When swans dance, p.1
When Swans Dance, page 1
Copyright © 2024 by Katie Eagan Schenck All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-9798988480327
Cover design by: Teresa at BookBrush
Printed in the United States of America.
For Mommom,
I promise the pope will approve.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
Sneak Peek of When Doves Lament
Also By Katie Eagan Schenck
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Shakespeare once wrote, “The course of true love ne’er did run smooth.” Steven McAllister shook his head with a smirk. No offense to the old bard, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Maybe wedding planning hadn’t been going as well as Steven had hoped, but things were coming along, although slower than Rose might prefer. What’s that other saying? Slow and steady something or other? Whatever it was, it worked for him.
He leaned back in his office chair and rubbed his eyes. A divorce petition glowed on his screen as if mocking him for working late. When had it gotten so dark? Early June usually meant daylight lasted well into the evening, but the sun seemed to have disappeared. He glanced at the clock and groaned. Rose was going to kill him.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed. Stifling another groan, he clicked the message.
Where are you?
To his surprise, it was from his sister. He smiled as he settled deeper into the seat cushion. Lanie was helping Rose with final alterations on her dress before the meeting with the caterer, which put her in the perfect position to stall. He would have to tread carefully, or else he’d press his luck.
Finishing up at work. Be there in 15.
More like a half hour, but Lanie wouldn’t mind. The three of them were meeting with the caterer to make final selections on what would be served at the wedding. He could hardly believe that in just over three months, he would be a married man.
But he was ready. He’d never had one doubt about Rose. She’d come into his life just when he needed her the most, stayed through his mother’s awful illness, and even helped Lanie through the turbulence of settling the estate. After the past year, they deserved some happiness.
With a sigh, he reread the last stipulation his client had insisted be added. Opposing counsel would never agree to it, with good reason. His client wanted to sell the house, but it was the soon-to-be-ex-wife’s childhood home, which she had inherited long before they were married. Steven had tried explaining that, but it had fallen on deaf ears, much like the other legal advice he had given that particular client.
Oh well. He’d promised the client he would try, though it was a waste of everyone’s time. As soon as that divorce was over, he hoped to never hear the name Willoughby again. But he knew better. A small-town attorney didn’t have a lot of say in who hired him, and Cedar Haven definitely qualified as a small town.
Situated in southern Maryland and about an hour outside of DC, it was barely a pinprick on the state map. But it was Steven’s hometown, where he’d been born and raised. And he was proud to have opened his law practice there, despite the lack of choice when it came to his clientele.
Steven raised his arms over his head and stretched, working the kinks out of his back. After saving the latest draft and forwarding it to his client for approval, he closed his laptop and stood. Work had kept him from his beloved long enough.
Just as he reached the office door, his desk phone rang. He stood in the doorway, debating whether to let it go to voicemail or answer it. His staff was long gone, as he should have been. The shrill ring called to him, and he hurried over to answer it.
“It’s not enough,” a gruff voice said in lieu of a greeting.
Steven stared at the ceiling as he sank into his chair. “What’s not enough, Mr. Willoughby?”
“The house. Why should she get to keep part of my retirement while I have to split the cost of a building that’s falling apart and not worth much?”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Steven took a calming breath. As much as he wanted to point out that Mr. Willoughby had specifically insisted on selling the house and splitting the profit, it wouldn’t help. He was by far the most difficult client Steven had ever had. Still, Mr. Willoughby’s bill would pay Steven’s mortgage for the next two months.
“All right,” Steven said as he texted his sister that something had come up. “Let’s talk numbers.”
Better hurry. Rose is on the warpath.
If only it were that easy. But Rose would understand. She wouldn’t be happy, but she knew how much pressure he was under to make his law practice a success. He’d spent the last six months building it from the ground up.
Mr. Willoughby droned on in Steven’s ear, and though he took notes, his mind was elsewhere. He made the usual sympathetic sounds to ensure his client felt heard, but sometimes, he struggled not to feel like an overpaid therapist. Divorce clients were the worst. If he hadn’t found Rose, he might have decided never to get married. The petty things people fought over made the whole institution of marriage sound like a lot of wasted effort.
Rose and I will be different. They’d had a nice long engagement, and he was anxious to have the wedding part over and done with. Who knew that planning what essentially amounted to an extravagant party would take up so much time and cost so much money? Rose and Lanie had done their best to find deals or do whatever they could themselves, but it was still an expensive endeavor.
“Mr. Willoughby.” Steven interrupted his client midrant. “We’ve been over this. I’ve requested the sale of the house in the paperwork I’m sending opposing counsel, but we’ve had to offer something in exchange.”
