Seaside Dances: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 3)

by Stacy Claflin

  His mom walked by and peeked in. "What happened here?" she asked, looking at the counter now filled with the contents of the cabinet.

  "I don't think anyone has gone through here in years. I threw out a bottle of medicine that was ten years old."

  "Really? Thanks for doing that, Zach. I hate throwing anything away that belongs to any of you kids."

  "None of us are kids anymore."

  She sighed. "Don't remind me."

  "Just think," he said, "soon enough, kids will be running around again."

  Her face lit up. "I'm so excited about Jake and Tiffany's baby. Who would've ever thought he'd be the first of you boys to become a dad?"

  "That just sounds weird. I can't imagine him a parent."

  "You'll be an uncle. Uncle Zach. It has a nice ring to it."

  "Yes, Uncle Zachary sure does."

  Four

  Jasmine could hardly pay attention to the class she was teaching. Luckily, it was a simple routine, similar to many others she'd taught. She kept hoping the cute guy would come back to the gym. So far, she hadn't seen him, though she jumped every time someone walked by the window.

  "What's up?" asked Brooke, one of the girls.

  This class was jazz for teens, and those girls didn't miss anything. The kiddie ballet had gone along as usual as Jasmine sneaked peeks.

  "Oh, I thought I saw someone," Jasmine said. "It's no big deal."

  "Seems like it is," Brooke said. "You're paying more attention to the window than us." She raised an eyebrow.

  Jasmine stretched her arm. "You just volunteered yourself to show the class the routine we just went over."

  "What?" Brooke whined. "No."

  The other girls egged her on until Brooke came to the front of the class, scowling at Jasmine.

  "You'll do great," Jasmine said, leaning against a wall where she could both look out the window and watch the girls without being too obvious.

  After Brooke went back to her spot, no one else said anything about Jasmine looking out the window constantly. She noticed some of the girls watching her, but no one said a word.

  When the jazz class was over, she had a two hour break before a couple kiddie classes. Jasmine changed out of her dance clothes and into shorts and a tank top. Stomach rumbling, she headed back for her classroom.

  She'd made herself a sack lunch for the day and she ate it in her class, keeping her eyes out for him from both windows—the club hallway and the outside benches. Assuming he came by her classroom again, she wouldn't miss him.

  She checked the time. He'd come later the day before, so she was probably being too jumpy expecting him before the mid-afternoon. Part of her was embarrassed by her obsession over the guy who she'd only spoken a few words to—that's why she wouldn't even tell Kate about him. At least not yet.

  If she at least got his name, then maybe she could bring him up to her. Kate might tease her, but they could also have a lot of fun with a double date. Kate was obsessed with meeting guys. She saw this summer as a final hurrah before entering the real world as a dance instructor.

  Actually, that was the mindset of a lot of the other interns. It seemed that most of them had decided to come to Kittle Falls because it was a fun beach town, not because they were going to have an exciting internship.

  Jasmine took the last bite of her banana and aimed the peel at the garbage, making a basket. She turned to back to her spot by the window and nearly choked. He was back at the benches outside! She scrambled to put all of her food away, and then she grabbed her purse and ran into the hall, taking the shortest route to where he sat.

  When she opened the door, she straightened up and pretended she was only wandering out for no other reason than to get some sun. He didn't even look up when the loud door slammed behind her. Once again, he was lost in his tablet, but at least he was still there.

  Her mind raced trying to figure out a good way to start the conversation. The weather? No. It was always, always sunny here. She could ask about his tablet, but that might be too nosy, especially since he looked so upset over it before.

  Jasmine wanted to smack herself. When was she ever one to be shy? She spoke easily with nearly everyone. The only people she didn't like talking to were self-centered jerks. The hot, built guy in front of her wasn't one. That much was clear from their short conversation the day before.

  She forced one foot in front of the other until she stood in front of the bench where he sat. He still didn't look up so she sat on the other end and inched closer, seeing if she could pull his attention away from the device.

