As always I want to thank my Beta, Yuki Sakura-Chan! She is amazing!
Disclamier: I don't anything! I'm just playing in Stephenie Meyers sandbox for awhile!
"Isabella," my pa bellowed as he stomped up onto the porch.
"Yeah, Pa?" I asked as I wiped my hands onto a dish rag. I was in the middle of shelling peas for supper.
"I have a list of things that you need to go into town to get."
I made my way into the living room, to find him bent over mama's old desk scratching on scrap of paper with a pencil.
"I'm in the middle of making supper," I pointed out softly. Pa hated when someone questioned him, but if he wanted to eat at a normal hour, then I had to finish up the peas and get the slab of ham in the broiler.
"Isabella," he sighed heavily. "Do you think I don't know that you are cookin'? But we are out of shotgun shells and it's something that can't wait until the next trip in. I noticed coyote tracks out by the pig pen and we can't afford to lose one hog to those dogs. We need every single slab of meat to make it through winter."
"Of course, Pa. I didn't mean to question you."
"I know that, child. Supper's important but having food for winter is more important then that. Abby is getting old enough to pick up some slack in the kitchen area, set her down with the peas and I'm sure she'll have em' shelled for you by the time you get home," he said turning back to the door.
"I'm gonna send Benjamin along with you. I worry about you being out on that road alone, with the Cullen boys back in town."
The Cullen Brothers had been unusually quiet the last few months, no sightings at the Hayseed Saloon or robberies that I know of. The woman folk tended to gossip a bit after church, talking about things that they had heard their husbands speak of. But the talk of the Cullen's had been scarce until recently. They had blown back into town a few weeks ago, bringing hell and gossip with them.
It was said that Emmett had went onto Vancouver to get a wife, no one had seen her yet, but I already felt bad for the poor girl, she had no idea what waited her back in Cullen Gulch. I had never seen their house with my own eyes but I heard that since their Pa and Ma both passed on, it looked like nothing but a run down shack.
"I'll get Abby set up in the kitchen and I'll be right out."
Once I had Abby set at the table with the peapods I hurried the ham into the broiler before grabbing my old blue shawl from my room and bustin' tail out to the wagon that Pa and Ben had hitched up to our old paint horse, Toby.
"I got her all hitched up for us, sis," Ben said as he helped me up onto the seat.
"Thanks, Benny," I said calling him his childhood nickname.
"Bella," He whined. "I'm not a baby anymore, I'm taller then you are. You have to stop calling me Benny."
"You may be gettin' bigger now, but you'll always be my Benny," I said reaching my hand out to ruffle his hair.
"Yeah, yeah," he said with a slight blush on his cheeks. The one thing about losing mama at such a young age, was that Ben and I had a extremely close relationship. I'm not only his sister and his best friend, I'm sorta like his ma. I took care of him, cleaned up his messes, nursed him back to health when he was ill, and stitched up his britches when they need a mending.
Without anything said between us, we set out onto the packed dirt road that led into Forks. No one really lived in town, most everyone had ranches or farms that bordered the city limits. We lived about five miles outside of town. I wrapped Toby's lead rope around my leather gloved hands and nickered until he was clopping away from our farm.
It was a quiet ride, Benny sat next to me whittling away on a piece of wood. He was always carving something and I have to say that he is getting mighty good at making things. Just last month he whittled a small doll for Abby. After he was done with the tiny figure, I took to gluing yellow yarn to it's head and small buttons on its face. Abby loved it, took it about everywhere with her.
"What'ca making?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the road ahead of us.
"Not sure yet. Thinkin' I might make pa an ashtray for the porch."
"He'll like that," I said with a nod. We didn't have much money, so we had gotten creative in making gifts.
"What'ca gonna get pa for his birthday?" he asked after a moment.
Pa's birthday had almost slipped my mind. He didn't like being fussed over much, but we always tried to make sure that he had something nice for his day.
"I have some flannel left over from making the curtains in the kitchen, I think I may just have enough to make him a new shirt," I said thinking about the left over flannel, if I made just the right cuts, I should be able to make him a fine shirt.
"Yeah, he is need of a new Sunday shirt. That's good idea, sis."
"Plus, I have been saying a little cornmeal aside to make him a nice corn cake with honey drizzled on top." I was proud of myself for havin' the forethought to do that. Pa loved corn cake, so I knew that he would be pleased that I managed to save some for his birthday.
"Mmm, now that sounds mighty fine."
Ben also loved corn cake.
