Page 7 of Sing with Me

“The best. Put your palms out,” Diehl said. He poured a couple of drops on them.

Skye rubbed her palms together. “My coconut oil is in a jar. How do you get yours out of that bottle in the winter when it solidifies?”

“I just put it in a warm tub of water.” He placed the bottle on the island counter. “Now can you shake my hand?”

“Is it important?” Skye asked.

“I don’t suppose it is. But I went to a lot of trouble to get you the lotion.”

“You ran up and down the stairs and got some exercise. You’re welcome.” Skye opened the refrigerator again. “Mushroom risotto for lunch?”

Diehl made a face. “Could you cook me some breakfast?”

“Breakfast wasn’t on the menu today. Your sister said that you’d be here for lunch.”

“I arrived last night—two in the morning, in fact.”

“We did see your truck outside when we go here at ten.”

“Ten? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You left the front door unlocked and the alarm off.”

“Did I? I must’ve been tired after a long day at work. I had to drive five hours to get here.”

Skye nodded. She pointed to the labels on the glass containers in the refrigerator. “We labeled everything. Reheat according to the instructions.”

“Could you add breakfast for today, please?”

“Chef Joseph will be in tomorrow morning at eight for breakfast—unless you want to adjust that time.”

“Adjust it to now.”

“Well, if you had answered the emails I sent you, we might have known you’d want breakfast today at lunch time.”

“Sorry. I was busy.”

“Starting tomorrow we’ll prepare three meals a day for you. However, before we can go forward, we do need to meet and figure out what you want us to cook for you all summer. I have some sample menus we can look at. We usually do thatbeforewe show up to cook.”

Diehl nodded. “Any time. I have all day.”

Skye pointed to a pretty clock on the wall. “I have to go to a prescheduled activity. For today, we will be back at five to cook you dinner—unless you want to eat the risotto for dinner as well.”

“I don’t like risotto.”

“Your sister said…”

Diehl made a face. “I used to like it. Not anymore.”

“Peach cobbler?” Skye asked.

“I love peach cobbler.”

Skye pointed to the pie on the table. “I’ll put that in the fridge in a minute.”

“I still want breakfast.”

Are you a kid?“We don’t have time to cook you breakfast now at such a late notice.”

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