“If you don’t wear a suit, what do you wear in the pulpit?” So, Hannah had no intention of dropping the matter. He should have known she would be hyper focused on something so insignificant.
He let out an exasperated breath, “Clothes. I wear clothes. Sometimes dress pants, sometimes jeans. Polo shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and even t-shirts.”
Her head snapped back, like he had struck her. “You allow your tattoos to be visible while you are in the pulpit?”
Whew. This conversation took a left turn. Until this point, he was mildly irritated at her reaction. Now he was pissed. “Yes, sometimes my tats are visible when I’m preaching. I have nothing to hide. They are a part of me.”
“They are a part of your past and should be left there.”
“That isn’t for you to decide. Do you have any idea how judgmental you sound? Not to mention hypocritical.”
“I’m hypocritical?” she shrieked while poking her chest.
“Yes. You. Who didn’t seem to have an issue with my tattoos the last few days. Especially this morning when you were licking them.”
Hannah’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. She opened her mouth, then promptly closed it. Then tried again. She sputtered at her next attempt. “How could you—” She shook her head as if attempting to dislodge a thought. “I shouldn’t have to explain this to you, but there is a time and place for everything. There are many verses dedicated to it. Look it up.”
Apparently, she considered the conversation over. She got up from the couch and went into the bedroom. It was somehow worse to hear her close the door quietly than to hear it slam shut. His first instinct was to rush after her, but he recognised his feelings were raw. It wasn’t just the clothes or tattoos she was rejecting. It was him.
His worst fears were coming to fruition. Faced with what was expected of her, new Hannah would retreat and allow old Hannah to lead the show. It was disappointing to him. Why had he gone through all this trouble to give them a chance to build their relationship far from the prying eyes of other people’s expectations? Especially when, at the first hint of a challenge, she reverted to her old habits.
After straightening up, he made his way to the bedroom they shared. He briefly considered knocking, then thought better of it. He bit back a groan when he saw her in bed. Her hair was up in a tight bun. At least she wasn’t back in that nightgown from an era gone by.
“Hey.” He called gently as he took a seat beside her.
“Hello.” Her eyes were red. It was apparent that she had been crying. It bothered Samuel that she had been brought to tears. “I’m sorry about earlier. This. You and I. There is a lot to get used to. We are so very different. Look how we butted heads earlier.” She sounded so dejected. It hurt.
“We will not agree on everything, Jagiya.” Samuel cupped her jaw and stroked it lovingly. “That’s not a bad thing. Sometimes we will be able to reach a compromise. Other times, we will have to agree to disagree. Either way, we will be together.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Okay?”
Hannah nodded. “Okay?” He repeated. They were at a crucial juncture. They needed to be united as they returned to everyday life. He had come back for Hannah and was determined for them to make it work.
“Yes. Of course we will.” She answered. They kissed, putting aside all the unpleasantness from earlier.
ChapterEleven
HANNAH
For the first time in eleven days, Hannah was alone. By herself.
Alone in her own space. Without Samuel being nearby.
Alone with her thoughts. Which were conflicting.
It would be an understatement to say she was overwhelmed. As she had left for the retreat, which seemed like a lifetime ago, she never imagined how much her life would change. In many ways Hannah didn’t feel like she was the same person. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her. This is what happened when she was in Samuel’s orbit.
The last several days had felt like a dream. A beautiful one, in which she didn’t have to think about anyone besides herself and her new husband. Except for their disagreement the previous night. Everything had been blissful. It had all been so liberating.
Their getaway was over now. The weight of exceptions returned the moment they drove away from the cottage and only increased the closer they got to her apartment. Hannah was now wide awake. The full weight of their rash decision was crushing down on her.
On the way back, they received a message. The board… well, Brother White, insisted that the newlyweds meet with the board right away.
“Nope, that isn’t going to happen. When we left, nothing was scheduled. We can meet with them in a few days. It’s an unreasonable request for us to return, then head directly into a meeting.”
While Hannah understood Samuel’s sentiment. She didn’t like to make waves. Especially with the board. Brother White tended to be a thorn in one’s side when he didn’t get his way. “They probably want to discuss us getting married. I think we should just get it over with.”
“We are already married, and there isn’t a thing they can do about it. They can wait. We will be busy getting settled in.”
Hannah looked around her room. There was no visible progress because she had been so deep in thought. She was supposed to be cataloging what she needed to take with her immediately versus what she would return for later. She needed to get a move on. Samuel had gone off to purchase packing materials and would be back shortly. The last thing she wanted was for him to get back to find she had made no progress.
