Heaven On Earth

by Constance O'Day-Flannery

  "Only you will think so. You are gifted with the ability to laugh at yourself. Use it. Now we begin…" He started to move, and Casey looked down at her feet. "Don't," he whispered. "Did Ginger look at her feet?"

  "I told you, I'm not Ginger." Again she tried to pull away from his grasp. It only tightened, and in truth, she really wasn't trying all that hard.

  "Can you trust me?" He stared down at her with a patient expression that said he was holding back a smile. "The walls of the house are far behind you, Casey. You won't be hurt."

  She felt a thickness in her throat.

  "I trust you," she whispered, and realized it was truth. If this man wanted to harm her, he'd certainly had plenty of opportunity. If anything, he was the most respectful man she had ever met.

  "Then relax. We have plenty of time to practice the more intricate steps. The first lesson is to become comfortable in my arms. I am not such a poor dancer that I would lead you astray, señorita."

  Relax. Right. She took a deep breath to banish and release her wild yearnings for this man. This was about trust. That was all.

  She grinned. "Okay, so this is just regular dancing? Nothing fancy?"

  He nodded.

  "I know what this is!" she proclaimed. "You just want to find out if I'll let you lead."

  He laughed and so did she. This time she was right on the mark!

  Relaxing even more, Casey said, "Gimme your best shot, señor. Ya ain't dealin' with a complete klutz here."

  He took the challenge with a pleased expression, making his face so handsome that Casey almost groaned again.

  "I never doubted you," he whispered, his grin widening.

  What exactly was she getting into here? A dancing challenge? She was a pretty good dancer. Damn, years of being single might finally pay off if she could meet his invitation. "You are wagering… señor?" she whispered back, adding the last word with a smile of her own. Better to cover her attraction with a little boldness.

  "And what might this wager be?"

  She thought for a moment. "If I learn, you will tell me everything I want to know about time travel."

  He gaze became serious. "I can only tell you what I know."

  "Okay, then that," she said, impatient to get something out of this. If she was about to appear the fool, then she wanted some reassurance it wasn't for nothing.

  His smile returned and he again assumed his dancing posture, holding her firmly. "Como tú quieres, señorita. Agreed."

  She nodded triumphantly and assumed her own posture, ready for what he had to give.

  "Of course, you know… I would have told you what you wanted to know without all this," he muttered as he began to move.

  She stumbled and slapped his shoulder. "You… you did that on purpose!" she accused. She tried to make her voice sound stern, yet couldn't stop the laughter. It was hopeless for her to have any pride at all around this man!

  "Just dance," she said, resuming her former position. She was ready for him now.

  "Don't look at your feet," he whispered, trying to match her serious mood. The creeping smile betrayed him.

  "I'm not," she retorted, staring straight into his eyes. Little did he know that in college one of her best male friends taught her about following at too many frat parties for her ever to forget. With any luck, Luke d'Séraphin would be the one stumbling soon.

  He took a big step forward and she followed easily as she caught the rhythm of his body and matched it. Two shorter steps and she knew she could follow him. He was a very good dancer, she thought, staring into his eyes and trying not to think of anything else, trying to just allow the music and this man to lead her. They danced in a circle, her dress sweeping out like a pink cloud, and she thought surely, for this moment, she had landed in heaven.

  "I'm going to swing you out now," he whispered and, grabbing her waist with one hand, flung her toward the house. She twirled twice quite gracefully and then stumbled when her vision caught something dark standing not far away.

  "Oh…" Casey stopped and tried to get her head back to normal. Normal? Ever since that lightning struck, nothing was normal. Especially this! And now her head was spinning! "Doña Isabela," she said, catching her breath. "I didn't see you."

  "I am sorry I interrupted," the woman answered, and came closer. Smiling, she looked at Luke briefly. "I see I owe my husband an apology. Señorita, you dance beautifully."

  "Oh…" Casey was so embarrassed that she had to stop herself from wringing her hands together. "I danced a great deal when I was younger."

