Author's Note: I don't own anything.

Thanks for the constant feedback! You're all the best. And I'm sorry for the end of this chapter!

Going to work the next morning was almost as exhilarating as the rides at the fair last night. I was uneasy when I arrived and Bella wasn't there to greet me. Not that I thought she should, but it was odd that the morning after our date was the first morning since I'd been hired that she wasn't coming out to say hello. I felt like it'd sound too desperate to ask Charlie.

Ugh. Without my morning dose of Bella, I was struggling to find any joy in my work. My mind kept drifting back to her and it took me longer than usual to tend to the animals on the farm. I found myself checking my watch more often, but the minutes were dragging by.

"Edward! You gotta second, boy?!" Charlie hollered across the field.

"Sure!" I called back, jogging over to him.

"I need you to run some errands around town. My damn truck won't start and I ain't got time to look at it till later. Could you run to the farmer's market and the Lowe's on down the road?"

"Yes sir, you gotta list?" He nodded, motioning for me to follow him inside. While Charlie was listing the things I needed to buy and the other errands that needed to be ran, I tried to be casual and glance around for Bella.

"She ain't here. She wasn't even here for coffee this mornin'." He didn't offer any more information and his response left more questions than answers.

Bella missed coffee with Charlie? What was so important that? What if she was avoiding me?

"Alright, here ya go. Run these for me, then ya're free to go."

It was a short list of chores, which meant my work day would end pretty early. That's almost always good news. But not when I'm trying to catch a glimpse of Bella! If she was ignoring me that was a definite sign she wasn't interested. It could be a coincidence. Maybe she really was busy this morning.

Busy this morning, even earlier than her date with Charlie. Which started sometime before five a.m.. Before anything opens.

You could call her.

The voice in my head-that had yet to identify itself as good or evil- whispered.

If I called her she could take it as me being obsessive. But it could also be a sign of interest. And I am interested. But it's been less than twelve hours since I dropped her off. Maybe that does seem obsessive. While I was bouncing the idea of a creeped-out-Bella and a flirty-Bella back and forth in my head, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi, Edward?" Bella's voice shocked the hell out of me. I straightened up in my driver's seat.

"Hi, Bella. How are ya doin' this mornin'?" My attempt at sounding casual probably just sounded pathetic.

"Actually, that's why I'm callin'. I feel bad that I wasn't there to see you today. But, well, I woke up to dozens of phone calls from my friend, Rose, before the sun was even up this mornin'. She needed me."

"No, it's not a big deal, darlin'. I figured you were just busy." My nonchalance was definitely forced. "But you must be exhausted. I didn't get you home till midnight last night! Have you had time to nap or get coffee?"

"I wish," she sighed, "I'm probably not gonna be able to leave Rose's for another hour or so, till her husband gets home. By then it'll be too late to nap. My bed is callin' my name."

"I'm out runnin' errands for your dad right now. If you call me before you head home I could take you out to coffee and a bite to eat. I mean, if you want to." I bet that came off as way too desperate.

"That sounds great. Especially after the day I've had."

"Okay, beautiful, call me when you leave. See you soon."

"Bye, Edward."

It was crazy how a cell phone conversation less than five minutes long caused my day to flip on its side. And now I had a date with Bella to look forward to!

Was dinner and coffee a date?

To hell with it, it would be today.

Bella has to be interested in me. She wouldn't have called me if she wasn't. She wouldn't have agreed to dinner and coffee, either. Maybe I should come right out and ask her. We've only been on one date, but that was after five unofficial lunch dates during the work week! I could just casually ask if we were exclusively seeing one another. It might be too soon to bust out declaring that I want to be her boyfriend. Or, ya know, that I'd probably propose to her right now if I thought it wouldn't send her running for the hills.

Knowing I had seeing Bella to look forward to made running errands less frustrating. I didn't mind the wait in the line at the farmer's market. The train running through town wasn't as inconvenient as trains usually felt. Small town small talk from nearly everyone I ran into was endearing, rather than mind-numbingly boring. I was loading the last pack of mulch into my tailgate when my phone rang again.

In my haste to answer Bella's call, I almost dropped the twenty-pound pouch on myself. I had to take some steadying breaths, so I didn't sound like I'd run a marathon when I answered.

"Hello?"

"Edward! I'm heading off from Rose's. Are we still on for dinner and coffee?"

"Of course, I've got to run to the farm first, but I can meet you somewhere in town."

"Would it be okay if we had dinner and coffee at the house, instead of going out? I'm kinda sleepy and nothin' sounds more appealing than my sweatpants."

"Whatever you'd like, sweetheart. We can meet there."

I could hear the relief in her voice when we said bye. The idea of Bella in sweatpants was amazing. There's nothing more attractive than a woman being so comfortable with herself that she's willing to just be herself. No makeup or fancy clothes necessary.

I found myself hoping that Charlie would be gone when I got back to the farm, or at least that he'd give Bella and I some time to ourselves once we got there. Thinking about a second date with Bella was not as exciting when Charlie was present in my imagination.

I parked my truck near the back of the farm and began to unload the tailgate into the garage. Stocking was a pain knowing Bella would arrive any second. I'd hoped to be finished before she got here with enough time to clean up a little before dinner. No one liked dinner with a sweaty redneck.

"Edward, my boy, my buddy is comin' over to help jump my truck, then I'm goin' to his mechanic shop, so he can get it in workin' order. If I ain't back by the time you leave, lock the front door for me, will ya? There's been some shady boys loafin' around these parts lately."

"Yes, sir. Actually, Bella is on her way home now. I think we're gonna be havin' dinner here tonight."

"You talked to 'er? I've been worried. It ain't like her to disappear."

"She called me a while ago. She said she was at Rose's?"

"Rose? Oh no, she's a sweet girl, but life ain't givin' her a break. Damn. I'll have to ask Bells about her tomorrow." There wasn't much left to say about that. Charlie and I left things amicably and minutes later Bella pulled in the drive.

She looked exhausted, beautiful but so tired. Even the little smile she gave me screamed a need for sleep.

"Hey, pretty girl. Everything okay?"

"It will be, but I'd rather not think about that. Can we go inside? I'm starved and I need caffeine."

"Of course, c'mon. Sit in the kitchen and I'll grab ya somethin' to eat, just tell me where everythin' is and I'll feed you."

"Thank you, baby. Give me a minute and I'll be right back. I'm gonna go change." I thrilled from head to toe hearing her call me by a term of endearment. She changed quicker than any female I've ever met and was back in less than a minute. I pulled out a chair at the kitchen island counter for her and turned to her cupboards. A couple of failed searches and Bella giggling quietly behind me and finally, I'd whipped up some breakfast for dinner. Cooking wasn't an expertise of mine, but every man that lives alone has mastered breakfast. It's in the handbook for Single Males Unlikely to Marry.

We ate in relative silence until Bella peaked at me from over her plate and uttered the words that struck fear in the heart of every living human.

"Um, Edward. Can we talk?"