"I told you I'll tell him," Alana interrupted.
Emmett opened the front door and hurried out."Whoever's telling me, you can do it on the way.Come on."
Once they were all in his truck, Tanya turned in her seat—she got to ride shotgun these days since Alana was happier sitting in the back, tapping away on her phone.She surprised him when she leaned forward between the seats and said, "Harper's coming to get us tonight."
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and stared at the road ahead, hoping that he wouldn't give himself away—although just what he was afraid of, he didn't know.
"Alana.I wanted to tell him," Tanya whined.
Alana huffed a big sigh."Okay, so you can tell him the rest.You don't need to be a baby about it."She flopped back into her seat and took her phone out.
When he glanced at Tanya, she was grinning at him."I thought Libby was coming for you tonight."
"She was, but she had something going on.Something with her new horses or...”
“She's taking delivery of a couple of new horses for her riding therapy program," Alana said matter-of-factly from the back seat.
"Yeah, that's right," said Tanya."But anyway, she can't come and Harper's coming instead."
He nodded, not knowing what to say.What would he say if it were anyone else?So many of his friends helped with picking the girls up from school and getting Alana to rehearsals, and the arrangements changed often.He relaxed a little when he figured out that if they told him that Ace was coming to get them because Libby couldn't, all he'd do was ask if they were okay with it.
He reached the end of the drive and pulled out onto the highway before asking, "Are you both good with that?"in what he hoped was a normal voice.
"I'm not just okay with it," said Tanya."I can't wait.I really missed her while she was gone.Didn't you?"
Emmett's mouth went dry.How did she even have any idea?But no, what was he thinking?Of course he hadn't missed her.Relief washed over him, even though he felt a little foolish when Alana said, "Well, duh, of course I missed her.She's awesome.Right, Dad?"
He glanced in the rearview mirror, and the look Alana gave him set his nerves right back on edge.She looked expectant in a way that kind of reminded him of Harper.He had no idea what his older daughter was thinking, but he wasn't going to get into it.Instead, he echoed her own words back at her."Well, duh.Of course she is.You guys get along with her so well.And we're lucky that she has so much time and doesn't mind spending it helping us all out."
"You get along with her too, don't you, Dad?"Tanya asked.
"Sure I do.I don't see her as much as you guys do, but she seems...nice."He held his breath—even to his own ears the words sounded what Alana would calllame.
"We should invite her over one night when you're home," said Tanya.
He gripped the steering wheel tighter, hoping that Alana would help him out and shoot that down, as she did with so many of Tanya's ideas.Instead, she smiled at him in the rearview mirror and said, "Yeah, I think that's a great idea.We'll have to figure out one night when you can come home early and we can all have dinner together."
Emmett frowned, wondering how exactly he could wriggle his way out of this—and for that matter, where it had even come from.
"Can we, Dad?"Tanya asked.
"We'll have to see.You know what my schedule's like.I wouldn't want to invite her over and then have to cancel."
"She'd be fine with it," said Tanya."She's pretty laid back."
"And even if you had to stay at work late, she could hang out with us till you got there," said Alana.
"We'll see," he said in a firmer voice this time, then waited.The cab of the truck was tense for a few moments, but he relaxed when Tanya said, "Okay," and Alana took her phone back out before telling him, "Yeah, but don't think we're going to forget."
For the rest of the drive up to town, Emmett wondered if the girls were just trying to make sure that they got to see more of Harper again now—or if...no, it couldn't be more than that.He didn't know why he was even thinking about it.If anyone,hewas the only one whose mind had gone near the possibility of something more between Harper and him.And he wasn't even thinking about it.It was just...He didn't even know...
Okay, so maybe he was attracted to her.And he felt guilty about that.That was all.That was why he was hyperaware that the girls might pick up on it.He'd hate that.
~ ~ ~
Harper checked the time on the dash of her truck as she pulled into the parking lot of Trip's clinic up in town.She had plenty of time before she needed to be at school to collect Tanya.The two of them were going to hang out in town until Alana was done with her rehearsal, and then she'd take them home.
She was excited to see them both, and relieved that she didn't need to stay out of Emmett's way anymore.Even though he'd said that he'd appreciate her input, she intended to tread lightly—at least at first.Her plan for this evening was to pick up something for dinner for them while she and Tanya were in town waiting for Alana to get finished.Then she'd drop the girls and their dinner off at home and leave.Of course, she'd like to see Emmett when he finished his day, but she was aware of her own tendency to be too pushy.Whatever she got the girls for dinner, she’d make sure there was enough for him, too.
