Chapter Twenty-Seven
Emmett gave Blane a rueful smile when he climbed into the passenger seat of his truck on Thursday. "I'm finally cleared to drive myself, and here I am riding with you again."
Blane chuckled. "You're welcome."
"Shit, I'm not ungrateful, you know that."
"I do, and I get it, but come on—this is a special occasion."
Emmett narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"I mean it, it is. It is a special occasion; this is a big deal." Blane chuckled. "I'll have you know I've already put a lot of effort into the logistics of Operation Teddy Bear."
Emmett had to laugh. "Don't give me that shit."
"No, I'm serious," Blane said as he pulled away from the house. "Everyone was busy, and this is short notice, so I had to rearrange them all."
Emmett covered his face with his hand. He could just imagine the other guys' reactions to being ordered around by Blane, especially when they were being ordered to be in town on a Thursday morning in order to assist in the purchase of one teddy bear.
He let his hand fall and asked, "Have you told them what we're doing?"
"Damn straight I told them. I'm taking my best man duties seriously here."
Emmett froze.
"Come on, Mitty, I was your best man when you and Emily got married. As far as I'm concerned, it's not just a title for a day, it's a position for life." He frowned. "And I wouldn't have expected to be okay with this, but I am—it’s a role that applies to your second marriage too."
Emmett sputtered, starting to protest, but Blane held his hand up.
"I know, I know, you're not planning on marrying her just yet, that's what the bear's all about. But it's the same thing, Mitty."
Emmett leaned back against the headrest. "Thanks, bud, I appreciate it. And I'll say the same as I always have. If the day ever comes when you…"
"They'll have to dig me out of a frozen hell before I need a best man. That's never changed, and it never will."
"Never say never," Emmett told him. "You know that from our days on the teams. Never say never, and always have contingencies for your contingencies."
"Fair enough," said Blane, "but we both know it's not going to happen." Emmett continued to watch him as he drove. Blane eventually shot him a quick glance. "Okay, so if it ever does, there's no question—you're my best man, okay?"
Emmett chuckled. "Okay."
When they arrived in town, Emmett couldn't figure out what was going on. He'd expected Blane to drive to the top of Main Street, to the toy store. Instead, he turned into the parking lot at the Sheriff's Department.
"What's going on?" he asked Blane.
"Relax, would you? I'm not having you arrested for wanting to buy a bear. Deacon said it would be better if we all met up here."
"But the toy store’s just up the street."
"But Travis and Cash decided that the toy store wasn't good enough."
"Blane, what the hell are you talking about? What are those guys up to?"
Blane laughed out loud. "Relax. They're not doing anything crazy.
All I mean is that they came up on a recon mission yesterday to scout out if the toy store had enough good bears for you to choose from.
They decided it didn't, so they drove over to Bozeman instead.
Apparently, there's a store over there where they sell handmade bears.
" Blane shook his head before meeting Emmett's eye. "Sorry, I'm not saying anything."
Emmett laughed. "It's okay. I'm with you; I think they're going overboard."
"Well, don't even think about trying to talk them out of it. They've locked on to this, and they're not going to be happy until you end up with the perfect bear, okay? They'll consider it a failed mission otherwise."
"Fair enough. So what are we doing? Are we meeting everyone here and riding over to Bozeman together?"
"That's the plan. I figured we'd have enough room for everyone if I drive and Cash brings his Suburban. That work for you?"
Emmett held his hands up. "At this point, I'm considering myself an observer on this mission."
Blane chuckled. "That'll work until we get there. But when it comes to choosing the bear, you take point, and you're out there on your own. We'll have your back, but that's all we can do."
Emmett had to laugh. "Here they come."
He looked through the windshield to see Travis, Trip, Ace, Deacon, and Cash walk out of the front entrance.
He had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment.
They'd all been a team for years in the Navy, but a lot of years had gone by since then.
He'd come straight back here. The rest of them had done whatever they did, but the bond still remained as strong.
Every single one of them was here for him today, to do something as crazy as buying a teddy bear.
Blane punched his shoulder gently. "I know. I couldn't believe it either when Mav said he wanted to come."
Emmett did a double take. It was true. Mav was right there with the others, standing a little behind them. That was why he hadn't spotted him the first time.
"Jesus Christ, Blane. You're gonna have to keep me laughing this afternoon, or I might just cry."
