Page 56 of Sing with Me

“What perfume are you wearing?” Diehl asked quietly. He rattled off a list of name brands. “Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t think I know too much about what women spray on themselves.”

“There you go again, saying you’re sorry.” Skye lightly swatted his arm.

He reached up and held her hand.

Someone cleared his throat. Ethan.

Trying to stand tall, he glared at Diehl. “Why are you holding her hand?”

Diehl dropped it immediately.

To Skye, Ethan said, “Are you Dad’s girlfriend?”

“No.”

One little word disappointed Diehl so much.

“Then will you be mine?” Ethan asked.

“Your what?” Skye raised her eyebrows.

“My girlfriend.” He looked serious—as serious as a nine-year-old going nineteen could be.

Behind them, Avery laughed so hard that Diehl thought their canopy was going to explode.

Throughout the picnic lunch, Diehl didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his own son. There was so much of Isobel in Ethan. He had no fear of talking to strangers and putting himself at the center of attention. He made jokes that everyone tried to laugh at, and he was suddenly loud.

Ethan sat on one side of Skye while Diehl sat on the other side in another beach chair, but Ethan dominated all their conversations. Diehl resigned to observing everyone.

Still, Ethan wasn’t Diehl’s big worry.

Since Diehl had picked up his kids from Mom’s house this morning, he had noticed the sullenness in his daughter.

The same daughter who told him on Monday not to be sad about her mom’s passing now didn’t feel like talking to anyone at the picnic. All week long, Diehl had seen a progression in her behavior. She stopped interacting with the rest of the family—not even with her grandpa, whom she doted on. By the time they had gone to Jekyll Island for dinner on Friday night, Elisa stopped talking altogether.

Maybe she needed people her own age.

Diehl tapped Skye’s arm. She turned her face, covered with a sheer glisten of sweat. She might want to cool off in the ocean, but she had not brought a swimsuit.

“Does Seaside Chapel have summer programs for teens?” Diehl asked quietly.

“Oh yes. We get a lot of visitors in the summer, and sometimes they drop off their kids at church for day camps and such. The VBS runs to sixth grade, but the teens have their own thing. Half of them went to camp just last week.”

Diehl nodded. “Maybe there’s something for my kids.”

“Of course. Let me ask Hayden.” She reached for her phone in her pocket. “He works with the teens during the summer, so he’ll know.”

Hayden. Her ex-boyfriend.

Diehl tried not to be judgmental, but he couldn’t help it. He waited for Skye to text Hayden. In seconds, Hayden texted back a link to the church website with activities for kids.

Skye handed her phone to Diehl.

He scrolled to see the various teen programs at church he could send his kids to for the next three months. Good. They could meet other kids their age.

While he was reading, a notification popped up. It was right there, so he couldn’t help but read it. Jared Urquhart sent a short note saying he had bought the rest of Talia’s shares.

“Looks like you have a note from Jared.” Diehl handed the phone back to Skye.

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