Alex looked at the crowd gathered in the auditorium. The place was packed, everyone talking and murmuring amongst themselves. Despite her attempts to maintain a balance with this issue, rumors and assumptions had spread like wildfire throughout the island. Many there either thought that the retirement community was going to be a huge boon for the island or believed that it would destroy everyone’s way of life. It was going to be tough cutting through these extremes and discussing everything calmly and rationally.
Alex had been chosen as chairperson, though Brian had objected adamantly, insisting that, as mayor, he should be in charge. His objection was pretty much ignored, everyone knowing that it would be impossible for him to be objective. Alex had doubts that she could remain objective herself. Her emotions about Hope Island were too deep. Again, she wished that Daniel was there. She couldn’t help but feel that, with his ability to listen to all sides of an issue and remain calm and reasonable, he would be far better suited as the chairman of this meeting.
Alex saw Joseph Mann and Frank Tate come in. They wove their way through the crowd, all eyes turning to them. Stepping onto the stage, they sat down to her right. Brian and Nub were on her left. At a second table set at a right angle to theirs was Bonita, Ruby, Father Mac, Molly, Kevin, and Doctor Watson. Alex had wanted Callie to be there too, but the journalist had insisted on remaining strictly an observer during the meeting, partly so that she could take notes for the newspaper and partly so that she could write an objective article. Molly also had not wanted to be up there, feeling as if she didn’t belong, but Alex had begged her to. She knew that Molly would speak from her heart.
“We weren’t expecting this much of a crowd,” Joseph whispered, covering the microphone in front of him with his hand. Mics had been set up before each person so that everyone could talk from their places at the tables rather than standing behind a podium.
Alex covered her own microphone. “Well, your Hope Gardens has become a hot topic. Everyone wants to find out what it’s all about and have their say,” she told the man.
Joseph nodded. “Shall we get things started then?”
“Yes.” She turned to Brian, who very loudly called the meeting to order. The auditorium grew silent.
Alex cleared her throat a bit nervously. “I think the first thing we need to do is have Mister Mann and Mister Tate explain exactly what Hope Gardens is and what it isn’t.”
Agreeing, the Bostonians told the crowd about their plans, explaining what the retirement community would be, its projected size, and what jobs would be available for the locals. To their credit, they did not paint a big, glowing picture of Hope Gardens, but stuck mostly to the facts. Alex suspected that they knew she’d throw cold water on their spiel if they started turning it into a sales pitch.
“All right, I know that you all have questions and concerns,” Alex said to the audience once Joseph and Frank were finished. “But, first, I think that we should hear from some of the business owners and community leaders. Bonita, Ruby, would you like to start?”
“Um, sure,” Bonita replied. “I guess what Mom and I are most concerned about is how it will affect the store and the other businesses in town. What’s going to happen if mainland business owners start coming in, thinking that Hope will be a good place to open a new store, or motel, or whatever, because of the wealthy people that will be living in this Hope Gardens?”
“We’d like to see some new businesses come in, but we couldn’t compete with some glitzy new store,” Ruby added. “And if a new grocery store came in with bargain prices, it would hurt our business tremendously.”
Alex nodded and turned to the Bostonians. “Would you like to say something about this?”
“Yes, we would,” Frank said. “We understand your concerns, but I really don’t think you have to worry about that. Hope Gardens will not be a large enough development to entice new business owners into the area, except, perhaps, for services that do not presently exist on the island. For instance, we’d like to see someone come in and take over the bakery that we saw sitting empty in town.”
There were some murmurs of agreement from the crowd about that. Everyone missed Jo’s Bakery.
“It is likely that the Hope Gardens residents will do some of their shopping off the island, just as many of the present residents do,” Frank continued. “Any services and products that cannot be obtained here will be gotten there. Which brings us to one large addition that we can foresee taking place on the island.”
“Which is?” Brian asked eagerly.
