AN Big thanks, as always, to my awesome beta Robzbeanie – she is wonderful – and to my also awesome prereader CShepherd91. S. Meyer owns Twilight. I only wish I did. =D

The Ranch

Chapter 7

Jasper and I pulled up to the house just as the sun was beginning to dip below the valley wall. We had worked quickly to repair the last of the fence, making small talk with one another. We talked movies, music, sports – lighter stuff.

Heading up to the house you could smell the fire pit blazing. Smoke billowed up into the sky in a swirly zigzag pattern with the light breeze. Laughter and chatter filled the air, and it sounded like someone was strumming a guitar.

As we rounded the house, we were greeted with "heys" from Quil and Sam, who were hanging out away from the rest of the group. Everyone was either sitting around the campfire or around the two giant picnic tables that were pulled up just off to the left of the fire. I was right about the guitar – Embry was sitting on a log casually plucking at the strings.

Bella got up from her spot next to Jake and made her way over to me and Jasper. "You guys hungry?" she asked. She seemed relaxed, happy. The fire had turned her cheeks bright pink. "We're having foil packs!" she announced with a big grin directed at Jasper.

"Bella, baby – you read my mind," Jasper chuckled, as he headed towards the various bowls filled with ingredients spread out on the furthest picnic table.

"What's a foil pack?" I asked.

"It's amazing. Come on, I'll show you," Bella said as she grabbed me by the wrist. Her fingers felt soft and delicate on my skin, her hands warm from the fire.

Spread out on the picnic table was an entire assortment of food – bowls filled with chicken, ground beef and ham, chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes, thinly sliced carrots and potatoes. Large pre-cut sheets of tinfoil were stacked on the end of the table next to a bowl of butter complete with a basting brush. I had no clue what to do with all of it.

"So – here's what ya do," Bella said, grabbing us each a sheet of foil. She spread her sheet with butter and handed me the brush to do the same.

"Now you fill 'er up with whatever you want. Don't be a pig though – fill it too full and it won't seal to cook. You can make more," she teased.

I nodded at Bella and filled my foil sheet with an assortment of meat and veggies, following along behind her. She stopped short at the seasonings, and even though I could have avoided it, I purposely bumped right into her back.

"Watch it!" she squeaked as she stumbled forward half a step. The grin on her face told me she wasn't nearly as ticked off with me as she was during the salad incident.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," I said back in a serious voice. I purposely closed in on her, right in her personal space, and stood close against her back.

"You're an idiot," she laughed. "Now get away from me and I'll show you how to cook that thing."

As Bella set to work folding our packets up into neat little parcels, my mind wandered away and I took a closer look at everyone gathered around. Emmett and Rosalie were huddled close together, knees touching, his arm around her shoulders, a blanket over both of them. Jake was staring at something in the fire and cracking his knuckles. Sam and Quil had gathered closer, and Jasper was poking at something on the edge of the fire pit – I assumed it was his dinner. Embry had abandoned his guitar, and instead was loading a long metal stick with marshmallows. Charlie was nowhere to be seen.

"Earth to Edward!" Bella said as she poked me in the ribs. "You didn't catch how to do any of that, did you? You're so on your own next time," she joked.

"Oh sorry, thanks," I mumbled. "What do we do now?"

"We stick 'em in the fire – close to the coals and away from any flames."

"Alright. Come sit with me?" I asked, grabbing my perfectly folded packet off the table. I was hoping to find out some more about her. She was hot, witty – I wanted more time with her.

"Um, I can't. I'd better go sit with Jake," she said hesitantly, "but tomorrow you're grooming with me, right?"

"I don't know, am I?" I asked. I was disappointed, but if I got some real one on one time, that would be even better.

"Check your schedule, bonehead," she teased. "Yes, you're with me. You ever been around horses before?" she asked as we made our way over to the fire pit.

"No, never," I replied. Truthfully, they always kind of intimidated me. I'd never had the opportunity, nor did I want it. I never understood how people could trust a giant animal like that, or figure out what it was thinking.

"Well, tomorrow will be fun then. We'll catch up later, 'kay?" She smiled at me, and made her way around the large fire pit.

I tossed my packet into the coals and plopped down on a log next to Jasper. Across the fire Jake had shrugged his jacket off and placed it around Bella's shoulders.

"You like her," Jasper said in a hushed voice as he elbowed me in the side. "I was just bugging you out in the field. But I know it now. You like her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I said. Yeah, I thought she was hot, but I wasn't panting over her or anything.

"I just know these things. You like her. And that's funny," Jasper chuckled to himself.

"So what if I did like her? And why the hell is that funny?" I responded, slightly annoyed.

"Just be careful, man. Remember what you're here for, who you're here with. I'm not saying anything more – just be careful."

