Chapter Five #2
"Yeah. I thought Blane might move back into the house with me, but he says we're both better off if he stays down at Mav's ranch with the rest of the guys.
That's the way they like to work things, so that if they get called away on a job at short notice, they’re all ready to go.
But at least I get to see him more this way than I have for the last several years. "
Harper was curious whether Brody's interest in Brooke was a mutual thing. "I would have thought you'd be pleased about that. I mean, would you really want your big brother in the house? When you..." She paused. "I don't know, do you have a boyfriend?"
"No." Brooke shook her head a little too rapidly.
"No one special?" Harper pushed.
Shelley shot her a warning look.
Brooke's cheeks were red when she looked up. "You know, don't you?"
Harper wasn't about to lie to her. "I don't know, but I have an idea and I'm curious. But at the same time, if you don't want me to know, tell me to butt out and I will."
"See, I think that's why you fit in so well around here," said Brooke.
"You get straight to the point and you're upfront about it.
" She glanced at Shelley. "You know, so I guess there's no harm in me saying anything, is there?
" She turned back to Harper. "But first, just out of curiosity, what do you think you know? "
"About you and Brody?"
"Yeah." Brooke let out a breath. "I mean, there is no me and Brody and there probably never will be but..."
"Why not?" asked Harper. "He seems like a great guy to me."
She exchanged a quick smile with Shelley over the dreamy look Brooke got in her eyes when she said, "Oh, he is. He's amazing." Then she sat up a little straighter, pulling herself together.
"But what?" asked Harper. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't push, but I'm curious. I really like him. He seems like a great catch. I had lunch with him and his brothers yesterday."
"Oh, so you've met Brooks then?"
"I have. He said that you guys are friends, that you were close in high school."
Harper smiled. "Yeah, not just in high school, all the way through from kindergarten. I mean, it was only because of our names in the beginning. But we got lumped together so much that we learned to get along. He's a really good friend. But Brooks is my age."
Harper raised her eyebrows.
"And he's the youngest," Brooke continued. "Then there's Banner. He's a couple of years older than us. Then there's Boone. He's a couple of years older again. Then there's Brody."
"Ah." Harper thought she understood what was going on. "You think he's too old for you?"
"No, I don't," said Brooke. "But..." She turned to Shelley, who explained for her.
"Brody's not that much older than Brooke, but there is something of a gap."
Brooke rolled her eyes. "That's what I told Blane.
But in his mind, it's too much of a gap.
It sounds worse the way he says it. He says it's a decade.
I don't think it makes that much difference.
It's not as though I'm a kid anymore, anyway.
Blane knew I liked Brody when I was seventeen – and he maybe had a point, since Brody was twenty-eight then. But…"
Harper frowned. "Why does it matter what Blane thinks?"
Brooke laughed. "I thought you might say that. I mean, it doesn't, but we’re close, and... I don't want him to make Brody's life difficult."
Harper scowled. "Do you want me to have a word with him for you?"
"Oh, hell no." Brooke's eyes were wide. "I mean, thanks for offering and all that, but no. You don't know Blane, do you?"
"I don't, but..."
"Down, girl," said Shelley. "They'll figure it out for themselves." She smiled at Brooke. "And you'll ask for our help if ever you want it, right?"
"Right," said Brooke. "And don't get me wrong. Blane's awesome. He's just kind of protective, that's all. And he and Brody know each other. Brody likes him. He wouldn't want to go against him, so I don't want to put him in a position where..."
Harper sighed. "Okay, I'll keep my nose out. But for what it's worth..."
"Thanks, Harper," Brooke interrupted her. "I know." She smiled. "But you know what? I should probably introduce you to Blane. I think the two of you might get along."
Harper scowled. "I don't think so. But thanks."
Shelley grinned and gestured to her. "Come on, you. Let's catch up before you have to leave."
"Are you going for Tanya and Alana today?" Brooke asked.
"I am."
"Say hi to them for me. We had an awesome weekend."
"Will do."
Brooke held her gaze for a long moment, and Harper shifted uncomfortably. There was no way that Brooke could know about her attraction to Emmett. But somehow it felt like she did.
