Page 146 of The Vet's Unconditional Love
"I know it's only been two weeks, but you stayed here last night."
She shrugged.
"I think if you want to, you should just stay here now."
"Yay!"cried Tanya.
"I think so, too.You should stay, Mama Bear.It was crazy that you had to move back to the cottage."She made a face."I mean, sorry, Alana.I'm not saying you were crazy."
Alana slapped the back of her sister's head gently."I know.And it wasn't crazy."
"It wasn't," said Harper."I think you were the most sensible one out of all of us.It was good that we slowed down, that we made sure."
Emmett rejoined them with a puzzled smile."What are we celebrating?"he asked.
Alana raised her eyebrows, and Harper nodded slightly.
"We asked Harper if she's going to stay now that she's already here.There's no point in her going back to the cottage for one more week.That'd just make us all miserable."
Harper's heart squeezed at the smile that spread across Emmett's face.
"Do you want to?"he asked.
"Do I really need to answer that?"
He chuckled."You do, but only because I want to hear you say it out loud."
"Then yes, I want to stay here.I don't want to go back to the cottage.I want to be here with you guys."
"And we want you here."Tanya ran around in a little circle doing a happy dance.
Emmett chuckled and caught hold of her hand.
"Tell you what, Button, why don't you come inside with me for a minute?We need to check how much ice cream we have left for the movie tonight."
As they watched them go, Alana said to Harper, "I think he's giving us a minute alone together.Do you?"
Harper chuckled."Yeah, I think so.Do we need one?Is there anything we still need to say to clear the air?"
"I don't think so," said Alana."I've said I'm sorry a bunch of times."
"And I've told you that you don't need to apologize a bunch of times."
Alana laughed."Then I guess we're good then."
"I hope so.But if ever we're not, you must tell me, okay?"
"I will.You've got no worries there."She dug in her jeans pocket and pulled something out.Then she looked down at her closed hand before looking at Harper.
"I'm not a teddy bear kind of person."
"That's okay," said Harper.
"I know, but Dad gave you the bear, and then Tanya gave you another one and..."She held her hand out."This is more my style."
She opened her palm to reveal a small silver bear on a keychain, and handed it to Harper.
"It's not a teddy bear, but it's a way-to-say-I-care bear."