Before I knew it we were crossing the creek that ran on the outskirts of town. One more turn and we would be right on main street. Main street housed just about everything you needed. Old man cope's general mercantile was first in the line up, with the bank right across the way. Next to him was the town doctor, Lonny Jessup, and across the way from his place was the post office. It was only open three days out of the week, we shared a postal clerk with the small community of La Push. So the clerk spent half his time there and the other half here.
Down a ways from the businesses was the Hayseed Saloon. It sat at the deserted end of the street. It wasn't always that way, there use to be more places down there, but once the saloon opened and the Cullen Brothers were in there all the time makin' ruckus. Well the other businesses found it in their best interests to close up. Too many break ins and damage done to the buildings. Plus most respectable people wouldn't be caught dead near the saloon.
I pulled up the wagon right next to Old man Cope's place, Ben jumped out right quick to get Toby hitched up to the post out front.
"You need my help?" he asked as he leant me a hand while I was climbing out of the wagon seat. I was thankful for his assistance. I was known for my less then graceful exits and I didn't care to have to patch up my dress or my head when I got home.
"I can handle the list," I said waving it at him. "Why don't you go check the post, I'm sure we ain't got nothing but might as well look since we're in town." I said to Ben as I straightened the skirt on my old work dress. It wasn't anything pretty, made from old flour bags. But it held up well for hard work.
"Sure thing, sis." Ben loped off across the street, looking quickly in the direction of the saloon. The men folk were always on lookout for the Cullen's or one of their posse. And Posse they did have. On top of the four of them, they ran with the Crowley brothers, Tye and Sam. They weren't any big time criminals or anything, they even came from a decent family. But it's been said that the drink and the gambling grasped their souls tightly and once that happens a man is sure ruined for anything else.
Eric Yorkie was also apart of their little clan, he wasn't much of a man standing at barely five and a half feet tall. His hair was as black as a raven's wing and he had a set of beady black eyes at were always squintin', like he was constantly staring in the sun. He was more talk then anything else, it has been said that most confrontations started with Eric shooting his mouth off and causing ruckus.
The last member of their group was an injun by the name of Jacob Black. He stood tall, taller then any of the others. Not only was he tall, he was also very built. His chest and arms measured at least three of Eric Yorkies. His black hair was always pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He had wide dark eyes that always held a glint of something, most people say that it's a glint of death. But I've never been close enough to him to see it for myself and I hope that I never am.
I shook those thoughts from my head and made my way into the store.
"Good day, Miss Swan. What you need today?" Old man Cope said from behind the counter. His salt and pepper hair sticking up all over his shiny head.
"Hello, Mr. Cope. Pa sent me with a list," I held out the thin piece of parchment.
"Let me get it all rounded up for you then," his rounded body came from around the counter to get my list.
While he set off to round everything up, I wandered to the back of the store to look at what fabric he had in now. Most everything was the same old flannels and plain cotton cloth, but on the top shelf sat the prettiest sapphire blue satin that I had ever seen.
"Is this new?" I called out fingering the fabric. I heard the front door bell jingle then. I craned my neck to see if it was Ben but I couldn't see no one.
"The blue one?" his muffled voice said from a few rows over.
"Ya."
"Just got it in last week."
"It sure is nice," I said wistfully. I had no such need for such fancy fabric, not even in dress form. There would be no where to wear such a thing. But I couldn't help myself from asking about it. "How much are you asking for it?"
"Seven cents a yard," he said closer to me now. He stepped out from around the coroner. I dropped my hand from touching the fabric. "I know that this a lot but it is top quality."
"It sure is nice. But too nice for me," I said with a sad chuckle. There was no way I could ever save up enough money to buy enough fabric to make a whole dress for me. Maybe if I got lucky I could in time get enough to make a nice Sunday shawl.
"Yeah, I don't see it selling right quick. Did you hear the bell jingle?" he asked poking his head down another aisle.
"Yeah, I did."
"Hello," Old man Cope called out. "I'll be right with you."
"No need," a mans voice called out from the front of the store. "You ain't got what I was lookin' for."
And before Mr. Cope could say anything else the door jingled out the man's departure.
"Oh well," he said with a shake of his head. "I've got all your things rounded up."
I followed him to the front of the store. I watched quietly as he packed everything up into the basket I had brought in with me. "That's everything. I'll put it all on your Pa's credit."
"Thanks," I said with a sweet smile. "I'll see you next time."
"Tell your Pa I said hello," he called out after me. I nodded my head as I stepped out the door and ran right into a hard body. I dropped my freshly packed basket onto the wooden planks that made up the walkway in front of the store.
"I'm so sorry," I rushed out as I dropped to my knees to pack everything up.
