Page 34 of Save the Dance

There was only one little problem. No matter how many times she told herself otherwise, she had the strangest sensation that she’d fallen head over heels for the one man she could never have.

“Will I see you at the Garrison wedding this evening?” she asked when they’d reached the foyer.

“I might pop in for a minute, but I won’t be able to stay.” Regret shone in his eyes. “Saturdays are our busiest days of the week. With three weddings on the schedule, I’ll be on the go most of the night. See you tomorrow?”

No matter how much she tried to stop them, her lips tugged down at the edges. “Breakfast, maybe? I’ll be busy after that. I’ve made appointments to check out some of the hotels in town after the eleven o’clock church service, and then I have a conference call with my boss.”

It was just as well. They’d spent practically every waking moment together since her arrival in Heart’s Landing. A day apart would do them both some good, give them some much-needed perspective on an attraction that couldn’t lead to anything.

Chapter Eleven

“Haggard,” Jason muttered, staring at his reflection in the mirror the next morning. He rubbed his hand over his chin. The description fit. He looked and felt like something the cat dragged in.

He supposed he could blame the Garrison wedding. The reception had stretched until well past midnight. Only, he’d never had problems rolling out of bed on the mornings when other parties had lasted into the wee hours.

Maybe it had been all the paperwork. Even with Evelyn’s help, reports and requests had piled up on his desk. Last night, while he’d waited for the festivities to wind down, he’d done his level best to catch up on it.

That was, when he wasn’t lingering by the door, hoping for a glimpse of the woman he’d vowed to treat purely as a business associate. Sheer force of will had been the only thing that had kept him from wandering into the ballroom and offering to take Tara for another spin around the dance floor.

He checked his reflection in the mirror one last time. The black Polo shirt he wore over a pair of jeans made him at least look presentable. He ran a comb through his hair and double-timed it down the stairs, more determined than ever to protect his heart and his town.

The chatter that drifted from the dining room mingled with the soft clinking of silverware, the occasional scrape of a fork across a plate. Jason lifted an eyebrow in surprise that anyone from the wedding party had rolled out of bed after such a late night. Or that, unlike him, they sounded no worse for wear. He detoured to the doorway, where Evelyn’s insistence on increasing their bakery order finally made sense. Though the bride and groom were conspicuously absent, both sets of parents, as well as assorted relatives from both sides, had gathered for an early breakfast. With a reminder to thank his cousin for keeping him out of hot water, he made his way through the room, shaking hands and offering congratulations.

Having done his duty as host, he carried on to the corner table Tara had made her own. The urge to lean down and brush a light kiss on her cheek whispered through him. He resisted, barely. Firming his resolve, he turned to the one topic everyone in the Cottage was discussing.

“How was the Garrison wedding? Did you enjoy it?”

Tara rested her fork on the side of her plate. “It was beautiful in a different sort of way. The bridesmaids wore sarongs and leis. The groomsmen had on white suits with Panama hats. They brought in instructors to teach us all the hula.”

Jason’s breath hitched. Deliberately, he stared out at the front lawn of the Captain’s Cottage while he tried to erase an unbidden image from his mind. It was no use. Asking about the wedding hadn’t been a smart move, after all.

“The food was amazing, even though there weren’t any sausage balls.”

He couldn’t ignore the comment any more than he could overlook the teasing glint in Tara’s eyes. “How about the cake? Were there coffee-infused layers separated by a chocolate rum filling and topped with a vanilla bean frosting?” The combination had been her favorite out of all the ones they’d tried at I Do Cakes.

“No, but this was every bit as good. Coconut and mango. Positively dreamy.” She licked her lips. “Oh, and I caught the bouquet.”

“Congratulations,” he said, despite the feeling that he’d just taken one on the chin.

So much for his idea that talking about the wedding would steer the conversation away from dangerous territory. He was looking for an escape route when Evelyn appeared in the doorway. She beckoned, pointing at her watch.

“I have to run.” He and his cousin caught the early service at the church each Sunday and had brunch afterward with friends in town.

“Sure. See you around.” And with that, Tara picked up her fork and returned to her breakfast as if she hadn’t just rocked his world.

Telling himself that spending the day apart was a good thing, Jason headed out the door with his cousin. But a short while later, Tara lingered at the edges of his thoughts while he listened to the Sunday sermon. Though their paths didn’t cross while he ate lunch with friends and looked over the repairs to the gazebo, her sweet smile was constantly on his mind. As a result, Sunday afternoon and evening dragged by. Listening to the ticking of the clock in his room that night, he counted the passing hours and wondered if Monday would ever arrive.

When it finally did, he trotted down the stairs with a fresh spring in his step. Soon, he and Tara were in the car once more, headed to one of his favorite haunts. He rounded the sharp curve at Boutonniere Drive where Bridal Carriage turned into Boston Neck Road. A quarter of a mile farther, he pulled onto a wide dirt apron in front of a two-story barn.

“Here we are,” he announced.

“A farm?” Tara’s eyebrows rose.

“Not exactly. C’mon.” He popped the latch on his seatbelt and sprang from the car. Rounding the front of the vehicle, he held her door for her. “This is Your Ride Awaits.” He pointed to a discreet sign on the barn door.

“I should’ve known.” Tara tapped one finger to her nose. “Horses.” She swept the empty barnyard. “Where is everyone?”

Jason shrugged. “Probably out on calls. But the owner said we could make ourselves at home. Want to look around?”

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