by Leigh Duncan
From somewhere nearby came the sound of someone humming. Drawn to the tune she recognized as a piece she’d sung with her church choir recently, she picked up her pace. Three offices down, she peered through an open doorway. Dressed in a simple T-shirt, her hair a mass of dark curls around an elfin face, a woman about her own age stared at a computer with rapt attention.
Tara knocked on the doorframe.
The humming stopped abruptly. The woman leaned out from behind the oversized monitor. “Hey! I didn’t see you there. Are you looking for Alicia?”
Assuming she meant the event coordinator, Tara shook her head. “No. Actually, I was hoping you could tell me how to get to Jason Heart’s office.”
“Is he expecting you?” The woman frowned. “I didn’t think he had any appointments on his calendar this afternoon.”
Tara crossed the room, her hand extended. “I’m Tara Stewart from Weddings Today. I’m here to handle the magazine’s evaluation of Heart’s Landing.”
If she’d wanted to surprise someone, she couldn’t have planned it better. The frown on the woman’s face deepened. She darted from behind the desk to meet her guest halfway across the room. “We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.”
“I’m a little early.” Tara tried not to squirm beneath an intense once-over. Despite the fact that her hostess was just as informally dressed as she was, she wished again she’d had the chance to swap her jeans and cardigan for something a little more professional.
“Humph,” the woman said, folding her arms across her chest. “We were expecting Regina Charm.”
“You’ve got me there. I’m Tara Stewart,” she repeated. “Ms. Charm has been unavoidably detained in New York. She sent me in her stead.” Though she’d love to emulate Regina’s innate sense of style, Tara was pretty sure she could live in the Big Apple for the rest of her life without acquiring it. Still, she had to try. Imagining how the editor would react under similar circumstances, she aimed for a haughty tone. “I trust that won’t be a problem?”
The question dangled in the air for a long moment. At last, the woman’s mouth worked. As if it had never been there, the frown disappeared. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. You caught me off guard, that’s all. Wait till Jason gets a load of you. He’s gonna flip his wig.”
“Really?” Tara lifted her eyebrows.
“Forget I said anything.” Grinning, she shrugged. “Me and my big mouth—that’s one of the reasons they tuck me away in a back office. Mostly, I handle the bookkeeping and supplies for the Captain’s Cottage. I don’t get many visitors back here. I’m Evelyn, by the way. Jason is my cousin.” Evelyn folded her hands together and twisted her fingers. “So, how long have you been with Weddings Today?”
“About two years.”
Evelyn whistled. “You must be really good if they sent you instead of Ms. Charm. I’d like to have a job that sent me all around the country. I bet you meet a lot of celebrities, don’t you?”
The young woman looked so expectant that Tara hated to disappoint her. The truth was, her inbox provided the only contact she had with the models and superstars who graced the magazine’s covers. Unless she counted coffee runs—which she didn’t—this was her first assignment outside the office. A tidbit of information she definitely did not plan on sharing with Evelyn. “Not many. But I’m hoping that’ll change soon.”
“We get them here every once in a while. Last Christmas, the whole town buzzed when Karolyn Karter and Chad Grant showed up for her cousin’s wedding. You’ll probably meet her while you’re here. Jennifer Longely. Well, Bell now. She’s a nice girl. Different from what we all thought of her when she first got here.”
“How so?” She recognized the name from Regina’s notes. Her boss had thought there was more to that story, as well, and had told her to be on the lookout in case she caught wind of a juicy rumor.
“Oh, you know.” As if she realized she’d said too much, Evelyn retreated toward her desk. “I, uh, I should check Jason’s schedule to see if he’s in his office.”
Unwilling to push her luck by probing deeper into something that wasn’t at the top of her agenda, Tara let the matter drop. Karolyn Karter occupied a top spot on Hollywood’s A-list, but her appearance in Heart’s Landing was old news and definitely took a back seat to her current assignment. Besides, Evelyn’s openness and candor might come in handy. So far, everyone she’d met in Heart’s Landing had been gracious and accommodating, almost to a fault. Evelyn made a refreshing, forthright change of pace. Under different circumstances, they’d probably be good friends.
