Seaside Dances_A Sweet Romance

by Stacy Claflin

  After she was ready, she went downstairs and found Lana's parents already eating breakfast.

  "You must be an early riser," Dwight said, looking up from the Sunday paper.

  "Sometimes." Jasmine smiled.

  "Help yourself to some food," Susan said. "I made a breakfast casserole."

  "Thank you," Jasmine said. "It smells delicious."

  She took a small helping—she already had calories to burn after yesterday—and made small talk with them while they ate.

  Jasmine went upstairs and ran into a very tired-looking Lana.

  "Did you decide?" Lana asked, rubbing her eyes.

  Pulse racing, Jasmine nodded. "I want to surprise him."

  Lana's face lit up. "Oh, good. He's going to love you for this. Let me just get ready, and then we can call Erin."

  "I can't wait." Jasmine went back into her room and made her bed, eager to get started with their plans.

  She checked her phone to see if she'd missed any calls or texts. There was a message from the rental insurance. She held her breath, staring at the number. She couldn't bring herself to listen to the message. Today was going to be part of the overall flawless weekend. She couldn't risk finding out that she wouldn't be reimbursed for anything she'd lost.

  First thing the next morning, she would listen. Then if it was bad news, she'd be able to call them back. Today, probably not. In fact, given that it was a Sunday, the message was probably automated. Either a general message saying she'd be covered, or more likely, a general message saying she hadn't. If she'd been covered, there would be a lot of details to go over. What details would be involved with saying no? Easy enough for just a message.

  Jasmine pushed the thoughts out of her mind. Either way, she was no better or worse off than at that current moment.

  Lana burst into the room, pulled out her phone, and slid her fingers around the screen. "Putting it on speaker."

  Jasmine heard the phone ringing.

  "Lana?"

  "Hey, Erin. Thanks so much for your help." Lana smiled at Jasmine. "I've got Jasmine here. What do we need to do to get started?"

  Twenty Three

  Zachary closed his laptop, set it on the bed, and went into the living room. Rafael sat on the couch, smiling at his phone.

  "Good news?" asked Zachary.

  Rafael looked up. "What? Oh, yeah. I just got a message that I was approved for the retail space I want. The one next to the bridal shop. This is huge. People go to the wedding store to spend big bucks. They'll see my designer threads and want to buy them for their rehearsal dinners and honeymoon wear." Rafael was happier than Zachary had seen him since coming back into town.

  "Congrats, Raf." Zachary sat next to him and read over the email. "You didn't think you'd get the space?"

  Rafael shrugged. "Another guy was bidding for it, too, and he has a successful store not far away. I thought he might have a better chance because of that. Especially now that my name is off the company I started in LA." He shook his head. "Apparently, they did their homework and saw what I had built from nothing. They thought I would be a better fit for the strip mall."

  "See? Things are starting to turn around," Zachary said. "And if you ever want to talk about what happened down in LA, just let me know. I'm still willing to let you vent."

  Rafael's face clouded over. "Not sure I'll ever be ready to talk about that."

  "I've always been able to keep your secrets. I never told anyone about the time you snuck the—"

  "Got it. And I appreciate it. Hey, speaking of your trustworthiness, I'm going to need someone to help me getting all this stuff going. I know you need to write, but could you help me on the side until your books take off? It's going to take a lot of work to get my store running before I can even open."

  "Can I start in a week? Mom and Dad already paid me an advance—which I've already spent."

  "No problem. How long do you think you'll be able to stick around?"

  "I'm not really sure at this point."

  "What's going on with your book?" Rafael asked.

  "My agent is still going after the publishing houses. Now she's sharing the proposal for the book I'm currently working on."

  "She can do that? Even though it's not done?"

  "Sure, if they like the idea, then I can send them a sample. But at the rate I'm going, it'll be done before anyone expresses any interest."

  "What about self publishing? A lot of people in LA are into that. Some of them were doing pretty well with it."

