Esperanza spoke excitedly, and Maria licked the moisture from her lips and tried to smile in response, right before another contraction took her prisoner and the bloodcurdling scream this time brought Casey back to her knees.
Everything was happening as if suspended in time… Maria's wail of misery, the searing pain in her own clasped hand as Maria seemed possessed of superhuman strength, the sound of Luke's heavy breathing… all of it being painted with brushstrokes of memories onto her rattled mind. Now very close to the woman's hips, Casey turned her face slightly and saw the most amazing sight…
A tiny head, with wet black hair, and a shoulder.
She watched as Esperanza twisted the baby and then quickly, as though propelled, the body slipped out into the waiting woman's hands. Casey couldn't breathe. She could barely think as a tiny sound was heard, and then a stronger one as Esperanza wiped the child with a rough cloth and it cried out in protest.
Maria released her hand and started crying and laughing at the same time. Luke stood up and let his breath out, and Casey cradled her numb hand at her chest as she stared at the incredible scene. The baby, still attached by the umbilical cord, was placed on Maria's chest, and Casey had to blink away the rapid flow of tears. She couldn't believe it. She had witnessed a birth!
"A son," Casey whispered, as she watched mother and child bond.
Luke came up behind her and helped her up. Her legs were unsteady, and she stumbled. Luke caught her in his arms and hugged her slightly. She didn't want to turn away from Maria and the miracle in the woman's arms, but she didn't want to be rude either. Casey smiled reassuringly at the woman as Luke turned her to the curtain. "Esperanza can finish here."
She nearly collapsed against him as he held the fabric aside and Sergio and Maria's husband stood with expectation. Luke waited until the others rushed past and then dropped the material into place. He walked Casey to the table and picked up the bottle. He sniffed, wiped the crown with his shirtsleeve, and held it out to her.
"Here. Drink," he said with a grin. "I think we have earned it."
Her one good hand was shaking as she tilted the bottle to her mouth and gulped. Immediately she gasped and coughed as the fiery liquor burned her throat. Tequila. Luke patted her back and then drew the bottle to his own lips. After swallowing, he, too, expelled his breath with a gasp.
Grinning at her, he said in soft husky voice, "Tonight you lived up to your name, Casey."
She sighed with exhaustion as the tequila spread through her bloodstream and a surge of heat raced through her veins. Luke put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly.
"You were very brave."
She couldn't even smile as she rubbed her right hand, trying to bring circulation back into it. Had she really just seen that? Even participated in it?
Stuff like this just didn't happen in her life…
Three
"What happened with that stone in there?" she whispered in a hoarse voice, still shaking from the most astonishing experience of her life. "What… what is it made of?"
Luke took another sip and wiped the tip of the bottle with his sleeve again before putting it back on the table. "It is not a stone, it is a crystal with a very powerful frequency which amplifies certain energies." He paused, watching for her reaction.
She'd heard something once on a magazine news show, a segment dealing with some kind of energy in crystals, how they're used to power computers and watches and lots of things, but she hadn't really paid attention.
"More simply, it was something for Maria to focus upon, other than her pain. It also amplified your strength and bravery and directed them to her. When I get it back from Maria, you may examine it, if you wish."
She slid down onto one of the chairs, listening to the adults laughing and cooing at the newborn beyond the curtain. Feeling drained, she murmured, "I can't believe what I just witnessed."
Luke pulled a chair out from the table and turned it around. He swung his leg across it and sat with his arms crossed over the back. Smiling at her, he said, "A miracle, is it not? The wonder never lessens for me."
She glanced up from the table. "How many have you seen?"
"This is my ninth."
"Nine? What are you, a midwife?"
He chuckled and ran his fingers through his curly hair. "No. I've just been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time as life unfolded."
She didn't even want to ask where these births took place. Obviously not in a hospital, and she just couldn't handle it right now if he said it was in the time of Cleopatra or—
Before she could finish her thought, he continued, "No matter where… life continues to fascinate me. I cannot imagine being alive and bored, yet I have heard of people who are and I wonder how this is so."
She blinked, trying to make sense of his words. "How do you do that?" she blurted out. "Do you hear my thoughts or what?"
Again he laughed. "No, not your thoughts, but I do sense your emotions."
"That's eavesdropping!" she accused, extremely uncomfortable not being able to hide her emotions, especially after what had happened to her behind that curtain. She felt as if something, something within her, had altered, expanded. She just felt so… so open.
"I understand your discomfort, Casey, yet my intuitive ability is not something I can turn off. It just is." Was his smile meant to ease her embarrassment? It didn't.
She wanted to hide her eyes, shield her mind, and then suddenly figured he was just gifted or something, and couldn't help it. Yeah, most reality escapists were gifted in some way. He believed in time travel; that was his way out, and if she didn't buy in to it, she'd be okay. She found comfort in accepting her thought. "I still don't like it," she finally said. "You have an unfair advantage."
Nodding, he continued, "The reality is, you have the very same ability, Casey. You've just forgotten about it."
"Forgotten?" She wiped her forehead and sighed with weariness. "I do think, if I was ever able to read minds, I'd remember."
