Luna Tango (41 page)

‘Young love,' Dani mouthed to Iris, who dabbed at her eyes with a lavender lace handkerchief.

Dani held up her hands in a questioning manner and Gualberto waggled his index finger as if to say ‘Wait a moment, don't be so impatient'.

The fairy lights flicked on and Carlos emerged from the shadows, limping into the light. He stood at the base of the bandstand steps, his dark hair slicked back in the fashionable style of the 1950s. His immaculately pressed dark suit fitted in all the right places, while his white shirt gleamed in the soft light and his smile captured her heart.

Her chest constricted.

‘Wow,' Dani and Carlos said in unison.

‘Wow what? Can I open my eyes?' Louisa frowned.

‘Yes, open them, Grandma.' Dani stepped off to the side, allowing Louisa the full vista.

‘Oh my.' Louisa held a hand to her mouth as her eyes connected with Roberto, who offered a boyish grin. A cocoon of pure love wrapped around the small group.

‘You belong next to your man.' Holding out her hand, Dani led Louisa to the top of the gazebo and sat her next to Roberto. Louisa gently moved the stool closer and placed her weathered hand over his. Their hands shook and lips quivered as they looked longingly into each other's eyes, decades of unspoken conversations, love and companionship flying between them. Tears streamed down their cheeks, the lines in their faces were maps that showed the turbulent times they'd suffered while apart. Roberto placed the bandoneón on the floor and he and Lousia embraced tentatively at first, but as their bodies remembered each other, they held on tighter, as if afraid of letting go. The moment their lips met, her grandma's lacklustre skin glowed and Roberto's back straightened. His chest still rose and fell as he struggled for breath, but the reunion with the woman he loved with all his heart was not going to be marred by his rapidly declining health.

‘Are you sure you can do this, Roberto?' asked Dani.

‘Yes, of course. I have not waited decades to play this song for my Lunita.' His eyes caught the sparkle from the fairy lights as he gazed at his love and squeezed her hand.

‘You're playing “Luna Tango”?' Louisa asked, her cheeks flushed.

‘
Mí amor
, I have lived every day in the hope you would hear our song.'

‘Then you need this.' Louisa reached into her handbag and tentatively offered the folded paper to him.

He raised his eyebrows then frowned as he unfolded the paper with shaking hands. When he smoothed out the sheet, he placed his hand over his heart. ‘You've had it all these years? I thought it was lost when Eduardo and I—'

‘It's never been lost,
amor
. I found it after he stormed off and I've kept it close to me ever since. I've hoped my entire life you would one day hold this and reunite it with the rest of the score and look,' she glanced at his shaking hands, ‘now you can.'

‘I'd rewritten the first page from memory because I'd never forgotten these notes—they were composed for you. I can't tell you how happy I am to see the original.' Roberto patted Louisa's leg. ‘You and the music are worth the wait.'

‘And so are you.'

Roberto coughed and doubled over, gasping for air. Louisa's eyes widened as Dani raced forwards, grabbing a bottle of water. Dani rubbed his back and he took a few sips as his coughing fit subsided. Surreptitiously wiping his mouth with his handkerchief, he gave Dani a warning look.

Roberto took a shuddery breath, reached for the bandoneón and balanced it on his knees as he caught Gualberto's eye and gave him a wink. Roberto closed his eyes, straightened his back and coughed again, but not for long, He sat up straight, determination flashing across his handsome features. He let go of Louisa's hand, albeit reluctantly, and played the first melancholic notes. They floated along the cool breeze and caused goose bumps to sprout on Dani's skin. Gone was the scratching of nails against the blackboard and in its place was the beauty of an instrument and song that embraced a love that had never been forgotten.

Gualberto signalled the pianist, double bass player and violinist to join in as Louisa swayed gently to the music, no doubt lost in a world of what could have been. Iris rose from the bench and leant against the rail on the gazebo stage, close to her mother. Louisa gave her a smile through teary eyes and the tenuous connection between the women appeared to strengthen.

