Chapter 112
EPOV
I wasn't actually worried about Charlie
shooting me. For one thing - although I couldn't be one hundred
percent positive - I was fairly sure, Chief Swan wasn't packing.
Plus, I knew without a doubt, the man was intelligent enough not
commit a murder in front of so many witnesses. However the most
reassuring comfort I had was the slight laughter coming from Bella.
“Dad! Knock it off, your scaring
Edward!”
“That's the point” The gruff scowl
in my direction causing me to swallow the lump in my throat while he
asked “And just when did this little revelation get decided?”
“It makes sense Dad...” the
diplomatic explanation was rudely interrupted by my sister “Bella
already stays here all the time”
Turning the full force of my stare at
Alice – she wasn't fucking helping – all I saw was a
slight grin of satisfaction on her face while Bella squared her jaw
and agreed “That's right I do.”
Shifting her eyes Bella's glare at my
sister turned softer as she spoke to her father in a steady voice.
“There were reasons why Edward opened
his home to me and I will admit it was only intended to be a
temporary basis. But that was before, things are different now our
relationship has grown and frankly when Edward brought up the
possibility of me staying indefinitely, it never really dawned on me
to that I would have leave and return home.”
Hearing Bella use the word 'home,'
in reference to anyplace else but where she was living, was an
exercise in restraint. I had to literally bite my tongue to keep from
saying 'you're already home' and forced myself to focus not
only on her words but also the person she was talking to – her
father.
“Edward pointed out that it wasn't a
good idea to leave my house unoccupied and I don't feel completely
comfortable with selling it...” Bella shrugged “...you never know
though, in another six months I might change my mind. In the mean
time he suggested the possibility of renting it out for student
housing.”
“And just how does that work? Cause
you don't know anything about being a landlord.” Bella sighed
heavily at Charlie's remark making me smirk at her with a raised
eyebrow.
The little tease knew exactly what I
meant and stuck her tongue out at me before giggling.
Oh she was totally going to pay for
that shit.
I had been keeping a running tally of
all the transgressions she was going to have to answer for along with
spilling her guts about what Pappy found so damn amusing. All he
asked was what she liked about me and whatever it was had him rolling
with laughter. Neither of them would enlighten me, in fact Bella
practically challenged me to make her tell. Then lets not forget the
finger gesture she made in front of everyone while telling me to
'Snap to It.'
Now she's sticking her tongue out
Nodding my head I gave her an evil grin
and kept the running tally fresh in my mind while Bella composed
herself to say “I know dad, that's why I need to talk to the
college.”
Mom interjected “If UW handles it the
same way as Dartmouth then whole transaction is handled through the
Housing Office. They become the liaison between the renter and
homeowner, Think of it like a situation where the college is signing
the lease and then subletting to the students. The maintenance
department takes care of basic repairs and the grounds crew sees to
mowing the lawn or shoveling snow. Their blanket insurance covers
against damages, break ins or accidents to the property or
residents.”
“How do you know so much about this
Esme?” Billy asked while reaching for the jar of Laub
It was dad who answered “Since Emmett
and Edward returned from Dartmouth, the housing market slumped. Esme
and I decided to wait out the recession, yet as Bella said, leaving a
home unoccupied isn't a very good idea. Since the house is on the
other side of the country, we couldn't very well have a traditional
leasing agreement. A friend of ours suggested this arrangement and so
far...” giving a Bella a small smile, he added “...it's been
working out fine.”
“Uh...” Charlie huffed while Bella
wondered “I thought... I mean...I guess I just figured from what
Edward said, that you rented a house for them...”
I hadn't truly clarified, only saying
while attending Dartmouth I lived in a private home with Emmett, then
again, Bella never really asked either.
“No...” dad shook his head “...that
wouldn't have been financially sound. Leasing would have been nothing
more then throwing money away. Purchasing a home was a more lucrative
venture, in the end if and when we decide to sell, then we'll
see a return in the form of a healthy profit”
“You just bought a house?” the idea
seemed foreign to Seth.
Giving a nod my father also gave the
young man a bit of advise “Real Estate, is always a sound
investment”
“Huh...” Charlie's disgruntled huff
had me wondering what the man was thinking and a moment later he
voiced it by asking my mother “And you'd be okay with Bella
moving in here with your son?”
It was hard to tell if his motives for
asking was due to doubt or hopefulness.
Mom gave him a distant smile that made
me believe she was going to answer in the affirmative, however once
again it was my father who answered “Edward is a grown man, who
makes his own living and has his own home. Who he chooses to have in
it, for whatever reason or however long is not for his mother or I to
say”
Charlie's eyes narrowed and once again
that uncertain 'humf' made itself known. “I guess that's the
difference between having a son and a daughter.” Giving Bella his
full attention the man spoke his mind “Didn't raise you to be
shacking up...”
“Dad!” Bella's annoyance coming out
loud and clear while Sue simultaneously hissed out a warning
“Charles”
Not one to be admonished, he addressed
his wife “Well I didn't. Maybe I might not have put as much
effort into churching Bella as my mother did me, but that doesn't
mean I can overlook everything she brought me up to believe.”
“What are you talking about Charlie?
You didn't say anything when Leah moved in with Jake for two years”
Leaning back in his chair, the man
stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest “That was different.”
“How?”
