Ask Anyone

Jenna’s meeting with Harvey Needham promised to be very enlightening. She had long since picked up on the fact that he and Bobby were sworn enemies, at least when it came to developing the waterfront. That made the mayor her enemy, too, but he didn’t have to know that just yet. So far, he hadn’t tried to pin her down about her exact reason for being in Trinity Harbor, and the longer she could keep it that way, the better off she was. He clearly hadn’t connected her to the commotion on Bobby’s lawn the day before. As long as she kept the attention focused on him, she could keep her own identity and stake in the town’s future cloaked in mystery.

She stared across the table and studied him. He was wearing a bright green polo shirt that did little for his washed-out complexion. His hairline was slipping, but his round face was virtually unlined, making it difficult to guess his age. He seemed fit enough, though, suggesting he was the kind of man who maintained a rigid control over his diet. She recognized the type. She had one at home just like him. Her father drank to excess when it suited him, but not a single indulgence crossed his lips when it came to food.

“What made you decide to run for mayor?” she asked Harvey.

His chest puffed up as he replied, “Young lady, it is the civic duty of every citizen to give something back to the community in which they live.” It sounded like the start of a campaign speech. “When I retired, I finally had the time to serve this town and bring some of my business skills to the operation of the town’s services.”

“That’s a very noble goal,” Jenna told him. “Where do you see Trinity Harbor ten years from now? What kind of a community will it be?”

“Quiet,” he said at once. “With a sound economic base. The way you accomplish that is to bring in folks with money, good middle-class residents looking for a place to retire. Folks like that want their lives to run smoothly. They want clean shops, good services and low taxes.”

“What about entertainment?”

“They’ve got Fredericksburg and Richmond just up the road for that,” he said dismissively. “The town doesn’t need to provide it.”

Jenna couldn’t believe such a shortsighted view, but she knew she was treading on thin ice. She had to be careful how far she pushed him, or he’d want to know why she cared.

“Don’t you think that people with time on their hands want leisure activities nearby?” she inquired cautiously. “A golf course, maybe. Tennis courts. A community center. Things for their grandchildren to do when they visit.”

Before he could reply, she added, “What do your grandchildren do when they come, Mr. Needham?”

He blinked at that, looking vaguely disconcerted. “Actually, they haven’t come here in some time. Our children prefer that we visit them.”

“Why is that?” Jenna asked innocently. She was pretty sure she knew. His children didn’t come because they didn’t want to listen to a nonstop refrain from his grandchildren about there being nothing to do here. It would be interesting to hear his take on it, though.

“They have their lives. It’s less of a disruption if we go to them,” he said. “My wife grumbles a bit about how rarely we see them, but I can see the sense of doing it this way.”

She decided to press the point. “But Trinity Harbor is such a lovely town. I would think they would absolutely jump at the chance to get away for a while. After all, that is what drew you here, isn’t it?”

The mayor frowned. “What’s your point, Ms. Kennedy?”

“It just occurs to me that if you want to attract the kind of residents you’re hoping to, just putting up places for them to live won’t entirely address the situation.”

His gaze narrowed. “Spencer put you up to saying that, didn’t he?” he asked suspiciously. “Sounds just like that hogwash he’s always spouting around town.”

“Bobby and I haven’t discussed that precise issue,” she said honestly. “Is that what he thinks?”

“You’re trying to tell me the two of you aren’t in cahoots?” he demanded. “I saw you in his office just now. Why else would you be there?”

“The same reason I’m with you right now,” Jenna insisted. “Just getting to know all I can about Trinity Harbor.”

“And why would you want to be doing that?” he asked, studying her with a narrowed gaze. “You’re a little young to be thinking about moving to an out-of-the-way place like this. There’s no nightlife here, Ms. Kennedy.”

“Nightlife’s not a big priority with me. And more and more people my age are making lifestyle choices, right along with career choices.”

He still didn’t look as if he believed her. “Where are you from, Ms. Kennedy?”

“Born and raised in Baltimore,” she said readily.

“But you want to leave?”

“I’m exploring my options,” she told him with complete sincerity. Though she hadn’t considered it before, she realized that a part of her had always wanted to live in a place just like Trinity Harbor. She’d always dismissed it as a romantic fantasy, but there was no real reason it had to be, especially if she could nab this job here.

“Well, Trinity Harbor would be glad to have you, I’m sure,” Harvey said, though he looked a little doubtful.

Jenna beamed at him. “You’ll be the first to know if things work out,” she told him. Whether she agreed with his vision for the town or not, she’d have to work with him if she got the contract for the boardwalk development. There was little point in alienating him at this stage.

“I’d better run along,” she told him. “Bobby promised me lunch and a tour of the town before I head back home this afternoon.”

“You watch yourself with him, young lady. The Spencers are held in high regard around here, but they’re a sneaky lot. Never know when one of ’em will stab you in the back.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jenna assured him as she went off in search of Bobby.

She found him in his office, his feet propped up on his desk and a smug expression on his face.

“Enjoy your meeting with the mayor?” he inquired.

“It was illuminating,” she told him. “He thinks you’re sneaky.”

Bobby didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised or dismayed by that assessment. “That doesn’t hold a candle to what I think of him,” he said as he stood up. “You ready for lunch?”

“Can’t wait,” she told him.

He drove into town and parked down the block from a beachfront diner. “It’s not fancy, but Earlene’s is the heart and soul of Trinity Harbor. You want to know what’s going on around town, this is the place to come. I’d advise you to stay away from the coffee, though. The acid will burn a hole in your stomach.”

Jenna grinned. “What would you recommend?”

“The iced tea and a burger are pretty safe bets.”

“I’m surprised you eat here at all. Don’t you like the food at the marina?”

He chuckled at that. “I like it just fine. Matter of fact, I cook most of it, but as you noticed, we’re closed on Mondays.”

“You’re a cook? I thought you owned it.”

“I do, and I’m a chef,” he corrected testily. “But let’s not quibble.” He led the way to a booth by a window that looked out on the river, then regarded Jenna seriously. “Any plan for the waterfront has to include Earlene’s.”

“Of course,” Jenna agreed at once. Though the interior was a little shabby, the place had an undeniable charm that could only be acquired over time. The wooden floors had been worn smooth by sandy feet. The tunes on the jukebox were oldies. The soda fountain looked as if it came straight out of the set for the old TV sitcom Happy Days.

When her iced tea came in an old-fashioned, curving soda glass and her plain white pottery plate came loaded with crispy fries and a burger topped with a bright red tomato slice that looked as if it had just been picked in the garden, Jenna sighed with pure contentment.

Around them there was the steady hum of lively conversation and the occasional burst of laughter. She hadn’t missed the speculative looks when she had arrived with Bobby, but the attention had quickly drifted away.

This was the kind of place she looked for in Baltimore and never found. She was sure they existed, but probably in parts of town her father would be appalled if she visited. In her neighborhood there were chic cafés and trendy restaurants, where lingering wasn’t condoned, much less encouraged.

“I could really start to like it here,” she said, around a juicy bite of hamburger.

“Don’t,” Bobby said tersely. “There is nothing for you in Trinity Harbor.”