Page 30 of Save the Dance

Jason nodded. “We left a few gaps in the schedule in case you wanted to wander about on your own.”

“If it’s okay, I’d like to spend the time in the library.”

Jason spread his hands wide. “With all this at your disposal, you’re going to spend the day reading?”

“What can I say? I’m fascinated by the captain’s journals and logs.” She certainly couldn’t admit that the clock was ticking on her secret assignment. Or that she could use a little time away from the man who made her pulse race. She held her breath until, with a dismissive shrug, Jason finally started toward the car.

Once he was behind the wheel, he slowly drove through town. On Honeymoon Avenue, he pointed out the Perfectly Flawless Day Spa. “Evelyn swears by their mani/pedi. She goes there at least twice a month.”

Further on, they passed the Honeymoon Travel Agency. A young couple stood on the sidewalk studying the window posters that featured white-sand beaches and swaying palm trees.

“Do you like to travel?” Jason asked.

“I haven’t done much. When I was a kid, we took daytrips to the beach, but we didn’t go on long vacations. It’s too hard to get away when you run a restaurant.” Tara crossed one leg over the other. Once she landed her next promotion, there’d be a lot more travel in her future.

“I hear you. Running a small business makes taking time off difficult. I’m lucky to have Evelyn as a backup, but I still haven’t spent more than a handful of days away from the Cottage since I took it over.” He drummed his fingers against the wheel.

“Where would you go if you could?”

“Europe, definitely.”

“Let me guess—the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben. Maybe the Trevi Fountain,” she suggested, rattling off some of the more popular tourist spots.

“Nope. I’d want to see all the great cathedrals. The Duomo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Westminster Abbey, St. Stephen’s in Vienna. The list goes on and on.”

“You’re kidding.” Now, that was interesting. They were on the top of her list, too. She leaned closer. “What do you like about them? Their history? The architecture?”

“All of that. I’m a bit of a history buff. How about you?”

“Promise not to laugh?” He’d probably think her reason was silly. That was why she’d never told another soul. “The weddings. I’m a little nuts about royal weddings.”

“No!” Jason’s face morphed into a look of absolute horror, but the laughter in his eyes saved her from total embarrassment.

“Yes, I’m afraid it’s true.” Her cheeks warmed. “I taped Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding. I must have watched it a hundred times.”

“I see.” He pulled at his chin. “Tell me, are you harboring any other deep, dark secrets?”

Ouch! That hit a little close to home. Afraid he’d read her thoughts, she turned to stare out the window. “Everyone has secrets,” she whispered.

Chapter Ten

Jason swore the temperature in the car had just dropped ten degrees. He hadn’t meant to pry but, judging from the silence that filled the air, he’d touched a nerve. At the next corner, he pointed out a stone heart mounted on one of the few original buildings left in Heart’s Landing and was pleased when Tara warmed enough to ask questions. He enjoyed sharing what he knew about his famous ancestor, and they spent the rest of the ride to the Cottage talking about Thaddeus and Mary, the momentary freeze all but forgotten.

Once he’d parked the car, he left Tara in the library to continue her research and headed for his office. He’d taken less than a half-dozen steps, however, when someone called his name.

“Jason! Yoo-hoo! Jason!” The bottom of a white apron flapping against a pair of churning legs, the head chef for the Captain’s Cottage hurried toward him with a picnic basket. “We have an emergency, Jason.”

His stomach dropped. Images of flames leaping from the kitchen’s massive oven shot through his head. He banished the thought. Connie was upset, but not that upset. Had she discovered melted ice cream dripping from the freezer? Whatever the problem, he reached for his cell phone, ready to call in the cavalry. “What’s wrong, Connie?”

“It’s the strawberries.” Plump cheeks rosy with exertion, the cook skidded to an abrupt stop. “They slid off the cart when Amos was bringing them up from the cooler. An entire flat, ruined.”

Jason sucked in a deep breath and let it out in slow dribbles. Deliberately, he rolled the tension out of shoulders that had gone rock-solid in an instant. “I’m pretty sure we can resolve this without declaring a national emergency.”

“But it’s the strawberries, Jason,” Connie protested. “We’re completely out. You know how many orders we fill for strawberries and cream every night? It’s our most requested item. What am I going to tell our brides and grooms when they ask for them?”

Jason flexed his fingers. “Have you contacted our suppliers? Checked the grocery store?” Someone in Heart’s Landing had to have a few on hand.

“I’ve tried everywhere.” Connie’s bottom lip quivered. Damp white curls escaped the bandana she wore instead of a chef’s toque. “Our only option is the U-Pick place north of town, and I can’t spare someone to go get them. Essie has the day off. Fiona is up to her elbows in cookie dough.” Each afternoon, the kitchen staff replenished the tea and coffee station and put out immense trays of house-made cookies. They were always a big hit. “Can you go?”

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