the rest of the staff.
“You’ll be fine. I’ll hang out here until you get going, okay? Bobi will be here in an hour to help you out.”
“What’s the cook’s name, again?”
“Tim. You don’t have to worry about him. Bobi, and Rachel if she were here tonight, take the food orders directly to him. You just have to worry about the drink orders.”
“Got it. Sounds like you have the place running like a well-oiled machine.”
“We manage.”
“Thanks for loaning me the truck today. I had a hoot driving it around town. It was like old times. I learned to drive on that thing. Remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. So did the guy that had to rebuild the transmission,” she deadpanned before grinning.
Will chuckled. “I don’t remember it driving as well then as it did today. That thing is just amazing! I swear to god, could go swimming in that paint it is so deep.”
“Yeah… I like it too. I do most of my running around town in it. Everyone recognizes it. I don’t know if what I spent on it will ever get paid back, but it was worth it.”
“Should I even ask?”
“Almost fifty K,” she said, grinning at the shocked look on his face.
“Holy shit! I would have never guessed! You must be doing okay.”
“Not bad,” she admitted.
“I drove out and saw the new development going in. That is going to be a damn big place. How many houses?”
“Over a hundred, each set on an acre or thereabout. Leo will be landscaping the entire subdivision with the exception of the golf course.”
“A golf course in Vallecito… I wouldn’t have believed it. The dozen or so houses I saw going up are pretty big places.”
“Yeah. They start at a half-million, and go up from there. It is going to bring some serious money into Vallecito.”
“Shit… What did mom and dad pay for their house? Can you remember?”
“No… but it was like eighteen thousand, or something like that.”
Will shook his head. “Wow… times have changed. You still own their house?”
“Yeah. It’s a rental for me. Why?”
“Just wondering. Ever thought of selling it?”
“No. Not really. Why? You want to buy it?” she teased.
“Maybe.”
“Are you serious?”
“Maybe. Depends on what happens. But at least ask me first before you sell it to anyone else, okay?”
“Okay. But not much call for a bomb disposal expert in Vallecito.”
“No… but I hear there is going to be a new restaurant opening in town soon. Maybe the owner would like a partner. Or maybe just a manager.”
Jamie stared at Will. “Are you serious? Don’t tease, okay?”
“Maybe. It all depends. If I don’t get some offers… then yeah, maybe. I’ve been away enough. I don’t want to live in New York or Los Angeles, or someplace like that. I want to be close to home… and family.”
Jamie could feel her lower lip tremble as she pulled her brother into a hug. “The owner would love to have a partner, if it comes to that.”
“Okay,” he said as he pulled back. “I’ll let Leo know you are looking,” he said with a grin. “I saw him out at the job site today. He looks like he has a pretty big operation.”
“For around here, he does. Four full crews. He has the contracts for just about all the commercial property in town.”
“I talked with him a while. I like him. He isn’t at all like I expected. Last night I thought everyone was just on their best behavior, but Leo seems like a nice, normal, hardworking guy.”
“I told you! I think the Lima 6 thing is almost like a support group for ex-military. They have members come and go all the time. They join, hang around for a couple of years, and then move on. They have really been good for the town. Grande Heights is the result of what they have done. There is no way something like that would have come into Vallecito before.”
“So how does