LITMIR.BIZ

      3

      Even after the lunch crowd at The Fish Tale had drifted away and Seth had left for an appointment, Abby stayed where she was, sipping iced tea and thinking about the way Seth had reacted to the prospect of her being back in Hannah and Luke’s lives. There’d been a hint of worry there, no question about it. How was she supposed to prove that the last thing she wanted was to cause trouble for them?

      Even as she pondered that, Jack Ferguson slid into the booth opposite her.

      “What happened to the girl I remember coming in here in pigtails with her mama and daddy?” he asked, a grin spreading across his weather-beaten face. “It’s been way too long, Abby. You’re all grown up.”

      Abby laughed. “That’s what happens when more than twenty years go by. And believe me, the pigtails are in the distant past, thank goodness.”

      He shook his head. “Hard to believe it’s been that long, even though I have Lesley Ann and her passel of youngsters to prove that time has marched on.”

      “She seems happy,” Abby said.

      “Bobby’s been good to her. I think she really lucked out in that department. Of course, I’m the really lucky one. Unlike my son, Lesley Ann wanted to stick around and help out here.” His expression turned wry. “Well, what she really enjoys is bossing me around, but I’m willing to go along with that to keep this place in the hands of family.”

      “I’m sorry about Mrs. Ferguson,” Abby told him.

      He nodded. “Me, too.”

      Silence fell for a minute, but then he leaned forward. “Okay, I’m going to get into something, even though Lesley Ann told me I should stay out of it. She reminded me we’re supposed to make a practice of not deliberately riling up our customers.”

      Abby braced herself. She had a hunch she knew what was coming. “And you think whatever you have to say will rile me up?”

      “It’s a possibility,” he replied.

      “Go ahead. Questions from old friends are never out of line.”

      He nodded. “Okay, then. What’s this I hear about you selling out to some developer who’s going to destroy Blue Heron Cove?” he asked. “Is that true? If it is, your mama and daddy must be turning over in their graves, if you don’t mind me being blunt.”

      Abby wasn’t surprised by the direct question or by the implied criticism. “I haven’t sold out,” she said quietly.

      He was clearly taken aback. “You haven’t?”

      “No, but I am developing Blue Heron Cove myself.”

      Jack sat back, his expression shocked. “I can’t believe it. You’re the one who’s going to ruin our tranquility? What would your parents think? You must know how they felt about this island.”

      “I hope they’d think that I’m a smart businesswoman who loves this island as much as they did,” she said, refusing to take offense. She’d expected precisely this reaction before people heard all the facts. “I’m not going to ruin anything, Jack. I give you my word.”

      He didn’t look as if he thought that was good enough.

      “What exactly have you heard?” she asked. “Maybe I can put your mind at ease.”

      “Not an hour ago I heard that you’ll be starting to clear-cut that land any day now, as soon as the town signs off on the permits,” he said accusingly. “Then you plan to put up a bunch of fancy houses that will be making all sorts of demands on our resources out here. I’ve seen the signs and ads for Blue Heron Cove myself. No question those places are going to be big, too big for a town this size. You denying that, too? Seems to me a picture is worth a thousand words.”

      “One thing at a time. We won’t be clear-cutting,” she assured him. “That’s the truth. As many trees and shrubs as possible will remain in place. Others will be salvaged and replanted once the houses are built. There wouldn’t be much point in enticing people to live in a serene seaside setting like this and then destroying it.”

      Jack’s gaze narrowed. “Gospel truth?”

      “Gospel truth,” she confirmed. “It’s also true that the houses will be larger than some out here, but there won’t be that many of them. There will be one-acre lots, so only ten houses, maximum. A couple of people have even inquired about larger lots, so that would mean even fewer houses. They’ll be very high-end, so the people who buy them will contribute to the economy here. They won’t be a drain on it. Blue Heron Cove isn’t going to damage this island, Jack. I’ll make sure of it. That’s why I made the decision to oversee this myself, start to finish. I may not wield a hammer or put in the electrical wiring, but I’ll see to it that every detail is done right. So will the contractor I’ve been talking to. His reputation is sterling. He won’t mess this up.”

      There was no mistaking the relief in Jack’s eyes. “How’d this get so twisted around?” he asked, then shook his head. “Never mind. Gossip usually spreads fastest when it’s negative.”

      “Do you suppose you could help me get the truth out there?” she appealed. “There’s a council meeting coming up for the final approvals. I could use some backing. People may not remember me or trust me, but they know and respect you.”

      He nodded. “I’ll do my best. You bring your plans by and show them to me. You do that and if everything looks like you’ve described it, I’ll be right there at that meeting to back you up.”

      “That would mean a lot to me.”

      “Just don’t make a liar out of me, you hear,” he said.

      “Not a chance,” she promised. “I always keep my word.”

      It had always been true, but being married to a minister had reinforced for her that honesty

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