  Zachary scowled. "Why is everyone bringing that up?"

  "People don't look down on it like they used to, you know. I've heard—"

  "I'm not interested." Zachary folded his arms.

  "Well, don't say I never tried to help." Rafael shook his head. "How'd your date with Jasmine go? It looked like it got off to a good start." He turned and gave Zachary his full attention.

  "Yeah, it did. It only got better as the day went on. I showed her everything Kittle Falls has to offer."

  "And she was still impressed?" Rafael laughed.

  "She said she felt like a princess."

  "So, is it serious?" Rafael slid his phone into a pocket.

  "I think so. She didn't object when I called her my girlfriend."

  "Nice." He glanced toward the window. "Good thing you took her out yesterday. Looks like it might rain today."

  Zachary looked outside. "Those clouds do look menacing. I wonder if fall is going to make an early appearance this year."

  "It might. I heard it's supposed to be a cold, snowy winter."

  "Really?" Zachary shivered just thinking about it. "I've never been a fan of the white stuff."

  "No?" Rafael asked. "I love it. Maybe because I've missed it living down south."

  "Could be. We had plenty in New York," Zachary said. "I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing another flake."

  "Think about the snowmen you could build with Jasmine. And the snowball fights."

  "You always did like snowball fights." Zachary frowned, remembering some of the many snowballs to the face his brother had thrown at him over the years.

  Rafael laughed, obviously remembering the same thing. "Maybe she can teach you to duck," he teased.

  "Ha, ha." Zachary checked the time. "I'd better get to the shop. It's going to be my second home this week."

  "Then my shop will be. Right?"

  "If I want to keep taking Jasmine out, it will be. The rest of this week is going to be filled with inexpensive dates. Tonight we're supposed to go to Jake and Tiffany's for dinner."

  "How's Tiff feeling?" Rafael asked. "She didn't look so good last time."

  "Jake thinks it's getting better."

  "I'm sure she appreciates you being at the shop so she doesn't have to be."

  "Anything for our first niece or nephew."

  Zachary rose and went to the kitchen, grabbing his leftovers from the previous night—there was enough for three meals. He piled a little of this and that on his plate and stuck it in the microwave, and then ate it as fast as he could.

  He received a text. Heart pounding, he checked, hoping it was Jasmine.

  Nope. It was only Jake wanting to know if he was on his way.

  Be there in a minute.

  Zachary finished the last few bites and then rushed out the door. There was no time for walking—not that he wanted to with the chill in the air. It almost felt like it could snow that day, but he knew it wouldn't. Not before the fall even hit.

  Hopefully, the cold weather wouldn't scare off the tourists. His family depended on the income from the whole summer to get them through the rest of the year. They still had business in the off season, but it didn't compare to the summer. Even though Kittle Falls used some of the holidays—like Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day—to draw in visitors year round, nothing else compared to the business the warm months brought.

  With any luck, Zachary would get a book deal and have so much money his parents wouldn't need to w
orry about finances anymore.

  "There he is," Cruz said as Zachary walked through the shop doors. "I told you he'd be here."

  "You doubted?" Zachary asked, shooting a playful glare at Jake.

  "You are late."

  "Less than five minutes." Zachary shook his head. "And the place is so busy, too." There wasn't a single customer in sight.

  "That's because it's so cold," Jake said. "Hopefully, everyone won't stay inside today."

  "I'm sure the clouds will blow away. What do you need me to do?" Zachary asked.

  Cruz handed him a clipboard. "You can check the inventory. I did that last time."

  "Hope I remember how to do it." Zachary took the clipboard.

  "It ain't hard, yo. Count the items and write down the numbers."

  Zachary walked over to the frozen foods and counted. Even though it was a tedious task, the time still went quickly.

