Chapter 2

Edward's POV;

I walked away from the café hand in hand with my little girl. She had an ear-splitting grin on her face, and I'm pretty sure mine matched hers. I'd just met the most amazing woman. She was beautiful and she understood the commitment I had to Evie because she had her own child. Oliver. God but he was beautiful, just like his mother.

After Tanya left me and our daughter not even 3 days after she was born I vowed that the only girl I'd have space for in my heart was my baby girl. And for almost three years that's been the case. I'd dated don't get me wrong, and I was by no means a saint but I had never let any woman I'd been interested in meet my daughter.

Though to be fair to myself it's not like I went and found Bella with a date in mind. Evie literally ran into her. She was so gentle and kind. But so was Tanya in the beginning, before she left me and our new born daughter for James Flaherty.

I was attracted to Bella though. Maybe we could go on a few play dates with our children and be friends with benefits. Something with no commitment and physical relief. With a friendship so I could see her again. And again. And again.

"Daddy that lady was nice. And she had a baby. He was nice too." I chuckled and lifted my daughter into my arms before blowing raspberries onto her cheek.

I walked up the stairs to my parent's house carrying Evie, listening to her constant babbling about Bella and Oliver. It seemed that my daughter was smitten, which meant I couldn't be with her. Ever.

I sighed and opened the front door, calling to my parents. I found them in the kitchen; my Mum was cooking and my Dad was sat at the island. Evie ran to my father who threw her in the air and started tickling her causing her shrieks to fill the room. I chuckled and went to give my Mum a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug.

"You're late. What happened?" My Mum raised her eyebrow at me and I swallowed hard. Esme Cullen was the sweetest woman I knew, the only woman besides my daughter that I could ever love completely without doubt or fear. She was also terrifying when she wanted to be. I saw my Dad raise his head from blowing raspberries on Evies belly to watch the scene unfold. He was always so smug when it wasn't him on the receiving end of my Mums bitch brow.

"We cut through the park to get here and little Miss Evie bumped into a lady with a pram, so we stopped and apologised. And I may have taken her for a coffee afterwards to show her how sorry we were." My Mum's mouth dropped open and I felt my Dad's eyes on me.

"What's she like? Is she pretty? Was the baby hers? Was it a girl or a boy? How old was she? How old was the baby? Was she good with Evie?" I held up my hand to halt the questioning and turned to my father with exasperation and a look that clearly begged him to rein my mother in. He just looked at me with amusement and turned to Evie.

"Did you meet a lady today Evie?" I rolled my eyes as she nodded her head. Using the child? Really? My parents were unbelievable.

"What was she like baby?" My mother went to sit next to them and smiled encouragingly at my daughter. Like she needed any encouragement to chatter on. I needed to stop this, and fast.

"She was real pretty Nana. She had long hair like mine and big eyes and a baby! He was so nice, I want one Pops!" I rolled my eyes at my daughter and added a baby doll to my mental list of birthday presents for her.

"Really? Was she nice to you?" Evie nodded again and smiled. "I liked her Nana."

I remember when Evie first started talking, I was so proud of how quickly she picked up new words and how perfectly she pronounced them. How stupid of me.

"Okay, okay, enough about Bella!" Oh crap. My parents shared a look.

"Bella huh? That's a pretty name." Damn it. I was worse than Evie.

"Is anyone else coming today?" My Mum rolled her eyes but let the less than subtle topic change go.

"No, it's just us today. We'll see everyone else on Sunday for dinner."

We busied ourselves with small talk until dinner was ready and thankfully Bella wasn't mentioned again, though my parents kept sharing looks and then looking at me. They were convinced I needed someone to help me raise Evie, that she needed a mother figure. I was convinced that I was all that Evie needed.

I had been the one to get up in the night with her and I had changed every dirty nappy she ever had. I had been there when she'd had fevers and tantrums. I had potty trained her and taught her how to talk. I had witnessed her first steps.

I was all she needed then and I'd continue to be all she needed forever.

When Evies eyes started to close I decided it was time to go. I lifted her into my arms and said goodbye to my parents before starting the walk home. It wasn't far, maybe 15 minutes and it would give me time to figure out what I would text to Bella.

I knew I could never be serious with her because I would never commit to another woman and allow my child to get hurt. But she was nice and I wanted to get to know her. She had this quality about her that was drawing me in, slowly but surely.

In what felt like no time at all I had reached my little cottage and unlocked the door. I carried Evie up to her room, where I lay her in her crib before quickly changing her into a cute pink onesie and turning on her princess night light.

I kissed her forehead and whispered goodnight before making my way into the kitchen and getting myself a beer. I settled onto a sofa in my living room and started typing out a text to Bella.

Hey, it's Edward, the guy from earlier today. I just thought I'd text you and see what you were doing.

I sent the message with bated breath and hoped it sounded as casual as I was aiming for. My phone beeped to alert me to the fact that I had a message.

Hi Edward. I've just finished eating a late dinner with my sister and I'm just lounging about in my pj's. What about you? How was your day with your parents?

I quickly banished a mental image of Bella in a tight tank top and tiny shorts before reading the second half of the message.

It was great. Evie couldn't stop talking about you. It was cute.

I leaned back and waited for her reply.

Aw really? That's adorable. I thought about her too. She was so intrigued with Oliver. Maybe we could meet up again, sometime soon.

I waited to reply for a few minutes so I didn't seem too eager while rolling my eyes at myself and my juvenile actions. I was being an idiot.

Sounds good.

Good was way too tame of a word to describe how it sounded. It sounded amazing, wonderful, incredible, remarkable and every other extraordinary adjective that could be found in any dictionary anywhere.

If I wasn't a single father with a closed off heart I would be planning on how I would romance Bella. I would show her how attractive she was and I would allow myself to commit to her.

Too bad that I was a single father with a closed off heart and commitment issues, huh.