This is a work of fanfiction and in no way do I profit from it, except in my own odd way. Much love and appreciation to Diamondheart, who, for once, did not have to tear a chapter to shreds before we put it back together. (I'd also like to point out that I can thank Diamondheart for removing my ability to listen to Blue October without getting all twitarded.) Also thanks to WolvesCanEatMe for green-lighting the police activity.
Thanks to everyone who has this in their favorites or on their alerts! You make my day!
Billy POV
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Charlie and I gave the kids a chance to say goodnight by having Charlie help me into the car while they 'finished putting away the dishes''. By the looks on their faces when they came from the porch earlier they're learning to make good use of their moments away from the dads.
I would have found the whole evening funny if it weren't for the weight of the coming days pressing down on me. I'd had to keep myself smiling and happy the whole time. Of course, I was quite happy and could even forget for a few hours the events we were moving towards.
Jake and I discussed the wonderful dinner at length on the way home, but he had little to say when I mentioned the apple pie. He did smile, though. Kids.
We arrived home and Jake headed out to the garage to check over his work and prep for the following day. There were the two cars he had work to do on over the break, and he always prepared the garage for work the night before, sometimes just looking over a few obvious things on the latest projects and deciding which parts he might need. My fatherly pride was fierce and I could only hope that I had something to do with his work ethic.
I sat in the living room and watched the news, relaxing as much as I could considering the disturbing reports out of Seattle and Port Angeles.
There was a soft knock on the frame of the screen door and I turned to see Sam, shirtless and wearing his cheap patrol shorts. I waved him into the house and he gently eased the door closed behind him. He stood next to where I was sitting, his face tired and a bit careworn, and uttered one word.
"Embry."
"I see. How is he?" I was always concerned about the new wolves. Sam had suffered far more than any of them so far, but that didn't make it easier for the new ones. It only provided a sad meter stick for comparison.
Sam smiled and squatted next to me. "Embry is doing fine, we're going to work tonight and see if we can have him stable by the end of the week." The smile faded as quickly as it had formed. "But that's not the main reason why I'm here. On the way back we found a trail, very fresh. A new leech."
Oh God, no.
I took a very deep breath and tried to calm the thoughts that immediately jumped in my mind. Be logical. Be practical.
"Which way did it come from and where was it heading? It may just be a drifter."
Sam let out a deep breath, the kind you release when you're calming yourself down. Through gritted teeth he ground out the words.
"It seems like it came from the direction of Forks. Headed out and toward the south, maybe to Seattle. We followed it as long as we could, but the lights were bright enough we couldn't risk going further. It was a single trail; we confirmed it by tracking alongside and passing it at intervals. Embry and I followed it back first, and Jared and Paul confirmed it later."
I was thinking of the car. I had mostly been watching Jake and Bella, but Charlie's deputy came and after they spoke outside Charlie had given Bella the sternest warning I'd ever seen him give about being out. He thought a crime spree was pushing into the borders of Forks, heralded by the appearance of this car. Could it be something else?
Would a vampire just abandon a car? Why? And if a vampire dumped it, we needed to change our plans. Jake might not get his stolen time. I had to tell Sam. We had to be sure.
"Sam, there's something in town I need you to check on tomorrow."
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Bella POV
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I woke Monday morning feeling mostly rested if a little uneasy. It was nothing compared to the months of exhaustion and sickness, though, and I quite happily got out of bed at eight and stopped in the bathroom to tidy up.
My insides fluttered a little as I remembered Jake and his little pie stunt. It was another kiss, another reason why the here and now was so beautiful and why reality could trump dreams. I thought about my little resolution –make a move- while I combed my hair into a ponytail before heading downstairs.
I could hear my dad on the phone and as soon as I cautiously made my way down the stairs. He was hovering over multiple notepads and folders, scribbling notes furiously with a pencil that had gone dull from the pressure. Without breaking his conversation, he gave me a grateful smile when I gently set a pen by his hand and patted his shoulder.
I quietly prepared bacon and eggs and started some toast for us, trying not to bang the pans or plates as I worked. He was talking to detectives from Seattle and possibly also Port Angeles in what sounded like a conference call. By the time I had a breakfast ready, he was hanging up the phone and looking a little frazzled.
"Going in late today?" I teased. He was clearly starting his day very early and it didn't sound like it's going to slow down at all.
