Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Carson barely managed to suppress a snort. Of course Liz would side with Arnold and Mel. She was too wrapped up in this town for her own good.
Was Carson opposed to small businesses in theory?
No. He knew what Mel said was true—that small businesses were, in fact, the backbone of the country.
Over the years, Carson had the very rare, very fleeting idea that maybe buying a small, dying company might be fun.
Might be fun to try to fix. Try to save something worth saving.
But then the rational parts of his brain would sweep that thought right out the front door and into the dumpster. Because it would be crazy to do something like that.
He knew the amount of work it took to keep small businesses afloat. How much was stacked against them. Especially as it became increasingly important to streamline as more and more companies outsourced some, if not all, of their manufacturing processes.
But now wasn’t the time for arguing. No matter how much he wanted to wipe that smug smile off Liz’s face.
No. He’d save it for later. For when Arnold’s foreman wasn’t right there. No need to get the employees riled up. If something drastic did need to happen, it would probably go much better if the employees weren’t on high alert.
Instead, he flashed Mel a quick smile of his own. “Yep. Just my business brain working overtime. Don’t mind me.”
Mel’s shoulders relaxed. “Phew. You had me worried there for a sec.”
“Nope.” Carson said. “No need to worry.” At least not yet.
He was careful to keep his thoughts to himself as Mel took them through the warehouse and kept a running commentary on how long so-and-so had been with the company, how many times Jim-Bob made Employee of the Month, and how many employees’ kids Arnold helped through college with small scholarships.
Was he proud of his uncle? Absolutely. Arnold had built something great. But even great things came to an end eventually. If the finances weren’t up to snuff, he didn’t want to see his uncle go down like the captain of a sinking ship.
So help him, if the finances were awful and Liz tried to keep Arnold from making smart business decisions…
“That does it!” Mel guided them back to the administration hallway and gathered their protective gear. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Carson, and good seeing you again, Liz.” Mel shook both their hands then nodded at Arnold, who scurried down the hallway toward them. “You need anything, Boss?”
“No. Thanks, Mel. Appreciate you taking them around.”
“My pleasure.” With a two-finger forehead salute, Mel disappeared back toward the manufacturing area.
“Thanks, Arnold,” Liz said. “That was very informative. I knew you had a good thing going business-wise, but I definitely didn’t appreciate the number of lives you were impacting here.”
Arnold dipped his head and gave her an aw-shucks smile. “Just doing my civic duty.”
Liz chuckled. “And then some.”
Arnold turned expectant eyes to Carson. “What do you think? Anything else I can answer for you?”
A tiny sword poked Carson in the gut. Dammit. He hoped Arnold wasn’t in over on his head. Hoped he didn’t have to play the bad guy and crush his uncle’s dreams. He wouldn’t know for sure until he delved into the finances.
Carson flashed his uncle a quick smile. “Nope. I’m good. I’ll get to work on the numbers.”
“I can get you two settled in the conference room if you want.” Arnold darted his gaze from Carson to Liz.
“No!” Their answers were simultaneous and equal in intensity.
“I’ll take the files and head back to the inn,” Carson said.
“And I’ll take mine to go as well,” Liz added.
Something that looked suspiciously like disappointment flashed across his uncle’s face before he replaced it with a smile. “No problem. You let me know whatever you need.”
“Will do,” Carson replied.
What he needed was to help Arnold with Crawford’s and get out of town with as little drama as possible. He figured the best way to do that was to bury himself in numbers and stay as far away from Liz as possible.
He could totally do that.
The alarm on Carson’s phone beeped. His stomach growled in response.
He set down Arnold’s files, pulled off his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes, then glanced at the time.
Dammit.
He hadn’t gotten nearly as much done as he wanted.
After getting back to the inn, he received an email from a client requesting a new set of investment projections for an emergency board presentation.
Something that wasn’t unexpected, given he wasn’t really on vacation, but meant he barely cracked open Arnold’s information before the alarm went off.
He considered ignoring it. Considered staying put and having a working evening.
But the alarm signaled a bigger issue—his promise to Agnes that he would show up for Matty tonight.
The tiny sword poked him again. This time as a reminder for what a crappy friend he was. How he moved away and never looked back. It was the least he could do to go to Matty’s half-birthday.
Although maybe Matty wouldn’t even want him there. After all, Carson would be pissed if someone had left him behind in Cloverfield.
But he promised Agnes. He had no doubt she’d drive to the inn herself and throw him in her car if she needed to in order to get his sorry ass to the Bowl & Roll. Regardless of whether Matty wanted to see him or not.
Carson sighed. He needed to haul his own sorry ass to go see Matty and wish him a happy half-birthday. Definitely less drama that way.
His stomach growled again.
In his youth, he would’ve jumped at the chance to gorge on hot dogs and nachos at the Bowl & Roll. Now, however, the thought of that as his dinner made him almost as queasy as the time their queso had gone bad.
No, he needed real food.
He flipped through the inn’s binder to the Restaurants & More section.
Huh. The Busted Gut was still in business.
He wondered if their biscuits were still legendary.
But they were already closed for the day, which was good.
He should probably get something a little healthier than what The Busted Gut served.
The Diva Dive looked promising though. He pulled up the restaurant’s website. Interesting premise and a good menu. Definitely in his wheelhouse, but he didn’t want a sit-down meal right now. No, he needed a get-in-get-out place where he would be able to fly under the radar.
Turning his attention back to the binder, the paragraph about food trucks caught his eye. He loved a good food truck. Quick, satisfying food, and fairly anonymous. At least, that’s how it was back home in D.C.
The binder directed him to check the town’s website for the food truck schedule.
Huh. Looked like something the town was just starting.
Not only did the website list the current trucks—Barbeque Babes and Taco Twosdays—but it linked to the trucks’ sites as well.
Both had great reviews and good health inspection grades.
Plus, from the map of where the food trucks parked, he had to drive past them to get to the Bowl & Roll.
That was one issue solved. Now he simply needed to pop in to Matty’s party, say hi to one of his childhood best friends, and hope Matty hadn’t learned to hold a grudge since Carson moved away.
He questioned the wisdom of agreeing to Agnes’s request the entirety of his drive to the food trucks. Questioned if he was going to cause more harm than good by dropping by the party. If he shouldn’t leave well enough alone and go back to inn after eating.
But on the flip side, if Agnes already told Matty that Carson was back in town and that she invited him, and Matty didn’t hate him for leaving, then not showing up would definitely prompt Matty to hate him now.
Fuck.
With a sigh, Carson pulled into the designated food truck parking area.
Come on, man. Get your shit together. Get some food, go see Matty, and apologize for being a jackass. It’s the least you can do.