Chapter Music: True Colors by Eva Cassidy
A/N: I know I say it every week but thank you to miztrezboo, who loves these characters almost as much as I do, and also to annanabanana who keeps me right with her red pen.
There's an important note at the bottom about next week's update, please take a moment to read it, thanks.
LINK TO CHAPTER UNDER THE COMMENTS BAR
:: Charlie ::
I stood at the foot of the stairs, straining my ears and listening hard. I could hear Bella rummaging through her closet and muttering under her breath, and I couldn't fight the smile that spread across my face. For the last two days, Bella had been out the door before the sun was up over the trees. Emmett kept her busy at the diner, and I knew she was eating breakfast with Alice before her shift started. I didn't know what Edward had said to her on the porch, but whatever it was seemed to have worked. Bella was eating, and she was getting out of the house. Her heart would heal with time, and she wasn't giving up.
"Bella, you're gonna be late," I called up to her, before turning back to the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. Two minutes later, she rushed down the stairs and hopped through the hallway, struggling to put on her shoes.
"Daddy, can I use your—"
"Keys are on the table, sweetheart," I said, scratching the back of my neck sheepishly. I wasn't an idiot. Bella hadn't driven her fancy sports car since the day she had arrived.
"Thanks, daddy." Bella grabbed the keys and leaned up to kiss me goodbye. "I'll bring home dinner," she yelled back, closing the front door behind her.
As I finished the last of my coffee, the phone rang and I pushed myself off the counter to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Urm, hi, is Bella home?" Chills shot down my spine when I recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
"You've got a damn nerve calling my house, boy."
"I'm not looking for any trouble, Charlie. I just want to speak to my wife."
"Yeah, well, Bella ain't home." I didn't try to hide the satisfaction I got from stopping him in his tracks.
"When will she be back?"
"You listen to me, Black; whatever Bella does now is her own goddamn business. You don't get to decide her life for her anymore." My body was stiff with the tension rolling through my limbs. Who the hell did Jacob Black think he was?
"Look, she left me! She walked out on me! I came home to divorce papers and an empty house," he defended.
I'd heard enough of his bullshit.
"That's how you remember it, is it?" I was seeing red. "Let me remind you how I remember it, shall I?
"Three years ago, you stood in this house and promised me you'd make her happy. You told me you'd never hurt her and she'd always be safe." My voice was harsh and laced with venom as I spoke. "And I told you there'd be hell to pay if you didn't keep your word. I knew what you were like—saw it with my own eyes—but you were what Bella wanted, and I sure as shit wasn't gonna be the bad guy." I laughed a sickly laugh. "But you proved us all right, and you let Bella down the most." If Black had been standing in my kitchen, I would have knocked his head clean off. "You think long and hard about what happened in that house, you son of a bitch."
"I think I need to speak to Bella about this, Charlie," was all he could muster.
"The hell you will! You'll stay away from my daughter or it'll be the last mistake you make," I seethed, my voice getting louder by the second. Jacob's single breath came loud and heavy down the line.
"Can you just tell her that I miss her? Please?"
"You don't get to miss her, boy. Not after what you did." I swiftly hung up the phone, ending a conversation that had already gone on too long.
I paced the length of the kitchen, thinking back over the last couple of days and the changes in Bella. It wasn't just working at McCarty's that had made a difference. Something in her attitude had changed. She seemed lighter and more carefree, happier almost. My gut twisted as I thought about the damage Jacob could have caused if he had managed to speak to Bella today.
Needing to get out of the house, I grabbed my working gloves and my overshirt and headed for the shed. Chopping some logs would be a good way to vent my frustration and anger over Jacob Black. After almost twenty minutes, my shoulders were stiff, beads of sweat had formed across my brow, and my arms were aching. I placed a thick piece of wood on the stump at my feet and raised my axe over my head. As I brought it down hard, splitting the wood in half, the sound of tires kicking up the loose stones at the end of the driveway caught my attention.
I turned to see Edward's red Chevy pulling up behind Bella's car, and I propped the axe against the stump, wiping my forehead with my handkerchief. While Edward ambled across the yard, I stacked the chopped wood up against the shed with the rest.
"Mornin', Chief."
"Mornin'," I grunted in response.
"You okay, Charlie?"
"Black called. He wanted to speak to Bella." I pulled off my gloves, and Edward followed me up to the house.
