Page 36 of Sing with Me

“I have a feeling you’re about to quote it for me. But I’m ahead of you. I do remember the verse, and I will read it to you. It’s in John 15 somewhere.” He put the tongs down on the counter and reached into his pocket. “Ah, my phone is upstairs.”

“Mine’s in my purse over there.” Skye pointed to her purse on a chair at the breakfast nook. “Side pocket.”

Diehl retrieved her phone. She pressed her left thumb on the button and the screen cleared. “See the Bible app? Pick your translation.”

He nodded and tapped in the verse reference. “Here we go. I’ll read the verse before it also. ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.’ John 15:4-5.”

“Good verses.”

Diehl put the phone back in Skye’s purse. “I’ve forgotten how refreshing God’s Word is until yesterday. It was good to be back in church. It’s been a while.”

Skye heated a new pan on the stove. She turned down the other burner and flipped the bacon. “I’ve been in church all my life, so I can’t imagine being away.”

Diehl took the tongs from her, and the base of his palm brushed against her fingers.

Skye felt it.

Sometimes she wondered what it was like to have someone special in her life other than her own family. Sebastian was great and gave her a lot of hugs, but he was no longer living on St. Simon’s. When his wife finished school, they wouldn’t move back here. Without other relatives in town, Skye was the only Langston left.

To be sure, she had boyfriends in years past. In the last couple of years, she had been busy splitting her time between the chef business and the restaurant that she hardly had time to go out at all. All her dates had been pre-restaurant.

Sigh.

Chapter Ten

“Apenny for your thought?” Diehl asked.

“Nothing.” Skye sautéed the potatoes. Now they were standing next to each other on the stove.

She had cooked with numerous people before in her life, but this was the first time she felt nervous.

“Something was on your mind,” Diehl pressed.

“And then it was gone. Don’t burn the bacon.”

They cooked quietly for a minute or so. Skye heated up the oven. She retrieved her muffin pan from her tote bag.

She buttered the muffin pan and then dished the cooked potatoes in them, making little nests.

“Those were delicious yesterday,” Diehl said. “I hope you make it often.”

“Well, you’re here for three months, so there’ll be plenty of time.”

“Seems like a long time when I arrived on Friday.” Diehl turned off the stove and transferred the bacon to a platter lined with paper towel. “Now I’m looking forward to the entire summer.”

“Because your kids are arriving today?”

Diehl stepped closer to Skye. “Because of you.”

“Me?”

“I’d like to think we struck up a friendship. We get along well.”

“It’s only been a few days.” Skye laughed. “Give it time. Our true colors will seep through.”

“I was actually thinking that we knew each other a little bit before now, so it helped.”

Skye nodded.

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