  He didn't budge, so she cleared her throat.

  Finally, he looked up. He appeared confused, but then his face lit up. "Jasmine. Sorry, I didn't recognize you without her leotard."

  Butterflies danced in her stomach. He remembered her name? She smiled. "No problem. I don't think I caught your name." She held out her hand.

  He grasped it and shook. He had nice firm grip and she caught a whiff of his cologne. It smelled like sandalwood. "I'm Zachary. Sorry again about bumping into you."

  Jasmine laughed. "Oh, it's no problem. Now it looks like I've bumped into you."

  He nodded. "Looks like it."

  They stared at each other and Jasmine's mind raced for something to say. "So, what brings you to Kittle Falls?"

  "I grew up here."

  She waited for him to say more, but he didn't. It wasn't really a surprise that the mysterious guy was the silent type. Shy, maybe?

  "Really?" Jasmine asked. "I haven't met many locals, and your accent sounds different."

  "I spent some time in New York," he said, "and I suppose it wore off on me."

  "Maybe that's it," she said. "What were you doing there?"

  Zachary looked uncomfortable. "I was working at a newspaper, but it shut down."

  "Yeah?" she asked. "I've seen a lot of that in Portland."

  He nodded again, squirming in his seat. "Is that where you're from?"

  She bit her lip. That was a loaded question. "I am," she said, opting to keep it simple. "This summer is just for an internship."

  "Dancing?" he asked, finally sounding a little engaged.

  Jasmine's pulse raced. She loved talking about dance. "I'm working to be a dance instructor. I spent some time traveling and being in various programs around the country, but now I'm ready to settle down in one place for a bit."

  "What kind of programs?" he asked.

  "Probably the only one you would've heard of is the Nutcracker."

  "I have. Isn't that a prestigious one to get into?" he asked, looking impressed.

  "It is, because everyone who's anyone has heard of it. People clamor for tickets at Christmastime."

  "I'm glad I've heard of it. That makes me someone." He smiled—and what a smile. It lit up his whole face.

  Now might be the time to get his number. She took a deep breath. "So, Zach, do you—"

  "Zachary," he corrected.

  Jasmine stared at him, flustered. "I'm sorry." What was she going to ask him?

  He shrugged.

  "So, do you come by the gym much?" she asked.

  He squirmed again, the smile fading. "I plan to. I haven't been back to town long, but my brother and I are going to make it a regular thing."

  Good. That meant she would probably see him again. She tried to think of something interesting to say, but her mind was racing.

  He glanced down at his Kindle like he wanted to get back to reading.

  "Well, it's nice to keep bumping into you." She smiled.

  "Um, yeah. You, too." He seemed nervous, and it was adorable.

  But Jasmine didn't know why she made him feel that way. She'd never thought of herself as someone intimidating. "My roommate and I are planning on going to the concert on the beach tonight. Maybe we can bump into each other again there."

  "I'm not really one for those crowds." Zachary glanced back down at his reader.

  She looked him over, trying to figure him out. He was tall, buf
f, and so gorgeous… and it was multiplied by a thousand when he smiled. But at the same time, he was nowhere near as arrogant as he could be. In fact, he seemed a little bit—or maybe more than a little—awkward. A nerdy hot guy?

  He looked away, playing with a strap on his tablet's case.

  "We could always bump into each other somewhere else, you know," Jasmine said, realizing she was going to have to be the bold one. "Everyone has to eat. Want to run into each other at a restaurant?"

  Zachary looked at her, surprised. "You want to go out with me?"

  Jasmine's heart raced. She hadn't expected him to be so forward with his question. "Actually, I would. How does dinner sound?"

  "Tonight?"

  She couldn't help smiling. "Yeah. Unless you have other plans."

  He looked deep in thought. "Nope. Not tonight."

  Jasmine's smile widened. "Do you have a favorite place to eat?"

