Nik turned off his truck but stayed inside, looking at the church.

The last time he’d been inside a church was at Rebecca’s funeral. He’d felt the heavy burden of guilt over not spending enough time with his foster mother, grief at her loss and anger with God for taking such a godly woman too soon.

He’d paid little attention to the minister and when the funeral was over, he stayed long enough to pass his condolences to Rebecca’s two children before he fled.

He hadn’t entered a church building since. He figured if he left God alone, God, too, would leave him be.

However, in the past few days, God seemed to have broken into his life. Coming up more often in conversation. Making His presence known.

So, that morning Nik decided that maybe he should go to church. Maybe he should figure out why things had come together in his life the way they had.

Was it a coincidence that his mother had moved to the very town Nik needed to leave?

Coincidence that the woman who invaded his thoughts and dreams currently lived in the house he hoped to tear down? The house she saw as a dream come true for her and her daughter?

He didn’t like that his plans had become amorphous.

Had God really brought him to this place as Chance insinuated?

“Enough,” he told himself as he stepped out of the truck and into the warm fall air. The sun shone benevolently and music streamed through the windows of the church as he strode up the sidewalk.

A perfect Sunday, he thought, stepping into the foyer.

To one side was the entrance to the sanctuary; to the other a large open area where a few people congregated, drank coffee and talked. He glanced around but he saw neither Claire nor his mother nor Cory. He hadn’t seen Claire leave but her car was gone so he assumed she was here.

“Nik. You are here!”

A sticky hand grabbed his own, and when he turned around, there was Emma, her grin as big as the huge pink sequined bow clipped in her hair. “My mom is talking, talking and talking to Aunty Tess and it’s getting bo-o-o-ring.” She rolled her eyes for added emphasis.

“Well, we don’t want that, now, do we?” Nik said, surprised at the surge of joy that seeing her gave him.

“Let’s go find her. I want her to know you’re here. She was talking about you to Aunty Tess.”

“Really? What was she saying?”

Emma gave an exaggerated shrug. “I don’t know. Mommy told me to get a cookie.”

“Look who I found,” Emma announced, dragging Nik to Claire and Tess, both of whom were partially hidden by large plants. Claire wore a skirt that skimmed her knees, flat black shoes and a soft blue shirt with long sleeves. Her hair was loose, waving over her shoulders, shining in the overhead lights. She looked stunning.

Claire’s cheeks flushed when she glanced at him and their eyes met. Then Tess, who was closest to him, held out her hand.

“Welcome to our service,” she said, shaking his hand. “Glad you could be here.”

“Me too.” He gave Tess a brief smile, before he returned his attention to Claire. “I was thinking about what you said yesterday, at the picnic, and decided I would come this morning.”

“Well, I’m glad you came,” she said. Her eyes flitted to Emma. “Sounds like church is starting. Honey, you should go wash your hands.”

The music from the sanctuary behind them swelled and people trickled out of the open area they stood in.

“Are you here with your mother and sister?” Tess asked as Emma flounced off.

“No. I came on my own. Are they here yet?”

“I haven’t seen them,” Tess replied. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed, as if assessing him.

What did Claire say to her? He couldn’t help but wonder.

“Anyhow, I should get going,” she continued. Tess gave Claire a quick hug then left.

“Everything okay?” Nik asked.

“Yeah. It’s all good.” Claire’s voice was a bit shaky, which increased his curiosity. But he didn’t have the nerve to question her further. “I should go find Emma and sit down,” she said. She hesitated, then turned to him. “Are you waiting for your mother or… or do you want to sit with Emma and me?”

He held her gaze, wondering if this was some test.

“I’d love to sit with you and Emma. Thank you.” He felt like he should wait for his mother and sister, but Claire was right there and after yesterday he wanted to spend more time with her, not less.

He’d meet Joyce and Cory for lunch after church, anyway.

Claire’s smile reinforced that he’d made the right choice.

When Emma returned she was delighted to see Nik still standing with her mother. And when Claire took her hand, and walked toward the sanctuary, Emma grabbed his. Claire shot him a worried glance, but he responded with a smile. They looked like a little family walking into church together and despite his plans, despite the things he wanted to do, it felt right. As if the gap cloven into his life with the loss of his child was now filled.

They found an empty spot toward the back of the church, thankfully. While Nik was glad to be sitting with Claire and Emma, he also knew the possible social repercussions for her. Bad enough that yesterday they had spent most of the afternoon together; sitting with her in church so soon afterward seems to create another declaration.

Besides, Nik wasn’t ready to face Claire’s mother again. Yesterday she had come by while he and Claire were talking and he could tell from her scowl she wasn’t happy with the situation.