"He did what?" Disbelief and anger were both clear in Edward's tone.
"Yeah, that boy's got some set on him." I shook my head and helped myself to some lemonade from the fridge. I cocked my head and held up the pitcher, but Edward shook his own, declining a glass for himself. "Listen, I need to get out of the house. Did you need something, or can you grab some lunch in town?"
"Lunch sounds good."
Fifteen minutes later, we were both sitting in McCarty's, ready to place our orders.
"Hey, daddy. Edward." Bella rushed over, smiling at us both as she took our order. It wasn't long before she returned with our lemonades and wiped the table down. Excusing herself, Bella continued taking orders from the other tables. Her smile never faltered; she made small talk with unfamiliar faces and even laughed with Doc Garrett when he came in to get his lunch order.
"She's lookin' much better," Edward commented, watching Bella walk to the kitchen hatch.
"Yeah, I don't know what you said to her at the weekend, but she's been like this ever since."
Edward shook his head, turning back to face me. "All I did was remind her that she has friends and support here. The rest is all Bella."
"Well, I'm just glad you guys came over. She's starting to look…alive again," I said as I watched Bella move around the diner. Edward opened his mouth to speak but shut it abruptly when he saw that Bella was making her way back to our table.
"One chicken burger with onion rings and salad." Bella set my plate down with a disapproving look. "Maybe try the chicken salad next time, daddy." Edward laughed as Bella told me off with a cheeky glint in her eyes. "And one steak and fries." Bella set Edward's plate in front of him with a smile, and he returned it with a wink.
We ate in silence while Bella refilled our drinks and brought a second basket of fries to the table. It wasn't long before our food was finished and our plates were cleared away.
"Can I get you anything else?" Riley, the young busboy, asked while shuffling his feet. He wasn't the smartest kid in town, but his momma worked hard and had raised him right.
"I'll take a slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla." I had no idea what Alice put in it, but it was, hands down, the best homemade pie I had ever tasted.
Edward ran his hand through his hair as if he was thinking about what to order. He quickly scanned the menu before saying, "I'll have the cobbler, thanks." Riley turned to the kitchen and tripped over his feet as he cast a quick glance in Bella's direction.
"So, are you gonna tell Bella?" Edward asked, lifting his glass to take a drink.
"Tell Bella what?"
"That Jacob called."
"Not if I don't have to." I paused for a minute before continuing, "Look at her. She's smilin' and laughin', and it's like she's not forcin' any of it. I'll be damned if he's gonna rip it all away again." I smiled at Bella when I saw her walking over to our table with our desserts.
"Cobbler and pie," she said, laughing and shaking her head as she slid the plates in front of us. I gave Edward a pointed look, and he shifted his gaze to Bella.
"You can't be surprised, Baby Bell. It's all I've been thinking about since the weekend," Edward said in a playful tone, picking up his spoon and sinking it into the peachy sweetness.
"No, I guess not." She laughed again and smiled at Edward.
For the last two weeks, it had felt like something was crushing my chest. Bella was hurting emotionally, and there was nothing I could do about it. It killed me to be so close, yet helpless to help her at the same time. But over the earlier part of this week, I could see her spark slowly returning.
"I'll see you at home, daddy." Bella quickly kissed the side of my head and went back to her other customers. It wasn't long before Emmett joined us with a slice of pie for himself.
"Hey, Chief. Didn't expect to see you here." He grinned at me from across the booth. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Bella was busy at the counter making milkshakes with Riley. Happy that she wouldn't overhear our conversation, I turned back to see Edward leaning over and speaking quietly to his friend.
"He did what?" Emmett's voice echoed through the diner, causing people to turn and look in our direction. Riley dropped the tray of glasses he was carrying, spilling coke and milkshake over the floor. Quick as a lick, Bella was by his side with a cloth in hand, wiping up the mess he had made.
"Nothing to see, people." Emmett waved his hand at his customers and tried to stretch a smile over his face. "You got that, Bella?" he asked, changing his tone.
"Sure thing, Em," she replied with a lightness in her voice that had been absent until recently. "No use crying over spilt milkshake," she said as she squeezed Riley's hand.
