A Heart on Hold
By
Sara Barnard
 |
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Romance
Release Date: August 2012
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A Heart
on Hold
Charlotte’s lips
only took a moment to find those belonging to her beloved. He tasted faintly of molasses and she was
immediately drawn into the warmth of his embrace. Their bodies were perfectly pressed together,
fitting as though one had been divinely made for the other, as Sanderson’s
kisses trailed from Charlotte’s lips down her neck.
Her hands found his softly stubbled face
and guided him back to her lips. With
his strong arms around
her, she’d never felt more safe. Or more vulnerable.
War. Devotion. Deceit.
Death. How long can a heart hold
on before it breaks? Most women would
carry on with their lives after being thrust into widowhood, but not Charlotte
Adamsland. Upon learning that her
husband, Captain Sanderson Redding, was killed in a botched escape from a
Confederate prison in Illinois, she clings to his promise to return to her no
matter what, and quickly heads north through a war-ravaged country with only
her faith in God and her beloved horse to bring her beloved Sanderson home –
one way or another.
About Sara Barnard:
Sara is a military wife whose own heart has been on
hold more often than not. She holds her
B.A. in History. Her work has appeared
in numerous anthologies, including REFRACTION (Marble Press, 2010), THE HARSH
AND THE HEART: CELEBRATING THE MILITARY (Silver Boomer Books, 2011), CAMPFIRE
TALES (coming from Coolwell Press, October, 2012), and will appear in an upcoming Canadian anthology
titled LIFESTYLES. She is a member of
Romance Writers of America and Abilene Writers Guild.
In addition to reading and writing, Sara loves helping her
children with their homework, spending time outdoors with her family, and
traveling.
Sara, her husband, and their four beautiful children live in
the historic Oklahoma hills along with their three rescue dogs, two
rescue cats, and eleven chickens.
Author
Contact Info:
Website: www.sarabarnardbooks.com
Blog: www.sarathreesuns.blogspot.com where she occasionally blogs
about life as a Mommy of four and wife to a Drill Sergeant.
Twitter: @TheSaraBarnard
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sara.barnard6
Email: sarathreesuns@gmail.com
Excerpt
from A Heart on Hold:
The thought of war was removed from Charlotte’s mind as she
uncurled her legs from beneath her patched cotton dress and stretched them into
the brook. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as the icy water
swirled over her bare feet. It felt good to have finally loosened the tight
braid from her hair. She swayed back and forth, letting the wavy locks tickle
her shoulders. Achilles, who had been grazing contentedly, whinnied at the
light bugs that flickered about his muzzle.
Charlotte’s fingers found the soft jade and eggshell tassels
that ringed her picnic blanket and her mind began to wander.
“It is coming you know,” a voice from behind her stated
matter-of-factly. “None of us will be able to hide much longer.”
Charlotte smiled, not bothering to turn around or even open
her eyes. The melodic voice was of course that of Sanderson Redding, the man
who had stolen her heart so many years before.
“You think I’m hiding, Sanderson?” Charlotte asked, the hint
of a smile teasing the corners of her lips. “Well, you’re right. I am hiding,”
her voice lingered in the twilight as she pushed herself upright and turned to
face him. “Because I think that war of any kind is a complete and total waste
of time. And of life.”
“You’ve been reading the books I lent you.” His voice took
an accusing tone. As he joined her on the blanket, she noticed that mischievous
twinkle in his hazel eyes that she’d grown to love. His eyes looked more green
than brown this evening, shining beautifully against the backdrop of his
ruggedly handsome face.
A sudden warmth flooded her veins, giving her a slight
shiver. Resisting the urge to scoot closer to him, Charlotte drew in a shaky
breath. “Reading helped pass the time while you were, well, gone.” Well, that sounded dumb.
“You’ve always been good at it. Truth to right, I was always
a bit jealous, what with you being the top reader in the class.” Charlotte felt
heat creep into her cheeks. She had never taken compliments very well, and
those coming from the perfect, full lips of Sanderson Redding made her
especially self-conscious.
He continued, obviously delighting in her uncharacteristic
shyness. “Maybe that’s why I always was after you to tutor me.” He drew the
words out.
A giggle, too high-pitched to be natural, escaped her lips. Charlotte, get a grip. It’s just Sanderson. Tossing her hair
nonchalantly over her shoulder, she allowed herself a peek at her beau. His
russet hair appeared to have grown out quite a bit since his last haircut,
which had probably been back before his graduation from The United States
Military Academy. It was tousled lightly by the breeze coming off the Ouachita
Mountains. Her insides turned to mush and she felt as though she could live the
rest of her life in this moment right here.
A light bug buzzed her before landing on the picnic blanket.
Charlotte gently shooed it off before trusting her voice. “Five years sure
crept by,” she told the blanket. “I’m glad you’re back.” I was so worried that you would meet someone else. Someone prettier,
someone good enough for you.
Sanderson no longer appeared to be engaged in the
conversation. “The shopkeeper managed to match the green in your eyes to the
shade of green in this blanket perfectly,” he murmured, removing a lock of her
almond-colored hair from her eyelashes and tucking it behind her ear.
The slight brush of his skin against hers caused her heart
to quicken. She pulled her legs up onto the bank and crossed her damp ankles.
Something had bloomed somewhere in the surrounding hills because when the
breeze shifted, the air became thick with a clean, lemony scent.
Sanderson’s voice dropped to a whisper. “And to think, that
shopkeeper tried for a week to convince me you would like the red better, but I
wouldn’t hear of it. Has to be green, I said.” She felt him lean in closer.
“Green, to match her magnificent eyes.”
2 comments:
Thanks Mom :-) I'm proud of YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Mom!! I'm proud of YOU!!
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