us,” Steve said.
“We need petitions,” Alene added. “And press coverage.”
“My nephew works for Channel 2. I can call him,” Joe offered.
“Let’s start with the petitions,” A.J. said. “We can develop a form and ask our customers to begin signing them when they visit our businesses. We have almost six weeks until the public hearing in February, so we should be able to gather a lot of signatures. And maybe we can enlist local customers to circulate petitions in their neighborhoods, too.”
“I can draw a form up for everyone to review,” Steve volunteered.
“Thanks. That would be great. Let’s meet again in mid-January and see where we stand. Does that sound good?”
There was a rumble of agreement at A.J.’s suggestion.
“And now everyone must have some baklava,” George said. “It is just made today.”
As the shop owners moved toward the coffee and pastries, A.J. made her way over to Blake, who still hovered in the background. “Thanks for digging up that information.”
“It wasn’t hard.”
“So are you going to have some baklava? Or do you avoid sweets, too?”
He frowned at her. “What do you mean, ‘too’?”
She shrugged. “Well, you don’t mingle much. I found out recently that Carlos didn’t even know you.”
“I’m not into contemporary art.”
For a moment she looked as if she was going to say something more on the subject, then changed her mind. “I think it was a good meeting.”
He nodded. “But there’s a lot of work ahead.”
“Everyone seems willing to pitch in, though. And I’m sure Aunt Jo would have been leading the charge if she was here.”
Blake couldn’t argue with that. Jo had felt passionate about the shop and the neighborhood. So did the other merchants. And like it or not, he was in as deeply as everyone else. He still didn’t want to get into the middle of a fight, but he’d found out enough to know that’s probably where they were headed unless they rolled over and played dead. And much as he disliked confrontation, he wasn’t ready to do that.
Yet.
Chapter Four
“H i, A.J. Did you have a good time in North Carolina over Christmas?”
A.J. turned toward Rose with a smile as she recalled her visit with Clare. “Yes. It was wonderful.”
“Did your sister Morgan make it down?”
“Unfortunately, no. She couldn’t get away from work for more than a couple of days, so she went to Aunt Jo’s cottage in Maine instead. But we all talked by phone. How about you? Did that grandson of yours make it home?”
“He sure did. He’s still here, in fact. Goes back next week.” She held up a stack of papers. “I’ve got another batch of petitions.”
“That’s great! I’ll add them to the pile.”
“So how many signatures do we have so far?”
A.J. did a quick mental calculation. “About five hundred, I think.”
“Not bad. And I’ve been sending the form home with some of my patrons to circulate in their neighborhoods. Is our meeting still on for next Thursday?”
“Yes. Same time, same place.”
“Well, I’ll be here. I’m not going to let some fancy developer run me out of here.” Rose looked over A.J.’s shoulder. “Hi, Blake.”
“Hello, Rose.” He came up beside A.J. and glanced at the sheaf of papers in her hand. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I figure it’s gonna take a lot of work from all of us if we want to win this fight. Now I gotta get back to the deli. See you both Thursday.”
They watched her leave, then A.J. turned to Blake with a grin. “I hope I have half her energy and spunk when I’m that age.”
“Why do I think that won’t be a problem?”
She tilted her head and looked at him warily. “I’m not quite sure how to take that remark.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Let’s just say you have energy and spunk to spare.”
“Why do I think that’s not necessarily a compliment?” she replied.
He shrugged. “There’s never a dull moment when
“We need petitions,” Alene added. “And press coverage.”
“My nephew works for Channel 2. I can call him,” Joe offered.
“Let’s start with the petitions,” A.J. said. “We can develop a form and ask our customers to begin signing them when they visit our businesses. We have almost six weeks until the public hearing in February, so we should be able to gather a lot of signatures. And maybe we can enlist local customers to circulate petitions in their neighborhoods, too.”
“I can draw a form up for everyone to review,” Steve volunteered.
“Thanks. That would be great. Let’s meet again in mid-January and see where we stand. Does that sound good?”
There was a rumble of agreement at A.J.’s suggestion.
“And now everyone must have some baklava,” George said. “It is just made today.”
As the shop owners moved toward the coffee and pastries, A.J. made her way over to Blake, who still hovered in the background. “Thanks for digging up that information.”
“It wasn’t hard.”
“So are you going to have some baklava? Or do you avoid sweets, too?”
He frowned at her. “What do you mean, ‘too’?”
She shrugged. “Well, you don’t mingle much. I found out recently that Carlos didn’t even know you.”
“I’m not into contemporary art.”
For a moment she looked as if she was going to say something more on the subject, then changed her mind. “I think it was a good meeting.”
He nodded. “But there’s a lot of work ahead.”
“Everyone seems willing to pitch in, though. And I’m sure Aunt Jo would have been leading the charge if she was here.”
Blake couldn’t argue with that. Jo had felt passionate about the shop and the neighborhood. So did the other merchants. And like it or not, he was in as deeply as everyone else. He still didn’t want to get into the middle of a fight, but he’d found out enough to know that’s probably where they were headed unless they rolled over and played dead. And much as he disliked confrontation, he wasn’t ready to do that.
Yet.
Chapter Four
“H i, A.J. Did you have a good time in North Carolina over Christmas?”
A.J. turned toward Rose with a smile as she recalled her visit with Clare. “Yes. It was wonderful.”
“Did your sister Morgan make it down?”
“Unfortunately, no. She couldn’t get away from work for more than a couple of days, so she went to Aunt Jo’s cottage in Maine instead. But we all talked by phone. How about you? Did that grandson of yours make it home?”
“He sure did. He’s still here, in fact. Goes back next week.” She held up a stack of papers. “I’ve got another batch of petitions.”
“That’s great! I’ll add them to the pile.”
“So how many signatures do we have so far?”
A.J. did a quick mental calculation. “About five hundred, I think.”
“Not bad. And I’ve been sending the form home with some of my patrons to circulate in their neighborhoods. Is our meeting still on for next Thursday?”
“Yes. Same time, same place.”
“Well, I’ll be here. I’m not going to let some fancy developer run me out of here.” Rose looked over A.J.’s shoulder. “Hi, Blake.”
“Hello, Rose.” He came up beside A.J. and glanced at the sheaf of papers in her hand. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I figure it’s gonna take a lot of work from all of us if we want to win this fight. Now I gotta get back to the deli. See you both Thursday.”
They watched her leave, then A.J. turned to Blake with a grin. “I hope I have half her energy and spunk when I’m that age.”
“Why do I think that won’t be a problem?”
She tilted her head and looked at him warily. “I’m not quite sure how to take that remark.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Let’s just say you have energy and spunk to spare.”
“Why do I think that’s not necessarily a compliment?” she replied.
He shrugged. “There’s never a dull moment when
Similar Books