"Whatever, dude," I replied as I got up to flip my packet in the fire. I'd seen Bella do the same moments before.

"So, Eddie–" Jake's deep voice carried from across the fire. I stirred the coals around my packet with the marshmallow stick. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" he sneered. Everyone around the fire quieted down, with the exception of Emmett and Rosalie who seemed off in their own little world.

"It's Edward. What do you wanna know?" I replied. I wasn't going to cave, but I wasn't going to be a complete dick either.

"What did a city boy like you do to get your ass sent up here?" he snickered. "Steal a Ferrari?" A couple of the guys gave a little chuckle.

"No, but I got in some shit. My aunt and uncle thought this place would help straighten me out," I answered. He didn't need to know specifics.

"How 'bout a girlfriend? You got a chick or two waiting for you back home?"

"No girlfriend," I said curtly.

"Aww, ok then. You're a virgin," he said in a sickeningly sweet voice. Bella quickly smacked him in the thigh.

My grip tightened on the fire stick I was holding, and I used all my strength not to walk around that fire and deck him.

"Why, Jake?" Quil piped up from his spot. "You interested?" The group all burst out laughing, with the exception of Jake of course. He had a deep scowl on his face, and didn't look even a little amused.

"What's the commotion?" Charlie announced, his sudden appearance startling us all. Charlie's arrival changed the tone around the fire almost instantly. I shot Jake a glare, but nothing more was said. Everyone went back to visiting amongst themselves.

Jasper and I filled Charlie in on the fence repairs while stuffing our faces full of our foil-wrapped dinners. He was impressed that we completed as much as we did. While Jasper and Charlie went on to discuss rearranging cattle, my mind wandered back to Bella's plans for me the next day. Jasper's revelations of the evening worried me. If he already thought I liked Bella, what were the others thinking?

I didn't not like Bella. I was clearly drawn to her from the moment I arrived here and smashed into her and that damn bowl of salad, but I didn't think I was being obvious about it either. The problem lay in the fact that I didn't know if I did like her, and why I did if I did. I resolved to myself that the next day, I'd get my thoughts in order.

xoxoxox

"Tell me about your life back home, Edward, " Rosalie said from behind her small but crowded desk in her office, just off of the main entryway. She twirled a pen around her fingers and balanced a pad of paper on top of her crossed legs. Her hot legs, might I add. A vision of Rosalie leaping up, busting open her white buttoned down blouse, and freeing her hair from its ponytail flashed through my mind in slow motion, but was quickly replaced with a vision of Emmett beating me to a bloody pulp.

The night before, we'd finished up eating pretty quickly, and then basically retired to bed. I had been up since the crack of dawn cleaning the chicken coop, and after all the fresh air, I was exhausted. However, when I finally lay down, I tossed and turned for a long time.

I retraced my steps over and over leaving the chicken coop, and was certain that the latch was closed. I thought back to what Jasper told me about the other guys' histories, not to mention his own. I thought about Jake, and how he'd been nothing but a dick to me. I thought about spending time with Bella the next day, and having to get close to a horse to do so. Lastly, I thought about the big red letters on my calendar that spelled out the word "Therapy" first thing in the morning. Needless to say, it was a restless night.

"What do you want to know?" I asked. After I moved in with Esme and Carlisle, they had me see a therapist once a week. It was a total joke. I quickly learned, at age eleven, that if I talked for a few moments about my feelings, I'd be allowed to color for the rest of the session. Something told me I couldn't play that card anymore.

"Well, let's start with your friends," she said calmly. "Tell me a bit about them."

"There isn't much to tell," I snorted.

"No?" she questioned, her voice staying surprisingly even toned. "It's my understanding that you and your friends got into a fair amount of trouble. Would you say that's correct?"

"Yeah. Nothing big though," I defended.

"But big enough that you got sent here." She stared at me while she chewed on the end of her pen. Naturally, my thoughts drifted to her lips wrapping around it, but I quickly pulled them back.

"I guess, yeah. We were just messing around though. Being kids. It never seemed like a big deal at the time," I shrugged.

Rosalie nodded, scribbling notes on her pad of paper.

"I always kind of wondered what would be the last straw. I didn't see this coming though," I said.

"After your mother died and you went to live with Esme and Carlisle, they started caring for you as if you were their own, correct?" Rose asked. I just nodded in reply.

"Now, you know that I spoke to Esme before you arrived, right? We talked a bit about your situation. You gave your consent for that with no problems?"

"Yeah," I answered, "I wasn't gonna fight with them anymore."

Rose started scribbling madly, nodding her head in time with the movements of her pen.

"I think it's fair to say that Esme and Carlisle just want what's best for you, don't you think?" Rosalie asked, her pen never leaving her paper.

