Soon enough, he would be able to make sure she was properly taken care of. Despite her rapid weight loss, she still was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even with her hair slicked back in the tightest bun he ever saw. He’d rarely gotten the opportunity to see her hair down. The way the mass of curls fell down freely past her shoulders was a vision. It was imprinted on his memory. Taking a breath, he willed himself to focus on the task at hand. White walked him to the head of the table, stopping beside Hannah.
“Pastor Cho, you remember Hannah. I believe you both attended Little Shepherd’s.” The introduction got under Samuels’s skin. He knew good and well they attended the PK camp together. The statement, while a little messy, didn’t get under his skin as much as the way he casually addressed her by her first name. Where was the respect? He wasn’t going to stand for it. It was either they were both addressed by their first names or by pastor. There was to be no disparity.
“Are we going with first names, or are we going to be more formal?” Samuel inquired.
“Oh, I like you.” The older women on the board said. He smiled at her. They exchanged handshakes. A possible ally? Very nice.
“Pastor Cho,” Hannah stood and shook his hand. Both tried to control themselves, but there was a spark when their hands touched. Samuel cleared his throat, and she tried but failed to control the comical enlarging of her eyes. No, he didn’t have any doubt that the chemistry between them would still be there. It was just rewarding to witness her get a dose of it so soon. “Pastor Wilson, it has been a while. So nice to see you again.”
“You as well.” She answered taking her hand from his. As luck would have it, the only free seat was right beside her.
ChapterThree
HANNAH
“Can we have the room, please?” Samuel requested.
This meeting wasn’t going the way Hannah thought it would. The only consolation was it definitely was not going the way Alvin White thought it would, either. How is it within less than ten minutes, Samuel made her feel more protected than she did her entire marriage? Brother White looked like he was eating glass when he referred to her as Pastor Wilson, but he didn’t have a choice. It was clear to everyone in the room that was a hill Samuel would die on.
As the meeting progressed, Hannah got the impression that she might not have been given accurate information. So here they were.
“I don’t see why that is necessary.” Brother White responded. Even though the rest of the occupants in the room had nodded and were already in the process of getting up from the table.
“I would like a word with Pastor Wilson. Privately. I want to make sure we are on the same page.” Samuel challenged.
Brother White straightened in his chair, piercing Samuel with a narrowed glare that could only be interpreted as confrontational. However, before he could speak. Nigel, bless him, spoke up. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Our head pastors being in agreement is exactly what our congregation needs to move forward.”
There was a chorus of agreement. The members of the board moved to vacate the room. As if in defiance, Brother White was the last to leave. He left the door wide open. Which Samuel immediately got up and closed behind him. He even went as far as to lock it.
Hannah tracked his movement as he walked back to the table. He certainly didn’t look like any pastor that ran in their circles. The man still exuded that rock star aura. It had been so long since she had seen him in person. Time had been kind to him. He was no longer the lanky young man she used to know. Even with his jacket on, it was clear his build had picked up some mass.
He resumed his seat but swivelled his chair to the side, facing her. Without him asking, she mirrored his action. “Hannah…” the way he said her named washed over her like the warm rays of the sun, bathing you on a perfect day. “…how have you been?”
The question was asked with so much concern it jarred her. In fact, she felt so overwhelmed that she couldn’t provide her standard response. She took a moment and really reflected on her answer. He sat patiently with his cognac-coloured eyes trained on her. She remembered the first time she had seen them. She had just met him. Her first thoughts had come popping out of her mouth.“Your eyes are really pretty for a boy. I’ve never seen an Asian with such light-coloured eyes.”Her twelve-year-old self had been mortified that she had put her foot in her mouth so badly. Although he was nearly fourteen, he had been so kind and sweet. Rubbing her arm, he’d told her.“I’m guessing that’s a compliment. Thank you.”
“I’ve been better, but I feel better than I have in a while.”
“That’s good to hear. I take it you are ready to get back to work?”
“I’ve been ready. I got benched because somebody else fumbled the play.”
“Not going to lie. I didn’t understand that. I thought it was your decision.”
“Absolutely not.” Hannah shook her head vigorously. He frowned.
He rubbed his chin, and her eyes were drawn to the slight stubble. “Well, let’s come to an agreement so we can get back to doing what you love.”
“I don’t understand what agreement we need to reach. It is a done deal. You are the Co-pastor?—”
Samuel held up his hand cutting her off. “Nothing is a done deal until it is in writing.”
“You mean you haven’t signed on yet?”
Drawing a bit closer to her, he leaned forward. It could have been interpreted as being an intimidating gesture, seeing how much bigger he was than her. She was a curvy plump woman, but she was small in stature. Samuel had nearly a foot on her. Any thoughts of intimidation went out the window when she got a whiff of him. He smelled delicious, like a spice. So earthy, hints of the intoxicating aroma of freshly ground cumin and cinnamon made her senses come alive.
“Do you really think I would have signed on without speaking to you first? Especially after all we’ve shared?”
His words played havoc on her. The respect and thought he was showing her was overwhelming. The mention of what they shared rattled her. Those were cherished memories she had locked away in her memory vault.
