Another update for you on hopefully a pleasant Monday.

Fanfic-Reader-88: Jake doesn't seem to be able to rub two brain cells together, so don't be surprise if your prediction comes to pass. Callie is a very troubled girl that instead of properly treated for her childhood trauma, was put on unneeded medications and institutionalized and after getting out in the real world, dealt with a number of 'creeps and pervs', so it is understandable that she wouldn't trust Dusty. She has a lot of pain and she wants straight up payback not only for herself, but to avenge her mother's death. In a lot of ways, I see Mr. Ross like Mr. West, a proud man that thinks he knows best for his daughter and may not be able to conceive that he was wrong, especially since he had plenty of doctors to go along with him and Emma. Laura may hope something good might come out of this tragedy, but we'll have to see.

Challenge King: Thank you. Yes, he could just do that, but would it 'end' things. Is it really Mister Ross that needs the help?

Twilight Warrior 627: Peeling back the layers of intrigue about the Ross family. I think the interpretation of why Ross treated his daughter is ripe for interpretation. I'm not ready to tip my hand yet on which one I am using for this story.

Rating: T Language


Chapter 4

Callie casually walked back to her father's hospital room, putting aside her conversation with the handsome fellow and in a cheery voice called out, "Hey big sis."

The long haired dirty blonde turned away from lightly patting her father's forehead with a damp cloth while Emma was sitting in a seat on the opposite wall to the foot of the bed. She beamed at seeing her sister, but questioned in mild disbelief, "Callie?"

The younger sister opened up her arms and Laura immediately pulled Callie into a hug and the dark brunette returned it. "Callie, it's been so long. I've missed you."

Emma smiled from her seat knitting at the sister reuniting while Laura pulled away just enough to be able to speak to her face to face. She looked her baby sister up and down then commented, "Look at you, beautiful as always."

Callie let a soft laugh out with a bright smile, whether it was genuine in seeing her older sister, perhaps she only knew.

The blonde looked over Callie's shoulder and noticed Dusty standing outside the room. "Hello?"

Callie turned to see Dusty had waited at the door. She struggled to maintain her pleasant expression while her sister turned her attention to the handsome teenager. He obviously didn't take her wishes seriously and briefly wondered how she was going to get him to leave before she felt a tremor of fear run through in thinking he was about to spill be beans on her initial plans.

Dusty stepped into the room and Emma made introduction, "Laura, this is a friend of Callie's that came with her when she found out about your father."

He politely nodded his head and introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Dusty."

Laura teasingly smiled, raising an eyebrow as she questioned her sister, "'Friend'?"

Callie slightly dipped her head, slightly embarrassed at the real meaning behind her sister's question.

Dusty boyishly smiled and laughed off, "I'm just a stray she picked up along the way."

Laura bashfully smiled and looked to her sister, her gaze easily picked up by Callie in questioning how much of a 'friend' the handsome teenager was to the younger girl and demanding details later.

That conversation would have to wait as the tan skinned doctor, perhaps Hispanic in origin, softly knocked on the door and stepped inside. "Good afternoon ladies."

Emma put away her knitting and got up from her seat. She eagerly asked, "Any news doctor?"

The doctor scribbled something on his clipboard and answered in a warm tone, "No news is the best news I could give you right now Miss Granger. Mister Ross' condition hasn't changed and there's no reason to keep him here."

Emma couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she commented, "Oh, I'm so glad. The house feels so empty without him."

The doctor continued, "I still have concerns about your reluctance in getting a fulltime caretaker." He looked to Ross and continued, "Taking care of Mister Ross in his condition is quite the undertaking, but I assume all the proper arrangements have been taken care of?"

Emma smiled and answered, "Yes, we're just waiting for your permission."

"Well, consider it granted," the doctor answered as he signed his signature to the paper on the clipboard.

"Oh, and please, don't hesitate to call if you need anything," he commented while making his way out of the room.

Laura looked down at her father and gratefully commented, "That's great news dad. I bet you're ready to get out of here."

Callie forced a smile and in a strained voice that tried to come off as her being happy, she commented, "Yeah dad, that's great news."

During the entirety of the conversation had watched and heard, but of course unable to voice his opinion.

The older sister happily continued, not picking up on the disingenuous of her sister's comment, "Leave it up to dad not to let a stroke keep him down. He's a tough guy." Laura looked to her sister and was nearly overwhelmed with joy as she spoke, "I can't, I can't believe you're here Callie. It's so great to see you."

Callie grinned and let out a soft laugh.

