Stone nodded, his hand still stretched out. “Deal.”
“Deal.” A smile tugged at Leo’s lips, and as he shook Stone’s hand, an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time rippled through him.
Pride.
Years of self-doubt and loathing had blocked any appearance of positive emotions. It felt good,damngood, to have his body riddled with them for a change.
“Yeah, welcome aboard, Leo.” Vince stepped close to shake hands.
“Thanks, but I’m not aboard until I get all the money together.” He released Vince’s hand and stared at Stone. “And hold my own like Vince and the others.” He needed to prove to everyone that he was back on his feet and reliable again.
“Then I think it’s time you had your own crew,” Stone said. “You already proved you can handle the position when you covered for Vince last summer. I’ve just been waiting for you to ask.” The smile on Stone’s face was brighter than the dim porch light. “I have a kitchen remodel lined up to start on Monday. You want it?”
Hell yeah. “Thanks. I don’t know what to say.” The fact that his buddy thought so highly of him, after all his poor choices, was damn humbling.
“Say yes.”
“Yes.”
God, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed being regarded as a valued member of the team. But even through all his trials and tribulations since leaving active duty, none of them ever turned their backs on him. He owed his friends everything. Especially Stone.
Leo just hoped he didn’t let his buddy down.
Chapter Four
On Friday, Kaydee put in an extra shift at work to cover for Rose when her boss called to tell them she wasn’t coming in. Thankfully, she’d had just enough time to make it home to pick up her grandfather and Ava and drop them off at the rec center for bingo night.
“Thank you, dear,” her neighbor said. “Leo’s on his way but stuck in that dang traffic. I told him not to worry, you had us covered.”
“Anytime.” She smiled, not because she just found out Leo was on his way. Nope. The smile was nothing more than a polite gesture to her friend.
That was her story and she was sticking to it.
“You wouldn’t have to take us if you’d let me drive, Kaydee.”
She met her grandfather’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “If it wasn’t going to be dark when bingo was over, then you know I would’ve let you.”
They had this same argument every week.
He rolled his eyes. “I had one scrape.”
Kaydee sighed. “Three, Grandpa. You had three.” And she was damn glad he’d been able to walk away from the last accident with just a broken wrist.
“If it weren’t for that damn dog running out in front of me, I wouldn’t have swerved and hit the stupid tree.” He folded his arms across his chest and grumbled.
“I hate when that happens,” Ava said. “Ever play chicken with a goat? I did. Damn thing charged right down the middle of Pickler Road straight at me.”
Kaydee glanced sideways at the woman, unsure if she was pulling their legs. But her gaze was serious. “What’d you do?”
“Swerved, like Nate,” Ava said. “Only, I didn’t hit a tree. I took out a section of Old Man Turner’s fence. He was right pissed about it, too.” The woman chuckled. “But seeing as it was his goat that was loose, he didn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“Or four,” her grandfather added from the back seat.
The three of them were still laughing when Kaydee pulled into the rec center parking lot.
“We’ll see you in two hours,” Ava said, opening the door. “Oh, and I left chicken for you and Leo in the Crock-Pot. Enjoy.”
Apparently, she was having dinner with Leo at his grandmother’s house. Alone. Her heart skipped a beat as she drove home. Would he think she engineered it? She hoped not. Not that she didn’t want to have dinner with him. She did. Very much. But she’d never orchestrate it so deviously.
