A Hickory Ridge Christmas. Dana Corbit

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      Suddenly, a few things made sense. Was that what Andrew had really meant when he’d said some of the people Todd might know from the youth group had moved away? Had Andrew been referring to Hannah moving on with her life…without him?

      Todd steeled himself again. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t let it matter. He’d waited an awfully long time and gone to more trouble than most men would ever consider to give this apology. Nothing, not even his owns fears, could stop him from doing what he had to do.

      With resolve, he looked to the front of the sanctuary, past the other congregants who were chatting and gathering their coats. At first, he thought he’d missed her and that she’d left by one of the side aisle doors. Some of the people she’d been sitting with, including the blond guy, were already gone. But then she straightened from where she’d bent to retrieve her Bible.

      Hannah turned her head to say something to the woman next to her, and then she stopped. He knew the minute she recognized him because her eyes widened, and her lovely mouth went slack.

      For several seconds, neither moved. Todd felt like a spectator to his own life, unable to look away while the one woman he’d ever loved stared back at him as if he was the last person she ever expected to see again. Or maybe ever wanted to see.

      As the Bible she held slipped from her fingers, its pages fluttering open on its path to the floor, Todd felt as if some small part of him—something elemental like hope—died.

      Chapter Two

      Todd.

      Hannah’s lips formed the word, but she couldn’t summon the breath to give it sound. Her chest ached as fear and panic pressed down on it like a heavy hand.

      She’d dreamed of him so often, with fondness and fury, and there he was. His presence seemed to fill the sanctuary from carpet to rafters. She’d tried so hard to forget those eyes, and there they were, staring back at her with that same unnerving intensity.

      What was he doing here? What did he want? Why now? Why ever? Rebecca. What was she supposed to do about Rebecca?

      Hannah didn’t know how long she’d stood there staring or even that she’d dropped her Bible until her friend Steffie Wilmington pressed it back into her sweaty hands. She could barely hold on to its smooth leather cover.

      She lowered her gaze to the Bible’s gold lettering and then turned back to the college freshman standing next to her. “Um…thanks.”

      Remembering where they were and how well attended the Sunday service had been, Hannah glanced around, hoping none of the other church members had noticed her strange reaction. Could they tell who he was just by looking at him?

      “Hannah, what’s wrong…”

      Steffie, who probably preferred “Stephanie” now but hadn’t been able to squash the nickname, didn’t even get the question out of her mouth before the source of Hannah’s problem started up the aisle toward them.

      Hannah couldn’t answer. Her mouth was dry, and her heart raced. She felt this overwhelming need to run and hide. Why should today be any different? She’d been running and hiding from the truth since the second dot on the home pregnancy test had turned pink.

      She stiffened, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Todd’s steady approach. He looked older than she’d imagined he would, his shoulders even wider than she’d predicted in the well-tailored navy suit he wore. He’d finally filled out his over-six-foot frame and could no longer be called lanky. His hair had deepened to a dark blond, but it still had that tousled look he’d never been able to control.

      His face, though, had changed most of all. It was no longer sweet and boyish but was framed with the handsome, hardened planes of manhood. If he’d been smiling, his face probably would have softened and the dimple in his chin would have been more pronounced, but his expression was serious. Cautious.

      “Who’s he?” Steffie tried again, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Wait. He looks familiar. He looks like…”

      The younger woman’s words trailed away as Todd reached the front of the room and sidled into the pew behind theirs. Around them, church members continued to make their way toward the exit, but several glanced curiously at Hannah, Todd and Steffie.

      “Hi…Hannah.” His voice cracked, so he cleared his throat.

      He expected her to say something; she knew that. The words just wouldn’t come. Words couldn’t squeeze past the guilt clawing at her insides. No matter what he’d done, no matter how hurt she’d felt, she should have found a way to tell him as soon as she knew. Or at least she could have found some occasion before Rebecca’s fourth birthday. What was she supposed to tell him now?

      “Look, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Todd told her. “I only wanted the chance to—”

      “Sweetie, are you okay?” Steffie interrupted, reminding Hannah she was still there, observing entirely too much. “Do you need me to get your dad?”

      Hannah shook her head and raised a hand to stop Steffie, but she still couldn’t look away from Todd. He appeared just as frozen.

      “Is there somewhere we can talk?” he finally choked out. “There are so many things I need to say.”

      Panic welled deep within her, its acidic tang bitter on her tongue. She couldn’t tell him. Not now. Soon, but not yet. She jerked her head, breaking the cold connection of their gazes. Slowly, she started shaking her head and backing toward the aisle.

      “I can’t do this, Todd. I just can’t. I have to go.”

      Turning, she pressed past Steffie and hurried up the side aisle.

      “Hannah! Wait! Stop!”

      His plea pounded in her ears, but she couldn’t wait. She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t even look back as she rushed through the vestibule and into the hall leading to the Family Life Center. Rebecca would be waiting for her there in Children’s Church.

      Hannah could feel his gaze on her as she went, but she didn’t hear his footsteps. If he followed her and tried to air out their past right now, he would find out the truth. He would know the secret she’d wasted so much energy trying to keep from him and everyone else. Part of her prayed he would do just that.

      Todd watched her go, somehow managing to keep from chasing after her through the church and making a bigger fool of himself than he had already.

      She hurried past the line of members shaking hands with the ministry team. Instead of continuing through the glass doors leading to the parking lot, she turned left and headed down a hallway toward the rear of the church.

      Only after she’d disappeared completely from sight did Todd turn his attention to the young woman standing next to him. The tall redhead with a dusting of freckles on her nose was looking at him nearly eye to eye. She raised a delicate brow.

      Finally, he remembered his manners and shot out his right hand. “Hi. I’m Todd McBride.”

      “Todd. Todd.” She frowned while rolling the name around on her tongue as if she expected it to ring a bell. Then she shrugged. “I’m Stephanie.”

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