Cambridge once showed up on a publication’s list of 12 Maryland towns that were perfect for the setting of a Hallmark TV movie. Recalling that, the fiction writer in me couldn’t help thinking: what would be the story?
So, here’s my idea, one that follows the Hallmark formula of romance, gentle humor, and quirky small-town characters. I call it Sunsets at Cambridge Harbor.
Abigail Sharpe, a high-powered marketing executive from Annapolis, has just become the executive director of Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc., the organization with the responsibility of building a multi-use complex at the waterfront called Cambridge Harbor. Abigail is full of ideas and timelines, and she feels charged up by Mayor Glenn, who always appears with coffee from Black Water Bakery and tells Abigail that he’s counting on her to revitalize the town.
But she quickly becomes discouraged by local skepticism. The old-fashioned people seem to resist significant change. Trying to clear her head, she strolls to Long Wharf and is charmed by a little Yorkshire Terrier she encounters at the marina. After looking at his dog tag that says “Skip,” she follows him to a boat where she meets Ben Travers, a third-generation waterman who is currently repairing his grandfather’s workboat.
He listens to Abigail’s problems (he starts calling her Abby). Ben has no interest in redevelopment meetings, but he understands tides, patience, and the fact that things worth building take time. He gives her some advice: “You can’t rush the Choptank, and you can’t rush a town.” He introduces her to the slower rhythms of Cambridge, taking a skipjack cruise, picking crabs with his nieces, and watching sunsets from Long Wharf. Along the way, Abby gets to know Captain Earl, a weathered African American waterman who says witty things like, “Storm’s comin’, and I ain’t talkin’ about the weather.”
In the very next scene after that line, Abby has a board meeting where the members of the board frustrate her with their slow actions on Cambridge Harbor. She goes back to her office and emails off an application for a marketing job in Baltimore. Just then, Ben arrives and invites her to take a stroll with him down “Main Street,” made up of Poplar and Race.
They stop every few feet because Ben knows everyone, and Abby starts to warm to the people and understand their mindset. She meets Miss Jenny, the owner of Black Water Bakery, who introduces her to Smith Island Cake. Then Ben and Abby slip into the quirky Sunnyside Shop, where owner Miss Hildy imparts some wisdom. Finally, the pair go to the waterfront and stroll the new promenade, and Abby looks at Ben with love in her eyes.
That’s when she gets the idea for Harbor Days, a festival to be set at the location of Cambridge Harbor to get everyone excited about the project. It would feature food trucks, live music, artisans, and boat rides, and the proceeds would support city projects.
On the day of the festival, only a few people show up at first. But then the whole town appears, as do folks from outside. Harbor Days is a hit! That night, as fireworks burst over the Choptank River, Abby and Ben kiss.
The next day at work, Abby receives an offer of the job in Baltimore. It’s too good to pass up. When she tells Ben, he says, “Cambridge will still be here. We’ll see you when the tide brings you back.” Realizing she no longer wants to spend her life chasing deadlines, Abby chooses a new path, remaining involved with the harbor project while embracing the slower pace she once resisted.
So, now that you’ve heard my idea, I want to know yours. If Hallmark made a movie set in Cambridge, what would you like the plot to be? Tell me in the comments!