"That boy's useless," Emmett grumbled. "If it wasn't for the fact that his momma's a friend of the family, he'd have been out on his ass long before now. I swear, it feels like he costs me more in broken glasses each week than he gets paid." Edward and I both laughed at Emmett's exaggerated remark. Riley was eager to please, always had been, but at least he made the effort. The mood changed in an instant when Emmett focused his attention back to me.
"When did he call?"
"This mornin'—after Bella left for work."
"He's got some nerve," Emmett fumed, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm down. "Does he know Bella works here?"
"I doubt it. He never asked; I just told him she was out." It didn't escape my notice that none of us were finishing our desserts.
"She's been doin' so great, Charlie. Maggie's out for a few days and Bella's been picking up the slack like a pro. She didn't even think twice about it." Emmett shook his head and leaned back in the booth. "When I think back to her first day…well, you know how that ended."
I chuckled at the memory of Bella unable to put one foot in front of the other. "How could I forget?" I replied, not looking for an answer.
"What happened?" Edward quizzed.
"Whitlock's." Emmett and I spoke at the same time, and for the second time since he'd sat down, his dimples appeared as he smiled.
Edward laughed. "Say no more."
"We're not tellin' Bella, right?" Emmett looked at Bella as she passed a customer her change.
"She doesn't need to know. Black had three months to talk to her before she left, and he said nothing. He's not upsettin' her now." Both Edward and Emmett nodded in agreement, and the three of us sat in silence, watching Bella as she continued moving happily around the diner.
~oOo~
"Daddy?" Bella yelled from her room. "Have you seen my boots?"
"They're by the back door," I called up to her. She rushed down the stairs and flew past me, gasping a quick 'sorry' as she brushed my arm. "Bella, where's the jam?" I had checked the pantry but couldn't find the large box of jars.
"Rose is bringing it, though I saved a jar of raspberry for you." She winked, and I focused on the toes of my boots. It was just like her to look out for me.
"You ready to go, sweetheart?" I asked, opening the front door.
"Sure," she said, smiling at me before ducking under my arm and heading out to the truck.
Five minutes outside of town, Bella started playing with the stations on the radio. She skipped through them all twice before turning it back off. It was another warm day, and the Texas sun showed no mercy as it beat down on the road. The windows were open in the truck, and Bella had twisted in her seat, hanging both her arms out of the window. She was humming something, and I smiled to myself, enjoying her mood.
"You seem excited," I commented, trying to sound indifferent. Bella turned back to me, placing her hands in her lap, and began picking the thread on her shorts. She took a deep breath and exhaled quickly, laughing as she did.
"You have no idea. I really am excited." She laughed again, and this time, I couldn't help but laugh right along with her. "I can't remember the last time I went to the town fair." Bella shook her head and glanced out of the window briefly.
"You were seventeen. I was workin' and you went with Alice." I chuckled under my breath as I recalled the events of a day from years ago. "Doc Garrett called me up at the station to say you girls were sick. By the time I got into town, you were both lying in the town square, spread out among the hay bales, lookin' green as could be."
"Oh God, yes! I do remember!" Bella buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"Too much cotton candy and too many fried Oreos."
"Gross. I haven't eaten cotton candy since."
"And with good reason. You girls were sick all night." I shuddered, remembering back to the night that I'd held hair off both their faces.
"Well, I promise, there will be no candy today," Bella said as I pulled my truck to a stop outside of McCarty's diner.
Most of the roads were closed, in and out of town, due to the fair. It was the same every year. I met Bella at the back of the truck, she linked her arm with mine, and we began to walk down the street.
The fair was bigger than last year's. All four sides of the town square were closed off to make room for tables, stalls, and a mix of different activities. The biggest changes this year were the arrival of the ferris wheel, rigged on the south side, and the carousel, sitting on the north-west corner. As usual, half of the square was roped off for horse rides and a small stage had been set up for local bands at the other end, under the trees.
It wasn't long before we found Emmett's stall. The diner was providing the food for the day, and Emmett had three large grills going, flipping burgers, cooking hotdogs and grilling steak.
"Hey, Baby Bell. Charlie," Emmett greeted us both with a smile, and I nodded back in response.
"How's it goin', Emmett?" I asked as he gave Bella a hug.
"It's goin' good, Chief. The girls are settin' up, Jasper and Eddie are sortin' out the drinks and I'm just gettin' started." Emmett turned back to his grill and threw on some sliced onions. I knew that Jasper was providing the beer for the fair. He'd done it every year since buying Whitlock's.