Blane gave his shoulder a shake. "You got it, bud. I'll have your back, same as always."
When they arrived in Bozeman, Emmett could only watch as Cash's Suburban double-parked in front of the toy store and Deacon jumped out.
Blane laughed beside him when Deacon removed two parking cones from the spaces directly outside the door.
Emmett shook his head. "I knew he sometimes pulled that shit in town, but I didn't think he'd get away with it over here in Bozeman."
Travis laughed in the back seat. "He's buddies with the sheriff over here, and you know what he's like. He took his part in this mission seriously."
Emmett turned in his seat as best he could. "And what's your part?" he asked.
Travis chuckled. "You know me, I'm here to bring the laughs. And to make sure you choose a happy-looking bear."
Emmett buried his face in his hands. "For fuck's sake, guys, a happy-looking bear?"
Trip, who was sitting next to Travis in the back, leaned forward between the front seats. "Yeah, happy—and healthy. That's what you’ve got me for."
Emmett could only laugh while Blane pulled the truck forward into the spot right outside the toy store door.
Once they were all out on the sidewalk, he stared around at his friends. "Guys, I know this must seem like a dumb thing to do."
"Whoa." Cash held his hand up. "Not dumb, far from it. Right, guys?"
The others all nodded and grinned at him. Ace gestured toward the store. "We should probably get in there and get on with it. I'll warn you now that these guys have opinions."
"Oh shit," said Emmett.
"You can say that again," said Mav. "If you're not going to buy the woman a ring, then it needs to be a damn good bear."
"And it will be a damn good bear," said Cash. "That's why we came to a specialty bear store. Now, let's get in there and find the right one."
Emmett could only imagine what passersby must think, seeing not just eight grown men but eight men who looked the way they did, trooping into a toy store like this.
Travis came and draped his arm around Emmett's shoulders. "I haven't had the chance to talk to you much since that night Cash set you and Harper up. Just want to say that I'm happy for you, bud."
"Thanks, Trav."
"It's more like me saying thank you to you. You know I worry about you and the girls, and you know I've always respected how you like to do things by yourself." He gave Emmett a small smile. "Even though it kills me to not check in with you more."
"You don't need to worry about that anymore," said Cash. "He's officially in from the cold now, aren't you, Emmett?"
Emmett smiled around at them. "I am."
"And Harper will keep you from drifting away again," Blane added, "even if you try."
"I never drifted away from you guys. I just…"
Seven pairs of eyes were all fixed on him. He shrugged. "Okay, so I didn't like asking for help, and the girls needed me, and I didn't have much time, and…"
Mav's hand came down on his shoulder. "And all of that's behind you now. We get it."
Emmett tensed, and the rest of them went quiet when Cash addressed Mav. "You remember you just said that, brother. You're the last one who's still out in the cold."
Mav glared at him.
"Don't you two start," said Blane.
"I didn't do a damn thing," Mav grouched. "It's him. I wanted to come today, wanted to be here with you, Emmett. But I don't need anyone giving me any shit about Libby." He glowered at Cash. "Especially not you, you hear me?"
Cash just laughed. "As if I'm ever gonna stop. But luckily for you, you get a break today. Today's about Emmett. Emmett and the bear. You can tell me to mind my own damn business if you want, but is there a reason we're looking for a bear and not, I don't know, some other plush toy?"
Emmett glanced at Blane, who shrugged. "I wasn't gonna tell him. I didn't know how much you want them to know."
Emmett looked around at his friends.
"You don't have to say a damn thing," said Ace. "Come on. Let's get shopping."
The older woman sitting behind the cash register greeted them with a warm smile, and Emmett wasn't surprised in the least when Cash stepped forward to introduce them.
"Good morning. We're—"
"Oh, that's okay," she said warmly. "You're the ones who came yesterday, aren't you? I’m sorry I wasn’t here, but my husband told me you’d be back today."
"That would be me," he affirmed.
"Then you boys take your time, look around, and if you don't see anything that's just perfect for what you want, you let me know. We can put a rush job on having something custom made."
All eyes turned to Emmett again, but he shook his head. He wouldn't even know what to ask for. Blane surprised him when he said, "That's kind of you, but the right bear is here somewhere. We just need to find it."
Ace and Travis both chuckled, and Emmett couldn't blame them, although whether it was at the seeming ridiculousness of the statement or the fact that it was Blane making it, he couldn't decide.