Page 39 of The Vet's Unconditional Love
Harper couldn't hide her smile when Emmett said, "Maybe next time."
Chapter Nine
By noon on Sunday, Emmett was starting to wonder what the girls were up to.They were definitely scheming, but he just couldn't figure out what their deal was.They'd both completed their chores in record time this morning and were being super helpful in the kitchen.
Maybe it was just because they were excited about Harper coming over, but it seemed like more than that.
"What can I do next, Dad?"Tanya asked.
"You should check to see what homework you still have."
"Oh, that's okay.I finished it all."
From the way she spoke so rapidly and dropped her gaze, he knew damn well that she hadn't.
"Tanya," he said in a stern voice.
She lifted her head but didn't look him in the eye.
"What's the issue with the homework?Do you have a problem?Do you need my help?"
Alana came to stand behind her sister."It's okay, Dad.It's just...She's going to do it, but I said I'd help her with it later.It's some stuff that I struggled with too, when I was in seventh grade—pre-algebra.It's not her fault she hasn't done it yet.I had to do my own homework, and we were both excited about today, so I said we had to leave it until tonight."
Emmett looked from her to her sister and back again, still sensing there was something off about the story they were telling, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.And since whatever it was they were up to, they were in it together, he decided to let it go.
Even though he understood it, it saddened him that Alana was doing her own thing more and more lately.He was hoping that they'd grow closer again once Tanya caught up, but lately, the gap between Alana as a young woman and Tanya as a little girl sometimes seemed so wide that it might never be bridged.
He leaned back against the counter and looked each of them in the eye."So, what you're telling me is that you both still have homework to do, but you want to leave it until tonight?"
They nodded.
"Even though it's Sunday, and we only leave homework until Sunday night if we absolutely have to?"
They nodded again.And Tanya gave him a small smile."But we absolutely have to this week, Dad, because Harper's coming for lunch."
He chuckled."I'm not sure that counts as an absolute, but—"
"Oh, it does," Alana interrupted him.
"Okay, I'll let it ride this time, but don't let me down, girls."
"We won't," they assured him.
"Are you going to get changed, Dad?"
He gave Alana a puzzled look."Do I need to?"He looked down at his shirt, wondering if he'd made a mess of himself without even noticing.
"You could wear that shirt I got you for Christmas," Tanya suggested.
He opened his mouth to ask why and then closed it again when it hit him.They wanted him to put a new shirt on because Harper was coming.
He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly.The four of them had a great time at the diner yesterday.He'd enjoyed seeing the girls interact with Harper.She got along so well with them.He could see that she was a lot of fun for them to be around, but she was good with them, too.Not just fun, but...she guided them.He couldn't think of a better word, but it was something like that.She was a good influence, and as he'd told her when he went to pick her up from the airport, they needed a woman in their lives whom they could look up to.
Tanya nodded at him eagerly.It wouldn't hurt to change his shirt, he guessed.
He turned to Alana."Do you want to go set the cushions up on the outdoor furniture?"
"You could wear the nice blue one," she said.
