My Hope Is Found: The Cadence of Grace, Book 3 by Bischof Joanne

Author:Bischof, Joanne [Bischof, Joanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781601424266
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2013-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Settling down on a crate in the center of the stage, Gideon rested his mandolin on his knee. Beside him, the banjo player paused to check the tune of his top string. The off note sweetened, and he nodded an approval to himself. “Ready, boys?”

“What’s the tempo?” Gideon pressed his mandolin to his chest, the feeling of it the only thing that made sense this night.

“Six-eight.” The man adjusted the strap of his banjo. “Can you swing on the back of the beat?”

Gideon nodded. That he could do.

“All right then. Let’s start this thing.”

As if the floodgates had burst open, the spirited banjo twanged. Feet stomped and hands clapped, and anyone who wasn’t keeping time was hurrying for a partner.

Gideon watched Toby walk toward Lonnie. His intentions clear. He dodged around a chatting circle, nearly to her. Gideon frowned. But then a tall, lanky man stepped in front of Lonnie. Senses heightened, Gideon watched closely. He couldn’t see Lonnie, but a moment later, the man led her toward the dance crowd. Toby halted and folded his hands behind his back.

Nearly laughing, Gideon tried to focus his attention on the song. He strummed quickly, enjoying this moment. Enjoying the feel of the mandolin vibrating against his chest. Enjoying the fact that there Toby stood. Empty handed. Gideon grinned to himself and bobbed his head in time with the music. The banjo twanged, and he picked the sweetest notes, tangling them together in a way that lifted the corner of his mouth. They played for several minutes, then in a quick rush of strumming, the song raced to a halt.

The cheer of the crowd was deafening. Gideon glanced down to see a bloom in Lonnie’s cheeks as the man leaned toward her and whispered something. She nodded, and with a laugh, the man tipped his hat and was on his way, no doubt in search of his next partner.

Good. Gideon was liking this night after all.

Then the band slowed, a one-two-three that Gideon knew well. The slow waltz drew a different crowd. Sweethearts. Lovers. Gideon stared at Toby, daring him to even move one foot toward Lonnie. But it was she who stepped toward him. Her dark hair caught the lantern light as she peered up at him and spoke. A curl fell loose, taunting Gideon’s fingers. Toby smiled and followed Lonnie out onto the dance floor. Gideon swallowed a curse.

He plucked the strings of his mandolin. For no reason other than that he was supposed to. Toby turned Lonnie around, slowly, his hand pressed to the small of her back in such a way that Gideon nearly fumbled the chords. Get ahold of yourself, man. He focused on the tempo. Tapping his foot slowly, he played the high notes of the waltz as the fiddle teased out a melody that was filled with yearning. Here he was, setting their feet in motion. Gideon clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on the space between his boots.

When it ended, the crowed clapped politely.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.