of the reasons I’ve been as successful as I have. But it’s time for you to not just run the crews for me.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Likely the same thing that you were about to.”
I start fiddling with the quarter again and say, “Ever thought about expanding?”
“Honestly? I haven’t. Figured you’d want your own name on the company letter head.”
Chuckling, I admit, “Yeah, I kind of do. But right now I need to be thinking about other more important things. Like getting back here.”
“You wanna buy in?” he asks, surprise laced through his voice.
“I just thought maybe we could hire another crew and start doing some jobs here.”
The other end of the phone is quiet while he thinks over my suggestion. “I want you as an official partner, Beau. That way when I’m ready to be in Florida permanently you’re in a better standing to buy me out.”
“Sounds like you have it all planned out.” Grant and most of the entire staff came to the funeral, some to the memorial but as expected, Grant and I didn’t spend time talking about work.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”
The patio door opens and I turn around to see a sleepy Addy coming outside carrying two cups of coffee and looking gorgeous as usual. Even in a pair of baggy bleach stained sweatpants and my old high school football hoodie. Actually, probably because of what she’s wearing. Her blonde hair is pulled up on top of her head in a messy nest and there’s a smudge of mascara under her eyes.
I take the cup she offers me and she curls up on one of the patio chairs, knees tucked to her chest as she looks out toward her backyard.
“I’m not opposed to looking into that,” I tell Grant when I realize I haven’t responded to his last statement.
“I’ll get some figures ready on my end and give you a call later. Take all the time you need before returning, you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you, Grant.”
“Praying for your family. Whatever you need, got it?”
“Thank you. Appreciate it and not gonna lie and say we don’t need it ‘cause we definitely do and we’ve been feeling them. It’s been… a rough few days.”
“Don’t doubt that. I’ll be in touch,” Grant says quietly.
We say our goodbyes and I take a seat next to Addy. We sit quietly and drink coffee, enjoying the peace only the early morning brings. Birds chirping and the light breeze rustling the leaves are the only sounds that surround us.
“She still sleeping?”
“Yeah. I hope she sleeps ‘til noon.”
I laugh. “That’s hopeful.”
“That was Grant? Does he need you back?”
“He’s ready for me to return but he’s giving me whatever time I need.”
Addy nods. “He seems like a good man.”
“He is.”
“What are you doing today?”
“Zoey has practice tonight, right?”
“Well, yeah, but… not sure she wants to keep it up.”
“Did Chris tell you he asked me to coach?”
She turns her head and looks at me with surprise and a hint of sadness. “He didn’t, but I’m not surprised he asked. Her coach is awful. I’ve never seen someone take T-ball so seriously in all my life. I feel bad for his wife. She looked so embarrassed when he started yelling at the kids.”
I grind my teeth together, pissed that Zoey’s been having to deal with it. “It’s such bullshit.”
“Yup. And I don’t know that I’ll push Zoey to continue because I think it will just add to the sadness.”
“But I’ll be coaching now. Or, at least that was the plan. We should probably check in with some of the parents, I guess.”
She shakes her head and rubs her lips together. “Not because of the coach. Because playing was her and Chris’s thing. Their chance to bond.”
“Shoot. I didn’t think about that.”
“She told me she doesn’t think it will be as much fun without him.”
“Then don’t force it,” I tell her with a shrug. “It’s T-ball. Not anything she can’t just skip.”
“But isn’t that teaching her that she can quit when things are hard?”
I give her a look and set down my cup on the ground before leaning my elbows on my knees and grasping her hand in mine. “She just lost her dad. She gets a free pass, babe. T-ball didn’t get hard, her life just got flipped upside down. She’s also young enough that she’s not going to realize you’re letting her quit something. This is about her mommy understanding what she’s going through. It’s T-ball. If she wants to not