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He opened his mouth to tell her she was working too hard, but then he wordlessly pressed his lips together. Who was he to lecture her about working long hours? wasn’t that what he did every day, including weekends? His social life was essentially non-existent.
Maybe hanging this painting would spur her to decorate. He didn’t want her ending up like him, where the only thing in her life was the inn. And yet it was another reason to sell the inn. Jo was young and could start over—maybe she could figure out how to have balance in her life.
He stood next to the couch. “Where do you want the painting?”
She pivoted around, taking in the different walls. And then she pointed. “I think the wall in the dining room would be nice. I’ll always see it when I pass through to the kitchen.”
“The dining room it is. Do you have a hammer and some hooks or nails?”
“I’ve got some stuff in the kitchen.” She moved to the sink and opened the cabinet beneath it. She pulled out a red toolbox. She straightened and retraced her steps to the dining room. She placed the toolbox on the table. “Here you go. Everything I have is in there.”
The toolbox was small but well supplied. He set to work. He liked to work with his hands. He’d gotten good at it as a kid. He’d learned a lot from an older neighbor who’d taken him under his wing, although they didn’t live in the place more than a couple of years. His mother was always moving around from one job to the next.
Jo helped him position the painting. When he stepped off the chair, he was impressed to find the painting straight on the wall. It looked pretty good, if he did say so himself.
He turned to her. “What do you think?”
“I think it looks wonderful. It really dresses up the room.” Her gaze moved to the empty tabletop. “I feel like I need to put a vase of flowers on the table.”
He smiled. It was working. She was starting to think about things other than the inn. In a way, he envied her. She had this island full of people who cared about her. All he had back in San Diego were employees and one reliable assistant. It was nothing compared to what Jo had here.
And now he thought he’d take the advice of Jo’s neighbor. “How about we go get some dinner?”
“Is it that late?” Jo glanced at the time. “It is. I don’t know. I should just pick something up and go back to the office.”
“The work will wait. You need a chance to unwind. And it’s time I got out and tried another restaurant besides The Lighthouse Café, not that it isn’t delicious, but if I keep eating every meal there, I’ll soon have eaten everything on the menu.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that really the only place you’ve eaten at since you’ve been here?”
He nodded. “So, take pity on me and let me take you somewhere else.”
“What do you like to eat?”
“I’m not picky.”
“There’s a new place called The Bluffs, but it has a dress code.”
He glanced down at his jeans and polo shirt. “Maybe something less fancy.”
“Less fancy would be the Hamming It Up Deli.”
“It doesn’t sound like a sit-down restaurant.”
“They have a couple of little tables, but they’re more of a takeout place.”
“Okay. Maybe something not so casual.”
“Well, if you’re looking for a little Mexican flare, we could go to Katrina’s Kantina or there’s the Little Moon Hibachi Grille. Do either of those sound tempting?”
“They both sound good. I eat a lot of tacos in California, so let’s be different and go to Little Moon.”
“Let me grab my purse and turn off the lights.”
“I’ve got the lights.”
In no time they arrived at Little Moon. It was a busy place, but the wait wasn’t too long. The interior lighting was dimmed with each table having its own suspended lighting. The walls were decorated with various artwork from a dragon to an Imperial Palace. In the center of the restaurant was a koi pond with a small wooden bridge over it. On their way to their table, they stopped on the bridge to watch the goldfish.
They were seated at the end of the Hibachi table with three other couples. While they waited for their chef to arrive to prepare their meal in front of them, Lane was driven to know more about Jo.