"Daddy?" Bella gave a gentle tug on my arm, and I chuckled at the enthusiasm on her face. "I'm going to go help Alice and Rose, okay?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart. Do you need any money?" I reached into my pocket and pulled out a twenty, offering it to her. She shook her head, biting her lip, but when she stood on her toes to kiss my cheek, I slipped the money into her pocket. She laughed and her hand caught mine as it retreated. I shook my head slightly, telling her with my eyes that it was okay, to go and have fun. She smiled, and I took a deep, comforting breath.
"Thank you, daddy," she whispered before she walked off to the stall housing the selection of jam. The women in town always pooled together, making a selection of sauces in addition to the different jams and jellies on offer.
I surveyed the rest of the square, my old police instincts taking me back to a time when I felt useful in this town. Now that Bella was home, it was enough to feel needed by her, and she was filling the void and loneliness that her leaving had brought two years ago.
"So, Chief," Emmett spoke, distracting me from sadder times. "What're the plans for today?"
"Just hopin' Bella has some fun. That's it, that's my only goal."
"Sounds good. Ally packed a picnic and we made some fresh lemonade, and if I know my sister, there's a pie in there too, Chief." Emmett laughed as he emphasized each word with a wave of his spatula.
"God, love that woman," I laughed. "She's always treated me well." It was true. There was no substitute for Bella, but Alice had certainly eased the pain of being separated from her. They had grown up together and often spent as much time at each other's houses as they did their own.
"Yeah, you're totally spoiled. Mom still can't figure out why you ain't the size of your boat. She had to stop bakin' so damn much for dad when the doc told him his cholesterol was too high." Emmett shook his head, humor etched all over his face. "Dad sulked for a week straight."
"I can imagine." It was the same reason that Carlisle had taken early retirement from the diner. Esme had given him an ultimatum—it was the diner or his family. With the rate he was working, he wouldn't get to keep both. It was the kick in the ass he'd needed, and Emmett took over shortly after that.
"Take a seat, Charlie, and I'll send over a hotdog with everything."
"Thanks, son, that'd be great."
I took a seat at one of the many picnic tables set out in front of Emmett's stall and watched as the townsfolk moved from one stall to the next.
Jessie Call and her husband Embry were standing in front of the candy stall, handing their kids cotton candy. I shook my head in amusement—those kids didn't need any more sugar. Angela could talk a mile a minute, just like her momma, while Benji couldn't stay still for longer than a minute. How they weren't both the size of water barrels was beyond me.
Old Mrs. McKenna was as crazy as ever—sitting on one of the benches talking to herself. She was harmless enough, but more than once in my days as Chief, I was called out to a domestic disturbance at her house, only for her to be arguing with her own shadow when I arrived.
"Mr. Swan?" Riley drew my eyes from the crowd as he set down my food—ketchup, mustard and onions piled on top. "Can I get you anything else, sir?"
"Not right now, thanks." I nodded my head in thanks toward Emmett and smiled at Riley as he moved away. I let my eyes wander again, and this time, they settled on Bella. Alice was twirling her all over the street, both of them laughing hard and loud. I flashed to a memory of them doing the exact same thing across my front yard—Bella was eight, Alice seven. It was the same day that Bella had asked if Alice could move in and be her sister.
I took a bite of my hotdog, relieved that Bella seemed to be picking up right where she left off. Alice had missed her just as much as I had, and I knew it was one of the reasons that Alice had spent so much time at my house on the weekends.
Wiping the mustard from my chin, I swallowed my last mouthful and stood up from the bench. Emmett was busy trying not to scowl at the Burtons as their twins demanded plain hamburgers, having requested cheeseburgers only moments before. I threw him a small wave and began to walk around the square.
Kids from the high school were setting equipment up on the stage, tuning instruments and adjusting lights, ready for the evening. Walking past them, I made my way over to the horses. The Clearwaters had brought three of their mares into town for today's fair, and Leah was brushing the smallest one.
Just as I approached the fence, loud shrieking stopped me in my tracks and I turned my head in the direction of the noise. Jasper and Edward had joined Alice and Bella and the boys each had a girl hoisted up over their shoulders.