“A marina,” Joseph replied. “It’s likely that many of the Hope Gardens residents will own or be purchasing boats so that they can freely travel back and forth between the mainland and the island without being dependent on the ferry. This will mean even more jobs for the islanders since there will have to be people to man the marina, plus people to repair the boats and clean them. This being a fishing community, jobs that have to do with boats would, I think, be a welcome thing.” The man opened his mouth to continue, but caught a look from Alex. It was a warning look, telling him to halt the sales pitch. Smiling slightly, he closed his mouth. Alex Stone was not going to let them get away with anything. He found himself admiring her stubbornness.
“Now, it is possible that future expansions will have to be made to existing businesses as you find that you cannot handle the increase in patronage with your present facilities,” Frank said. “But I doubt that any of you would object to making your businesses larger if you had the money coming in to pay for it. And I should think that you would like to be able to employ other island residents to help you run your businesses.”
Ruby and Bonita both nodded. A little larger store would be nice, and it would be great to have the means to hire someone to help run the place. But would these new residents complain about the quality of products that they carried? Living in a fishing community, they’d never stocked the pricey, fancy stuff. There had never been a need to. Oh well. If the Hope Gardens residents wanted things they couldn’t provide, then the people could just go to the mainland to get them. They weren’t going to change things just to please those people, not when things had been this way since the store was built.
“Okay, how about you, Father Mac?” Alex asked.
The priest cleared his throat. “My concern, of course, is for the spiritual well-being of Hope. More parishioners are always welcome, but my church is very traditional. If new people came in with more, um, radical beliefs, I am concerned that it will cause some contention.”
“Well, since we’re talking about retired individuals, it’s doubtful that you’ll have to worry about any New Age zealots coming in,” Joseph Mann said with a smile. “Besides, it’s likely that many of the Hope Gardens residents will be Protestant.”
The moment the man spoke the last sentence, Alex could tell that he wished he hadn’t. Instantly suspicious, Alex leaned forward and stared at him.
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
“Um . . . it’s just that the Protestant faith is very widespread in the U.S. It would stand to reason that many of the people who buy homes in Hope Gardens would be of that religion.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. The man was lying. She could tell. But why? What was the real reason that they thought many of the Hope Gardens people would be Protestant? Alex suddenly had a bad feeling. Something was up, and she suspected that, whatever it was, it involved Daniel in some way.
Pushing aside her worries for now, Alex turned to Hope’s only law enforcement officer. “What about you, Kevin?”
The cop sat up a little straighter, enjoying being the center of attention for a while. “Yeah, I have my concerns. We’re a crime-free community here. No one on Hope even worries about locking their doors at night or when they’re gone. But if that community comes in, it’s going to attract people to the island intent on burglarizing those rich houses, and what’s to prevent them from hitting a few of the local residents’ homes as well?”
That statement sent a buzz of worried talk throughout the auditorium. No one wanted to see the crime rate go up on Hope. They all loved the security of living in a place without any crime to speak of.
“That is a very valid concern,” Frank said. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee that someone won’t come in to burglarize the homes in Hope Gardens. Of course, we will be taking some precautions against break-ins. All of the houses will be equipped with alarms, and the fact that access to the community will be limited to the bridges--which will be closed after hours--will be a deterrent to would-be thieves. And I don’t think that you have to worry so much about the same thieves who would target the high income homes hitting the lower income ones. Generally, people who have the tools to bypass alarms and break into the houses of the wealthy are after high-priced items that they wouldn’t find in the homes of the locals. They simply would not be interested in your houses.”