  "No wonder Rosalinda has bonded with you in such a short time. You have an admirer in my daughter. I'm afraid she will monopolize your time, and you must continue your dancing lessons before the quinceñera. I believe I have some shoes that would be more appropriate."

  Luke came forward and placed his hand on her back very gently. "I'm afraid I have worn out this gracious lady."

  Casey shot him a look. "You didn't wear me out."

  He chuckled as he turned his attention back to Doña Isabela. "Perhaps you might escort the señorita back to her room. There is something I must attend to while there is daylight."

  "Of course, Luke," the woman answered, and held out her hand to Casey. "We don't want to tax your strength, señorita, since you just arrived last night and need to be gentle with yourself. A siesta would be most helpful now."

  "I will return before the evening meal, damas."

  He bowed to both ladies, and Casey was stunned as he walked away. Luke was just leaving her? Like this? Pulling herself together, she turned to her hostess.

  "Come, señorita," Doña Isabela urged. "Rest. It has been a very busy day for you."

  Yeah, you could say that!

  As she walked with Doña Isabela into the house, Casey remembered that, according to Luke, the d'Montoyas knew nothing about this time-travel adventure. She was simply a welcomed guest, traveling with a friend of theirs. How she would love to grab the woman's shoulders and ask her what the hell was happening. Someone wiser than she must have some answers, cause Casey was certainly shaken by this whole encounter, especially this last one with Luke. She remembered Juana telling her that she thought Luke might be interested in her. She wanted to burst into nervous laughter at the crazy thought.

  Nah… someone like him must have plenty of women around him whenever he wanted. He wouldn't be interested in her as anything more than a diversion to pass the time until he could return her to her sister.

  "I will send the shoes to you," the woman murmured, as they began to climb the stairs.

  Casey smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

  Maybe that was why he had to leave so suddenly. Maybe he had a woman in this time. Now, who could she ask about that? And why did she even care?

  She did.

  That thought created an uncomfortable feeling in her belly. Well, she would just have to cleverly ask Luke when she talked to him again at the next dance lesson. Or maybe Rosalinda knew.

  She wondered how long choir practice lasted…

  Eight

  Rosalinda patted her braided coronet as she stared into the long standing mirror that days ago had been brought into Casey's room. "All right, señorita… now, watch me. Grasp your skirt and hold it to your hip. Lift your chin, knowing you are equal to any man, especially a man who challenges you with passion. And then… stomp your foot, like so!"

  Casey watched as this child/woman did a remarkably simple yet sexy move of her body, as though not only answering a male's challenge but raising the bar a notch or two with staccato footwork. "Hmm," she murmured, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "I don't know, Rosa. That looks good on you, but I think I'm a bit too old to be the femme fatale. Didn't exactly work for me… before."

  Rosalinda turned around and grinned. "Well, of course it didn't work for you before! You thought… thought you were someone else then. A nun." The girl seemed to be trying not to hurt her feelings. "Now you have put that behind you and you will see what kind of wom
an you truly are."

  Slumping back to sit on the edge of the bed, Casey stared at her. "How did you get this smart? It was your mother, wasn't it? She taught you?"

  Rosalinda sighed. "Yes, my mami is very wise, but it just makes sense to me, Casey. I, too, thought once I might have a vocation, that I might want to devote myself to God. I was very serious and talked to my friend Alvara, and Sister Bernardina. That was when I knew whatever I wanted to do, I could do it as a vocation. If I wanted to be a wife and a mother, I could. If I wanted to dance the flamenco on stage, I could." She resumed her dancing position and stomped her foot. Grinning, she added, "I could serve any way I choose."

  "I think your parents might disagree with your last example." Casey laughed and shook her head at the teenager. "You are something else, Rosalinda d'Montoya, you know that?"

  "I don't understand. Of course I am something else. I can't be you." Chuckling, Rosalinda reached down and gently pulled Casey back to her feet. "Only you can be you, Casey O'Reilly. I think it's now time to begin finding out who you are, don't you?"