“She’s going after my retirement, though! I earned that.”
As did she. Rubbing his temples, Steven fought the urge to tell his client to shove off. Mrs. Willoughby actually hadn’t requested the retirement, despite it being her legal right to do so. She’d been a stay-at-home mom for most of their marriage, which impacted her earning power and ability to save for her future. Steven had suggested offering the retirement as an enticement to sell her childhood home, even though by law, it wasn’t marital property. Good luck getting any of that through to Mr. Willoughby, however.
“And as I’ve said, we are offering it in an attempt to entice your wife to sell the house. You’ll more than make up for the loss of retirement in the sale of the home.”
His client harrumphed. “I doubt that, and I don’t see why I have to give up anything.”
Steven had had enough of the circular argument. “Sir, with all due respect, you’re lucky she didn’t go after your retirement to begin with, and you’ll be even luckier if she accepts this offer. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go.”
Without waiting for a response, Steven hung up. He would likely pay for that later, but hopefully, Sandra, his paralegal, could smooth things over for him in the morning. She had a knack for knowing exactly how to deal with their more uncooperative clients.
Before Mr. Willoughby could call back, Steven grabbed his things and rushed to the door then locked up. Rose had texted several times while he was on the phone, and he was going to be in more trouble if he didn’t get over there soon.
As he pulled out of the parking lot behind the building, he called her and put her on speaker.
“Where are you?”
“Just leaving the office.”
The silence on the other end of the line was more deafening than if she had started yelling at him. He cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Willoughby called and—”
“You stood me up for that philanderer?”
Living in a small town had many perks, but the gossip mill wasn’t one of them. “Those accusations are unfounded and—”
Lanie snorted, alerting him to the fact that he, too, was on speaker. “Unfounded my butt. That man has more mistresses than there are blades of grass. I’m amazed he keeps them all straight.”
She had a point, though Steven would never tell her that. “At any rate, I’m on my way now and should be there in a few.”
“You owe me,” Rose replied, and though she tried to sound stern, Steven could hear the smile in her voice. Once again, Lani e had saved the day and kept his fiancée distracted. What would I have done if she had returned to the West Coast?
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He hit the end call button and focused on the drive ahead.
As he drove down the darkening street, he pondered how much had changed since Lanie arrived back in town six months ago. Despite her initial determination to leave small-town life behind in favor of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and a lucrative position at a prestigious school, she’d decided to stay. He sent up a quick prayer of thanks for her fiancé, Nate. Between telling Lanie about a local teaching job and winning her heart a second time, Nate had done what neither Steven nor his father could do. And his sister was currently engaged and planning a wedding of her own.
If only their mother could see them both, on the verge of walking down the aisle. The smile on Steven’s face faded. With the estate finalized and the house sold, he and Lanie had been able to focus on happier things. But the anniversary of their mother’s death was fast approaching. Lanie hadn’t mentioned it, but she was struggling with it as much as he was. After all, she’d taken a semester off from grad school to care for their mother during those final months, something for which he would be eternally grateful.
Pulling into the parking lot of The Muddy Oar, Steven shut off the engine and pushed the depressing thoughts from his mind. Their mother would want them both to be happy and move on. What better way to do that than to plan two spectacular weddings?
He headed into the steak house and to the back of the small dining area. The restaurant doubled as the only caterer in town that could handle large events like weddings, and Steven supposed it could be considered upscale by Cedar Haven standards. Lanie, Rose, and Carissa, their wedding planner, were seated at a round table with more food than he had ever seen before piled around them. His sister’s blond head was easy to spot among the crowd. They smiled when they caught sight of him, and Rose stood before running into his arms, her dark-brown hair flying behind her.
“Yay! You’re finally here.”
“I told you I was on my way.” He pulled her close, inhaling her intoxicating scent of jasmine and vanilla.
“You also told your sister you’d be here in fifteen, which was well over a half hour ago,” Rose retorted, taking a step back and putting her hands on her hips.
“Fair.” Sliding a hand to her cheek, he brushed his lips against hers. “But it’s okay if I lie to my sister.”
“Sitting right here,” Lanie grumbled.
Steven glanced over Rose’s head at his very unhappy sister and grinned. “Love ya, lil sis.”
“Stop calling me that!” she whined and stuck her tongue out at him, which only further proved he’d chosen the perfect nickname.
Rose led him to the table and sat down. She had a steak and some green bean concoction on her plate. His sister was sampling cake flavors. He hid a smile.
Carissa set a plate in front of him. “Our time is almost up, so you should try what you can before they clear all of this away.”