“Well, that may be the case with some, but not all,” Kevin argued. “In my experience, I’ve seen the same perps hit both the rich, upper class homes and the middle class houses.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Joseph admitted. “But another deterrent to thieves coming here is the fact that this is an island. There are only three ways to get here: on the ferry, by helicopter, or with a private boat. Let’s say that a gang of thieves wanted to burglarize Hope Gardens. First, they’d have to have a boat, one large enough to carry all the things they stole. Once they arrived on the island, which would have to be in the middle of the night, they’d have to find a way to get to Hope Gardens. It’s a long walk from the water to there, and they certainly wouldn’t want to walk that distance back to their boat carrying the things they’ve stolen. Which means that they’d have to have a boat large enough to transport motorcycles and trailers. That’s a major undertaking, requiring a sizable amount of money to set up, not to mention there being a great deal more risk in getting caught. Just the sound of motorcycles in the middle of the night in a community like this will awaken the entire neighborhood and send everyone to their windows and doors. These may be upper class houses that we’re building, but they won’t be million dollar homes with multimillionaires living in them. All things considered, I doubt that many thieves would consider it worth the time, money, and risk to hit Hope Gardens, not when there are so many easier targets right in Seattle.”
Though she was still harboring her earlier suspicions, Alex had to admit that Joseph Mann’s argument was very logical. Why would someone go through all that bother to burglarize Hope Gardens when they could find easier pickings on the mainland? Only someone who was in it for the thrill and the challenge would, unless there was something in particular that they wanted to steal.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that,” Kevin said, “though I still may have to deputize some people to patrol the docks.” Before he got married, he’d never have willingly entrusted any police work to civilians. He’d hated it when Brian and Nub stuck their noses into the caviar smuggling case. But now that he had Molly to go home to at night, he wasn’t so keen on spending his nights out on patrol.
“Would you like to say something, Doctor Watson?” Alex asked.
“Only that I’m concerned that the clinic will not be able to handle that many new patients all at once,” Lily said. “I’m also worried about the fact that their ages could mean more serious ailments. It isn’t a simple matter to get someone to a hospital from here.”
“Would you be against hiring a Physicians Assistant if the load got too great, Doctor?” Frank asked.
“No, but that isn’t the only problem. I have only one exam room and not enough equipment for two doctors. It hasn’t been a problem up until now, but I am concerned that it will become one.”
Joseph and Frank looked at each other. The issue of medical care had not been one that they thought of, and they now realized that they should have. Anyone thinking of buying a home in Hope Gardens was going to want to be sure that adequate medical facilities were available to them.
“I’m afraid that we don’t have an easy answer for this. We’ll have to give it some thought and see if we can come up with a solution,” Joseph said.
Doctor Watson nodded.
Alex looked at her best friend. “Molly? What would you like to say?”
The blonde looked uncomfortable for a moment. She shifted in her chair and glanced at the crowd. “I, um. . . .” She stopped and collected herself. “I’ve lived here on Hope my entire life. I love this place, and I want to see things get better. I know that it will take money coming in to do that.” She glanced at her father, who looked pleased at her comment. “But I also don’t want to see things change. I love living in a small, quiet community where everyone cares about their neighbors. I like that I can walk down the street and know that everyone I see is a friend. We may not be rich, we may not have a lot of material possessions, but we have things that mean so much more. I just don’t want to see anything happen that will hurt that.”
There were nods of agreement from many in the audience.
Alex looked at Nub, whose eyes instantly widened in panic. Smiling faintly, she didn’t ask the young man for his opinion, but addressed the man beside him instead. “Okay, Brian. Now you can tell us what you think.”
Squaring his shoulders, Brian stood, despite the fact that no one else had when they spoke. He picked up the microphone. “People of Hope. This is my home as much as it is yours. My family has owned property here and on the other islands for generations. I know as well as any of you how the economy in the area has gone down. Now, I know that you don’t want things to change around here, but maybe it’s time for a change. We need new businesses and new industries. We need to increase tourism to the island. Don’t you want to see this community prosper and become financially stable? That isn’t going to happen if we don’t do something to make it happen. It’s time to stop being afraid of progress and growth and let Hope Island step beyond what it’s been for the last hundred years and become a place that has a future for our children and grandchildren. Hope Gardens can be the beginning of that. As your mayor, I strongly urge you to vote for it.”