  How she wanted to tell Rosa that she hadn't been in any convent. That the whole tiling was made up. She paused, and suddenly she felt like she really had been away for a very long time. In truth, she might just as well have been in a convent for all the good being available had gotten her. Four serious relationships had ended for the same reason. The men didn't want to commit. Now, what the hell had made her think of that? As soon as she asked the question, her mind played out that scene of her father wanting to leave and her mother pleading, accusing. And she experienced the fear she had felt as a child at the overwhelming situation.

  What the hell had made all those relationships fail? Had she pushed too hard? Was she really that clingy? Was it some childhood fear of betrayal or abandonment? She wanted to take that tiny, frightened girl into her arms and hug her until she wasn't scared anymore. What a thing for a child of three years old to walk into without any warning!

  "Casey…" Rosalinda shook her arm. "What's wrong? You look just like you did the other day in the street."

  Casey blinked and smiled at the girl. "Don't worry. I'm okay. Maybe better than okay." She did feel better, now that the shock of that buried memory and its power had lessened. What had this teenager said to her? It was time to find out just who she really was?

  Was she someone different? If she was, then who had she been? she wondered. Could she be someone different in a relationship now, without that buried fear? It was mind-boggling and yet she almost wanted to laugh at the lightness she felt.

  "Bueno. I'm glad you are feeling better." Rosalinda smiled, then added, "But you have only a short time before you meet with Señor Luke for your next dance lesson. You have done fairly well with the steps. Now we must work with… how do you say it… ?" Rosalinda once more grabbed her gown, exposing the ruffled underslip, and held the material in a fist that rested upon an outthrust right hip. "We must work… with attitude!"

  Both females burst out laughing.

  Even though many things had changed over the last hundred years and it was hard to communicate at times, the language they were speaking now was one that was understood by women throughout all time. What a riot to have this happen with this particular person, someone she'd had to travel back in time to meet!

  Stifling her laugh, Casey said, "All right, girlfriend. Show me. This is my fourth lesson with Señor Luke, and I want to knock his socks off." Holy shit, was this who she really was? Again she had to bite her bottom lip not to giggle like a teenager. Well, she certainly was enjoying herself now!

  She was passing the time with interesting, gracious people, learning to dance the flamenco, and falling for a man who—

  She froze with her last thought. She couldn't be! She wouldn't allow this to happen. Not now! Not with him! Attraction was one thing, but falling in love?

  "Casey, whatever is going through your head is not the attitude I was speaking about. Look, you must do it like this," Rosalinda said with an extremely poised look on her face.

  "You're right," she answered, making up her mind that she was in charge of herself now. There wasn't anyone here to give her advice, not about being attracted to a time traveler. She knew now these people didn't really know what Luke did. She had no choice but to listen to herself in this situation. She could get through this.

  All she needed was the right attitude.

  "All right then, Rosa," she said, holding her soft cotton skirt in her hand and resting it on her hip. "Show me again."

  The two practiced dance steps, with attitude, for the next half hour until it was time for Casey to meet Luke and Manuel, their faithful guitarist, in the courtyard. Wearing a full green skirt with a white ruffled petticoat, Casey adjusted her white, gauzy blouse and, daringly, opened the top button. She glanced down at the tips of the black leather shoes Doña Isabela had given her. The heels were chunky; when she stomped, she had to admit, it sounded pretty… well, attitudinal. She was ready.

  He was studying the smoke from his thin cigar when she entered the courtyard. She stopped for just a moment to take in the scene. Wearing dark brown slacks and a thin white cotton shirt with ruffles at the cuffs, Luke appeared like a hero out of a romance novel. Casey almost groaned. She didn't read those books…Well, okay, maybe she'd read a few on vacations, ones recommended by a coworker, but she never thought that type of man could really exist. And now here he was, standing right in front of her. He was so handsome the very thought he might be interested in her as anything more than a traveling companion seemed ludicrous. She didn't care what Juana had told her, a man like Luke could have any woman he wanted. They seemed to gravitate toward him and melt in his presence.

