Guardian Angel (29 page)

“Dad.”  And next to him, the slim, ethereal dark beauty with exotic almond eyes that was always at his side.  “Mom.”

Kane stood with her.  His hand caressed her back gently, reaffirming his love and support.

“How did you - ”

“I invited them,” Aidan said from behind her.

Rebecca spun gracefully on one foot to look into her brother’s determined face.  “Did you now?” 

She felt Kane’s fingers flex at her hip, a silent approval of the decidedly Irish lilt she seemed to have acquired, and knew that if she looked, she would see his lips twitching.  Clearly all of the time spent with Maggie had had an influence.   

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Rebecca?” her father asked.

“Of course,” Rebecca said, returning her attention to them with a tight smile.  “Kane, this is my father, Evan Harrison, and my mother, Dione.  Dad, Mom, my husband, Kane Callaghan.”

The men shook hands.  Kane inclined his head politely at Rebecca’s mother.

“You look positively radiant, dear,” Dione said, reaching for her daughter’s hands.  “Such a beautiful bride.”  Rebecca bowed her head, acknowledging the compliment.

“It is an honor to meet the man who has finally captured my daughter’s heart,” Evan Harrison said smoothly.  “You must be a brave man indeed.  At least it sounds like you are having more luck in talking some sense into her than I have, finally getting her to settle down.”

Rebecca felt Kane bristle at the comment, an extension of the same tension coiling through her own body.  There was a slight shift of his weight, and she discreetly squeezed his arm.  She appreciated his support, but this was her battle to fight.

Dione smiled apologetically.  “Now Evan, this is neither the time nor the place.”

“Forgive me,” Evan said with a hint of frost lacing his voice, his eyes boring holes into Rebecca’s.  “I’m afraid spending more than a decade wondering if my daughter was alive has played havoc with my manners.”

Rebecca managed to keep the smile pasted on her face, though the happy glow in her eyes faded quickly.  It was only Kane’s firm hold that kept her grounded.  She drew on him, thankful for his strength and presence.

Lexi, bless her soul, suddenly appeared, placing herself between the two couples.  “Mr. and Mrs. Harrison!” she said with a radiant smile that was pure Lexi magic.  “How wonderful it is to see you!” 

In true Lexi style, she embraced each of them warmly as Ian slipped in between Kane and Evan Harrison as well.  It was a timely distraction, and no doubt an intentional one, but it worked like a charm.  Rebecca exhaled the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding and patted Kane’s hand to let him know she was alright. 

As Lexi introduced Ian to the Harrisons, Rebecca turned to face her brother, whose jaw was now so tightly clenched it was in danger of cracking.  “May I speak with you?” she asked, doing her best to control her voice.  “In private.  Right now?”

Aidan’s lips thinned.  He glanced at their parents, who were still bathing in Lexi’s gushing attentions.  “Of course.”

“Kane, would you excuse my brother and me for a moment?”

Kane leaned over and kissed her tenderly, but possessively, searching her eyes, which she hoped managed to convey her desire to handle this her way.  It must have worked, because he caressed her cheek and said, “Take as long as you need, love.  I’ll be right here.”

God, how she loved this man!  She flashed him a grateful look, vowing to lavishly reward him later.  She turned and addressed her parents.  “Please, have a drink and enjoy the music while I speak with Aidan, won’t you?”  Without giving them a chance to respond, Rebecca slipped her arm through Aidan’s, leading him out of the ballroom.

“What in the hell were you thinking?” Rebecca hissed the moment the huge double doors closed behind them.  “Have you lost your mind?”

Aidan stiffened defensively.  “I was thinking that it’s your wedding day, Becca, and your mother and father might actually want to be there for you.  Or, God forbid, that you might want them to.”  He kept his voice low, but there was no mistaking the disapproval that laced his tone.

Rebecca paced the width of the hallway, trying to alleviate some of the pressure she felt building inside of her.  “You couldn’t have told me?  Prepared me in some small way?  You thought that just springing them on me in the middle of the reception was the way to go?”

“It was kind of a last minute impulse on my part,” Aidan admitted.  “When I was walking you down the aisle, all I could think about was how it should be our father doing it and not me.  I called from the back of the church as soon as the service was over.” 

