A car approaching too fast.
Her feet frozen in fear.
In an instant she thought her mind had separated from her body. Everything began to move in slow motion, as though she were watching herself in a movie. All she heard was the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood in her veins. Somehow she sensed she couldn't stop what was unfolding in front of her. Just as she began to accept the inevitable, she felt a force that nearly took her breath away… a force so hard, her teacup flew out of her hand and she was spun around and stumbled into a dark figure as the car whizzed past.
"Buenos días, señorita. I believe we have met before."
The voice! She squinted hard to make out the face.
"When I told you to enjoy the moment, querida, I didn't mean to become oblivious to everything around you." He leaned closer and whispered, "Part of being a time traveler is being aware of where you are."
Luke!
Yes, it was he! Luke d'Séraphin, philosopher, builder, time traveler extraordinaire, and let's not forget, father-to-be!
Stunned, she watched him take her bag and the ledger. "I don't think I want you going anywhere without me again," he said with a breathtaking smile.
She could only stare at him, wearing his cowboy hat and that big riding coat. Her hands free, she suddenly pushed him on the shoulders. "Where have you been?!"
He laughed at her actions and said, "Oh, my love… how I have missed you. Come here and give me a kiss, for I've been busy and have dreamed of this moment."
All questions vanished as her body relaxed with gratitude. She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him closer. His lips gently brushed hers for just a moment in greeting before becoming more insistent, demanding a response that Casey gladly gave.
I knew he would find me, her heart sang.
She had followed her heart and here she was… in a moment of sheer bliss.
"Come, let's get off the street," he whispered into her mouth.
Realizing they actually were in the street, she giggled and allowed him to lead her back into the plaza. It was like waking from a dream, one that she'd had so often. It was why she kept coming back to the plaza, day after day… wanting, dreaming, wishing… and here it was. She was protected beneath Luke's strong arm.
"I still want to know where you've been," she announced in a falsely stern voice while leaning her head against his upper arm and squeezing his waist.
He chuckled. "I've been busy arranging some things and—"
Her head snapped up. "You think you've been busy?" she interrupted in disbelief. "Well, let me tell you a thing or two, Mister Time Traveler… I've quit my job, moved out here, hustled myself a fine little business, and—"
"Estoy aquí, mi amor… I am here, my love," he whispered, bending his head and looking at her beneath the wide brim of his cowboy hat. "You are brave, Casey… and irresistible." It was his smile that was irresistible. "Not many would seduce an angel and then draw him back again and again. Have you no shame for the quandary you have created? Have you no regrets?"
The child within her seemed to quicken with soft butterfly movements. "None," she answered truthfully. "If I had any, it would be that I didn't meet you years ago. We've lost so much time."
His brown eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief. "What's time, my love?"
She giggled again. "I would say an illusion, 'cause I know that answer would please you, but I've got to say in five months we're going to be on a whole new adventure."
"You know this?" he asked with a smile, placing her things on an empty bench.
"Uh-huh," she replied. "I know this."
He looked at her again, closely… smiling into her eyes, connecting with her deeply. "You have changed," he whispered in an impressed voice. "You must have been learning on your own, for you're literally beaming now."
"There's a reason," Casey threw out to see if he would catch her drift. Maybe being pregnant, she wasn't so easy to read. There could be lots of bennies to her condition she had yet to discover.
"I'm sure there is a reason. Would you care to share it?"
"I'm pregnant. Four months pregnant, to be exact. In May of next year, you and I will be entering the adventure of parenthood, Luke."
She watched as his eyes became huge with shock. She was right. He didn't know. He seemed stunned and slowly lowered himself to the bench. Stifling a laugh, Casey sat next to him and started rubbing his back.
"Breathe," she ordered, and watched as he took a huge gulp of air.
"Now, breathe again," she advised just as he had done in a different time, under different circumstances. It was obvious that on this new adventure she wasn't the rookie. Luke was. "Now calm down and tell me how you feel."
