18 Chapter 18

**Harper***

I stood in the kitchen with Callie, she was quietly cooking. She had something on her mind; it weighed on her. She looked like she wanted to say something a couple of times, but stopped herself. I put down the plate that I was putting away.

"Callie, I know that I am much younger than you and that I am dating your son. But if you ever need to talk...I will listen." She turned to me and dried her hands on the rag that was over her shoulder.

"I don't want to put my problems on your shoulders Haper, but thank you. It's nice to know that my son has found someone as caring as you are." I gave her a small smile, and for once I prayed that my mother was more like Callie so I could introduce them. More than likely my mother would look down on Callie for how small her house was, or that she drove a minivan instead of a Porsche. It was probably best to keep them as far away from each other as possible. She chewed on her lip like she was holding something.

"Callie please...it's killing me...just share a little. You'll explode if you don't." I tried to give her an encouraging smile.

"It's Gabriel...ever since that accident he has been..closer to his father than he has been in the past. I can't decide if that is a good thing or not? But with him accepting his sailing abilities I want him to learn from Michael, he's the only one who can teach him. I don't know how to tell him that I won't be angry with him for spending time with his father..." I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I know that he has been torn about this, we have talked about it. Tried to point him in a direction but he talks himself into a mood." I said with a small smile, a ghost of a smile came across her lips.

"Yea...defineitly gets that from me."

"He doesn't want to hurt you, Callie, he respects you as his mother, and he loves you more than anything. He doesn't want to see you hurt if he talks to Michael. He knows he should learn from him, but doesn't want to betray your trust by doing so. I think it would be good for you to sit down and talk it out...it won't get any better until you do." She looked at me and her brown eyes swam with tears.

"You're very wise for a 19-year-old." I smiled, if she had only known all the times I had been the therapy with my own mother she would understand.

"Talking helps," Most of the time unless you are like my mother and you are never wrong. Then you just roadblock the therapy session.

"It might be hard...and you can tell me to butt out...but if Michael can be brought into the conversation...it might help. With your anxiety and Gabe's." I muttered it because I didn't want to push her too far. She put the towel on the counter and walked over to me. I was expecting a slap, but instead, she pulled me into her arms tightly.

"Darling girl..."I leaned into her hug, and the only way to explain it was a mother's hug. Something I haven't felt...well ever. When I was born maybe, but once the new-ness wore off my mother had hired nannies to take care of me. And they weren't exactly loving. Maybe loving of the paycheck they got, but not of the little girl who was trying to find out why her mommy didn't want her. She pulled back and stroked my hair away from my face.

"I might invite him for dinner tonight, it's something that has been nagging at me for a while, it will be good." I smiled at her.

"And you won't have to face him alone--Gabriel will be there, and I will be if I'm not asked to leave." She smiled weakly.

"I still love him...I think that is why it hurts so much. He told me when we first got together that there was a chance that he wouldn't be able to stay. It just hurts," I squeezed her hand gently.

"You're strong Callie, you raised Gabe into the man he is, and you are doing amazing with Kayla she is so smart. You are strong, and never let anyone make you feel any different." She nodded lost in her own thoughts and Gabe came back in with a black eye and his arm around Cal's shoulders. I felt anger rise inside me, and I stepped away from Callie. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a small shake of his head when I took a menacing step forward. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Cal was not a threat, and if Gabe didn't want the hit to hurt he wouldn't have let it land. I repeated that to myself, and the urge to beat the shit out of Cal started to ease. I picked my phone up off the counter and walked out the back door. I needed to get away from the situation, it would only make it worse to violently react. I punched in my father's cell phone number.

"Hey, chickpea! how is school?" He sounded stressed and out of sorts.

"Hey daddy, are you okay? You sound a little upset?" He chuckled into the phone.

"Nah, just dealing with a few things right now. It's will all work out."

"Oh okay, I was calling because I got invited to go on a family vacation this summer with Gabriel, his mom, and little sister." There was a moment of silence at the end of the phone.

"Oh, that is really nice of them, but I don't know Harper. You have been gone for almost a whole year, I mean I would like to spend some time with you." I knew he was going to hesitate.

"I know daddy, but mom always makes you take the tour across Europe and I am stuck at home alone for most of the 3 months...I thought it would be okay because his mom was going, we are going to stay at her parents' little beach house,"

"She will be there the whole time?"

"Yes daddy, and his little sister Kayla." He was thinking it over.

"But I have to buy my own ticket, and I know that I get my allowance into the savings account..."

"I never want you to worry about money Harper, I will take care of the tickets, please let me speak to his mother." I walked into the house, Callie was back to peeling and cutting potatoes.

"Callie, my father would like to speak with you." She quickly wiped her hands off and took my cell phone.

"Hello, Mr. Crown!" She listened for a moment with a half-smile on her face. She nodded for a moment.

"Of course, we are happy to have Harper come along, she is a charming young lady, she is the most respectful girl I have met. You did well raising her." I smiled at her buttering up my father, I leaned back against the counter.

