“Damn straight I would,” Butch said without hesitation. “Even if it cost me a few cents more on the dollar. It would save me time and aggravation. I figure in the end it would all balance out, and I like the idea of supporting something local for a change. It would be a way for a smart developer or general contractor to make sure he becomes a real part of the community, instead of being viewed as some kind of carpetbagger who’s just come to make a killing.”
His expression turned thoughtful, but then he looked Ronnie straight in the eye. “Start-up wouldn’t be cheap. You worked up a business plan yet?”
Ronnie shook his head. “I’ve only been tossing the idea around in my mind since I got back to Serenity and noticed that the old hardware store was closed. I’ll need to put it on paper, see what real estate’s going for downtown. A lot of it’s been sitting empty for a while now, so it should be cheap enough. I’ve noticed the old hardware store still has some inventory sitting inside they’d probably make part of the deal. I’ll have to look into what kind of loan I might be able to qualify for. I’ve got some savings, but it’ll barely be enough to paint the interior and upgrade the shelving. I know there are bound to be a thousand things I haven’t even thought of, but it feels right to me, you know what I mean? Like something bigger than just starting a little business. It could make a contribution to the town.”
Butch gave him a considering look. “And impress your ex-wife?”
Ronnie grinned. “That, too.” It would prove to Dana Sue once and for all that he wasn’t going anywhere. She’d finally have to get used to the idea.
“So this isn’t just about sticking close to your daughter, is it?” Butch said. “You want your family back.”
Ronnie nodded. “Always have.”
“Well, then, you give me a call when you have your plan down on paper. We’ll talk again.”
“Your input today has been more than enough,” Ronnie said, more grateful than he could express. “I don’t want to take up your time.”
“Time, hell,” Butch said, waving his hand. “I might want to partner up with you on this thing if the numbers look good once you’ve worked ’em out.”
Ronnie gaped. “You’re kidding.”
His old boss chuckled. “Boy, don’t you know by now I never kid around when there’s money to be made? I know a sound investment when I hear one. Besides, I like you. You’ve been a good employee, even though we both know you’re worth a hell of a lot more than I’ve been able to pay you for the kind of work I had available when you showed up in Beaufort. You’re a lot more capable, too. I wish I’d been able to promote you to foreman, but I already had good men in those positions. Besides all that, you’re a decent family man who made a stupid mistake, from what you’ve told me, a mistake you’re not likely to repeat. If I’d had a son, instead of a passel of daughters, I would have wanted him to be just like you.”
Ronnie grinned. He doubted Butch’s oldest daughter would appreciate the implication that a son could have done anything she couldn’t do. In Ronnie’s opinion, Terry Thompson knew as much about construction as her father, probably because she’d been trailing after him around sites from the time she could walk and wear a hard hat. She was well respected by the men and the clients.
“How’s Terry going to feel about you making a decision like this without consulting her?” Ronnie asked.
“None of her business,” Butch said succinctly. “This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with the company. I’ll be a silent partner, at that. Your plan. Your execution. All I want is a good return on my investment. You show me a business plan that promises that and we have a deal.”
“I honestly don’t know what to say,” Ronnie said, hardly daring to believe the conversation had gone this well.
Butch sliced into his steak and savored a bite, then gestured toward his plate. “This beef is thanks enough. First time in weeks I’ve known what the hell I was eating. You try living on soy this and soy that and you’ll know what I mean.”
“You’ll have to come over to Serenity and have dinner at my ex-wife’s restaurant. Not a soy product on the menu, I can guarantee that,” Ronnie told him.
Butch’s eyes lit up. “Wait a minute. Are you talking about Sullivan’s? That’s your ex-wife’s place?”
Ronnie nodded, feeling a burst of pride. “You’ve heard about it?”
“Read about it,” Butch said. “In the Charleston paper, as I recall. Honest to God Southern cooking, that’s what they said, but with a few interesting twists. As long as one of those twists doesn’t involve soy anything, count me in. That’s where we’ll go to celebrate our partnership.”
“I gather you’re not planning to bring your wife along,” Ronnie said.
“Sure I am,” Butch said with a diabolical gleam in his eyes. “Until she got on this insane health kick of hers, Jessie actually liked decent food. Best Southern cook around, in fact. Her biscuits would melt in your mouth and her fried chicken would have made that old colonel ashamed of himself. It was one of the reasons I married her. Maybe this will remind her of what she’s been missing.”
“How about I throw in a gift certificate for her from Dana Sue’s other venture?” Ronnie offered. “It’s called The Corner Spa, and I hear they give a real good massage over there.”
“I always wondered what one of those would be like,” Butch said with a straight face.
Ronnie chuckled. “Sorry. You won’t find out there. It’s for women only.”
“Well, that don’t seem right,” Butch said, his
