Seaside Reunion Read Online Free PDF Page A

truth be told, he had a feeling only God could answer the question that had plagued him since he’d lay among those dead and dying soldiers.
    Why me?

Chapter Three
    T his can’t be happening!
    The words echoed in Lindsey’s mind as she stared at the man in the dark business suit, crisp white shirt and silk tie who was placing a glossy, mounted photo on an easel in the town hall.
    “That’s correct, Mayor Peroni. It would be a very upscale, exclusive resort, much like this one that we built on the Kona Coast in Hawaii.” He positioned the easel so it could be seen by the four town council members and the mayor, who sat at a long table in the front of the hall, and by the three residents who’d wandered in to observe the monthly meeting. “Our guests prefer these types of secluded destinations. Near scenic areas, but off the beaten track. Your property certainly qualifies.”
    The man smiled.
    Lindsey wanted to throw up.
    A big-time developer wanted to buy The Point.
    How had she missed that on the agenda?
    She scanned the paper in front of her and reread the discussion items as the man launched into a spiel straight out of Sales 101. There it was. Presentation on development project. No wonder she’d read right over it. Talk about ambiguous. Leaning forward, she shot a dirty look at Dennis Simms, who handled the meeting minutes and the agenda. But he was engrossed in the man’s slick presentation and the glossy photograph.
    Lindsey sat back and gave the photo a closer inspection, too. Okay. The three-story structure was attractive. And yes, it was tasteful and blended well with the natural setting.
    But no matter how well it was designed, any structure would still dominate the landscape and forever change The Point and the quaint ambience of Starfish Bay.
    They couldn’t let that happen.
    “Excuse me.” Lindsey raised her voice to interrupt the developer, who was gushing about the economic opportunities such a resort would offer the town, dangling terms like infusion of capital, job creation and enhanced infrastructure. Every eye in the place turned to her as the man stopped talking midsentence. “How much of The Point are you interested in buying?”
    “All of it. The forested area between the resort and the town will act as a buffer zone for our guests.”
    “A buffer from what?”
    A snicker came from the peanut gallery, and a flush rose on the man’s neck. “Our guests prefer privacy when on resort property. But of course, many of them will also visit the town.”
    “To mingle with the riffraff? How nice.” The man’s color deepened, but Lindsey didn’t give him a chance to respond. “What about the chapel on the property?”
    He adjusted his tie. “According to our structural engineer, it’s in poor condition. And we understand it’s no longer in use. We’re still working on preliminary architectural drawings, but I’m certain we would tear it down.”
    “I was baptized in that chapel.”
    Yes! Lindsey was tempted to give sixty-something Frank Martinez a thumbs-up for his comment. At least one council member was on her side.
    “That doesn’t make it a national shrine, Frank.” Susan Peroni shot him an annoyed glance over her half glasses.
    He glared back. “What about our plan to turn The Point into a park?”
    “We don’t have the money. You know that. We all know that. Parks are nice, but we’re struggling to pay for the necessities. A resort like this could be a boon for the town.”
    Lindsey frowned at Susan as the developer’s reference to a structural engineer suddenly registered. “You knew this was in the works, didn’t you?”
    The mayor shuffled the papers in front of her. “Louis Mattson himself called me a couple of days after the last council meeting. A very nice gentleman. Mattson Properties is a prestigious company known for its first-class resort projects, and he assured me the one on The Point would follow in those footsteps. I gave him permission to look the land