As he took in a deep breath, preparing to go on with his speech, Alex quickly spoke up, “Thank you, Brian.”
The man looked at her, frowning. He opened his mouth to say something, but was beaten to the punch.
“What about you, Alex?” Callie asked. “What do you think about this Hope Gardens?”
With a frustrated sigh, Brian sat down, knowing that he was not going to get the chance to finish his speech. And it had been a darn good one too. He’d worked on it all yesterday afternoon and evening, practicing in front of the mirror and to Nub.
Alex looked out at everyone, at all the faces seeking an answer to the issue before them. “I think you can all remember the last time that I was before you talking about Hope Island. That time, the issue was a resort that would have destroyed our way of life here. Things were very clear then. But, this time, things are not so clear. We’re not talking about a resort that would result in the complete loss of patronage for all the businesses in town. This isn’t something that will swamp the island with tourists, turning it into something that none of us would want to see. It’s a retirement community that will be designed to attract wealthy people to make their homes there. On the surface, it might seem as if it couldn’t do any real harm, that there would be a solution to any problems that arose from its construction. Mister Mann and Mister Tate have been able to appease or lessen most of the concerns that have been expressed here tonight so far.”
Alex paused, thinking about what she was going to say next. “But my greatest worry when it comes to Hope Gardens is a matter of the heart and the spirit, the heart and spirit of Hope Island. We are far from being a rich community when it comes to material possessions, but we have pride in what we do have and in what we have accomplished through hard work and the help we give to each other. What will happen to that pride if a bunch of rich retirees come onto the island, looking down their noses at us because we’re plain, working-class people? What’s going to happen to our children’s self-esteem if they are made to feel like second-class citizens by being reminded every day, by Hope Gardens residents and the relatives who come to visit them, that they will probably never have fancy cars and rich homes or even the most stylish clothes because they don’t have lots of money and have very little chance of it ever being different? I don’t want it to be that way for my son, and I’m certain that the rest of you wouldn’t either. Yet that is a very real danger if Hope Gardens gets built.”
The entire audience began murmuring, clearly disturbed by that thought.
“Ms. Stone, I can sympathize with your concern, but I sincerely doubt that such a thing will happen,” Joseph said. “Hope Gardens is not going to be home to a bunch of blue bloods. Many, I’m sure, will be people who got their money by working just as hard as anyone here.”
“But can you guarantee that?” Alex asked. “Can you guarantee that what I’m worrying about won’t happen?”
“No, we can’t,” Frank said. “We can’t make guarantees about anything.”
“Well, I can, or at least I can greatly reduce the risk of my fear coming true.”
“How?” Callie asked.
“If we vote in favor of Hope Gardens, I propose that we set up a committee that will screen everyone who seeks to buy a house there. Through interviews and inquiries into their backgrounds, we should be able to determine if someone is the kind of person who will cause trouble.”
All of the islanders nodded and made positive sounds, liking that idea. Even Brian got a thoughtful look on his face, his head nodding slightly.
Joseph shook his head. “We could not agree to that.”
“Why not? Because it will cut down on the prospective buyers? Because it will insult the ones who come in to buy? When people apply for a job, they are interviewed and whether or not they get the job is determined by their suitability for the position. Many exclusive clubs and organizations screen people who wish to become members to find out if they are the right sort of people for membership. There are homeowners associations that have control regarding what residents in their neighborhoods can and can’t do with their landscaping and their houses. All we’d be asking is to have a say in who moves into Hope Gardens. Is that so much to ask? Don’t you want Hope Island to remain the friendly, open place that it is now?”
The Bostonians turned to each other. They discussed things for a couple of minutes in whispers. Finally, they turned back to Alex.
“We will have to check on the legal aspects of this first, but if it can be made to work, we will agree your terms,” Frank said.
Alex nodded. If they had refused to go along, then that would have been it as far as she was concerned. She would have told everyone point-blank that she was against the retirement community. She suspected that the two developers knew this.
