A Hickory Ridge Christmas Read Online Free

somewhere?
    Andrew’s gaze followed his. “So, besidesReverend Bob and me, did you see anyone you recognized at the service?”
    Todd was barely paying attention, so the words took a moment to sink in. When they did, he turned back to the youth minister. “No disrespect intended, Reverend, but let’s not dance around this anymore. We both know I came here to see Hannah.”
    Andrew nodded, the smile he usually wore absent. “And I noticed that you did see her.”
    â€œNo one probably knew we were more than friends.”
    â€œI knew. Serena knew.”
    Todd’s head came up with a jerk. “Oh.”
    â€œRemember that day all of us spent at the beach?”
    â€œI guess so.” Of course Todd remembered. It was one of the memories he’d replayed in his mind in the last few years.
    â€œWe saw the way you looked at Hannah when you thought no one was watching.”
    Todd cleared his throat. He could only imagine the emotions that had been written all over his face. Because there didn’t seem to be any way to respond to that comment, he changed the subject. “We built a sand castle with Serena’s little girl…uh…”
    â€œTessa,” Andrew said to fill in the blank.
    â€œYou had a thing for the single mother.”
    â€œStill do. But she’s married now. To me. Five years.” Andrew glanced down at the plain gold band he wore. “Tessa’s got a brother now. Seth. We’re having another one in March.”
    â€œWow. Either a lot of time has passed, or you’ve been busy for a few years,” Todd said with a chuckle.
    Instead of laughing at his joke, Andrew became serious. “A lot of time has passed.”
    The words felt like weights being draped across Todd’s shoulders. He stared at the floor and waited for whatever else the youth minister had to say.
    â€œHannah didn’t seem happy to see you today.”
    â€œI suppose not.” Todd reluctantly met the other man’s gaze. “I didn’t go about things the right way.”
    â€œIt’s hard to know the right thing to do sometimes.”
    Andrew now wore his concerned minister’s face. Todd remembered Hannah once mentioning that Andrew had been a clinical counselor before entering the ministry.
    â€œApologizing to Hannah is the right thing to do,” Todd said. “I know it. She just didn’t give me the chance.”
    â€œI don’t know everything that happened between the two of you or the full reason she ran out of here, but—”
    â€œNo,” Todd said to interrupt him. “You don’t.” His sharp tone surprised even him. It wasn’t Andrew’s fault that Hannah had refused to talk to him. He had no one to blame for that but himself. Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts, he tried again. “I’ve been waiting five years to talk to Hannah…about a lot of things.”
    â€œHave you ever considered that healing this relationship might not be as easy as you’ve imagined?”
    â€œYou mean that it might be too late? Sure, I’ve thought about it.” A lot. He took a long breath and shook his head in frustration. “But I have to do theright thing. I’ve prayed about it, and I’m convinced it’s what God wants me to do, so I’m just going to have to find a way to get Hannah to listen to me.”
    â€œYou sound pretty determined.”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œI guess you’ll be needing this then.”
    Andrew withdrew a pen and notebook from his pocket, wrote something on it and handed to him. It said, “Hannah,” and it had a street address and an apartment number on it. Todd drew his eyebrows together as he looked up from it.
    â€œYou didn’t think she still lived at home, did you?”
    He answered with a shrug. As a matter of fact, he had. He’d already driven by his old home and that particular house next door several