“What do you think, Jayce?”Jim asked his son two hours later. Royce and Richard had left; it was just Grant and Garrett remaining with them.
“I think it’s great. I don’t know why I never thought of everything you guys did. I’m sure you all have a lot of contacts to get more renters.”
“We do,” Grant said. “But never turn down anyone spreading the word. Lots of our spaces have been filled that way.”
“I don’t know many around here like I did in Charlotte,” Jayce said. “I had all sorts of connections there, but nothing that fits here.”
“Now it’s time to spread your wings some,” Garrett said. “I remember Drake the first time he started to work for me. Thought he knew exactly what he was doing without my help, but learned soon enough that it takes time.”
Jim hoped his son realized that. That they had all the faith in him, but Jayce just had to unearth it himself.
“I’ve got a lot of time on my hands,” Jayce said. “My father has me viewing everything, even being around Gabe on the sites. My brother is loving bossing me around again.”
“That’s natural with siblings,” Grant said. “Ryder got the worst of it.”
“Jocelyn claims she gets the worst of it,” Jim said. “But she holds her own with her brothers.”
“She’s doing well, and I hear congrats are in order for another wedding soon,” Grant said. “Kind of a bummer we didn’t get to have too much to do with it.”
Jim looked at his son to see if he’d wonder what that comment was about, but Jayce was looking around the room they were in and checking a few offices out.
His son might not have worked with his hands in his past career and wouldn’t now, but he still had the knowledge in there.
“It happens,” he said quietly. “Don’t get any ideas just yet.”
“Diane said Stacy made a comment that she might go to them for help. Does she have anyone in mind?”
He saw Jayce go into another room. “I think something is going on with someone, but I’m staying out of it. He needs to get his feet under him some. Stacy can nose around if she wants.”
“Then she might reach out to our wives,” Garrett said. “Guess we didn’t get lucky with this one either. Could be it’s just dwindling down some with our fun.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of employees in your firm you can involve yourself in,” he said.
“Sure, there are, but it’s more fun when it’s personal like this,” Grant said.
“Let the women do their thing,” Jim said. “Or at least for now.”
“That’s the idea,” Garrett said, slapping him on the back.
“Ready, Jayce?” he asked when his son came back out.
“Yeah. I was checking to see how easily some walls could be moved or more thrown up. Even if it’s temporary ones. If you’re focused on getting clients for this, I can reach out to some hospitals or offices in the area and see their thoughts. There is a chamber meeting tonight I’m going to attend. Might as well get my name out there for McCarthy’s and it can spill out that way.”
“Digging in the way we knew you would,” Jim said.
“Got to start somewhere, might as well dive in. What’s the worst that could happen? People tell me no?”
“One hundred percent of the questions you don’t ask are no—just think of it that way. You might get a yes,” Grant said. “But getting immersed in the community is the first step.”
Which Jim knew his son might be nervous about. All those people he bragged to that he was putting this city behind him were eventually going to see he was back.
But he couldn’t hold his son’s hand, nor would Jayce want it.
It was time for his youngest son to make himself happy. However that might be.
19
MY WAY BETTER