Every nuance of the light and dark notes flowed through Dani's body and as the music twinkled like bright stars in the inky sky, she turned to find Carlos staring at her. Her fingertips and toes tingled with excitement. For almost sixty years, most of the music score had remained trapped in a bandoneón case, waiting for one more sheet to complete it and now it had been set free, celebrating a love that spanned decades.

‘Please, allow me.' Carlos hung his cane on the bannister and motioned towards the dance floor. He reached for her hand and stared at her violet dance shoes.

Answering his unasked question, she said, ‘I will do them justice, I promise.' She glanced at his leg. ‘Are you okay to dance?'

‘I believe so, yes.' He moved to rub it but stopped. ‘Sometimes we need to work through the pain to experience the ecstasy, yes?'

‘Are you talking about your leg or love?'

‘The choice is yours.' Carlos leant forwards and placed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, he gently moved away, leading her to the dance floor. The music swirled through her soul and her body melded with his, their movements in perfect alignment. She followed his lead, allowing her legs to move in long, swift lines over, around and between his feet. The pointers Iris had given her between writing assignments had helped immensely, but there was something more. A passion and certainty coursed through her nerves, making each movement a natural extension of her soul.

Dani had expected Carlos to move stiffly but his body was one of strength and grace. Her fingers zapped with energy, enjoying the power between them. Something in the back of her mind whispered
entrega
—tango's Holy Grail.

‘Dani ...' he breathed.

‘Call me Daniela. It's a perfectly good name, I should use it.'

He smiled and they spun around the floor, their dance steps quickening as the music built to a crescendo. She wrapped her leg around his and balanced perfectly.

The muscles in his leg tensed and she anticipated his next move before he nudged her leg away. She flicked her leg behind, the ball of her foot landing on the ground, light as a feather. The music flowed through her body and she followed Carlos's movements with ease, changing direction and shifting her weight as he guided her across the dance floor.

A moment later, Carlos let go and stepped back, shaking his head.

‘What is it?' She moved forwards but he backed away.

‘The intensity, it is killing me.' His voice shook and his dark eyes held fear.

‘It won't.' She placed her finger under his chin.

The musicians kept playing, lost in their own magic. Roberto pressed the notes and squeezed the bandoneón like his life depended on it. Dani had no idea how he'd summoned the energy required to play the cumbersome instrument but she figured his burst of strength had everything to do with her grandma. Louisa studied Roberto's every move and smiled, her eyes holding admiration and love for the man she'd longed for her entire adult life.

Leaning forwards, Dani's lips met Carlos's and her body flooded with warmth. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, ‘If you open your heart to tango then you'll discover the truth and love that will cure everything.'

‘It does not, Dani. Look at the trauma we've all suffered.'

‘What about Roberto and Louisa?' She cocked her head in their direction. Louisa shuffled closer to Roberto, sadness clouding her features one moment then morphing into pure joy as his music entranced her.

‘He's dying. No one knows how long he has and he still intends to turn himself in tomorrow.'

‘Just wait until my grandma gets in his ear.'

‘It is his wish to confess.'

‘Wishes don't always come true, and if she can't change his mind, we can't do a thing about it. But right now he's embracing the moment for all it's worth and he's letting his heart dictate his actions. He's not hiding any more. And neither should you. No one should. All this crap about tango being cursed and causing grief and people losing loved ones—it's not the fault of tango. It's us stupid humans who allow our heads to rule our hearts when we should embrace the passion burning within, whether we're Argentine or not. Imagine how beautiful the world would be if everyone listened to their own inner tango.'

Dani gazed at the velvety sky peppered with a powder spray of stars. The full moon hung high, its milky light shining on all who bathed in its beauty. Roberto's musical legacy floated through the air as Carlos placed his arms around her body and drew her close.

He offered a crooked smile, his dark eyes sparkling under the fairy lights swaying in the small breeze.

‘Perhaps tango, like love, is not so complicated.'

