Page 198 of Sing with Me

Diehl regretted asking it. He would rather talk about something else, but he was curious. Too curious for his own good. Within seconds, Skye replied.

Skye: A long time ago.

Diehl: First love?

Skye: Looking back, I don’t know. Those teenage years.

Diehl: Puppy love.

Skye: Probably. We broke up in my senior year. He wanted something to celebrate the prom that I could not give him.

Diehl: Jerk.

Skye: I told him what he wanted is only reserved for my future husband and no one else.

Diehl: Oh.

Skye reminded Diehl of Brinley. Grandpa Brooks had made Brinley take a vow of purity in exchange for a special wedding gift that he said God would give her. Turned out it wasn’t his collection of old violins and pianos. It was something more than that, beyond Brinley’s wildest dreams: a godly husband.

Could I be a godly husband to Skye?

Diehl: Pastor Gonzalez says that inside every one of us is a heart wanting to be loved.

Skye: I heard that sermon before.

Diehl: Then you remember that once God loves us, we can love others.

Skye: What are you getting at?

Diehl: God has loved me. With God’s love, I can love you. I may be imperfect, but Christ is perfect. His love is what I give to you. Together we can help each other through the journey of life.

When Skye didn’t reply right away, Diehl got concerned. Then he felt a movement nearby. He glanced up to see Skye leaning over his face and planting a quick kiss on his lips.

“I just want to say good night,” she whispered in his ear.

“I didn’t hear you.”

“The storm outside is louder than my footsteps.”

Diehl threw back his blanket, and tapped the flashlight on his phone. He placed it on the coffee table. It cast a silvery glow around them. He was up on his feet, wrapping his arms around Skye. They stood there for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth.

His lips swept across her cheek before he realized that they were not alone in the apartment. Behind that wall over there, Sebastian and Emmeline might still be awake.

“What time do you plan to get up in the morning?” Skye asked softly.

“I need to be at the office by 8:45 a.m. for the first of several meetings,” Diehl whispered. “Working backwards, if I get up by 6 a.m. and leave by 6:30 a.m. I would be able to get to my house and change by 8 a.m. with plenty of time to get through Atlanta traffic.”

“Then we could have breakfast at six o’clock.”

“Is that too early for you? I can go to a drive-through on the way.”

“And miss my brother’s Belgian waffles?”

“Will he be offended?”

Skye shrugged. “It’s on the Sage Café menu.”

“Never had it.”

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