Heart of Gold (31 page)

Seconds later, a man with long dark hair, dressed in leather, entered along with a beautiful woman in a nice blue dress. He called out in an Irish accent, “Sorry we're late.”

Bernadine watched Zoey's mouth drop. Cass stood and laughed. “It's just my mum and brother, everyone. Reverend, carry on.”

As Conor and Fiona made their way to the Garlands' table, Paula said the prayer, and then Marie shouted, “Let's eat!”

And eat they did.

After the meal there was dancing and mingling and all the things small-town folks did best. Bernadine, standing with Mal's arm around her waist, said, “You know, this isn't a bad place to live.”

“I like it. Like you, too.”

She gave him a quick kiss.

Lily called out, “Soul Train line! Everybody line up!”

Bernadine looked up at the man she loved. “Ready to bust a move?”

“Am I a July?”

Laughing, they got in line.

By the time Bernadine got into bed, it was past midnight. What a day. She picked up the Franklin paper that had been delivered while she was at the Dog. The headline read: “Mayor Wiggins Divorces Wife! Confirms He Was Paid to Marry Her!”

Giggling, Bernadine set the paper aside. She'd read all the dirty details in the morning. Certain that Astrid was home spitting nails, she snuggled down into the comfort of her bedding. Squirrel Head 1, Seabiscuit 0. She was still smiling when she drifted off to sleep.

P.S. About the book Discussion Questions Author's Note Read on Have You Read? More by Beverly Jenkins

About the book

Discussion Questions

1. Talk about the many family-related issues found in
Heart of Gold
.

2. Bernadine did her best to incorporate Reverend Paula's theme of kindness over rightness into her life. Was she successful? How difficult would it be to incorporate that theme into your life?

3. Through Diane, we know a bit more about Bernadine's childhood and the issues she faced growing up with her mother. Does this new knowledge alter your perceptions of who you thought Bernadine was?

4. Did you approve or disapprove of the way Bernadine handled Crystal's return?

5. Discuss the growth and maturity shown by Amari and Preston since
Bring on the Blessings
.

6. What's up with Devon?

7. What should Bernadine do about Astrid Wiggins?

8. What do you think the future holds for Zoey Raymond Garland?

Author's Note

H
EART OF
G
OLD
is our fifth visit to the small town of Henry Adams, Kansas. As with the previous books in the series, Zoey's story widened our view of many characters and answered some questions, but also paved the way for new ones, such as: What is Bernadine going to do about Astrid Wiggins? Will Kiki and Bobby really move to town, and how many more beatdowns is Devon going to need before he gets a clue? In my travels around the country promoting book four,
A Wish and a Prayer
, babies were frequently brought up. “Henry Adams needs babies!” or “Lily needs to have a baby!” or “Bernadine needs to marry Mal and have a baby!” Folks, Lily would probably rise up off the page and smack me into next week should I even think about making her pregnant. After all, she already has Davis, and now Amari and Devon! She's also past her childbearing prime, so no babies for Lily. As for Bernadine, she's over fifty-five. No babies for her either. As for marriage to Mal: readers under the age of forty desperately want them to marry. Those fifty and above simply shrug. Like Bernadine and Mal, they don't see the need to make the relationship any more formal than it is, but we'll see what the future holds.

Heart of Gold
was a joy to write. The first draft differed greatly from the final one—scenarios changed and characters appeared, disappeared, and were replaced by others. Cassidy Sullivan walked into this story unannounced. I had no idea she was waiting in the wings. One of the joys of writing by the seat of my pants is that characters like Cass appear out of nowhere bearing magi-type gifts that make a writer smile.

I want to thank Dr. Paul King of Atlanta for taking time out of his busy day to answer my questions about Zoey's care. Any mistakes I may have made in the writing are mine—not his. Big thanks to my editor for granting me the time I needed to give
Heart of Gold
the TLC it needed. Her patience is exceeded only by her editorial savvy—both of which make me a better writer. As always, many thanks to my agent, Nancy Yost of NYLA. Sixteen years and counting! She's the best. I also want to thank Avon/Harper. Who knew when my first novel,
Night Song
, was published in 1994, that twenty years later, I'd still be an Avon Lady and that my fictional town of Henry Adams would still be alive and kicking. I'm blessed to have such a remarkable publishing house behind me. From marketing to publicity to art, a writer couldn't ask for a better team. I couldn't ask for better readers either and to them I bow because without you, I'm nothing. Your encouragement, praise, and blessings fill my heart.

See you next time!

B

Read on

Have You Read?

More by Beverly Jenkins

BRING ON THE BLESSINGS

On Bernadine Brown's fifty-second birthday she received an unexpected gift—she caught her husband, Leo, cheating with his secretary. She was hurt—angry too—but she didn't cry woe is me. Nope, she hired herself a top-notch lawyer and ended up with a cool $275 million. Having been raised in the church, she knew that when much is given much is expected, so she asked God to send her a purpose.

The purpose turned out to be a town: Henry Adams, Kansas, one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. The failing town had put itself up for sale on the Internet, so Bernadine bought it.

Trent July is the mayor, and watching the town of his birth slide into debt and foreclosure is about the hardest thing he's ever done. When the buyer comes to town, he's impressed by her vision, strength, and the hope she wants to offer not only to the town and its few remaining residents, but to a handful of kids in desperate need of a second chance.

Not everyone in town wants to get on board though; some don't want change. But Bernadine and Trent, along with his first love, Lily Fontaine, are determined to preserve the town's legacy while ushering in a new era with ties to its unique past and its promising future.

“
Bring on the Blessings
is a tasty reading confection that you'll savor long after the story ends.”

—Angela Benson, bestselling author of
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With the millions she received after divorcing her faithless tycoon husband, Bernadine Brown saved the historic town of Henry Adams, Kansas, from financial ruin and found loving homes for five needy children. Now there are other “projects” crying out for rescue.

If ever a town institution needed rescuing, it's the beloved Dog and Cow diner. Once it was Henry Adams's social center—or gossip central!—now it's in danger of becoming duct-tape central. But there are other distractions pulling Bernadine from the task at hand: a plethora of romantic entanglements, including her own with a disturbingly attractive Malachi July; a bitter young boy newly arrived in town with his widowed father; and a fugitive on the run with a six-hundred-pound pet pig that's wanted for murder (the pig, that is). And when Bernadine's philandering, troublemaking ex-husband rolls into town looking for a second chance, life in Henry Adams gets very interesting indeed.

“A story like none other, and done in a way that only Beverly Jenkins can do. Simply superb!”

—Brenda Jackson,
New York Times
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