Shock crossed his features as he seemed
to think about his daughters question, then shifted his eyes between
Bella and I before settling his gaze on our still entwined hands
resting on the table. “Well, for one, I knew Jake since he was a
baby, and knew damn well he wasn't just taking the milk with no
intentions of buying the cow”
“Are you calling me a cow Charlie?”
Keeping her eyes on her father Bella
answered Leah's question “No I think he's calling me one”
“You know Charlie...” the causal
tone of Billy's voice breaking up some of the tension “...this
isn't the nineteenth century anymore.”
Cutting off Billy's rebuttal, Charlie
tried to make a point “My mother...” Only to be interrupted once
again by his friend.
“Your mother was born in a time when
everything was right and wrong and raised by devout Christians who
thought unless it was biblical it was demonic. Now Mrs Swan was a
nice lady, who had you at an older age and was set in her ways.
Everything with her was black and white with no gray allowed. She
could quote the bible in her sleep and yet she had not an ounce of
Christian love for her own daughter-in-law.” Pointing a finger
Billy accused “And you know it to be true, she treated Renee like a
leaper.”
“Now hold on there...”
Holding up his hand Billy said
“No...you hold on there and think about what your doing and then
stop before you make the same mistakes as your mother by being so
hypocritical”
Not giving Charlie a chance to respond
to his oldest friend, Bella crossed her arms over her chest in
stubborn retaliation “Yeah, hypocritical”
“Charles Swan, you can't very well
say it was alright for one of the girls and then pitch a fit over the
other. Especially considering Bella is almost six years older then
Leah was and is a grown woman...a divorced grown woman at that.”
Shaking her head Sue concluded “Who need I remind you, doesn't
need your permission.”
“So you keep telling me.”
Charlie's exasperated tone did nothing
to deter his wife. “Bella didn't even have to inform you. So maybe
instead of acting all pious...”
“Hypocritical” Bella threw the word
out there again with all the ire of a pouty child while Sue went on
“...you should count yourself lucky to have heard it from Bella,
before the fact”
Bella and her father had a stare down
and I could see it in his eyes – the understanding. Sue's words had
hit a soft spot. Years ago, his daughter had shut him out, kept him
at arms length, and completely devoid of any information. Due to the
goals I had her set, she had made the decision to change that
situation and was incorporating her father back into her life.
With a resigned sigh Charlie's eyes
shifted to my grandmother. Maybe he just wanted to break the tension,
or maybe he assumed because of her age, he'd have an ally. Either way
he gave an almost wounded expression when he said “Do you see how
they gang up on me? Always spoiling her”
Before gran could reply I finally got
my voice, releasing her hand I wrapped my arm over Bella's shoulder,
tucking her close to me “Well, now, I get to do that”
“Yeah I know what you wanna do”
Charlie's low grumble brought about
another exasperated 'Dad' from Bella and loud snickering
guffaw from Emmett. Sue admonished her husband but truly, I had been
quiet long enough. I didn't need others to fight my battles and it
seemed to me Charlie's main point of contention was his lack of not
knowing the depth of the respect I had for not only his daughter but
him as well. I figured it was time to set the man's mind at ease.
“Charlie, I'm guessing by your
reaction, we went about this the wrong way. Perhaps instead of
springing our intentions on you as a passing comment, it might have
been more prudent for us to have privately included you in our plans.
It's just that at times I find it difficult to associate the woman
I love with the same person you see as your little girl. When you say
you know what I want to do with her, I figure it might be good thing
for you know exactly what that is.”
I didn't just want – as Charlie so
wittingly suggested – free milk from the cow. My desire was much
more imposing. My intentions, though noble, tended to lean in a more
thorough objective – I wasn't just after the cow, I endeavored to
take dominion over the whole damn farm. Of course it wasn't the time
or the place to inform him of the diamond engagement ring on order,
and I certainly wasn't going to spout out words of ownership or
possession.
Shifting my gaze to look down into
Bella's wide browns eyes, I saw everything I could ever ask for.
Holding her attention, I spoke my words for all to hear
“What I want to do, the only thing
that matters to me, is to be here, for Bella, however long and in
whatever capacity, she will have me.”
Bella's nose wrinkled and her eyes
glassed over as she said “I love you Edward Cullen”
I didn't answer, instead offered a wink
and glanced across the table to catch the smiling faces on my
parent's, Billy and Sue, however it was Charlie's expectant gaze that
had my full attention
“I love your daughter. If it was up
to me, Bella would have already put her house on the market. But
that's not my decision to make. And believe it or not, I respect her
for being diligent about protecting her assets. I've lived alone for
a long time and once someone...” Shaking my head I corrected
“...No, not just anyone. Once Bella
came into my life, I realized, there was no way I could let her go.
And miraculously, she feels the same way. For now, we're going to
leave it at that” then I offered him a promise “I will assure you
though, in the future, you will have first hand knowledge of any
prospective plans.”
Giving Charlie a curt nod I hoped he
was perceptive enough to read between the lines.
“See Charlie, they love each other”
“Yeah...Yeah, everybody loves each
other”
The halfhearted grumbling at Billy's
comment was cut off by my mothers happy voice “ I have to say, that
Edward isn't the only one who is taken with Bella. Carlisle and I
just adore her, in fact she fits in so perfectly, we already consider
her part of the family”
Sensing movement in my peripheral my
eyes shifted to watch Alice whisper in Jasper's ear but I was more
concerned with Charlie's reply “Well that's nice to know Esme...but
what happens if this little arrangement...” alternating a pointed
finger between Bella and I “...doesn't work out so well?”
