“No,” she said, but the response sounded weary and unconvincing even to her.
“Excuse me?” Seth prodded.
She smiled at his cheerleading attempt. “No!” she said more emphatically.
“Okay, then, how about this? What if you suggest he take on something short-term, something he can wrap up by, say, spring? That would give you time to get all these ducks over here lined up in a nice, neat row, but it wouldn’t delay the start of the project by much, if at all.”
“I suppose that could work,” she said. “He didn’t say whether these other offers were for big developments or single homes.” A thought suddenly discouraged her. “I’m pretty sure, though, that he only takes on bigger jobs.”
“Still, it’s worth asking about,” Seth insisted. “If he’s really interested in doing Blue Heron Cove, surely there’s a compromise that would put his guys to work in the short-term and allow him to do this in a few months. If it were me and this project appealed to me, I’d work it out with you, rather than losing the opportunity to another contractor.”
“I hope you’re right,” Abby said. Though she was unconvinced, she did feel marginally more optimistic.
“Call him now,” Seth urged.
She glanced up at him. “I’m not sure I’m ready to hear his answer.”
“Which is why it’s better to get it over with while I’m around to cheer you up if it doesn’t go your way.”
Intrigued, she smiled. “You think you can pull that off?”
He held her gaze. “I’m willing to try.”
Eager to put him to the test, if not to get a rejection from Troy, Abby pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and made the call. Using her most persuasive attitude, she told him she was convinced that the project would move forward, that she had the support of some key movers and shakers, and that he was the only man for the job.
“You’re the man I trust to do this right,” she said. “Isn’t there some way we can compromise, Troy? Isn’t one of those other offers on the table enough to keep your men employed, but not so long-term that it would prevent you from getting to Blue Heron Cove by spring?”
“You told me you wanted to start by the first of the year,” he reminded her.
“Well, obviously I was overly optimistic. I’m learning to adjust to the way things work here. If you’ll give me a commitment to start this spring, I’ll make sure everything’s ready to go on this end. If I don’t think I can pull it off, I swear I’ll give you plenty of notice so you can move on and accept another offer.”
He hesitated for such a long time that she thought he was going to turn her down. Instead, he said, “That’s fair enough.”
Abby felt relief flood through her. “You’ll do it?”
“I’ll do it,” he confirmed. “I never wanted to back out on you, Abby. Blue Heron Cove’s going to be special. I just felt I had to do what made economic sense for my crew.”
“I totally understand,” she assured him.
“You’ll give me a heads-up sooner, rather than later, if things start to fall apart over there? I need your commitment on that.”
“You have my word,” she said.
“Good enough. You’re a good negotiator, Abby. You pushed all the right buttons.”
She laughed. “I’ll pass the compliment along to my coach,” she said, glancing up at Seth when she said it. “He’s standing here looking very pleased with himself.”
Troy chuckled. “You’ll have to introduce me. A few hours ago, I wouldn’t have given two cents that you’d come up with anything to convince me to hang in here.”
“Talk to you soon,” she said. “I’ll keep you updated as things move along.”
“Looking forward to it.”
She hung up, then stood up. “You’re a genius,” she told Seth.
“He agreed?”
“He agreed,” she confirmed. “You gave me the win-win idea and the confidence to sell it to him.”
Seth pulled her into his arms and twirled her around. “I guess that makes us a pretty good team.”
She looked into his eyes. “I certainly think so.”
And with each and every example of their compatibility, she fell a little more deeply in love. She studied Seth’s expression and wondered if he felt the same way. If so, it must scare him to death. Right this second, though, he looked every bit as thrilled as she felt.
“This calls for a celebration,” Seth announced as he set Abby back on her feet. “Dinner? Ice cream? What do you feel like?”
Abby gave him a rueful look. “I feel like a shower and I just had a terrible thought.”
He frowned. “What’s that? I thought the news was all good.”
“Oh, the news was great,” she confirmed. “But I just destroyed the only shower in this house.”
He stared at her dismayed expression and started laughing. “The other bathroom doesn’t have a shower or a tub?”
She shook her head. “Just a sink and toilet.” She moaned. “What was I thinking?”
“Isn’t there an outdoor shower out back?”
She frowned at the suggestion. “Sure, for rinsing off when people come back from a swim and are still in their bathing suits. It’s not meant for scrubbing from head to toe, which is what I need.”
“Why not? There’s water, isn’t there? Grab a towel and a bar of soap.”
She scowled at the suggestion. “There’s no privacy, Seth.”
He laughed. “I’ll hold up a blanket. No passerby will see you. I promise.”
“What about you?”
“I won’t peek,” he insisted, though the temptation might very well kill him. “Cross my heart.”
She regarded him skeptically. “Cross your heart?”
“Absolutely. Or you could grab some clothes and come back to Seaview Inn and use the shower in my room. I would remain safely downstairs.” Another test of his willpower, though one he was more likely to pass with Jenny, Kelsey and an inn full of other people around.
“I think I like that idea