Given that three hours later they were here, they must have chartered the private company jet the moment they’d hung up. 

Rebecca paused only long enough to shoot him a contemptuous look before continuing.  “You had no right, Aidan.” 

Aidan blew out a breath as Rebecca continued, seething.  “Did you hear him, Aidan?  The first words out of his mouth?  Dear Lord, even after all this time the man is not happy unless he is humiliating me.”

“Cut him some slack, Becca.  You’re his only daughter.  You walked away twelve years ago - ”

“While he held the door wide open and told me not to let it hit me in the ass,” she reminded him. 

“You hurt his pride, Becca.  You know how he is.  Once he realized you’d really gone, he was beside himself.”

Yes, she did know how he was.  Her father was a fiercely proud man, one who tolerated nothing less than absolute obeisance and loyalty from those he chose to surround himself with.  More often than not, he had trouble drawing the line between his employees and his family. 

“He has a hell of a way of showing it.” 

“You don’t know what it was like, Becca,” Aidan said, emotion thickening his voice.  “Not knowing where you were, what you were doing, if you were even alive.  Christ, it was hell.”

Rebecca took a deep breath, laying her hand upon Aidan’s.  Her anger receded as quickly as it had surged.  “I’m sorry, Aidan.  I never meant to hurt you.”

Aidan pulled her into his arms, resting his forehead upon hers.  “I know, Becca.  But please, if only for tonight, could you try to forget the past and remember that no matter what, we are still a family?”

Rebecca heard the heartfelt plea in his voice, and realized how important this was to him.  “For you, Aidan, I will try.”

He kissed the top of her head.  “That’s all I ask.”

––––––––

“H
e is a fine man,” Dione said, sweeping up to Rebecca with effortless grace.  “And you love him very much, do you not?  I can see it in your eyes,
koukla mou
.  This one has captured your soul.”

It had been a long time since Rebecca had heard the Greek term of affection, and it brought tears to her eyes.  “Yes,
Mana
.  He is my soul.  And he tells me I am his
croie
.”

Dione’s eyes glistened.  “Ah, he tells you that you are his heart?  That is good.”  Kane glanced over from where he was speaking with Jake and Michael at that moment, offering Rebecca a secret smile of lustful promise that was not lost on her mother.  “He is strong, and virile.  He will give you big, fine babies.”

“
Mana
!” Rebecca blushed, her hand going reflexively right to her belly as her mother’s eyes twinkled. 

“It is something you must consider, Rebecca, and soon.  Have you spoken with him about it?”

“No,” Rebecca said softly, averting her eyes, no longer able to hold Kane’s gaze.  Perhaps it was something they should have discussed, especially given the inordinate amount of time the two of them spent doing everything that would result in making babies.  Even the merest brush of thought sent flashes of heat through her body as remembered sensations of Kane stretching and filling her, consuming her body and soul with his own, releasing so fully and thoroughly that even now she could feel it deep in her womb.

In any event, it would be a topic she could not postpone for much longer. 

Thankfully, any further discussion on the topic was halted by her father’s arrival.  “I wonder if I might convince my daughter to grant her father a dance at her wedding?”

“Of course,” Rebecca said, allowing him to lead her out onto the floor, remembering her promise to Aidan.  Despite everything that had happened, she did love her parents.  Aidan must have spoken to them as well.  If her father was making the effort, then she could do no less.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” Evan said quietly.  “You’re glowing.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

“I am happy.”  Rebecca moved easily with him as memories flooded her mind.  She caught Aidan’s watchful gaze, the approval in his eyes.  “Do you remember how we would dance together when I was little?”

Evan smiled.  “You mean when you used to stand on my shoes in your little stocking feet?”

“Yes,” she laughed, catching a glimpse of Kane dancing with her mother, wondering if he would someday dance with their little girl on his feet. 

“We could never get you to put your shoes back on.”

“I hated those shoes.”

“It appears that you still do,” he said, glancing down where her bustled gown revealed delicate feet clad only in white silk.  “If I remember correctly, you hated the dresses and the stockings, too, but at least you had the presence to retain those,” he laughed.