“There's no guarantees in life
Charlie”
Nodding her head at my words, Bella
tried a different tactic “That's why I'm not selling my house dad.”
A loud exaggerated sigh came from the
lower end of the table however I couldn't focus on Alice once Charlie
said in accusation “So I guess you got it all figured out then”
“Not completely” it was true, we
didn't. We hadn't even discussed what to do with all her belongs and
I could only assume a storage unit rental would be happening sometime
in the immediate future. But rubbing my hand over the smooth skin of
Bella's upper arm I told him the one thing I believed with all my
heart “we'll face it as it comes...together”
My words seemed to nullify his worries,
yet I couldn't help but to wonder if the man was truly angry. There
was no way in hell I would willingly give up my Bella, however having
my future father-in-law thinking me to be a man of low moral
perpetuate wasn't exactly the best prospect either. The worst part
was I didn't know Charlie well enough to come up with a solution, so
I was glad Bella did
“Edward, he's not really upset”
“How do you know?”
Laughing at her father's disgruntled
tone, Bella spoke to me “When he's truly mad, he has this vein in
his forehead...” tapping a finger above her right eye “...that
kind of pulsates. Remember when I told you how I thought he was going
to have an aneurism, when he caught Leah and me riding the
motorcycles”
Vaguely recollecting the story, I
nodded and Leah groaned “Ohhh...why'd you have to bring
that up?”
“I think that was most angry I ever
seen him” Bella laughed at the memory.
“Well who could blame me?” Charlie
taking on a defensive tone as he reminisced.
“There I am, on my way to Susie's,
driving along minding my own business and through the rain...”
transferring his full attention to me Charlie's face became more
animated and he used his hands to emphasize “...I don't mean the
regular kind everyday rain we get...I mean, pouring down sheets of
rain so hard that you couldn't make hide-nor-hare out of anything.
And through the swishing of the windshield wipers I can barely make
out this motorcycle sailing through the muddy grass. I thought what
kind of a dumbass is stupid enough to be riding a bike in that
kind of weather?”
“Charles...” Sue reprimanded, while
nodding her head down towards the end of the table“...little ears”
Looking rather ashamed Charlie
corrected himself “Sorry bout that but my dander was up.”
“Don't worry about it Charlie, they
hear much worse from their uncle Emmett” Dad assured him then
prompted “So you seen Bella riding a bike...”
“No...” Charlie shook his head
“...it wasn't Bella, it was Leah.”
The two sisters shared a quiet giggle
while the man went on with his story “I get out of my truck to put
the bike into the back and was just ready to start telling her how
confounded stupid she was...when all of a sudden along comes another
nitwit. This one was even worse. Speeding around the bend so
fast, I thought for sure they were going to roll it in the mud. Only
to find out...” his whole face got red and Bella was right, that
vein started pulsating “...that nitwit...was my daughter.”
Beside me, Bella was in near hysterics,
hiding her face behind her hands and shaking in a fit of laughter.
“Oh my word...” Leah was unable to
form a coherent sentence around her own fit of giggles “...he was
so mad...I thought...his head...was going to pop off”
Laughing so hard I could barely
understand her, Bella agreed with her sister “I swear...I
saw...smoke...coming out ...of his ears”
This time everyone was laughing except
Charlie, who glared at his daughter “Darn straight I was mad!”
As if needing reinforcements Charlie
shifted his attention to my parents and explained his reaction “The
two of em, fifteen years old...soaking wet...full of mud...riding
through the storm on these old beat up bikes...with bald
tires...neither of them with any safety gear on...and not even a
permit to operate a vehicle between em...Mad?” He questioned
with a pause “UH! I nearly blew a gasket...they were just lucky all
they got was grounded!”
As he growled out the last word my
mother shook her head in disapproval while dad nodded in
understanding but for the most part the rest of the table were all
snickering at the story. Wiping her eyes with the back of one hand
Bella used the other to point at her father and spoke though the fit
of giggles “See what I mean about the vein?”
“Who's bikes were they?”
Wiping the tears from her eyes Leah
answered my mother “Bella's”
“Didn't you know she had them?”
Charlie's face wrinkled in disgust at
Gran”s question “Heck no! I had no idea. They...” sweeping a
pointed finger at the members of his family “...kept it a big
secret because they knew I would have taken a sledgehammer to those
darn things and burned every last piece.”
Leaning forward so she could see past
Emmett and I, Rose wondered “How did you get them Bella?”
However it was Charlie who answered
with a high pitched bewildered tone “She found them in the
garbage!”
Nodding her head Bella laughed and kept
repeating “I did...I did...in … the garbage.” Composing herself
she explained “They were just thrown in the junk pile...John helped
me bring them home...”
“John Who?”
Bella answered her father as if it
should be obvious “John Schwartz”
“You mean to tell me you roped that
little pervert into helping you...”
“I didn't rope him into anything Dad.
I was standing there in front of the Mark's house wondering how I
was going to push both bikes and John came around the corner ...”
