lowered the paperweight. Relief gushed through her veins like water through a dam. A hand went to her chest as if to still her riotous heart. “You scared me silly.”
“Sorry,” Micah said. “Heard someone moving around out here and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
She sank back into her chair, suddenly feeling weak and shaky. “It’s just me.”
He looked around the office, as the fluorescent light flickered. “You do lock this up at night, don’t you?”
She shook her head. “There’s not even a lock on the door. Besides, there’s nothing in here worth stealing.”
“There’s a lucrative market for office equipment. A guest could make a copy of your entry key and rip you off one night.”
She blinked. “Oh. I guess you’re right.”
He shuffled for a moment, then backed up. “Guess I’ll head back to bed. Good night. Sorry I scared you,” he added as an afterthought.
“That’s all right. Good night.”
She stared at the doorway after he’d disappeared. Man, but he’d given her a fright! She hated feeling scared. Hated how helpless it made her feel. Reminded her too much of another time when she’d been scared and helpless.
Hanna shook her head as if to dismantle the thought. She scooted up to the desk, clicked on the save button, closed the program, and removed the disk. Her short errand had turned into an adrenaline-pumping fright that would probably keep her awake for hours.
It wasn’t until after she padded back to her room and snuggled up in bed that a disturbing thought jolted through her mind: When she’d seen Micah, she’d not been afraid. She’d been relieved.
Micah lay on his back staring up into the vast darkness. He knew the nightstand clock must read after one o’clock, but he felt as if he’d just had half a dozen cups of coffee. His mind kept racing back to the moment he’d discovered Hanna in the office. He’d been relieved that it was her and slightly amused at the sight of her in her bulky robe with that useless paperweight suspended over her head. But in the flickering light of the office, he’d read the fear in her
eyes
and felt her immense relief in the lowering of the weight, in the sudden sagging of her shoulders. She’d been relieved to see him.
Relieved. What a wonder that was. If it had been several years ago, meeting him alone at night might’ve been her worst nightmare. Micah flipped on his side and turned his face into the pillow. Thinking about those years, it almost seemed like it was someone else. Not him. How could he have sunk so low? How could he have been so cruel when he, of all people, knew what it was to hurt?
When will I forget, Lord? When will Your forgiveness be enough?
CHAPTER SIX
A week later Gram dropped onto the recliner and leaned her head back. “My goodness, I’d forgotten what it was like to clean all those rooms.”
Hanna looked at the clock and saw it was almost check-in time. According to the books, they had three parties checking in for the week end, which would fill the lodge again. The season had officially begun. “Can you believe we’re almost booked solid? I guess advertising does pay.”
“That, and a little prayer, goes a long way.”
“How about a cup of tea before we have to worry about checking in more guests?”
Gram agreed, and Hanna went to the kitchen to start the tea, but the kettle wasn’t in its usual spot at the back of the stove. “Gram? Do you know where the teakettle is?”
“You know, I couldn’t find it yesterday, either,” she called from the great room.
Hanna checked the cupboards but couldn’t find it. Just then, Mrs. Eddlestein entered the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist. “Mrs. Eddlestein, do you know where the teakettle is?”
“What, dear?”
Hanna repeated the question louder, and the woman looked toward the stove, then the sink. “I surely don’t. It was here yesterday, I think.”
Hanna heard the front door open and looked around the corner to
“Sorry,” Micah said. “Heard someone moving around out here and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
She sank back into her chair, suddenly feeling weak and shaky. “It’s just me.”
He looked around the office, as the fluorescent light flickered. “You do lock this up at night, don’t you?”
She shook her head. “There’s not even a lock on the door. Besides, there’s nothing in here worth stealing.”
“There’s a lucrative market for office equipment. A guest could make a copy of your entry key and rip you off one night.”
She blinked. “Oh. I guess you’re right.”
He shuffled for a moment, then backed up. “Guess I’ll head back to bed. Good night. Sorry I scared you,” he added as an afterthought.
“That’s all right. Good night.”
She stared at the doorway after he’d disappeared. Man, but he’d given her a fright! She hated feeling scared. Hated how helpless it made her feel. Reminded her too much of another time when she’d been scared and helpless.
Hanna shook her head as if to dismantle the thought. She scooted up to the desk, clicked on the save button, closed the program, and removed the disk. Her short errand had turned into an adrenaline-pumping fright that would probably keep her awake for hours.
It wasn’t until after she padded back to her room and snuggled up in bed that a disturbing thought jolted through her mind: When she’d seen Micah, she’d not been afraid. She’d been relieved.
Micah lay on his back staring up into the vast darkness. He knew the nightstand clock must read after one o’clock, but he felt as if he’d just had half a dozen cups of coffee. His mind kept racing back to the moment he’d discovered Hanna in the office. He’d been relieved that it was her and slightly amused at the sight of her in her bulky robe with that useless paperweight suspended over her head. But in the flickering light of the office, he’d read the fear in her
eyes
and felt her immense relief in the lowering of the weight, in the sudden sagging of her shoulders. She’d been relieved to see him.
Relieved. What a wonder that was. If it had been several years ago, meeting him alone at night might’ve been her worst nightmare. Micah flipped on his side and turned his face into the pillow. Thinking about those years, it almost seemed like it was someone else. Not him. How could he have sunk so low? How could he have been so cruel when he, of all people, knew what it was to hurt?
When will I forget, Lord? When will Your forgiveness be enough?
CHAPTER SIX
A week later Gram dropped onto the recliner and leaned her head back. “My goodness, I’d forgotten what it was like to clean all those rooms.”
Hanna looked at the clock and saw it was almost check-in time. According to the books, they had three parties checking in for the week end, which would fill the lodge again. The season had officially begun. “Can you believe we’re almost booked solid? I guess advertising does pay.”
“That, and a little prayer, goes a long way.”
“How about a cup of tea before we have to worry about checking in more guests?”
Gram agreed, and Hanna went to the kitchen to start the tea, but the kettle wasn’t in its usual spot at the back of the stove. “Gram? Do you know where the teakettle is?”
“You know, I couldn’t find it yesterday, either,” she called from the great room.
Hanna checked the cupboards but couldn’t find it. Just then, Mrs. Eddlestein entered the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist. “Mrs. Eddlestein, do you know where the teakettle is?”
“What, dear?”
Hanna repeated the question louder, and the woman looked toward the stove, then the sink. “I surely don’t. It was here yesterday, I think.”
Hanna heard the front door open and looked around the corner to
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