Page 124 of Seeing Harper

She hugged him tightly again pressing her nose against the soft spot just beneath his ear where his scent was strongest and comforting to the Tiger in her that had suddenly sat up and was happily paying attention.

When they eventually broke the kiss, he smiled at her. “Are we okay? There has been so much misunderstanding, and even half-communications between us that we very nearly messed everything up.”

“Yes. We’re better than okay. And I’m sorry. I was so busy trying to figure out what you wanted and where you stood that I forgot that it was equally as important to just be honest with you about what I was feeling and wanted for us.”

“I did the same.”

Harper pressed her forehead against his, their eyes staring into each other’s souls as he stood there, holding his entire world in his arms.

“Never again. We’re always honest and we talk to each other. There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore. We have each other and no matter what comes our way, we’ll be okay because we do have something no one else has. You have me, and I have you.”

Harper grinned at him. “Yes! We do. And we’ll work hard and it might take a while, but no matter how long it takes or the struggles that go with it, we’ll make this place the best equine center in the state.”

“In all the states,” Clay said. “But I think you kind of have the wrong impression of how we’re going to build this place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Physically it will sometimes be a struggle — hard work — but financially, it won’t be a struggle at all. I didn’t spend all the money. We are by no means broke, in fact, we’re very comfortable. My father is very good at investments. I’m learning so I can add to it.”

She smiled through her tears. “No struggle years?” she asked.

“Not a one. I think we’ve been through our struggle years in the last few weeks. It’s enough to qualify for me.”

“Me, too! Oh, gosh, yeah, let’s call that our struggle weeks and never have to feel that again.”

“Done,” Clay said, kissing her cheek as he delighted at the happiness in her eyes.

“If everything is good in there, I’m thinking maybe you two might want to come on out here and see this,” Mr. Bigsby called out from just outside the stables.

“What’s he talking about?” Harper asked.

Clay smirked. “I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.” He put her down and took her by the hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss gently as he led her toward where Mr. Bigsby waited for them. “I hear a truck pulling up, do you?”

“Yes, now that I’m paying attention I do,” she said, still in a semi-daze as she walked along beside him, her mind whirling, happy to allow him to take the lead as her entire psyche took its time settling into its new normal.

The minute they stepped outside they saw a large dually truck, and the over-sized horse trailer it was hauling. A stranger was just getting out of the truck and Mr. Bigsby was greeting him. After they exchanged pleasantries, the stranger turned to Clay. “You Mr. Vega?”

“Yes, sir. That’s me,” Clay said, stepping forward to shake his hand. “This is my girl, Harper.”

The man smiled at her and gave her a little wink before he returned his focus to Clay.

“I got your package in the back. You ready to take delivery?”

“Absolutely,” Clay said.

Harper’s attention was pulled from the stranger to the front of the property where a vehicle was pulling in off the highway. She recognized her mother’s vehicle and smiled, knowing that Maia probably told her where to find her.

“My mom,” she said.

“She wants to know you’re okay.”

Harper nodded, feeling bad that she’d made her mother worry. She watched as her mother parked off the side of the driveway and got out, observing from a distance as she started toward all the activity.

Then another vehicle pulled in, its brakes squeaking a bit as it slowed to be able to make the turn.

Harper’s focus shifted from her mother to what was obviously her father’s truck.

“Why?” she whispered on a sigh, not realizing she’d said it out loud.