Page 54 of Sing with Me

“Well, it’s not like you and I have to organize baby showers all the time. With so many women in our Bible Study, it’s nice to see everyone taking a turn.”

“Right. Thank God.”

“We’ve discussed the theme, so that goes a long way,” Avery added. “Brinley seems okay with the rubber ducky theme.”

“She’s so easygoing, she’s okay with everything.”

“If you want, we can meet this afternoon for a quick update. It’s easier to talk in person. I’m visual, you know.”

“What time do you have in mind?”

“How about right after lunch? If you want to come over for lunch, I’m cooking bibimbap, recipe from a friend. You can tell me how it tastes.”

“Uh, I can’t make it to lunch but I could do dinner?” Skye did not want to tell Avery about her picnic.

But why not?

There was no secret.

It was a simple picnic with a widowed man who seemed to be just as lonely as she was.

“We can do dinner. How about five o’clock?”

“Done.” Skye updated the calendar on her iPad.

“Anything I can pray about?” Avery asked.

It was not unusual for them to ask each other that. Since Emmeline moved out of town, Skye had found Avery to be a loyal friend and confidant.

“I don’t know how to ask,” Skye said.

“About what.”

“I don’t want people to know.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Well, it’s not a secret, but Diehl asked me to go on a picnic with him and his kids.”

“Okay. Are there other adults there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. Besides it’s just going to be in his backyard—although that’s the beach. I mainly agreed to go because his daughter lost her mother at twelve, and I lost mine at thirteen. I thought I might minister to her.”

“But you feel like maybe you should have said no.” Avery hit the nail in the head.

“Or make sure that there’s a crowd.”

“It’s not a public beach in that area, is it?”

“It is.” So what was the problem? Skye still had a gnawing feeling that perhaps she should not be hanging out with her client. If there was a fallout, she might lose the business.

“And you’re afraid that someone from church might see you?” Avery asked.

“I don’t know.” Well, she wasn’t as concerned about people seeing her with Diehl as the fact that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with Diehl. They were starting to know each other and it had only been one week.

“Have you prayed about this?”

“Well, I thought I did. Maybe I did. I don’t know if I went on my knees andprayedprayed, you know? After all it’s just a picnic.”

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