Page 5 of Save the Dance

“I’m sure you won’t.” Regina removed the paperclip from one of the stacks on her desk and picked up a red pen. With bold strokes, she relegated someone’s work for the week to the recycle bin. “That will be all for now.”

Outside her boss’s office, Tara leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Guilt prickled her scalp. She swallowed, then swallowed again. Raising the issue of Kate Steven’s dress had backfired and, for a minute there, she’d been afraid Regina would tell her to clean out her desk. She exhaled, happy it hadn’t come to that. Getting fired would only confirm her parents’ opinion that moving to New York had been a big mistake. Besides, Regina had offered her a way to redeem herself. To succeed, though, she’d have to destroy the foundation of a town that had staked its reputation on providing the perfect wedding for every bride.

Could she do it?

She squared her shoulders. She had to. This new assignment could give her everything she’d been working toward—the chance to make a name for herself, establish her career at Weddings Today, and prove to her family that she’d made the right choice by moving to New York. And if she didn’t do it, Regina would find someone else to handle the task. Tara snapped her fingers.

The job was as good as done.

Chapter Three

Wood paneling that had darkened with age lined the walls of Jason’s office at the rear of the Captain’s Cottage. Near the door, history tomes crowded the shelves of a bookcase. Atop it sat one of the many artifacts taken from the merchant ship his great-great-great-grandfather had named after his wife, Mary Shelby Heart. Through fair skies, following winds and rough seas, the brass clock had kept near-perfect time, a job it had continued to do for more than a hundred years. The minute hand clicked into place with a faint tick.

Jason propped his iPhone on its stand on the worn surface of the teak desk that had been in the family for generations. He checked the camera angle and smiled. Perfect. Any second now, the phone would ring, and Clarissa’s face would appear on the screen. Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, the miles between them would disappear. They’d laugh and talk of building a future together like they used to do before he’d inherited the Captain’s Cottage and left Boston.

Well, almost like they used to do.

No matter how often he told himself that their long-distance relationship was working, his heart complained that a series of texts, phone calls, and FaceTime visits weren’t at all the same as actually being together. He longed to breathe in air scented with Clarissa’s perfume. Twirl a lock of her hair around his finger. Help her with her sweater. Feel the occasional brush of her hand on his arm. He missed that, all of that. And no wonder.

Nearly two years had passed since he’d come home to Heart’s Landing. Despite all his experience managing convention centers throughout Boston, it had taken a while to get the hang of running a venue that hosted a dozen weddings each week. Now that he had, he loved doing his part, along with everyone else in town, in giving brides and grooms their perfect day. But the work was demanding. He’d only managed a few quick trips back to the city, the last of which had been cut short when Clarissa had cancelled their plans for a picnic on the Common and gone into the office. As a result, three—no, four—months had slipped by since he and Clarissa had shared a meal or taken in a movie together. But after several false starts, she was finally coming here.

A whisper of self-doubt rode the wave of anticipation that jittered through him. Was he doing the right thing by letting her help him with the Weddings Today review? It was sure to be a stressful time, and he had to admit, he wasn’t sure their relationship could withstand the pressure. His cousin Evelyn could have filled the role of hostess; he’d been performing with her for so long now that they had the routine down pat.

But when she’d heard that Regina Charm was handling the evaluation personally, Clarissa had insisted on taking Evelyn’s place. He only hoped his girlfriend understood how crucial this review was, not only to him, but to the entire town. After how badly things had gone with the Executive Editor’s own almost-wedding, it was doubly important that Heart’s Landing put its best foot forward this time.

Tapping his toes in time to an old sea shanty, one of dozens carefully recorded in Captain Thaddeus’s journals, Jason deliberately shifted his focus to the upside. Maybe it was a good thing Clarissa had timed her first visit to Heart’s Landing to coincide with the big review. He’d wanted her to see his hometown—and all it had to offer—at its best, and it had never looked as beautiful as it did right now.

A low buzz sounded from his cell phone. Straightening, he punched the button, accepting the call. On the screen, Clarissa’s familiar face appeared in the frame.