"You are well within your rights to have questioned this Mr. Crown never apologize for making sure your child is safe, I will provide you with an address to the beach house, and my phone number for direct contact, and I am sure Harper will send you plenty of pictures." She nodded listening to whatever my father was saying.

"If you give me just a moment, I can get you the seat and flight number so we can have our seats together." She walked from the kitchen and Cal was glaring at me from the island. I would have to face off with him sooner or later. Gabe looked between us.

"Barbie."

"Caleb." It was an insult the way he said it. But I could understand how it felt to be pushed out of the family you made.

"I didn't know, I apologize. I am trying to make it right." I walked over and held my hand out in a truce. He looked to Gabe and then to me. Gabe smiled at me like he was proud of how I was handling the situation. Cal looked at my hand and then to my face. He reached out and took my hand.

"Thank you for making room for me Barbie."

"You know my name is Harper right?" He nodded, but I had an inkling it didn't matter.

"Yea, but I think Barbie fits better." I shook my head at him. His mom came back in and handed me my phone.

"Everything okay?"

"Umm yeah. I mean after I gave him the information he seemed preoccupied, but he said it was fine and he hopes you enjoy the vacation, also thanked me for inviting you along. Lovely gentlemen your father." I smiled and it warmed my heart. My dad was a good guy, he just didn't see the faults in my mother. Love was blind or at least that is what I've heard.

After lunch was on the table we started to get down to the planning of the vacation, I was more just listening to the things they do usually every year. About halfway through Callie started to fidget.

"Gabe, I wanted to speak with you about your father if that's okay." His head snapped from Cal to his mom. I felt like this could go very wrong if not handled the right way.

"Sure mom."

"I would like to invite him over for dinner, and have you talk with him about doing more training next year." The way she said it was more of a statement than a question. She was telling him what was going to happen and he was going to have to live with it. I flinched softly at the blow and glanced at Gabe. His jaw muscle was working and his hand had turned from a loosely close fist to his knuckles turning white from the pressure. I didn't know how to comfort him. If he wanted to become a successful Guardian he would have to take advantage of everything available to him, and that included his dream sailing.

"Gabe, in the long run, it will benefit you. You know that, and I don't want you thinking it will hurt me if you reach out to him. He might be the only other person in the world that can teach you about your ability without hurting you." She was looking at this level headed and Gabriel wasn't.

"Mom, I had to watch you go through him leaving you, and you want me to welcome him back with open arms?" His voice was level, but I could feel the tremble in his thigh as it started to bounce under the table.

"You want to be a Guardian, you will need to learn. End of story." She put her hands down on the table and Gabriel burst up from his chair and I could feel the tension between them.

"Gabe--"I reached up to him taking his hand, he looked down at me his green eyes blazing.

"You don't understand Harper. Stay out of this." His comment had a bit of a bite to it that stung, but he was right.

"Hey man, Barbie didn't deserve that," Cal spoke up, and it was a bit of a surprise to hear him come to my defense, but it was welcomed. Gabe reached up and ran a hand over my hair.

"I'm sorry," He addressed me first and then look to his mother. I rested my head against his stomach and he continued to stroke my hair.

"Mom, listen. I can't just accept him back into my life, it's not going to work."

"You don't have to accept him to learn from him, he is coming for dinner. You don't have to join us if you don't want to, but I wish you would." She left the table and he sat back down hard in his seat.

"Bad luck man." Cal clapped his hand to Gabriel's shoulder.

"It's not a bad idea to learn from him Gabe, its tool that you can use in the field. It will help you, you don't have to like it, but you can still do it." His eyes turned up to me and I felt my heart go out to him.

"I will be here if you want me to be. I can give you privacy if you want also." He didn't answer me, but Cal pushed away from the table.

"I gotta go home, but I'll return...probably tomorrow. Barbie till then." I nodded to him and he left. Once alone I could feel he wanted to explode. We sat in the dining room alone and he paced the length of the table. He was silent and I didn't know if he wanted me to leave or stay I was afraid to ask. So I just sat quietly until he was ready to share his thoughts. Stopped pacing and braced his hands against the table bowing his head. My heart ached for him.

"Gabe..." He didn't move, I stood from my chair and made my way over to him. I turned him to face me and his arm went around my waist pulling me closer to him.

"I don't know what to do Harper, help me please." I felt my heart crack. I cuddled deep into his chest his chin rested on my head.

"One step at a time, we can get through this. It's one dinner. If it doesn't go well then we will find someone else to teach you." That was almost a next to impossible task, that skill was so rare, most people didn't broadcast they had it. It was best to keep it close to the vest. But if it got him to calm down we would find someone else if this didn't work. It would just take a lot longer to find someone for him to learn from. He turned his head so his cheek was pressed into my hair.

"I have so much doubt...there are things I feel..." I took a deep breath and he matched it.

"Come on, let's talk." He released me and I kept his hand pulling him up the stairs to his bedroom. Privacy, this was going to be rough.