“Aside from tying up Sandra and stuffing her in a closet, you mean?” Mary asked, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
“I’ve ruled that out,” Abby told her, laughing. “Though it has been quite a temptation the past few days.”
“Mind if I call Kyle and get him over here? He’s her precious grandson, after all. She listens to him when not another soul on the planet can get through to her.”
“I’ll take advice from anyone at this point,” Abby said. “He backs this project, right?”
“Sure. He’s as eager for economic development in Seaview Key as I am.” She pulled out her cell phone, made the call, then sat back. “He’s on his way. While we wait, why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you and the hottest newcomer to Seaview Key in years?”
Abby blushed at the direct question. “Seth and I are just friends,” she said in what she hoped was her most convincing tone.
Mary regarded her with disbelief. “And here I used to think you were smart,” she said, shaking her head with dismay. “Please tell me you are not going to let him get away.”
“We’re friends,” Abby repeated.
Mary shook her head. “Ignoring all those sparks is a crying shame,” she lamented. “Who’s holding out, if you don’t mind me asking? It sure didn’t seem like it was Seth. He never took his eyes off you the night you were in here. You looked pretty smitten yourself.” She sighed. “Or maybe I’m so used to watching the teenagers come in here with stars in their eyes that I see romance everywhere I look these days. If I misjudged the situation, I apologize.”
“It’s complicated,” Abby responded.
Apparently her choice of words gave away her own ambivalence. Mary’s eyes lit up. “I knew it. Those sparks never lie.”
Fortunately before she could pursue it, her husband came in. Abby recognized Kyle immediately, even though he was balding now and wore glasses. Hard to imagine there’d been a time when he’d been the star on the high school baseball team and had girls chasing after him. He dropped an affectionate kiss on his wife’s cheek, went behind the counter and scooped up a dish of dark-chocolate-mint ice cream, then joined them at the table.
“You all having a strategy session?” he asked as he spooned ice cream into his mouth.
“We were waiting for you to do that,” Mary told him, then glanced pointedly at the spoon in his hand. “If you’ll stop eating long enough to give us your insights.”
“Baby, you make ice cream this good, I’m going to eat it whenever I get the chance,” he retorted, but he did set down his spoon and turn to Abby. “What can I do to help? I know Gran is dead set against Blue Heron Cove.”
Abby’s heart sank at the certainty in his voice. “Can you think of any way to change her mind?”
“I’ve already used my most persuasive arguments to no avail,” he told her. “Once that woman sets her mind to something, it’s like trying to carve Mount Rushmore with a pocketknife. A waste of time and energy.”
“He has tried, though,” Mary confirmed. “Which brings me back to stuffing her in a closet until the vote is over.” She grinned at Kyle. “Sorry, hon, but it’s what she deserves for being stubborn.”
“To be honest, I don’t entirely disagree,” he admitted. He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. “There could be a better approach.”
Abby immediately sat up a little straighter. “Tell me. I’m ready to try anything.”
“I just got to thinking, is there anyplace over on the mainland that might be comparable to what you’re planning for Blue Heron Cove?”
“You mean a small enclave of homes that have been built so they don’t impact too much on the environment?” Abby asked slowly, liking where she thought he was going with this.
“Exactly.”
“I’m not all that familiar with Naples or some of the other communities on the coast, but I’ll bet my contractor could help me out. This sort of project is what he likes to do and he has a reputation for being good at it. He didn’t take me to see his past work, but I read about it.”
“Find the very best example he has to offer and take Gran to see it,” Kyle recommended. “Or if you think she’ll balk at going with you—”
“She will,” Mary said with certainty. “When she mentions Abby at all, she makes it sound as if her sole mission is to destroy Seaview Key. Abby’s not going to be able to persuade her the sky is blue.” She glanced apologetically at Abby. “Sorry, hon, but it’s the truth.”
Kyle nodded. “More than likely,” he agreed. “That doesn’t mean we can’t take Gran on an outing one day, let her do a little Christmas shopping, feed her a nice lunch, then when she’s feeling all mellow, we just happen to drive by to see something that resembles what Blue Heron Cove could be.”
Mary’s eyes were sparkling now. “And that is why I married you, you wonderfully sneaky man. It’s a fantastic idea! Your grandmother’s been chomping at the bit to get over to the mainland to shop.” She turned to Abby. “She doesn’t like the traffic over there, so she relies on us to take her.”
“It really is the perfect idea,” Abby agreed. “I’ll get on it this afternoon. As soon as I have some options, I’ll get the information to you. I may run over first to check them out myself so I can guide you to the one that’s closest to my vision.”
Despite her enthusiasm, she hesitated for just a second. “Before we go to all this trouble, do you both agree that getting Sandra on board is the key? I shouldn’t be trying to win over the men who voted with her, so she’s just
