Page 8 of The Vet's Unconditional Love
Emmett.
The good-looking rancher she'd just been admiring—the one she'd been thinking about dating?It was Emmett.
"What are you doing here?"The words came out sharper than she'd intended.
He opened his mouth, but she was already talking again, her brain still trying to catch up."Sorry—it's none of my business, is it?"She forced a bright smile, the kind that covered everything.
Her heart was pounding, and she grasped her hands together, hoping he wouldn't notice the way they were shaking.
And then an awful thought occurred to her.
He was here to pick someone up.That's why Tanya and Alana were spending the whole weekend at Brooke's place.His date was flying in to meet him.
Damn.She really didn't need this.She'd been so determined to avoid the man.What were the odds of running into him like this?
"I should get going.I need to go and collect my bag."She glanced up at the escalator."She'll probably be down soon."
"Who will?"Emmett asked.He stood stock-still in that way that he had—even the air around him seemed to still.
"Your friend," Harper said, her voice carefully neutral."I'm guessing that's who you're here to pick up."
She couldn't help herself.She had to know."She's...?"
She bit down on her bottom lip.She was just guessing, and it was stupid.She had no idea who he was here to pick up, and now she'd given away that she thought—
"Sheishere," he interrupted.
Her eyebrows shot up."She is?"Her gaze darted around the waiting area, scanning faces, looking for whoever had captured Emmett's attention enough to bring him all the way to Bozeman."Where?"
She needed to see who this woman was—even while part of her desperately wished she didn't have to.
"She's standing right in front of me," Emmett said quietly."I've come to pick you up."
For a moment, Harper couldn't breathe.
She stared at him, waiting for the punchline, waiting for him to clarify, waiting for literally anything that would make this make sense.
"Why?"The word came out barely above a whisper.
His expression shifted—uncomfortable, uncertain—and suddenly her heart dropped into her stomach.
Her hand came up to her mouth."Oh my God—has something happened to Shelley?"
"No."He took a step closer."Shelley's fine.There's nothing wrong.No problems.Everyone's safe."
She closed her eyes."Thank God for that."
When she opened them, she straightened her shoulders under the force of his gaze."What's going on, Emmett?"
He let out a breath."When I heard that Shelley was coming to pick you up from the airport, I asked if I could come instead."
Harper leaned back, studying him closely."Why?"she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
His shoulders dropped, and he looked away before facing her again."Because we need to talk."
As far as Harper was concerned, that was the last thing they needed to do.
But standing here in the Bozeman airport with her heart still racing and her carefully constructed plan to avoid him in tatters, it didn't look like she was going to be able to get out of it now.