"Hardly," Charlie began, "That car is the center of a couple of investigations from two cities. There's a forensic team from Seattle on the way to lead the way and do containment, detectives on the way from both cities. Luckily I know a few of the guys on the way."
I was surprised. Dad, Chief Swan from the flyspeck of Forks, was acquainted with a big city's detectives?
"Really, Dad? How do you know them?"
He shifted a little, peering at his coffee and swirling it in the cup and frowning a little. "Well, it was a long time ago, but I got to be pretty close with some of the guys in Seattle during some training we did." He cleared his throat signaling that the topic was to change. "So Bells, I don't want to upset you, but it's going to be very busy over the next few weeks. Since I'm the chief I have to play host to the guys from out of town. The team from Port Angeles will go home every day, but the Seattle PD will be staying here in town, and we'll be expected to open our home to them for a few meals and meetings. That won't be a problem, will it?"
Charlie's eyes searched my face for a reaction, and I guess he didn't see panic, but I was a little nervous. A bunch of people in the house, needing to be fed and made to feel welcome was something different from Billy and Jake coming for a little fish and pie. But... this was important to my dad, and he'd never do anything to make me uncomfortable unless it was necessary.
I swallowed and met my father's gaze. "Of course not, dad. Blue shield, right?" He let out a breath of relief.
"Thanks Bells. Whatever you need just let me know. Don't do anything fancy, just cook extra and keep pots of coffee on. I'll just bring them for one meal a day, we'll eat at the diner or get pizza at the station otherwise." He paused, giving me an encouraging smile before continuing with a slightly grim tone. "There's going to be late nights. I'm not sure what's going to happen yet, but the forensic teams are going to get here today so we'll probably have three or four dinner guests. The forensic team can fend for themselves, but the detectives will be coming here. Okay?"
My mind started swirling with shopping lists and meals that were easy to serve to a crowd.
"Okay, Dad. Don't worry, dinner will hit the table by seven tonight."
Charlie's smile broadened and he gave me an affectionate shoulder punch. "That's my girl."
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Sam POV
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I started up my car, which failed to complain about it as loudly this morning owing to a few adjustments Jake did at Billy's request. I don't think he would have done it if I asked, but Billy assured me that Jake would do it as a favor to him. I could only hope that same loyalty would carry over after what we had planned for him.
I absentmindedly crinkled the errand list from Emily in my fingers as I drove toward my first stop. The list was my idea. If I was going to go cruising around looking for a car so I could sniff it, I'd better have a good reason to be out and about for the amount of time it might take. Billy didn't know where this car was, or the make and model. All we knew was there would be cops all over it. If there had been a vampire in it, I would be able to smell it downwind for some distance.
Billy's news about the car had been shocking. It reinforced our suspicion that the trail was one-way. That meant this might be reconnaissance somehow, and if that was true, what the hell for? I would be looking for the origin of the trail and following it to the edge of our territory as a human; but not without Emily's honey-do list.
I headed out to start on my first mission of the day. Emily's dry cleaner was on the other side of Forks and made the perfect first stop. I noted the direction of the wind and realized it would probably let me exclude a good third of the town if I didn't pick up anything on the way.
I rolled down every window in the car and headed off, inhaling deeply the entire way and concentrating as much as I could on what the wind whipping through the cabin told me. Nothing. No leech. I got Emily's dresses and before I hung them up I thought better of it and laid them across the floor of the trunk. I didn't want the chemical smell interfering with me today.
My next two stops took me further through the little town, and nothing smelled of vampire. One more stop before I had to get groceries, which would end my trip. I desperately sniffed, wishing I could phase and be freer in my movements and have a keener snout, and pulled up to my next destination.
Newton's Outfitters was busy, and they were having a tent sale. That was my first impression. Then I realized a third of the parking lot was covered by a white tent and the place was crawling with police. Forks didn't have this many officers! The huge block lettering on the side of a van answered my questions. They were from Seattle. I found it.
I was directed into a parking place by a cop and turned off the engine. Once I cracked the door open and felt the breeze hit my face I gasped for breath, disgusted and enraged at once. Leech! The stench of death, cake frosting and bleach burned my nose and made my lip curl against my will. The officer took a step back and I had to correct myself quickly. I smiled lightly at the guy in the safety orange vest.
"What's happening?" It was best to make a good impression, right?
"A car from out of town was dumped here. We're just going over it." He looked a little bored. I searched around the faces, not recognizing anyone until I landed on the face of Chief Swan. He gave me a smile and a head nod before waving and returning to speak with another cop. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I went into the store.
