“Yes, you are sweetheart,” Liza said, crossing the room and sweeping Caroline’s long, chocolate-brown ponytail to one side. She leaned down to the level of Caroline’s ear and whispered something as she pointed at Skye.
Caroline lifted her head, took one look at Skye, and her little mouth dropped open. “She does look just like Ariel!”
A small, tickled laugh burst out of Skye, but her cheeks flamed a bit. “Oh…I don’t know about that, but I sure am—”
“Can I brush your hair?” Caroline hollered as she leaped out of the chair.
“Oh.” Skye smiled. Nobody had ever brushed her hair but her. If her mother ever had, Skye couldn’t remember it, and the mere idea of it tugged her heartstrings. “Sure.”
Caroline hastily pulled out the chair so it sat parallel to the table and patted it. Skye crossed the room and sat down sideways, facing the table and giving Caroline easy access to her hair, which fell to well past the small of her back. Caroline scampered to a drawer and pulled out a fork before turning to Skye with a delighted grin.
“Whoa…” Ophelia said, attempting to swipe the fork out of her hand. “Use a real brush,cher. You don’t want to stab Skye’s head.”
“I promise I’ll be really careful!”
Skye laughed lightly. “It’s okay. I trust you, Caroline.”
“Thank you!” Caroline quickly went to work combing the fork through Skye’s hair.
Liza pulled out a chair and sat across from Skye, gesturing at the older people at the table. “Skye, this is Sunny and Elijah Beauregard. They’re Ophelia’s grandparents.” She paused to lift her chin and meet Connor’s lips for a kiss as he pulled out a chair next to her. “And this is Nora Deneau, my mother-in-law.”
Skye waved at all of them, noticing Caroline had a vise grip on her long ponytail, inhibiting her from turning her head to either side. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
“So, you’rewithBrennan?” Sunny asked in a giddy, gossipy tone. “I didn’t think Brennan was everwithanyone.”
“Well, hehasn’tbeen…” Liza said mischievously. Theuntil nowin her voice was plainly audible.
“I’m literally right over here, ladies,” came Brennan’s voice behind Skye’s head.
“Well, why don’t y’all just go in the backyard or something?” Liza said, casting a snarky glance at Connor, bumping his shoulder. “Make him go outside and throw a football or whatever it is that men do on holidays when they could be helping cook or clean.”
“Nah.” Connor tugged at the neck of his well-fitting black t-shirt. “Too hot today.”
“I’m helping,” Scott chimed in, appearing in Skye’s peripheral vision. He took a bite of a deviled egg and nodded with approval. “I’m the resident taste-tester.”
“You mean you’re eating all the food before anyone else can get some,” Ophelia said with a small snort.
“Scott, let me see that egg,” Sunny said, holding out her hand in front of Skye.
He passed it off to her right in front of Skye’s face, and Skye smiled at their cute, family-type interaction.
“Ophelia, is this cayenne?” Sunny scoffed. “Your Austin roots are showing.”
“They also have jalapeño relish instead of pickle,” Ophelia said proudly.
“Oh, now that sounds delicious,” Nora said, reaching in front of Skye’s face and taking the half-eaten egg from Sunny.
“It’s all wrong!” Sunny smacked her palms together. “Why can’t you just cook things the proper way?”
“Oh my,” Nora said with a delighted moan. “It has a real bite to it.” She held the remaining bit of egg in front of Skye again and shook it. “Just try it, Sunny.”
An elderly male hand that Skye guessed was Elijah’s appeared in her line of sight and swiped the egg. “I’ll take that.”
The egg disappeared. A couple of seconds later, Elijah clapped his hands once. “Fantastic, sugar! I think we should have deviled eggs like that every time from now on.”
Sunny tsked. “That is not the proper way to make deviled eggs.”
“Under the sea,” came Caroline’s little voice amidst the adult conversation. “Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter take it from me…”
