Bearclaw Valley part time love ain't my destiny

The implication of Blondine's departure was enough to send her body backward a step, then forward twice over. Her head was shaking furiously in contest to the very idea, though she knew that it was a logical one to have, given the circumstances. No, Indra, she whined, I could never leave. Abernathy Hill had thrived long before Blondine's birth and it would continue for generations after, whether she was there with them or not.

Besides, she had a family here, now.

I love Grant, but I love you, too, and everyone else in this damned Valley. While the statement might have started off in a serious tone with ears flush to her skull, it was quick to taper off into a laughable admission of Blondine's feelings. The Valley had brought her nothing but emotional trauma and one hell of a battle scar, but she loved every part of it, including Indra's stubborn defiance.