Page 192 of Sing with Me

Skye blinked. She knew how Parker had died because Brinley had told them about Riley Brooks, the grieving widow. Riley had not remarried even though Parker had been gone for six years.

Skye wondered what it felt like to be a widow in her forties. So young. Alone so soon.

“Interesting. I didn't know their love story.” Skye couldn’t say that Parker had been reckless for not wearing a life jacket while boating. Skye herself had been on pontoons without a life vest.

“Parker fell in love with Riley the first day they met,” Diehl said. “He never stopped loving her until the day he died. I know that because he was going to return from the fishing trip the next day—one day early—to surprise Riley with an anniversary gift. He didn’t get a chance to deliver it himself.”

“What gift was it?”

“He bought her a new house in Atlanta.”

“Without her knowing? A house?” Skye wondered how such a gift would work. It could never work for her because she would want to design her own kitchen.

“Parker knew Riley so well that he put in everything that she would want in the house. The only person he told about the house was me.”

“So you had to tell her.”

Diehl nodded. “I had the key to the house. I was also the executor of his will.”

“Six years ago. That must’ve been traumatic.”

“His body was lost at sea. Never found.” His voice cracked. “They loved each other so much and yet their marriage ended when they were both thirty eight years old.”

Skye almost asked him to talk about something else, but she realized that he needed to talk about it now.

“Because God is with me now, I can look back and talk about it,” Diehl said.

“Did Riley like the house?”

“She loved it, but she never moved in. It’s still there, several streets away from my house. It’s still empty. She wouldn’t sell it, and would’t live in it. It was all paid for.”

“Interesting.”

Skye didn’t realized they were already on Interstate 316. The traffic lights were bright in the dark night. Somewhere overhead, she heard thunder.

“Was it supposed to rain tonight?” Skye swiped her phone. “Uh-oh. Thunderstorm tonight.”

“In Athens only?” Diehl asked.

“Between Atlanta and Athens.” Skye didn’t like bad driving weather. Especially tonight after they had a good time together. She was on the mountaintop and did not want anything dangerous to happen.

“I’ll drive slowly.” Diehl squeezed her hand. “Let’s pray for safety.”

Skye nodded, wrapping both her hands around Diehl’s hand as he prayed. “Keep your eyes on the road.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Diehl smiled. “Lord Jesus, we know that You are with us. Never have I been more sure now that You are with us. Protect us as we drive to Athens. Keep Skye, Sebastian, and Emmeline safe in Athens. Protect me as I drive back to Atlanta. Keep the storm away from us if at all possible.”

He was about to close the prayer when Skye decided to add on to it.

“And Lord, we lift up the prayer requests we have this evening, but first we praise You for bringing Elisa home safely to us. Thank You that she was unharmed. Although Romina took her into harm’s way, she also protected her all the way until the police found her. I pray that Zeta Bishop would repent of her sins. She has no idea what could have happened to her own granddaughter. I pray that as Elisa is being interviewed by the forensic people, that You will give her strength. Someday, may Elisa and Ethan also know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.”

“Amen,” Diehl said.

“I’m not done,” Skye said.

“No?”

“We haven’t prayed for the first thing on our list. Wisdom, remember?”

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