Page 78 of Skylar

“I didn’t go to school here,” she told him. “I was taught at home.”

“Your brother isn’t, though, is he?” Cole asked.

“No. He really wanted to go to school, so our parents relented.”

Aiden found Cole’s interactions with the woman intriguing. While Cole wasn’t a stranger to flirting, usually it was after a woman had expressed an interest in him.

He leaned closer to Skylar and, pitching his voice low, he said, “Do you find this a little odd?”

She looked over at him, then tilted her head a little closer and said, “Just a little.”

Back when they’d been dating, they’d teased Cole anytime a girl would try to flirt with him. He’d been adamant that he wasn’t going to date for a long time. Cole had been determined to reach his career goals before getting serious with anyone.

“Are you two together?” Annie asked, drawing Aiden’s attention from Skylar.

An immediate denial jumped to his tongue, but he didn’t blurt it out. Instead, he glanced at Skylar. She had a frown on her face as she shook her head.

“They’re not now,” Cole said. “But they used to be.”

“And could be again,” Wilder added.

“Wilder!” Skylar’s voice held a considerable amount of exasperation.

Annie’s gaze bounced around at all of them before settling on Skylar. “Sorry to bring up a touchy subject.”

“It’s fine.” She waved it off. “We don’t live here, so you wouldn’t know.”

Aiden wasn’t sure what had made him hold his tongue, but he had a feeling that Skylar noticed and would have some thoughts about that.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Skylar slowly made her way down the stairs to the main floor, taking them one at a time. She had to be careful how she moved because twisting it wrong still sent a pang of pain through her ankle, even with the boot on

Her parents were already in the kitchen, dressed for the church service they’d be attending shortly. As was she.

There was no sign of Cole, which wasn’t a surprise. Skylar doubted that he’d show before they left in an hour.

The smell of coffee drove her to hitch her way across the kitchen and reach for a mug.

“Good morning, darling,” her mom said, brushing a kiss across her cheek. “You look very nice.”

“Thanks, Mom. So do you.”

Her mom had chosen a white denim skirt that reached to her knees and paired it with a dark blue floral blouse. Her dad had on a light blue polo shirt and a pair of black slacks. Given how well they matched, Skylar was certain her mom had picked out both of their outfits.

In deference to the warm summer day, Skylar had chosen a light lavender sundress. It had wide straps and a fitted bodice that had an empire waist. The skirt fell to just below her knees, and it was light and flowy.

Pancakes were stacked on a plate on the counter, so Skylar picked up a plate and took a couple. She spread some peanut butter on them, then added a light drizzle of syrup.

Her parents chatted as they ate their breakfast. Skylar was always a bit surprised at how her parents—who spent so much time together—still found stuff to talk about.

When Cole walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, Skylar stared at him in surprise. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a plain green short-sleeved T-shirt, which made her think he was going with them.

“Are you going to church with us, darling?” her mom asked as she got up to fill a mug with coffee for Cole. There was no pressure in her mom’s voice, but there was definitely hope.

“Yeah. I thought I would. Aiden said he’d be there since they stayed in Serenity again last night.”

“Excellent.” Her mom got a plate from the cupboard and handed it to him. “Get yourself some breakfast.”

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