“Yeah I bet he just happened to come
around the corner...the peeping tom was probably following you”
Bella laughed him off “He was not
following me and he wasn't a peeping tom”
“The heck he wasn't. I caught him
several times trying to peer up into your window”
“Well maybe he was trying to get a
peek at Leah”
“Hey!” her sister yelled “I
wasn't even living there yet”
Emmett asked the question I wanted to
“Who's John Schwartz”
“A kid who lived two houses down, he
was a year or two older then Bella and always staring.”
Charlie's explanation didn't do much
for me. Other then the people from LaPush, there were only a hand
full of Forks residents who I actually spoke to. Trying to remember
if we had been introduced, I was even more confounded when Jacob
assured me “Edward you met John.”
Turning my head in his direction he
elaborated “When we were at Casey's...”
Oh
That would explain my lack of memory,
that day at the bar was one fiasco after another. Starting with
meeting the illustrious Jared, the emergence of an ex-husband and
calumniating into Bella's hand meeting said ex-husbands face. All of
which lead Bella and I to the motel where we spent a few hours on
some maintenance.
“He was the one who had Bells trapped
by the bathroom...you had to go rescue her”
“Ah...yeah” I nodded “I remember
now. He seemed harmless”
“He is. John's a nice guy”
“Bells listen to your old man and
believe me when I say...That boy had a thing for you. And if he
helped you with moving those bikes he more then likely had a reason
for doing it.”
“Dad...” Bella's protest was cut
off by my sister “So after Bella used this kid...”
My glare in Alice's direction was was
interrupted by Bella's harsh voice “I didn't use him.”
However she just continued talking as
if it was of little matter “...how did the bikes get fixed?”
Switching her head to the other
direction Bella smiled fondly “Jake's a miracle worker...”
giggling she added “He's like the bike whisperer”
“You know I always wondered who took
them out to the rez? None of you kids drove, and I know no matter how
much you...” still glaring at his daughter “... smiled and con
Johnny Schwartz. That boy wouldn't have been dumb enough to push them
all that way. So how did they get to Billy's house?”
“Ummm....” trying to look at
anybody else except her father Bella avoided the question
“...yeah...somebody must have done that...”
Bella's attempt at a poker face was too
comical and her mock innocence was just to fucking cute I couldn't
help but to place my lips against her head.
Charlie was another matter all
together, the man was either immune to Bella's charms or he really
wanted an answer because his eyes narrowed as he stared down his
daughter “Is that somebody here at the table?”
After putting the question out there,
Charlie cast a glance at Billy who shook his head in denial “It
wasn't me”
“Well it had to be somebody, because
I know darn well my daughter didn't carry them fifteen miles on her
back”
The glare didn't let up until Sue
admitted “Alright... I did it”
“Susie!” Charlie exclaimed in
surprise.
“Well how was I suppose to know Jake
was actually going to get them running. I figured he'd start working
on them, find out it was harder then he thought and give up”
“Sue? You doubted my abilities”
Telling her son-in-law in all sincerity
“As a matter of fact, Yes, I did...” Sue shrugged “..but I
figured it best to at least let you try. Believe me...” Grasping
her hand to her chest “...No one was more shocked then me to find
out they actually worked.” She once again turned to her husband “So
what was I suppose to do?”
“What were you suppose to do?”
“Yeah...I mean...what would you have
had me do?”
“Anything...anything would have been
better then letting the two of them on those death traps.”
“But...” Sue sighed in defeat “Jake
put so much work into them, and all those trips we made to the junk
yard for parts. Scouring the place looking for this kind of ignition
and that kind muffler...” imploring her husband to understand “...I
had to let the kids ride em.”
“You know it was all your fault Charlie caught us that day Bella...if you would have listened to me when I said we had to leave. But noooo...somebody was too busy getting felt up.”
OK, that got my attention, along with every one else at the table.
“Wh..wh..wh” was all poor Charlie could get out while Emmett practically salivated “Now this is getting good, come on Leah, tell us some more”
Yeah, I wanted to hear this part of the story myself.
Avoiding my face Bella leaned forward to confront her sister “I was not!”
“Oh yes you were. I was there...I remember”
“Well you remember wrong”
“No I don't, we were all up by the cliff and it started raining really hard. I told you we had to go because Charlie was going to be coming soon and you and Jared were sucking face...”
Seth chimed in from the other end of the table “Bella you dated Jared too?”
“No!” the one word answer from Bella was over shadowed by Jacob's question “What do you mean too?”
“I heard he went out with Kim for a while and I know he hooked up with Claire”
“How do you know that?”
Shrugging at Jacob's question, Seth answered plainly “I went to Sam's one afternoon and walked in on them”
My brothers boisterous laughter rang out as he said “This is better then a soap opera”
That seemed to put a new perspective on things at least in Charlie's mind as he glared at Bella “I thought you never dated Jared”
“We didn't date...” her eyes shifted from me “...and I wasn't getting felt up” then settled on Leah as she declared “...we were talking”
“Yeah right...talking...his right hand was holding a conversation with your chest and his other one was communicating with your butt”
“That's not true...we were just talking”
“Well that's one heck of a trick since you were swallowing his tongue”
Bella gasped “I was not”
True to form, my girl was going to stick to her story until the bitter end, however the blush warming her face was not exactly conveying truthfulness. Which gave me something else to get out of her...later, when we were alone...hopefully in the playroom.