She watched him take in a deep breath and look up to the thatched ceiling. Here it comes, she thought. He was gathering how he was going to tutor her again.
"Yes… how shall I say this?" He paused. "Okay… was there ever a time when you walked into a room and, before anyone said a word or moved"—his thoughtful gaze dropped to stare directly into her eyes—"you just knew what was happening? Perhaps something was stirring inside you." He gestured with his hands in a circling motion around his chest. "You felt something that made you happy or uneasy… as though you were able to feel the room and sense what was to come."
Immediately her mind flashed back to something she hadn't thought of in years. She was three years old and walking into the living room of her childhood. It was as if it were yesterday…
She was so happy and wanted to tell her mother about the butterfly buzzing at the screen in her bedroom. The insect had seemed magical, calling her away from dressing her favorite doll. She ran over to the screen, fascinated by the colors in its slow-moving wings. Delighted, she hurried out of the room, hoping she could share it with her mother before it flew away.
Her mother was in the kitchen and didn't know she'd come downstairs. Her father was sitting in an overstuffed beige chair, drinking a cup of coffee. She was surprised to see him home in the afternoon, and then all thoughts of the magical butterfly disappeared. She immediately knew something was wrong. She knew, as soon as she entered the room, something was very wrong.
"How can you do this, Colin?" her mother yelled from the kitchen. She heard the anguish in her mother's voice. "Leave me with two little babies!"
She watched her father wipe a droplet from his eye. He didn't say a word as he looked down at his little girl. She could feel both their fear and pain, and it made tears come into her eyes. Why else had she rushed up to her father and pleaded, "Daddy… don't go!" Her eyes began to well up even now.
Of course she had felt their emotions! She didn't need the details to unders
tand the two people she loved most in the world were suffering. She just felt it.
She got the details about ten years later when her parents finally split. Her father had been having an affair. He had stayed and raised his children for as long as he could and then left, ending the sham.
Casey swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't believe how quickly it all ran through her mind, a buried memory of almost thirty years!
"You see… ?" Luke's voice was gentle. "You, too, have this ability, Casey. You call it intuition, yet it is much more than that…" He held out the bottle to her and continued. "At some time you decided the ability to feel what others were feeling was too hard to live with… so, like a volume knob on a stereo or TV, you turned it down. Most people do. Then as you grew up, you believed others when they said such a thing was foolish, and you turned it down even lower."
She took the bottle from his outstretched hand, watching his eyes twinkle and his grin widen, like he was about to reveal a secret she already knew.
"But you can never really turn it off. It's a part of you."
Damn. Now he had her doing it and he was starting to make sense.
Must be the tequila dulling her judgment. She stared at him, not believing what she was seeing or what she was hearing, not even from within herself. It was too much. And now this fantastic man was smiling at her with such tenderness that she wanted to break down and sob like Elena. In an effort to stop such a display, she raised the bottle to her lips and gulped.
Swallowing the harsh liquid, she managed a tight grin. "So what's next?" she asked in a raspy voice. "You start calling me grasshopper? If I wasn't so damned tired, I'd try to snatch the pebble from your palm right now and show ya a thing or two."
He leaned his chin on his crossed arms. "I'll take Martial Arts for five hundred dollars," he answered with theatrical exaggeration. "To be a peaceful warrior… what is Kung Fu?" She watched his smile widen even further when he added, "I'd bet my life on it."
"What's this now? Jeopardy?" She laughed to cover any other emotion she might be emitting at the moment, for watching him smile so grandly that dimples creased his cheeks was devastating.
"You have a most wonderful laugh, Casey O'Reilly. You should use it more."
That immediately stopped her laughter. "I laugh," she said in defense. "Most people think I have a good sense of humor." It sounded like bragging, and she added, "Though mostly I laugh at myself."
"That is a fine quality. A valuable one in life. If you had a bag of magical tools to carry with you, that one would be highly prized."
"Laughing at myself?"
"Yes, the ability to laugh at oneself."
She was grateful the curtain was suddenly pulled aside and Sergio, who still carried Elena; Esperanza; and Maria's husband joined them in the small room. Luke rose to greet them and everyone started talking at once in Spanish. Casey slowly pushed herself up from the chair, aware that every muscle in her body felt somehow fluid, as though drained of strength. She smiled at the happy people and wished she could be on her way. She simply had to reach Amy and lie down somewhere. Enough was enough. Her mind and body were weary, and the tequila intensified her need for rest.
Luke turned to her and said, "We've been invited to stay for a small celebration… a feast of thanksgiving for the new life."
"Oh, I can't," Casey protested. "I must be on my way." This time she was going to be firm.
Luke looked at her and, after a few moments, simply nodded. He turned to the men and said something. Everyone appeared disappointed and then Maria's husband motioned for both her and Luke to go behind the curtain. Watching the man hold the material back, she knew she didn't really have a choice without appearing rude. Besides, she wanted to see the baby one more time.
She smiled again and walked forward. Luke was behind her as they entered the bedroom area. Maria was resting, looking much better. Even her long, dark hair had been brushed. She opened her eyes as they approached, and though her smile was tired, it was still beautiful. Awed, Casey drew in her breath. Maria really did look beautiful. She was radiant, holding her new son to her breast.
