Page 119 of Seeing Harper

The front door flew open and Clay rushed inside. “Harper?!” he asked, breathing heavy and sweating profusely.

“She’s safe. She came here to me, and I calmed her down and sent her on her way,” Maia said.

Instead of complaining, or asking why he wasn’t notified, or even questioning Summer, he just leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God,” he breathed out.

“You alright?” Richie asked.

“Yeah, as long as she’s safe, I’m alright,” Clay answered.

“Want to know why she ran?” Maia asked.

“I kind of think I know, but please, yes,” Clay said.

“She came to tell you that you are her mate and that she believes that you are already mated, though she knows it was accidental. And that she loves you. She found you having a late lunch with another woman who you introduced as ‘this is, well, this is Erica’. She assumed she was the woman you told her you’d met that you thought might be your mate, and it was the final straw in a long line of emotional upset that sent her over the edge. She got away as fast as she could so you didn’t see her crying,” Maia explained.

“I realized when I was introducing her that I couldn’t say, ‘this is my attorney, Erica’. She’d want to know why I was with an attorney. It would have ruined the surprise.”

“And this is better?” Summer asked.

Clay pushed off the wall and walked over to where Libby and Travis sat. He knelt down in front of them. “I’ve known for a long time how much you don’t want Harper to work with the horses she so loves. We’ve all seen it. The thing she loves most, you want to deny her because you want her to take your place. I’m respectfully letting you know that I love Harper with everything I am. I always have, just didn’t tell her because I thought it was always one sided. Then the mate bond snapped into place and my love for her then made perfect sense, and it made it even stronger than I ever thought it could be. I love her. Her being happy makes me happy. I took the last of my finals and I’m not going back to school. I hated it, always have. Because I used my scholarships, I didn’t spend the college fund that my parents had saved and invested for me. So, I used it to buy the Bigsby Equine Center. It’s mine now, mine and Harper’s. I put both our names on the title. We will build it up, make it profitable, doing what Harper loves every single day. If that upsets you, I’m sorry, but she has a right to her own life outside of working a farm for you every single day. I’m giving her her dream, and a love she’ll never have to question in any way. If she’ll have me. I hope that you both give us your blessing. If not, I’m sorry, but if she accepts me, we’re doing it anyway.”

Libby went to her knees in front of Clay and hugged him. “I’m so very happy it’s you! So happy. And oh, my gosh! You bought her the horse center! She’s going to flip out!”

“Happily I hope!” Clay said.

“Oh, yes! Without a doubt. But you have to tell her who that woman was. She believes she was your girlfriend.”

“Where is she?” Clay asked.

Neither Libby or Travis answered, they just shrugged their shoulders instead.

Clay turned around to look at Maia. “Do you know?”

“You love her with all you are,” Maia said.

“I do!” Clay exclaimed, getting to his feet.

“Then where is she?” Maia asked.

“The horses!” he said.

Summer took the few steps to get to him and hugged him. “You’re the best for her. Nobody could ever be better for Harper. Sorry I made you search across the road for her, but the second time I sent you over there was for making sure I never got a date in high school.”

Clay hugged her quickly, then stepped back with a grin. “She told you, huh?”

“I don’t forgive you yet. You’re going to be looking over your shoulders for awhile.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you,” he said with a smile before he moved toward the door.

Travis stepped in front of him.

Clay stopped and looked Travis in the eye.

Neither said anything, but Travis held out his hand.

Clay looked down at Travis’s hand, then put his own out and they shook hands before Travis pulled him in and hugged him, patting him firmly on the back. “I’m glad it’s you. And I’m sorry. Tell her I’m sorry.”

“You tell her. That’s the right way to do it,” Clay said.