"Hi, can I help you?" A girl in her twenties was all set to show me a display of sleeping bags on sale. If only she knew how little use I had for them.
"Yeah, I need a new fish knife. About six inches?" I didn't, but I couldn't pull in, sniff the edge of the tent, and drive away. "Some commotion out there, huh?" Forks was such a quiet town that when something did happen, it took nothing to start the talk.
"Oh my God! So, they say that there was a guy in Port A or Seattle who got kidnapped or murdered and his car ended up here! So there's like a drug connection in Forks, or someone said the mob could be in on it! There was a Forks PD guy just standing here all night so no one would get near the car while the cops from Seattle got here. They set up the tent early this morning and roped off the whole area, and they just started letting people come in about an hour ago. You're one of the first customers, it has been the most boring day since they put up the tent, I can't even see what they're doing!" Her nonstop chatter made me wince, but it was good to know the timing. She rang me up and thanked me for coming in.
I walked slowly back to my car, making a show of examining my purchase and the receipt. I inhaled deeply as I went, analyzing what I sensed on the wind. One vampire, male, and he's been in contact with others- as many as three or four others and I recognized two of them from trails in the woods. Probably they had been in the car at some point, but not on the ride here. Something else had been in the car, though, but I couldn't make it out. It was odd, almost like an animal but not, and was something I'd never picked up on before. Not exactly natural, but not entirely out of place either.
I closed the door and scratched my head in frustration. What the hell did they want? The engine came to life and I pulled out of the parking lot, waving again to Charlie as I headed toward the grocery store. Emily's list for food was astounding and I shook my head again at the volume of her requests, knowing that she bore the real burden of keeping us fed. The elders made sure we had the funds to get something to eat, but getting it made and served was a different story.
Speaking of mouths to feed, what did all this mean for Jake? And how would I handle him? He would react differently than Embry, I was sure. But would he be violent, cause a standoff, or would he fight me? Would he refuse to follow my orders? The last worried me, not that he would follow my orders for long regardless, but I needed to have a handle on him for at least a little while. Would he run and never come back? I couldn't believe that, not with Billy around. No matter what, Jake was devoted to his dad and if that meant helping his dad out of his chair by letting him using his fur as a handhold, he would.
I weighed my options as I tried not to think about the cash I was blowing on the dozens of eggs, pounds of meat and bacon, butter, packages of flour and sugar, and bag upon bag of the frozen vegetables that Emily used until our own garden started producing. Over three hundred dollars later, I loaded the pile into the car, carefully hanging her dresses up first, and headed for home.
Emily ran out the door and, feeling my usual rush of love and reverence, I kissed her beautiful ruined face. I felt the throb of want when my pulse quickened as it always did when she was near. The woman could set me on fire with a glance and anything she wanted, I would risk life and limb for. Or spend an hour in a grocery store.
"Hi, Sam. Did you get everything done?" She asked me sweetly.
"Of course. Let me bring everything in, and then I need to go talk to Billy. Can you put everything away without me?"
"Sure, just bring in the frozen things first and I take care of it after that." We carried in the bags and she gave me a push towards the door. "There, you better scoot. Billy called looking for you about twenty minutes ago. Is something going on?" Her smile faded, knowing without me telling her that I'd been on more than her errands. Her undamaged side wrinkled in worry and I kissed her to smooth the furrows.
"Nothing to worry about just yet. We found a trail, but there is a new vamp around, so we have to figure out what they want." I'd never lie, but I didn't want her to be upset.
"Be careful. I love you." Her voice, always music to my ears, never failed to say the words that washed my agitation away and secured me to her every time. I kissed her deeply, caressing her lips and tongue with my own as she arched in my arms and held her body to mine.
"I will be. I love you, too."
Billy was waiting for me in the house and I closed the door quietly, not wanting Jake to come in the house from the garage. The radio was loud inside the semi-enclosed shop he had created, but if his hearing was sharpening it would not pose an obstacle if I so much as knocked on the door.
"Sam, what did you find?" There was no time for niceties, and Billy intently waited for me to sit.
I told Billy everything, his eyes locked on me the whole time. I hesitated when I got to the odd smell I couldn't place, but he assured me it was worth telling him.
