“Or ate one of Emma’s pies.” Vince grinned.
“Still smiles, so they count.”
Vince tipped his head and narrowed his gaze. “Well, you weren’t here for Emma’s pie tonight, and we don’t need to fumigate the place, so…?”
He shrugged. “So, what?”
“So, you’re saying your visits to Dallas are just to see your grandmother?” Stone asked.
Leo unfolded his arms and held the man’s stare. “Yes. I told you I wanted keep an eye on her while my mom’s away, remember?”
Vince’s brow rose over an amused gaze. “You’re busted, pal. We’ve been in your shoes. We know the signs. Don’t even try to tell us a girl isn’t the reason for the visits.”
“No.” His lips twitched. “But she is an added bonus.”
“Added bonuses are good,” Stone said.
“No, they’re great,” Vince said. “I should know. I discovered that firsthand with Emma.”
His buddy was right. Vince’s stint as Emma’s pretend boyfriend had turned into the real deal, and he attributed that to their killer chemistry. Kind of like what Leo had with Kaydee. Not that he was about to admit that to the two smiling idiots.
Time to change the subject to the other thought on his mind. “So, Stone, I’ve been thinking.”
“That’s dangerous,” Vince muttered good-naturedly.
Leogood-naturedlyflipped him off.
“About what?” Stone asked.
“About your offer to build me a house on this ranch.” The more he thought about it, the more he knew what he wanted to do. He loved the ranch and helping men and women who had a tough time fitting back into society. Like he did. But he’d changed. It was time to show it. “I’m interested, but only on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That you let me buy into the ranch and business like the others.” He held his friend’s gaze. If he saw any sign of pity, or anything similar, he was gone. He wasn’t looking for a handout.
“Done.”
Leo blinked. “Done?”
“Yeah, done,” Vince echoed.
He frowned, bouncing his gaze between the two men. “But don’t you have to talk it out with Brick and Cord? I should’ve called a meeting.”
“No need,” Stone said. “We’ve already had this discussion.”
Vince grinned. “Yeah, we were just waiting for you to bring it up.”
“No shit?”
Stone grinned, too. “No shit.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “Welcome aboard.”
Leo hesitated. “Wait. I need to know how much everyone contributed.”
“Not everyone put in the same amount,” Stone said.
“Yeah,” Vince said. “Cord and I had family obligations that ate into our savings, but we put in what we could.”
A ripple of relief washed over Leo. “I have a good chunk now. A few more months and I’ll have more saved up. But until then, I don’t feel comfortable doing anything.”