  "To tell you the truth," he said, "I'm not even sure what's around here anymore. A lot has changed over the last few years."

  Jasmine nodded. "There's a cute little diner near the beach. It's usually not too loud."

  "That sounds perfect. What time?"

  They discussed the details, and then he said he had to go help his brother with something.

  "Can I get your number?" she asked, finally remembering what she was going to ask him before.

  "Oh, right. That would be helpful, wouldn't it?" He looked flustered, and it was the cutest thing she'd seen.

  "What's your number?" she asked, pulling out her phone.

  He told her, and then she punched it in her phone and called him. "Now you have mine, too."

  Zachary flashed his gorgeous smile. "See you at five."

  "At five." Zachary got up and walked away, reading his tablet as he went.

  Jasmine smiled, shaking her head. It was hard to know what to make of him, but at least she finally had a name—and a date. Whenever she'd met anyone who looked as good as him, they strutted around, fully aware of how good looking they were.

  Not Zachary. There was something both mysterious and geeky about him, and now that Jasmine had a date lined up, she was even more curious about him than before. Was he just shy? An awkward, bookworm type? Maybe a brooding, deep thinker?

  It would take some work to bring him out of his shell. She liked the idea of the challenge. He seemed like a wonderful person deep down, and if nothing else, she would at least enjoy the scenery as she fought to find out.

  Jasmine leaned against the bench and took in the sun's warm rays. She closed her eyes, picturing Zachary in her mind, holding onto the image of his smile. She couldn't describe what that did to her—beyond melting her insides—but couldn't wait to meet him at the diner that night.

  Her phone rang and she picked it up, not bothering to open her eyes and see who it was.

  "Jasmine," said Kate, "Where are you?"

  She sat upright, opening her eyes. "Did I miss an appointment? I—"

  "No. It's just that usually you show up at the beach during your lunch break."

  "Oh, sorry. There's this guy I met, and—"

  "You met a guy?" Kate asked, her voice exaggerated. "Tell me everything."

  "There isn't much to tell… yet. He's the quiet, mysterious type."

  "Is he sexy?" Kate asked, sounding desperate for information.

  "He's really good looking, and we're meeting for dinner tonight."

  "Oh," Kate said. "This is good news. When do I get to meet him? I know, bring him to the concert tonight."

  "He's not really into those."

  "Bummer. Where are you going for dinner? I want to get a peek."

  Jasmine laughed. "He's mine, though."

  "I wouldn't try to cut in on you. I'm so excited you finally took your eyes off your classes and met a guy." Kate almost sounded more excited than Jasmine. Almost. "What does he look like?"

  "He's tall and muscular with dark brownish-green eyes. And he seems like he's… studious, maybe. He's mysterious."

  "Nice. Short hair, long hair?" asked Kate.

  "I don't know. Average?"

  "But you said he's hot?"

  Jasmine sighed. "So much. And that smile…oh, it's to die for."

  "Can't wait to meet him. So, do you have time to hang out?" Kate asked.

  Jasmine pulled her phone away, looking at the time on the screen. "Not today. I have to get back to my classroom and get everything set up for the next class pretty soon. By the time I got to the beach, I'd just have to turn around and leave."

  "You met a guy," Kate said. "Better excuse than any. Can't wait to meet him."

  And Jasmine couldn't wait to see him again.

  Five

  Zachary took another expired painkiller as he brushed his hair, unhappy with how he looked. His hair had always given him trouble, but it seemed to act up even worse when he wanted to look good.

  He didn't know what Jasmine had seen in him—she certainly hadn't caught him on his best day. Sore and tired from the day before, and still trying to get over all the junk from New York.

  The last thing he needed was another relationship. It had nearly been two months since Monica had walked away from him—and told him every reason he sucked as not only a boyfriend, but as a human, too. He knew she was just being cruel.

  It still hurt, though. And he still wondered if some of it were true. Maybe more than he thought.

