Page 185 of Sing with Me

“No. I’ve been away from my wife since Sunday. That’s a long time. I need to get back to her,” Sebastian said. “We were going to have dinner at my house tonight. You’re welcome to join us.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I have an idea for you,” Diehl said. “Athens is a little more than one and a half hours, whichever main route you take. If you leave now, you’ll get there around six o’clock. How about taking your wife out to dinner tonight at someplace nice? Meanwhile, I’ll take Skye to dinner, and then I’ll drive her to Athens after dinner tonight.”

Diehl turned to Skye. “Then you don’t have to unpack your suitcase in an airport. It’s a hassle just to stay one night in a hotel when Athens is that close.”

“What about Elisa and Ethan? Will they miss you this evening?” Skye asked.

“My parents are in town and staying with me. Mom is all over Elisa. The house has twenty-four-hour security. I think they will be fine. If we finish dinner by eight, and I get you to Athens by nine thirty, I’ll be back home by eleven. I usually don’t go to bed until midnight. Then you get to ride in the car I told Jared about.”

Oops. He didn’t want to mention Jared’s name, but it came out.

Skye wrinkled her nose. “I don’t care what kind of car you have.”

“I know, but I told him…” Diehl wished he didn’t have to show off to Jared—who wasn’t even here—but he had given his word.

And perhaps that had been a mark on him his entire life. Maybe he should have broken his word from time to time—it might have saved him from ten years of woe with Isobel, rescued him from a job he was stuck at, and opened up new worlds he had no time to explore before hand.

Skye touched Sebastian’s arm. “You can trust him with me.”

“And her with me.” Diehl grinned.

“Well, if I hadn’t known you before this, Diehl, and if you hadn’t gotten saved, I would have said no way. But you two go have your dinner somewhere, and we’ll see you tonight. And hey, great idea for me to have dinner alone with Em.” Sebastian turned to Skye. “Not that I don’t love you, my baby sister.”

All that sorted out, Diehl walked with Skye to his Ferrari parked in the hourly parking lot across the drop-off lanes at the airport. Skye only had her crossbody purse with her as she left her backpack with her brother back at the luggage carousel.

When they reached the sleek midnight blue sports car, Skye’s jaw dropped. “What is this cute thing?”

This ‘cute thing’ cost Diehl a fortune at an auction he shouldn’t have gone to with Dad. Diehl had bought it on a dare. And then realized that Dad had won even though he bought nothing.

Never be afraid to walk away empty-handed, Son.

It was the advice of a lifetime, but it was too late. The auction was over and Diehl was stuck with yet another car that would go into his garage for occasional fun.

In fact, his mechanic would drive these vehicles more than he had time for.

“Truth be told,” Diehl said as he unlocked the car and helped Skye into the passenger side. “I miss my Ford pickup which is still parked in Brin’s beach house garage.”

“Is that who you really are? A pickup truck guy?” Skye asked. “Or is this sports car a side of you we don’t know about.”

“This car is so that I could keep up with the Joneses.” Truthfully. “The pickup and life on the coast, that’s what I want to be.”

“The real you?”

“The real me doesn’t care what vehicle I drive. The real me just wants to be with you and only you.” Diehl lifted Skye’s hand to his lips and gently kissed it.

He closed the door and went around the car to the driver’s side. He could feel his heart beat faster than usual. Never had he felt this way toward any other woman in his entire life.

More than ever, he was sure that she was the one.

After he turned on the ignition, he reached out to hold Skye’s hand. “You’re really here.”

“I gather you missed me.”

Diehl nodded. “I’ve never missed anyone this much in my life—and I hate to say this, but not even my kids, though I thank God we got Elisa back in three days. Isn’t that a miracle?”

“God works miracles all the time.” Skye squeezed his hand. “Don’t you need two hands to drive this car? It looks kinda old and fragile.”

Diehl chuckled. “Before we go, where shall we go eat?”

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