Emma spoke up, "I think your dad needs his rest, so why don't we go back to the house and get something to eat." She placed a hand on the blonde's upper arm and suggested, "Laura, why don't you take Callie and I'll see you there?"

"Sure, see you."

The girls gathered their respective purses and coats from their seats then headed out the door while Emma turned to Ross and rested a hand on his left shoulder.

Laura smiled at Dusty, throwing a quick teasing look to her sister. "Are you coming with us?"

Dusty looked to Callie, questioning if she really meant it washing her hands of her. However, since he had been introduced to her sister, she couldn't simply disregard him. Emma looked a little concerned him going with them as he was a practical stranger even to Callie, but she didn't get to voice them as he casually remarked, "I guess I am."

Callie threw on a guarded expression, hiding her conflicted emotions that he felt she was having with him accompanying them. On one hand she wanted him gone as an obstacle, but on the other she didn't want him to go. She finally muttered, "Let's go."

About ten minutes later, the three were in Laura's car and heading to their childhood home.

Callie casually commented from her place in the passenger seat, "Nice wheels, I guess the business is doing well."

Laura started off hesitantly, but finished with beaming pride, "I'm doing okay. I mean, it's a lot of hard work, but the line is been getting a lot of press and I just got picked up by some major retailers."

Callie brushed some hair off her forehead and answered, "I know. I read a magazine article."

Laura was hesitant in knowing how to respond, but Dusty took advantage of it to asked, "Do you mind me asking where you got your start up capital? Was it savings or investors? Are you open to outside investors?"

The blonde glanced to her sister, who looked to her just as curiously then both looked into the rearview mirror.

Dusty shrugged a shoulder and innocently asked, "What? I'm interested to know how your business operates and in having a wide base for my investments to guard against any economic downturn. My plans are not going to be cheap and I'm going to need a lot of sources of income."

Laura passed a quick glance into the review mirror and answered, "A little savings and my dad floated me some money."

A tight smile formed on Callie's face as she looked out of her passenger window. She muttered, "Of course he did…"

The older Ross sister flickered her eyes to her baby sister then fully turned her focus on the road. She kind of a lost on how to respond, never liking getting involved with the conflict between her sister and father.

Fortunately, Callie continued on a semi-related topic to Dusty, "Are you interested because your ex is a model?"

"Not necessarily. She has her pick of jobs and I'm not sure how much my word would carry in recommending any modeling job."

Laura curiously asked, "Your ex is a model?"

He cleared his throat and cautiously answered, "Yes."

Callie looked over her left shoulder to meet his eyes and flippantly remarked, "Yeah, supposedly she's pretty famous, but he won't say who she is."

"I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

Laura teased, "You could always look him up. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out what model he was dating."

Dusty chuckled as he glanced back out the window, "Good luck with that…"

The three sat in silence while Laura drove until she randomly remarked, clearly needing to address not seeing her sister in so long, "I mean you left in such a state… and no one has heard from you in so long. I tried calling you, but your number was disconnected. I just thought that you didn't want to have anything to do with any of us," the older sister finished regretfully.

Dusty slipped in a remark before Callie could answer, "It shouldn't be too much of a surprise when one is being force feed mind altering medication that one doesn't need and he cuts her off because she refuses to take them anymore while none of you stood up to him for her. I'd take that as a clear sign on whose side you're on… so why bother keeping in contact?"

Laura knotted her brow with a quick glance to the rearview mirror and snapped, "Excuse me?"

Dusty pulled his gaze from the passenger window and looked to the back of Laura's head to calmly remarked, "I'm sorry, did I stutter?"

Callie's mouth formed a small 'O' shape and she looked out of her passenger side window. She couldn't help but be momentarily impressed with his unfiltered mouth.

Laura gathered her wits and replied, "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't know what you're talking about."

"I mean no rudeness in return either ma'am, but the truth is the truth. You love your sister very much regardless if you're halfies and I could see that in less than ten minutes, but he did force unneeded medication on your sister then cut her off when she was tired of it while you remained silent." It wasn't the entire truth, but it was enough for the conversation at hand.

The blonde remained silent and turned all her attention to the road and Callie glanced into the rearview mirror to her traveling companion.

He shrugged a shoulder then looked out of the window at the passing scenery.

Ross Residence
Philadelphia, PA

"Oh Emma, let me," Callie offered as the housekeeper walked into the foyer of the practical mansion carrying the young woman's burgundy suitcase while the sisters and Angeleno entered from the other side.