“Hey!” His heart warmed. It didn’t matter that she was running late, as usual, or that he’d spent the last ten minutes woolgathering while he waited for her call. She was on the line now, and almost before he knew it, she’d be here in person. That was the important thing. “It’s good to see you! How are things in Boston?”

“Busy as usual.” Clarissa’s focus remained glued to something beyond the camera’s angle. Papers rattled and came into view. She held up one sheet. “Make the changes I’ve marked and get this back to me before the end of the day. Close the door on your way out.” She slipped the paper into a waiting hand. “Sorry,” she said, not sounding the least bit apologetic as she finally glanced at her phone. Her lips curved upward into a smile that didn’t quite warm a pair of cool blue eyes. “I had a little something that couldn’t wait. But I’m all yours now.”

As good as that sounded, Jason knew better than to hope for a lengthy conversation. He’d been trying, without much success, to finalize the details of Clarissa’s arrival for several days. He’d even connected with her once, only for her to be called away shortly after they’d exchanged greetings. Not that she was entirely to blame. He’d had his own share of emergencies to deal with. Everything would be fine as long as they both remembered that managing a long-distance relationship required patience and compromise. And doubly so for successful couples.

Now, though, Clarissa’s often-delayed visit to Heart’s Landing was just around the corner. He was sure it would do her a world of good to step away from the crushing routine of her hectic life in the city. Starting the day after tomorrow, they’d have nearly two weeks to reconnect and strengthen the bond between them. Complete strangers had fallen in love in less time.

“You’re looking good! Everything going well at work?” He hoped so. As an account manager at one of Boston’s most prestigious firms, Clarissa’s mood ebbed and flowed with events in her office.

“Yes. In fact, Rick—you remember Rick Handon, don’t you?”

Jason nodded while he fought an urge to ask when she’d started calling her boss by his first name. During his last visit to Boston, Clarissa had respectfully referred to the ad agency’s owner as, “Mr. Handon.”

“He was so pleased with how I handled the press releases for the Ballor merger that he turned the Craigen account over to me. You know Craigen’s, don’t you?”

“Who doesn’t? It’s one of my favorites.” Though the city fathers of Heart’s Landing had been vigilant in preventing chain stores and restaurant franchises from gaining a toe-hold, Jason stopped in at one of Craigen’s popular eateries whenever his errands took him to nearby Newport. “Their lobster rolls are the best. That’s really good news for you. Congratulations!”

“It is, but it’s a lot of work.” Clarissa ran long, thin fingers over the dark hair she’d captured in a tight chignon. “I need to develop an entire new ad campaign before I meet with the client next month.”

“Oh, so this will be more of a working vacation?” Disappointment crept through Jason’s midsection. He quickly squelched it. Who was he to complain when he had his own responsibilities to attend to while Clarissa was in town? “I’m sure we can free up some time for you.”

Elbow on the desk, he propped his chin on one fist. With a few clicks, he brought up the agenda for the next week. Dinners, outings, weddings, and festivities crowded the schedule. It would take some work to clear an hour or so here and there, but he’d do whatever it took to make Clarissa’s trip a productive one.

“Let’s see. There’s the assembly on Friday afternoon—that’s a must.” The arrival of the Executive Editor from Weddings Today was a grand occasion. As was the custom in the 1800s when Thaddeus and his wife, Mary, had thrown lavish parties on the estate, the entire staff would line up on the driveway to meet their important guest. “You won’t want to miss the cocktail party that evening, and we have a big day on Saturday when we’ll accompany Ms. Charm on a tour of Heart’s Landing.”

He exhaled. Carving time out of the hectic schedule was going to be tougher than he’d thought. “We could cancel the hike later in the week, but everything is in bloom right now. I’d hate for you to miss it. I thought we’d hit the beach one day, too. And don’t forget, we have starring roles in the pageant next Saturday.”

“Hmmm.” A soft chiming drew Clarissa’s focus away from the phone. She fiddled with something on her desk before she faced him again. “Getting this account is a huge opportunity for me. I can’t afford to be away from the office right now. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to make it.”

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