Jorden picked up the box and slid the bow off. An inner box rested inside. On the top were the words, “Today is the Time to Shine.” Carefully, she pulled open the lid and there lay a small gold pendant.

“It’s beautiful.” Jorden looked at the satin backing of the jeweler’s box—Yukon Gold. Slowly, she lifted out the pendant. Her eyes strained to read the tag, Alaska Gold Nugget.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” Jorden turned it over. The backside was smooth while the front was rough.

Matt watched as she turned over each side. “The front is gold nugget, panned like the Alaska pioneers did. I hope you like it.”

“I love it. It’s so different.” Jorden slipped the chain over her head. It stood out on her soft wool sweater.

“I called my cousin in Anchorage, and she picked it out for me. She did a great job of getting what I described. I thought about a heart, but it didn’t seem appropriate for an escort.”

Jorden reached for his hands and gave them a squeeze. “Thank you.”

“This you can wear without any explanation, but I hope it will carry a special meaning.”

Jorden raised her hand to touch the pendant. The silver bracelet, the one Alex had given her last winter, crossed paths with the gold pendant—it went unnoticed as Matt pulled her close. She swayed to the music, leaning into him.

A lone car’s backfire startled Jorden. She looked at Emma Lynn’s crystal clock and realized it was after two o’clock. “It’s late.”

“Can’t I stay? No one’s here. No one will know.”

“I will.”

Matt seemed to sense the answer in her clear blue eyes. “All right. I’m going . . . but at least let me drive you to the airport tomorrow. Deal?”

“Deal. Thank you.”

Matt pulled Jorden close and kissed her—a lingering kiss.

Chapter 19: January 1970

Chapter 19

January 1970

The Christmas holiday flew by. The two weeks in Trenton with Jorden’s family seemed too short and now she was already in a cab, riding back to her apartment in Columbus, Georgia. The cab driver never stopped talking.

“Where are you from?” He asked. “You don’t sound like you’re from Georgia.”

“No. I’m from New Jersey.”

“Thought so. What brings you here?”

“I’m a teacher.”

“Oh. You look too young. I thought you might be a college student.”

Jorden didn’t say anything. The cab driver’s constant questions irritated her. She watched him turn into the Julian Apartment complex.

“Where to?”

“Apartment number 205.” Jorden didn’t want him to know the exact number. “Drive to the right.” She put her arm up to stop him. “There—there it is. Just pull over here.”