Just then, the door to the auditorium opened and Boris came in. The Russian approached the stage, an excited look on his face. He had wanted to be at the meeting, but there had still been customers at the Widow’s Walk when the time came for Alex and Molly to leave. Boris had volunteered to stay behind. Callie was recording the entire meeting so that he could listen to it later.
The Russian went straight up to Alex.
“What is it, Boris?” she asked. He bent down and whispered something in her ear. A smile lit the redhead’s face. “Really? That would be great. You can do that?”
“Yes. Boris worked in radio station in Russia, knows how to patch things up.”
“I think you mean patch things in,” Alex said, grinning more broadly. “Okay, you do what you have to.”
The Russian nodded. “Will need person from school who can help.”
Alex looked out at the crowd. “Hey, everyone. Daniel called the Widow’s Walk. He’d like to talk to everybody and share his thoughts. Boris says that there is a way that Daniel can call the school, and they can patch him into the PA system. Boris needs someone to give him a hand.”
Bright smiles lit the faces of everyone there, and they all began talking amongst themselves. Two people from the school went with Boris to help him, as did Marcus, who figured that his technical knowledge might come in handy.
As they waited for the call to be patched through, Joseph and Frank looked around at all the people in the auditorium. Throughout the meeting, they’d seen the mood swing back and forth from worry and doubt to excitement and peace of mind. With the announcement that Reverend Cooper was going to speak, the mood had changed to eager anticipation. It was clear to see that all present wanted very much to hear the minister’s thoughts. The Bostonians just hoped that the cleric wasn’t wholly against Hope Gardens. If he was, it would seriously hurt their position. Daniel Cooper’s opinion was obviously greatly valued and respected.
A few minutes later, Boris, Marcus, and the two school employees came back in. As Marcus headed for the phone on the wall, the Russian walked back up to the stage and whispered in Alex’s ear again.
“Thanks, Boris,” she said. As the man returned to the main floor, she addressed the crowd. “Okay, everyone. Daniel is patched into the PA system. He’ll also be able to hear us though the phone over there.” She looked to see Marcus press a button on the phone. “So, if we can have some quiet, we’ll let him speak.”
The auditorium immediately quieted.
“Hello, everyone,” came Daniel’s voice over the speakers.
At least a hundred people said hello back, smiling at hearing the minister’s voice.
“I wish that I could be there for the meeting, but I’m stuck in this hospital missing all of you instead. But as I lay here, I suddenly knew that I had to give all of you my thoughts somehow. Since Boris has had just about every job in existence at one time or another, I figured that he might have a way to make it possible.”
Laughter arose at Daniel’s comment. As it quieted, he resumed speaking.
“One year ago, I came to Hope Island searching for a place to start a new life, to put behind me the troubles and mistakes of the past. I was hoping to find a home. But what I found was so much more than that. I found an island full of people who were more than just residents, they were a community, in the truest and best sense of the word. Every day that I have been here, I’ve marveled at how every person was willing to give a helping hand to a neighbor. I’ve seen you band together to help someone when they needed it.” He remembered when Jo needed bail money, and, later, when over three hundred people gave him money when he was in danger of losing the church. “I’ve watched you join in prayer and well-wishing when one of your own was sick.” Daniel’s voice wavered a moment as he spoke those words, thinking about how they had done it for him as well. “I have seen you donate your time and energy in giving aid to others after a crisis.” As they had helped him repair the storm damage to the church, a memory he thanked God that he had been given back. “And I have seen you live your lives every day, triumphing over the bad times and celebrating the good times. Throughout this year, I have been blessed with being a part of all that.”
