Page 22 of Beauty and the Bayou

“We’ve got tools,” Leo said, seeming confused about why she would have done that.

“I don’t want to be a bother,” she told him.“Chase and I are going to fix this and I didn’t want to put anyone out.”Don’t be a burdenwas her life motto, after all.

“Loaning you a hammer or two is hardly putting anyone out,” Leo told her.

Juliet shook her head.“I insist on being self-sufficient here.”

She had a really good idea about what she was going to do for the dock.Of course, getting it from her head—and the page behind the second tab in her accordion file—and actually out on the banks of the bayou was the challenge.But the worst that could happen would be she’d screw it all up and end up paying Boys of the Bayou back to have it rebuilt by professionals.They’d have only lost two weeks.Hopefully, that wasn’t too horriblefor them, and hopefully, that would be enough time for Chase to have seen some good role models.

“What do you want me to do?”Chase asked.He seemed bored.Or irritated.He was probably both.But he was here.That’s all she needed.These people were hardworking, blue-collar, manual labor types.They’d show him how to buckle down and do the hard stuff, even when they didn’t want to.

“I want you to sit your butt down and tell me if you want your sausage gravy on biscuits or chicken fried steak,” Ellie said.

Chase looked at her, seeming a little shy suddenly.“I’m okay.”

Thatwas new.Was it possible that Chase was feeling sheepish about what had brought him back to Autre, Louisiana for the next two weeks?Was it possible she’d found people who could make Chase Dawson self-effacing?

“That isn’t what I need to know,” Ellie told him.“What did you eat this morning?”

“Cereal.”

Ellie rolled her eyes.“Sit down.You’re getting chicken fried steak unless you say the word biscuits in the next five seconds.”

“I’m fine,” Chase said.“It was Cornflakes.Really nutritious.”

“Uh-huh.And that’s gonna wear off about the time you swing that hammer the third time,” Ellie said.“Cora!”she called over her shoulder.“Need a chicken fried steak!”

“But I…” Chase looked at Juliet.

All she could do was shrug.“They fed me already and if I outwork you today, I’m totally not going to let you live it down.”

“Of course you’ll outwork me today,” Chase said.“You always outwork everyone.”But he pulled out the stool that had magically become empty next to Juliet.

“Does she?”Ellie asked.

“She overthinks and overplans everything and then has to use it all.I think it’s so she doesn’t feel silly about the accordion files,” Chase said.

Juliet elbowed him in the side.

“Accordion files?”Leo asked.

Chase nodded, undeterred by her jab.“Everything in her life is in accordion files.”

Juliet frowned.“Noteverything.”

Chase gave her a look.“Every project, trip, event, and hobby has an accordion file.”

Juliet lifted her glass of tea.Well, that didn’t meaneverythingin her life.

Ellie gave her a soft smile.“So, something like building a dock would definitely have an accordion file, I’m guessing.”

But it didn’t feel like Ellie was teasing her.Juliet gave her a smile back.“It does.”

“What are some of the tabs?”Ellie asked.

“Materials and tools.Building plans.Resources—local.Resources—general.Photos.”Juliet knew she overplanned.She overthought.She overdid.But those accordion files were her safety net.

“Sounds like we’re in good hands,” Ellie decided.

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