He stared out at the street for a moment before turning to her. He still looked surprised, yet there was something in his eyes and she swore it was tears. "Do you remember when you first told me that you had been thinking about having a baby right before you were brought back in time?"
She smiled. "Yes. You looked like I had dropped a brick on your head."
"That's because I knew your thoughts had been so powerful that you were making your future unfold, and it was obvious I was to be a part of it. It really shook me. Me, a father…"
"And now?" She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
"I came back to you, Casey, for you, but this… this miracle makes the adventure all the more beautiful, querida. Gracias, from my heart."
He gathered her in his arms. "We must get married at once!"
Casey sank into his embrace with such love that she couldn't contain it. She started giggling.
"What?" He pulled back and searched her face. "Why are you laughing?"
"Oh, Luke," Casey said, wiping at the moisture under her eyes. "I'm giggling like a bloody fool all the time now. I just love the way this pattern is unfolding. Of course I'll marry you… again!"
He was staring at her and she felt herself lost in the past, in their shared memories, in his dark fathomless eyes, his tender yet sensual smile.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, my love. I could not stay away. You've enchanted me with your love, and a love such as yours, anywhere, in any time, is irresistible to my kind. We have all the time we need to live as one."
"I know," Casey breathed as it all fell into place. "Two fools."
"You will understand when I must disappear for short periods? That I still have services to perform?"
"I understand." She could think of a few services he could perform as soon as they were back at the apartment.
He nodded. "That is what I was doing. I had to retrieve that note you left for Rosalinda, and I have something for you." He reached into the inside pocket of his coat and held out his hand.
Casey opened her palm and watched as her four-leaf-clover pendant fell into it.
Staring at him, her hand, and then back at him, she whispered, "Rosa gave it to you?"
"Sí, she said it worked for her." He closed his eyes briefly. "I must get her words right. She said to tell you that hope, faith, love, and destiny all came together when Tomás asked her to be his wife. Now it's your turn and she hopes we will attend her wedding feast."
"Rosa's getting married to Tomás?" Why that surprised her, considering how everything else was unfolding, she didn't know… Just the shock of holding her pendant again was startling.
"Sí, a summer wedding is planned. Do you think we could find a baby-sitter, my love?"
Still stunned, Casey held up her hand and began her rant. "Oh, I am not planning that far ahead. And you still have to meet my sister. She isn't too pleased with you at the moment, but when she gets to know you, she'll understand. Whether she'll baby-sit or not is another story."
Luke pulled her into his arms. "Oh, my precious angel… I am so sorry I wasn't here for you. When you said you had left something behind, I had to go back for it."
"I caused this?" Casey murmured against his neck.
He shook his
head. "There is no blame, my love… there is only now. We're together. I am honored you are carrying our child beneath your heart. I will be here for you. I promise. We are a united force now."
She sighed as she looked down the street to the chapel where his staircase drew hundreds of visitors each week. How many women could claim to be loved by someone whose very name means angel of light? There were no detours on the road to grace, only side trips, all leading back to this moment of joy. Again she counted her blessings.
Why, she'd almost given up until Luke had come along, enchanting her, reminding her of what every unmarried person secretly feels and often denies…
She just knew she had a greater destiny.
Acknowledgments
Lyssa Keusch—my editor, for her excellent skills and her encouragement.
Marcy Posner—my agent, for her optimism and her belief in this genre.
Kristen and Ryan Flannery—my children, for their patience, their humor, and especially their love.
Ann O'Day, Colleen Quinn, Pat Trowbridge, Leslie Esdaile—my mother, my friends, and all sisters of my soul, who have never failed to be there.
Cristopher Cornell Sterling, for the selfless hours of research and organization so I can write faster, and for the unending support and love that has brought joy not only into my life but also into my work.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2000 by Constance O’Day-Flannery
Cover design by Open Road Integrated Media
ISBN 978-1-4976-3172-4
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
CONSTANCE O’DAY-FLANNERY
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