“I want to go back to school.I want to be an architect.It would add a lot to Ellis Homes, but I need help to do it.”
Beau laughed.I hadn’t seen him laugh like that in years.
“What?”
“Took you long enough.”
I gave him a stern look.“What do you mean?”
“I thought for sure you’d do this when your little house plans started selling.You’re talented, and that’s where your heart is.Riley Fuller says you’re as good as he is.”Fuller was the architect our firm used.“Especially that house you did for that baseball player.”
That surprised me.“So?”I’d worked on those matchstick houses for years, and even before that, I was always sketching plans and subscribing to architectural magazines, but I hadn’t known he’d seen me.Hadn’t known Fuller had ever said anything to him about us working together on plans.I’d been wrong.
Beau leaned forward and set his beer on the center table.“So, how do you expect this to work?What’s your plan?”
“I’ll give you forty percent of the business to manage Ellis Homes while I’m in school.When I return, you keep the forty, but you can do what you want, keep on with managing all or part of the business or walk away.We’ll figure it out.In the meantime, Deacon can run Truss.”
“What makes you think Deacon wants to run Truss?”
I shrugged.I’d been counting on that, but if I was wrong, the plan would crumble.“Do you have a counteroffer?”
“I’m fucking old, Godwin.A few years ago, I might have jumped at this, but now...”He leaned back and propped his foot up on Deacon’s chair.“What do you say, Deac?You want to run Ellis Homes?”
My eyes widened, but Deacon’s widened more.“What?”he asked.
“I started the Truss company so I could take it easy.Building houses is a lot more complicated than supplying.I can run trusses in my sleep.But you’ve been to business school and shit.”
“I have an associate degree.That’s not nearly the same thing.”Deacon shook his head.
Beau snorted.“Eh.You’re smart.If Godwin shows you the ropes and gives you a decent transition period, you can do it fine.You have more education and experience than he did when he started.”He jutted a thumb at me.“And I’ll be here if you run into trouble.”
Deacon looked at me with pleading eyes.“Uh...okay?”
I hadn’t considered Deacon as my backup plan.Perhaps I should have.It wasn’t a bad idea, and I certainly trusted him.And I trusted Beau to help him.After all, he’d want his son to succeed.“Okay, I’ll give you thirty percent.Then if you want to stay on when I’m done, I’ll up it to forty.”
Deacon raised an eyebrow.“Thirty-fivenow and forty after.”
“Deal.”I stuck out my hand, and Deacon shook on it.Then Beau stuck his hand out, too.He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me toward him.He enveloped me in a weird side-hug.“You’re a good man, little bro.You’re going to be amazing.”
The last piece of my puzzle was Derby.How would that work?