“Do you like my new hair bow?” Emma asked, patting her head proudly. “My grandma bought it for me for my birthday. I wanted the purple one, but the pink one was the only one they had left she said. All my friends have one. Marla has four. I’d really like to have four, but my mommy says I’m paying more for the name on the tag than I am for the bow. Except I don’t know what that means. How can you pay for a tag?”

Nik shot a glance at Claire who shook her head in dismay. “Honey, I don’t think Mr. Nik wants to hear about your hair bow in church.” She tucked Emma’s hair behind her ear. “But I’m glad you like it. Even though it isn’t purple.” Claire pulled out a piece of paper from her purse. “Now, why don’t you work on the children’s bulletin so you can change your attention to why we’re here.”

Emma took the paper and the pencil her mother offered her. “I know. I shouldn’t have been so proud of my bow. God doesn’t care what we look like on the outside, He cares what we look like on the inside,” she said primly.

Despite the truth of what Emma said, Nik checked a smile. Once again, he glanced at Claire and caught the twinkle in her eye.

And at that moment all was well with his soul.

The church service began with lively singing that reminded him of the church his foster mother attended.

He recognized a couple of the songs and sang along, surprised at how easily the words and tune came back to him.

When the singing ended, the pastor came to the front of the church and looked around with a smile. He didn’t seem a lot older than Nik himself, but when he spoke his voice had an air of authority and wisdom.

“Let’s turn in our Bibles to Isaiah 49.” He paused and the only sound in the church was the fluttering of pages, an occasional cough. A holy hush alighted in that moment.

“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains!” As he read, Nik thought of the mountains cradling this valley that he so admired. The mountains. “For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” Again, Nik’s mind went back to the pain he suffered here and regardless of his doubts about God’s care, a tendril of love slivered through his soul.

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

Nik’s heartbeat gathered speed with each word the Pastor read. Chance had spoken the same words to him. And they resonated with him now.

He always thought his mother had forgotten him. But had she?

Her tears had shown him otherwise.

He cast a sidelong glance at Claire. Her focus was on the minister, but her hand rested on Emma’s head, her fingers absently twining in her daughter’s hair.

A mother who loved her daughter and would do anything for her.

A woman whom he admired and who was growing increasingly important to him. She must have sensed him looking at her because she turned her head, her eyes meeting his. In that moment awareness arced between them and from her quick intake of breath he sensed she felt it too.

He swallowed, then before he could stop himself, he rested his hand on her shoulder, connecting them with this tenuous touch.

Her smile was like a benediction and it settled deep in his soul.

* * *

“Nik is back,” Emma yelled from the kitchen.

Ever since Claire and Emma had come back from church, Emma had parked herself in the bay window waiting for Nik to return from visiting his mother, his sister and Matthew.

“I’m going to go see him,” Emma called out again.

“Maybe wait a bit, honey,” Claire returned, setting her book aside and getting up from the chair she’d curled up in. They had just come back from a very noisy visit with her parents, aunt and uncle and cousins and she was thankful for the quiet and a chance to read. “He probably has things he needs to do.”

“But it’s Sunday,” Emma said, already standing by the door when Claire came into the kitchen. “He’s not supposed to work today.”

“Not everybody feels that way,” Claire said. “Besides some people need to work on Sunday. Like doctors and nurses.”

Emma fidgeted, looking poised to leave.

Claire wanted to let her go, but she was still sorting out her feelings about Nik. Sitting beside him in church, watching him listen so intently to the minister and even singing along with some of the songs had shifted her last resistance to him. She knew his foster mother had taught him about God and faith and she could tell this morning that being in church was not new to him. That it meant something.

Nik was moving her closer to a point of no return. She still had a chance to turn back, to keep her heart whole.

But every time she was with him, their connection grew deeper.

Part of her was tired of fighting her feelings for him. She wanted to give in and forget that he had plans to destroy the very house that meant so much to her. Forget that after he was done with that, he would leave again. Forget that the trailer in the yard represented his temporary presence in her world.

Emma looked out the window of the door and squealed. “He’s coming over here, and he’s got a baseball glove and a ball. He said he would teach me how to catch better.”

And before Claire could stop her, Emma was out the door and clattering down the wooden steps, running toward Nik.

Claire stepped out as well, hugging her waist as Emma danced around Nik, Mooch joining them, barking his pleasure.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought maybe we could play catch,” he said to Claire.

“That’s absolutely fine,” Claire said, joy trickling through her.

“You should play too, Mommy,” Emma called out, her grin almost splitting her face.

“Why don’t you go get your baseball glove,” Claire said to her, “and we can practice altogether.”