“You let that happen?” This time Charlie's accusing tone was turned on Jacob who held his hands up in surrender “I wasn't there that day”
“No you weren't” Leah assured him “Which is probably why Jared was brave enough to make his move and take Bella for a walk into the caverns.”
“What did yous do in the caverns...alone?”
Agitation clouded Bella's tone “We were walking and talking and looking at the cave drawings”
“Cave drawings? Good one little Bells”
The glare at Emmett didn't exactly gain the response Bella might have hoped for, instead of remaining quiet he only stirred the pot “You know Charlie I bet there are lots of things little Bella did, that you never knew about.”
“I'm beginning to wonder...” tilting his head he drew in a deep breath and spoke through a tight jaw “...like earlier today. I was on my way to the store when two motorcycles went past with someone on the back of one of them that bore a striking resemblance to my daughter. But that couldn't be the case because I was assured that she would never drive one of them again. So imagine my surprise when I pulled your car into the garage and there's the very same bike as the one I saw that girl on.” Seating back he folded his arms across his chest “Now isn't that a strange coincidence”
“Yeah... strange” glancing at me, her lips twitched in an effort not to laugh “I wonder who that could have been?”
She really is a horrible lair
I couldn't hold back the chuckle, however her father didn't find it funny “Isabella...you promised”
“I told you I'd never drive one, and technically I didn't...drive it... I was merely hanging on for the ride”
Ah...that's my queen of linguistics.
“Yeah you should have seen her earlier when she was hanging on the back while Mr Dare Devil here...” Emmett thumbed over his shoulder in my direction “...was popping wheelies”
Inclining himself over the table Charlie took on a stern expression “Do you know how many people I have personally scraped off the highway after they crashed one of those things”
Not sure if I was being asked or told, mom added her opinion “I know how you feel Charlie, Oh...” dramatically covering her heart “...it scares me to death, and Rosie is still riding...”
“In your condition?” Charlie questioned her sanity then Emmett's “What's the matter with you boy? Putting your pregnant wife on the back of one those death traps. You come see the pictures I have from accident scenes and you'll never get on one again”
“I'm not a fan of motorcycles either Charlie. Being an ER and Trauma doctor, I've seen my fair share of accident victims.”
As morbid as it was, the two of them started swapping stories until it turned into a lecture about the dangers of riding. It might have been my twenty eighth birthday yet there was still no choice but to listen to the ghastly lecture about road rash and splattered brain matter. The detailed description of a guy being decapitated was a bit graphic for casual table conversation. Wanting to get our fathers over their grisly bonding experience I gave the Chief something else to consider
“You know Charlie, as dangerous as a motorcycle could be, I would think you'd be more upset about Bella''s cliff diving expedition”
I could feel the heat of my girls stare burning into my face however it was her father's reaction I found the most fascinating. His eyes grew three times bigger while his mouth open and closed several time before any sound actually came out and when it did, damn that man was loud.
“When did you go Cliff Diving! Do you have some kind of a death wish? Or are you just trying to kill me?”
“Oh Charlie...” the nonchalance in Billy's voice had a calming effect on his friend “...every kid jumps off that cliff, its a right of passage” Winking at my girl “And I'd be willing to bet, at the time, Bella had a whole lot more clothes on then you did”
“Hey now!” Charlie's rebuttal was over shadowed by Bella's “Chief Swan! I'm shocked!”
The man's face was still beet red, however it was no longer anger and it just got redder when Bella laid on the mock indigence “You went naked cliff diving?”
Beside me my brother laughed “Now there's a T-shirt I'd like to have”
Jacob told him they sell them in the store on the Reservation while Bella wasn't finished with her father. Laying it on thick by grasping her forehead “Oh the shame...what would grandma Helen have said?” making me chuckle when she cross herself.
“Don't you be worrying about me, young lady”
It wasn't worry, it was humor at her fathers expense that kept Bella going, shaking her head and clicking her tongue until Charlie admitted “It was your mother's fault”
“You took my mother...Your brand new wife...”
“We weren't married yet”
Charlie's words confused Bella and as she sat up straighter the hold I had on her shoulder was released. Placing my hand on the small of her back, my thumb rubbed absently against her exposed bare skin while she wondered “But you and mom got married...like...right away...when would the two of you been able to...unless...”
Her father's eyes grew three times
their normal size and I could tell by the anxiety radiating off him
exactly where Bella got her inability to lie from. “It doesn't
matter”
“When did you...”
“It was the night they met”
“Susan!” the man practically
growled “Woman, I swear...”
While others chuckled at his reaction,
Sue flipped her hand in his direction “Oh Charlie what does it
matter. It was a long time ago and you were both so young...”
Beside me my brother chuckled “Did
you take her to see the cave drawings too Charlie?”
“As a matter of fact...I did” there
wasn't a hint of embarrassment on the mans face, in fact Charlie
looked rather...smug. Bella on the other hand seemed a bit shocked as
she questioned “my mother?”
“Well, how do you think you got here
dear?” Grans tone was silky sweet as she patted Bella's hand.
“Renee...” Sue interjected
reverently “...was like a breath of spring air. She just...had a
way of making everyone feel...warm and happy. That day her and her
friends arrived...” smiling fondly at the memory, Sue shook her
head and went on. “The three of them made quite an impression...but
Charlie only had eyes for Renee.”
