Chapter 27
Lucy
Lucy nearly tripped over the thick envelope when she walked in the front door of the store Thursday morning. Her name was printed in neat block letters on the front, but there was no address or postage.
After opening the metal fastener on the back, she pulled two stacks of papers from the folder, each secured with a small binder clip. A single sheet of paper slipped to the ground, sliding across the floor until Lizzy grabbed it with a paw and began attacking it.
“I think that’s for me,” she told the cat before running a hand down her back. Lizzy arched in reply and began to purr. As Lucy continued petting the cat, she read the neatly typed note.
Lucy,
I’m headed up to Boston, but I wanted you to have this before I left. It has everything you need to convince the bank to approve your loan for the building.
You can do this. I believe in you.
Logan
She flipped through the two sets of paperwork. They were complete business plans for both the bookstore and for the building, including timelines, maintenance schedules, reserves, and more. Everything they hadn’t gotten to. He must have spent hours on this.
It wasn’t until she read through the note a second time that his words sank in. I wanted you to have this before I left. Her heart sank. He was gone already? It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since the community forum. She’d thought it would take him a little while to figure out where he was heading next. He couldn’t have lined up another job this fast, could he?
She had to sit down. She moved to one of the blue armchairs by the front window and read the note again. He believed in her. But he was also gone. Two competing thoughts fought for her attention, like a tug-of-war inside her head. He’d believed in her so much he’d spent hours finishing up the business plans and delivering them to her. But then he left. Just like everyone did eventually.
The bells on the front door jingled, drawing her attention. She wasn’t open yet, but she’d forgotten to lock the door behind her. Her breath caught as she turned to see who had come in. Maybe Logan hadn’t really left without saying goodbye.
But it wasn’t Logan lumbering toward her. It was Mayor Jenkins. She really wasn’t in the mood to talk, but she plastered on a smile.
“Good morning.”
“Mornin’, Lucy. I wanted to come by and see how you’re doing.” He sat in the chair next to her.
Setting the paperwork on the small table between them, she sighed. “I’m fine, I guess. Obviously, I’m disappointed. Maybe the cruise ship wasn’t such a bad idea. If I’d focused on compromising instead of winning, maybe we could have figured out a solution that didn’t involve selling out to a developer.”
“Lucy, this isn’t about you doing anything wrong or not doing enough. It’s just business.” The mayor shrugged. “I don’t love the idea of selling to Turner either, but it’s not my decision. The council is prepared to approve the sale. It’s the fastest way to get the money the city needs. We have to weigh the infrastructure needs against whatever disadvantages the sale might bring. Besides, we don’t know exactly what Turner plans to do with the land just yet.”
Lucy frowned. “I have a pretty good idea. Has he ever developed anything on this island that didn’t end up being a high-density eyesore?”
The mayor didn’t argue. He simply sipped the coffee he’d brought with him and petted Lizzy, who was now circling his legs.
Lucy glanced at the note and plans she’d set on the table, and she couldn’t resist asking about Logan. “So the town just ends its contract with Logan, and he goes on to the next place?”
“I wouldn’t worry about Logan. Sounds like he already has his next job lined up in Boston. It’s probably better suited for him anyway.”
Her heart sank. “Well, that’s the end of that, I guess.”
After studying her face, the mayor raised an eyebrow. “He has a meeting up there tomorrow morning, but he hasn’t moved out of the cottage yet. He told us he’d be back next week to pack up.”
The corners of her mouth turned up before she could stop them. She didn’t want the mayor to think she cared one way or the other about Logan and where he ended up, but she did care. He hadn’t left without saying goodbye. And although she knew it was just postponing the inevitable, she was glad he wasn’t gone for good just yet. She wanted to show him that his time spent with her hadn’t been wasted, even if his time working for Heron Isle maybe had been.
As soon as Mayor Jenkins left, she grabbed her purse, locked the front door behind her and hurried to Main Street Bank. It was just like the book from Gatsby’s Ghost had said. She needed to accept some risk into her life instead of running from it. It was time to embrace a new way of being.
After closing the shop on Thursday, Lucy walked the few blocks to Rothchild’s to help Jack pick out the perfect ring for her best friend. Instead of letting feelings of impending doom swallow her like they would have just a few short days ago, she pictured how happy Taylor was going to be when Jack got down on one knee.
Although the proposal would likely take Taylor away to Nashville, Lucy knew it had nothing to do with her. Their getting engaged and moving wasn’t a reflection on her or even Heron Isle. It was just change, and it happened. And maybe sometimes change was good. Taylor would have more opportunities—maybe she’d even get to work on the set of a country music video or something really cool that could only happen in Nashville. She would no longer be limited to destination weddings and the rare photo shoot or black-tie gala.
By the time Lucy pushed open the door to Rothchild’s, she was smiling and skipping as if she was going to pick out her own ring. Jack was already there looking at one, and she was delighted to see he was headed in the right direction.
“What do you think of this one?” He held it up, and it sparkled in the light like a disco ball with two rows of tiny diamonds around the band.
Lucy took it from his hand, holding it up to the light. “It’s beautiful. I think it’s close, but…” She looked in the case, searching for something a little simpler. Finding what she was looking for, she pointed for the clerk—a younger woman Lucy only knew by name, Parker—to take the emerald-cut sparkler from the case. “She’d like this emerald-cut more.”
