Page 18 of No More Love Songs

KIT

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It’s still a littlesurreal having Skylar Thompson here. A small fact that hits me in flashes. One minute I go from feeling like I’m goofing around with someone I’ve known as long as I can think back and the next I’m remembering she’s a stranger, and a famous one at that. Not that I place much value on celebrity status. It’s more a matter of trying to merge the woman whose songs I’ve been listening to for two decades to the one sitting at the table across from me.

“You have a contemplating face,” she observes when I’ve been stuck in my head for too long. “Are you trying to find a polite way to tell me you don’t like my cooking?”

“What? No way! If anything, I’ve been silent because I’m so thoroughly enjoying this meal,” I cover quickly. “Meanwhile, what are your thoughts on the sunflower seeds? Was I right?”

She narrows her eyes for a second and I think she might call me out for my bullshit, but she lets it slide and smiles instead. “Yeah, you kinda were. The sunflower seeds might be my new favorite thing.”

“Told ya.” I nod, tilting my head down a bit more to hide the satisfied grin I know I’m sporting right now.

“Dad?” Ari’s voice echoes from inside the house. “Where are you?”

“Back porch,” I call back, but I can already hear her heading this way. If I’m not on our side of the lodge, I’m in the kitchen. And if she made her way there, she knows I’m out here eating. What she doesn’t know is –

“Oh my God! SKYLAR THOMPSON?”

Well, she didn’t know. Now she does.

Sky stands from her seat and steps around the table, hand stretched out to greet my daughter. “You must be Aria, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ari just gapes at her, eyes wide and a dopey grin plastered on her face.

“Ari?” I try to prompt her to respond.

“Huh?”

Not exactly what I was hoping for.

“Have you had lunch?” Sky goes on unbothered by my daughter’s staring. “We made plenty if you’d like to join us. Fair warning though, I did the cooking and that’s not something I’m known for.”

“Are you staying at the lodge?” Ari finally finds her voice again. “Like, for a real stay?”

“Yep. Staying for about four weeks,” Sky confirms.

Ari looks thrilled at the news. Then, something else seems to click into place for her. “Was this the gig you had this morning? Were you recording with Skylar Thompson?”

“Did I not tell you that?” I tease.

“No!”

I’m tempted to point out this very reaction is the reason I failed to mention it. That and the fact I was worried she might try to stow away in the back of my truck to score a meeting with her. But, I keep both to myself and get back to a more current topic. “Did you want to go fix yourself a plate, or what?”

This time she doesn’t hesitate, just zips back inside and then reappears with a plate in hand in record time.

“Are these cheese?” she asks as soon as she’s seated and has stabbed her first ravioli with the prongs of her fork.

“Butternut squash.”

She makes a face but shoves it in her mouth nonetheless.

“You’re back earlier than expected,” I attempt to bring back normal conversation. “Any issues at the sleepover?”

“Nope, all good.” She pokes around her dish picking out all the ravioli first. She likes to eat her meals in sections, never been much for letting her food mingle in her mouth, just one flavor and texture at a time. “I just remembered I never finished a report that’s due tomorrow. I worked on it early in the week and then totally spaced it until Em mentioned having finished hers before I got there yesterday.”

“Good call coming home early then.” I’m not the sort of parent who harps a lot on schoolwork. Be kind of hypocritical if I did, given I’m a gig musician who runs a rock-climbing lodge. I’d be the first to tell her careers can be pursued in every plane imaginable and a great many of them won’t ever require a degree. Still, I have a certain expectation she applies herself to the best of her abilities at everything she takes on, school included, and she rarely fails to meet it. It’s an agreement that’s worked well for us, giving her plenty of freedom and independence while I know I can depend on her without having to hover and micromanage her business.

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