Kanyaka Station, Australia, September 25,
1989
Jerry rested his weary body in the cushioned
swing on the expansive porch of the grazier’s opulent ranch house. Seven weeks
of the hot and arid and dusty trail were behind him as were the chilly nights beneath
the stars. The saddle tamed his flesh, and his heart was sore from longing for
the woman who held it, yearning for conversations with Christina that brought life
to his destiny. He was ready to go home but had not found what he came for,
direction and purpose. Still, wild and
playful Jessie plagued his mind. And Kelsey, that rambunctious night of
drinking, singing, dancing and philandering, pulled him in a direction that
confused him. He gazed on the mountain range in the far distance, his dreamy
thoughts rising to its lofty heights. His eyelids were heavy and a soft breeze
across his arms reminded him of the steamy touch of Kelsey’s skin against his.
His body relaxed and softened into the cushions as he drifted deeper to slumber.
He imagined Jessie’s luscious and probing kiss. He inhaled deeply and sighed,
slipping into a dreamy sleep—
Christina was dancing alone on stage. Her body
glided across the scene. He was so close that as she stroked the air, he felt her
caressing him. She took his hand and they were by a brook, strolling barefoot.
He could feel the grass between his toes. They laughed and chased and softly tumbled
to the waters edge. Her face on a pillow of green, he leaned in and kissed her.
They lay side-by-side gazing into each other’s eyes. She mouthed some words.
Her eyes pleaded. He watched her lips. Wait
for me. Christina’s face faded and drifted away. Darkness. Darkness. He
waited. Round and supple lobes appeared out of the blackness of night. His
cheek felt the steamy warmth of her skin. He tasted its texture. To the side of
his minds eye, a stenciled web, a spider, a red hourglass. He nestled between
the lobes. A moan. Darkness. Darkness. Twinkling of tiny lights in the midnight.
He could smell the smoke of her cigarette. Lilting notes from a piano wafted in
the air. A velvety voice caressed him… out of his dream.
Jerry opened his eyes. They were still resting
on the mountain in the distance. The soothing, raspy voice singing “Desperado”
drifted from the open porch window behind him. Achy joints caused a grimace as
he pulled himself up to sit. Through the screen, he saw a diffused figure at a
grand piano. Wavy cascades of apricot-red locks flowed over her open back. White
lace graced her shoulders to her wrists. Her white dress spread over the ebony
piano bench. Long and toned calves disappeared into high-heeled cowgirl boots
that matched her hair. The grand piano, its top propped open, continued the
melody that opened his eyes to her ladylike grace eclipsed by the rugged range
of the cattle drive. Her voice sang a siren warning of the queen of diamonds
and a gambler betting on the queen of hearts.
He walked to the porch door and opened it wide,
his silhouette against the sun-bleached sky that stretched to the plain’s
horizon. Holding his cowboy hat at his side, he looked like he was coming home,
drawn by her serenade.
Alas, to say goodbye.
v v v
Excerpt from PURSUIT – A Matter of Choice,
a novel by Jeff Cambridge.
Author of transformational
fiction—
Realistic characters in real life drama that tell a story of
growth in wisdom and understanding that changes their outlook on life, where
achievements are no longer about self or competing. Instead, life is about
completing their purpose and planting a legacy of redeeming value.
To
read the scenes sequentially, begin with
“PURSUIT:
A Novel – Prologue”
Located
in the May Blog Archive. Click on the episodes and enjoy.
This
episode is pre-published. The book will be available Spring 2018.
Your
comments are welcomed and appreciated. Check one of the reaction boxes below,
write a comment, or email me at lightbycambridge@gmail.com.
This
novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, businesses,
organizations, and locales are intended only to give the story a sense of
reality and authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
v
One mistake changes the course of three
lives…
Jessie – chasing the dark side of destiny
The daughter of an alcoholic father in prison
for manslaughter and a mother who has abandoned her for her latest boyfriend,
Jessie has but one objective in life – to find the big ticket out of her
miserable childhood.
Christina – striving to bring comfort and light
The daughter of a
nurse who served in the Army medical corps, she follows in her mother’s
footsteps, pursuing her passion to care for the disadvantaged. A ballerina – a
thousand eyes behold her, the dance flowing seamlessly.
Jerry – living in the grey of his circumstances
The son of a
sixth-generation Kansas rancher, his desire is to make it rich – to find the
American Dream. A cowboy with a tender heart and crystal blue eyes, he finds
love in unforeseen places.
An allegory of destiny and choices,
of wasted dreams,
of paths that lead to nowhere…
of trials, we face every day.
PURSUIT
– A Matter of Choice
Where will the chosen path lead?
v
Copyright 2018 © Jeff Cambridge
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