"That’s why I’m going to keep reminding you.Things are different now.You’ve found where you belong."He tightened his arm around her shoulders."And I’m not going to change my mind."
He held her gaze for a long moment.
She couldn’t find the words to express how she felt.Eventually, she smiled and asked, "Do we need to get up?What time do we need to go and get them?"
He shook his head at her with a smile."Okay, I’ll let it go.We don’t need to talk about it all the time, as long as you know how I feel.And as for the girls, Blane’s picking them up and bringing them back here later this morning.He said he’ll have them back for lunch."
"He’s good with them.It’s easy to see how much he loves them."
"He’s their godfather.He feels bad that he didn’t come back here when Emily and I did.Deacon, Trip, and Ace came, but Blane started the company with Mav and Cash.He didn’t want to be here in the valley, but he came as often as he could for the girls - and for Brooke, of course.He loves hanging out with them - and they love him."
He smiled at her.
"What do you say?Should we get up and get some breakfast before they get back?"
Harper hugged the bears to her chest for a moment."Yeah, we should get up and get this day started."
~ ~ ~
"Do you really have to go?"Tanya asked Blane.
They were all sitting around the table on the back deck after lunch.
"Yeah."Blane shot Emmett a quick smile."I have things I need to do, and so do you guys.You don’t need me in your hair."
"I hope you’re not leaving because of me," said Harper.
Emmett was about to reassure her, but it struck him that she and Blane would do better to figure things out for themselves.Blane wasn’t easy - he wouldn’t deny that - but so far Harper seemed to know how to handle him.
He smiled as Blane turned a mock scowl on her."You think I’d leave because of you?"
Emmett relaxed when she laughed and said, "No.I don’t know what I was thinking.If you didn’t want me around, you’d try to run me out of here."
"I wouldn’t try - I’d run you out of here."
Alana was smiling as she watched the conversation like a tennis match.Tanya was watching wide-eyed.
Harper gave Blane a sassy smile."You didn’t manage to run me out of here after Emmett was hurt, did you?"
She grinned at the girls."I didn’t know who he was at first.The way he stood like a sentry in the corner of your dad’s hospital room, I thought he must be some kind of bodyguard."
The girls laughed.
"I don’t stand like a sentry," Blane protested.
"Yes you do!"Alana told him."You do it all the time, you just don’t know that you do.You fold your arms and get that look on your face."
"What look?"Blane asked, looking indignant.
Tanya made them all laugh when she scowled around at them, impersonating Blane.
"Something like that," said Alana.She turned to Harper."I’m surprised he didn’t scare you off."
"He might have if I wasn’t already so worried about your dad."She gave Blane a sassy smile, and Emmett couldn’t wait to hear what she’d say next.
She leaned closer to the girls."I do this thing when I’m scared.I take whatever I’m afraid of and then imagine it in a way that seems a little bit ridiculous."
Blane scowled at her, and Tanya asked, "How did you make Uncle Blane ridiculous?"