  They had been a bad match from the beginning, but somehow ended up dating for over a year, nearly destroying each other in the process. She'd learned quickly that though he was quiet, Zachary was strong and wouldn't be manipulated. Quiet didn't mean pushover, and he wasn't about to be intimidated by her name-calling or temper.

  Her thing had always been to say hateful things to try to open him up. She said that at least when he was angry he spoke his mind. Sure, Zachary was quieter than most, but putting him down had been a horrible way to try to draw him out. Calling him names only made him want to shut Monica out all the more.

  It had turned into a nasty vicious cycle of him keeping everything in and of her taunting him more. Then one day she attacked him verbally after he'd found out that the paper was closing—and he would be the first to go. That had been the day he finally told Monica what he thought of her communication style. She wanted to know what he thought? She got it—in full, living color.

  Monica turned around and told him what a stuck-up, insecure jerk he was—only using much more vivid words—and to top it all off, she told him it was over, and she wanted nothing to do with him ever again. She'd told him what he could do to himself with his laptop and tablet, and she stormed out of his life.

  Zachary was glad he'd never let her move in like she'd wanted so badly. That was another thing that caused a lot of conflict. He'd been brought up to be a gentleman, but she didn't want one. Monica had wanted a wild partier. Something he clearly was not.

  Even though Zachary knew the breakup wasn't a reflection on him, he couldn't help reeling from it. And when the money stopped coming in, all the horrible things she'd said about him ran circles through his head.

  He had to get away from the East Coast and the rejection—both from Monica and the publishing houses. A man could only take so much, and he'd had all he could take. Coming back home and focusing on his next novel seemed like the perfect option. He could write without being distracted by a pointless job or a soul-sucking relationship.

  Sure, he knew he'd have to deal with his parents bugging him about his writing, but as long as actively wrote, he knew they would be supportive. He didn't want to be a bum anymore than they wanted to support one. Zachary just needed a few more weeks to pull himself together.

  He knew he was better than anyone in New York realized, and soon he would believe it again. Maybe this date with Jasmine would help. She seemed to like him despite his nervousness when she approached him earlier.

  So many things had run through his mind that he had a hard time getting his mouth to cooperate. He was surp
rised she even wanted to get to know him after talking with him for those brief minutes.

  He certainly hadn't been the best conversationalist. With every word she said to him, twenty negative thoughts filled his mind, either spoken by Monica or some heartless publishing house who wouldn't even read the opening of his book.

  Zachary looked in the mirror and forced a grin. Brayden had always told him that it was his smile that made all the girls melt. It was decent, but he wasn't sure it had that kind of power.

  Shrugging, he finally left the bathroom.

  "You look nice," his mom said as he passed the living room.

  "Are you going somewhere?" asked his dad.

  Zachary considered not telling them, and then decided to. "I think I have a date."

  "You think?" his dad asked.

  Zachary sighed. "I'm meeting a girl for dinner. I guess that qualifies."

  His mom's face lit up. "I'm so glad to see you coming out of your shell. Have fun."

  "See you guys later." Zachary checked the time. He was running a little late, so he would have to drive rather than walk. Parking wasn't the greatest in the touristy areas, but maybe he'd find something close. And hopefully Jasmine wouldn't see the car. His little junker was embarrassing. He'd had to trade down in order to afford living in New York.

  Everyone tried to convince him to lose the car completely because it was such a pain to drive around the city, but he wanted it in case he needed out. If he hadn't had the car, he would've had to borrow money from his parents to return home, and he wouldn't have done that.

  Zachary drove to the diner and parked a block away, hoping Jasmine wouldn't see him getting in or out. When he got inside, he saw her already waiting in a booth.

  "Sorry," he said, sitting across from her. "I meant to be on time."

  "Do you always apologize so much?" She smiled sweetly. "This is the third time we've talked, and the third time you've started off with an apology."

  He almost apologized, but stopped himself. "Too polite for my own good."