He paused a moment. “But in this year, I have also seen the darker side of Hope. I have watched you struggle to make ends meet, some of you worrying every day if you were going to have enough money to pay the bills, enough food to feed your children. I’ve seen your anger and sorrow over how the financial foundation that this community was built on has fallen from the profitable industry it was to something with an uncertain future. I have prayed long and hard for God to bring an answer for Hope, a way to bring money into the community without ruining the kind of place that it is. I think that most of you wish for Hope to remain pretty much as it is now and has been for longer than you’ve been alive. But nothing can stay exactly the same forever. Sometimes, we have to accept change in order for things to keep going. But how much of a change can we accept before we lose what we have?”
Daniel gave a soft sigh. “I don’t know if Hope Gardens is the answer to my prayer and the prayer that I’m sure many of you have also made, but I do know that each and every one of you need to look deep into your hearts, past the things that are being said and claimed, to what you truly want for yourself and for this community. What will make you happy? What do you think Hope Island needs? There is no doubt that Hope Gardens will come with a price. This would be true of any new development that came to the island. But is its price too steep? Only you can decide that. You must make the decision to either take a chance, say yes to Hope Gardens and pray that it will not be a mistake, or reject it and hope that something better will come along someday. Because the truth is that something is needed to keep this island alive and healthy.”
The minister paused again. “That’s all I have to say. I won’t try to sway your minds one way or another. It’s not my right to try making your decisions for you or to influence you to vote a particular way. This decision must be yours alone.”
There was dead silence in the auditorium for several seconds as the people absorbed what Daniel had said. Joseph and Frank looked at each other again, understanding more why the residents of Hope cared for Daniel Cooper so much. In the man’s voice, they had heard deep sincerity, as well as wisdom and a great love for the islanders. Joseph Mann had a feeling that if Daniel Cooper was to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a televangelist, he would have millions of people nationwide coming to love him as the residents of Hope did.
“Thank you, Daniel,” Alex said. She wanted to say a lot more than thank you, but this was not the time or the place.
The minister said goodbye to everyone.
“All right. Would any of you like to share your thoughts?” Alex asked.
For the next half-hour, the islanders expressed their thoughts and concerns. The meeting ended with the crowd exiting the auditorium, quietly discussing the issue. Alex turned to the people on stage, which now included Callie and Dylan.
“Okay, I think that the rest of us should go to the Widow’s Walk and discuss this some more,” Alex said.
“I agree,” Joseph said.
Everyone went over to the Widow’s Walk, which Boris had closed when he ran over to the meeting, shooing out the handful of people who’d been there.
Alex gave Dylan a kiss and sent him up to his room, promising to come tuck him into bed later. As Molly brewed coffee, Kevin and Nub pushed some tables together so that they could all sit together. Taking their seats, they resumed the discussion on Hope Gardens.
“That was a great idea you had about the committee, Alex,” Molly commented.
“Actually, it wasn’t my idea, it was Daniel’s,” the redhead told them. “I told him what I was worried about, and he came up with that.”
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that private recreation facility you want to build for the Hope Gardens people,” Callie said. “With it being exclusively for them, isn’t that going to promote the feeling that Hope Gardens isn’t really a part of the community? I’d think that having something that everyone else isn’t allowed to use will make the islanders feel as if they’re not welcome to associate with the Hope Gardens residents.”
“Well, exclusive clubs and recreation facilities are quite common,” Frank said. “Most people accept them as a normal thing and don’t think of it as being something that they’re being left out of.” He looked at his partner. “But, thinking about it, it might be a good idea to have an open section of the facility, someplace where the locals and the Hope Gardens residents can associate with each other as a way of breaking down any walls that may exist. Perhaps a public swimming pool, basketball court, and other things like that.”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, that’s a good idea. There will still be a Hope Gardens residents only area, but a large part of the facility would be open to everyone.”
As everyone continued to talk, Alex’s mind kept going back to what Joseph had said about the Hope Gardens residents being Protestant. She was trying to decide if she should bring it up there or wait to ask them in private when the phone rang. The redhead excused herself to answer it.
As she talked on the phone, the others could hear her side of the conversation.
