Fisher (Prince of Tigers, #3) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,59
as open armed with us as they might have been before. We’re both going to have to work on that, I think.” She smiled at him. “I might have lost my temper a time or two myself. People will take a mile if you give them an inch. I’m not very good at hearing how badly you might have treated people. I wanted to tell them to just shut the hell up and take the damned money. Finally, I had to have someone else do it for me. It was just too much to think about all the time.”
“If I’d been doing my job correctly all along, you wouldn’t have been put in that position at all. I’m not saying I was wrong about everything I did, but pretty close if you want to know the truth. I had a wonderful profitable company, and I nearly ruined it all by being an asshole. I’m still working on becoming a better man. Not just for the company, but for you as well.” Denise took his hand into hers. “Denise, I’d like to start anew with you too. We need to do things together again. Go out and enjoy a nice meal someplace. I’ve been keeping up with Piper on a couple of things too. Did you know she’s putting together care boxes for the men and women in prison? I think we could do something like that, but with the children going to school. Supplies that they might not be able to get. Things for the teachers’ rooms as well. Then there is the homeless shelter. I spent a few hours there just yesterday morning, handing out food and making sure there are enough things to go around.”
“I can’t imagine you being in a soup kitchen, Benny. Whatever will the neighbors say?” He told her what he should say to them. “Yes, well, that might be a good idea, in theory, to make them come help, but I doubt Mr. Graves is going to be doing anyone any good if he gets there and has a stroke. The man is ninety-five years old. Oh, to be in that good of shape when I reach his age.”
“What are you talking about? You’re beautiful right now. You’re only going to be more beautiful as you grow old with me.” Denise thanked him. “I do want to be more of a help to the community rather than someone that takes advantage of things. I’ve been sitting on my lazy bum all my life. I want to make a difference in some lives, damn it.”
They talked for the next couple of hours. Benson had forgotten what a great sense of humor Denise had. It was also very sharp. They talked about trips they’d never taken. The things they wanted to do for the town. He even convinced her to have a company Christmas party this year with all the employees. It would mean shutting down their company for a whole day, but he thought in the long run, it would be well worth it.
Billy asked if he was staying for dinner, and Benson turned to Denise. He would not assume anything with her anymore. Had he listened to her from the first, he would have been a better man than he was now. Benson had learned a great deal with his walks through the town, as well as a few places he might not have ever thought of going before all this happened.
“He’ll be moving back in with us, Billy. What do you think of that?” Billy smiled and asked if he was ready to get rid of all his suits. “Suits? Yes, I think that’s a splendid idea. Not all of them, but most. We both need to be more approachable, too, I think. Let people see us as people they can come too.”
Getting rid of his suits was only the first step in making them more approachable. Benson had worn a suit to the soup shelter and had not one person come up and ask him for a thing. But when he’d worn his jeans and a T-shirt, people would talk to him about most anything. Granted, some of it wasn’t anything he wanted to know about a person, but it was nice knowing the clothing he wore made a difference right away in how he was treated. Also, how he treated others.
“I’ve discovered things about myself, Denise. Not all of it was bad, as I’m sure you’re thinking.” She laughed and shook