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"Unfortunately, no, but there's still a chance."
"Well, you have a lot more trash to go through. Are you in the mood to get some lunch? Or do you need to get back to work or to Leo?"
The restaurant was covered, and she didn't have to pick up Leo until three, so she could say yes. But should she? Why not? "I could eat. What did you have in mind?"
"I'll leave that to you, but I think dessert should include a trip to Sugar Dreams. I've been thinking about that ice cream since I got here."
"Then we should eat by the lake. I know just the place."
He glanced down at his clothes. "Should I change before we go?"
"You're fine. This place is very casual."
"All right. But I am going to wash my hands."
As he headed into the guest bathroom, she blew out a breath, wondering again what she was doing. She pulled out her phone and called Joel. Maybe he'd like to join them for lunch. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up. But it was fine. It wasn't a date. She needed to stop overthinking things. Decker was her tenant and, hopefully, her contractor. The least she could do was take him to lunch and show him around town.
Chloe led Decker down a long pier next to the harbor to a restaurant simply named Good Eats. "It's not fancy, but the food is great," she said. "Tammy Hall is the owner now. She took over for her dad about fifteen years ago."
"Another family-owned business," Decker murmured. "Like your café."
"Yes. There are a lot of family-owned businesses in town. You'll find very few chains or franchises."
Decker opened the door for her, and she preceded him into the wood-paneled restaurant that offered six tables inside as well as a patio with another dozen tables.
They paused at the counter to order their food, grab drinks, and then went out to the patio to find a table in the sun.
"This is an amazing view," Decker said, as he sat down across from her, his gaze sweeping the boat harbor, the lake, and the surrounding majestic mountains.
"There are magnificent views everywhere in Whisper Lake. Mountains, forests, lake, rivers…we have it all."
"You should work for the Chamber of Commerce."
"I've done a lot of work with the chamber. And I sell to tourists every day. My location on Silver Street gets a lot of visitors, and they always want to know where to go and what to do."
"You love it here, don't you?"
"For the most part. Sometimes the long winter gets tedious, especially with a four-year-old who wants to play outside. But the rest of the year…" she shrugged. "It's home. When I was a little girl, I used to think the mountains were my bodyguards. They were so tall and strong and protective. I always felt safe with them overlooking me." She smiled. "Silly."
He smiled back. "I can see why they would make you feel that way."
"Does this view feel familiar to you?"
"Yes, but I'm counting on the ice cream to bring some more detailed memories back."
"That's a lot to ask from an ice cream cone," she teased. "How long were you here before?"
"I have no idea, maybe a week."
"It sounds like you came in the summer if ice cream was the big memory."
"It was hot; I remember that. My dad took me swimming in the lake, and I got a bad sunburn." He paused. "It's funny the things that stick with you."
"Was your mom on the trip?"
"No, she died when I was three," he said shortly, as he took a sip of his soda.
As the shadows crossed his face, she felt a wave of compassion. "I'm sorry. That's very sad."