“What did they find out?” There was a long pause. “What? When was this?” A shorter pause. “You bet I’m going to find out.” Yet another pause. “Yeah, me too. I’ll let you know.” She hung up the phone and strode back over to the tables. Everyone could clearly see the anger on her face.
“What’s wrong, Alex?” Molly asked.
“Well, I just found out something about Mister Mann and Mister Tate here. Five years ago, they built a resort near a small town in Colorado, but the resort didn’t do very well to begin with. As it so happened, a very popular celebrity had a home in that small town, something he’d kept secret because he didn’t want his privacy disturbed. Well, they found out about it, and in an attempt to get people to stay at their resort, they leaked the news of the man living in the area. Fans came flocking there to get autographs and pictures of the guy. It got so bad the poor man had to sell his house and leave. But by that time, these two had gotten what they wanted. The resort became very popular, even after the guy left. They sold it for a hefty profit two years later.”
The redhead focused her piercing gaze upon the Bostonians. “You know, don’t you. You know who Daniel is, and you intend to cash in on the publicity surrounding him last year and the identity of his father and use it to attract lots of media attention to Hope Gardens. That’s also why you said that many of the residents would be Protestant. You figure that a lot of the buyers will be people who love the idea of being ministered to by the son of a famous televangelist.”
Joseph and Frank squirmed in their seats, looking like children who’d gotten caught smoking. There was no use denying it, and they knew it.
“Yes, all right. We do know who Reverend Cooper is and were intending to include it as part of our press release,” Joseph admitted.
“I knew it! I knew that something was wrong,” Alex exclaimed, her rage taking hold. “Well, you two can take your plans for your retirement community and walk right out that door. We’re not going to let you use Daniel as some kind of media magnet for your own financial gain.”
“Alex is right,” Callie said. “I won’t be a part of throwing Daniel to the wolves.”
“And neither will we,” declared Ruby, Bonita nodding in agreement.
“None of us will,” Molly said. “We care too much about Daniel to let that happen.”
“Now, wait, everyone,” Brian said. “It might not be all that bad. What harm would a little--”
Alex spun on him, her eyes blazing. “No, Brian, you listen to me. You know, as everyone in this room does, that Daniel doesn’t want the press to know he’s here. When he told us after St--” catching herself in time, she quickly changed what she was going to say, “after living here for a while what happened in Las Vegas and who his father was, he asked us not to tell anyone else, not even the other islanders. You know what would happen if the press found out he was here. They’d flock to the island for a story. They’d go digging for any dirt they could find on him and would use what they learned to make him a media sensation. Don’t you realize what that would do to Daniel, not to mention his father? Do you want his life here on Hope destroyed just to get some publicity for the island? Is that publicity worth hurting him like that?” Her voice was shaking by the time she finished.
The mayor looked at the people there. He knew that Alex was right. If the press came to the island, they’d find out that Daniel had been married to Stella from the islanders who didn’t know better than to keep quiet. Once they learned that, what happened in Las Vegas would grow into a front page story. Daniel’s peaceful existence on Hope would be ruined, his life and past mistakes would be dragged through the mud and shown to the entire country, and his father’s ministry might be irreparably damaged. Was publicity for the island worth destroying the life of a man who had done nothing but help this community since the day he arrived?
“No, it’s not,” Brian said firmly, his head held high. No matter how much he had dreamed of making Hope Island prosperous, he was not willing to sacrifice a friend to make it happen. He looked at the Bostonians. “Alex is right. Your project is not welcome here. I think you’d best get your belongings and leave.”
Joseph and Frank stared at the people there in the room. The temperature in the place seemed to have dropped ten degrees. It was clear to the two men that if they wanted to build their retirement community here, then all plans of using Daniel Cooper’s name would have to be canceled.
Joseph cleared his throat. “We apologize. When we planned to include Reverend Cooper in the press release, we had no desire to harm him or his father. We believed that there would be a brief period of media interest, enough to turn attention to Hope Gardens, then everything would return to normal. We had no intention of turning this into a media sensation or throwing Reverend Cooper to the wolves, as you put it. We don’t want that. We want the reverend to remain on this island, not be driven away by the press.”
