Page 54 of Save the Dance

The mood in the room shifted from quiet desperation to controlled bedlam, taking on the air of a victory party on election night. Shop owners hugged one another. Tears of joy streamed down Mildred’s face. Meanwhile, Jason was treated to so many enthusiastic pats on the back he was pretty sure his shoulders would be black and blue by morning. While Kool and the Gang’s Celebration poured through overhead speakers, Ashley and Alexis popped bottles of champagne they’d secretly had delivered from Favors Galore. Nick ducked into the bakery’s massive kitchen and reappeared moments later, carrying trays of cupcakes adorned with #1 flags.

During a rare moment when he wasn’t being pummeled by well-meaning friends, Jason nudged the baker. “What would you have done if we hadn’t landed in first place?”

Nick grinned. “I guess everyone at the soup kitchen would get a double-portion tomorrow. Jimmy already dropped off our usual delivery.”

“You were a whole lot more confident than I was,” Jason admitted. He shrugged a non-committal answer to Nick’s questioning gaze before searching out the mayor to offer his congratulations and get a closer look at the magazine. By the time he reached Greg, though, the special edition was making its way around the room.

It took an hour or more for the party to wind down. Another half hour passed before Jason finally got his hands on the copy of Weddings Today. He stared at the cover, still unable to wrap his mind around the idea that, despite all that had happened between them, Tara had written a favorable report on Heart’s Landing. Or that she’d convinced her bosses to once again hand their town the title. Hoping to learn her reasoning, he flipped through the four-page spread, but the article focused solely on what made Heart’s Landing so special.

The magazine was a dead end. He wasn’t going to find the answers to his questions there. He’d nearly closed it when a photo on the next page caught his attention. He stared at himself dressed as Captain Thaddeus. A quick read of the column above it told him the piece marked a decided departure from the puff and fluff people were used to seeing in Weddings Today. Couched as marriage advice, the author had used a hurricane as a metaphor for the troubles couples truly in love might have to overcome.

He stilled, knowing in an instant that Tara had written the article. He read the column through again, this time absorbing every word. When he finished, dampness clouded his vision. Tara had loved him. The accusations he’d flung at her had ruined things between them; the bitter words he’d said to her had pushed her away, but she’d loved him enough to share their story with the world. When he finally wrenched his focus off the page, Evelyn stood beside him.

“Wow,” she said reading over his shoulder. “She must have really loved you.”

“Not as much as I loved her,” Jason murmured. “And still do. I’ve been such a fool.” He stared at the picture, resigned to spending the rest of his life with a gaping hole in his heart.

Evelyn’s eyes searched his face. “You’re going to leave things like this? That’s nuts. You know that, don’t you? You have to talk to her.”

Could he?

Like Captain Thaddeus and Mary, he and Tara were made for each other. If he had the chance to make things right between them, he had to try. He whipped out his phone. Though he’d deleted her contact information, her number was seared into his memory. He punched it while he strode out the door. In seconds, he was listening to a recorded message.

“You’ve reached Tara. If you’re calling about the apartment, you’re too late. It’s already rented. Otherwise, leave a message at the beep.”

Jason lowered the phone. Was he too late as well? He dug in his pocket for the business card he’d tucked into his wallet. Somewhere in Manhattan, a phone rang … and rang … and rang. He groaned, certain he’d missed his chance. He was just about to give up when an unfamiliar voice came on the line.

“Tara Stewart’s desk. This is Van. May I help you?”

Vanessa Robinson. Tara’s office mate. He straightened. “This is Jason Heart. I’m trying to reach Tara.”

“You’re the guy who broke her heart.”

The ice in Van’s voice knocked him back a step. Jason swallowed. If the situation called for it, he’d grovel. “I know I don’t deserve it, but I need to talk to her. At the very least, I owe her a huge apology. More than that, I—” On the verge of confessing how badly he’d messed things up with Tara, he stopped. He’d shout his love for her to the world if it would bring her back to him, but he thought—maybe—she should be the first to hear him say it.

Silence stretched until he thought Van had hung up on him. At last, she sighed. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but …”

But what? Had she moved on? To somewhere else? To someone else? He winced. There’d never be anyone else for him but Tara.

Van’s breath whispered through the receiver. “She has a meeting with Regina Charm tomorrow at ten. If you want to catch her, that’s your best chance.”

“Thank you. From the depths of my heart.” Jason’s voice wavered.

“Don’t make me regret this,” came a warning he didn’t need.

“I won’t,” he swore and ended the call.

Minutes later, he pulled Evelyn aside. “I’m going to try and get her back. I need your help. Can you call the train station? Get Georgia to book me on the 10:15 to New York. If I leave now, I’ll just have enough time to swing by the Cottage and grab a bag.” He had to retrieve the ring that had been handed down from one generation of Hearts to the next. Nestled in a velvet-lined box, it sat in a safe in his room. If Tara forgave him, if she’d have him, he’d never let her go again.

“What are you waiting for?” Evelyn had already pulled out her cell phone. “Go. Go.” She waved her fingers in the air.

Tara glanced at the wall calendar that hung beside the sink in her tiny apartment. The ominous red circle around today’s date hadn’t disappeared since the last time she’d looked at it. She sighed. All good things came to an end, and her time was up at Weddings Today. She stretched the tape over the cardboard, ripped it from the dispenser, and dusted her hands. That was it. The last of them. She surveyed the meager pile of boxes in the one-room apartment. To save moving costs, she’d sold or given away most of her furniture. Later this morning, after the fateful meeting with Regina, she’d begin the arduous task of loading what she could into the small truck she’d rented. By this time tomorrow, she’d be on to the next chapter of her life.

Where that chapter would unfold, she had no idea. The thought of returning to Savannah, of moving back into her old bedroom, working in her parents’ restaurant, and giving up on her dreams made her stomach hurt. But she couldn’t afford to stay in New York, not even in a tiny, fifth-floor walk-up.

Lately, she’d been thinking about Heart’s Landing. A lot. She’d fallen in love with the town, with the people there, with the dedication they poured into providing the perfect wedding for every bride. She wanted to be a part of that somehow. To contribute to making other brides’ dreams come true, even if her own had shattered.

She wiped tears from her eyes. There wasn’t a whole lot left in her savings account, but it, along with her severance pay, should be enough to see her through a couple of months until she got on her feet again. She supposed she could go freelance—write articles touting the area and submit them on spec to various newspapers and magazines. Eventually, that might lead to a permanent job with the Heart’s Landing Gazette.

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