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Even the little ones in the audience stood in rapt attention at the sound of his voice and the deep emotion behind his words. As proud as if he was her own son, Sara beamed at him, then glanced through the crowd and spotted so many people she knew.
Being here was like being with family, she realized. Shared histories went back for generations in a small town, and friendships went on and on.
Across from her she saw Jane. And over there, Timmy was nestled in his dad’s arms. Zoe’s and Bob’s faces radiated pride and love as they listened to their older son’s performance.
And then she saw Nathan.
Taller than those around him, he stood at the edge of the crowd in a black, full-length wool coat dusted with snowflakes. His dark hair ruffled in the fitful breeze. Though his lean face appeared haggard and drawn, a smile curved his mouth as he watched Josh.
As if he sensed her looking at him, Nathan turned and met Sara’s gaze. Even at a distance she could see the anger that still simmered in him, coupled with regret and determination.
Not that it mattered. What they’d had was over, and the fact that he thought so little of her was of no consequence. Once she got back to Dallas he’d surely be easy to forget.
“...and she brought forth her firstborn son and laid him in a manger because there was no room at the inn.”
Josh’s shoulders lifted as he gave a great sigh of relief and a quick pump of his hand in victory.
A ripple of applause spread through the audience, then another one of the shepherds stepped forward. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields...”
Sara grinned at Josh and gave him a thumbs-up. He grinned back at her, his eyes shining.
Despite the fact that the baby Jesus wore pink and fussed in the manger until her mother surreptitiously slipped a bottle of formula to Mary, the entire production was so touching that Sara felt joy swell in her chest.
She gave her mother’s arm a quick squeeze and looked over to find tears glittering in Bernice’s eyes. “Aren’t you glad we came? Hey, look over there—it’s Leon.”
The man stood at the back of the audience with a sweet smile on his face as he watched the cast of the nativity scene disperse. He’d dressed up for the occasion—his jeans were clean, and his social worker must have taken him shopping, because he wore a new coat and his hair had been cut. When Sara waved at him, he waved shyly in return.
“Let’s go get him, okay? He can go into church with us so he isn’t alone, then he can walk home with us.” Sara started toward him with her mother, but a hand touched her sleeve, and she turned to find Josh behind her with two wrapped Christmas presents in his arms.
“Hey, kiddo. You were the absolute best Joseph I ever saw! When did you get the part?”
Suddenly shy, he kicked at the snow beneath his boots. “Last week. It was supposed to be Ricky Weatherfield, but Mr. Weatherfield said it wasn’t fair that his wife always chose their boys, and he made sure I got the part instead.”
“So how are you getting along with those kids now?”
“Better. The principal and their dad talked to them.” He gave her a conspiratorial grin. “But I think it’s ’cause I finally got mad and wouldn’t put up with ’em anymore.”
Feeling an uneasy sense of awareness, she glanced up and found Nathan approaching, his face grim.
“How are you doing, Mrs. Hanrahan?” he asked, looking past her to Bernice.
“Good. I want to thank you for all you did. I’m still trying to grasp it all.” Bernice patted his sleeve. “You’ve given me the best gift I’ve ever had.”
“I thought you should hear this from me first—Clay passed away early this morning.” A sad smile lifted a corner of Nathan’s mouth. “I know you wanted him to pay for what happened to your husband. If it’s any consolation, he told me that the regret and guilt stayed with him every day since.”
Bernice wrapped her arms around her waist. “I...I guess maybe he served a sentence on his own. Sometimes that’s even worse, dwelling on mistakes and wishing you could change the past.”
Kyle’s mouth hardened. “What about Hanson?”
“We’re still investigating, though we turned the information over to the county attorney. I know additional charges will be filed against him for the two homicides he committed in the past—including your dad.”
Josh looked back and forth between Nathan and Sara. “My mom’s going to be calling me soon, so I need to do this.” He held up the two packages in his arms. “You’ve got to have these tonight.”
“I’d better go fetch Leon,” Bernice murmured. “Will you excuse me?” She turned and nearly bumped into Ollie Nielsen.
In the past, Ollie would have walked away. Now she offered a tentative smile. “Bernice, I saw the newspaper article. I’ve judged you wrongly for twenty-five years, and I’m truly sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Bernice gave a deep sigh. “I need to forgive myself. I was Daniel’s wife, and I believed he was guilty, too. All those years, wasted on being hurt and angry...”
