“I’ve been doing my printing over at the diner. Owner knows me.”
I smiled and shook my head. That happened sometimes. I asked a question and somehow a Living heard me and answered.
“They have Wi-Fi too. I’d be happy to have lunch brought over for you. On me,” he added.
Jo sat, tipped her boots to balance on her toes, like she was ready to dive off into a pool or jump off the starting blocks.
“No thanks.” She pressed a button on the computer, bit her bottom lip softly, and narrowed her eyes.
“This password protected?” she asked.
“No. I shut down whenever I’m out of the office, and the doors are locked at night. Don’t need more security than that.”
She scoffed.
“Small town, Miss…?” he tried.
She flicked a look his way. “Jo.”
“Miss Jo,” he repeated.
“Just Jo’s good enough.”
“Sorry about—” He waved in the general direction of the lobby and presumably the conversation they’d had there. “You caught me by surprise. Good surprise,” he added real quick. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. Or your business.” He winced. “Or your state.”
There was a pause, and she wasn’t looking at the computer any more. She was looking at him. Really looking.
He smiled, popping dimples, then he dragged his hand through those over-long bangs.
I could hear her heart pick up the pace. Could sense other things too. How her breathing got a little stuttered, how her pupils widened.
“You gonna fall for a pretty face, Jo?” I asked her. “He insulted your company and your hometown. Don’t let him get away with that small-town-boy charm.”
“I’m going to get to work now, Mr. Fisher.” Just like that, whatever moment Sunshine had been trying to construct folded like a bad poker hand.
“Sure. I’ll just… I’ll be out in the bay if you need me. Or anything. If you need anything. I’ll…uh…leave you to it. And lunch. Think about lunch.”
He put the skee in the daddle and got out of the office real fast.
He started to close the office door, stopped, opened it like he was going to say something, then shook his head and left it open a crack. Enough Jo had privacy, not so much he couldn’t hear her if she called out for him.
“The diner has wireless?” Lu asked, like she’d just happened to overhear that one part of the conversation. Lorde was lying on the floor next to her right where the air conditioner breeze crossed the lobby.
“MaryJo’s. Free wireless, coffee as plain or fancy as you like, and everything’s cooked from scratch. Need directions?”
“I’ll find it.”
“All right,” he said, throwing a look over his shoulder at the office, then shaking his head slightly before focusing on Lu again. “Enjoy your lunch. I’ll have an idea of what’s going on with the truck by the time you get back.”
Lu raised two fingers in a good-bye, snapped for Lorde to follow, then sauntered out of the shop and into the sun.
Chapter Five
“That man over there’s staring at you,” I said to Lu.
She tipped her head, as if she’d heard a faraway voice. I wasn’t far away though. I was sitting across from her at the little picnic table set in the shade outside the diner.
Lu took another bite of fries, her sharp white teeth neatly severing the crunchy potato.
