Page 104 of Sweet Home Louisiana

He stumbled back and she took a step forward, thinking quickly.There was a broom just inside the door to her right.She wasn’t sure how much damage she could actually do with that, but she was willing to try.

“Jesus, Maddie!”the man said, rubbing his jaw.

She froze with her hand in her purse, feeling for her keys.She frowned.Did she know that voice?Again, all of the men she knew were up at Ellie’s.She latched onto her keys and pulled them out.She could do some damage with those if she couldn’t get into the office.

She jabbed out with the longest key clutched between her second and third fingers.“What the fuck are you doing down here?”

“I was on my way to Ellie’s and I heard one of the airboats take off.I came down to check on things.”

Maddie squinted into the darkness.“Bennett?”

“Yes!”he shouted.“Who the hell did you think it was?”

“I thought it was someone trying to break in!”she shouted back.She had a ton of adrenaline pumping, first from Owen’s big announcement and her anger at Bennett, and then from coming down here to confront a possible intruder.

Her anger at Bennett.Hey, yeah, she was mad at this guy.She dropped her keys into her other hand, pulled her fist back, and punched him again.

“What thefuck?”he roared, his hand going to his face.“Are you crazy?”

“Yes!Maybe I am!But I don’t care!”she told him, advancing on him and gratified to see him backing up.“What thehellwere you doing buying Owen’s share of the business?I told you what was going on!We had a deal!”

Bennett stopped with his back against the railing of the dock.If he leaned back any farther, or she hit him again—which she was seriously considering—he’d go over backward into the bayou.

She’d actually really like to see that.She took a step forward and Bennett held his hands up in surrender.

“I’m not actually buying him out,” Bennett said.

“He said you signed an agreement.”

“We did,” Bennett agreed.“With no witnesses and on paper that’s very…rippable.”

She narrowed her eyes.“Rippable?”

“We can rip it up.”

“Why did you sign in the first place?”Maddie was nearly on top of his toes now.

“Because if he was serious, then I was definitely interested.But I knew it wouldn’t fly.Not once he heard that you were staying.”

“Wait, you didn’ttellhim that?”she asked.

“I thoughtyoushould tell him that.”

Maddie took another deep breath and opened her mouth.But then shut it.

She hadn’t told Owen she was staying.

Shit.

In her anger and worry about Bennett signing an agreement with Owen for his portion, all she’d been able to think of was getting to Bennett and ripping that up.She hadn’t actuallytoldOwen that she’d changedherdeal with the millionaire.

“How do I know you’ll actually rip it up?”she asked, taking a step back.

“Seriously?”Bennett asked, straightening and smoothing a hand down the front of his shirt.“I’m not here to stage a takeover.I need these guys as much as they need me.I want this to be good for everyone.Owen was determined.And honestly, going over his demands in our agreement showed me even more what this place means to him and to all of them.Leaving this, selling to me, would have been one of the hardest things that guy ever did.”

Maddie crossed her arms.

“Why are you freaking out?”he asked.“You don’t trust me?”

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