More of You

Chapter 29 (The End)

Friday rolled around and Harper still hadn't heard a word from her family, but she wasn't surprised, her father didn't admit his mistakes that easily. She was still staying with Luke, and she realized it was only a matter of time before he asked her when she was going to leave.

She didn't want to leave, the last week had been perfect. She and Luke had fallen into an easy routine that she hoped made them both happy. Their relationship was more wonderful than she could have imagined, and she was content.

Luke stopped the truck in front of his parent's house, cutting the engine then turning towards her. "Are you ready?" he asked, looking at her hands as they nervously played with a string on her dress.

"I should have driven myself, then I could have left before you," she insisted once again.

"No, you probably wouldn't have driven yourself here." He opened his door then walked around to her side and opened her door, waiting. When she didn't move he sighed and reached in, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Luke!" she squealed.

He ignored her as he started towards the house. When he reached the door it opened, and Mindy was looking at Luke with shock at the sight of her sister thrown over his shoulder.

"Mindy," he greeted as if his carrying Harper in such a way was a normal occurrence.

"Maureen, I have Harper as promised," he greeted, walking into the full living room. "Where do you want her?"

"Put me down Luke!" she insisted. He dropped her on the couch next to her father, the worst place possible.

She sat there fuming in silence as the conversation continued on around her. It was mostly about work, a topic that she had nothing to contribute to. Luke picked up his nephew before dropping a kiss on Callie's cheek as she passed him sippy cup.

"Hey this is handy," he said as he turned it upside down and shook it. "Harper, I'm going to get you one of these for your birthday. That way when you spill your wine you won't lose a sip."

Harper had been so nervous about today that she had kept dropping and spilling things since the night before.

"Good, and I'll get you the bib, since you seem to be unable to shut your mouth, even when you're eating!" she hissed back.

"I see some things never change," Callie said as she shook her head. "Mark's outside with the grill Luke, why don't you take Dustin and join him?"

Luke grinned, winking at Harper to let her know that things had definitely changed before he nodded and headed outside, leaving Harper to sit in silence as she listened to the conversation around her drone on about nothing.

"What have you done with yourself this week, are you ready to come back to work?" her father asked her. It was the closest she was ever going to get to an apology, but it wasn't enough. This time she wanted the words.

"No, I won't be coming back to work," she said and the room froze. No one said a word as everyone waited for Troy's explosion.

"Why not!" he demanded. "Your clients are asking where you are?"

"I'll leave it to you to explain that you fired me for something I didn't do." She was trying to keep her cool and she was failing miserably. "You see Dad, you don't financially support me, and you haven't for a very long time. I don't need to lie to you, like Mindy does, to keep you happy. In fact, up until you fired me, you depended on me, so I'm not the one who's suffering for your assumptions and anger, you are." She looked though the window and met Luke's eyes.