I liked it all the more for that. It felt wild in a way that most of Summersea’s candy-coated surface didn’t. And it was under threat.
Lyles & Blackstone, a thoroughly shady real estate development company, wanted to buy the land and erect a set of gaudy, luxury condos, the kind that had sprung up on the island like mushrooms after rain in the past few years. Condos that were shoddily constructed and would melt like cardboard in the next hurricane, and yet still managed to cost way more than any local could afford. Condos that strained existing island infrastructure, jacked up property taxes, and priced locals out of the market.
The issue was coming up for a vote with Adair’s city council in the beginning of June—only two months away—and with the way things currently stood, it looked like the council was going to approve the sale.
Needless to say, I was not a fan of the idea.
One side of McIntyre Beach was bounded by Slagle’s Marine, a general-store-slash-bait-shop-slash-kayak-rental-outfit that also sold ice cream and coffee. A small stream ran down the other side, bringing fresh water down from Summersea’s inland hills. Footpaths tangled through a forest of loblolly pines and live oaks, eventually leading onto the dunes that fronted the ocean.
For as long as I could remember, sea turtles had used the beach as a nesting site in the spring and summer, which was one of the reasons the town had left it relatively untouched. There was a general understanding that if you went to McIntyre Beach, you made sure to look out for nests and you did what you could to protect them.
All in all, the beach was a good place to get lost for a while. Or to go when you already felt lost, maybe. A place to remember how small you were, compared to the waves and the sand and the stars.
It was as close as I’d ever found to a place that felt sacred. And for that exact reason, it wasn’t somewhere I wanted to revisit.
“We certainly try to,” Tom said. “In this particular instance, we’re encountering a bit more resistance than expected. But we’ve overcome worse. I’m not worried. We’ve got a strong citizens’ action committee here, people who are as committed to seeing this park preserved as you or I am.”
That was a bit much, I thought, Tom assuming that I was as committed to saving the beach as he was. I did want the beach preserved, and not just for environmental reasons. There were personal ones, too. Just because I didn’t like to think about those memories didn’t mean I wanted them buried under concrete.
But there was no way I’d say that out loud.
“The committee does the bulk of the organizing work,” Tom continued. “I just need someone to be a liaison between them and our central office. Someone who can do that full time, since the committee’s all volunteers. And Hetty says you’d be perfect for the job.”
I exhaled, wondering how to say no without sounding like the world’s biggest dick.
Thanks for the offer, but I’d actually prefer the sea turtles to go extinct. I have personal trauma, you see…
“Look, Tom. I don’t know what Hetty’s told you—” I began, but he cut me off.
“If you’re trying to tell me you’re not interested in the job, Hetty warned me about that, too.” Tom laughed. “But she also told me not to be offended if you didn’t even show up to the meeting, and that you’re an ornery son-of-a-gun, so as far as I’m concerned, you’ve already exceeded expectations.”
I felt a flush creep up my neck and looked down, busying myself with straightening Roxie’s collar, as Tom continued.
“I know I’m pitching to a tough crowd here, but I’ve got to give it a shot, right? Here’s the deal. Your McIntyre Beach has never been officially protected because up until now, it hasn’t needed it. Adair did an excellent job of taking care of it.”
I almost flinched at the words, ‘your McIntyre Beach.’ I’d abandoned any claim to it when I left Summersea. But something contracted in my chest all the same.
“I’m not sure they took care of it so much as they just left it alone.” I tried to keep my voice disinterested.
“You know as well as I do that leaving something alone is the best thing humans can do for the land, sometimes,” Tom said. “And honestly, I think Adair might have kept doing that, if the election had gone the other way.