take him up on his offer to stay as a silent partner in Sinclair Properties in exchange for him having a silent partnership in Sinclair Seafood.”
“That’s the official name of the new business?”
He nodded.
“I like it,” I agreed.
“I’ll start out working from my home office. I have a lot of building to arrange, and boats to purchase. The marina was just expanded, so it should work to house the boats for now.”
“Since I won’t have the restaurant open for a while, I’d like to help however I can. I don’t have that many skills, but I’d do anything you needed,” I offered.
I wanted to do whatever I could to get Aiden’s business off the ground. He looked so happy, and I wanted him to keep smiling.
He gave me a playful grin. “Just the fact that you think I can do it helps. And I wouldn’t turn down some assistance. I’m not exactly organized.”
“Perfect,” I said as I smiled back. “I’m kind of anal about laying out plans. So I’ll help you get things together. I honestly think starting two new businesses will be fun.”
“It will likely be hell,” he warned.
“It won’t. It will be a challenge.”
There was something about Aiden and me doing this together that brought me a sense of excitement I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“I’ll help you, too,” he promised. “But can we start work after Maya goes to school, and wrap it up at dinnertime? I was serious about you taking a break.”
My heart skittered. Aiden had actually asked me like I was a partner instead of bossing me around. Not that I thought the concession would last forever, but he’d heard me when I’d said I’d rather be asked than told.
“I’ll break a little before that to get dinner together,” I offered. “Deal?”
He folded his beefy arms. “Did you really think I was going to argue about not cooking?”
I laughed. “I like to cook.” I suddenly remembered something. “Speaking of cooking, I have to make cookies for Maya’s class this afternoon. It’s her turn to bring treats. Chocolate chip is her favorite.”
“I used to just buy stuff for my younger siblings,” he considered.
“Times are changing,” I explained. “I do healthier cookies with oat flour, coconut sugar, and less chocolate chips.”
“I think I’d prefer the old-fashioned ones,” he grumbled.
I snorted. “Me too. But the healthier ones aren’t bad. And I still make the real thing for Maya sometimes. I just try to be careful with the real sugar, and make sure to mix the healthy stuff with the treats.”
“She’s a good kid, Skye. You did a great job with her,” he said as he looked at me.
My heart warmed as I saw the genuine look in his gorgeous eyes. Nobody had ever really told me that I was doing things right with Maya. I’d always been terrified I’d do something to ruin my child, since I’d had absolutely no child-raising experience.
“Thanks,” I shot back at him with a smile.
“Can I help with the cookies?”
“Do you really want to?” I asked, my heart beating just a little bit faster.
I kept telling myself not to make too much of having a partner to help raise Maya. But it felt good just the same.
“I really do,” he confirmed.
We finished our coffee and proceeded to make some healthier chocolate-chip cookies together.
I had a hard time keeping most of the chocolate chips out of Aiden’s mouth, and there was oat flour everywhere by the time we were done.
But I hadn’t laughed so much in years, and I was still chuckling once the entire kitchen was clean again.
CHAPTER 12
SKYE
The week leading up to Jade and Eli’s wedding was one of the most amazing periods of time I’d ever experienced.
Aiden took to being a father almost naturally.
I couldn’t say that he exactly spoiled his daughter rotten. Thankfully, he never made me the bad guy when I had to enforce bedtimes and rules. In fact, he backed me up completely, and even reminded Maya when there was something I’d asked her to do.
But he was a sucker about giving her anything and everything she wanted, for the most part.
Luckily, my daughter wasn’t the type to ask for anything extravagant.
“My piano teacher says I’m learning so fast that I could probably do a recital this summer,” my daughter said excitedly from the passenger seat in the new vehicle Aiden had mysteriously bought. I had a hunch he’d felt the sudden need for an Audi A3 more for my benefit than his. But since my