Page 37 of The Library of Second Chances
“Yeah, that’s sort of the nature of consulting with local governments. It means I get to see a lot of different places.”
“Don’t you ever just feel”—she glanced around the room, as if it would provide her with the word she was looking for—“unsettled?”
He shrugged. “Not really. I love experiencing new places, and there’s been something to like about everywhere I’ve lived.”
“What do you like about here so far?”
If he wanted to flirt with her, she’d given him the perfect opportunity to say something vague like, “the people.” Then he could look deep in her eyes, and she’d know what he really meant was her. Flirting had become a second language for him—and made him lose sight of his goals on occasion—but Lucy couldn’t be charmed into cooperating on the waterfront project anyway. He would have to take another approach with her.
“Probably the history. You all have done a great job preserving so much.”
She looked up at the stamped-tin ceiling and then across the room at the wall of handmade heart-pine bookshelves.
“This place really means a lot to me. I promise if I’m able to buy the building I’ll do everything I can to make sure it’s here for a long time to come.”
“I know you will. You love everything here just the way it is.” He gave her a knowing smile. “But on this we agree. I wouldn’t change a thing either.”
She smiled back at him, and for a moment he gave in to the way his heart sped up when their eyes met, the way he instinctively wanted to show her what she could do if she only trusted herself more and dared to try new things.
He’d never met anyone like her, so strong one minute and so unsure the next. With seemingly no family, not even her beloved Annie, he wondered when someone had last told her she was smart or capable. Or beautiful.
A deep tugging in his heart said he could be the one, but his brain said no and reminded him of San Diego. The best he could do was point her in the right direction and hope she found her way. He had his own problems to solve.
After they’d worked out the agenda for the first community forum, Logan fought the urge to invite Lucy to dinner—a working dinner, of course—and instead opted to grab takeout on the way home so he could finally carve out a little time to read the latest book Island Girl had given him.
He called ahead and ordered shrimp salad to go from the Waterway Café. He was hoping Mildred would be there because something she’d said the night he’d dined there after the council meeting had stuck with him. After Lucy had tried to make him out to be a villain in front of everyone, Mildred had stopped by his seat at the bar to confide that she was actually ready to retire. She and Marty had a daughter who lived in North Carolina, andshe’d just had their first grandchild. Mildred longed for time to go visit, maybe even stay for a week or two, but they were handcuffed to the restaurant.
“I know I could convince Marty if the math made sense,” she’d said. The city had mentioned some preliminary numbers when the other development options were being considered, but they never got far enough along to present her with a real offer.
Logan had reviewed the lease a dozen or more times. The landlord’s rights to terminate for breach of contract by the tenant were fairly boilerplate, but no thought had been given to the landlord terminating the lease early for other reasons, meaning Mildred and Marty would have to buy out the remaining few years of the lease.
That was part of why his plan needed to generate substantial revenue. He needed to account for buying out the lease, repairing or demolishing the current structure, hiring someone full-time to oversee the management of the real estate and the businesses on it, while also creating a long-term revenue stream to solve the city’s budget concerns. The city was prepared to issue bonds to finance everything in the short term if the long-term payoff was enough.
“Hi, Mildred.” Logan greeted her like an old friend as he walked through the front door and found her at the hostess stand. “How are you?”
“I’m doing just fine, Logan. I don’t think your shrimp salad is up yet, but it should be ready any minute. Can I get you something to drink while you wait? Tea? Water?”
“No, I’m good. Actually, I’m glad we have a minute to chat. I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night?—”
The door opened behind Logan, and he glanced back to see a couple with a toddler enter. He stepped aside as Mildred acknowledged the family.
“Welcome, y’all. Come on in.” She turned back to Logan. “I’ll be right back.”
“Go ahead.” Logan nodded, and the family passed him to follow Mildred to their table. He studied several rows of plaques on the wall to the right of the hostess stand. The Waterway Café had won awards ranging from “Best Local Seafood” to “Best Service” from the local newspaper that dated back nearly ten years, all proudly displayed up front to help persuade anyone who came in to take a quick peek at the menu.
“Thanks for waiting, dear. What were you saying?” Mildred was carrying an extra set of silverware and bent to put it somewhere beneath the stand.
“The other night you said that you and Marty might want to retire if the math was right. I checked your lease, and technically there’s no guidance for the city breaking the lease early.”
Her face fell. He knew she’d been hoping the city would break the lease. What she’d said the other night hadn’t been a passing idea; she wanted out. So he continued with the better news.
“But I met with Mayor Jenkins and he had some informal conversations with a few of the council members, and they’re willing to offer you a buyout on the lease. Really, it’s something they’d have to do if they wanted to terminate early.”
Hope filled Mildred’s face, brightening her gray eyes. She looked around, probably worried Marty might overhear the scheming.
“Really? How much would it be?”
A server rounded the corner from the kitchen that was situated just behind the hostess stand and handed a brown paper bag to Mildred. “To-go order.”
