"I'll go see what I can find."He turned to run upstairs before they could say anything else.
Alana's suggestion might have been innocent.She might not remember, but he knew in his gut that she did.She'd been with him when he bought the blue shirt.He'd told her at the time that it was her mom's favorite color.She told him that it suited him, that he looked handsome, and that she could see why her mom liked the color on him.
When he reached his bedroom, he closed the door behind him and sat down on the bed as he removed the perfectly fine shirt he was already wearing.Was Alana trying to tell him something?Did she just want him to look good since Harper was coming over?Was she implying something more meaningful by telling him to wear the color her mom loved—or was he just reading too much into the whole thing?
Probably that last one, he told himself as he got up and threw his shirt into the laundry hamper.Standing in front of the closet, his hand hovered over the blue one, but no.He reached for the green one Tanya had bought him for Christmas.She'd be happy to see him wear it.If Alana had been trying to give him a message, she'd get his answer when she saw him in green.Maybe one of these days he'd wear the blue one, but not this first time.
~ ~ ~
Harper loaded her freshly baked apple pie and a few other goodies onto the back seat before heading out.She slowed the truck as she approached Jim's house, surprised to see him sitting out on the front porch.He waved, and she pulled over, hoping that he wasn't all alone this afternoon.She'd hate to leave him if he was.
When she climbed out of her truck, he waved a hand at her."Don't let me hold you up.I was only waving."
She ran up the porch steps and leaned in to kiss his cheek."I couldn't just drive on by; I had to come say hello."
He chuckled."Hello, there you go, it's done, now goodbye."
She gave him a wounded look."Are you telling me you don't want me to stick around?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you, young lady.You have somewhere far more important to be."
She let out a short laugh."What makes you say that?"
"Now one of the things I like about you is that you're a straight shooter.Don't go trying to hide things from me.I know everything that goes on up and down this valley."He met her gaze."And even at the diner in town."
"Oh."
He chuckled."Yeah, don't go worrying yourself.Sounds like you and Emmett and the girls had yourselves a good time in there yesterday.And you probably never noticed a couple of grizzly old farts like me sitting in the corner, but they noticed you."
She had to laugh.She had noticed a couple of older ranchers sitting at the next table.She'd thought that they added character to the diner—which had been absolutely delightful.
Jim nodded at her."If you don't know already, you should learn fast.Word travels up and down this valley quicker than wildfire.And it can do just as much damage."
She frowned."Are you saying…?Wow, they overheard us making plans for today and reported back to you about it?"
"Aye."
She waited for him to go on, and when he didn’t, she had to ask, "Do you think there's any harm in it?"
"I sure don't.I reckon them girls will get nothing but good from having you around.And Emmett even more so.I don't mean to stick my nose into whatever you have going on.I don't even know what it is.But I hope that my buddies were right."
"Why, what did they say?"
"That the four of you out like that looked like a family.That Emmett looked happier than anyone's seen him in a long while.And that you might be a New Yorker, but you're all right."
She laughed at that last part, and he chuckled with her."Aye, I told ‘em I didn't know anything about the rest of it just yet, but I can vouch for that last part."
"Aw, thanks, Jim."
"Nothing to thank me for, just tellin’ the truth."He made a big show of checking his watch."And the truth is, if you're going over there for lunch, you'd better get a move on."
"Okay, but what about you?"
"What about me?"
"What are you doing for lunch?"
He smiled."You've got nothing to worry about there.The boys aren't getting together this week."
