Chapter 25
Lucy
Lucy had to admit the presentation from the cruise line had been impressive. Mark had made such a compelling presentation that even she wavered.
But Miranda had some pretty compelling numbers too. Even the smaller ships took a toll on the environment and sea life. When they’d first met over the phone to prepare weeks ago, Lucy had told Miranda to come in guns blazing. She wanted to decimate Logan Lancaster and his ridiculous cruise ship idea. Even though she’d softened toward Logan, she still thought this particular idea was problematic.
Miranda was already off and running. She went through solid- and liquid-waste dumping by ships—complete with photos of ships dumping trash bags just offshore from their destinations—gas emissions spewed into the air while ships were in port, discharged ballast water, potential fuel spills, and more.
The next slide showed a pile of objects on a beach ranging from soda cans and candy wrappers to flip-flops and hats. Miranda held up a hand as she spoke.
“How many of you have found trash washed up on the beach?” Nearly every hand in the room went up. “Did you know cruise ships are allowed to dump sewage three miles offshore? And they can release wastewater basically anywhere they want. They’re prohibited from dumping plastics or oil, but investigative reporters and interest groups have tracked ships and caught them dumping entire bags of trash overboard.” She went back to the earlier photo of a crew clearly dropping bags of trash over the railings.
Lucy looked over to where Mark was sitting in the second row and saw him frantically writing notes, no doubt his rebuttal. She shifted her eyes toward Logan without turning her head. He had stiffened against the wall. He had his cell phone out and his thumbs were flying across the keyboard. His jaw was clenched, which accentuated the lines of his face.
His skin was tanner than when she’d first met him, no doubt a result of the beach runs she often caught sight of while she was on her deck journaling in the morning. With the temperature continuing its annual climb higher each day, he’d been running without his shirt. Pete had been right. He was indeed something to look at sans shirt. Even the button down he wore that night clung to him in all the right places. A warmth spread across her chest, and she forced herself to look away and focus on Miranda’s presentation.
She was pointing to a photo of a woman holding a white rag nearly covered in something black.
“That’s soot from cruise-ship engines being cleaned off one of the historic buildings in downtown Charleston. No landlord in the city ever reported soot like this prior to the cruise ships coming in.” Miranda shot a look directly at Mark, who’d talked earlier about Charleston as a glowing case study of the economic impact cruise ships could have on a historic city.
He didn’t meet her gaze, as he was still furiously writing in his notebook.
Lucy glanced at the council members. Their demeanors had shifted as Miranda finished her presentation. After Logan’s experts spoke, they were relaxed, leaning back in their chairs, nodding, and whispering to each other casually. Now, they sat more erect, eyebrows furrowed and heads shaking as they exchanged hushed conversations.
She looked to Logan, who was tugging at the back of his neck with one hand and still typing on his phone with his other hand. When he realized she was looking at him, he held out a hand toward the podium, indicating she should go ahead and open up the public comment period of the meeting.
When she’d had her first call with Miranda weeks ago, she’d relished the idea of sending Logan out of town with his tail between his legs. But seeing the concern on his face now didn’t feel nearly as satisfying as she’d thought it would back then. Somehow they’d become friends. She’d met his sister and his niece and nephew. He’d encouraged her to buy her building and given her some good advice.
She knew the waterfront project was important to him, and although she stood by her desire to keep the cruise line from negatively impacting the waters around Heron Isle, she regretted not working with him harder on a compromise. Were there more eco-friendly cruise lines? What about the shuttle idea? Could they shuttle in people from nearby islands and get a similar positive impact without as many environmental negatives?
Her legs felt heavy as she walked up to the podium. Miranda caught Lucy’s eye as she stepped down after gathering her materials, smiling and nodding as if to say they’d been successful.
