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This woman had some guardrails up. He knew she was divorced, but he knew little else, and he found himself more curious than he would have thought.
"Anyway," Chloe continued, clearing her throat. "You're welcome to stay here if it works for you. I replaced the mattress last year for my previous tenant, so it should be in good shape."
"This is fine," he said. "What happened to your tenant?"
"She got a job in Denver. She moved out about a month ago. I was thinking about fixing it up before I rented it again, but then Eleanor died, and I realized the house would have to take priority. That's why I told Joel I'd be happy to rent it to you for a good price until June. That's when you have to leave, right?"
He nodded. "End of May. I have a job in California that was postponed, so I ended up with some unexpected free time."
"That must have been frustrating to think you had a job starting and then it didn't happen."
"It happens more often than I'd like, but I've learned to roll with it. Do you own this entire building?"
"My in-laws own the building, my former in-laws," she amended. "I'm buying them out gradually. They used to run the restaurant and manage this apartment, but they moved to Florida about six years ago, and I've been in charge since then.
"Sounds like you're in charge of a lot of places for a lot of people."
"You could say that. Everything was running smoothly until recently." She licked her lips. "You've come to Whisper Lake at a good time. Everything is opening up again after the winter. This weekend you'll be able to see the town in action."
"In action?" he asked curiously. "What's going to happen?"
"A massive Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast on Saturday. And on Sunday, you'll find plenty of Easter brunches at various restaurants. Whisper Lake doesn't let any holiday go by without a celebration. After several long months of cold and snow, everyone is excited to be outside again."
"Sounds like fun. I was thinking I was coming to a sleepy small town."
"Not sleepy and not so small anymore. The last few years, we've had a lot of growth. Joel's resort development is just another sign of how the community is growing."
He gave her a thoughtful look. "That should be good for your business."
"It is. I'm not complaining. I don't mind having more people around, more businesses popping up, but there are some in town who don't feel the same."
"There always are," he said. "It sounds like things have changed a lot since I came here as a child."
Surprise ran through her eyes. "You've been here before?"
"When I was six. I don't remember much. I know we stayed at a cabin on the lake. I hadn't thought about that trip in years until Joel mentioned he'd moved here. Then a few memories came back."
"Like what?" she asked curiously.
"There was an ice cream place with waffle cones. It smelled like sugar."
Chloe smiled. "You must be talking about Sugar Dreams. It's a small shack by the public beach. It's been there for sixty years, I think. It still has the best ice cream in town."
"I'll have to check it out." He sniffed. "This place doesn't smell too bad, either."
"Gus is making chili for our special tonight."
"Living here, I have a feeling I'm going to be hungry a lot."
"I'm hungry," Leo announced, interrupting their conversation as he somersaulted his way out of the bean bag chair, ending up off-balance and with a giddy smile. Leo had some of Chloe's features, her smile, and her light-brown hair streaked with gold highlights. But Leo seemed more carefree. Maybe he got that from his father, whoever that was.
"You're always hungry," Chloe teased as Leo ran toward her, throwing his arms around her waist. She ruffled his hair. "We'll go downstairs and get you some dinner."
"Maybe I'll go with you," he said. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Of course. And dinner will be on the house tonight. It's the least I can do after you saved me from falling through the floor."
"No need to thank me. I'm glad I was there."
