Page 21 of The Library of Second Chances
Lucy sighed, pinching her nose between her eyes. “No, Missy. I know it sounds like a great idea, but it’s not. Did he mention the noise and air pollution that will impact those of us who have businesses on Main Street, and especially people like you and Pam who live nearby?” Lucy had been reading up on it last night, gathering all the data she could to share at the next council meeting if cruise ships were still on the drawing board.
Missy’s bright smile faded into a frown. “No, he didn’t mention that.”
“Of course he didn’t. And did he mention they dump their bilge water that’s full of oil and grease and raw sewage?” Lucy scrunched up her nose for effect. “That stuff would pollute the water we swim in, the water our seafood comes from.”
“He definitely didn’t mention that.” Missy slid the flower arrangement across the counter to Lucy, her eyes turned down as she played with the edge of the kraft paper stacked on the butcher block. “I wish I’d known all that. I told him I thought it was a great idea.”
“It’s okay.” Lucy reached across the counter to pat her hand. “It’s not like you signed an agreement or anything. He counted on you not knowing anything about the environmental impacts. Heck, I didn’t know either until a few months ago. I sat in on one of the conservancy’s meetings, and they were talking about the efforts some of the cruise companies have been making to get into towns along the southeastern coast. They figured the companies would come courting us eventually. This consultant has probably worked with them in other cities. He probably even gets a commission for every new port he adds.”
“You really think that’s how these consultants work?” Missy’s eyes were wide.
Lucy shrugged. “Would it surprise you?” For reasons she didn’t understand, Lucy didn’t actually believe Logan was the kickback type, but she didn’t know that for sure and she needed to keep Missy on her side.
“He just seems so nice.” Missy glanced at the front door as if he were still there.
Lucy knew what she really meant was that he was handsome and charming. Those things and being nice weren’t the same, but Lucy knew it was something she would have to constantly remind herself of too. It was too easy to get mesmerized by those green eyes and the way he smiled so effortlessly.
“Yeah, I preferred the old guy with the big ears they brought in to present that last plan. He wouldn’t know charm if it hit him in the head. This guy’s a ringer. Even Pete was flirting with him the other night when we ran into him at the Waterway Café.”
“He is kind of dreamy,” Missy said, staring wistfully at the front door again as if he might walk back in at any moment. “Did you see those eyes? Wowee! We don’t get many men who look like him around here. You snapped up the last hunky guy who came to town—” She stopped herself as she realized what she was saying and stared down at the counter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up Carter. Do you still hear from him?”
Although time had dulled the pain from somewhere around a knife in the heart to an annoyingly throbbing paper cut, the reminder of Carter and how he’d left her for the job in Chicago still stung.
“No.” Lucy shook her head as she attempted to dislodge the image of him pulling out of her drive for the last time. “No point keeping in touch.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re still here,” Missy said, waving Lucy off as she pulled out her wallet. “It’s on the house. Just take a few of my business cards and put them out by the flowers. I’ll write it off as marketing.” Missy smiled as she tucked pieces of her red hair that were too short to stay in her ponytail back behind her ear.
The woman who’d entered the store ahead of Lucy approached the counter holding an assortment of daisies and roses.
“We’ll chat more later,” Lucy said. “I’m going to stop by all the downtown businesses this week and figure out our plan of attack.”
“Okay, just let me know.” Missy said as she turned to help the other customer.
Lucy decided she needed to go see Bob to tell him Logan was going door-to-door. He’d know what to do.
The hardware store was unusually busy for that time of day, so Lucy told Bob they could catch up later. He’d suggested she send an email to the group and warn them against discussing anything with Logan before they’d all had a chance to get together.
As she crossed through the town square on her way to open her store, she noticed the door to the Little Free Library had been left open. She detoured up the sidewalk to go close it if no one was inside. As she reached to swing it shut, she saw a few new additions stacked on the ledge at the back and couldn’t resist grabbing them to read through the notes.
The first book was a thriller with a recommendation for anyone who loved true-crime podcasts. She read the back cover copy and shivered despite the heat already setting in for the day. She loved a good thriller, but this one sounded terrible enough to give her nightmares.
She thumbed through a few children’s books that had been added, her mood lifting when she saw the barely legible crayon handwriting on one of the notes.
I liked the brown bear. I wasn’t scared. GRRR!
A drawing of what appeared to be a brown snowman was included. Smiling, she tucked the note back inside the book and placed it on the shelf among the other children’s books. A few dog-eared copies of romance novels had been added to the fiction shelf, the creases in the bindings showing they’d been around the block a few times already. Lucy used to read romancenovels, but that was before Carter left. Real-life relationships were nothing like the ones she’d read about. The girl didn’t always get the guy. Sometimes the guy moved to Chicago.
At this thought, she could almost hear Annie’s voice in her head, reminding her that it just meant Carter wasn’ttheguy. He was out there somewhere, and he would choose her and Heron Isle without hesitation. She wouldn’t have to compete with a big city or beg him to stay.
Lucy sighed as she moved the last children’s book aside. The familiar handwriting of Gatsby’s Ghost appeared on a sticky note attached to the next book. She was surprised to see it was a personal development book.The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage. She’d read her share of self-help books, but all they’d done was convince her that some people were born with confidence and others were not. She definitely fell into the latter category.
Pulling out the book, she smiled as she removed the index card inside, eager to see what Gatsby’s Ghosthad to say today.
Island Girl,
I, too, understand what it’s like to strive for something and feel it’s always just out of your grasp. But it’s like Babe Ruth said: it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.
I’m currently in a bit of a predicament myself. I’m at the plate with two outs, two strikes, and it’s the bottom of the ninth. I either win the game or perhaps there will be no more games for me.
