Page 108 of Sing with Me

Diehl nodded. Father and son came onshore.

Ethan was still crying. “Why did they take her?’’

“They? Who?” Diehl asked.

Ethan quietened. “Don’t let them take me too.”

“No, I won’t.” Diehl held his hand.

“I’m so afraid, Dad.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

Skye tried to find something to say, but all she could think of was an old verse. “Psalm 56:3 says, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’Youbeing God. That’s how I’m not afraid, Ethan.”

Diehl nodded to Skye. “That’s a good verse.”

“Whenever I’m afraid, God is with me,” Skye said. “When I’m happy, God is with me. When I’m sad, God is also with me. Good days, bad days, He’s still with me. There’s no need to be afraid.”

Diehl reached for Skye’s hand. “When are you sad?”

“Not right now.” She let him hold her hand as they walked back toward the boardwalk.

This was just like the beaches on St. Simon’s Island across the bridge. All these beaches faced the Atlantic Ocean. The only difference—other than the fact that Seaside Island beaches were all private, whereas St. Simon’s Island beaches were a mix of both private and public—was the type of beach houses here.

The main Brooks Cottage over the dunes was typical of the houses here. Built in the twenties and thirties through the fifties, they had been designed for the then nouveau riche as well as those who had inherited wealth, like the Brooks and Urquhart families. Being more affluent, the Urquharts had bought an island of their own between St. Simon’s Island and Tybee Island, an hour north.

Skye hadn’t been here on Seaside Island for at least a year since Sebastian moved away, but the houses looked the same like they had been—

“What’s that? A green roof. Most of the roofs are brown or red.” Skye pointed to a coastal style roof peeking over some dunes several houses to the right of Brooks Cottage. “Ooh, look at all those windows. I’ve always wanted…”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

“Not just a new roof,” Diehl said. “They razed a house built in the fifties down to the foundation, and rebuilt a brand new cottage sometime last year.”

“When was the last time they allowed such a thing on Seaside Island? Was that a historic home?”

“Yeah, but somehow they got permission to destroy it. It’s the same floor plan as a few others on the island, so I guess they won’t miss it. They wanted an open floor plan.”

“I love open floor plans.” She wanted to ask them to go on ahead, while she walked down the beach to take a look.

“Let’s go see it,” Diehl said.

“No,” Skye said. “We need to get back to the house and put the cheesecake in the oven.”

“Just the outside. A quick peek?”

“No. Let’s get back to the kitchen.” Skye started walking toward the boardwalk leading to Brooks Cottage.

“Don’t you ever leave the kitchen?” Diehl followed her, Ethan in tow.

“It’s my comfort zone.”

“Where the comfort food is,” Ethan said.

“I know who owns that house,” Diehl said. “I’ll take you there someday when all this is over.”

“Sure.” Skye nodded. “I was only curious, is all. Sorry I was distracted. It’s a lovely beach house. Some day…”

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