Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. This story however, is mine, and all similarities to real persons are just that, similarities. Please feel free to review or not, I just love reading and writing. Hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Thank you to SilverAnemone13 and Lezlee at PTB for helping to beta this chapter!

Lyrics are from "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams, "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar.


Chapter Two

Your cheatin' heart will make you weep

You'll cry and cry and try to sleep

But sleep won't come the whole night through

Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

When tears come down like falling rain…

Bella's friend, and sometimes bartender, Jake's cousin Sam sat at the end of the shiny mahogany bar, big crocodile tears falling into his empty whiskey glass while belting out a terrible rendition of Hank Williams' Your Cheatin' Heart for the whole world to hear.

"Make it stop, make it stop!"

"Make what stop, Bells?"

Finally! Jake could get Sam out of her bar and make sure he got home safely better than she could.

"Thank fuck you're here, Jake. Get your damn cousin out of my bar and get some coffee in him, would you?" Bella whipped around to place a bottle of tequila she was pouring back on the shelf. "If I have to hear him wailing to Hank again, I swear I'm going to carve my veins out with a spoon."

Motioning to Edward to have a seat while Jake handled his cousin's broken heart, he put a hand to Sam's shoulder and bent down to whisper in his ear.

Seeing movement outside her direct line of vision, Bella immediately launched into her usual greeting of "Welcome to the Swan Dive, what can I get…"

The sea green of Edward's eyes caught the cocoa depths of hers, and with his trademark smirk left over from his Anthony Masen days, answered "Beer, please" before she could finish.

"Draft or bottle?" she asked.

"Draft. Heineken if you have it."

He was obviously a city boy, based on his choice of beer. Rolling her eyes, she leaned against the back counter and crossed her arms across her chest as she addressed him.

"Look buddy; we have peanut shells on the floor, country, southern rock and oldies on the jukebox, and ancient neon signs on the wall." Bella leaned back against the back liquor shelf, her arms and legs crossed antagonistically. "Your choices are Bud, Coors, or Miller. If a hipster-type like you prefers, we even have light versions to help you maintain that girlish figure, or hard liquor if you're so inclined. Heineken is not an option."

He rose his eyebrows, realizing he'd inadvertently insulted the bartender. Used to getting what he wanted, he realized that he'd just have to settle for what the bar had, and not what he wanted for a change. Edward indicated the Budweiser as his choice; he picked up the pilsner glass placed on the bar in front of him and turned on his stool to witness Jake throwing his cousin's arm across his shoulder and hauling the drunken man towards the door.

"Hey, Edward," said Jake. "Think you can hang out here while I get Sam home? I should only be gone for about thirty minutes or so; Bells here can take care of you while I'm gone."

"Sure. No problem, man."

Jake looked back over his shoulder and called towards Bella.

"Bells! Keep Edward company while I get Sam home. I'll be back and take over for you in a bit."

"Sure thing, Jake, no problem."

While Jake left with Sam draped across his shoulders, Bella eyed Jake's new friend from the other side of the bar.

"So Edward, how do you know Jake? I've never seen you before, and I know everyone he knows, so…"

Hesitantly, Edward told Bella his story between her serving other customers in the bar, minus any mention of him being a Grammy-winning, world renowned musician. He did however tell her about how he had been wandering from place to place, picking up work on occasion.

"… then Jake stopped and picked me up, and here I am," he finished.

Jake stopped behind Edward on his way back into the bar, and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Edward here's a musician, Bells. You've been looking for some live entertainment for the bar and Edward's looking for a gig. Match made in heaven if I do say so myself." Jake blew on his curled fingers and rubbed them across his t-shirt.

Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she glared at Jake not noticing the blush creeping up Edward's neck.

"Just because he waltz's in here carrying a guitar doesn't make him a musician, Jake. For all you know he's a pan-handler who sits on a street corner, plunking out the three same chords over and over for change."

"I play and sing a little," Edward piped up. "I just haven't had to in a while, so I'm a bit rusty."

"Show me what you got, Stranger," she said, pointing to a lonely microphone and stool on a makeshift stage in the corner.

Edward removed his battered and scarred acoustic guitar from its case and, slipping the strap over his head, had a seat behind the mic.

Strumming a few lazy chords across the strings, he looked across the busy bar, asking through the mic. "Country and southern rock, huh? Let's see what happens shall we?"

Edward decided he'd test himself, choosing a song that was a little out of the norm for him.

Wait, I'm wrong

Should have done better than this

Please, I'll be strong

I'm finding it hard to resist

So show me what I'm looking for

His voice rang clear and strong through the bar, the buzz of the other patrons fading to the background.

Save me, I'm lost

Oh, Lord, I've been waiting for you

I'll pay any cost

Save me from being confused

Show me what I'm looking for

Show me what I'm looking for… oh Lord

Placing both hands on the bar, Bella leaned forward, listening intently to this lonely man asking for salvation from what, she didn't know. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she continued examining the way his dark lashes lay against his pale cheek as he continued to pour his heart out on her tiny stage.

At the end of Edward's song the bar was eerily quiet, the patrons of the bar just sat and stood in silence until Jake started whooping and hollering. The others joined in, begging for Edward to continue singing.

He glanced towards Bella, looking for a sign that he hadn't completely messed up by choosing a song that some would have considered depressing, but that he felt was becoming his new anthem. She nodded, indicating he had done well, and motioned with her hand to continue.

Quickly, Edward launched into another song. His next choice was much livelier, encouraging people to get up and dance and drink.

Realizing this stranger could be just what she needed to keep her patrons coming back and getting new business in the door, Bella turned to Jake, who had joined her behind the bar.

"Jake, tell him he's hired."