Page 21 of Ten Beach Road

“But that still could be a huge chunk of money,” Avery said, liking the idea but not wanting to leap too quickly. “Even with the hard costs at wholesale, it’ll take a ton of man hours to get this house ready.”

The odd smile turned evil. “Or woman hours,” Chase said. “You all could save yourselves a boatload of money by investing a little sweat equity.”

“Sweat equity?” Madeline asked as if trying the term on for size.

Nicole’s elegant nose wrinkled at the word “sweat.” “We’re already investing the house. That’s our ‘equity’ in the deal.”

“But the house isn’t worth all that much in its present condition,” Chase said. “You need me to help realize its true value.”

Jeff Hardin shook his head and smothered a smile. Avery didn’t like the look of amusement that had stolen into his son’s eyes.

“There’s a lot of . . . grunt work that’s going to have to be done,” Chase said. “Work that I could teach almost anyone to do. Even a trained monkey.”

“Chase,” Jeff Hardin said. “That’s not . . .”

“Some of us monkeys have more training and hands-on experience than others,” Avery said, her body as stiff with anger as her tone.

“That may be,” he replied, the monosyllables ancient history now that he seemed to think he had the upper hand. “But my monkeys won’t be pointing and gesturing for a camera, they’ll be working.” He snagged Avery’s gaze. “Plus it’s going to be way too hot this summer for tight sweaters. Especially without air-conditioning.”

Avery could actually feel her blood beginning to boil in her veins. Her skin flushed from the heat of it. She opened her mouth, closed it, momentarily speechless in her fury.

“So to summarize,” Chase said, breaking eye contact with Avery to include the others in his gaze. “I’m willing to serve as general contractor at no charge. I’ll pay my usual contractor’s rate for all necessary materials and skilled labor. When the house sells I get reimbursed for my documented expenditures and then receive an agreed-upon percentage of your net profits. I’m thinking maybe two percent.”

He flashed a wolfish smile and shrugged. “I’ll guarantee the house will be ready to go on the market by Labor Day. And all you have to do in return is spend the summer doing what I tell you to.”

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