Callie took the bag and Emma answered, "Ah, thank you. We converted your old bedroom into the guest room, so just make yourself at home." She looked to the dirty blonde and asked, "Laura, do you want to help me make lunch? I'm bet everyone is starving."

"Sure."

The pair started towards the kitchen and Emma started rattling off having chicken and potato salad in the refrigerator. Callie and Dusty started randomly walking around the foyer, one to get re-familiarized while the other assessing the surroundings for the first time.

Dusty idly commented as he glanced to the ceiling, "This is a nice place."

Callie turned to look at him glancing around. "I bet you're not used to something like this?"

"No, I have a friend that is an international music star and her house is about this size."

Callie rolled her eyes and smirked to him, but the casualness of his expression gave her pause in thinking that he may have been telling the truth. She lazily commented, "That was a bit of a surprise back there with what you said to Laura."

"As I told her, the truth is the truth. They made their choices by not standing by you. You think things would have played out the same if your sister backed you?"

The brunette held a guarded gaze on him before she looked away and walked over to a vase that was lined with cracks, suggesting that it had been broken and put back together again. She stopped to look at it and her memories suddenly flashed back…

The vase was shattered on the floor and Callie was around the age of ten, give or take a year and suddenly screaming at the top of her lungs while her father gripped around her arms and over her chest from behind her.

Laura as a child was standing off to the side, looking lost as to what to do in seeing her sister in such pain.

Emma shouted standing next to her and her father, "Callie! Callie, it's alright!"

Mister Ross in a near panic voice whispered, "Emma, her pills. Get them."

Callie was pulled from her thoughts with a soft hand on her left shoulder. She turned to face Dusty's sympathetic expression.

He whispered, "You're okay. You're okay."

She bowed her head, not wanting to look at his expression then quickly pulled away to head upstairs.

He quietly watched her go up the stairs until she disappeared then heard Emma shout from the kitchen, "Callie, aren't you joining us?"

He turned to head for the kitchen and arrived only a few moments later. He pleasantly answered, "She just went upstairs to put her luggage away. So, is there anything I can do to help?"

The ladies forced smiles on their faces and sparing glances to one another, neither really comfortable with his presence from his sudden appearance in Callie's life and his accusation in the car from them wrongly supporting medicating the youngest Ross daughter.

A few minutes later after Callie had settled in her room, she returned to the kitchen and the quartet began eating lunch in relative silence until Emma was able to cajole Callie to catch them up on what she had been up to in the last several years. Dusty could hear that Callie edited some parts of her story while she was gone.

The housekeeper replied in concern, "It sounds like it's been really difficult."

Callie walked around Emma to get on the other side of the housekeeper to place her dish in the sink in the extended size island. She brought a hand to her mouth, attempting to cover it as she finished chewing then answered, "You'd be surprised what you can get used to. You know honestly, it's not even that bad; it's just boring." She turned her head to look at her sister and finish, "It's not like living in the city or owning your own fabulous company." Callie flicked her eyebrows up in a teasing manner.

Laura briefly looked up from her smart phone to reply in an almost shameful manner, "It's not as nearly glamorous as you think it is."

Emma sympathetically started, "Listen Laura, if business calls—"

"Nonsense. I insist on staying at least until dad gets back and settled."

Emma quickly argued, "You could be back in the city and running your business in three hours."

"It's going to be crazy when dad gets here—"

The longtime housekeeper quickly interrupted, "I can handle everything. An ambulance service is going to bring your father here with a homecare nurse and she's going to help me setup everything and be on-call if I need extra help."

Callie turned from her place at the sink and stated, "What about me? I can help."

Emma and Laura cautiously looked to one another, neither all that apparently eager to involve the youngest Ross.

The dark haired black sheep of the family sarcastically called out as she walked back to the large kitchen island, "Wow, thank you for the looks of confidence. Seriously, I've learned to do some heavy lifting over the last couple of years and…" She hesitated to finish out of mild embarrassment, "…if you must know, I really don't have much of a choice right now."

Emma pointed out, "Well of course Callie, this is still your home."

Dusty spoke up for his seat one over next to Laura, "I can do some heavy lifting. It's the least I could do to repay for lunch." He had taken off his jacket during lunch, so he only had to roll up the right sleeve to his Henley shirt then flexed his bicep.

The two younger ladies paused at seeing his impressive bicep, suggesting that he had done a lot of weightlifting and/or played on some athletic team in high school and if either of them were being honest with themselves, mentally swooned a little over his physique.

