Page 70 of The Library of Second Chances
I wasn’t sure what to leave you next, but I thought perhaps you might enjoy a book on the history of this area. I always find there’s so much to appreciate around here if I take the time to open my eyes.
Thank you again for encouraging me to take a risk. I hope you finally hit that home run.
Island Girl
Logan shook his head, his mouth open wide in a smile that stretched his cheeks until they hurt. She’d done it. Lucy had sent off the synopsis she was working on and landed a book deal.
His first instinct was to run straight over to her store and congratulate her, but he knew he couldn’t just burst in and tell her he was Gatsby’s Ghost. As far as she knew, Logan had no idea about her book deal. They hadn’t spoken since he walked her back to her car after the meeting Wednesday night.
He considered going over to the store just to say hi and see if she’d tell him about the book deal, but he knew he still had a lot of work to do before Tuesday rolled around, when he had to go confront the council to try to stop the sale to Turner. He forced his legs to walk in the opposite direction to his car. First things first. He needed to put together his presentation for the council meeting and finish the paperwork for Hill House.
Maybe after he saved the waterfront from development and announced he was bringing back the library he could convince Lucy to forgive him for the small lies he’d told since learning she was Island Girl.
She had to forgive him. He was gambling his future on it.
Twenty-Nine
Logan
Lucy didn’t know it yet, but she had helped save the waterfront. Thanks to the book she left him in the Little Free Library, Doug had found the shell middens they were looking for at a speed that would have made pirates searching for gold turn green with envy. It was like having a treasure map. The book detailed exactly where the settlement on the island had been, and it even referenced early journal entries from a European settler describing the settlement. Doug was familiar with the area, but hadn’t previously had reason to look for its exact location.
Now it was Tuesday and Logan was headed to the council meeting, but first he stopped at the Little Free Library to make sure Lucy had found the note he’d left yesterday. He’d asked her to meet him—well, to meet Gatsby’s Ghost—on the back deck at the Waterway Café and promised her he’d be there this time. He’d had to make the time 9:00 p.m. to account for the council meeting, so he hoped that hadn’t turned her off. He’d chosena place that was still public enough to make her feel safe, but also afforded a little privacy. And he’d asked Mildred to have champagne waiting at the table and not to seat anyone around them. She’d agreed to keep secret who’d set up the reservation. Mildred didn’t know the whole story, but she was so excited about the prospect of Logan and Lucy ending up together that she said she didn’t need to know anything more.
As he walked up the steps to city hall, Logan thought about how defeated he’d felt just a week ago as he stood in this same place with Lucy. Tonight, Doug and Helen were first on the agenda so they could present their evidence before the big vote. Worst-case scenario, they’d halt the sale long enough to come up with alternatives. Best-case scenario, Turner would want no part of the legal battle to develop on top of what Doug was pretty sure were the burial grounds of indigenous peoples.
Logan had also secured a spot on the agenda at the last minute so he could present his new idea for the waterfront and also ask for preliminary approval to reinstate the library at its new location at Hill House. Mayor Jenkins had already blessed everything the day before, so it was just up to the council to approve it.
He spotted Lucy sitting on a row near the front as soon as he walked in, her back to the door as she chatted with Pam and Pete. Her hunched shoulders indicated she’d come to witness what she thought was the inevitable vote to sell the waterfront property to former councilman, Dan Turner.
Pete saw him first and nudged Lucy, nodding in Logan’s direction. When she turned, the wide-eyed surprise on her face quickly turned into a smile. He wanted to run across the room—jump over chairs if he had to—grab her and spin her around. They could still win this thing.
But he didn’t even get the chance to walk over to her because Helen and Doug quickly descended upon him asking for help setting up the slideshow.
As he passed Lucy’s row, she whispered, “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” He gave her a big smile. He couldn’t wait for her to see his presentation, to tell her about her role in it all.
By the time Logan got the slideshow set up, Mayor Jenkins was calling the meeting to order. The mayor was the only person other than Doug and Helen who knew why they were on the agenda. He’d advised that catching Turner off guard at the meeting was the best way to get a vote in their favor tonight and halt the idea of selling the marina to the developer.
Helen and Doug presented everything flawlessly. They’d decided Helen had more credibility with the town than Logan, so Logan let them lead the way. He turned in his seat from the front row several times during the presentation to gauge Lucy’s reaction. At first, she’d looked confused, a tiny line appearing between her eyebrows as she tried to piece together what was happening. As Doug closed out, however, he saw the realization in her eyes. Doug was detailing how the area would have to be excavated carefully and cataloged before any development could proceed and how the Florida courts had already ruled in similar cases that development would be prohibited. Lucy burst into a smile then and looked to him and tilted her head as if she was trying to piece it all together.
Logan knew before Doug finished that Turner was out. He’d walked up to the clerk to the right of the council and whispered quickly before leaving the chambers. Logan was sitting on the far right of the front row and caught the whole exchange. Turner had taken his item off the agenda without a fight. Logan nearly pumped his fist in the air, but thought that might be a little unprofessional. He still had to give his presentation.
Mayor Jenkins flipped on his mic after Doug and Helen packed up their things and returned to their seats.
“The clerk has informed me that the next item has been stricken from the agenda.”
Whispers erupted across the crowd as several council members leaned to their neighbors. The mayor banged his gavel.
“As many of you know, we expected to entertain an offer from Mr. Turner this evening, and the council was prepared to vote on the sale of the waterfront property after failing to develop our own viable plan for the land. However, with Mr. Turner’s item off the agenda, we’ll also remove the vote from the agenda.” He motioned to the clerk to indicate she should make the necessary update in her document.
“Next, we have a presentation from Mr. Lancaster. Although he is no longer under contract with the city, he’s asked to present a new plan for the waterfront”—he looked to Logan and then cleared his throat—“and other matters for consideration.”
Logan appreciated that the mayor hadn’t stolen his thunder on the library news. In a small town like this, it was a miracle the few people who knew had managed to keep it under wraps for even a couple days.
Fueled by Lucy’s warm brown eyes and gentle smile in the audience, he gave his presentation. Along with the ideas that had had support before—the open-air seafood market, paddleboard and small watercraft rentals, and food kiosks, all of which could be set up without disturbing the area with the shell middens—he shared his new idea. He wanted the city to consider spending a little money to make even more money. He’d run the numbers and provided the council members with copies, and was suggesting they could buy a small fleet of three boats to use for ferry service to nearby islands, sunset cruises, eco tours, and more. It wouldn’t take long to get up and running, and it didn’t present environmental concerns like the cruise ships they’dconsidered. He’d also worked with Helen to design a small amphitheater along the water that would repurpose natural materials and not require any major construction, and the city could rent it for small concerts, plays, and other entertainment.
Councilwoman Gilbert asked him the question he’d been waiting for when he finished running through the particulars.