“Thanks,” he said before turning to Rose. “So, what do you think so far?”
“I like the steak.” Rose took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “But I’m not as sold on the sides. And we need a vegetarian dish as well.”
“The green beans are a definite no from me.” Lanie made a face at them.
“I thought the broccoli salad was interesting,” Carissa said.
“That’s one word for it.” Rose sighed and rested her chin on her hand, surveying the table. “I liked the glazed carrots, but Carissa says we have to offer something green.”
“What about this?” Steven pointed at a medley of green leaves in a bowl. Leaning forward with his fork, he speared one and brought it to his nose, sniffing it, a move he immediately regretted as the sour scent of vinegar burned his nostrils. “What is this?”
“They call it spinach surprise.” Rose wrinkled her nose. “None of us are brave enough to try it.” Her face morphed into a sweet smile, but he wasn’t fooled. “You should do the honors.”
I suppose I do owe her. Grimacing, he spooned some onto his plate. He sniffed it again, and the strange combination of vinegar and spice irritated his sinuses. Here goes nothing. After taking a tentative bite, he assessed the flavor. The vinegar came through pretty strong, but overall, it wasn’t bad. He detected garlic and some sort of creamy substance.
When he looked up, Rose and Lanie were leaning forward as if waiting to see whether he would keep the strange food down. Carissa had a hand over her mouth, probably hiding a smile. With a shrug, he took another bite. “It’s not bad, but I’m not sure I’d want to serve it at a wedding.”
Rose groaned. “Why is this so difficult? If we’d gotten married in Baltimore, we’d have more options for catering.”
Carissa put a hand on her arm. “But you’d pay far more for the experience. I know you want everything to be perfect, but remember, people are coming to see you and Steven get married. As long as you feed them something, they’ll be happy.”
With a pout, Rose pulled a salad toward her. “This is Caesar salad. It’s boring, I’ll admit, but at least it’s something most people enjoy.”
“Maybe you could have a small salad bar where people could make their own,” Lanie suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Steven agreed. “And then they can put whatever color of vegetable they want on their plates.”
Rose smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I love salad bars at restaurants. I’m sure it’ll be a big hit.”
“That’s settled.” Carissa tapped away on her phone. “What were you thinking for the entrée? You said steak, but what else?”
Several different dishes sat before him—chicken, shrimp, crab cake, and pork chops—and he sampled each. The savory chicken was a tad on the dry side, and he could only imagine how much worse that would be after sitting over a chafing dish. Crab cakes made sense for a summer wedding in Maryland, but not everyone was a fan of seafood.
“How many entrees are we paying for again?”
Rose rolled her eyes at Lanie. “Typical male. Doesn’t pay attention to the details.”
“Hey!” Steven protested. “I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
“You sure do.” Lanie pointed at his literal plate and laughed.
“The package you picked includes three entrees,” Carissa said. “One of which needs to be vegetarian.”
Next, he tried the shrimp. The sweet-and-spicy marinade appealed to him but not as much as the crab. After all, the brackish water of the Chesapeake ran through his veins, and blue crabs were practically the state mascot. He reviewed the vegetarian options: wild mushroom risotto, three-cheese ravioli, and meatless lasagna. No matter what they chose, it would be some sort of pasta.
After a moment of contemplation, he tried the mushroom risotto. Good but not quite what he wanted. He sampled the rest of the vegetarian options. The cheese ravioli was better, but the lasagna somehow managed to taste just like it would with meat.
“My vote is for steak, crab cake, and the meatless lasagna.”
Rose frowned. “I was partial to the three-cheese ravioli myself.”
“The lasagna tasted just like the real thing to me.” Steven shrugged. “But I’m not a vegetarian, so I’m not sure that’s the goal.”
Carissa laughed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time to bring in a vegetarian for their opinion, so why don’t we look at it from a price perspective?” After a quick glance at her phone, she continued, “According to the PDF they sent us, the ravioli is cheaper than the lasagna.”
“Then let’s go with that.” Between starting a business and trying to pay off his student loans, Steven hoped to curb the growing wedding costs as much as possible to avoid adding to their already strained finances.
Carissa finished tapping into her phone then stood. “Lanie, would you mind coming with me to talk to the caterer? While we’re gone, you two should try the cakes.”
Once they were alone, Steven leaned closer to Rose. “I know I complained about the expense of a wedding planner, but she sure is making this easier.”
Rose pressed her hand to her chest. “You have no idea. I can’t imagine what I would do without her. She’s managed to keep everything on schedule, which has stopped me from losing my mind.” She shook her head. “Why is wedding planning so hard?”