While Evelyn fiddled with her computer, Tara took the opportunity to look around. It appeared that, unlike Alicia Thorne, her hostess-of-the-moment was a bit of a pack rat. Stacks of papers and files crowded every inch of the bookkeeper’s desk space. Cardboard boxes filled one corner of the small office. Like colorful tongues, swatches poked out of the sample catalogues that had been stacked along the walls and crowded the chairs.
“Looks like you’re in luck. Jason doesn’t have anything on his calendar. I’ll let him know you’re here…before I say something else I shouldn’t.”
“Sure. That sounds great,” she said, though she wished she could see Jason’s reaction first-hand.
Evelyn made the call. Then, leading the way, she headed for the office at the end of the hall. She didn’t wait for an invitation but crossed the threshold like a woman on a mission. “Jason, I’d like to introduce Tara Stewart from Weddings Today. Tara, my cousin Jason Heart, the owner of the Captain’s Cottage.”
The figure behind the desk rose with a smooth grace. Tara got a quick impression of a man with the same regal bearing as his great-great-great-grandfather. Nor did the familial resemblance stop there. Tall and muscular, Jason Heart towered over her own five-foot-six-inch frame. A thick mop of jet-black hair barely brushed his shoulders. High cheekbones similar to the ones in the portrait in the foyer led to a sharply angled jaw. She extended her hand and stared up into slate-gray eyes the color of the sea beneath a cloudy sky. A touch of vertigo hit her when his palm grasped hers. It passed just as swiftly as it came when, after giving her hand a firm shake, his fingers dropped from hers.
“Welcome to Heart’s Landing and the Captain’s Cottage,” Jason said. “We’re very glad to have you here. Although, you’ve caught me a bit flat-footed. I must admit I’m confused. We were told to expect Ms. Charm. Tomorrow. Has there been a change of plans?”
“I told Evelyn that Ms. Charm has been unavoidably detained in New York.” Tara darted a glance at the woman who lingered nearby. “That’s not entirely true.”
“No?”
Two sets of eyes bore into her, but Tara had practiced what she’d say during the long train ride. “No. See, the thing is, Ms. Charm didn’t want her own experiences in Heart’s Landing to influence the town’s chances in the contest. She was afraid that coming here again so soon after her breakup might stir up bad memories. She sent me to take a fresh, in-depth look at the place, but don’t worry. Since Heart’s Landing has consistently emerged as the magazine’s top pick for ten years running, this visit is more a formality than anything else.” She shrugged. “As for my early arrival, that’s entirely my fault. My last project wrapped up sooner than expected, and I’d been so looking forward to the trip that I thought I’d just pop on up. I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Nothing we can’t handle.” Bright intelligence gleamed from Jason’s gray eyes. Tara couldn’t be sure he accepted Regina’s excuse, but he definitely wasn’t buying the reason for her sudden appearance for a second and had the self-confidence not to care whether she realized he was on to her or not. “Of course, you’re missing out on all the pomp and ceremony of the formal greeting party we had on tomorrow’s agenda. And our mayor, Greg Thomas, will be disappointed that he wasn’t on hand to welcome you himself. He’s planned a tour of Heart’s Landing for you tomorrow. With the
packed schedule we have planned over the next ten days, he and his wife went out of town for the afternoon. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for now.”
She could think of worse ways to spend the time than in the company of a man who reminded her so much of his swashbuckling ancestor, though it seemed like a far more prudent plan to keep her distance from someone who literally upset her equilibrium. She tugged on the hem of her wrinkled T-shirt. “I’d love the opportunity to freshen up after the long trip. Do you think you could have someone show me to my room?”
