Skylar’s heart skipped a beat when her eyes landed on Joe in the crowd. She hadn’t expected to see him here, especially not in the middle of an area that was being demolished. The sight of him standing among the group of bigwigs was unexpected, but not entirely out of place. She knew his influence reached far beyond what most people realized.
Natalie followed Skylar’s gaze, her eyes widening. “Isn’t that Joe Martin? What is he doing here?” she whispered, sounding almost amused.
Skylar tried to shake off the surprise, but her mind was racing. She didn’t know whether she should approach him or pretend like she hadn’t seen him. The last thing she wanted was to run into him in this kind of setting, especially when she was already feeling conflicted about everything else going on in her life.
“He’s probably here for business,” Skylar said, trying to sound casual. She didn’t want to acknowledge how her pulse quickened at the sight of him.
Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Business, huh? You sure about that? It’s a little odd that he’d show up at a demolition site like this. Are you sure you’re not going to go say hi?”
Skylar hesitated. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to deal with him tonight. The situation was complicated enough without her running into him in a place like this, especially after the recent events with Maisy and Christopher. But something in her tugged at her—something that made her want to understand why Joe was here.
“I think I’ll pass for now,” Skylar replied, forcing a smile. “Let’s enjoy the stew while we can. We’re probably going to miss it soon.”
Natalie didn’t push it further, but Skylar couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this encounter was inevitable. Joe was just always there, always appearing when she least expected him.
As the meal continued, Skylar’s mind kept drifting back to the sight of Joe, his serious demeanor as he spoke with the other men. She couldn’t quite place it, but there was something about him that was both familiar and distant at the same time.
“Do you think he’s still involved in the Martin Group stuff?” Natalie asked, breaking into Skylar’s thoughts.
Skylar nodded, though she wasn’t sure. “He’s always been heavily involved in the business. I imagine he still is.”
Her answer hung in the air between them, leaving more questions than answers. She didn’t know why, but she felt an odd pull to learn more about what Joe was really doing here. But the last thing she wanted was to get tangled up in his world again.
For now, though, she focused on the food in front of her, pushing the thoughts of Joe aside—for the moment.
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