Acadian Waltz (33 page)

A twinkling of
light from my desk distracted me. I turned to see the sunlight dancing on the
picture of Jean Marc and my father. I reached out and touched the image of Jean
Marc’s young face.

“Nora!” a man’s
velvety voice called from the other side of my office door.

A tall, muscular
man with wavy, gray-speckled black hair and fiery, dark brown eyes limped into
my office.

“Did you put
those orders in for the new bilge pumps?” he bellowed.

I smiled up at
him. “Yes, Jean Marc. Two days ago.”

He had a seat in
the red leather chair in front of my desk. “I saw Claire storming out of here.
What did she say?”

“She came to see
the boys. She’s mortified that we aren’t married, and wants me to come home to
New Orleans.”

Jean Marc sat
back in his chair and rubbed his right leg. “I’ve asked you a dozen times to
marry me, but you keep putting me off.”

“I wasn’t about
to marry you when you were lying in a hospital bed, and then by the time you
were strong enough to walk, I was already five months pregnant with the boys.”

Jean Marc got up
from his chair, wincing slightly as he stood. “In a few more weeks I’ll be done
with therapy for my leg, and perhaps then we should plan our wedding.” He came
around to my side, took my hand, and pulled me from my chair. “Marry me, Nora.
Before our sons are old enough to give you away.”

I straightened
the bent collar on his crisp white shirt. “Perhaps in the fall, after shrimping
season, when it’s cooler. We can have a small ceremony outside at the house,
like we planned.”

He reached his
arms about my waist. “When we are married, you will have to waltz with me in
front of all our family and friends.” He started to slowly step back and forth
as he held on to me.

I laughed as I
remembered the steps. “The Acadian Waltz, like when we were children.”

“We will marry,
and dance, and then I will make you mine all over again.”

I rested my head
against his chest as we danced beneath the bright fluorescent lights. “I’ve
always been yours, Jean Marc.”

“I know, my
love. I have always known.”

I gazed into his
brilliant eyes. “Even when we were little, chasing each other around the
docks?”

He held me
close. “Even then.”

“How did you
know?” I questioned.

“Every Cajun
knows that you can only dance the waltz with your true love. Because you can
never master the steps, until someone touches your heart.”

The End

About the Author

Alexandrea Weis
is a registered nurse from New Orleans who has been writing novels and
screenplays for over twenty years. Her first novel, To My Senses, was a
finalist for commercial fiction in Eric Hofer Book Awards, a finalist for romance
in the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year awards, and a finalist for romance in
the USA Book Awards. Her second novel, Recovery, was ranked #1 on the Amazon
top rated for romantic suspense in kindle books. Buyer Group International, an
independent production company in Austin, has optioned the motion picture
rights for Recovery.

Ms. Weis is also
a permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and
when she is not writing, Ms. Weis is rescuing orphaned and injured wildlife.
She lives outside of New Orleans with her husband and a menagerie of pets.