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“Your brother?”
“Ryder and the boys stopped at the farm for apples and corn, remember?”
She nodded.
“Josh told Vince that he and I were moving to the farm.”
Yvonne frowned. “You’re moving to the farm?”
Leo shook his head. “No. We’re not. I told you, Josh has been after me to move back ever since Dad had his heart attack. I’ve told him it’s not a good time for that—”
“I don’t think it’ll ever be a good time for that.”
Leo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. “I can’t live there again. I love my family more than words can say, but there’s no way we could all cohabitate under the same roof again. Josh and I would kill each other within a week.”
“So why would he tell Vince that?”
Leo sighed. “It’s Josh. He’s relentless when he gets something into his head. He probably thought he’d force my hand by telling Vince. Or, who knows, the guy thinks the farm life is the greatest thing on Earth. He might’ve thought he’d tell Vince, and Vince would be so excited by the prospect, he’d beg me until I relented.”
“If that’s true, Josh doesn’t know Vince very well.”
“Yeah. I’m calling my brother in the morning and setting the record straight once and for all.” Leo turned slightly and pulled her completely into his arms, hugging her tightly. “These past few days have been hell, Vonnie.”
She sucked in a deep breath of his scent, soaking in the smell of his shampoo. Leo always smelled like Irish Spring and fresh air.
“For me too,” she admitted.
“I’m sorry.”
She lifted her head. “No. Nothing to be sorry for.” She held up the key. “So…”
“I talked it over with the guys. You know Ryder and I have been planning to put that addition onto the house. We even have the plans drawn up. We’re going to talk to your uncles about doing the work.”
“I’m sure they’d be happy to do that.”
“Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you we’re sort of slobs, none of us knows how to cook worth a damn, and wrestling is a way of life with those boys. How do you feel about living with four bachelors?”
“Sounds like absolute chaos,” she mused.
“It is,” he agreed. “It really is.”
Yvonne looked around and recalled Pop Pop talking about him and Grandma Sunday raising seven kids in the apartment. He called it chaos, then he’d said he wouldn’t trade those days for anything. She may have grown up an only child, but she was a Collins, which meant she was constantly surrounded by cousins. Hell, they were all adults now, and wrestling was still a way of life for some of her idiot male cousins. She’d had to dive to save a lamp just last week when Miguel and Finn decided to practice some karate moves in the living room.
“What do you think?” Leo asked. “If it’s too soon or I’m moving too fast, just say so. We can keep dating and we’ll figure out a way to—”
“I’m moving in with you.”
“And you’re okay with the package deal? I mean, moving in with me and Vince is one thing, but with Ryder and Clint as well…I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“I’m fine with it. Honest. I love your family, love the home you’ve made for those two boys. And I’m touched that the four of you want to include me in that.”
“You know, it won’t be forever. Vince will go off to college in six years and then…”
“Then, we’ll buy our own house. Start our own family.”
“I’m not waiting six years to make a baby with you, Vonnie.”
Yvonne laughed, smiling through her tears. “Excellent point. I mean, I am practically ancient now that I’ve turned thirty.”