Jack took it from the clerk and held it up to examine it from every angle. As he talked to the clerk about the specifics, Lucy drifted farther down the case to see if anything else caught her eye. That was when she saw the ring of her dreams. A princess-cut diamond that might not be a full carat with a row of three sapphires on each side of the center stone.
“Would you like to see that one too?” Parker walked toward Lucy.
“Oh, no. The one he has is perfect.”
“But you like that one?” Parker gave her a knowing smile.
Lucy had met Parker once or twice in passing around town, but she hadn’t lived on Heron Isle long and was a full decade younger. Lucy heard she’d moved to the island with her husband, who was a chef over at Jack’s resort.
“I do.” It was silly to think about an engagement ring when she wasn’t even dating, but she couldn’t help herself. It was beautiful.
“Can’t hurt to try it on.” Parker winked as she reached into the case and pulled it out.
Lucy looked around before she slipped it on, even though she knew they were alone in the store. She would die of embarrassment if anyone saw her trying on the ring. It was bad enough Jack was nearby, but he was consumed with examining the ring for Taylor.
Lucy looked down at the ring on her hand, which was nothing like the ostentatious one Carter had given her. She knew he’d meant well when he bought it, equating its size and price to value and wanting to show her some sign of the giant life he had planned for them. But in the end, she hadn’t wanted that life, and he hadn’t been happy “playing it small” on Heron Isle.
She thought of Logan then. In the beginning, she’d thought he was like Carter. Always on the search for something bigger and better. But something was different about his aspirations. He seemed less inclined to chase accomplishments and more focused on trying to prove something. She’d just never figured out what.
After seeing Logan with his sister and niece and nephew, Lucy had thought about what sort of woman Logan might settle down with one day. It had been obvious how much he loved his family when they visited, but given his career choice, she wasn’t sure he even wanted to settle down.
Just as she started to imagine Logan as a husband and father, a little boy with his bright-green eyes running around on the beach, Jack interrupted her thoughts.
“I think you’re right. This is the one.”
He was grinning, and Lucy could tell the ring would burn a hole in his pocket until he could give it to Taylor.
“Great! I’ll leave you to it then. Everything is on for tomorrow night still?”
He nodded. “Yes. I’ve got the photographer lined up, and then we’ll meet you and the others up at the bar afterward to celebrate.” Jack stopped and a shadow crossed his face. “I mean, assuming she says yes.”
Lucy laughed, placing an arm on Jack’s. “Don’t worry. She’ll say yes.”
After confirming what time Jack planned to pop the question, Lucy realized she’d left the book she wanted to put in the Little Free Library for Gatsby’s Ghost at the store, so she walked back. Just as she was walking to the door to lock up again, her cell phone rang. Taking it from her purse, she saw Leona’s number on the screen. Leona only called with really good news… or really bad news.
Lucy answered as cheerfully as she could, but her voice cracked. “Hi, Leona.”
“Lucy, my love. Are you sitting?”
“No. Should I be?”
“Yes, I do think this is sitting news.” Leona paused, seeming serious about Lucy needing a chair, so she walked over to one of the blue armchairs and sat.
“Okay.” Lucy spoke slowly and softly. “I’m sitting. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” Leona’s voice came in a rush of words now. “Everything is glorious, my dear. I sent off your synopsis to a couple of editors who loved your work before, but just couldn’t make the last one work with their list, and there’s going to be an auction!”
“A-An auction? What does that mean?” Lucy’s mind was racing. She didn’t know Leona was going to show anyone the synopsis, she thought she would just read it and give her feedback before she started writing the book.
“It means four different publishers are interested in your book. They’re positively salivating over it. It’s going to be a big, wonderful fight that will drive up your advance and ensure whoever buys it puts some real marketing power behind your debut.”
Lucy could hardly follow, Leona was talking so fast and excitedly. Was she saying more than one publisher wanted her book? “You mean I’m going to get a book deal?”
“Honey, by the time I’m done you’re going to have at least a two-book deal and a big fat advance!”
Leona was right. Lucy had needed to sit down for this. Her hand was shaking so much she could hardly hold the phone to her ear. Someone wanted to publish her book. Several editors at different publishing houses, in fact. When the voice nagged at the back of her mind and said she’d gotten a deal before and it had all fallen through, she shoved it mentally through a door and slammed it shut. It was like Logan had said, she needed to believe in herself as much as everyone else did.
After Leona explained how the auction would work and promised to call as soon as she’d received the offers, Lucy hung up and was enveloped by the silence of the empty store around her. She felt the overwhelming urge to tell someone. She could tell Taylor tonight so it wouldn’t overshadow her engagement the following evening, but they weren’t meeting for dinner for another hour. Staring at her phone, she wanted to dial Logan’s number. He was the only other person who even knew she’d sent the synopsis to Leona. But he was in Boston. She felt silly interrupting his trip for his new job. Maybe she’d get the chance to tell him before he left town. To thank him.
In the meantime, she’d go drop off the book in the Little Free Library for Gatsby’s Ghost. Maybe she should tell him. After all, this was definitely a risk that had paid off.
Taking the note she’d already written out of the book, she jumped up and walked over to the counter, where she scribbled a new message on the pad by the computer, ripped it off, and tucked it back between the pages. She’d drop off the book and buy a bottle of champagne on her way to meet Taylor. She deserved to celebrate.