“Yay,” Emma cried out. She charged across the yard and into the house, the door banging shut behind her.

“Did you have a good lunch with your mother and Cory?” Claire asked in the silence that followed Emma’s departure.

“I think I’m getting the hang of this being a brother and a son.”

“I think you’ll be good at it,” Claire said.

“I hope so, too,” Nik said his eyes steady.

Another silence fell and a soft question floated into Claire’s mind.

Could he get the hang of being a husband and father?

The question rose, and finally settled.

His gaze wore at her thin veneer of resistance. When he cupped her face in his rough hand, his fingers caressing her cheek, her pulse spiked.

She wondered for a moment if he would kiss her. He took a step forward, leaning closer. Her breath disappeared as expectation and anticipation swelled between them.

Then the door of the house flew open and Emma was back, her energy and enthusiasm shattering the moment.

Nik jumped back, and Claire looked away. Like a bunch of teenagers caught by their parents.

She glanced over at Nik surprised to see him smiling. Was he thinking the same thing?

“I found my glove, now we can play?” Emma called out. “Mom, you go stand by the house, Nik, you go to the fence and I’ll stand by the flower bed.”

Nik saluted, and they each took their respective places, Mooch bounding from one to the other.

“Mooch. Sit.”

Claire and Nik spoke at exactly the same time then laughed as Mooch did what they’d told him.

“See? Mooch listens really good,” Emma said.

They lobbed the ball back and forth, Nik coaching Emma on how to hold her glove and how to throw. Slowly she got the hang of it. Mooch stayed where he was, clearly intimidated by the command from both Nik and Claire. But he whined as his head followed the ball.

“I think Mooch really wants to play,” Emma said, patting him on the head.

The dog took that as permission to get up and when Claire threw the ball to Emma, Mooch jumped into the air, caught it in his mouth and took off.

“Mooch, come back,” Emma called out.

“Get back here, you silly dog,” Nik yelled at the same time.

They took off after the dog, but he swerved, easily avoiding them. Nik cornered him by his trailer but Mooch ran around the back and came out between it and the flower bed and headed directly toward Claire, with Nik and Emma in pursuit. Mooch ran into Claire just as Nik tackled him. Emma ran into Nik, putting him off balance and everyone ended up in a jumbled heap on the grass.

Mooch squirmed away, leaving Emma on top of Claire, whose arm was pinned under Nik.

Claire laughed and was soon joined by Emma and Nik. Then Mooch, as if sensing he was missing something, returned, licking all their faces which made them laugh harder.

Finally, Nik rose, resting on one elbow, gently moving Claire’s arm out from under him. “I’m so sorry,” he said, his grin fading, but staying where he was, his head silhouetted against the blue, blue sky. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said still chuckling, holding his eyes, her heartbeat ticking upward.

“I’m okay, too,” Emma put in, scooching up, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Nik said, his eyes flicking to hers but returning to Claire’s.

She felt pinned to the ground. As if his eyes held her there. She didn’t want to move or look away.

The moment grew and expanded, obliterating everything around them. Creating a bubble holding only them.

“Are you going to kiss my mommy again?” Emma teased.

The bubble burst.

“Again?” Claire asked, struggling to sit up, the magic doused by the reality of what Emma had just said. “What are you talking about?” She fought to keep her tone light, as if Emma might have been mistaken.

“I saw you. You and Nik. Kissing in the living room.” Emma pressed her hands to her chest in a dramatic gesture. “That made me so, so happy.”

Claire shot a glance Nik’s way to gauge his reaction and, to her surprise, he was smiling.

He stood then extended a hand to Claire. She shot him a warning look but took his hand. Once she was upright, he didn’t let go. Instead, he gave her hand a little, teasing tug.

“I think we could give Emma what she wants,” he said, his tone low, intimate.

The smoldering in his eyes made her breath hitch in her throat. She swallowed, about to make a feeble protest but then his head obliterated the sky and his lips touched hers. It was the briefest of contacts. Hardly even a kiss. But her mouth burned and her heart raced in her chest.

And then, before she could stop herself, she leaned in and kissed him back. His mouth was soft, warm and his arm came around her waist, pulling her close to him. For the space of a heartbeat they clung to each other.

Then he pulled away, plucking a couple of blades of grass out of her hair, tossing them aside. “There. Now you’re all better.”

She couldn’t believe how casual he was. How easily he’d given in to Emma’s request. And how unselfconscious he was. He looked as if kissing her in front of her daughter was the most natural thing in the world.

She struggled with the implications of it all but as she held his gaze the hope smoldering in Claire’s heart grew.