Bella laughed as she smacked at Edward's back, and Alice kept her arms outstretched while Jasper spun in circles on the road.
"She looks happy."
I turned back to face Leah and smiled. "It's taken a while, but yeah, she does."
"No thanks to Jacob, I'm sure," she remarked with distaste. Leah was older than her cousin and was only too aware of the type of man he really was.
"What did you hear?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Only what Uncle Billy told me, which wasn't a lot." She shrugged before continuing. "Jacob made some mistakes, 'errors in judgement,' he called it, and he had a tough decision to make. But before he could talk to Bella, she'd left." The scepticism was clear in her tone; she knew there was more to the story, and she either knew not to ask, or she didn't care.
Leah was a hard working woman and didn't stand for any bullshit. Her dad had died six years ago, and when her mom couldn't get out of bed, Leah had stepped up to run her family's ranch. She had little time for Billy, and by extension, Jacob. They were the only other family her mom had, and neither had offered any help.
Leah was too proud to take handouts, but Sue had taken that much longer to grieve without her brother's support.
"Bella was too good for him anyway; always thought so," she declared.
I couldn't disagree.
"Yeah, well, she's home now, and if Jacob knows what's good for him, he'll stay away." I crossed my arms on top of one of the wooden fence posts just as Leah laughed.
"How likely do you think that is? When has Jacob ever known what's good for him?" She was right of course. Jacob could be an idiot, that much was obvious—he'd let Bella go.
"Leah, Leah! We wanna ride!" Angela Call bounced on her toes next to her brother as she waved ten dollars in the air.
"Every year," Leah grumbled. "I have no idea why I let myself get talked into this—I hate kids." She rolled her eyes at me and smiled good-naturedly. I laughed as she tightened it into a forced grin and called, "Coming right up, kids!"
~oOo~
Alice passed the potato salad, and Emmett set a plate of grilled steaks in the middle of the table. Bella finished pouring lemonade for everyone while Rose broke it to Edward that there was no cobbler. I passed the garden salad to Jasper, who loaded a large portion onto his plate.
"Hey, mister," Alice scolded. "Don't forget everyone else has to get some too." She shook her head in mock disbelief. "You'd think I didn't feed him at home." Emmett cringed, still sensitive to his sister's living arrangements, but said nothing as Rose rubbed his hand.
I watched in amazement when I saw Bella not only plating her own food but helping Edward with his as well. It only seemed like the other morning that they'd barely spoken at breakfast. Their bodies were angled toward each other, and Edward's eyes flitted from his plate to Bella's face.
Bella's attention never left her task, and after a moment, I cleared my throat discreetly. Edward's eyes shot in my direction, and for a second, he looked almost guilty. I laughed to myself and cut into my steak, taking a bite and chewing the meat slowly, and as I turned to speak to Emmett, I could have sworn I heard Edward let out a shaky breath.
With the sun sitting low in the sky, the lanterns strung around the square cast a dim light overhead and swung in the breeze. We ate our supper surrounded by other families taking time out of their day to regroup and catch up on the day's events. Bella, Rose and Alice talked about losing at the ring toss but eventually beating the Burton kids when it came to the ball toss. The stall they had set up was doing well—most of the jams and jellies were gone by mid-afternoon.
Jasper mentioned that he'd had to make a trip back to the bar for more stock. This summer was warmer than last year's, and evidently, the locals were feeling the heat, turning to the makeshift bar to cool off. The stage had needed some minor repair work, and without Edward's help, the mini concert planned for tonight wouldn't have been going ahead. Emmett had been busy all afternoon—the usual customers from McCarty's stopping by his grill in lieu of the diner being closed.
Both Bella and Alice had traded cotton candy for chocolate chip funnel cake, limiting themselves to only one piece, and Rose had enjoyed some caramel popcorn with a root beer. Bella's hands told one story after the next, just as eagerly has her mouth did, frantically twitching and waving in front of her face. Edward leaned to the side, narrowly missing a blow to the cheek more than once, and it wasn't until Emmett made a comment that she realized just how enthusiastic she was being. Her cheeks pinkened, but she laughed, and Edward bumped her shoulder with his, encouraging her to continue.
"Well, I can't eat another bite," I said, rubbing my stomach and licking the last of the apple pie off my fork.