"Track it, too. Some of them are different. It's probably nothing, but it won't take long to be sure." Billy waved off the concern but his eyes squinted at the idea of something we didn't understand. The Pack mind left memories behind, and when I phased, I was flooded with knowledge I couldn't interpret at first of everything from the difference between the smell of elk and deer to the borders of our land with the tame Cold Ones and how to track them.
Billy heaved a sigh. "This changes things. Are you working with Embry yet?"
"I will be as soon as we finish here. He needs to be stable soon." Billy grimaced at my words.
"Sam, it will be sooner than we planned."
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Jake POV
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I headed in from the shop around noon for a break and scrubbed the grease and engine gunk off my arms and face. Dad had a sandwich made and another started by the time I sat down and I grunted my appreciation.
"Got plans for today yet, Jake?"
"I think I'm going to get a hold of Bella as soon as I finish eating, see what she's doing. I just had to finish up that Chevy before I did anything else. She's purring like she should now."
Dad smiled. I was young to have gained so much skill with engines, but they just made sense to me. Parts work together as a whole, each piece had its purpose and they moved in a complex but clear pattern, and as long as they did it the same way over and over, it was easy. When something moved wrong, then you had a problem.
Dad sipped his drink and watched me eat in silence. Just as I was finishing the second sandwich, the phone rang and I hopped out of my seat, still chewing, and answered it.
"Heyow?" Must remember to swallow first.
"Jake? Is that you?" Bella. She giggled a little and I knew I was busted. I swallowed hard on the still slightly dry mouthful and it dragged down my throat, but my mouth was clear to talk now.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that, I was finishing lunch."
"I figured!" I could hear the smile in her voice. "Are you done working for the day? I have a couple hours free before the invasion of the Swan residence."
"I just finished today's car. And what do you mean, invasion?"
"Have you been out yet today? The hotel is booked solid with cops from out of town. It's the car my Dad told us about last night. We are going to be hosting a few detectives, he said it's kind of a courtesy thing." She sounded a little haunted underneath the happiness.
"That sounds nice. You're having them there for dinner?"
"Yep," She paused a moment. "If your dad doesn't need you tonight, would you want to come over? I could use the company. They're probably just going to talk shop and I don't want to just be stuck here with them."
Bella just asked me to dinner. I should start playing the lottery.
"I'd love to. What time is your place going to start looking like a donut shop?"
She snickered. "I don't know, but I said dinner would be ready by seven, so I hope they get here by around six-thirty. Are you sure your dad is okay without you?" I glanced toward my dad, who had clearly been listening in, and he made shooing motions with one hand as if to scoot me out the door. "Bells, I think he's kicking me out tonight. It must be the hot date he's been keeping from me!" Bella started laughing and my dad just rolled his eyes at me, shaking his head.
"Okay then, why don't you just come over any time after around three this afternoon. I have to do some shopping first and stock up a little if I have to feed these guys, not to mention keep them swimming in coffee for the next couple of days." Her good humor about the situation was remarkable. She sounded a little nervous, but I didn't hear a hint of the panic I would have expected just a few weeks ago.
I promised to be there for moral support and help any way I could, and we exchanged those slightly awkward goodbyes you have when you don't really want to hang up. When we finally set the phones down, I felt that silly smile spread on my face and began to tap my fingers on the table in a rhythm that built until I was drumming and finished with a flourish. My dad watched, amused, and caught my attention with a wave of his hand.
"Jake, Harry and Sue are going to drop by tonight and they mentioned bringing by dinner. Don't worry about me. Have fun and say hello to Charlie for me, and thank Bella for me again for dinner last night."
I couldn't really argue with that. He wouldn't spend the evening alone, and I promised I'd be home to help him to bed.
When two thirty rolled around I was showered and dressed in whatever was clean enough to see Bella in. My left leg bounced the entire way into town as I nudged the Rabbit to move a little quicker. Finally I pulled into the gravel drive of the Swan residence. I saw Bella's heart shaped face pop into view through the little kitchen window.
Before I was out of the car Bella came out of the house and leaned against the post she had used for support the night before. I had a sudden fantasy of her at what could be our own house, dinner waiting for me, kids in the yard, and I had the strangest catch in my breath. It was a stunning vision.
I took all four stairs in a quick hop and stood next to her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her to me. My need to touch her, to prove to myself she was still real, was an almost shocking feeling.
"Hi," she said, leaning her head up to look at me and smiling. "You're early."
"Couldn't wait any longer. Besides, I thought you said you might like company." I wasn't quite sure what to say beyond that, so I opened the door for her and just lightly touched the small of her back as I held it open. We walked into the kitchen and I noticed that she was already starting dinner.