“Love at first sight?” Rose
commented however Billy had a more pliable answer “It was more like
Lust”
“Hey now” Charlie's rebuttal was
interrupted by his friends laugh “Just telling it like it is Mr
Church Boy”
Avoiding Bella's face, Charlie zeroed
in on the person sitting next to her – my grandmother
“My mother was older when she had me.
In fact, after over thirty years of marriage without never having a
child, she had given up hope when the change of life set in. Little
did she know, that change was me. She often likened her situation to
Sarah...”
“From the bible” Gran surmised
“Yes. And she made it her life
ambition to raise me in the fear and admiration of the Lord. She made
sure everything I did was within a proper frame work. There were
church camps, church meetings, church socials...well you get the
idea. As I grew she thought it her duty to make sure I married a good
Christian girl and was always setting me up with the same one”
“Who?” Bella asked as if she had
never heard this story before. Then again she probably hadn't.
However Sue must have, because she answered. “Katherine Williams”
Smiling she told Bella “You would
know her as Kathy Kohn”
Both our heads turned to look into each
others eyes as we simultaneously stated our thoughts - Mine was
questioning “Karen Kohn?”
While Bella's “Victoria's mother”
was more analytical and even though we said a different name we were
still talking about the same person.
Our moment of clarity was broken by
Charlie's infallible “Yes. I didn't want to disobey my mother and
she wouldn't listen when I said how Kathy wasn't right for me.”
“You didn't get along?”
Shaking his head Charlie clarified
“No...that wasn't exactly it Carlisle...” wrinkling his brow
“There was something about her...I mean even as a young girl...I
just knew there were...” tapping his forehead “...a few bubbles
not popping right”
“So instead of fighting with grandma
Helen, you decided to run away and marry mom?”
Eying his daughter as if her words
offended him “No...of course not. Marriage is a big step, I might
have been impulsive but that doesn't mean it wasn't real.”
“Billy said it was lust...so you
married mom so you could...bed her”
“Huh!” he huffed “I didn't need
to marry her for that”
I could literally hear Bella's mouth
pop open and the anger exuding through her tone “Are you saying my
mother was a...”
“No...of course not. Sue said it
best...Renee was like a breath of spring air. Something new,
different, and sweet. And well...she was a city girl” saying
the last part as if his words should explain everything.
Unfortunately he was the only one who
understood because Bella wondered “City Girl? What is that suppose
to mean?”
Wrinkling his face, Charlie seemed to
think of the best way to explain before finally saying “City girls
have more...experiences”
I was too busy listening to Charlie's
brilliant explanation to see what Bella was doing, however it must
not have been anything good because the man raised his hands “Now
hold on there, before you go getting yourself in an uproar”
Glancing at Bella it was clear uproar
wasn't exactly what I would call it, my girl was fuming mad “Uproar!
You just insinuated that my mother was some sort of...” searching
for the right word she came up with a PG version “...easy lay.”
“Watch yourself! I never said that.
It's just that...well, you know yourself, when your from a small
town, everyone knows everyone else. From the time I started high
school my mother set her mind on one day me and Kathy getting
hitched. I knew that wasn't going to happen, but we were still always
thrown together I certainly wasn't about to do anything that would
give her the wrong idea. So although I wouldn't say I was a country
bumkin, I still wasn't prepared for meeting Renee. And well...that
girl...knew things...” Charlie's face turned bright red “...things
I had never...up to that point I was.”
Oh my god
I knew where this was going and so did
Bella as she begged under her breath “Dad please...please don't
say...”
To late – he said it “...pure.”
There were several different reactions
to Charlie's statement. My grandmother nodded in understanding, my
mother actually blushed while my father said something about it being
understandable, and while Bella dropped her head into her hands my
brother chuckled “She rocked your world uh chief?”
“Oh good god” Bella groaned.
“So how did you end up married? I
mean, just because you...” I could hear the smile in Emmett's tone
“...got the milk...”
As Emmett trailed off Charlie said “I'm
an honorable man, besides, I wasn't ready for Renee to leave.”
So basically what Charlie meant was he
busted a nut for the first time, saw fucking stars and wanted to
keep getting his dick wet. He wasn't willing to be with Kathy just
for purpose of getting off and had he started actively dating someone
else, his mother would have been very upset. Which left him with two
choices. go back to no pussy at all or keep the girl who 'rocked his
world'. And suffice to say, when push comes to shove, a young,
inexperience guy, will always think with his dick. I just didn't see
why they were in such a hurry to marry, at least not until Charlie
explained.
