~Edward~

Bella and I separated on the corner by the bank. She pointed out the bar she wanted us to meet at, and we agreed to meet in two hours. It felt so natural to pull her close and kiss her before walking away—I turned around to see her watching me leave, her fingers on her lips. I grinned at her and winked, grinning even wider when she blushed and hurried away. I liked her reactions, and I hoped she never stopped showing me how my touch made her feel.

I wandered around, found the hardware store, the local diner, and a few other places, amazed at how friendly people were to me. I was greeted everywhere I went with a smile, and when they discovered I had moved here and would be around, they were quick to introduce themselves. By the time I made it to the bar, I felt like a politician with the number of hands I had shaken. I was careful not to share exactly where I was living. I wanted to protect Bella's privacy, since I had no idea how well she knew any of them. I also wasn't sure how much she wanted people to know at this point, and I'd take my cue from her. When they asked, I waved my hand in the general direction and said I'd moved to the East end of town. Luckily, no one pressed me.

Bella knew the owners of the bar, and specifically told me I could use her name there, so I entered the Key Note Bar and Grill, noting the two signs in the window. One said Help Wanted, and the other advertised Open Mic Nights. I was interested in both of them.

Stepping inside, I glanced around. The bar was quiet, but there were a few people at tables and sitting along the polished wooden bar, sipping drinks. There was a small dance floor and in the corner, a stage was set up. It was casual, bright, and clean. It also smelled delicious, reminding me all I had eaten this morning was some toast. I rather hoped Bella would be early and we could eat together. The casserole Esme had left us we could eat another time. We could have an early dinner here.

I approached the bar, sliding onto a stool. I could feel a lot of curious glances my way, and the bartender looked up from polishing glasses and offered me a nod. "Hey."

I smiled at him. He was tall, with wavy blondish hair, and a friendly face.

"Hello. Would you be Jasper, by chance?"

He pushed off the back counter, setting down the glass he was working on. "Depends who is asking, I suppose."

I had to chuckle. "I'm not serving any summons." I held out my hand. "I'm a friend of Bella's. Edward. Edward Cullen."

He leaned forward, an easy smile on his face, shaking my hand. "Bella, eh? Well, if you're a friend of hers, then welcome. Jasper Hale." He shook my hand firmly, then he frowned. "I assume she's home?"

"Yes. We arrived back late last night. Or early this morning, more like it. She's running a couple errands, but she'll be here soon."

He arched his eyebrow. "We?"

"Yeah."

"I imagine there's a story there."

"There is. Bella will be here soon, and I'll let her share it."

"I look forward to hearing it. I'm glad she's back though. My wife's been worried about her. She'll be happy to see her."

I remembered Bella had mentioned his wife, Alice, and said she was a whirlwind and kept Jasper in line. Her imitation of her made me laugh, and I was looking forward to meeting her.

"Can I get you anything while you wait?"

"A beer would be great."

"On tap?"

"Sure."

He slid a tall glass in front of me, and I took an appreciative sip.

"Anything else?"

I pointed to the window. "Actually, I'm interested in your signs."

"Which one?"

"Both," I stated honestly.

"You have experience?"

"I've done a few bartending gigs. I have my smart serve papers. I've done a lot of open mic nights, too, in case you were interested."

He picked up another glass and started polishing it thoughtfully. "I hired someone for days already, so the only thing I have left is the Thursday to Saturday late shift. Four o'clock to closing, all three days."

He held up the glass to the light, inspecting it, then set it back in place and picked up another one. "Long hours, the pay isn't great, but the tips are usually pretty good. You get dinner with that, as well." He winked at me. "My Alice runs the kitchen, as well as everything else around here, so I promise you the meal is good."

My mind raced. It wasn't ideal, but it was a job. It meant money coming in, so I could contribute to the house I'd be sharing with Bella. Maybe on the days I wasn't working, I could pick up some odd jobs. Esme made it sound as if decent handymen were hard to find around here. "Okay, I'd certainly be interested. Do you have an application I can fill out?"

