Page 23 of Beauty and the Bayou

“Did you buy steel-toed shoes?”Chase asked with a smirk, sliding the hard hat on the bar top over an inch.He knew it was hers.

“I did,” Juliet said.

“The amount of money you spent on equipment and gear could have probably paid for two docks,” Chase said.

“Not the point.And you know it.”

“Me ending up with blisters is the point.”

She patted his arm.“Yes.Yes, it is.”

Chase sighed.

Cora set a plate in front of him a moment later.“Chicken fried steakandbiscuits,” she said.“I have a feelin’ you’re gonna need it.”

He sighed again.But he definitely didn’t push the plate away.

Juliet grinned and sipped her tea.Her not-really-completely-horrible sweet iced tea.

Sawyer turnedin the direction of Cora’s house.Maddie was staying with her grandmother.She wasn’t a morning person and was likely still in bed or just now nursing her first cup of coffee.

“Uh, this way,” Owen said, turning up the first sidewalk.

Ah, Maddie was athisplace.

But they didn’t get all the way to Owen’s house.Maddie met them on the street halfway between Owen’s and Ellie’s.Clearly Owen had texted her a heads-up.

Her hair was up in a messy bun, she wore a baggy T-shirt and shorts with one of Owen’s button-down shirts over it all, and slip-on sandals.She had her glasses on and she looked not-quite-awake.Also, not-quite thrilled about the impromptu partners’ meeting.

Maddie blinked at them all.“So, she’s a morning person, too?That’s just great.”

Amused, Sawyer asked, “Who?”

“Juliet Dawson.”

He nodded.Maddie had definitely been expecting Juliet today.

“Apparently,” he said.“She was down on the dock when I got there.And I think she’d been there awhile.”

Maddie took a breath.“Okay, before you say anything more, this is a great idea.We all think so.”She gave Owen and Josh a look that clearly said they were expected to agree with her.

“Weallthink so?I don’t remember voting.And I thought I was the majority partner,” Sawyer said dryly, folding his arms and looking down at her.

“Well, that’s what’s so great about our arrangement,” Maddie said.She squinted up at him, clearly still coming through the not-quite-awake cobwebs.“You can still be outvoted if we all agree on something you don’t.”

“That’s agreatthing about our arrangement?”Sawyer asked.

“Checks and balances,” Maddie said with a nod.“It’s good when it’s in the best interest of the business.Even more so when it’s for the good of one of the partners.”She finished with a yawn that she tried to hide behind her hand.

“Juliet and Chase Dawson have no construction experience.They have no experience on the bayou or with boat docks.Oh, and Chase was the one who trashed the dock we’re rebuilding.Don’t really see how this is good for the business.”

“Because you’re going to end up firing Skip and Tanner by day three.If they don’t quit after day two of you bossing them around,” Maddie said.

Skip and Tanner were the guys Sawyer had talked to about rebuilding the dock.He’d intended to do it, but he did need more hands and he couldn’t pull Josh and Owen off the boats for that long.They had to keep doing tours to keep money coming in.

“And then where will we be?”Maddie asked.“Still without any help and even farther behind.With Juliet and Chase, you’ve got two pairs of hands but they’lllistento you.Theyexpectto be bossed around.”

Sawyer shifted slightly at that.Why did every thought or mention of bossing Juliet around sound a little dirty?And why did he think that was a possibility anyway?Because she’d been agreeable out on the dock that morning.She’d acknowledged the risks.She’d admitted he had some good points.She’d been wearing a fucking life jacket and hard hat.

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