Chapter 5 - The Secret of West HarborEvan stood silent beneath the tall stained-glass window of the church hall, staring at the brass plaque honoring Grace's mother. The guilt washed over him like ice water. All this time, he had suspected her of betrayal, while she had been preserving a legacy of pure mercy.
“Grace, the demolition permits were signed last month,” Evan said, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “Reid has already hired the crews. The city vote is tomorrow morning!”
Grace looked into his eyes, tears brimming on her eyelashes. “I know who Reid Calloway is, Evan. He doesn't care about people. But I married you. I believed that underneath the suits and the contracts, you still had a heart.”
She picked up the blue thermos and held it out toward him. “My mother bought this thermos for five dollars at a garage sale. She filled it every night to feed people who had nothing. You built a real estate empire, Evan... but what are you actually building for our daughter to inherit? Concrete, or compassion?”
Her words struck Evan directly in his soul. He looked around the room—at the mother feeding her small daughter, at the old men laughing together over warm soup.
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He realized that destroying this hall would destroy his wife’s heart, and taint the legacy of his unborn child forever.
“Give me the night,” Evan said, taking Grace’s hand firmly in his. “I will fix this.”
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