Love's Endearing Charm Gilded in Stardust

De: Marianne Dora Rose

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Dorothy) Paula Freda writing as Marianne Dora Rose presents "Love's Endearing Charm Gilded in Stardust," a Contemporary Clean and Wholesome Christian Sci/Fi/Fantasy Romance for hearts of all ages.

Excerpt: Disoriented, eyes blurred and heart pounding with fright, Brenda felt the comfort and strength of the arms holding her, and the warm reassuring breath from the lips asking, “Are you alright?”
She blinked several times to clear her blurred vision. The voice was a deep baritone, a man’s voice she assumed, judging by the feel of the arms effortlessly holding her. She was no light feather, on the tall side, a sturdy one hundred and thirty-five pounds.
Nothing felt broken. No sharp pains anywhere.
“Are you alright?” she heard him ask again.
“Yes, yes, I’m alright. You can put me down.”
He complied. But the moment her feet touched the floor, she realized she’d spoken too soon. A wave of dizziness unbalanced her. He caught her as her knees buckled.
“Easy, Brenda. You may have suffered a concussion. The ball was heavy leather and rubber, and barely any deflation.” He added, “Probably a recent resident.”
She wasn’t in the mood for levity, but she sensed the undercurrent of concern in his voice. She breathed in and out deeply, and turned her head thrice slowly side to side and up and down. Another three breaths, and then a calming moment, an exercise she’d learned from a girlfriend who suffered with motion sickness. The dizziness ebbed. “I guess the ball didn’t care for my invading its space,” she said. Then in a serious tone, “I should have been more careful where I placed the ladder.”
With equal seriousness, he advised, “You should have the chance that you suffered a concussion checked out right away. If you need, I can drive you to your doctor’s office, or the emergency room at the hospital nearby?”
“No, but thank you for the offer. My parents are retired. My father drives, and I can call him.”
“Straight-away,” he advised, his hand moving to the top of her head and then her forehead. She experienced a quick, odd feeling of transparency that dispersed the moment he removed his hand. “Straight-away,” he advised again. “I’ll walk you to the nurse’s office, where you can call your father.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “I appreciate your help.” Her knees still felt wobbly.
Her vision had cleared enough for her to make out his features. He was a few inches taller than her, but his moderate frame belied the strength she’d felt in his arms when he caught her. Moderate sinewy frame, her thoughts rephrased. He had keen, discerning eyes, hazel with a tinge of lavender, and wavy ash-brown hair cut to the nape of his neck and combed back, both distinguishing features bringing to her mind the variant colors of birch bark.
She might have thought more about his appearance as he supported her on their way to the nurse’s office, except that she suddenly recalled spotting him from the top of the ladder as he worked on the electrical outlet on the opposite side of the gymnasium. He had been hunched over on one knee repairing an outlet, his back to her. It was him, she assured herself. She recognized his electrician’s work clothes. But how? she wondered. How had he reached her in time to catch her? The gymnasium was large. There was at least twenty yards of distance between the stepladder and the outlet he’d been repairing.
The thought made her head hurt and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to clear it. She might have a concussion, after all. As they exited the gymnasium, she reasoned that he had probably finished repairing the outlet, and already crossed the gymnasium on his way to the exit, passing by the stepladder at just the right moment. A lucky coincidence, she thought, sending him a grateful smile.