Page 58 of Building What's Meant to Be

Soda

Another board lists sauce options, including, honey barbecue sauce, honey hickory, sweet and spicy, sweet and tangy, citrus spice, mesquite, mustard, white sauce, red sauce, buffalo, maple, bourbon, teriyaki, peach with vidalia onion, and a secret sauce.

I frown, afraid to know what’s in it.

When a large man wearing a greasy apron appears from the kitchen, I back toward the wood-paneled wall. Bubba is what I imagine the creature that was scratching around outside the trailer last night looks like. In other words, a Sasquatch.

He and Aiden shake hands.

Aiden smooths his fingers and thumb along his own, freshly shaven face. “I see you’re going with a new look.”

“Oh, the beard? No, I just haven’t had a chance to shave. Ginny just had the baby and it’s been all hands on deck all day and night.” Dark circles ring his eyes and his hair needed a cut well before the baby was a twinkle in his eyes.

“Wait, does that make seven kids?”

“We’re at eight.” He smiles proudly.

My heart bounces, recognizing something I’ve never seen before. The man has eight kids and doesn’t think of them as a burden. No, he has absolute love and adoration in his eyes. Never saw my father look at me like that and there were only four of us.

I let out a sigh, unintentionally snagging Aiden’s attention because Bubba’s appearance is the stuff of “Unsolved Rural Mysteries.”

He introduces us. “Ah, Officer Henley said you’d be by to help out. I appreciate it an awful lot. Things around here have gotten away from me. My great-granddaddy wouldn’t recognize the place. It was his pride and joy and I’ve let it fall to ruin.”

I don’t think he had all that much to work with, to begin with, but I keep that to myself.

“We’re not quite the Designed to Last team, but how would your granddaddy feel about a little makeover?”

“As long as I don’t change any of the sauce recipes, apart from the honey, I don’t think he’d object.” A buzzer sounds from the kitchen. “I’d better get that. Have a look around and I’ll fix you lunch before you get started.”

Aiden and I head back outside and he faces the building. “Thankfully, Bo and Buck jacked up the foundation and fixed that so we can work from the bottom up. I’m thinking of a new roof with vaulted ceilings, fans, and a rustic yet industrial look. Kind of like Buck’s forge. There’s enough room for a vestibule and front porch. The patio will be in the back where we can move the outdoor dining.”

This is the part in the movie where one of the characters says the task cannot be done. It’s hopeless. That would be me.

“I thought we were just going to clean up.”

“Yep. Clear brush, landscaping, and assess the roof. And build an entryway.”

“You’re thinking big.”

“You met Bubba. I think he too adheres to the ‘bigger the better’ philosophy. It would be great if we could scrounge up some familial paraphernalia to really showcase the generational element,” Aiden continues as if undeterred.

“What did you say your job is again?” I ask.

Aiden gets a little hitch in his step as we walk around to the side where he then peeks under a tarp that covers materials.

“You could be a stand-in for one of the ladybosses.”

He straightens and meets my eyes. “When I see something, I go for it. When I start something, I see it through.”

In other words, he’s not a failure like me.

“I want customers to know that if they come to Bubba’s they’ll eat like a king and be treated like one.”

“King of the Swamplands.”

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