A Penny's Worth (The Cephas Bourdon Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

of eyes sought mine, so I looked up and met, once more, the eyes of Cephas Bourdon. He seemed to stare straight into my soul. A s unnerving as that was, I felt inclined to tell him everything I was thinking, even though he seemed to read my mind all on his own. He broke our gaze, then looked toward Chase as he marched to the line. All was silent as he prepared to jump. When he did jump, however, not only did he clear the fire, but he completed and landed a double front flip over the tallest flame. Cheers erupted from all who witnessed the amazing feat. The people around Cephas congratulated him as if he were Chase himself. Cephas stood from where he landed and looked toward where I sat on the bench. T he left corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile again, and his eyes cast downward.
    “Oh, ya gotta show off, do ya?” Chase complained from the other side of the fire. “Well fine, then. Rematch. Only this time . . . we have to do a back flip.” I sighed in exasperation.
    The whistling song of the tree carried on the wind, traveling from miles to whisper in the ears of the young girl wandering through the darkening forest. The lavender skies were turning a deep mauve, some areas fading to a rich, navy blue. Two crickets chirped to one another — a conversation meant only for each other yet heard by all. An owl called through the silent night, begging for a noise to break the loud quiet that defined the night air. My Converse tennis shoes brushed fallen leaves as I made my way over a large tree root and under a low tree branch. I found myself atop a flat rock, perfect for sitting. From that position, I could view the goings - on at the campfire. The small group was cheering as Chase strutted around, gloating in his victory. I seated myself on the friendly rock and pulled my knees up to my chin.
    “You here alone?” a low voice asked from behind. My throat caught and I turned carefully around.
    “Oh, it’s just you, ” I answered, relieved at first, then my heart began to beat faster. Cephas took a few casual steps toward me as he spoke, leaving his hands in his pockets.
    “So why aren’t you over there, enjoying the fun?” he asked, taking a couple more steps toward me.
    “Why aren’t you?” I replied defiantly.
    “I lost, remember? That’s why your boyfriend’s gloating.” He gestured toward the campfire. A sli ght smile crept across his fac. A t no point did he seem put out by his loss, or argue that chase had cheated.
    “Yeah — just couldn’t manage to land the flip, eh?” I asked in sarcastic disbelief. The scene flashed through my mind. Chase had challenged him to a rematch, and Cephas had lost — on purpose. I was sure of it.
    “I guess I’m just better at front flips than back flips,” he replied, the left corner of his mouth twitching upward. Cephas took another step toward me. I could hear him breathing now. He didn’t look away as before, but stared straight into my green eyes. I found myself staring straight back. His face was much closer to mine than it had been, and I felt his overwhelming presence like the glowing fire — encompassed with warmth, but not in the suffocating kind of way. My questioning eyes narrowed as I stood from my perch on the rock . I was now face to face with Cephas. I could feel my own breathing increase with his close proximity. His face was ever so close to mine now, and I looked instinctively at his mouth . . . and I instantly regretted looking. There it was again: that overpowering feeling that made my breath catch and my heart stop. My imagination had run too far, creating the fantasy that I had met such an extraordinary man as to win me over, body and soul. I was about to scowl at my romantic ideas when Cephas’ head lifted slightly upward toward my mouth. I felt his breath on my face before he turned abruptly and moved to sit on my rock.
    “Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing towards the large rock.
    “Ah, it’s fine,” I stammered as I plopped