Authors: Isabella Ashe
"Bryony? You okay?" Vivien asked, in her best worried big-sister voice.
Bryony rubbed her sore, puffy eyes and cleared her throat. "F-fine."
"You're not sick again? I'm coming right over."
"No, don't," Bryony said, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror above her bureau. Her eyes were raw from crying, her face flushed, and her hair tangled. If Vivien saw her now, she'd probably end up in the emergency room. "I'm really all right. It's just that . . . Zach's gone."
Her sister's voice held deep sympathy. "You must be hurting a lot. I know you cared about him."
"You don't understand," Bryony said, her voice breaking. "We had this horrible fight . . . he said things . . . he accused me of -- oh, I can't even explain it. It was so awful."
"Do you want me to come over?"
"I don't think so," Bryony said. "I think I just want to go back to sleep. I don't even want to think about it, Vivien. I loved him, and he didn't love me back. He didn't even trust me, or know me. If he did, he wouldn't have said all those things. He wouldn't have believed I could ever. . . . I don't know what I'll do."
"I'll tell you what you'll do," Vivien said, her words like the crack of a whip. "You'll get a good night's sleep, go to work tomorrow, and then come over here for dinner. In the meantime, go ahead and feel sad. I'll give you a couple of weeks to get over him. Then you'll forget that Zachary Callahan ever existed. If he doesn't realize how special you are, he isn't worth having. Is that clear?"
Despite herself, Bryony grinned. It was a weak and watery grin, but it was a start. Her sister's harsh words were like steel in her backbone. "You're absolutely right," she said with more conviction than she felt. "I'll see you tomorrow night. Around six?"
"Six it is," said Vivien. "That's the right attitude, Sis."
"Hey, I'm a Lowell," Bryony said. "We're born fighters."
"You bet. No mere man can keep us down," Vivien said. Then she grew serious. "Still, I want you to take good care of yourself. A broken heart's a broken heart, even for the Lowell girls."
"I know,
Viv
," Bryony said. "It hurts. It really, really hurts." A single tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it away.
"Of course it does," her sister replied. "I've been there, so I know. I prescribe time, and lots of it."
"Does it get better?" Bryony asked.
"Absolutely," Vivien said. Bryony knew her sister was remembering the med-school boyfriend who had dumped her for a nurse. Vivien rarely mentioned the episode any more. Then again, she was happily married. She had Kevin to help her forget, while Bryony had no one.
They said goodbye, and Bryony pulled her blankets back up to her chin. But she stared into the dark
for a
long time before she fell asleep. She couldn't imagine that the pain would ever ease.
If she forced herself, she could imagine a life without Zachary Callahan. But she didn't look forward to that life one little bit.
"He thought
what
?" Kasey
shrieked,
her fair skin burning fire-engine red with outrage. She wrapped her hands around her coffee cup and leaned over the table, her eyebrows raised so high in indignation that they almost disappeared into her hairline.
"Zach thought I schemed and plotted to make him marry me," Bryony said. "When he found the list we made, he jumped to conclusions and decided our entire relationship was based on a lie. He --
he
thought I was only pretending to care for him."
Despite her resolution to stay calm, her lips trembled and her throat closed up as she told her best friend what had
happned
. She'd invited Kasey to meet her at the Seashell Cafe so she could explain why Zach was gone for good.
"But you explained, right?" Kasey asked. "You told him that I wrote the list, and it was nothing but a silly joke?"
"I told him," Bryony said. "He didn't believe me."
Kasey banged her palm against the green-flecked Formica table so hard that half a dozen heads turned to look. It was Sunday night, and business at the Seashell Cafe was slow, but there were always plenty of people in Cypress Point willing to mind someone else's business.
"Sorry," Kasey said. "I got carried away." She lowered her voice and went on, "So, anyway, what are you going to do about it?"
Bryony spread her palms helplessly before her. "What can I do? It's over. Besides, it's not like we had a future together."
"But you loved him?" Kasey asked.
Bryony nodded. "I still do, God help me."
Her eyes filled with tears, and Kasey reached over to squeeze her hand. They sat in companionable silence for a long minute while Bryony struggled to regain her composure. "What's done is done," she said. "Zach made his decision about me and no one can change his mind, least of all me. No use discussing it to death, right? "
"Right," Kasey said, frowning thoughtfully. "So, what now?"
"Now," Bryony said, "we figure out how to save Kinney's Lagoon. There's a Board of Supervisor's meeting Tuesday night, and I plan to be there." She pulled a notebook from her black leather shoulder bag and slid it across the table.
"Take a look at this phone list. I thought we could divide it up and call everyone on it by tomorrow night. Urge them to come to the meeting with a prepared statement opposing Seashore Estates. If we have a huge turnout, I know we can at least get the board to postpone the decision."
Kasey glanced through the script-covered pages. "There are at least a hundred names here."
"So what? You have a big date tonight?"
"Nope," Kasey said. "Okay. When do we start?"
Bryony grabbed her notebook back and stuffed it in her bag. "Right this minute," she said. She would save the lagoon if it took every last ounce of her strength. And the more she dedicated herself to her cause, the less time she had to dwell on her shattered heart.
Two nights later, Bryony faced the moment of truth.
The library's community room was jammed to overflowing. It seemed like the entire county had turned out for the emergency meeting. Bryony squeezed through the crush of bodies, clutching her notes and scanning the room for Kasey. Her friend waved wildly from across the room. She was trying to say something, but the babble of the crowd drowned out her words.