Jason’s lips thinned. “We’ll have so much going on over the next two weeks that we gave most of the staff the day off. There’s only a skeleton crew on duty today. As I mentioned, we weren’t expecting you before tomorrow.” The skin around his mouth tightened. “I’ve pulled two of our best workers off their other tasks and told them to prepare your suite, but it might be several hours before they finish. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” All gracious apology and sorrow, he ducked his head.
This was exactly the kind of snafu Regina had told her to be on the lookout for. Tara supposed this was the point where her boss might have pitched a hissy fit and checked one of the many negative boxes on her judging form. But, as much as she wanted to please the executive editor, Tara wasn’t Regina. Jason’s well-mannered explanation had touched a soft space in her heart. She couldn’t condemn him for not having everything ready when she’d sprung her arrival on him without any warning. Given the popularity of the Captain’s Cottage, she should probably be thankful her room was available at all.
“There’s a fully stocked salon reserved for our brides on the first floor. No one’s using it right now, so you’re welcome to it. As for the rest of the day, I can offer you several options. It’d be my honor to escort you into town and introduce you to a few of our more prominent shop keepers. Or give you a tour of the Captain’s Cottage. Or, if none of that appeals to you, the dining room is at your disposal. You’re welcome to work in there.”
Thanks, but no thanks on that last one. She’d spent most of the train ride doing research. The prospect of sitting at a table and poring over her laptop when there was so much to see and do around Heart’s Landing seemed like a perfect waste. On the other hand, if they’d planned on showing her about town the next day, throwing another monkey wrench in the plans might raise too many eyebrows.
“I vote for the Captain’s Cottage. I’d like to see every nook and cranny,” she said with a growing enthusiasm. Who knew what secrets she might unearth? “There’s no need to take up your valuable time, though. I’m sure I can see myself around.”
“I wouldn’t dream of sending you off on your own. There are so many twists and turns in this old place, you might get lost and we’d never find you again.”
There was that glint in his eyes again. The one that said at this particular moment in time, he wouldn’t mind getting her out of his hair. But if he expected her to disappear, he could think again. She fully intended to put her best effort into this assignment. She had too much riding on it to do otherwise.
“Then, it’s settled,” Jason said when she didn’t respond. “Let me take your bags to the Prep Room. I’ll meet you in the foyer in…” He let the words trail off.
“Twenty minutes ought to do it.” She just wanted to splash some water on her face, run a comb through her hair and, at most, replace her rumpled shirt.
Jason gave a curt nod to his cousin. “Evelyn, wait for me here, please?”
The attractive owner of the Captain’s Cottage was being far too accommodating. The last thing Tara wanted was spend the afternoon with a man who smelled like the ocean and caused her to lose her balance. But what else was she to do? She couldn’t very well ask him to share his family’s darkest, dirtiest secrets with her. Not when everyone thought she was here to write a puff piece about America’s long-time favorite wedding destination. Not when, in fact, she was here to destroy the myth behind it.
After dropping Tara’s bags off in her temporary quarters, Jason double-timed it back to his office. They hadn’t even reached the official start of the Weddings Today evaluation, and already, things had gone horribly awry. But his years at the helm of some of Boston’s largest conference venues had taught him not to panic when things wandered from the plan. He’d get everything back on track. His thoughts racing with ideas, he burst into the room.
“Okay, Evelyn. We have a lot of work to do,” he said getting right to business. “First, get the word out that this Tara Stewart person has arrived early and isn’t at all who we expected.”
Evelyn traced one finger along the top of the bookcase. “Do you think that’s a problem?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately.” Jason stared out the door. This was exactly the kind of thing he’d been afraid of when he’d heard that Regina Charm’s wedding had crashed and burned in Heart’s Landing. It didn’t matter that the town had nothing to do with the breakup. The woman would naturally feel they were at least partly to blame. “She’s young and, I’ll bet, inexperienced. It’s out of line to send someone like her to evaluate us. It makes me think there’s something more afoot. We still have a chance, but we can’t hold back. We’ll have to double-down on everything in order to make an impression and win her over.”
