Page 99 of Sweet Home Louisiana

“Write up an offer.Let me know how much you want, when I could take ownership, all of that.”

Owen nodded.But he had no idea how to really do that.He wasn’t a businessman.Not really.He could balance a checkbook and knew his log-in information to get into the online banking.And that was about it.“Is there a standard form for stuff like that or something?”he asked.He would have expected to feel a little intimidated by Bennett Baxter to be honest, but he didn’t.Bennett seemed like a straight-forward guy.

“How about for now, we can just write something up that lists all the stuff we both want and agree to,” Bennett said.“I’ve made business deals on reams of expensive linen stationary and I’ve made deals on the backs of bar receipts.”

Owen relaxed a little.“I’m definitely more of a bar-receipt guy.”

Bennett smiled.“Think Cora has a notebook or something?”

“Absolutely.”Owen led the way back up into Cora’s kitchen and twenty minutes later, he and Bennett both scrawled their signatures across the bottom of a piece of paper that readGROCERIES AND SH*Tat the top and had a bear carrying a basket of food in the corner.

Owen felt good as they made their way over to Ellie’s for lunch.Their agreement, written like that, felt like the partnership agreement Leo and Kenny had written up out at the fishing cabin all those years ago.Was it completely legal?Well, maybe.But more importantly, it spoke to the commitment of the two men who’d signed it.Owen was going with Maddie.He’d officially put it down on paper.

And now shehadto let him tag along to California.In another week, he wasn’t going to have a job in Autre anymore.

“So,everyone knows that Bennett Baxter is in town,” Maddie said later that evening as everyone—sans Bennett—gathered around the big table at the back of Ellie’s.It was another “partner meeting” which meant that Cora, Ellie, Leo, Kennedy, Mitch and several other random friends were also there and that there was food.“He wants to meet you all, but he didn’t want to crash our dinner.He’s staying at Leo’s tonight and is over there working now.”

“He’s crashing atLeo’s?”Josh asked.“The trailer?”

Leo had been living in a trailer behind the bar since he and Ellie had split up.It was nothing fancy.It didn’t even come close to fancy.And that was where the big millionaire investor was going to stay?

Owen actually chuckled at the thought.Bennett seemed enamored with all things bayou and “downhome”—anything different from his rich upbringing.He’d probably love the trailer.

“Where’s Leo going to sleep?”Mitch asked.“Don’t tell me you’re putting Baxter on that couch.He’ll never walk straight again.And that couch will snap Leo in half.”

“Really, he could just go back to New Orleans to stay,” Kennedy said.“He can have people kiss his ass at some swanky hotel instead of expecting us to all do it.At least they’d be getting paid for it.”

“He doesn’t expect anyone here to kiss his ass,” Maddie protested.

“So when he asks me for something tomorrow, I can tell him to fuck off?”Kennedy asked.

Maddie sighed and everyone else laughed.

“Guess that depends what he asks you for,” Owen said with a wink.He hadn’t missed that Kennedy was particularly annoyed by Bennett, and he hadn’t missed that her irritation probably meant something was up between the two of them.

“No, you cannot tell him to fuck off,” Sawyer said.“He’s going to be your boss.”

Kennedy scowled at him.“Well…not really.”

Sawyer nodded.“Yes, really.He’ll own part of the business.You work for the business.”

“Yeah, but Josh and Owen own part of the business, too.I don’t listen to them.”

Sawyer gave his little sister a look.“That’s because Josh and Owen let you get away with that.I don’t think Bennett Baxter will.”

Kennedy did not look happy about that.

“Anyway,Bennett is staying in town for the next couple of days,” Maddie said, clearly trying to steer the conversation toward her big announcement.

“He can sleep at my place,” Mitch said.“I can crash at Owen’s.His couch is great.”

“Well, why not just put Bennett on the couch?”Kennedy asked.“His rich ass can’t sleep on a couch?”

“Kennedy,” Sawyer said, sounding tired.“Enough.”

“I’m just sayin’.”

“You mad that we’re not putting him up at your place?”Mitch asked.

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