"I should be the one apologizin'," a warm male voice said as the body lowered itself down to help me. "I shouldn't of been standin' in a doorway like that."
"No, I should have been watchin' where I was going instead of daydreamin'," I said not looking up. I didn't want to further my embarrassment by seeing who I ran into.
"You're Isabella Swan, right?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," I said looking up finally only to be met with a pair of intense green eyes and a Cullen brother. Edward to be exact.
The smile dropped from my face. He must have noticed because his eyes hardened for second before a carefree smile blessed his face. It happened so fast I almost thought I had imagined that look.
"I've got this," I said firmly, picking up the last of the things and stuffing them into the basket, not really caring how they went in. I stood up abruptly causing me to teeter on my feet for a second. He reached his hands out, like he was gonna help steady me, but I shot him a sharp look.
"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Cullen," I said before turning sharply on my heel and heading for our wagon.
"Miss Swan," he called out loudly. I really wished that he would keep his voice down, I didn't need it getting' out that I was talkin' to a Cullen. I hurried up my steps. I saw that Ben was leaned up against the wagon, looking in the other direction though.
"Miss Swan," his voice was closer now and I knew that the only way I was gonna get away from him was to run, but that would only draw more attention and guns. So I stopped abruptly and whirled around to see what he wanted. He was closer then I had expected, I almost bumped right into his chest again.
"What?" I asked sharply, taking a few steps back. I noticed then that he still had the same crooked smile plastered on his face, he seemed to be enjoying this.
"You dropped these," he said showing me the box of shotgun shells that Pa had requested. He would have been beyond mad if I had returned without them.
"I.." I said trailing off, I wasn't sure what to say to him. I was also a little confused why he didn't keep them. I mean he is after all a Cullen.
"You?" he said with an amused expression on his face.
I looked back at Ben again, but he still wasn't paying me any mind. What a great protection he was. I turned back to Edward just in time for him to notice Ben, a queer expression crossed his face for a moment.
"I thank you for your kindness, Mr. Cullen," I reached my hand out to grab the box of shells from him. He released them to me right quick.
He didn't say anything in regard to my appreciation, he just stood there with a slightly saddened look on his face. I shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for him to say something. But after another minute it didn't seem like he was going to.
"Well, good day," I said preparing to leave.
"Is that your intended," he blurted out before I could go.
"Huh?" I asked stupidly.
"Is that your fella'," he said nodding towards Ben. Who now noticed me and who I was talking to.
"Ben?" I asked in surprise.
"Is that his name?" his eyes narrowed for a second in Ben's direction.
"He's my brother," I said in confusion. I wasn't quite sure why he was even asking. Not only was it silly but it was also really personal. I couldn't even see why he would care.
He's face relaxed once he heard who Ben really was.
"Your brother?" He asked cocking his head to the side, giving me a small smile. I couldn't understand why his smile gave me a sudden rush of something in my belly. It wasn't' nerves, more like I had a fleet of butterflies in there. It was unsettling.
"Bella," my brother called out walking in our direction. His tone was one of warning, not for me but for Edward.
"He's gotten big," Edward said, ignoring my advancing kin.
"He's almost Fourteen."
"It's been awhile since I've seen any of y'all," he admitted looking at me again and I mean really lookin'.
"Well it's a busy time of year with harvest," I mumbled not quite sure why I was still talking to him.
"Bella, is everything alright here?" Ben asked taking up the spot next to me. I felt his hand reach out and pull me behind him a little.
Oh sure now you're worried.
"Everything is fine here, Benny. Mr. Cullen here just helped me pick up my basket when I dropped it," I fibbed a little.
"Always the clumsy one, Bella," Ben said with forced amusement. I knew that he was on high alert with a Cullen standing right there.
"It was my fault," Edward spoke up. "I bumped into her on accident."
"Well thank you for your kindness to my sister, but we really need to get a move on," Ben said, turning to lead me back to the wagon. But for some reason I couldn't' take my eyes off of the green eyed man that was still staring at me.
"Of course," Edward said. "It was my pleasure."
When Ben's back turned, Edward shot a wink in my direction. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. I have never!
"See ya around, Bella," he called out as Ben helped me up into the drivers seat. Instead on acknowledging him, I kept my back to him, just raised my hand up in a quick wave. It peeved me that he addressed me with such casualness. It wasn't proper. But on top of annoying me, it sent my belly into a thither again. What the heck?
But I did sneak one last peek back at him before we turned off of the main road. He was still standing in the middle of the road watching us, with that crooked grin plastered on his face.
That crooked grin would haunt me for days.
As always let me know what you think!