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added a homey charm to the atmosphereinside the café. As Greg swallowed a gulp of coffee, she burst into a full, throaty chorus, waving the spatula above her head and winking broadly at a pair of weathered fishermen seated at the counter. They applauded, laughing, obviously infatuated with the flirty café owner, who was at least forty years their junior.
    Greg pushed his empty plate aside and rested his forearms on the table. “I’ve gotta admit I’m surprised you’d take that attitude, Bob. Your business can only get better with an increase in the tourist trade. People love to fish, and your
Lucy
is the best-looking charter boat on the dock.”
    “You’re right about that, but I’m not talking about my own business. We can’t all just look out for ourselves, you know. We have to think about the town. The Cove doesn’t have much money to spend on things like upgrading the docks and advertising for tourists.” He pursed his lips, clearly uncomfortable to be in disagreement with Greg. “What if we spend a ton of money and no tourists come?”
    “I hear what you’re saying, and I appreciate the fact that you’re civic-minded.” Greg tossed the last uneaten crust of bread on his plate. “But the town is falling into disrepair. People are moving away, leaving the area, because there’s not enough business to keep them here. If we keep going at the rate we’ve been going for the past ten years or so, we’ll be in serious trouble.” He leaned forward and held the man’s eyes. “Besides, I just
know
we’ll see an immediate response if we spread the word about what a great place we’ve got here. We’re the best-kept secret in Nova Scotia. We’ve got to let the secret out or this town won’t survive another couple of decades.”
    Bob didn’t meet his eye, but his disagreement was plain on his face.
    “Look, do me a favor.” Greg pointed toward one of the page-sizeposters Rowena had tacked around the room advertising his upcoming event. “Come to the meeting Monday night. I’m going to lay my plan out in plain sight for everyone. Listen to what I have to say before you make a decision.”
    “I suppose I could do that.”
    The answer, grudgingly given, was at least better than a flat refusal.
    “I appreciate that,” Greg said. “I’ll do my best to lay your fears to rest.”
    Rowena bustled over with a carafe to refill their cups. “I don’t know what you’re talking about over here, but you’ve got two of the sourest pusses I’ve seen in a long time. Anybody didn’t know you, they’d think you’re about ready to hop over the table and start pounding on each other.”
    Bob’s scowl became a sheepish smile.
    Greg wiped the serious look off his face and chuckled. “We’re talking politics. Did you ever know anybody to smile over politics?” He put a hand over his coffee cup when she tried to pour more into it. He’d had enough coffee this morning to last him all day and halfway through the night.
    “Ah, that explains it.” She stacked Greg’s empty plate on top of Bob’s, but instead of picking them up, cocked her hip sideways and rested a hand on it to spear Greg with a speculative stare. “I heard a rumor about you this morning, darlin’. You want to refute it?”
    “Depends on what you heard.”
    “I heard you proposed to Jill King, and she said yes.”
    Gossip traveled fast in the Cove, especially when it was news that Jill’s grandmother wanted to spread around. How many people had Ruth called already this morning, at — he glanced at his watch — not even nine o’clock?
    He didn’t bother to stop the grin that took possession of his lips. “Well, that’s one rumor I can confirm.”
    Across the table, Bob brightened. “You and Jill are getting married? Hey, that’s great news.”
    “There goes the town’s most eligible bachelor, hooked right out from under my nose.” Rowena cut her eyes sideways at Greg and pulled a pretty pout. “I guess I’ve just been fishing