  Before he knew it, sounds of customers filled the shop. He peeked outside and saw that the sun was finally out. On days like this, it sucked that business relied so heavily on the weather. But then again, they'd only had a few rainy days all season, so there wasn't much to complain about—as long as the fall didn't arrive early.

  Between helping customers find items and finishing the inventory, the day hurried by. Calvin and Bella arrived in the mid-afternoon, and Zachary finally was able to leave.

  Perfect timing for him to get back home and change before meeting with Jasmine.

  Before climbing into his car, he sent her a quick text.

  Can't wait to see you. Still on for dinner?

  Yeah. Wouldn't miss it. Should I meet you at your house again?

  Sure. Half an hour work?

  Perfect. Dancing hearts followed the message.

  He sent her some kissing smilies and then got in the car. A half an hour would give him exactly the time he needed to get ready.

  Zachary thought about the previous day's date the entire time he got ready, and he grew more excited to see Jasmine. It was hard to believe they had only known each other a short time. She'd worked her way into his heart and life like no one else had managed, and he'd thought that would be impossible after dealing with Monica. In fact, Jasmine had helped him nearly forget about his evil ex.

  He'd been ready to write off relationships until he bumped into Jasmine. He would have to give Brayden a huge thank you gift for talking him into working out. Otherwise, he would've missed out on the best thing in his life—and he wouldn't have even known.

  When he went out to the hallway, heading for the living room, he heard conversation. It sounded like Jasmine had already arrived. Zachary ran his hands through his hair to make sure the gel hadn't made it too stiff and then he rounded the corner to see Jasmine sitting with Rafael. He was showing her something on his phone.

  "Zachary!" Jasmine jumped up and ran over to him, giving him a big hug. She nearly knocked him over.

  "That's a greeting I could get used to." Zachary laughed, squeezing her tight.

  "I missed you," she said.

  "Me, too."

  "Didn't you guys just see each other last night?" Rafael teased.

  "It's too long to be apart," Jasmine said. "You wouldn't understand because you live with him. You can see him anytime you want."

  Rafael laughed. "Right. That must be it."

  "Makes me wish I could trade places with you," Jasmine said.

  "No." Zachary shook his head.

  "Why not?" Jasmine asked.

  "Because if you were Rafael, I couldn't do this." He leaned in and kissed her soft lips, pressing firmly. She smelled of flowers and cinnamon.

  "I can't argue with that."

  "Are you ready?" he asked. "I thought we could walk along the boardwalk before going over to Jake and Tiffany's. When I left, Jake was still talking to customers, so I'm sure they're not ready for us just yet."

  She took his hand. Her skin was so smooth and soft against his. It felt a little cooler than normal, though. Maybe she was cold because of the change in weather. It seemed to affect everyone, and that was all anyone seemed to talk about all day in the store. If they weren't asking where something was located, they spoke of the chilly weather.

  "Have fun, you two," Rafael said, going back to his phone.

  They went outside and walked toward the beach. Jasmine seemed happy, but didn't say much.

  "Is everything okay?" Zachary asked.

  "Yeah. Chilly, isn't it?" She shivered.

  He put his arm around her. "Probably just a fluke. Would you rather not go to the boardwalk?"

  "I don't mind." A breeze picked up and blew her hair in her face.

  "Are you sure?" Zachary asked. "We can go into some stores or sit under a covered area."

  "Maybe we could sit." She seemed distracted.

  They went over to a covered area, usually used by those who wanted a break from the sun. They sat on a bench and watched the ocean waves from a distance. Birds flew around, some dipping down to catch fish.

  "It's pretty," Jasmine said. "It's actually kind of a nice change."

  Zachary pulled her closer. "And it gives me a good excuse to keep you warm."

  She snuggled against him and took a deep breath. "I have a confession."

  "What?" Zachary's heart dropped.

  Twenty Four

  Jasmine's pulse raced. She wanted Zachary to say something, anything.

  "What kind of a confession?" he finally asked.

  She took his hand and squeezed it. "I almost put your book for sale as an ebook."