Callie smartly smiled and looked to her older sister, breaking them both out of their admiration of muscle. "Alright, then you have nothing to worry about Laura."

"Okay, call me if you need anything and you'll be here when I get back, right? Because we still have a lot of catching up to do,"

Callie smiled and flicked her eyebrows up while she happily answered, "Oh, don't worry, I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere this time."

After saying goodbyes to Laura, Callie went back to her room to unpack her stuff. She didn't have much time alone as there was a knock on her open door. She turned to see Emma's pleasant smile and had to suppress a groan in having to see it.

The older woman wore an apprehensive smile and glanced away, unsure how to broach the subject but finally worked up the nerve to start, "Callie, I wanted to talk to you about something."

The brunette turned away from her suitcase to face the woman she had known for her entire life. She looked to her guardedly and asked, "Okay."

"Your friend, how well do you know him?"

Callie glanced over the housekeeper's shoulder, wondering if he was just going to magically appear behind her. When she didn't see him, the brunette answered, "Why?"

"Well Callie, I appreciate your 'friend's' offer to help, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am for having him. He told me that you've only known each other for a day, but he just jumps on a bus with you to come home? Sweetie, you don't find that a little unnerving? A little suspicious? He could be a very violent individual. You saw his jacket with all the dried blood on it."

The brunette felt the sudden need to defend the guy that had stuck by her for the last day—even when she didn't realize he was following her, "Yeah, you're right that I've only known him for a day, but frankly since I left home… he's been the best guy I've met."

"You don't think that might not be an accident—I mean, that he's being so nice to you? Perhaps running into you was a coincidence or maybe he was checking you out to take advantage of you and when you found out about what happened he made his move? I know it sounds a little paranoid, but you can't be too careful nowadays Callie."

Callie thought back on her conversation in the hospital lounge about how he didn't think it was an accident for them to meet up at the dinner. Her father would think she was crazy for seeing such signs, but probably would agree with Emma's assessment to explain them meeting. She wasn't blind to her suggestions from all the creeps and perverts that had attempted to make their moves on him.

Emma continued before she could answer, "There hasn't been any mention about where he's going to stay, so perhaps you should suggest that he get a local hotel room?"

Callie thought about the housekeeper's words and what she had witnessed from her 'stray' over the last day, she would much prefer him close by while a darker part of her mind contemplated his possible use in the future. She put on a pleasant expression and stated, "I'm sorry Emma, but I can't ask him to do that. Not after yesterday. If you don't feel comfortable then I suggest you lock your bedroom door tonight."

Seeing that she wasn't going to talk Callie out of her decision, learning years ago that it was nearly impossible to do so when the girl made up her mind, she answered, "Okay, but I suggest you do the same too."

"I will."

Emma turned and headed out of the room.

Callie blew out a disgusted breath and rolled her eyes. She turned back to her luggage and continued unpacking.

The evening finally rolled around and Emma was in the living room doing some knitting and watching some American Idol rip-off. Callie was in her room, checking her hair for a moment before starting to walk around to see how they had redecorated her room since she had left. She walked to a dresser and tapped a little hanging piece from the lampshade to a small lamp then crossed and rested her forearms on it to look off to the side.

Callie eventually made it to her father's bedroom. She opened the door and paused for a moment to gaze around. She found her nerve and walked inside, lazily looking about. She turned to the walk-in closet to the master bedroom and rested her right hand momentarily on a folded blue shirt before moving on to walk around the rest of the closet. She stopped in front of a black leather blazer hanging on a wall. She took a moment to gently pat and hang onto the end of the left sleeve.

She soon exited and made her way to the foot of the bed, but she suddenly stopped and became lost in her memories again…

She was a little girl sitting on a cushioned bench looking into a standing mirror with her mother behind her gently brushing her hair. Her mother whispered, "My darling Callista, your hair is like silk darling. It's beautiful."

"Just like you mommy."

Callie quickly returned her attention to the present and started pacing again until she reached a jewelry box. She carefully opened it and found a black velvet ring box. She pulled it out of the jewelry box and opened it, revealing her mother's wedding band.

Her memories reasserted themselves where she was a child, younger than she was when her mother was brushing her hair. She was walking into the master bathroom and called out while she found her mother lying slumped in the bathtub and the woman's left arm out with a nasty gash across her wrist and a bloody razor lying on the carpeted floor, "Mommy? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Mommy…"

"Callie?"

She turned to see Dusty standing at the entrance of the bedroom. He was still in his Henley shirt and jeans, but discarded his jacket. He directed a sympathetic and worried expression while asking, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine," she muttered and closed the ring box, avoiding her gaze.