Lucy and Logan had agreed to the format beforehand, and she’d been surprised when he agreed to having his experts go first. Everyone knew it was better to go last in these scenarios in order to tailor the argument based on the other side’s presentation. They also agreed there wouldn’t be any rebuttals from either side lest it become an all-night debate.
Lucy could see Mark in the corner pointing to his notes and motioning at Miranda, obviously wanting to return to the podium to address the concerns raised. She felt a little guilty now that she’d insisted Logan’s experts go first, but there were still more meetings to be held. She’d let Logan go last next time.
When Lucy opened the floor to allow public comments, it was confirmed. Virtually everyone was against the addition of either ship to their port.
Larry Fletcher, a charter-boat captain, detailed how a friend of his in Houston had been nearly run out of business by the oil spills in the Gulf.
“I’ve been fishing these waters my entire life, and my dad and granddad before me did the same. I came tonight because I want to be sure there’s still fish in these waters for my kids and their kids and their kids’ kids. So I say no to cruise ships and casino boats and outsiders who want to destroy our little town and our water just to make a buck.”
Larry glared at Logan before stepping down and Lucy couldn’t help but feel protective over Logan. He was just doing his job.
After the meeting, both Logan and Lucy were inundated with people who wanted to ask questions or express additional concerns. The council members had congregated in a back corner with the mayor. She’d caught Logan looking in their direction too, concern etched across his face. He looked exhausted, his hair mussed from where he’d run his hand through it over and over again during the opposition comments.
“Well, you turned out to be a formidable opponent, Ms. Lucy Sullivan.” Logan approached her while still eyeing two council members who remained with the mayor in the back of the room, talking in hushed voices.
She grimaced. “I’m sorry. That was a little rougher than I’d imagined. I actually thought Mark made some really good points. I think we have a solid list of other ideas though.” She tried to sound chipper to relay her optimism that they could still figure out something that worked for everyone.
“Yeah, unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to be enough?—”
The mayor and Councilman Turner were approaching them. Dan Turner had been involved in the development of both the major resorts on the island and half a dozen small shopping centers scattered outside the downtown area. He’d been a strong proponent of the town building a new development along the waterfront during previous discussions.
Mayor Jenkins wasn’t making eye contact with Lucy or Logan, which was unsettling. Although he’d suggested the council hire Logan, he’d tried to remain neutral since he represented the interests of everyone in town. Now, though, he just looked weary. While Councilman Turner strode purposefully, like a man on a mission, Major Jenkins followed behind more slowly, his shoulders hunched.
“Lucy, do you mind if we have a word with Mr. Lancaster privately?” It was a question, but it was clear Councilman Turner was dismissing her.
She looked to Logan, apprehensive about leaving him alone to face the music. He gave a slight nod and forced his mouth into a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She’d never seen him so unsure of himself, and suddenly she was terrified that she’d succeeded in running him out of town.
Lucy waited outside city hall. She had to know what Councilman Turner and Mayor Jenkins had wanted with Logan after the meeting. She was sitting on the front steps chipping the pale-pink paint off her nails when she finally heard someone punch the door open twenty minutes later and looked up to see Logan exiting alone.
He was two steps down before he looked to his left and saw her rising to stand.
“Lucy.” He sounded surprised to see her. “What are you still doing here?”
She shrugged. “Waiting for you. What did Councilman Turner and Mayor Jenkins have to say?” She looked back up at the door to see if they were following Logan out.
His mouth formed a tight line. “Where’s your car? I’ll walk you back.”
“Over by the store.” She nodded in the direction of the town square where her store sat on the other side.
They crossed the street into the square in silence. She didn’t want to pry, but she was dying to know what had happened after she left.
He stopped suddenly, turning to her.
“Lucy, it’s over. My time in Heron Isle is over, but I don’t want you to worry. I’m still going to help you finish up the paperwork for the building.”