Evelyn straightened like a woman who knew what was at stake. “Okay. I’ll let everyone know. I’ll call Mildred and Cheri first. Word will spread like wildfire from there.”
“Good.” Jason nodded. “Next, I need you to find out everything there is to know about our guest. Who she is. Where she went to school. How long she’s been at Weddings Today. Her position there. I want to know everything right down to her favorite foods and if she has any allergies. We can’t afford to mess this up, and I’m flying blind here.”
“Got it.” A troubled look crossed his cousin’s face. “She seems like a nice person, though, doesn’t she? You don’t really think she’s here to sabotage us or anything?”
What did he think? Alarms clanged in his head like the bells of the Mary S after the lookout in the crow’s nest spotted a pirate ship. One that might have more powerful armament or a hidden army stowed below deck.
Oh, Tara Stewart seemed capable enough, though he knew little more about her other than what he’d been able to observe. From the top of a head that rose above his shoulders to a pair of casual slip-ons, the lean, angular physique of a runner made him question whether she was as independent and driven as most sports enthusiasts. He hadn’t been able to glean anything from the hair that hung like sheaves of spun gold to her shoulders where soft curls turned the strands inward. But a wide forehead free of lines and the lack of crows’ feet around a pair of blue eyes told him she’d barely dipped her toes into her thirties. At best, she’d been with Weddings Today for a couple of years. Certainly not long enough to attain the seniority he’d expect from someone who’d been given so much responsibility. That in itself was a huge red flag.
Yet, she hadn’t shown the least bit of anger or concern when they didn’t have everything ready for her. If this had been a complete setup, he’d have expected her to turn on one heel, head off in a huff, and demand to return to the city as soon as possible, thus eliminating Heart’s Landing from the contest. Instead, she’d gone along with their new plan. Which told him they had a chance of swaying her opinion. And if they could do that, maybe they could still win.
He squared his shoulders. What was he thinking? Of course, they’d succeed. Everyone in town, from the mayor to the boys who sold roses from plastic buckets on the corner, had spent weeks—months, even—getting ready for this review. All they had to do now was let the town speak for itself. Once Tara Stewart saw all it had to offer, Heart’s Landing would retain its place at the top of the heap.
But there couldn’t be so much as one more snafu. Not with the town’s reputation hanging in the balance.
“Okay, let me know when you hear back from everyone. Feed me up
dates about her as you have them.” Jason slipped his phone into his pocket and fitted the Bluetooth receiver into his ear. He tapped the switch. Static crackled. “I’ll be available.”
“Will do.” Evelyn reached for her own phone. “Where are you going to be?”
“We’ll start in the attic and work our way down.” He paused.
Evelyn cast a look at the ceiling. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“She said she wants to see everything. Taking her up there will show her how deep our roots go in Heart’s Landing. Besides, you can tell a lot about a person by the way they react to a little dirt and dust.”
“Well, you’ll find plenty of that.”
He frowned. “Did you move all the log books and diaries to the library like I asked?” Regina Charm had sent a special request to have the journals on hand.
“Yes. Last week.”
“Good. We’ll end up there.”
“Do you have any idea why she wanted to see his books? No one’s ever asked about them before.”
“Who knows? Maybe it wasn’t Regina’s idea at all. Maybe this Tara person is a history buff. That’s part of what I want you to find out.” He checked his watch. The allotted twenty minutes was nearly up. “I’m on the move. If you need me, or you find out anything, I’m right here.” He touched the device in his ear.
Striding toward the entryway, he reviewed everything that had happened so far in a day that had taken a sharp turn away from the script. Tara Stewart’s early arrival was no mistake, that was for sure. Regina Charm’s itinerary had been copied and plastered on every bulletin board in town. He hadn’t written the wrong date on his calendar. He didn’t accept that Tara had simply decided to put in an early appearance on a whim, either. There was no earthly reason for her to show up a day earlier than expected, unless it was a trap to catch the town with its proverbial britches down around its ankles to see how well everyone handled the change.