“Just tell me when, and I’ll be there.”
Zane nodded as he stepped back. “Go on. They’ve got somethin’ to talk about, and you know how my Pop gets when you keep him waitin’.”
Stone waited until Zane pulled out of the driveway before he went to the door.
***
“Come on in, boy!” Curtis called fromhis place at the kitchen table. “You don’t need a chaperone.”
Lorrie chuckled. The things her husband came up with. His gruff tone would’ve scared away a lesser man.
She got to her feet as her nephew came inside, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the rack near the door. His heavy steps echoed on the hardwood as he made his way to the kitchen.
“Coffee?” she offered.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
“Sit,” Curtis grumbled.
Lorrie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she prepared the coffee. She also smiled because she knew her husband was excited about this meeting. You wouldn’t know it to hear him talk, but he’d been going on all morning about it. He was probably looking forward to it more than Stone.
Then again, she wasn’t sure her nephew was all that excited. He looked like someone had just kicked his dog.
“Thank you,” Stone said when she placed the mug in front of him.
“So?” Curtis prompted. “You bring it with you?”
“What’s that, sir?”
A lot ofsirsandma’amsbeing thrown around. That usually didn’t bode well.
“Your proposal. I got an earful from my boys. I thought for sure you’d bring it for me to take a look at.”
Stone glanced her way, then back to Curtis. “I left my computer at home. I thought… I can go get it.”
“No need.” Curtis pulled a laptop from the empty chair and set it in front of Stone. “Use mine.”
“I can’t access it from your computer,” Stone explained. “It’s on my hard drive.”
“It’s on mine, too.” Curtis lifted the lid on the computer. “Go on.”
Stone frowned. “I’m confused.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
Lorrie watched as Curtis took a sip of coffee, acting as though it was no big deal. It was a big deal—a huge one, considering the email that had been sent with the proposal.
“My email’s open. Pull it up,” Curtis instructed.
Stone’s finger swiped across the trackpad on the computer, his gaze still lingering on them.
“It’s in the email,” Curtis said, his tone gruffer than before.
“Yes, sir.”
“Now don’t go gettin’ nosy, boy,” Curtis said, and it was clear he was trying to hide his smile. “Just look for the email from Nico Daugherty.”
Stone’s head snapped up, his eyes wide.
