“No regrets, then?” Abby pressed.
“Sure,” Hannah conceded. “But I can accept the situation and be grateful for what we do have.” She studied Abby. “Are you going to pursue this?”
Abby drew in a deep breath, then nodded. “I think I should at least know my options in case the subject comes up with Seth.”
And if children were out of the question for her, she needed to prepare herself for the possibility that it very well might be a deal breaker for Seth. Of course, they were a long way from having that discussion. If she was being totally honest with herself, she was forced to admit it might never come up at all.
After last night, though, and this morning, she found herself hoping against hope that it would.
* * *
A few days later, to keep herself from dwelling too much on her relationship with Seth and all of the unanswered questions about where they might be headed, Abby headed into town after lunch to do a little shopping at the boutiques on Main Street. Though business wasn’t as brisk as it would be in another month or so when tourists piled in, the shops were all decorated for Christmas and filled with browsing locals.
She was holding up two sweaters she thought might be perfect for Hannah when she heard a familiar voice from across the shop. Choosing the pale blue sweater, she headed for the register. Her arrival had an expression of distaste spreading across the mayor’s face.
“You!” she said as if Abby were her avowed enemy. “I imagine I have you to thank for that stunt my grandson pulled on me yesterday.”
Barb Vitale, the shop owner, winced at Sandra’s words. “Sorry,” she mouthed to Abby.
Abby directed a smile at her, then faced Sandra. “What stunt would that be?”
“Kyle drove miles out of our way to show me a bunch of houses that he claimed were just like what you’re proposing for Blue Heron Cove. We missed the ferry home because of it and had to wait for the last one. We didn’t get back here till after midnight. It was a colossal waste of time for all of us.”
“That was hardly Abby’s fault,” Barb dared to suggest. “What were the houses like?”
“Nice enough, I suppose,” Sandra said with a sniff. “They were well suited for the mainland. Out here, they’d be an eyesore.”
Abby was stunned by her claim. “An eyesore? In what way? I saw those houses myself. They were beautiful. They were built so they complemented the natural landscape. They were on big lots, surrounded by mature trees.”
“That’s all well and good,” Sandra said. “But they’re too big. It would make everything else out here look like a slum.”
Barb regarded her with shock. “That’s awfully harsh, Sandra. There are some lovely homes here, including yours.” Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. “Oh my gosh, that’s it, isn’t it? Your family home has always been the showplace of Seaview Key. You’d lose that distinction if these homes are built. That’s what you’re really afraid of, isn’t it?”
As soon as Barb said the words, Abby knew she’d gotten it exactly right. The indignant flush on the mayor’s cheeks confirmed it. Abby was about to try to reassure her, even though words failed her, but Barb had more on her mind.
“How selfish can you be?” Barb demanded. “This isn’t about what’s best for you personally, Sandra. It’s about what’s best for Seaview Key. Businesses here are suffering. The tax base needs to be bigger if we’re to add on needed services. Just think about how hard it was to scrape together the money to pay Seth Landry to put together our own rescue squad. I know for a fact we’re paying him a pittance compared to what he could get anywhere else.”
“We found the money, didn’t we?” Sandra replied. “We’ve always managed to do right by our residents.”
“But think how much more we could do for the seniors, for instance, if we had a bigger tax base,” Barb said.
Since Barb was making the case for her, Abby stood by and watched Sandra’s face for her reactions. Her expressions were every bit as telling as her words. It was evident she was running out of arguments in the face of the store owner’s clear thinking.
“Will you feel the same way when you can no longer afford to live out here?” Sandra finally inquired with a huff.
Once again she’d fallen back into the same old fear-based rut. Abby sighed. If Sandra insisted on using fear to stir public sentiment against Blue Heron Cove, it was going to be hard to fight her. She had to try, though.
“If these homes hold their value as I think they will,” Abby responded quietly, “and contribute to the tax base, taxes may well go down for most locals. I’m going to make sure people understand that.”
“You can certainly try,” Sandra replied. She set her collection of merchandise on the counter. “I’ve lost all interest in shopping today.”
She turned and walked out without a backward glance.
Abby faced the store owner apologetically. “I’m so sorry I cost you that sale.”
“Not your fault,” Barb said. “I’m surprised you didn’t walk out the minute she went on the attack.”
“I keep hoping I can get through to her. For a minute there I thought you might accomplish what I haven’t been able to.”
“It was worth a shot,” Barb said. “Sorry the results weren’t better.” She grinned at Abby. “Were you really behind that little excursion Kyle and Mary took her on yesterday?”
Abby nodded. “It was Kyle’s idea. I found a few projects that seemed comparable to Blue Heron Cove, took a look at them and decided this one would wow her.” She sighed. “I guess I was overly optimistic. It seems to have had the opposite effect.”
“Only because she’s stubborn. It’s past time for someone to replace her as mayor, but nobody else wants the job. Overall,
