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“Sing for you? Like right here? Right now?”

Reaching into the navy tote bag slung over her shoulder, she withdrew a book.

But it wasn’t just any book—it was the journal he’d given her.

She opened it and turned it to face him. Then she looked at him with eyes full of nervousness and maybe a little wonder. “I wrote a song. For you. For us. I’d like you to sing it at the concert. Maybe the talent show? Not as Eli Noble but as Asher Quinn. Will you do that?”

“Why me?” A chill washed over him despite the warm sunshine streaming over them. Did she realize what she was asking?

She pressed the journal into his hands. “It’s time for both of us to come out of hiding, to reveal our scars, and embrace the life God has called us to live.”

With his limbs quaking, he took it. As he read the words, the uneasiness loosened in his chest.

As if his hand had a mind of its own, his fingers tapped a beat against the back cover of the journal as the rhythm of the lyrics came alive inside his head.

He imagined reaching for his guitar, wrapping his left hand around the neck, and caressing the frets and strings. Closing his eyes a moment, he visualized his fingers reaching for his pick and strumming the chords to create a melody worthy of the beautiful words Sadie captured on the page.

Humming, mostly to himself, Asher tapped his foot in time to the music playing in his head. Opening his eyes, he pulled in a breath and softly sang the first verse. “Share the scars, share the fears. Bring them all, bring them near. You are healed, you are Mine. In My love, you will find.”

His throat thickened as tears burned the backs of his eyes. He looked at Sadie standing in front of him, arms around her waist and biting on the corner of her lip.

“Sadie, this is beautiful. Truly remarkable.”

Her shoulders sagged as a hand flew to her mouth. “You mean it?”

He nodded and closed the distance between them. He ran the backs of his fingers over her petal-soft cheek. “Yes, I do. I wouldn’t lie to you. Not about this. Or anything for that matter. I’m so sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me for deceiving you.”

With her eyes closed, she covered his fingers with her hand and nodded. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. “I forgive you.”

The three words spoken softly but with conviction were like a sharp knife slicing through the invisible cords that had cinched his chest for nearly five years.

He gathered her in his arms and crushed her to his chest. With as much strength as he could manage, he did his best to hold it together. To his horror, a tear rolled down his cheek and disappeared into his beard.

“You need to forgive me too. For leaving. For not hearing you out. For blaming you. I’m sorry, Asher. So sorry.” Sadie placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him. She touched his face, her fingers trailing down the puckered skin along the side of his neck from his ear to his collarbone. “Tell me what happened.”

For years, he’d tried to stuff the memories away, to keep from reliving the horror that changed his life and created so much unnecessary grief. And now he wanted to talk about it, to share with her so she’d understand. But it needed to wait.

Asher took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. “I will. I promise. But I realized I didn’t answer your question.”

She frowned. “My question.”

“You asked if I’d sing at the concert.”

“Oh, right. Will you?”

“On one condition.”

“What’s that?” She raised her eyebrows.

He pulled her toward him. “You sing with me.”

Sadie’s hopeful expression fell as she turned away, pulling her hands from his grasp. “Asher, I don’t have talent close to matching yours. If I mess up, then people will laugh. I’ll be humiliated, and I’ll let you down.”

“You will never let me down, Sadie.” He stepped closer, his voice steady and encouraging as he lifted a hand and ran a thumb over her cheek. “You can do this. I will be at your side the entire time. As your grandma likes to remind me, God will never leave you nor forsake you. And I won’t either. That’s a promise. It’s time I stop being a one-man band, and I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather singoursong with than you.”

“You really think I can do it?” Her large, blue eyes full of uncertainty searched his face, looking for what? Courage, maybe?

“I don’t think—I know.” His hand cupped the back of her head. “You have a gift, and it’s time to share it with others. No matter what happens, we’ll do it together.”