Bryony scanned the room, picking out the familiar faces. Already, dozens of people had come up to her and thanked her for leading the fight against Seashore Estates. Knowing the room was packed with her supporters gave her a warm glow inside. But she was also uneasy. Again and again, she glanced at the small knot of people gathered at the front of the room.
She recognized the members of the board, and the lawyer representing
Mandell
Corporation. Frank Mancini was in the group, as well as a bald, bespectacled stranger in a gray suit. They were involved in a quiet but apparently intense discussion.
Bryony would have given anything to hear what they were talking about. If they were cutting some kind of deal without public discussion, she'd have to make sure they didn't get away with it.
Vivien came up behind Bryony and tapped her on the shoulder. "They're about to start," she said. "Let's find our seats."
They located empty chairs toward the front of the room. Bryony laid her coat across the seat on her left and motioned Kasey to join them. Kasey pushed her way through the throng and dropped, flushed and breathless with excitement, into the chair.
"You'll never guess what I heard," she said into Bryony's ear. "Maybe it's only a rumor, but --" Before she could continue, the board chairwoman called the meeting to order. "Never mind," Kasey said. "If it's true, you'll find out soon enough."
Bryony's curiosity was sparked, but she quickly turned her attention to the front of the room. The clamor of the crowd diminished and a hush came over the room as everyone found chairs or lined up in the back, straining to see.
The chairwoman tapped her microphone and cleared her throat. "I have an announcement to make," she said. "It looks like this meeting might not be necessary after all."
A buzz of curiosity rippled through the crowd. Bryony sat up straighter, frowning.
"It seems," the chairwoman continued, "that someone's made an offer on the land that was to become Seashore Estates. Mr. Frank Mancini, the property owner, has apparently come to an agreement with the Berenson Scientific Trust. Because the new purchaser does not plan to develop the land -- in fact, it will become a bird sanctuary -- there is no need for us to consider a change in zoning."
The people in the room met the announcement with cries of joy, drowning out a few muted roars of protest. Bryony sat stunned, trying to work out the implications. It wasn't until Vivien and Kasey caught her up in a triumphant bear hug that she realized they had won. She smiled so broadly that her cheeks ached. "We did it, we did it!" the three women chorused, laughing together in relief and astonishment.
"Just a minute!" a rather officious voice called over the pandemonium. Bryony turned to see that the
Mandell
Corporation's representative was on his feet, his face beet
red with indignation. "
Tis
announcement is premature," he continued loudly, frowning at the celebrating crowd. "Our company has an option to buy that land, and until our lawyers can take a look at the contract --"
Bryony and the others quieted, turning to look questioningly at Frank Mancini. He stood and wiped his palms on his pants. "Ah, I'd like to introduce Mr. Paul
Seidner
." He gestured to the man beside him, the balding man in the gray suit Bryony had noticed earlier. "Mr.
Seidner
is an ornithologist with the Berenson Scientific Trust. He tells me their lawyers looked over the contract and determined that I can sell my land to whomever I want. And I'd much prefer it went to them."
He sat down again, to a hail of spontaneous applause. The ornithologist waited until it died down before he rose and spoke for several minutes. He explained that Frank Mancini's contract with
Mandell
specified that the agreement could be broken by either party until after the resort's environmental impact report won approval.
The terms were meant to protect the
Mandell
Corporation if the Board of Supervisors voted against Seashore Estates. In this case, however, the clause had backfired and allowed the Berenson Trust to make a competing offer. Of course, it was significantly less than
Mandell
was paying . . . .
Bryony stole a look at Frank Mancini's face and, seeing the smile there, knew he didn't care. Not only was he getting his money immediately, but he was protecting the lagoon and the birds that lived there. For him, it was the best of both worlds.
Paul
Seidner
went on to explain how the Berenson Trust, alerted that the lagoon was in danger, decided they couldn't pass up the chance to establish an observatory there. The lagoon was perfect, he said. The diversity of bird species was astonishing.
Bryony smiled to herself. She could have told him that.
The meeting disbanded, and most of the participants ended up at the Seashell Cafe to celebrate. Bryony felt a rush of euphoria as she shook hands or exchanged jubilant hugs with half the town. Eventually, she found herself greeting the lagoon's savior. "Mr.
Seidner
," she said, grinning at him, "
you
don't know how pleased I am to meet you. You're a lifesaver, truly you are. I can't thank you enough."
The ornithologist blushed under her praise. "Thank you, Bryony. But I'm not really the person to thank. If your friend hadn't called us, I wouldn't even be here. He's the one who really saved the lagoon."
"My friend?"
"You know. Zachary Callahan."
Bryony's knees went weak, and she leaned suddenly against the counter for support.
"Are you all right?" Paul
Seidner
asked.
"Fine," she said. "I didn't know Zach had called you."
"I guess he didn't want to ruin the surprise." The man chuckled. "I don't know how he found out that the Trust was looking to set up a bird sanctuary -- he must have serious connections in the scientific community. He even
managed to
get my home number. When he called me Saturday, I almost told him to call me at the office. But he can be rather -- ah -- rather persuasive when he wants to be. I'm sure you know how he is."
"Yes, of course," Bryony answered. Her head was whirling.
"Well, anyway, he somehow convinced me that this was an opportunity not to be missed. I flew in Sunday morning, and the rest is history. We don't usually move so fast, but this was a special case. It's a beautiful town, and a beautiful lagoon."
"I couldn't agree more," Bryony said. "Excuse me, please."
"Certainly. I'm sure we'll talk again."
Bryony slipped away and found a relatively quiet booth in the back of the restaurant. She folded her arms on the table and laid her head down on them. She felt tired and
heartsore
, despite her pleasure over the lagoon's last-minute rescue.