Page 50 of Save the Dance

That got his attention. He stared at her, his mouth open. “I thought you had laryngitis.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes. “I thought you two deserved a chance.”

“Guess we were both wrong.”

“I guess so.”

Now, all he needed to do was tell the mayor that he’d destroyed the future of Heart’s Landing. Something he’d do as soon as his heart quit hurting long enough for him to make a phone call.

Chapter Seventeen

Tara trudged through the sand, her feet kicking up a shower of tiny grains with every step. She’d hoped to have the beach all to herself. No such luck. On the far side of the cove, the stranger she’d spotted earlier worked his metal detector along the damp strip at the waterline.

Had it really been this morning that she and Jason had stood above this very spot? With all that had happened since then, it seemed like a lifetime ago. She’d unraveled the truth behind the myth of Captain Thaddeus. Lent a hand to a bride in need and learned how much she enjoyed doing her part to make someone else’s dream come true. As if that hadn’t been enough, she’d polished off the morning by deleting the article she’d been sent here to write. The one that would have all but guaranteed the big promotion she’d spent the last two years trying to nail. Toss in Jason’s surprisingly bad attitude, and it was no wonder she’d needed a break.

Shallow waves rolled onto the shore. Bending, she plucked a small cone shell from the wet, gray sand. The tiny creature that lived inside didn’t have to worry about where it would lay its head next week. It carried its home with it wherever it went. Unlike her. Now that she’d decided to keep silent about Captain Thaddeus, she’d need to start packing as soon as she got back to New York. What came next was anybody’s guess.

Carefully, she returned the shell to the spot where she’d found it. The man with the metal detector had worked his way closer. Nearing, he planted the device in the sand and leaned his forearms on it.

She offered him a smile. “Did you find any buried treasure today?”

“Nah. Need a good storm to stir things up.” A strong Rhode Island accent muted the R’s in his words. “You from around he-ah, missy?”

“No, sir.” Tara brushed grains of sand from her hands.

“Tide’s comin’ in. It’s gonna get wicked deep in a few. You and I, we’d best be getting off this beach.”

He was right about the tide. She stood ankle-deep in water that had barely brushed over her toes five minutes earlier. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll move to higher ground.”

“Ground, nothing. You need to be climbing them steps. Unless you like swimming with the fishes, that is.” With that, he hefted his metal detector over one shoulder and shuffled toward the rough staircase that led up to the bike path.

Shading one hand over her eyes, she squinted at the granite outcropping that formed the cove. On three sides, the cliff towered high above her head. Bits of seaweed clung to the jagged rocks about halfway up. “Hang on,” she called, eyeing the high-tide mark. “I’ll walk with you.”

The man didn’t break stride. She thought he called, “Best keep movin’,” but the wind whipped his words. Another wave rushed ashore. This one splashed her thighs. She bolted from the water.

“I see you took my advice,” the man said when she fell in beside him. “I’m Walter. Used to own the Honeymoon Hotel on the north side of town.”

“I know the place. Nice little bungalows and a cute diner.” She’d stopped by one afternoon, looked at the rooms, and taken pictures for Weddings Today. She hadn’t seen Walter—or Wal-tah, as he said it—though. “I’m Tara, by the way.”

He nodded. “My son and his wife took over when I retired a few years back. These days, I comb the beach for lost earrings and bottlecaps when I’m not playing with the grandkids. You know the best thing about being a grandparent?”

“No.”

“You get to send the little darlings home when you want to take a nap.”

She joined in when Walter laughed to himself. For someone who’d left retirement age in his rearview mirror, he amazed her by jogging up the steep steps.

“You sticking around for the pageant tomorrow?” he asked while they climbed.

“I was planning on it.” She was supposed to be in it, but for reasons she still didn’t understand, those plans had changed.

“It’s a good one.” Without pausing to look over his shoulder, he nodded toward the beach. “You know, Captain Thaddeus dropped anchor in that very cove each year before his wife’s birthday.”

“I’ve heard that.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him that part of the good captain’s legend was a lie.

Moments later, they stood by the railing at the top of the stairs while Tara gasped at the rushing tide. Below them, waves had gobbled up half the distance to the bottom step. “That beach was as pretty as a picture. Who would have thought it wasn’t safe?”

Walter shifted his metal detector from one shoulder to the other. “Aye-yup. Just goes to show, things aren’t always as they seem. You enjoy the rest of your stay, missy.”

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