Read Online Mending Places by Denise Hunter - Free Book Online Page B

his arm and walked her down the center aisle. She felt as if she were floating, flying almost. It was her day, and everything was perfect. She looked sideways at Grandpop and smiled. He winked, and they continued walking.
    Halfway down the aisle, she turned her attention to her groom. He faced the preacher, his back to her.
Turn around,
she urged. He filled outhis suit, from the broad shoulders, to the tapered waist and long legs.
Turn around so I can see your face.
    As if reading her mind, he turned.
    Her feet stopped. She sucked in her breath.
Micah. There must be some mistake.
    “It can’t be—”
    Grandpop squeezed her arm. “It’s true.”
    But he wasn’t her groom, was he? She couldn’t remember who it was supposed to be, but it wasn’t Micah. Was it?
    “This isn’t right.”
    He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “Yes, darling girl.”
    Reassured by his words, she started forward. She met Micah’s gaze, and he smiled as if for her eyes only. Peace flowed through her veins like a refreshing mountain spring. Yes. It was all right. She heard the buzz of a bee nearby. It grew louder, and she wished it would stop. Micah was holding his hand out to her, and she wanted desperately to reach him. But the buzzing continued.
    Her eyes popped open, and she looked around, lost for a moment. Then she realized her alarm was buzzing. She reached over and fumbled with the button, finally shutting it off.
    She flung herself down on her pillows and tried to recapture her dream. Micah. Good grief, where did that come from?
    But why a wedding? Her gaze fell on her Bible on her nightstand. She’d been reading about the bridegroom coming for his church, and that must’ve planted thoughts of a wedding. She smiled as she remembered Grandpop in her dream. He’d looked exactly like himself, except he had been missing his walnut cane.
    Silly, silly dream.
    But later, as she and Gram arranged breakfast on the credenza, the dream replayed in her mind.
    “Hanna.” Gram touched her sleeve, and Hanna got the impression it wasn’t the first time her name had been called.
    “Sorry, Gram, what is it?”
    “Mercy, child, where are you this morning?”
    Hanna covered the crescent rolls with a towel. “I had the strangest dream last night and can’t get it out of my head.”
    “What was it about?”
    Hanna laughed. “It’s so silly. I was running through the woods and when I came out, I was somehow at my wedding.”
    “Really …”
    “Grandpop was there. He escorted me down the aisle. Don’t ask me where Dad was.”
    Gram retrieved a clean tablecloth, and they worked together to spread it across the long table. “And who, may I ask, was the groom at this wedding?”
    Hanna grew warm just thinking about it. “It’s too silly to even mention.”
    “If it’s so silly, why are you afraid to tell me?” Gram’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
    “All right, it was Micah. See, I told you it was silly.” She glanced Gram’s way, but the older woman continued smoothing the linen as if she’d said nothing strange at all.
    “I don’t see why that’s so silly,” Gram said.
    “Really, Gram. You weren’t there—well, I guess I wasn’t either.” She giggled. “But it was all so odd, you know how dreams are. When I saw that Micah was the groom, I balked, but Grandpop was just so sure. Then Micah reached out his hand, and everything in me wanted to reach him, but I woke up.”
    Gram glanced over her shoulder. “Morning, Micah.”
    Hanna squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t look. Was Gram putting her on?
Please, please, please.
    “’Morning, Mrs. Landin.” His bass voice strummed across the chords of her nerves. “Hanna, I need to talk to you when you get a minute.”
    “All right,” she said, without turning.
    She heard him exit through the front door, and only then did sheopen her eyes. “Oh, Gram, that was so embarrassing,” she whispered.
    Gram giggled like a teenage girl. “I thought it was mighty amusing,