“And what about that other guy?” Bonita asked. “Did you intend the same thing with him?”
“That was an error in judgment on our part,” Frank admitted. “We had no idea that the response to our leaking his presence there would be so extreme.”
“And yet you were planning to do it again with Daniel,” Alex said. “Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?”
The Bostonians looked at each other sheepishly. “Honestly, we didn’t think the situation would be the same,” Joseph said. He leaned forward. “We swear to you that we will not reveal Reverend Cooper’s presence on the island to anyone. We want Hope Gardens to be built here. We don’t want anything to threaten that.”
“Oh, you’ll do more than swear to it,” Brian said. “If we vote yes on your project, you will sign a statement of non-disclosure that will legally prevent you from revealing your knowledge of Reverend Cooper to anyone. And if you break that agreement, you will be sued.”
“Fair enough,” Joseph said. He turned to Alex. “You told us earlier that you would need additional time to vote on this. How much time would you like?”
“A week. We’ll give you our answer next Tuesday.”
“Very well then. Frank and I will be leaving for Boston in the morning. Please feel free to contact us at any time with any questions or concerns you may have.” He jotted something down on the back of a business card, then handed the card to Alex. “Those are our home phone numbers. Like I said, call us any time, day or night.”
The meeting broke up with everyone else heading for home and the Bostonians going up to their rooms while Alex and Molly cleared the table and washed the coffee cups.
“I don’t know. What do you think, Mol?” the redhead asked. “Would we be making a mistake by letting them build this thing? I have to admit that I’m still furious that they were going to use Daniel like that.”
“I know. But I guess you have to look at it from their standpoint. They’re strangers. They don’t know Daniel and they don’t know the whole truth about him. All they know is what was in the papers. If they knew everything, they might have realized how delicate the situation is and figured out that it wouldn’t be a good idea to reveal Daniel’s presence here.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m just feeling really protective of Daniel. I can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt again in any way. He’s already been through so much, what with Kate being killed like that, the stuff with his father, and now this accident.”
“Who’s Kate?” Molly asked.
“The woman Daniel was in love with, the one his father didn’t want him to be with.”
“She died?”
“Yeah, in a car accident. Daniel was there. He saw her body.”
“Poor Daniel. That must have been terrible for him.”
Alex nodded. “They were going to be married.” She turned fully to her best friend. “She was Catholic, Mol. That’s why Cliff Cooper didn’t want Daniel to marry her.”
“Oh.” Molly studied Alex’s face. “And you’re worried about how he’s going to react when he finds out about your religious views?”
“Yeah. I’m almost positive that Daniel didn’t tell him. He was probably afraid to.”
“Alex, whatever Cliff Cooper thinks about you and your religious beliefs isn’t going to stop Daniel, and it shouldn’t stop you. If Daniel’s father has a problem with your relationship, then that’s just the way it will be. You and Daniel have to live your own lives, not be controlled by what others think.”
Alex smiled and hugged her friend. “What would I ever do without you?”
They finished the dishes, then Molly left. Alex headed up the stairs to her son’s room.
“Are you going to let that place be built here?” Dylan asked as she tucked him into bed.
“We haven’t decided yet.” Alex gazed at her son. “What do you think about it?”
Her son shrugged. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t like it if those rich people came in and made fun of us or if burglars came and stole from people’s houses.” He fiddled with the bedcovers. “Those men said that building that place would give people jobs?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Sue’s dad lost his job in Seattle. She said that her mom cried because they don’t have enough money now.”
Alex looked at her son. The simple truth from the mouth of a child. They might decide that they didn’t want Hope Gardens, but the fact was that Hope Island needed something to survive. If Hope Gardens wasn’t the answer, then what would be?
With that thought, Alex kissed her son goodnight and closed the door.