"I guess," I replied. This conversation was quickly rolling into uncomfortable territory.

"What do you want for yourself then, Edward?" Rosalie asked, finally dropping the pen in her lap.

"I, um, I don't know." That question was starting to grate on me. I really just wanted to be left alone.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I've got some homework for you." She stood from her chair and opened up her filing cabinet, her skirt bunching slightly in the back, revealing a little more of her thighs. I quickly turned my eyes to the floor after catching one last glimpse.

"Take this journal." She handed me a coil bound notebook with a dark blue cover. "Every few days, I'll get you to write about something in particular. Don't wait for me though – if there is something you want to get out, put it in here."

I flipped the pages casually through my fingers. I'd never written in a journal before. It seemed girly. I could only imagine the jabs I'd get from the guys back home if they heard I was keeping a diary.

"So, your first assignment?" she said with a grin, "is to write down something you've done that you're proud of. Not too bad, eh?"

"No, I guess not," I replied.

"Secondly – I want you to look up the word "apathy." Write down the definition, and tell me your thoughts on that."

I scrunched my nose up and shook my head at her. I had a vague idea what apathy was, but definitely wasn't certain.

"Is there a problem?" she said, bringing back that sweet tone she had used on me earlier.

"No," I replied hesitantly. " I just don't know what you're getting at."

"You will," she smirked. "Bring the journal to the next group therapy session. I'm going to ask you to share something – you can decide what, but it has to be something, ok?"

"Ok," I replied, still confused.

"I don't want to keep Bella waiting. I'll let you go early today, alright?" I stood up to leave her office, journal in hand.

"Edward – just know that the more effort you put into all this, the more you'll get back, alright?" Rosalie said as I reached the doorway.

"I know," I sighed, looking back at her over my shoulder. "I'll try."

xoxoxoxoxo

I quickly grabbed a snack in the kitchen – a plate of gigantic warm muffins and a pitcher of orange juice was waiting on the counter – and made my way out to the barn.

I was both excited and nervous to meet up with Bella. There was a slight breeze in the air, for which I was incredibly grateful. I was sweating, and starting to stink. I hoped the smell of the horse in the barn would cover it up and that Bella wouldn't notice.

The large double doors on the front of the barn were wide open. Just inside I noticed Bella bent down slightly beside a stunning white horse. With one hand she was supporting the horse's foot, and with the other she was picking at the horse's hoof with some sort of tool.

Not wanting to startle her – or frighten the horse – I paused in the doorway for a moment to watch her. She was talking in a soft voice to the animal while she worked. I chuckled to myself at her outfit – black rubber boots, jeans with the knees blown out, a black tank top covered up by an unbuttoned, worn out plaid shirt she probably stole from Charlie. The girls back home – and most of the guys, for that matter – wouldn't have been caught dead without their pricey labels. This was refreshing.

Just as Bella gently set the horse's foot down, she looked up and caught my eye.

"Edward! Geez! How long have you been standing there?" she laughed. I was glad she wasn't pissed at me for creeping.

"Just a minute," I said sheepishly. "I didn't want to scare it," I replied, pointing casually to the horse.

Bella let out a deep chuckle.

"Oh my God. 'It'–" she giggled, "is named Eclipse, and you've got nothing to worry about." She stroked the horse's thick neck with her palm.

"Sorry," I mumbled, as I hesitantly made my way closer.

"We're gonna give her a good brushing – I've already gone over her to get most of the dirt and stuff off." She paused for a minute and looked me over. "You a little nervous or something?"

"Um, yeah. You could say that."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. She's really friendly. Grab that brush there?" Bella gestured towards a soft bristle brush on the nearby bench.

I quickly scooped the brush off the table, and walked closer to Bella and Eclipse. Just as I reached my hand out to Bella, the horse left out a loud sneezing sound – scaring the shit out of me and sending me jumping backwards. The brush hit the floor, and Bella doubled over in laughter. I felt my manhood floating away by the second.

"You're really afraid," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Just relax. She can sense your tension. Come stand beside me."

I moved right next to Bella and tucked my hands in my pockets. I was still sweating bullets – more so now – but the smell of Eclipse was in fact heavy in the air.

Before I could think my thoughts through, I found words spilling out of my mouth. "Nice boots," I said, immediately regretting it. I was known to get snarky under stress and pressure.

"They're steel-toed, ass. Watch yourself," Bella replied with a smirk. I was glad she didn't take offense to my jab. "Come get your hands on her."

Bella ran her hands down the horse's neck and back, stopping every so often to give a gentle pat. She murmured and cooed at her, the same way you'd soothe a child. She seemed so comfortable – relaxed but in control.

