The Shell Collector

her temper flared now and again at some of the foolish things people tried to pass in this town. If she didn’t stick up for Whelk’s Island, there’d be no telling what shape this city would be in ten years from now.
The meeting was called to order, and Maeve stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. She loved this part. It made her proud that Whelk’s Island still placed importance on the pledge. In other parts of the country, people were abandoning it in public and schools, and she didn’t like that one bit. She placed her hand over her heart. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.” Pride swelled inside her as the voices united and lifted in the room. Good people, doing good things. “With liberty and justice for all.”
The harrumph of everyone sitting back down at the same time was followed by the roll call. A silly process when it was easy to do a quick head check, but that was politics. Lots of rules for rules’ sake.
There wasn’t much on today’s agenda that really needed her attention, but she’d listen and speak up if necessary. After all, can’t complain if you don’t offer your reasons. She was rich with opinions.
Several consent orders followed, including one for the Friends of the Library proclamation, as well as the hundredth anniversary of the American Legion Auxiliary. She clapped wildly, proud of her friends and neighbors for their good works.
When the floor opened for general public commentary, she recognized the dashing young man with the compelling blue eyes who owned Paws Town Square walking to the podium. He was fit but had brains to match his rugged good looks. He’d proven he was a smart businessman, and this council hadn’t made it easy. They gave him a fight from the word go. In the beginning, no one wanted him to bring his business to this town. She’d stood up for him because his plan included repurposing the vacated Lowe’s building. Ghost box, he’d called it. It was overgrown and an eyesore. She was glad he’d hung in there until everyone saw it the way he did.
The man stood at the podium, then addressed the council.
“Good afternoon. Paul Grant. Paws Town Square, Whelk’s Island. Mayor, council members, and others here today, I wanted to provide an update now that we’re fully operational. It’s been a long road to get here, as you well know. This is our second location, and the third is now underway in Jacksonville, Florida. We’re delighted with the enthusiasm of the local community using the dog park and trails, and we’re nearly booked to capacity the entire summer, which exceeded our expectations on year one. I wanted to share a couple key measures that show the good we’re all doing, because without the support of this council, and this town, this would not have happened.”
He drew their attention to a slide projected on the wall. “In the Whelk’s Island location, we already have fourteen retired military working dogs going through rehabilitation. The twelve-week program will prepare these dogs to be reunited with their original military handlers. There are over twenty-five hundred active military working dogs in our armed forces currently. They serve our country as soldiers, and upon return, like our men and women, they need special handling to address issues like PTSD or injuries sustained while working in combat zones. We’re proud to be part of that solution.”
He took in a breath and spread his stance. “We currently have thirty veterans working in different roles at this location. Without the hard work of this town council and committee, we would’ve never been able to accomplish the four cornerstones of our mission: to reunite military working dogs with their handlers; to support our veterans, both human and canine; to self-fund these efforts; and to give back to the community. It’s an honor to be able to do this here on Whelk’s Island, which I now call home.”
The mayor smiled. “You certainly came through on all fronts, Mr. Grant. Your tenacity was hard to ignore.”
Paul had been accused of that before. Heat rose to his cheeks. “We’ve put new discounts in place for locals, and tourists can reduce their kennel bills by simply visiting their animals during their stay. Hopefully, that will make this feel like a pet-friendly town and even more appealing to travelers.”
The assistant town manager said, “The business has great eye appeal as tourists come into town too.”
“Thank you.” Paul twisted his papers in his hands. “Your support has given us a wonderful template to help expedite these efforts in other cities across the nation.”
With nothing else on the agenda, a motion to adjourn followed and everyone made their way to the exit.
Maeve shortcut across the room to catch up with Paul. “Sir? Excuse me. Paul?”
“Yes ma’am.” He turned.
He looked even kinder up close, but he still had that tough Marine appearance. Strong and capable.
“Hi. I’m Maeve Lindsay. I wanted to congratulate you. Your hard work is really admirable, and I’m glad you picked this town to set up shop.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” His smile was easy, genuine. “I appreciate you standing up for the plans in the early zoning meetings. I remember you.”
“To take a tired and decaying building on the outskirts of town and transform it into a beautiful and functioning part of the community is appreciated, Mr. Grant. But doing so to fund good works—sir, that is a gift.” She placed her palm on his heart. “Truly a gift. I hope to come out and see Paws Town Square in person one day. It’s a little farther than I walk, but I’ll get a friend to take me.”
“Thank you. Believe me, it’s not only a pleasure but a dream come true.” His heavy brows tilted. “It’s very dear to my heart. You let me know when you come. I’ll drop everything and give you a personal tour. You rarely miss a meeting, do you?”
“Can’t leave everything in their hands.