Rebecca’s laughter faded along with those early memories, memories of when she had been his princess and her father had been her entire world.  When he still assumed she would outgrow her stubborn, independent streak and blossom into the heiress role that he believed was her destiny.  It was probably the only time Evan Harrison had failed in accomplishing what he had set out to do.  And yes, Rebecca was quite sure he saw it as a failure on his part.  No matter how many years passed or how grown-up she’d become, it would always sting a little.

“I’m sorry I’m not who you wanted me to be, Daddy,” she said softly. 

Rebecca tried to keep the tears at bay, but it was hard.  She might be standing a little taller now, but inside, just for a few moments, she was a little girl again, burying her face in her father’s jacket.  Even now the faint aroma of cherry pipe smoke and some expensive Italian cologne teased her senses, sending her back into a world she had all but forgotten.

He pulled her closer against him.  “Is that what you really believe?”

She rested her head on his shoulder, unwilling to look into his eyes and see the disappointment she knew would be there.  “I’ve spent my whole life fighting you.  The dresses, the private schools, the friends you wanted me to have and the men you wanted me to date.”

“I only wanted the best for you,” he said, and for the first time, she heard genuine regret in his voice.  “I thought I was doing the right thing, right up until you left, Rebecca.”  He paused, taking a breath to compose himself.  “I was afraid we’d lost you forever.  It was only then that I realized I’d pushed you too hard, pushed you away.  I love you, Rebecca. 
Exactly the way you are
.  And I don’t ever want to lose you again.”

Rebecca shut her eyes against the tears that began to escape at the words she never thought she’d hear. 

“Although I cannot say with any truth that the thought of you settling down doesn’t ease me.”

Smiling into his jacket, Rebecca said the words that had been held on her tongue for way too long.  “I love you, too, Daddy.”

* * *

“B
e at peace,” Dione Harrison said with a touch of amusement as Kane’s eyes once again sought out Rebecca was dancing with her father.  “She is in good hands.” 

Satisfied that Rebecca was not in distress, he turned his powerful gaze to Dione’s.  It was clear from which parent Rebecca and Aidan had gotten their exotic features.  Dione was an incredibly beautiful woman, and Rebecca, except for the brown eyes and honey hair, looked very much like her mother.

“They are very much alike, Rebecca and her father,” Dione continued.  “They share the same infinite capacity for caring for others, the same indomitable strength of spirit. And like magnets, two forces so similar sometime repel each other, do they not?”

“They disagree often then?”  He should know this, he thought.  Not because it would have made any difference in how he felt – because he was more than certain that she had been created as the only woman capable of being his wife – but because it might have helped him anticipate and plan for times such as this.  As it was, he’d been every bit as surprised as Rebecca when her parents were suddenly there. 

Rebecca had never once intimated that she would have liked to have her parents in attendance.  The one and only time anyone had made a reference to them was when Lexi and Aidan had been planning the guest list.  Rebecca had quickly and summarily dismissed the invitation; she had received a disappointed look from her brother, but no further discussion ensued.

Aidan certainly hadn’t mentioned a thing about his back-of-the-church epiphany, though Kane wished he had.  Kane did not like being surprised.  If he
had
known, he certainly would have persuaded Aidan to postpone the meeting to a less public time and place, or at least ensured that Rebecca was as well prepared and well-insulated as possible. 

Tonight he’d been forced to do little more than stand by her side while she dealt with issues on which he had not been fully briefed, and that did not sit well with him at all.  Maybe it was because when she looked at him sometimes, he saw more than love.  Maybe because she had confided to him once when she thought he was sleeping that she knew nothing would ever hurt her as long as he was around.  Because sometimes she looked at him as if he was her knight in shining armor, and God, how he wanted to be that, to see her looking at him like that forever.  For whatever reasons, he wanted to do everything he could to protect and to shield her. 

Dione laughed at his question; the sound was as musical as Rebecca’s.  “Without fail.  Rebecca inspires a fierce passion in those she loves.  It is in her blood.”  Her mother’s eyes glittered then, dark and mysterious, and Kane thought once again about asking Ian if he’d ever delved into the Harrison ancestry – or, more specifically, Dione’s.