There’s Always a Catch (Christmas Key, #1)

by Stephanie Taylor

in a high rise? For traffic? For unfriendly neighbors?” Holly pauses, letting her eyes graze the rest of the crowd. “No. You moved here—we all live here together—because we want freedom from those things. We crave the natural beauty of the tropics, and we love supporting one another in our dreams, and sharing in our successes as a group.” The room is silent. “But in order to keep moving forward, we need to at least entertain the idea of progress. In the future I think it’s entirely unlikely that we’ll be able to survive off of pensions and Social Security alone, and it’s my goal to purposefully—and I did say purposefully—guide us towards an increase in tourism and development. We have to find some way to sustain ourselves.” A few heads nod in the crowd, though Maria Agnelli is still standing just below the podium, hands on her small hips, looking up at Holly sternly. “I got the good news today that a group of fishermen wants to book a weeklong trip to Christmas Key, and they’ll be here in a couple of weeks. That means we’ll have ample opportunity to provide our goods and