Once they were in the back room, Shelley wrapped her in a hug. "If you've come to give me an earful, I don't blame you. But at the same time, I'm not going to say I'm sorry."
Harper laughed at that. "Good. I'd be disappointed if you did."
"You taught me well—I do as I see fit and make no apologies. So tell me, was it the right thing to do?"
"Oh, hell yes. Thanks, Shelley Bells. I didn't know what was going on when I saw Emmett at the airport. But being enclosed in his truck together on the drive back home meant that we had to talk. And we were able to clear the air."
Shelley raised her eyebrows. "So?"
"So, I'm okay to keep hanging out with the girls, and I don't have to avoid him anymore."
Shelley frowned. "Is that all?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I was hoping..."
Harper gave her a rueful smile. "So was I, but I shouldn't. I mean, he's not in a position. And there’s the girls, and... Emily."
"I know, but... he was the one who asked if he could come get you; I didn't talk him into it."
"No, I know, but it wasn't about wanting to spend time with me. It was only about wanting to clear the air. And I'm very grateful that we were able to do that. That's enough for me."
"Is it?"
She shrugged. "It'll have to be."
~ ~ ~
Emmett got up from his desk and walked over to the window, raising his arms above his head and then wincing when his shoulder reminded him that he needed to warm it up before stretching like that.
It was already getting dark outside. He'd be grateful when the clocks went forward.
He didn't like leaving the girls home alone any time, but it seemed even worse in the dark.
He checked his watch. His admin day was pretty much done.
If he left now, he could finish up in the morning.
It wasn't like him not to finish something that he'd started, but he made his way back to his desk and shut the computer down.
It wouldn't do any harm. Sitting at a desk was much harder for him than being out and about working with animals.
He locked his desk drawer and glanced out the window again when movement out there caught his eye. At least he thought it had; he couldn't see anything.
He went through to the back to check on the animals who were overnighting.
They were mostly a large animal practice, but Janey could never say no to anyone who needed them, so at the moment there was a litter of puppies back here that all needed homes.
He squatted down and opened the door to their kennel, laughing when they flocked around him.
He sat there for a little while, giving each of them some individual attention.
A ranch hand had brought them in after he found their mother by the side of the road. She'd been hit by a truck and Emmett hadn't been able to save her, but fortunately for the pups, the hand had heard them in a culvert pipe nearby and had brought them in with their mom.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Pups didn't expect to grow up with their mom—they weren't like little girls.
He traced his finger over the final puppy's head as he put her back into the kennel before closing the door.
"You're going to be all right, little ones," he told them.
"We'll find you good homes with people who'll love you. "
He got to his feet and cleared his throat. The vet techs had gone home, so he didn't need to worry about anyone hearing him. Then again, he doubted they'd be surprised if they did.
He made the rounds of the whole building, checking everywhere before he left. It was a habit he'd gotten out of in the last couple of years, but recently he felt like he needed to be more vigilant again. When he was done, he locked the main door behind him and climbed into his truck.
As soon as he started the engine, his phone rang, and he hit the button on the steering wheel to answer, "Hey Janey, what's up?"
"Nothing, all good. Just wondering if you were still there. I'll stop in and see you on my way home. I'm all done at the Hanson place."
"How did it go with his herd?"
"Oh, it was fine. Just a routine visit. And I got done faster than I thought I would, so I can come in if—"
"There's no need. I'm heading home myself. I just got into the truck."
"Is everything okay at home?"
"Everything's fine. It was my admin day, remember?"
"Oh, of course. That's why you're leaving early. Well, I might just stop in and..."
Emmett frowned and looked out at the rapidly darkening sky. "Whatever it is, can it wait till tomorrow?"
"It can," said Janey. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine." He didn't need to share whatever his uneasy feeling was with her. It was probably nothing anyway. "But since I'm going home early, it'll make me feel better if you do the same."
Janey laughed at that. "Okay then. Just to make you feel better, I'll go home."
"I appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you then."
He ended the call and pulled away from the clinic. He was leaving early because he hated admin days, not because Harper was picking the girls up and bringing them home. He checked the time—she might still be there.