"It's a slow cooker sort of day," she commented, noting where my eyes had been staring. "It'll be easy to prep early and the guys can sort of serve themselves." I had no idea what she was talking about. All I saw was a pile of bell peppers and onion in the midst of being sliced and a massive piece of beef that must have cost a fortune.
"Italian beef sandwiches." She gestured toward a bag of sub rolls and a container full of shredded cheese before putting the cheese in the fridge.
She went and picked the knife up, cutting thin strips off the bell peppers. "Think you can handle this?" She teased, and offered me the knife.
The kitchen banter was good for the moment. It felt like we were both dancing around a conversation, preferring to chat about the immediate task than ourselves, implying there was an us, a Jake and Bells, rather than just a couple of friends who spent time together.
She handed me the knife to continue slicing and flicked the heat on under a huge skillet. She turned around to face me, a serious look in her eyes but her smile still playing on her lips, those soft pink lips. Lips I'd like to be kissing. But I had to watch my hands instead so I didn't cut my finger off as I cut the red pepper into thin strips like she had.
I glanced at her, and saw her watching me, her eyes checking what I was doing to the pepper, but I felt like I was being appraised. We both took in a breath.
"So..." She started.
"Soooo..." I responded in return, drawing out the "o". We both burst out laughing.
"Jake, this is ridiculous. Why are we acting like this?" She was pink cheeked and embarrassed as she hefted the beef glacier into the hot oil. It sizzled and splattered in protest in the pan.
"Because this is new. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, but I just... I feel like I should know what to do, but I don't. Other girls know how to act when they are someone's..." She paused again and took the opportunity to poke at the cow in the pan with her tongs.
"Someone's what? Someone's girlfriend?" She turned pinker and it extended up to her hairline. I reached up and smoothed the hair away from her forehead. She turned the meat over and set the tongs down before facing me.
"Is that what I am?"
I set the knife down and slouched over next to her, resting my forearms on the counter.
"Is that okay? We could make a codeword if you want. I could call you my woman, or I could do some me-Tarzan-you-Jane thing if we really want to get subtle." She laughed and smacked me lightly on the shoulder.
"Well, maybe girlfriend is okay. Is that okay with you?" Her face was still pink.
"Bells, if you're asking if it's okay with me that you're my girlfriend, you haven't been paying attention for awhile." Like, since we were making mudpies. "Are you okay that I'm your boyfriend? I know you're used to something... different."
The color drained from her face, and she appeared to be choosing her words.
"Jacob Black, if you think money and cars and fancy clothes or expensive gifts matter to me, you haven't been paying attention for awhile. Besides, all that couldn't do this-" She leaned toward me and reached a hand behind my head. I wasn't ready for those soft lips to hit mine and I was so surprised that my mouth was still half open in shock. She took the opportunity to open her sweet mouth against mine and deepen our kiss immediately.
I got over myself quick. I ran my hands down her sides before wrapping them around her again as she raised her arms to cling to my neck and shoulders. I'm not above admitting I wanted to feel her body against me. I felt one hand make a loose fist at the base of my neck, her fingers rubbing into my scalp and I broke away from her lips to press my face into her neck. The soft skin there turned a creamy pink and had taken on a heated glow. I ran my lips along that warm skin savoring the moment when she pulled back a little. A burning sensation started in my nose and I opened my eyes.
"Shit, Bells, fire!" Smoke was beginning to form over the skillet she was browning the meat in. I jumped back and started to reach for the sprayer at the sink. I was about to turn the water on when Bella stopped me.
"Jake it's fine! I just have to turn the meat again! It's not even burned, see" She turned the meat and it was nicely browned, a bit too much in a few places, but she insisted it would taste good later.
She turned the meat once more before setting it into the big cooker with a can of beef stock and half a bottle of some dark vinegar. I had my doubts, but she assured me it would be great.
"So, dinner will be ready in three hours. I vote we watch a movie to kill a little time. What do you want to watch?" Her movie collection was dismal. Not one with an explosion on the cover and way too many of them came with a British accent. I chose the least offensive, vowing to keep myself distracted, reducing the risk of losing my guy card again. On second thought, watching a chick flick so I could hold on to her and sneak in a little more necking might get me in the next level of the club.
She hit the play button and settled herself next to me on the couch, leaning into my chest and fiddling with my hand that I rested on her hip when I wrapped it around her.
