Page 70 of Sing with Me

However, Diehl had seen another side of his daughter only the day before at Brinley’s beach house, when he found her lying down on the grass with Skye as they talked about God and the universe.

Somehow Skye had been able to reach his daughter.

Thank God for Skye.

Once again, Diehl’s thoughts wandered to Skye. He resisted the urge to get his phone and text her. He didn’t want to be a hypocrite in front of his children. Or even behind their backs.

But he was starting to miss not seeing Skye.

The tug in his heart scared him.

Chapter Twenty

Diehl called after lunch asking what she was doing. The next thing Skye knew, he showed up at the vegetable section of Seaside Organics grocery store on Demere Road.

“May I push your cart?” he asked.

What was Skye supposed to say?

Diehl followed her from the vegetables to the fruits to the nuts and then the seafood. He inspected a container of dry seafood rub. “This has lemon grass in it.”

“What do you know about lemon grass?” Skye waited for the fishmonger to scale and debone the grouper for her.

“I know it’s used in curry.”

“Very good.”

“Cara made curries for us. Brin and I love the curry she cooked.”

“Cooked?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t like to travel, so Mom hired a private chef when my parents go around the world.”

Skye’s phone pinged but she ignored it. “Have they been to many places?”

“That was their plan, but Dad had a mild stroke a couple of years ago, and that spooked Mom, so now they make short trips to Paris and Europe, and then they’re back home again to be closer to Dad’s cardiologist and the hospital they like.”

Skye thanked the fishmonger, put the filets in her cart, and checked it off her list. This one was for Mrs. Morton. She led Diehl to the dairy section, where she inspected eggs.

“I feel so domestic,” Diehl said.

He seemed to mean it as a joke, but Skye didn’t get it. “Are you saying that people you know don’t shop for their own groceries?”

Diehl looked around. “I don’t know. I go to the store sometimes. On my own.”

Like a big boy? What was he trying to say? That he could be independent?

“I love the life here on St. Simon’s. Casual and unhurried,” Diehl added. “It’s not overrun with tourists in the summertime, and people are not on top of one another like in a crowded city.”

“For sure.”

“I understand why my sister left the corporate world to move here permanently.”

Skye didn’t ask him if that would be something he’d do. They were still in such an early stage of their relationship that she told herself it might not last. Diehl could have anyone in the world he wanted, and yet he chose her.

Perhaps it was only a summer fling.

Skye warned herself to guard her heart so she would not be disappointed if Diehl went home to Atlanta and found someone else in the fall.

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