"No, you're really not… what's the ring?"

She looked up to meet his gaze, but remained quiet.

"Let me take a wild guess, it was your mother's?"

The pale woman looked away and muttered, "Yeah."

"It doesn't look like it's bringing you a comforting memory. Are all your memories of her tainted by her suicide?"

Callie walked back to the jewelry box and put away the black velvet box. She turned and put on a cold expression before walking towards him, "Goodnight Dusty."

He glanced over his shoulder and softly mumbled, "Goodnight Callie."

Ross Residence
Philadelphia, PA
Friday, October 11, 2013

Callie laid on her right side with the yellow light blanket pulled up only to her hip. She knotted her brow as she heard some commotion on the first floor. She roused from her sleep several seconds later, giving up on trying to get back to sleep. She huffed out in frustration as she lifted her head off of her pillow. She crawled out of breath in a huff and bounced on her feet when she landed, revealing that she had worn a black spaghetti strap tank-top and black workout pants with an aqua color band around her hips. She opened her bedroom door and exited her room.

The pale young woman was about to turn and head for the commotion when from the left corner of her eyes she saw movement. She paused at seeing Dusty's bare back and apparently wearing only his boxers as he hung onto the top of the doorframe. She swallowed at seeing his toned back and muscles moved under his skin as he had his knees bent, ankles crossed and used the top from to do pull-ups. He was definitely in shape and a fine specimen of the male side of the species to her eyes.

She quickly stuck out her tongue and licked her bottom lip and over the front of her top teeth while her eyes narrowed. If his physical appearance met his skills in the bed… she definitely would consider inviting him back to her room one night.

He did several more pull-ups then stopped, apparently feeling her eyes on his back. He lowered his feet and dropped to the hardwood floor. He turned to her and happily grinned, "Hi."

Callie stared at his muscular chest and arms covered in a light film of sweat, apparently not hearing his greeting while her right middle finger lazily ran over her skin back and forth under her neck.

Dusty smiled and called again, "Callie?"

She blinked and shook her head. She nervously laughed and answered, "Oh, sorry, I'm still waking up. Still a little groggy."

"It's okay. You needed a good night sleep after the last two days. I thought you'd actually sleep longer."

"I was planning to until I heard the noise downstairs. What is all the noise is about?"

"Miss Granger and some movers are getting everything ready before your father arrives. I offered to help, but I would be more of a hindrance than a help."

Callie playfully pinched his left bicep and questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Why would she think you would be in the way? I would think they could use you for some 'heavy lifting'." She briefly thought on how easily it would be for him to lift her in a manner of speaking.

"Because I think she is a little weary of me and doesn't want to split her attention in worrying about keeping an eye on me."

"What? She's afraid you're going to steal something?"

"Your guess would be as good as mine. I think she's weary because she really doesn't know me and you don't really know me. If you did, I think that would make her feel a little better, but you really can't vouch for me."

She smirked and cocked her head to the side. "I did vouch for you; that's why you were able to stay the night."

He politely nod and answered, "Well, thank you very much ma'am, but—and not to come off as ungrateful—I could have gotten a hotel room and not troubled you."

"It wasn't any trouble, especially after what you've done for me. I still owed you a place to spend the night." Her smile slightly faded and she took a step closer to him, faces just mere inches from each other then whispered, "And thank you helping me with Jake. I really didn't get to thank you for that…"

The Angeleno boyishly smiled and answered, but trailed off as Callie began to close the distance even further between them, "You don't have to mention that…"

She was leaning in to softly press her lips to his lips, but Emma called out from downstairs, "Oh hi Callie? Are you up?"

Callie closed her eyes and softly groaned in frustration then turned her head to call out to answer, "Yeah. I'm up." The dark brunette looked back to Dusty, expecting for him to look just as disappointed in the aborted kiss, but was surprised when he looked to her with a confused expression.

She slightly cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, displaying her confusion over her confusion.

Emma called out again, distracting the young woman further, "Good morning then. I thought that noise would have woken you an hour ago."

Callie turned from Dusty and walked to the balcony. She rolled her eyes and answered with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh sorry, I sleep like a rock."

The housekeeper answered as two gentlemen entered the home carrying a box-spring, "Oh, no need to apologize. I wish I could do that. We have a lot to do today. I made you some breakfast. It's in the kitchen. It's probably cold."

