An Excerpt from:

HEART OF GOLD
by Rebecca Goings

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine,” he whispered, glancing back to Lindsay with a serious look on his face.

Lindsay found her face blushing under his scrutiny.  She giggled nervously and said, “Looks like you found the Song of Songs, Jacob.”

“The Song of Songs?”

“Yes, it’s the Song of Solomon.  It’s a love story.”

“There’s a love story in the Bible?” he asked in amazement.

“Yes,” she breathed.

He flipped a couple of pages and read silently, blushing himself as he whispered, “So there is.”

Closing the cover, he looked back at Lindsay and placed his large hand on hers.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she answered in a whisper as she licked her lips in nervousness.

“I’ll read it every night,” he promised.  He gave her another look that seemed to reach right into her heart.  Once again she was trembling and she didn’t know why.  She had the uncanny urge to reach out and smooth the golden hair from his brow.

Before she gave in to it, Lindsay shot up from the bench and walked to the porch railing, leaning on it for support.  Taking in a few deep breaths, she looked up at the night sky and tried to calm herself.  What was happening to her?  Why did she suddenly seem to fall apart when she was close to Jake?

“Are you all right, Miss Lin?” she heard him ask right behind her.

“Y . . .yes,” she stammered as she closed her eyes, trying to shut out the feeling of her churning insides.

“You’re shivering,” he said gently.

“It’s a little chilly tonight is all,” she said lamely, her voice wavering.  “I should have brought my shawl out with me.”

Without warning, she found Jake’s hands on either side of hers on the railing and suddenly she felt his warmth on her back.  She realized he was standing so close behind her that he was enfolding her in his body heat, warding off the chill.  It was all she could do not to lean back and let his arms wrap around her completely. 

“Is that better?” he whispered in her ear making her shiver again.  Lindsay couldn’t trust her voice, so she simply nodded furiously and concentrated on looking at the stars.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lindsay croaked, “Do you know any names of the constellations?”

“Can’t say that I do,” he said as he looked up, his deep voice seeming to rumble through her making her tremble all the more. 

“I know that those bright stars are actually planets,” she told him.

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’ve stared at the night sky so often, Miss Lin, you’d think I’d be tired of it.  But it’s so beautiful, that I can’t seem to get enough of lookin’.”  Lindsay knew without glancing at him that he was regarding her and not the sky. 

BACK TO BOOK | PURCHASE