“So when her friends went on their
way, they took all their camping equipment them and Renee had no
place to stay. We came up with the idea that if we got married, then
we'd me able to live together. That night she stayed with Harry and
Sue, the next day, we got n the car and headed to Vegas. Had a few
day there, came home married and everyone was happy”
“Not everyone” Billy put in while
handing the jar of Lahb to Bella who silently thanked him before
taking a big gulp and Charlie agreed “No, not everyone”
“Your mother?” Mom guessed and
while Charlie nodded in agreement Sue added “Kathy wasn't exactly
thrilled either”
“No...she wasn't. While Kathy wasn't
exactly friendly to Renee, she at least was easy to avoid. Mother on
the other hand” looking grim “...she was a different story. My
mother was not only rude she was done right cruel to Renee. Always
harping about how she couldn't do anything right. Accused her of
seducing me with her sinfulness to lure me into marriage so Renee
could have a legitimate family.”
by how she tricked me into marring
her, and how she wasn't good enough. Mom actually went so far as to
accuse her of casting some kind of spell over me. She had the minster
come over to bless and purify the house in an attempt to ward off the
evilness. The whole town ostracized Renee, and because of some things
from her past she felt even more alone and self-esteem started
slipping. I asked mother to back off, but like Billy said earlier,
she really did treat Renee terribly. Part of that might have been her
disappointment, but most of it had to do with the dementia setting
in. Then once Bella was born, instead of being happy to be a grandma,
she just found more fault. I wondered if maybe mom was jealous of my
attentions to my wife. And unlike mom, Renee had no problems
conceiving. Since I was a new officer, the lowest man on the totem
pole, that meant long work hours with the worst shifts. So Renee was
home alone with mom.”
“Where was your father?”
Looking to gran Charlie answered “He
had passed from a heart attack when I was sixteen”
“So your mother lived with you?”
“Yes. She sold my childhood home, and
moved in with us. It seemed the perfect arrangement. Mom could no
longer be on her own and since Renee was there, she would be able to
help out. But it didn't work out. Having two women in the same house
is not an easy feat. Especially when one thinks she has the right to
undermine everything the other does. Renee was young and it didn't
matter if she was scrubbing the floor or painting the cabinets,
everything was criticized. If it wasn't a comment about using a mop
instead of getting down on her hands and knees it was nagging about
how bad the color choice was, or Renee's terrible cooking skills,
always one thing after another. I'd come home tired from long twelve
hour night shifts and have to deal with a judgmental mother and a
crying wife, It was all very stressful.”
“I can imagine” Gran sympathized
“Marriage is hard enough and since you barely knew each other you
had even more obstetrical to overcome. Add into the picture a
meddling parent...” shaking her head gran tisked “...the first
thing you learn in mother-in-law one-o-one is, unless someone is
getting hurt, you keep your mouth shut. Sometimes, even when you're
asked for an opinion, you don't say anything. You're daughter-in-law
wants to paint the bathroom black. You smile and say 'what an
interesting idea' and figure as long as your son can live with
it, then its none of your business”
“That's right” mom agreed “As
long as my son is happy, nothing else matters.”
“I was fortunate in that regard”
Sue added “Harry's mother was wonderful, helpful when needed, and
butted out when not. And of course Mrs Swan was already gone...”
“Renee practically begged me put mom
in a home...I just...I made a promise to my father and was going to
stick to it. In hind sight, I should have put my wife first, and
that's a mistake I will never make again.”
“Kathy was glad Renee left”
“OH My Lord...” Sue rolled her eyes
at Billy's statement “...that woman is something else.”
“She married Alfred?” Bella's words
sounded more like a question which she clarified “I mean Victoria
is a few months older then me sooooo...”
“So what.” Sue wasn't asking “It
certainly didn't concern Kathy that her and Alfred married that fall,
and she didn't care one iota about Vickie being born...” giving my
mother a conspiratorial smile “seven months later. Oh...” Sue's
eyes rose in mock understanding “Kathy swore she was born early.”
Clasping her hand to her chest, the cynicism was clear “Now I'm not
no doctor ...and stranger things have happened ...but I never heard
of a six week premee weighing nearly eight pounds”
The woman shared a knowing giggle and
Billy added “When Renee left, Kathy was at Charlie's door.”
“What did she want?”
Billy smiled at Seth “She was warm
for his form”
That brought out a round of chuckles
from everyone except Charlie who smugly leaned back in his chair
“Yeah...I'm a real ladies man.”
“It must be the uniform dad”
“You do look handsome all dressed up”
my sister commented from where she stood wiping down Mia's face.
“Why thank you Alice. But how would
know? Did I ever arrest you for something?”
“No...” Alice giggled then
stammered “well...ummm...”
While Alice was uncommonly stuck for
words Rose blurted “We checked you out on the internet.”
“It was really my fault Charlie”
Mom sounded apologetic “The first time I met Bella, it was so clear
to me how taken Edward was with her...” glancing at my girl, mom
smiled “...so naturally as his mother I wanted to know more about
her. Alice told me Bella grew up in Forks and that you were the
police chief.” shrugging nonchalantly “on a whim, I had Rose look
it up on the internet and ,..there you were”
“What my wife is so graciously trying
to say is...” dad's arm tighten across moms back “... she and the
girls were being a bunch nosy women”
His comment earned a swift jab in the
ribs from mom's elbow while she smiled warmly at Charlie “OK, I'm
willing to admit that maybe...” stretching out the word
“...we were just a tiny bit curious. But I must say, the Forks
Municipal Page has a rather flattering picture of you. All dressed
up, with your official hat on. No wonder that Kathy woman was so
intent on ...remaining your friend”
The words coming out more like
question rather then an actual statement, however as disconcerted as
mom sounded, Sue was all the more composed “OH...she wanted to
remain his friend alright.”
