“Is this some kind of joke?” She glanced around, expecting the townsfolk to jump out of the bushes and yell, ‘Surprise!’ Except it wasn’t her birthday.
“This is no joke.”
She eyed his stern face, looking for clues.
“Step around to the rear of the vehicle, please.” He held his hand out, directing her.
When she reached the back of the van, she whirled around. “Zachary Levi Ryder, I demand to know what this is about. What crime?”
“Grand larceny.”
Her knees went weak, and her breath left her in a rush. WTH? “Larceny? What exactly did I allegedly steal?” She threw up her hands in exasperation.
As he dropped to his knee and took something out of his pocket, he said, “My heart.”
Then it dawned on her, and her legs almost buckled.
He opened a blue velvet ring box displaying a beautiful—and large—cushion-cut diamond. “I’ve waited seventeen long years for you, and I don’t want to wait another day. You’ve already stolen my heart, so please, take the rest of me. Marry me?”
“Omigod, omigod, omigod!” She clapped a hand over her mouth to stop her inane rambling, took a deep breath, and dropped her hand. “Yes. Yes!”
He slid the ring on her finger and rose to kiss her. “I love you, Olivia Marie James.”
She leapt at him, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and pressed her mouth to his, laughing and kissing him at the same time.
A car honked as it sped past, and someone yelled, “Hey, Chief! Get a room!”
“How about a home instead?” he asked her with a wink.
“And a family?” she asked, hopeful.
“Whatever your heart desires.”
Glossary of Ballet Terms Used
Arabesque—When the non-standing leg is lifted straight behind the dancer at an angle of one hundred twenty degrees or more
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Attitude croisée devant—When the non-standing leg is bent at the knee and lifted across the body with the knee outward and the foot raised as high as possible
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Barre—Wooden handrail in a dance studio used by ballet dancers for warm-up exercises; also a term referring to the warm-up segment of the class
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Bourrée—Quick foot movement en pointe or demi-pointe across the stage; can be done forward, sideways, backward, or in circles
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Chaînés—Turns, usually performed en pointe, involving spinning from one foot to the other in a quick revolution that resembles a moving chain
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Demi-plié—Bending the knees, usually in one of the five basic foot positions
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Demi-pointe—Rising or dancing on half-toe
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Développé—A gradual lift of the leg during which the dancer’s toe skims up the leg and to the knee before extending up and out
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En pointe—Rising or dancing on full point, wearing pointe shoes
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Foot positions—There are five basic foot positions in ballet:
First position—a foot position in which the feet are turned out with the heels touching
Second position—a foot position similar to first, but without the heels touching
Third position—a foot position in which the feet are turned out and the heels overlap, with one foot in front of the other
Fourth position—a foot position in which the feet are turned out with one foot directly in front of the other, about six inches apart
Fifth position—a foot position similar to fourth in which the feet are turned out, with one foot directly in front of the other, but the feet are touching
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Fouetté—A turn performed on one leg with the other leg whipping around from front to side, propelling the dancer into a spin
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Grand battements—High leg lifts or kicks to the front, side, and back
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Grand jeté—A high leap with legs lifted in a split
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Pas de chat—A jump during which each of the dancer’s legs is raised to the opposite knee
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Penché—Performed after lifting the non-standing leg in arabesque, in which the back leg is lifted higher as the chest dips toward the floor
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Pirouette—Turns in place on one leg with the opposite foot lifted to the knee of the standing leg
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Plié—Bending the knees, usually in one of the five basic foot positions
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Relevé—Rising onto the toes in pointe shoes, or half toe in ballet shoes
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Rond de jambe —When the dancer’s foot traces a slow half-circle along the floor from front to side to back; can also be performed in reverse order
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Sauté—Light, low jumps
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Sous-sus—Relevé in fifth position (see above), in which the dancer springs to pointe or demi-pointe drawing the feet and legs close together
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Tour jeté—Grand jeté (see above) with a half turn
About the Author
Rebecca Heflin is an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she was fifteen and her older sister sneaked a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss' Shanna to her and told her to read it.
Never quite sure what she wanted to be when she grew up, Rebecca didn’t attend college until age 30, and earned her bachelor’s in literature, before going on to complete her law degree.
Ever the late bloomer, Rebecca finally turned her attention to fulfilling her dream of writing, and published her first novel at age 48. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her day-job at a major state university.
She and her husband are also co-founders of a non-profit organization, which raises money to help cancer patients and their families.
Rebecca's pen name is an abbreviated version of her great-great grandmother's name: Sarah Anne Rebecca Heflin Apple Smith. Whew! And you wonder why she shortened it.
Rebecca writes women's fiction and contemporary romance, and she is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. Rebecca and her mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.
Sign up for Rebecca’s monthly newsletter, Rebecca’s Readers, for all the latest news on upcoming releases, appearances, and contests.
Also by Rebecca Heflin
THE PROMISE OF CHANGE
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RESCUING LACEY
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DREAMS COME TRUE SERIES
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DREAMS OF PERFECTION, BOOK 1
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SHIP OF DREAMS, BOOK 2
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DREAMS OF HER OWN, BOOK 3
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STERLING UNIVERSITY SERIES
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ROMANCING DR. LOVE, BOOK 1
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WINNING DR. WENTWORTH, BOOK 2
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EDUCATING DR. MAYFIELD, BOOK 3
A Season to Dance Page 27