The brunette quickly cocked her head to the right and answered in a curt tone, "Thanks Emma." She looked towards Dusty's directing, but slightly frowned when she noticed that he was gone and the door to his bedroom was closed. She turned and snuffed out an annoyed breath before she headed down the back stairs and towards the kitchen.

As she walked into the kitchen, the landline phone rang and Emma called out from the foyer, "Callie, could you get that?"

"Sure," she answered dryly and barely reserved sarcasm. The pale Philadelphian picked up the phone and answered, "Hello?" She waited about a second then asked again when she didn't hear anyone answer, "Hello?"

The other end hung up and she pulled the cordless phone away from her ear. She curiously looked at the phone than sat it back down on the counter.

An hour or so later, the ambulance service arrived and after making sure Mister Ross was secure on the stretcher, the medics carefully brought him up the stairs and Emma directed them to roll him to his room.

Callie in the meantime had changed into some tight fitting black jeans, a halter black top and a gray cotton jacket zipped up to cover nearly all of her shirt except the lacy looking straps that went around to the back of her neck. She watched in silence off to the side of the long landing before it turned to the left to the hallway towards the master bedroom. The past and present started to merge in her mind and she was back to when she had found her mother dead in the master bathroom.

She was sitting in the same spot she was standing in now and seeing the medics roll the stretcher out with a sheet over it. The medics lowered the gurney to enable to handle it easier down the stairs. The gurney settled to its lowest position, but once it hit that position, Mrs. Ross's left hand flopped out from under the sheet and her slash wrist was on full display to Callie.

On the other side of the scene, Emma gripped Ross's shoulders as the man looked on distraught at the medics rolling his wife away. She reassured him, "This is not your fault George; you did all that you could."

Callie was back in the present and she muttered in a near curse to the memory, "No, it's all your fault."

Emma's voice called out, "Callie, can you help me out in here?"

"Commming," she answered in a near sing-along voice.

Unknowing to her, Dusty had been standing several feet behind her, having showered and dressed back in his Henley shirt and blue jeans. He wore a stoic expression after witnessing in her mind the memories of taking away her mother.


Emma, Callie and the homecare nurse gathered a few minutes later in Mister Ross's room. The nurse explained, "That basically does it. Feeding, bathing, changing. It's going to be a lot of work, but between the two of you and periodic check ups from myself or someone else from the center, he should be comfortable."

Emma smiled. "He's in good hands."

"I'm sure." She picked up her purse and coat as she finished, "You have our number if you have any questions or concerns."

"Let me show you to the door," Emma happily offered and walked with her out of the room.

Callie turned her attention to her father, ready to taunt him, but Dusty entered the room and quickly walked up beside her. She slightly frowned at being interrupted, but didn't complain as Dusty introduced himself, "We haven't properly been introduced Mister Ross, I'm Dusty Hale. I'm ah…" He looked to Callie, wondering how to exactly how to describe their 'relationship'. "…I'm the stray she picked up along the way."

"Damn, my daughter wants to torture me and now she has some loser to help cover for her."

Dusty raised an eyebrow and softly mocked, feeling a little insulted, "Loser? You don't know me from Adam and you're just calling me a loser? Then again Adam did screw over the human species so that might not be such a bad approach to meeting people… kind of lonely though."

Callie raised an eyebrow after turning her head to look at his profile.

Ross was unable to express his shock at Dusty apparently being able to hear him.

The teenager originally from Carolina knowingly smile and stated, "I think we're going to have some very fascinating discussions."

Before any further conversation could take place, a voice called out from the entrance to the room, "Well let's get him better. Get him out on the course, that's what he needs."

Callie turned to see Emma return with a man in his mid-to-late thirties in gray business suit. She walked around Dusty and pleasantly greeted him at recognizing him in an instant, "Hello Hanover."

The lawyer paused in seeing the daughter if his long time client. He threw on a bright and surprised smile and commented, "Callie, my God, you look great."

"Thank you," she answered in an upbeat tone and beamed a smile to him.

Hanover cleared his throat and remarked, "I hope you've been well."

Callie maintained her smile and answered a little quickly, "I've been fine."

He glanced over to Mister Ross, able to focus his eyes on his lawyer while the other man awkwardly commented, "I'm sure your father is happy to see you too. How about it George? I just came by to check up on you. I know… these things are unpredictable, but George is a tough one. He has quite the will this man."

Callie looked down at her father and quietly remarked, "Yes… quite the will."

Dusty watched on in silence, not at all happy with the brunette's reaction.


Author's Note: Thanks for reading. Don't be shy in reviews.