working on new plans for the Fulton factory. He hoped he’d come up with some changes to the construction that would be beneficial to everyone.
And save this deal for him.
If this new idea didn’t go over with the CEO, he could lose a lot more than just a sale. Business ventures like this just didn’t come down the road every day. It could take years for him to unload this property.
He walked across the restaurant behind the hostess to find Neil at the table by the window. The man didn’t look happy, but Jarrett was hopeful he could convince him to make a few concessions.
“Neil, glad you could make it on such short notice.”
They shook hands then sat down. “I hope you have some good news. I’d like to finalize this before I fly out tonight.”
Jarrett released a quiet breath to calm his nervousness. Don’t let them see you sweat, his college football coach had always told him. “Then let’s get to it,” he suggested.
The waitress came by and took their order.
“Now, tell me what’s so important.” Neil checked his watch. “I have to get on a plane and be back in Chicago tonight for a Christmas party. Robin will kill me if I’m late, especially since we’re hosting it.”
“It’s what I want to show you.” Jarrett pulled out the sketches for the plant site. “As you know, I have two apartment buildings located on the property.” He took a breath and rushed on. “Because of airtight lease agreements, the remaining tenants aren’t moving out until March.”
Fulton frowned. “I thought you said you had it handled, that the building would be demolished by the end of January so we could break ground by early spring.” Fulton was visibly irritated. “You assured me there wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Well, a judge stepped in and said otherwise.” Jarrett raised a hand. “So I have another idea that might work even better.”
Jarrett opened the folder and presented a sketch of the factory structure. “There’s enough land to move the location of the new factory to the back of the property, and put the parking lot in front, leaving the existing apartment buildings.”
“And why would I want to do that?” Fulton asked.
“Well, there’s a couple of reasons,” Jarrett began. “For one thing, it’s a better location, a little further from town. So it won’t be a traffic nightmare at rush hour.”
“It would also cost more for extra materials for laying the utilities,” Neil argued.
Jarrett pushed on, hoping his idea would work. “But if you use one of the existing apartment buildings for your corporate offices, you’ll save on construction costs.”
Neil’s brow wrinkled in thought. “You can’t be suggesting I use those dilapidated buildings?”
“Use one of the buildings,” Jarrett corrected. “Why not? They’re solidly built. They might have been neglected, but a remodel is a hell of a lot more cost-efficient than brand-new construction, even if you gut it entirely. You’d be recycling and it’s better for the environment. And best of all, the building is already vacant. You could start the inside remodel after the holidays. No delay waiting for the ground to thaw.”
Jarrett pulled out another drawing. “I had a structural engineer check out the building. It has the fifties retro look, but that can be changed, too. The main thing is it’s large enough to house the plant’s executive offices. Overall, you’ll save money on this project. The shareholders will have to be happy about that.”
Fulton didn’t say anything for a while as he went over the new plans, then he looked at Jarrett. “There’s no way you can remove the tenants?”
Jarrett shook his head. “I can’t and won’t. The majority are seniors on fixed income and two are disabled. I promised them they could stay until the spring.” Then he said something that he never thought he would. “If possible, I’d like them to stay in their apartments for good.”
Fulton leaned back in his chair. “You know that there are other locations the board of directors are looking at for this project, don’t you?”
Jarrett’s gut tightened as he nodded, seeing everything he’d worked for going down the drain. “Yes, I do. But you know this is the best location.”
Fulton arched an eyebrow. “These people mean this much to you?”
Jarrett sat back. He hadn’t thought about it until now, but these people been more accepting of him than his own father had. Truth was, they were starting to matter to him. Too much. He thought of Mia and BJ.
He eyed Neil Fulton’s expectant look and shrugged. “Hey, I’m just trying to stay out of jail.”
Later that evening, when Jarrett returned to the apartment building, he was exhausted. Fulton wouldn’t give him an answer, but he had promised to talk it over with the board. Jarrett couldn’t ask for any more.
He walked up the sidewalk toward the double doors. If Fulton went along with the new plan it meant Jarrett would keep the apartment building open. Of course, he’d have to put more money into the place, starting with paint. A lot of paint.
He shook his head. It was too soon to get excited. In these economic times nothing was a sure thing.
So Jarrett was in limbo. He thought about last night. Mia Saunders had stormed into his life and begun messing up his perfect plans. He’d liked things his way. Most of his life he’d been able to get what he wanted, until everything started to change, thanks to a blue-eyed do-gooder and her merry band of followers.
Hell, he’d never been a follower, and now look at him. Even worse, he was anxious to see her.
He pulled open the entry door and walked in, surprised to hear the sound of singing. A group of about two dozen tenants stood around an upright piano singing Christmas carols.
Standing back, he watched the people he’d come to know over the past few weeks sharing the joy of the holiday. This was hard for him. He couldn’t remember when Christmas had been a happy time. Not since he was a small boy.
Then he spotted Mia across the room and felt a familiar stirring in his gut. She looked pretty, dressed in a blue sweater and her usual black stretch pants. Her dark hair was pulled back and adorned with a red ribbon. Smiling, she waved at him.
Maybe it would be a happy holiday after all.
MIA caught sight of Jarrett when he walked into the open lobby. It was hard not to notice the man. In a charcoal business suit with a crisp white shirt and a striped tie, covered by a dark trench coat, he looked more Wall Street than small-town Colorado.
“That’s one good-looking man.”
Mia glanced at Nola who was holding BJ. “Both the McKane men are handsome.”
Her friend smiled. “But you’re only interested in the older brother.” She nudged Mia. “Now,