“She was also very married”
Addressing Bella's observation Sue
assured her “I told you...Kathy didn't care. The day after Renee
left with you for Phoenix...” stressing the point by repeating “The
Very Next Day...she shows up at your father's front door”
“What did she want?”
Sue's raised eyes brows should have
been enough to tell Bella the answer yet Charlie vocalized “Kathy
thought she could help me with my....grief. She brought Victoria with
her and sat next to my mother talking about how the house needed a
true woman's touch. The tow of them started making plans for
repainting, new curtains and all kinds of ridiculous things that at
the time just didn't concern me. I mean really...my wife had just
left me and taken my daughter away. Besides I didn't see what
business it was of Kathy's. It wasn't her house...she had her own
place, with a husband, a child and another baby on the way. I wasn't
interested in having her come around...”
“What did you say to her?”
Charlie narrowed his eyes at his
daughter “What do you think I said?”
While Bella remained quiet, Charlie
told her “I told her in no uncertain terms yet as gently as
possible that she needed to return to her own home and leave mine to
me. She wasn't too happy about my saying that it was my hope for my
wife to return. Kathy had a few unsavory comments about Renee that
unfortunately my mother only fed into. Well I wasn't going to stand
for any of that and asked her to leave. The next time Kathy showed
up...”
“Next time?”
At Bella's indignant tone, Sue
commented “Kathy was like a dog on the trail, always sniffing
around, looking for scraps”
“Yeah, it seemed like, there for a
while, every time I turned around, there she was. The next year when
mom passed, I'd come home to fine casseroles waiting for me on the
porch with little notes attached to them. Then she'd stop by a day or
two later in order to retreeve the dish. Whenever I'd stop by the
grocery store, there Kathy would be...wanting to help me. When new
packages of briefs showed up on the front seat of my
car...well...that was enough of that. I had a talk with Alfred
and...those kinds of things stopped for a while.” Charlie paused
yet it was clear the story hadn't reach it's conclusion, with a sigh
he went on “The next time she came around was after Renee's
accident. She was at my door real early...she offered to keep you
after school and on weekends while I worked. But she had three of her
own little ones and was expecting the forth. Besides I knew what
kinds of craziness went on in that house. So I told her as nicely as
I could, 'thanks but no thanks' I had already made arrangements with
Sue and Sarah. Kathy wasn't none to happy about that
either.” Saying the last part as if it were a piece of vital
information. “She huffed away, stomping her way down the steps and
towards the car, slamming the door...” shaking his head “...I
could see her yelling at the three little girls in the car and
glaring at me through the window...”
“Maybe that's why Vickie hates you
Bella”
It was truly the first words Tracy had
said during the whole meal. Yet for some reason it seemed to be the
most significant thing I heard all day.
“Vickie doesn't hate me...at least I
don't think she does” as Bella questioned her own words, she turned
to her sister “...does she?”
Leah shrugged “What do you care?
Besides even if she does, she still did you the biggest favor in the
world”
“What's that?”
“She was boinking your husband for
you” Leah's laughter did nothing to alleviate the tension her words
caused in me.
I hated the thought of James being with
Bella in any capacity, especially one where he was anywhere near or
inside of her body. He had no right to it and it pissed me off just
knowing that he had the ability to recall the glory of her charms.
The jealousy was irrationally sanctimonious on my part, especially
since my own past hadn't exactly been subdued. Let's face it, there
were enough women out there who have known the feel of my intimate
touch to fill a large classroom. That doesn't mean I want to be
reminded of Bella's previous liaisons. It was bad enough to hear
about innocent exploration with Jared, making out, and getting felt
up. The kind of activities Bella would deny having occurred until her
dying breath. Which made me all the more curious as to the truth. I
could even take mentioning James by name, it was expected to happen.
After all, for several years he was an intricate part of their lives
and because Forks is such a small town, no matter how much I may want
it to happen, his falling away into oblivion is an absurd notion.
In fact, maybe that could be my
birthday wish.
Yeah, right before blowing out the
candles I would wish for James to be a non-entity.
Perhaps it will work out in my favor
and I'll never again have to hear Leah or anyone else use a sentence
that contains the nouns Bella and James as the subjects centered
around the verb 'boinking,' ever again. My automatic response
was to say something, yet even though my mouth opened, I just
couldn't come up with a reply. Which irritated the crap out of me as
I felt the need to defend my girls honor along with my claim on her.
Bella's hand touching my own had a
calming effect which was made stronger when her fingers entwined with
mine and she gave a small squeeze while candidly saying “Someone
had to. Better her then me”
“He was unfaithful to you Bella?”
Dad's voice sounded as if it was a personal insult to him and while
Bella shrugged in response, Leah had a more tangible answer.
“Rumor has it, between the wedding
and the reception, Vickie Domed him in the bathroom”
“What!” Emmett was outraged and
even Jasper had an opinion “You got to be kidding me?” while gran
questioned “What's Domed?”
“I was wondering that myself” mom
muttered with a crinkled brow and Rose informed her “It's a hummer
Esme”
“Ah...that's what I thought” then
without missing a beat she cup her hand to the side of her mouth as
if to block the view from the kids at the end of the table, leaned as
far across the table towards my grandmother as possible and with the
most serious expression I had ever seen on my mother, whispered
“it's a blow job”
“Ohhhhh....” gran nodded in
understanding “...see, you learn something new everyday”
