned a pointed gaze to Kent and then to Jo.
Well, that was one thing Lane didn’t have to worry about. There was no one wanting him to give them grandchildren—not that he was ever planning to have any children. He wondered if his mother would have wanted to be a grandmother. Sadness came over him. He didn’t know if it was because he didn’t know the answer to the question or if it was because he missed his mother.
Sure they had a complicated relationship. And they’d had their share of arguments, but there also had been the dinners she made him and the birthday cakes she made him each year, no matter how old he got. Like he said, it was complicated.
“Mom, stop.” Jo’s face filled with color.
“Okay.” Mrs. Turner let out a soft laugh. “Anyway, then our Josie, who has done wonders at the inn, which I’m sure you’ve noticed by now.” He nodded as she continued. “Liam is our fourth kid.” She glanced around. “If you look at the window display, that oak dresser was created by him. There’s a lot of his work throughout the store. And then there’s Jack. He can usually be found behind his computer. He’s a graphic designer. Lastly, there’s our youngest, Owen. He designs those online games all of the kids are crazy about.” She looked at him. “And what about you? Do you have any siblings?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
“Lucky you,” Kent said.
But Lane could tell he wasn’t serious. There was an obvious affection amongst the Turner family. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to grow up in a large, loving family.