Panic rose in her chest, the air suddenly so thick she felt as if she couldn’t inhale a full breath, and it wasn’t because she was worried about paperwork. Just a few short weeks ago, Lucy wanted Logan out of town so badly she would have packed his suitcase and driven him to the airport herself. She’d wanted him to fail. She’d opposed him at every turn, certain he was the person who held all the power to destroy the waterfront and with it the unique charm of the entire town.
Councilman Turner was the shark in the water no one ever saw coming. She studied Logan’s eyes now. He hadn’t seen it coming either.
Logan turned to keep walking, but she grabbed his arm to stop him.
“What? Why? Just because people don’t want to bring in cruise ships or casino boats?”
When he looked down at her hand on his arm, she dropped it back to her side.
He sighed. “No, because Councilman Turner has made the town an offer it can’t refuse. He’s willing to pay fifteen percent over the appraised value to buy the waterfront and marina himself.”
Her mouth fell open as she searched for words. What was he talking about? The town had never discussed selling the land, least of all to Councilman Turner. Was that even legal?
“Can he do that?” she practically shrieked. “Isn’t that a conflict of interest or something?”
Logan grabbed his forehead as he looked down. “No, he’s stepping down from the council to remove the conflict, effective immediately.” He threw up his hands. “It’s basically a breach of fiduciary duty for the town to turn it down at this point. It’s their duty to balance the budget and manage the infrastructure. If they don’t have another viable option, they’ll be hard pressed to take another path now. Legally speaking, I think they’ll have to put it on the open market and take competing bids, but he’s opened the door to that land being privatized. I’m not sure the city has any other option.”
In all the worst-case scenarios she’d imagined, this one had never emerged. What were they going to do? Councilman Turner and his company would throw up high-rises along the waterfront without hesitation. He’d already done it a few miles away on the north end of the island where they’d once had unspoiled, natural land, and now he was coming for the historic downtown as well. She knew the town had ordinances that provided some parameters, but she couldn’t help thinking this was a doomsday scenario for the waterfront as they knew it.
And for Logan. She knew he’d needed a win. But what was making her really uncomfortable was the niggling feeling that the real loss here was hers. She didn’t want to tell Logan goodbye.
She followed as he began to walk again toward her car.
“What will you do?” She didn’t meet his eyes as she waited for his answer.
“I’ll find another city that needs me. That’s what I always do. Move on to the next town.”
When she’d first met Logan, he always sounded excited when he talked about moving from city to city, but something was different now. His words sounded empty. His tone defeated.
She didn’t know what else to say, so they walked in silence the rest of the short distance to her car. She hit the button to unlock it as they approached, then turned to face him, unsure what to say. How could it all be over just like that? No more hope for the waterfront. No more Logan Lancaster.
He smiled at her. Not the one-thousand-watt smile he flashed when he wanted things to go his way, just a small smile from a friend.
“Goodnight, Lucy.”
“Goodnight, Logan.” Before she could register what she was doing, she was reaching for a hug. The night held a finality she couldn’t shake.
To her surprise, he hugged her back, his arms locking them together, her shoulders fitting perfectly under his arms, and her head tucked into his chest. As she inhaled his now familiar scent that struck the perfect balance between sweet and masculine, her eyes closed, and she wished they could stay just like that.
He leaned his head down against hers, and the moment was so raw and tender she could hardly breathe. The hug lasted longer than any normal hug between friends, and yet she knew that whenever it ended, it would be too soon.
When they finally parted, they stood there looking at each other for a long while, each trying to read the other.
His eyes shifted to her lips and her skin tingled at the idea that he might lean down to kiss her. She might have even leaned in the slightest amount before he cleared his throat and took a step back.
Embarrassed that she’d had such thoughts about Logan, she waved a quick goodbye and grabbed the handle of her car door. Starting the engine, suddenly in a hurry to get away, she put it in reverse and began backing out onto the deserted street.
Turning to where they’d been standing, she saw Logan was still there watching her leave, and she couldn’t help but wonder how much time they’d have together before he was gone for good.