"Me either," Jasper agreed, leaning into Alice and kissing her forehead. He whispered in her ear and she giggled, tucking her head into her neck as though it tickled. "I'm gonna have me some fun. You comin', Baby Bell?" Bella laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure, why not?"
Jasper held out his hand to her, and Bella took it, letting him tug her gently into his arms. He danced her down the street, much like Alice had done earlier, and I wondered if it was something Jasper and Alice practiced often themselves. I watched as Jasper helped Bella onto the carousel. They walked past the couples' carriages and weaved through the tandem horses. Bella circled the platform once before settling into the carved saddle of a green and peach mustang, baring its teeth and glittering in the sun. Jasper saddled up next to her, tipping an imaginary hat and dipping his head politely.
"He's such a fool," Alice laughed, as the carousel began to move.
"But, look at her, Ally," Emmett piped up. "She's lovin' it." Bella tilted her head back and held her arms out to the sides. Over the crowd, it was possible to faintly make out her shouting something about flying. We all laughed at her display as Jasper shook his head and mimicked her actions.
As the others talked and laughed around the table, I watched Bella, her knees pinching the sides of her horse as it lifted her up and down. The music started playing from the stage in the square, and Bella raised her arms high above her head. She was suddenly five years old again, sitting up there with her momma, squealing at me to watch her.
Tears began to prickle my eyes and I rubbed my hands over my face. I missed my wife, but at least I had my daughter back.
"You okay, Charlie?" Alice whispered, leaning her head against my arm.
"How could I not be, honey?" I offered her a small smile which she returned. "Bella's home, and she's getting over him. She's makin' friends again—I'm a happy man," I said honestly.
"Mmhmm," Alice murmured knowingly. "I miss her too, Charlie." She always was so observant. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Alice squeezed my hand once, long and hard, before releasing it and standing up. I watched her curiously, as she turned her attention to the rest of the group. "Come on, let's get this packed up." She gestured to the empty plates and plastic cups, throwing the scraps of wilted salad in the trash.
Less than ten minutes later, Bella and Jasper joined us in the line for the Big Wheel.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," I said out of Bella's earshot.
"She'll be fine, Charlie. I'll stay with her and we'll watch from the ground," Edward assured me. I raised my eyebrows and gave him a sceptical look.
"You really think Alice is gonna let her get away with that?"
He laughed. "Probably not, but she's less likely to be pushy if you're already up there."
"Next!" Brady Collins yelled, opening up the next car that stopped.
"You're up, Chief." Edward grinned and nudged me forward. Secured in the seat, Collins turned the motor on and the car chugged forward at a slow pace. What a piece of crap. I heard Bella talking to Alice on the ground, and from the way the conversation was headed, I knew that Bella didn't have a prayer. Sure enough, two minutes later, Edward was sitting with Bella in the car under mine.
Alice and Jasper were up next, followed by Rose and Emmett. Each couple sitting cosy in the middle of their cars, arms wrapped around each other and nuzzling each other's necks. I leaned over to catch a glimpse of Bella and Edward, and couldn't suppress the laughter that escaped my throat. Bella was pressed up against the very edge on her side, while Edward slouched casually with his arm running along the back of their seat.
They were polar opposites.
Bella had always been so methodical. Everything had to be planned; she was rarely spontaneous, while Edward was usually laid back and relaxed. He always took the world in his stride; it was like nothing ever fazed him, never had. Edward took one day at a time and did the best he could with the hand he was dealt.
As the cars swung up to the top, the old wheel groaned and creaked before shuddering to a stop. I darted a glance back down toward Edward and Bella's swaying car—while Bella's head whipped from side to side—and swept my hand over my face.
"Just hold on, sweetheart," I shouted down. "We'll be moving again in no time." Bella had never liked heights. She'd been terrified of being stuck at the top of the Big Wheel since she was a little girl.
"I'm okay, dad," she yelled back, her voice a little shaky. "Stop worrying."
When was she going to learn? I was her father; it was my job to worry. Hell, all I'd done the last two years was worry. I was just glad to finally have her home.
I watched relentlessly as Edward spoke to Bella, trying his best to engage her in conversation but unable to distract her. I could see her back was rigid and her shoulders were tense, and I just knew that her little hands would be curled tightly around the safety bar until her knuckles were white.
Sighing, I leaned over the side of my car. "Hey, Collins! Any day now. I ain't gettin' any younger."
