Harper

Chapter Thirty Seven: Harper

I frantically search for my phone all evening after I've put Wren down to sleep and it's not anywhere. "I know I had it in the car" i mutter to myself.

I finally give in and let Jennifer sit with Wren whilst I go down to the fire pit to visit the family and mingle.

The Jamesons are such a big group, it's like holidaying with a congregation, like we brought an entire church load, if not more.

I sit beside Brigham and Eliza, they came to Mama and Willa's wedding and are the most accepting of the family. Eliza especially loves Willa and mama, and I am drawn to her loving energy, Brighams too, they most definitely bring their little flock up a little more liberally and free. I think what happened to Willa made Brigham reevaluate, he didn't want to be the father his own was, not to his girls. They were all over twenty one now, his eldest three, and he couldn't have them ever leave that way and not come back.

Eliza wraps her arm around my shoulders as Charlie sits beside me on the other side and thrusts a stick into my hand with a large marshmallow attached "here have some sugar you look like you need it" she says.

Eliza squeezes me "are you okay Harper... I saw what happened with Ethan"

I nod but it is not believable and my face didn't get the message to smile. "Sorry" I say snapping out of it.

I was preoccupied with worry that Teddy may have messaged and I didn't have my phone, her flight was due tomorrow and I hadn't even talked to her yet about leaving. I expect she was disappointed with me for being silent and I was too, she deserves more, all she was doing was looking out for her family, keeping everyone safe, the one thing I loved about her most was now the thing I was being silent with her about and it was childish of me, to be so selfish when she needed me most. Of course I would wait for Teddy. I would wait forever if it meant I still had her, if we would one day be together, I could wait six months, I could wait a year, people did it all the time.

"What happened with him" Charlie asks.

I turn to her "Ethan" I ask and she nods "He wouldn't take no for an answer" I say without thinking.

My dad and Brigham who were behind me take off running to his cabin "oh shit" I say sending my chair flying as I run after them with Eliza.

"Stop Brig" Eliza calls.

I scream after dad "I didn't mean it like that dad"

But they don't hear as they force entry to the cabin and by the time we make it in there Brigham has Ethan in a headlock and my dad is screaming about women and how you don't touch them out of marriage... especially if they are saying no.

I stand there and I should be pulling him off but I was actually really proud of my dad, for doing that for me, even though he had completely got the wrong end of the stick.

"Brig get a bag for his head" my dad calls.

I walk over and finally put Ethan out of his misery, his face turns beetroot red with Brigs large arms wrapped around his neck. "Dad... Brig... he didn't rape me... he didn't hurt me... he just won't leave me alone..." I reveal.

They look from me to him and dad lowers himself down until he's looking Ethan dead in the eye "if I see you again... I will get my gun" he warns "nobody makes my daughter feel like she can't say no... nobody" he shouts.

Ethan jumps, he's shaking as Brig pretends to lunge for him and he skids out of the room and takes off running.

Eliza looks at Brig "that made me a little hot honey" she whispers and dad and I leave them to it and leave the cabin.