"For the record, Jake, you never throw water on a oil fire. Just put the lid on the pan." She smirked.
"Oh. I meant well. Maybe I just wanted to see you in a wet shirt, ever consider that?" I flicked a meaningful glance from her neck to her knees and back up to her eyes, but couldn't quite keep from blushing, just a little.
"Jake, you are such a dog!" She cried with totally fake indignation, smiling in spite of herself.
"So sue me." She turned toward me, and actually stopped watching the opening scene of whatever god-awful period romance I had selected. Bella laid those beautiful lips on me again, bunching her hands in my shirt. I couldn't help myself, and flipped her body to face me so she was laying across my lap, putting me at severe risk of embarrassing myself if this went much longer.
She rolled over and laid a pillow across me and settled in to watch the movie. It wasn't long before I felt her relax and breath regularly. After a night of cooking and cleaning, and then being busy all morning, Bella was probably just wiped out. She'd been so busy these last few days, and it made me grin that most of that time had been spent with me.
It seemed that just a few moments later a timer screeched from the kitchen and my neck ached once again as I yanked it off the back of the sofa. Bella jerked awake and we both saw that the movie was stuck replaying the irritating intro menu and she quickly shut it off as she sat up and set her feet on the floor, one hand on my chest to steady herself.
I covered her hand with mine. She ran her other hand through her hair to gather it away from her face. Bella's face was soft and sweet with sleep and for a moment I caught my breath, wondering if she looked like that in the morning and if I'd ever get to find out.
We smiled at each other as we got out the plates and set up a buffet style serving line. Bella was right, though, the meat smelled incredible and I nearly drooled when she took the lid off the cooker. She carefully lifted the beef out to cool and tossed all the vegetables into the hot and pungent juices.
"Jake, I'm going to get ready for company. Would you mind getting out the vegetable tray out and setting out the glasses?" She lifted her hair off her neck and wrapped it carelessly on itself to form a loose floppy spiral. The heat in the kitchen was making the fine hairs on the nape of her neck form tight little curls.
"No problem. Anything else?"
"Just this..." And she tiptoed to me and planted a sweet smacking kiss right on my lips. Before I could get my arms around her she had spun away giggling and headed upstairs, only slipping on a single stair on her way.
She was giddy. Did I do that?
I set glasses out and filled them with ice. Bella came downstairs, looking freshly scrubbed as I tossed the last of her cut veggies on the tray, her hair messily piled but out of her way. Those tiny little curls were still there and I toyed with one, watching it spring back after being extended. She gave me a look that told me to knock it off so I grabbed the dip for the tray and set it on the counter where she directed.
Charlie arrived a few minutes later, talking with several other men as he came up the stairs. It didn't sound like a bunch of cops. They sounded like old friends, laughing as they came in the house. Charlie greeted Bella with a quick hug that actually looked natural.
"Jake! Glad to see you here, I was afraid we'd run Bella off tonight. Bella, I'd like you to meet Detectives White and Thompson-" The taller guy cut Charlie off with a laugh and reached over to shake Bella's hand.
"Bella, please call me John, and this is Andy. We're from Seattle; we and your dad go way back." Charlie interrupted right back with his signature throat clearing, and John and Andy just laughed more.
"And this is Drew, he's an officer from Port Angeles." Charlie gestured to the younger man who had been a little out of his element around the other three.
He leaned forward and shook Bella's hand, looking at her a little longer than I really liked. He couldn't have been older than twenty-three or so. Not much older than my Bells.
"Jake is it? Family friend?" Andy smiled at me, and Charlie stepped in to make the introductions. John laughed his ass off when he heard my name was Black, but he was clearly just the kind of guy who could do that and not insult you. I laughed along with him, and reminded him that he matched his name.
Bella pointed out the plates and got everyone started. John and Drew were by the veggie tray when I walked behind them. "So, Jake, you're here with Charlie's girl and you're still alive. Are you the boyfriend?" Drew looked interested in my answer.
I looked over at her. She was talking to her dad and helping him put his sandwich together, setting out the cheese and filling glasses. Her eyes met mine and she smiled at me.
"Yeah, I am."
So, did you like it? Are you excited about the car? And how do like Bella growing a pair? I thought it was about time for the girl to stop waiting for things to happen to her, and Jake even gets to finally tell someone he is 'the boyfriend'.
Stay tuned... And please review!