I hesitantly placed my hands on Eclipse, mimicking Bella's movements. The tight, firm muscles beneath her skin flexed with the small movements of her head and legs.

"Better, right?" Bella said. I noticed how much I'd relaxed. The tension in my shoulders was gone. I wouldn't have said I was overly comfortable, but I wasn't as jumpy. Bella picked up the brush from the barn floor.

"Watch me, and then you can try it, ok?"

"Ok," I agreed. Bella moved the brush in long, flowing strokes. "You always been doing this?" I asked.

"Um, yeah. Pretty much. My dad retired from the RCMP after he and my mom got divorced. He took over this place then – I was just a baby. I've been around the horses my whole life."

"You stayed with him?" I asked, closely studying her brush strokes. If she was going to make me try the brush, I wanted to be sure I did it right.

"I was back and forth. My mom hated it here – the winters were too cold, she thought we were too isolated. She moved down to Phoenix, met a guy. I lived there for a bit, but have been here since I was thirteen."

"And your dad let you live with a bunch of screwed-up teenage boys?" I said, again questioning my lack of verbal filter.

"Not exactly," she chuckled. "We used to live in what is now Emmett and Rose's house, just off the property. It wasn't until I got back from college that I moved into a cabin here. My dad's in the main house now, but he had staff on site before – he likes it better being close to the new guys though."

"And Jasper," I added.

"Yeah, and Jasper." Bella carefully walked around the front of Eclipse, and started brushing her other side. The horse's tail swished back and forth at a steady pace.

"So why are you still here now?" I asked. I figured that at best, I'd learn a little more about her and at worst she'd tell me to back off.

"Well–" she paused, taking a deep breath, "I went to the city and enrolled in school, but it didn't go so well. It's kind of a long story. Charlie's had some health issues, too – I'm taking the year to give him a hand, get things sorted out, then I'm heading back."

"Huh. What did you take?"

"Animal Health Tech," she replied softly. She looked lost in thought for a moment. "But enough about me – let's get you doing this. Here," she said as she thrust the brush at me.

I grabbed the brush from Bella and carefully placed it at the base of Eclipse's neck. My hand was shaking slightly – I was nervous, but at this point it was less about the horse and more about looking like an idiot in front of Bella.

"Push just a little harder. She likes firm strokes," Bella directed, watching me closely. I quickly bit my tongue – "That's what she said" resting on the tip – grateful that my filter decided to finally show up.

"Like this?" I pushed a little firmer.

"I'll show you," Bella said. I passed the brush in her direction, but instead of taking it, she surprised the shit out of me by grasping my hand, brush and all. She placed it up against the horse's side, and moved our hands in smooth, fluid motions.

"Like this."

Bella stepped closer, fitting right beneath my chin. She looked up at me over her shoulder, her bottom lip pressed firmly beneath her teeth, her lips curled up in a smile at the corners. Her eyes met mine, and as ridiculous as it sounds, in that moment, nothing else around me mattered.

It was me, her, her delicate hand on mine, and it was a moment. A made-for-TV moment. Something you'd see in a movie, read about in a book. This was real, and corny as hell, but it was happening.

It felt like minutes, but it was more likely seconds. We both realized at the same time that our hands had stopped moving. We were frozen still. The sound of the horse snorting snapped me out of my daze, and Bella quickly drew her hand back. She moved away swiftly, busying herself with picking up the brushes and tools she had laid out around us.

"Are we done?" I asked, at a loss for any better words.

"Yeah," she said softly, her back to me, "I mean, um, yeah. I'll finish up."

The tension in the air was thick. You could have bottled the atmosphere and called it awkward. I was quickly trying to backpedal, get us back to where we were moments before, but I was coming up empty.

"Ok, I'll go find Jasper," I replied, though I had no plans with him; it seemed like an easy out. "Um, Bella?"

"Mhm?" she murmured.

"When can we do this again?" I was stretching out a bit, hoping to hell that she wouldn't shoot me right down.

"Oh, um. Soon?" she replied. "If you liked it, I'll tell Charlie? He can give you more horse time, or something?" Everything she said sounded like a question. Her cheeks were getting rosy.

"That would be awesome. I'll uh – I'll see you later."

I slowly made my way back to the main house. Bella and I had just experienced a moment that would rival that scene from that "Ghost" movie Esme made me watch three times, and I was confused.

"Edward!" Charlie's booming voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I probably looked like I'd been caught with my pants down, but I was freaked out. Charlie was walking quickly towards me, his expression stern. All I could think was, "I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, Sir?" I answered nervously.

"The guys are making a trip to town for some supplies. You've been working pretty hard. You want to go?"

Just like that, I'd found my distraction.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing, guys! I love hearing your thoughts. Next chapter will be coming in a week or two max. xoxo