Page 181 of Sing with Me

“What do you mean?” Jared looked baffled.

“You manage employees, Jared, not the mother of your child. She’s not your subordinate. She’s your equal.”

Jared stood next to her. “Maybe you can talk to Talia.”

“I’m not a marriage counselor.”

“We’re not married.”

“Still, you have a family now—a child, at least.”

“Talia doesn’t look at it that way. She’s dating again.”

“Like I said, I’m not a counselor. I’m just a chef, Jared. However, if you want, I could ask Pastor Gonzalez.”

Jared shook his head. “I only go to Seaside Chapel if someone dies or someone gets married.”

“Christmas?” Skye asked.

“I’m usually on the island then. We have our family reunion every Christmas.”

“That sounds nice.” Skye could never imagine having her own little island. Then again, Urquhart Island was expensive to maintain.

“I wish Talia would come home one of these days, but it would take a miracle for her to spend Christmas with the Urquharts.”

“God is in the miracle business,” Skye said.

“Is He?”

“Absolutely. All the time.”

Skye thought she could use a miracle about now. She wished that Jared would stop following her around. Or if he had to stick to her, he might as well carry a parasol over her head.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The sun was blazing hot, and Skye reminded herself not to attend any future outdoor food festivals in the middle of summer. Rivulets of sweat poured out of her head. She saw a booth with a spinning fan, and made a beeline for it. Unfortunately, a crowd of people had the same idea.

“Cold water for a weary soul?” someone said.

Skye recognized that voice. She spun around.

Watt Watanabe in an orange sherbet shirt, signature fluorescent green tennis shoes, and with his arms around a woman who was no more than twenty-five years old.

Skye hadn’t realized that Watt had a granddaughter. She thought that Watt and his now deceased wife were childless.

“What brings you here to Miami Beach?” Watt gave Skye a bear hug.

“Watt did,” Skye deadpanned.

Watt laughed. He had the same laughter that Skye remembered from years past when Watt and Uncle Miller used to hang out on St. Simon’s Island. They both had their own cooking establishments, but while Sebastian had followed Uncle Miller into the restaurant business, Skye had preferred the professional personal chef service company that Watt owned.

Watt had given her a first start in Savannah right after she graduated out of cooking school. It had only been for one Christmas season when Watt’s for Dinner was small, but it was enough experience to motivate Skye to register her own LLC and eventually a corporation.

In fact, Watt had also gifted her with seed money to get Skye’s the Limit going. While she had returned it years later after receiving inheritance from Uncle Miller’s estate, Skye never forgot the kindness and generosity of her uncle’s friend.

How could it be that they had lost touch in the last ten years?

“It’s been a while,” Skye said, regretting how time had passed by. “When was the last time I saw you?”

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