It takes a village to raise a child and the same can be said about writing a book.
Luna Tango
couldn't have been written without the support and encouragement of many people and I am forever grateful to each and every one of you.

A massive thank you to Jacinta di Mase, literary agent extraordinaire, who has amazing insight into story and character. I am so glad we are sashaying across the dance floor together!

A super-big thank you to the wonderful team at Harlequin who are a dream and I am grateful for all the hard work you've put into getting
Luna Tango
out into the big, wide world. Special thanks goes to Annabel Blay who led me through the maze of turning a manuscript into a publishable book. Your thoughtfulness and care will always be appreciated. And a massive thank you to Sue Brockhoff and team for deciding Harlequin MIRA would be the perfect dance partner for the Dance Card series.

Thank you so much to editor Kylie Mason who totally understood my characters and their stories and for picking up things I had completely missed (especially wonky timelines!). And to cover designer Romina Panetta ... wow ... your talent is incredible. Thank you so much for designing a book cover that represents
Luna Tango
perfectly.

Hugs and massive thanks to my critique partners who are excellent at asking the hard questions (even though it does my head in). This book is as much yours as it is mine—my brother Dave Sinclair, Juliet Madison, Louise Ousby, Di Curran, Misty Simon, Heidi Noroozy and Supriya Savkoor.

To my Girly Whirlies—Misty Simon, Danita Cahill, Barrie Summy, Maureen McGowan and our beloved Flo Moyer. Thank you for keeping the pot of water boiling and the noodles at the ready!

Muchas gracias
to the Romance Writers of Australia. What a fabulous bunch of writers whose support is second-to-none. A special thanks to Kerri Lane, Kathryn Ledson, Natalie Hatch, Rachael Johns, Sarah Brabazon, Christina Phillips and Sharon Halasz for giving me faith on the days when I had none. Thank you to the Australian Romance Readers Association for your never-ending support of writers.

Big hugs and thank you to Belinda Byrne who fell in love with this story and nagged me to write it! Your support and passion for storytelling will always be treasured.

Every writer needs a muse and mine is called Larry. Thanks Larry for getting in my ear on the days when I'd rather stick hot pokers in my eyes than write. Apparently nagging does work.

Mil gracias
Carolina Lagos and Cesar Taboada for making sure my Spanish translations were spot on. Carolina, there may be a big pond separating us but you're always close in my heart.

Special thank you to actor Gilles Marini—your charm and love for family were the perfect inspiration for Carlos.

Thanks so much Sean A. McGee for providing such beautiful tango music to listen to while I wrote and thank you to Pam and Richard Jarvis of Southern Cross Tango for helping me better understand the nuances of tango. Simon and Naomi at Sandstone Café, what would I do without you keeping me caffeinated and giving me such an inspiring space to work in? Thank you!

Gracias, gracias, gracias
, to the tango dancers, musicians, singers and historians all over the world who inspire and entertain and ensure tango will live forever. The world is much richer for your dedication and passion.

I can never thank my family enough for helping me discover my passion for reading and writing at a young age. Huge thank you and lots of love to Mum, my recently departed Dad and Nanna, brother Dave, Uncle Warren, sister-in-law Ren, nieces Quinn and Esther, Auntie Julie, Uncle Rob and cousins Georgie, Erika, and Matt, and in-laws Alan and Fay. You are all wonderful and much loved. And to my gorgeous friends who are forever dispensing words of wisdom, wine, chocolate, and a hug when needed.

A super big, extra special thanks and all my love to my partner Garry Black and our beautiful kids Rebecca and Nicholas who would often walk into a bookshop and say, ‘One day your books will be on those shelves, Mummy!' Your crystal ball worked, kids! Lots of huggles and smooches for being behind me every step of the way and for sharing this wonderful journey called life.

And a special thank you to you, dear reader, for choosing to immerse yourself in the world of
Luna Tango
. May the experience leave a smile on your lips and a song in your heart.