Before Jasper could answer, a tiny woman came barreling out of the kitchen, her hands full. She served the table in the corner, called over to Jasper for refills, stopped and chatted at another table, hugged someone leaving, then leaned against the bar, frowning at me.

"I don't know you."

There was no doubt; I was looking at the infamous Alice.

Jasper spoke up. "This here is Edward. A friend of Bella's. He's applying for the night job."

She hopped up on the stool beside me, her voice eager. "Bella? Is she home?"

"Yes, she is. We just got back last night. She'll be here soon I think."

"We?" She pursed her lips. "How good a friend are you, Edward?"

I chuckled. She was direct, this one.

"I'll let Bella fill you in. I'm sure she can explain it better than I can."

"Oooh . . . a story. I like the sound of this."

"Ask him his last name, dear," Jasper smirked.

She arched an eyebrow at me silently.

"Cullen."

"Are you related to Carlisle?" She clapped her hands. "I love Carlisle!"

"I don't know. I met his wife this morning and she asked me the same thing."

"I love this! Two stories!"

I grinned at her enthusiasm, not wanting to burst her bubble. The chances of finding family were slim. My father was an only child, so I doubted it—unless they were very distant relatives.

I glanced at Jasper. "Can I fill out that application?"

Jasper and Alice shared a look. It felt as if they were having a silent conversation, and unsure what else to do, I took another sip of beer. Jasper nodded slightly and reached out his hand.

"You start Thursday."

I grabbed his hand shaking it hard. "Really?"

"Yep. Alice will get you the paperwork to fill out and some bar shirts to wear. I'll show you everything on Thursday. I'm sure you'll catch on quick."

"I will. The open mic thing . . ."

"Why don't we see how you do bartending, and then we'll move onto that, deal?"

"Deal."

~o0o~

I was bent over the bar, filling out the various pieces of paperwork—a pile of T-shirts and one long sleeved shirt, all emblazed with the bar's logo beside me—when the door opened and Alice blew past me. "Bella!"

I turned on my stool, smiling as I watched Bella being hugged by Alice. Our eyes met and held, our own conversation happening.

I missed you.

I was glad when Alice released her and she came over. I tucked her to my side, and felt her warm mouth on mine again as I kissed her thoroughly. I drew back, cupping her cheek. "Hey. How'd things go?"

"Good. Unexpected. I'll tell you later," she murmured.

"Everything okay?"

She nodded. "Just a lot to take in." Then she looked at the shirts. "It looks like you've been busy."

"I start Thursday."

She flung her arms around my neck. "That's great!"

"It's nights."

"We'll figure it out. What about open mic?"

"That's still up for discussion."

She turned to Jasper. "He's amazing Jasper. His voice is . . . I can't even describe it."

"Bella," I chided gently.

Jasper chuckled. "It's fine, man. Your girl is proud. I'm cool with that." He winked at Bella. "He'll get his chance, Bella. Promise."

"He better, Jasper. Or you'll answer to me."

We both snickered at that empty threat. Jasper towered over her by a foot and outweighed her by a good eighty pounds. I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her to my side and kissing her forehead. "Easy, Angel."

But her faith in me made my chest ache with her sweetness. No one had shown me that kind of faith since my mom had died. And the way Jasper referred to her as my girl—I liked that, as well.

I stood up. "Come on, my girl. I'm starving—I'll buy us an early dinner and we can celebrate, yeah?"

Alice appeared beside me. "Dinner is on the house, and it'll be ready in ten minutes. Meanwhile, I think Bella owes me a story. Finish your paperwork, Edward." She linked arms with Bella and dragged her away. I looked at them, shaking my head, then glanced back at Jasper.

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Get used to it, man. Don't fight it, because it does no good—just enjoy the ride."

I picked up the pen. Somehow, getting used to all this seemed . . . right. Easy—as if it was meant to be.

And so far, I was enjoying it.


Thank you for reading. Thank you for the reviews and your many kind comments. For those of you not part of my group, etc, I wanted to share some news. I have signed a deal with Random House for a book that will come out in Sept of 2017. Very excited!

See you next week!