  He jumped back, letting go of her. "You what?"

  "Almost. I wanted you to see how popular it would become. I really believe in you and this is going to be a bestseller, Zachary. I hate that those publishers won't even look at it."

  He stared at her, not saying anything. His mouth formed a straight line.

  She swallowed. "I even talked with someone who told me how to do it. But in the end, I didn't do it. As much as I believe in you and your book, I didn't want to do anything behind your back—even if it would have earned you a huge following and thousands of sales."

  Zachary continued staring, and his face didn't give any indication of what he thought. Except that he wasn't happy.

  She took a deep breath. "And I didn't want any secrets between us, so I had to tell you—even though you probably never would have found out."

  His face turned red, but he still didn't say anything.

  Jasmine bit her lip. "I know you have a bestseller on your hands, but I respect your wishes too much."

  Zachary stood, his fists clenched. His eyebrows came together. "I can't believe this."

  A lump formed in her throat. "I didn't do it."

  "Why would you even think about it?" he asked, his voice rising with each word.

  Tears stung her eyes. "I didn't have to tell you."

  "I told you how I felt about it."

  "But I thought it would be a nice surprise. Then I came to my senses and knew what the right thing to do was. That's what I did."

  Zachary shook his head and stepped back. "I need some space."

  "But, Zachary—"

  "I'm sorry, Jasmine. Our date today isn't going to work, after all."

  She opened her mouth, but closed it. "If that's the way you feel."

  He nodded and then pulled out his phone and slid his finger around the screen. "Jake? … Sorry to cancel at the last minute, but Jasmine and I won't be able to make it. … Oh, she's not? … I suppose everything works out, then. Tell Tiffany I hope she feels better. …. Yeah, bye."

  Jasmine stared at him, her vision growing blurry tears. "I'm sorry, Zachary."

  "I just need some space. I need to think—to process everything."

  "Okay." Jasmine stayed in her seat while Zachary walked away. She'd always thought honesty was the best policy, but maybe not. That wasn't how she'd expected him to react. He was supposed to appreciate her honesty.

  Tears fell to her face. She was supposed to tell h
im, and then he was supposed to realize how much she cared for and believed in him. Then at least consider the idea of publishing straight to readers. To at least give her the benefit of the doubt.

  She sat and let the tears fall for a minute before the sadness left and she the familiar feeling of anger started to replace it. It started in the pit of her stomach until it reached her chest, and she was ready to yell and throw things.

  Just like her parents. She froze. Acting like them was unacceptable.

  Then she thought back to Zachary's unjustified response. How dare he be mad at her? Jasmine was only trying to help, and she didn't have to be honest with him. She could have easily decided not to upload the file and be done with it. But she wanted to start off their relationship with transparency.

  So much for that. Now she'd probably lost his trust—all when trying to do the right thing.

  Maybe her mom was right, and no one was actually trustworthy. She'd always told Jasmine that the only person she could count on was herself, and especially not some man. But after seeing everything her parents went through—and put her through—she desperately wanted to believe the opposite was true. That someday she would find someone who trusted and loved her wholeheartedly. And she'd thought she'd found that in Zachary.

  She'd had in her mind that she could return home one day, show him off, and prove them all wrong. Prove that if she fought hard enough, she could move past everything they had ever taught her and tried to instill in her.

  That could have been a foolish choice. What if they'd been right all along? But even if they had, their life wasn't the one she wanted. She couldn't give up hope. Jasmine wanted to live exactly the opposite of them. Not only for herself, but also for Carter.

  She got up and looked around, not seeing Zachary anywhere. He was already out of sight.

  Part of her wanted to let him have it—and not space—while the other part of her thought it was maybe for the best. If she ran after him and tried to force her opinion on him, was she any better than her parents who screamed at each other for hours on end? Neither ever managed to win the other over, and when they did yell, eventually someone ended up with a bruise or a gash.