Sometime we reminisce about our books and want torevisit the characters or scenes much like visiting an
old friend... come... visit with us.
Excerpt ~ Chasing Yesterday by Angelica Hart and Zi
dangling one’s legs off a swing, and although
Elizabeth wasn’t on a swing, her legs fluttered off
the pier in imitation of being young and unable to
reach the ground. She held her face up to the sun,
allowing it to warm her complexion, tint it a healthy glow.
Nearby, two teenage boys cast fishing lines into the
surf. They were both tall, lean in the way of boyish
lean still not filled out as men, yet displaying the
naturally athletic build of the youth that played
sports. One had a freckle-splattered face and
shoulders that somehow managed to tan despite
evidence of being naturally pale. The other had huge
dark eyes and an olive complexion that glowed
golden brown.
The one with a baseball cap and reddish hair said,
“Are you going to ask her out?”
“Naw," responded a lad whose left eyebrow seemed
to rise in reaction.
“Really?”
Shy hesitation hedged the brown-eyed teen’s
response, which seemed out of place with the
confident air of the young man. “She won’t go out
with me.”
How do you
know?”
He shrugged.
“Do you like
her?” the red-headed boy persisted.
“Oh yeah…” a
pause, a wistful smile, as well as
complete
distraction that his fishing line was being
tugged as he
repeated, “Oh yeah.”
“Then ask
her.”
“What if she
says no? What if she doesn’t like me?”
“You’ll
never know unless you ask.” Then in a loud,
excited
tone, he called, “Fish! Reel it in.”
She hadn’t
meant to eavesdrop, but they were so
close and
the breeze seemed to blow their words
straight to
her ears. She liked the honesty of the
decision, the
lack of hesitancy to admit an interest, to
be coaxed
into acting on that interest. It took a bit
of will not
to jump in and agree with the freckled
boy.
Every mind
throughout time has drifted from its
present to
another place, albeit, fanciful or a trudge
through
reasoning. Elizabeth was adrift, mind freed,
imagining
the fuzzy-bodied bees chasing their nectar
and the
yellow birds nesting. With a start she was
jolted back
to the present.
Their eyes
met, and in that sliver shredded from the
infinity of
time, she found authentic bliss, and her
sensibilities
flowed as if fluid honey running sweet
through her.
All the visions and dreams culminated
into this
perfect shard, this singular instant that
seemed to
unfold like a passage through the
mountains,
winding upward, unable to see the end,
uncertain of
duration, unsure of obstacles, but
knowing the
pinnacle existed. This man spun from a
twining of
visions and dreams existed just as she
knew he
would, and she believed he recognized her
as much as
she identified him, perhaps that was only
her
perception, but this particular perception was her
welcomed
reality. As if of its own volition, her hand
fluttered in
greeting.
His face
opened up in a grin, so beautifully white
and
disarming, a grin that contrasted against the
curve and
texture of masculine lips and the tawny
sun glow of
his complexion. For Elizabeth it was a
can’t-catch-your-breath
upon seeing it type of grin, a
come-on-let’s-play
type of grin, a you-had-my-heartat-
first-sight type of grin.
Elizabeth
couldn’t know her responding smile
dazzled with
charm and come-hither enticement.
She
understood, however, she wanted him to come
to her; she
did her best to show that yearning,
waiting as
well home-schooled daughters were
taught. Her
gaze flicked away, returned with a gentle
toss of
bronze-toned wavy hair, highlighted by the
sun-sheen.
One side of
his lip lifted a bit higher as if in
acknowledgement
of her flirtatious behavior. Her
smile turned
sweet, her glance found the ground, all
actions that
teased and offered. She would wait for
his
response. Give him those few moments to
approach.
However, her patience was dishonored,
for when she
looked back his way, he wasn’t there.
"Scoundrel,"
lashed out, "Tease!" Elizabeth
sniggered
knowing she had him hooked as did that
lad earlier
to his fish. She knew the game, watched
it, men
chased though acted as if they didn't whereas
women said they never chased but did.
***
Angelica Hart and Zi ~ Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
www.champagnebooks.com - www.carnalpassions.com - angelicahartandzi.com
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