Edward cast me a brief look, and his apprehensive grimace told me that Bella wasn't doing so great. I looked back down at Brady and saw him cranking the motor. That damn thing was older than he was. Crossing my arms over my chest, I sank down into my seat, keeping my eyes on the back of Bella's head. I knew she was safe with Edward, but I also knew she would be panicking.
Without warning, Bella snapped her head toward Edward, her mouth moving quickly and her face becoming pale. Edward's eyes widened fractionally before he raised his arm and lowered it again, cautiously, around Bella's shoulders. I watched in shock, as his fingers disappeared into the back of her hair, his eyes locked onto hers and his face inched slowly forward.
I sucked in a breath, nearly choking, suddenly aware of what was happening in front of me. "Don't do it, son," I muttered under my breath, my words dying in the wind whipping around me. "She's not ready."
Just as their noses were about to touch, the wheel jerked and spasmed and we started our descent.
Edward shifted back to his side of the car, letting his hand fall from Bella's hair but linger on her shoulder a moment longer than necessary. By the time they joined me on the ground, Bella's cheeks were crimson and she avoided my look of concern. She moved off to the side, keeping her eyes trained on Alice, who was next off the wheel.
I turned to Edward and fixed my best fatherly stare on his baffled face.
"Don't make me ask, son."
"Charlie, I—" he began, his brow furrowing.
"Well?" I probed.
"It wasn't what it looked like?" It was a question. The poor boy had no idea what I was asking.
"I hope not," I laughed. "I'd hate to have to kick your ass," I teased, unable to resist winding him up.
"Chief, I…it was…well, when…she…" Edward stumbled over his words and I laughed again. It was clear from his confusion that my concern was unnecessary. I didn't know what Edward and Bella had been talking about up there, but he obviously wasn't rushing anyone into anything.
By the time Edward unraveled his tongue, Bella had returned to her normal color and we all made our way over to the edge of the town square. The music was playing loudly, and the girls were sharing a bag of cotton candy. The air had turned cooler and the sky had darkened as the night crept in. Over the next hour, we sat on the grass, drinking beer and coke, planning a day on the lake for the following weekend. It would be Bella's first since she'd come home, and Emmett was more than happy to arrange the shifts at McCarty's so that he and Bella could get the time off.
Without warning, the sky overhead lit up as the air cracked and thunder sounded around us. Before anyone could speak, the heavens opened and the rain began to fall heavily, soaking us all. Alice shrieked, and Rose jumped up, running for cover. Emmett followed after her, shouting a quick goodbye over his shoulder, and almost immediately, the rainfall obscured his retreating form.
"Come on, Ally," Jasper yelled over the down pour, grabbing her around the waist and carrying her off to his truck. "Thanks for a great day, catch you later!" he yelled, and I waved in his direction.
Edward helped Bella to her feet, and as I made to move toward my truck, I saw that Bella hadn't. Edward stood in front of her, watching her in bewilderment as she held her face up to the sky, allowing the rain to wash over her skin. Her hair was drenched, the water running in thick streams from the ends of her loose curls.
"Bella, you have to move!" Edward yelled over the sound of the rain. "You can't stay out here."
I scanned the square and watched as the townsfolk packed up sound equipment under tarps and threw hay bales into the backs of trucks. People were running everywhere, scattering in all directions. A thunderstorm in Texas was almost unheard of in June.
Edward clutched Bella's shoulders and drew her from her haze; their eyes met and she smiled. He laughed at her expression before he spoke with amazement in his voice. "What are you doin'?" His eyes flitted across her face, and she laughed a light and breathy laugh.
"For the first time in a while, I'm having a good time."
Smiling to myself, I grabbed Bella's hand and we all made a dash for the shelter and warmth of my truck.
A/N: A wee change to the posting schedule next week guys. I'm in training at work and haven't had much time to write, so there will be no update for the main RoH story on 16th Oct, HOWEVER, I've written an outtake for this chapter which I will post instead. It's Bella's POV and takes place 50 feet above Masen. Pop me on alert as the outtake will be posted under a separate listing. Chapter 9 will be posted on 23rd October.
Teasers on PicTease and The Fictionators as usual, and as always, thanks for reading.
Mojo Music: Follow Me by Uncle Kracker—hummed by Bella in the truck.
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