Luke whispered something to her, and Casey made out the word for congratulations. Maria motioned for them to come closer. Casey felt like a kid as she took baby steps, not wanting to disturb the peace that seemed to surround the woman and child.
Maria whispered something to Luke and he smiled, while nodding as the woman extended her palm. Casey watched as Luke gently took back the crystal and then closed his hand over Maria's.
The woman said something to him and he grinned. He shook his head from side to side as if telling Maria no. Maria seemed a little disappointed and then said something more that made Luke almost beam with pleasure.
Turning his head, he told her to say good-bye to what sounded like Ang-hell, the baby, and to wish the child a joyful life. She felt awkward as she reached out and touched the little hand. Her finger looked so big as she stroked his tiny ones resting so close to his perfect mouth. Her arms almost ached as something raced through them, something that every instinct was telling her had nothing to do with the tequila. It was only when she recognized that she desperately wanted to hold the child that she pulled her hand away and smiled at Maria.
"He's so beautiful," she whispered in awe. "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this, Maria. I know it's something I'll never forget."
Luke translated, and Maria said to Casey, "Gracias, Señorita Casey. Sin duda, usted volvera a Dios." She then continued, and Casey was lost in a language she didn't understand. She looked to Luke, who told her that Maria said she had felt Casey's courage and she and Ang-hell would both be grateful to her for the rest of their lives, that surely she was sent by God this night.
Embarrassed, Casey shook her head and backed away a bit. "Tell her there's no need for that. I didn't do anything."
Luke grinned. "You performed a great service. Accept it and receive graciously. You haven't forgotten how to do that too, have you?"
She felt almost reprimanded by his words. "I can receive graciously," she retorted, stunned by the realization that she almost always turned a compliment around by putting herself down. "Just tell her thank you… for everything, okay?" Sheesh, this guy was hitting way too many buttons!
"I will," Luke said, and then turned back to Maria. The two of them spoke together for a few more moments and then Luke cradled the baby's head in his palm.
Seeing this man's unabashed tenderness brought a thickness to her throat. She almost wanted to cry and thought she truly must be exhausted. She had better pull her act together and get on with finding Amy.
"Adiós," Luke and Maria whispered to each other.
He straightened his body and held the curtain for Casey.
"Adiós," Casey whispered, and in her mind she told the baby that she wished him a lifetime of joy. His birth had certainly affected her life. More than anything now, she wanted a child of her own. Even if it was torture to make it happen!
In the room with the others, she watched as Luke spoke to them in a friendly voice. Esperanza ran to her sister's small stove and pulled what looked like burritos from a steaming pot. She bundled them in a cloth and handed the small package to Casey, smiling and saying, "Gracias" over and over, along with the others. Luke picked up his coat and hat and motioned for Casey to follow him. They stepped out of the small home amid more outbursts of gratitude and waves of good-bye.
Once outside, she drew in a deep breath of the cool night air. Against the brilliant starry sky, she could now see the outline of a town just a short distance away. Casey put her hands on her hips as she turned to Luke in the street. "Okay, I didn't see a telephone in the house, but now I've got to find one. Do you know where there's a pay phone, or shall we just ask someone in town?"
Luke sighed as he put his hat on, lowered the brim, and slung his coat over his broad shoulder. "There are no telephones here, Casey. There are no cars, no electricity, no railroads, and no means for you
to communicate with your sister. Look around you. In a poor section of Santa Fe, in your sister's time, there would surely be streetlights and cars. The year is 1878, and the sooner you accept it, the—"
"Stop," she interrupted before he could finish that sentence again. "Just point me to the center of town. My sister described a plaza, with lots of shops and restaurants. Where there's a restaurant, there's a telephone."
"You aren't going to listen to me, are you?"
"No." What did he think she was? Crazy, like him?
He grinned. "You want to see for yourself? All right, then. Come along," he said, walking forward. "I shall take you to the plaza."
"Okay," she muttered, sniffing the package she carried as she followed him. "Now we're getting somewhere."
"Oh, we're getting somewhere," he threw over his shoulder. "You're just not going to like it when we get there. And by the way, those are tamales you're holding. Would you hand me one, please?"
"Gladly." She opened the cloth and pulled out a warm loaf wrapped in a dried corn husk. Hurrying until she was walking at his side, she handed it to him. "Here ya go."
He whispered a gracias as he took it from her and then began unwrapping it. Her stomach rumbled as she got one for herself and she realized it had been hours since she'd eaten. She'd had a salad on her stopover in Denver, but hadn't had anything since. Bringing the tamale to her mouth, she couldn't suppress the moan of pleasure as she bit down into the food. Spicy beef in a sauce, wrapped in moist cornmeal, woke up her taste buds and she moaned again.
Luke glanced at her and grinned. "Hungry, I see. Perhaps when we get to our destination, we can better satisfy your appetite."
"Oh, you want to have dinner at a restaurant?" she asked between bites. "Okay, I'm sure it will take some time for my sister to pick me up, but it's my treat. You… ya know, saved my life and everything. My wallet's in your coat."
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