“Tell me something,” Seth said, when they were on the porch, coffee in hand. “Why is Blue Heron Cove so important to you? The real reason. I’ve heard everything you’ve been telling other people, even me, about making a difference, but I sense there’s something more personal at stake, even beyond providing an excuse to come back here.”
She gave him a startled look, surprised by his insight. She thought about the past few years, all the doubts that had crept up on her about the person she was. Could she reveal all of that to this man she’d just met? She looked into his eyes as he waited patiently for her answer.
“I need to prove something to myself,” she admitted quietly.
“What?” he asked, clearly perplexed.
“That I have something to offer.”
“I don’t understand. You’ve already proven that you can be successful in business. Even as little as I know about you, I imagine you gave back plenty when you were in the Panhandle.”
She nodded. “I tried, in a lot of ways, as a matter of fact. But to hear my husband tell it, it was never enough.”
“I don’t get it,” Seth said.
“I’ve already told you that Marshall wasn’t overjoyed that I owned a restaurant and refused to give it up. So, he took every opportunity to diminish my accomplishments. If I gave a generous donation to charity, it was never quite enough. If I raised funds for something at the church, it could have been more if I’d devoted a little more time to it. I disappointed him at every turn. Eventually that constant message sinks in. I lost faith in the sort of person I was.”
“I probably shouldn’t say this about a minister, but he sounds like a jerk,” Seth said.
Abby smiled at the heat in his voice. “I thought so, too, at the end, but it took me a long time to get there. I respected him, so I took everything he said to heart. It sapped all the joy out of every accomplishment and, eventually, it sapped the life out of me.”
“And that’s why you divorced him?”
She nodded. “I had to, before I lost myself forever.”
“Good for you.”
She smiled. “I was pretty proud of myself, too. I’m not a huge fan of divorce. I think it’s too often the first choice and the easy way out. People should at least make an effort to work through their problems.”
“Did you try?”
“Marshall didn’t think we had any problems to work out,” she said with regret. “When he told me that, I knew it was over. You can’t fight denial.”
“He must have been shocked when you made the decision.”
“I think it was just one more time that I disappointed him. He almost seemed to expect it.”
“Definitely a jerk,” Seth repeated.
She smiled. “No, just a little self-absorbed and demanding. He was good in so many ways. The parishioners loved him. He was always there for them with a kind word or whatever comfort they needed.”
“But he wasn’t a very good husband,” Seth argued.
Abby sighed. “Certainly not the right husband for me,” she agreed.
Seth studied her. “So am I getting this right, that it’s your self-esteem that’s tied up in the success of Blue Heron Cove?”
“Something like that.”
“You do know that even if it fails that doesn’t make you a failure, right?”
“I’m not sure I can see it that way,” she admitted.
“It could be just an idea that’s ahead of its time,” he said. “It might not be about you at all.”
She let his words sink in. “Thank you for reminding me of that,” she said. “I think you could turn out to be very good for me, Seth Landry.”
“Happy to oblige, but you’d have come to that conclusion on your own eventually. You’re a smart woman.”
“Smart enough to appreciate a good man when I come across one,” she said. “I think I might actually be able to sleep now.”
He stood up. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave.”
Abby stood up and met his gaze. “I’ll have to work on coming up with better cues,” she teased. “I had something else entirely in mind.”
The look that passed over his face was priceless. His expression went from confusion to understanding to unmistakable desire in a heartbeat. And then he chuckled.
“Watch yourself,” he warned. “One of these days I’m going to take you up on what you’re offering.”
Rather than feeling the least bit threatened or looking away as he obviously anticipated, she held her gaze steady. “I’ll look forward to it,” she said solemnly. “Good night, Seth.”
She walked quickly inside and closed the door, then leaned against it and released a sigh. She was playing with fire, no question about it. Then she grinned. She was enjoying every minute of it, too. Maybe the flirting that seemed to go hand in hand with this friendship business was just what she needed, after all.
* * *
When Luke finally got home, Hannah looked up from the book she’d been reading. “You look beat. I wasn’t sure you’d get the last ferry home tonight. How’s Marcia doing?”
He sank down next to her on the sofa. “She’ll make it, I think. She’s still in the intensive care unit, but her fever finally broke. The antibiotics seem to be working.”
“That’s great!” she said. “Have you had anything to eat? Want me to fix you something?”
He shook his head. “I just want to take a shower and crawl into bed. How are things around here?”
“Things with me are fine. Your kids called tonight. I told them you’d call back in the morning.” She hesitated then added, “And Abby’s project didn’t get approved at the council meeting.”
Luke sat up a little straighter. “Why not? Were you at the meeting?”
“No, but Grandma Jenny called me after it was over. Sandra held out and two others backed her, so they postponed the final vote till next month. With Christmas coming at that point, what are the odds they’ll even have a December meeting? They almost always wind up canceling