  She was not about to become a groupie to a time traveler!

  He glanced at her and immediately smiled, as though very pleased by her arrival. She was not about to read anything more into it than that. Or possibly give anything more for him to pick up on with his crazy spidey senses. They had spent the last four days meeting and dancing for an hour or so, being dinner partners, and enjoying the company of this delightful family. They were friends now. Strange friends, but friends nonetheless. And that was all, regardless of what her body was telling her.

  "Ah, señorita…" Luke said as he walked in her direction. "I do think the Southwest agrees with you. Even this time period, it appears. You look muy bonita."

  She knew that meant very pretty. He was always complimenting her, but then he complimented everyone, even Manuel when he played with passion. Why should she think anything else? She shouldn't. She couldn't. What she needed was some of Rosalinda's attitude right about now.

  "Gracias, señor," she managed to say smoothly, as she walked into the courtyard and met him halfway across the rough tile they used as a dance floor. She really did like the way her heels clicked over it, announcing each step.

  "You seem… different this afternoon, Casey." His smile widened with appreciation.

  She actually grinned. "Ahh, so I wasn't lovely before and now I am?"

  "You actually think I'm about to walk into that one?" He chuckled and puffed on his cigar. "Please give me credit for more intelligence than that."

  "Oh, I give you credit for intelligence, Luke," she answered, wishing she had a cigar of her own to make her point, or something with a little more attitude, for Luke's close presence was devastating. "I was merely teasing."

  He raised his head slightly as he exhaled. "Lightheartedness becomes you, señorita," he said with a smile. Tossing his cigar butt to the grass, he turned and added, "let us see if your steps are as light… Shall we dance?" There was that smile again.

  She nearly groaned. How in the world was she supposed to pull this off?

  "Casey?"

  Blinking, she stared into his soft brown eyes, which held flecks of amber and gold and— Stop it! She simply had to get control of herself. "Yes. Let's dance."

  He held out his arm and she placed her hand on his palm, watching the way his
fingers closed over her own and pulled her into his arms. This was dancing, right? She had to get anything more out of her mind. Attitude. That was it. She needed some attitude.

  They assumed their usual dancing position and Casey took a deep breath as she was held in Luke's arms. Dancing really can be so intimate… No wonder some men are intimidated by it, she thought. But not this one… He seemed to like intimacy, especially with her mind, and now her own body was falling under his spell.

  He nodded to Manuel and the passionate flamenco music began.

  She followed easily, now somewhat accustomed to the steps and to Luke's sure guidance. It was like a tango, not that she'd ever danced the tango, except at Amy's wedding when she'd had too much to drink and had dragged her sister onto the dance floor. What she was doing with Luke was nothing quite so silly. This really was romantic, or one could choose to take it romantically. She didn't know what she wanted at this point, except not to stumble or stomp on his foot, as some of the steps were pretty intricate.

  "Muy bien, Casey. See? How easily you have learned to trust."

  "Trust? I'm just hopin' my feet don't fail me now," she remarked, as she held on to his shoulder. "I'd rather not trip the light fantastic, thanks," she joked with a grin.

  He laughed, twirling her around, and Casey found herself forgetting her insecurities, her fears, and just going with the graceful movement. She knew he could see her smiling big time, but she just couldn't help it. What did any of it matter? Why not just have fun?

  As she spun around, his handsome face flashed before her in blips and she was grateful for the anchor, as it helped to keep her equilibrium. There he was, and there he was again. So what if he had a woman he saw every night, for she'd found out from Juana that Luke had left right after dinner the night before and hadn't returned until sometime in the early morning. He was here now and he was her friend, that was all. Concentrate, she told herself. And don't fall!

  He spun her out, holding on to her hand, and then pulled her back so that her shoulders were now in front of his chest. His arm, along with hers, was crossed over her stomach, and his other hand was resting on her waist to push her out again. Instead, he paused and whispered in her ear, "That's why I'm here. You won't fall."