Page 83 of Golden Rule

“So, bring me up to speed. I want to hear everything.”

“Well, my guys got a lot of the demo work done, but we can’t touch anything other than drywall, flooring, fixtures. It’s the best we can do since we’re not allowed to get to the structural features until we cut through the last of the red tape. We’ve been clearing debris as we move along, though, keeping the worksite safe.”

“Perfect. When are we expecting the last permit to come through?”

“Three to five business days was the estimate,” he reminds her.

Clasping her hands with excitement, Blue’s face lights up. “Music to my ears.”

Seth flashes a half smile, but my question cuts off his response.

“Are there any hiccups we can expect from the inspection?”

It’s clear he doesn’t want to answer to me, but I’m emotionally invested. More than anything, it’s important to me that my wife gets everything she envisions. I’m here for support when she starts to doubt, here to bankroll the project so she has whatever she wants or needs. So, whether Seth likes it or not, I like to think of myself as a silent partner.

Then again, today, I guess I’m not so silent.

Scar and Peyton return with our drinks, then we’re focused again, and I’m awaiting Seth’s response.

“Not… that I’ve come across so far,” he stammers. “But I always do a walkthrough twenty-four hours before the inspectorshows up. Just to make sure I’ve tied up all the loose ends, tightened things up as much as possible.”

I nod. “Good idea.”

“What’s next?” Blue chimes in.

“I’d love to tell you we’re ready to prep the interior for framing, but we can’t really take that step until the permit is in hand. So, in the meantime, I’ve got some material orders to finalize, and when the weather is nice like it’s been, I like to get a jump on clearing the lot—getting the overgrowth cut back, getting trash and stumps removed. Things of that nature,” he says. “Not enough to make it pretty, but enough that things look a bit more presentable. It also helps keep things out of the way while we’re working.”

“Oh!” Blue says. “Speaking of landscaping, my uncle mentioned that a lot of his regulars are excited to see something finally being done with the old building. Apparently, they’re interested in pitching in when it’s time to plant flowers and get the painting done. Is it too soon to start organizing that?”

“The timing’s perfect, actually. I’ll email you a list of tasks that are safe for volunteers, and I’ll also send a signup sheet you can print and use to collect their contact info.”

My wife is beaming, and I know it’s because she loves this, being involved with the community.

“Great! I’ll get started on it right away.”

“No problem,” Seth nods. “Call if you think of anything we forgot to discuss.”

A huge smile curves his mouth as he stares at her, and it’s confirmed. I fucking hate this guy.

He stands, and I do the same, accepting his hand to shake it when he extends it to me.

“Nice meeting you, West.”

“Same. And thanks for keeping the project on track.”

He nods once, then shifts his gaze toward Blue. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

With that, he waves, then he’s finally gone.

I watch as he heads back to his pickup, looking like he breathes a sigh of relief as soon as he closes himself inside. I look away from him when my wife stands beside me, slipping her hand into mine.

“I’m proud of you,” she says, “even though things got a little tense for a bit.”

Things beinga little tensewas mild. If I hadn’t made that promise, today would’ve gone a lot differently.

“Ready to take off?” she asks, and I nod, kissing the back of her hand. I drop a hundred-dollar tip on the table for Scar, like always. It’s an inside joke, a reminder of when I did something similar in support of her homemade cookie endeavor.

We wave at Dusty hard at work behind the grill, then we head out to the parking lot just as Seth pulls off.

---