“It’s not about the money, Seth.”
He thought he’d figured that out. “You wanted something to justify leaving your old life and coming back to Seaview Key, didn’t you?”
Her startled look told him he’d hit the nail on the head.
“That’s certainly part of it,” she confirmed. “More important, though, this project was supposed to be my way of making a difference here. I guess I had this grandiose vision of myself riding into town to save the day.”
“Or maybe you wanted people to see you in a new light,” he suggested. “You wanted to prove to everyone you’d gone away and made something of yourself.”
She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “You’re digging around in my head now?”
“Am I right?”
She nodded. “Pretty much.”
“Well, there’s something you missed. It’s not about you at all. Obviously, there are some people like the mayor and her backers who are against change of any kind. They don’t see your proposal as the positive thing that you want it to be.”
“I get that, but why not?” she asked. “It’s not as if I’m planning to put up dozens of little houses and bring in so many people that it will tax the schools or infrastructure out here.”
Seth thought about what he’d heard at the meeting, not only from the council, but the murmurings of the people around him in the room. “I don’t think it’s the scale of the project that’s the problem.”
“What then?”
“This town started as a humble fishing village, right? It’s slowly grown to accommodate tourists during the winter season. They come here because it’s quaint and charming.”
“Yes,” she agreed, looking bewildered. “I’m not going to change that. In fact, I’m doing everything I can think of not to change that. If I’d sold the land, which I easily could have done, I imagine any other developer would be proposing something on a much bigger scale.”
“Fair enough, but who do you think will buy the houses in this exclusive development of yours?”
“People with money,” she conceded. “Snowbirds, more than likely.”
He held her gaze. “Can you see why that might worry the locals? They have modest incomes. What if these people expect all sorts of new amenities that the current tax base can’t afford? I imagine there are some people who are barely making it, as it is. If taxes go up, they could be forced to leave Seaview Key.”
She looked dismayed by the suggestion. “That’s not going to happen,” she insisted.
“Can you guarantee that?”
“There won’t be that many people. They wouldn’t be able to influence the council to vote for something that’s not in the best interests of the whole population,” she said with certainty. “If I’m right in my assessment of who’ll buy the houses, most of them won’t even be living here full-time. They won’t have a vote.”
“Maybe not, but money talks,” Seth countered. “Once their friends start to visit, they could start buying other properties. Next thing you know, the island is completely changed. Locals can no longer afford to live here or don’t feel comfortable if they do manage to stay. If you study the effects of gentrification in other communities, you see it all the time.”
She clearly seemed to be weighing his theory. “You really think that’s the root of the problem?” she asked eventually. “People are afraid they’ll no longer fit in or be able to afford to stay here?”
He nodded. “I overheard a lot of people complaining about outsiders changing the way of life here. They feel threatened, Abby.”
“Tell me the truth, Seth,” she said. “How do you feel about Blue Heron Cove? Am I heading in the wrong direction?”
“Personally, I think it will be an asset in the long term,” he said. “But I’m new here. I have a different perspective. For people who’ve built a life here, change is scary. You have to find some way to allay those fears.”
He put an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t look so defeated. You’ll come up with something. You have Jack on your side and Jenny. They wouldn’t be supporting you if they didn’t see the positive side of this. Let them help you figure out an approach to win over the holdouts before next month’s meeting. You didn’t lose tonight. The vote was just delayed.”
His sentiment was echoed by Jack when they sat at the bar. To Seth’s surprise, Jenny was there, too.
“I thought you might be feeling kind of blue,” she told Abby. “Don’t. Those old stick-in-the-muds will come around. Jack did, once he learned the truth instead of listening to distortions.”
“Exactly,” Jack said.
“But I used the same arguments on them that convinced you. I don’t have anything left in my arsenal,” Abby protested. “And Seth just made a good point as we were walking over here. If people are afraid of growth, I don’t have any real way to convince them there’s nothing to fear.”
“Let’s focus on the council,” Jenny said. “I think the answer is to divide and conquer. I’ve already invited Sandra to lunch here tomorrow. Told her it was about the fish fry, which is true enough, but we can ease into a few other things while we’re at it.”
Seth planted an approving kiss on Jenny’s cheek. “You’re very sneaky,” he said.
“It comes in handy from time to time,” she agreed, her tone unapologetic. She looked at Abby. “You’ll be here?”
“Of course,” Abby said. “Thank you so much.”
Jenny shrugged. “Don’t thank me just yet. Sandra could get up and walk out if she thinks she’s been hoodwinked. I’m counting on the manners her mama ingrained in her to prevent that.”
* * *
Abby was grateful to Seth for insisting on going back to her place after they left The Fish Tale. She wasn’t quite ready to be alone with her disappointment over the way the council meeting had gone. Though she was encouraged by Jenny and Jack’s determination to help, she still felt defeated,
