Okay, I sincerely apologize for my lack of updating. I'm sure you all thought I fell off the face of the planet. Not quite, I've just been stuck working so very very much. And when I get the occasional off day, I'm not going to lie, this is not very high on my to-do list, unfortunately. There's laundry and grocery shopping and house cleaning and so on and so forth. But anyway. I've got an hour break before I have to be back at work, so I thought I would update to keep you all from hating me!
Emmerald - I'm glad you like "my Jake!" He's very fun to write about!
CuteSango07 - Feel free to keep hitting me with guesses! I'll let you know if you come close to figuring out Marlie's secret!
ally leigh - I thought it would interesting to try something not done before when Marlie met the others, so I'm glad you approve!
Keep reading and reviewing please!
Jacob was anxious for the remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday. He almost couldn't wait for Monday; he hopped onto his bike and drove to Al's house, a steady image of Marlie in his mind.
She was waiting for him out front, just as he'd known she would be. She was dressed in her baggy boys' blue jeans again, the pair that was riddled with holes and hung so low on her hips that he could see a sliver of her red panties. She had a bright red tank top on, and her black cowboy boots. Her curly hair was pulled back into a tight braid, her face shaded by her favorite black baseball cap.
Marlie hopped off the back of the truck, where she had been sitting, and strode briskly over to him. Jacob enveloped her in his muscular arms, momentarily lifting her off her feet, and he kissed her deeply on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, entangling her long fingers in his dark hair, and kissed him back. Jacob didn't want to let her go.
"Boy!" Al barked from the porch, and they broke apart quickly, flushing, embarrassed at having been caught in such a compromising position. They turned to face Al; he did not look happy. "Get started on those porch steps. Ann, I need to speak to you inside."
Marlie gave Jacob an exasperated look, winked at him, and then followed her grandfather into the house. Jacob got the tools he needed from the shed and sat down on the steps. From inside, he could hear Al and Marlie arguing.
"Stop being so overprotective, Al!" Marlie was yelling. Jacob had never heard her so angry before, except perhaps when he'd tried to break things off with her. "I like him."
Al was more than furious. "Think about what you're doing, Marlianna Cromwell!" He snarled. "Think about what that boy's family has done to ours! Think about what his father did to you!"
Marlie's voice was cool when she answered. "I thought you had forgiven Billy Black. I thought that's why we moved back here."
"I'm trying to forgive him." Al grumbled. "It takes time, Annie. That man cost me my son and he almost cost me you, too."
There was a pause. "It's not like it's easy for me, either, Al." She finally said, and her voice wasn't as angry as it had been before. "I'm not saying I'm going to be best friends with Billy Black. But his mistakes are not his son's. Jacob doesn't even have any idea what happened all those years ago."
"I'm just telling you to be careful." Al told her grudgingly. "For all you know, Billy Black is using his son to get to you."
There was another long pause. "How could you say that?" Marlie's voice was thick with emotion. "I'm happy, Al. Why can't you just be happy for me?" Then she stormed up the stairs; Jacob could hear her heavy footsteps.
Jacob was deeply disturbed by what he'd heard, but he didn't want anyone to know he'd been eavesdropping, even if that hadn't been his intention. Before he really had time to sort anything out in his mind, Marlie stormed out the front door.
"Come on." She muttered crossly. "We're getting out of here."
Jacob set the hammer down on the step. "Why? What's going on?"
"I had a fight with Al." Marlie sounded very bitter. "He doesn't think I should keep seeing you." She raised her voice. "He's wrong!"
Jacob took her hands, hoping to calm her down. "Look, if he doesn't think I'm good enough for you, shouldn't we prove that I am?" He suggested. "If I were him, I wouldn't be very happy if he kidnapped my granddaughter and didn't finish the job he'd been hired to do."
She sighed, but the corners of her lips twitched in a semblance of her usual bright smile. "I guess you're right. Well, I'll help you with the steps and then we can get out of here."
Jacob knew it was risky, but he was too curious not to try. "We could go to my house and have dinner with my dad, if you'd like. He's been bugging me about meeting you."
"That would be nice." She agreed, but her smile wasn't completely genuine. This worried him even more.
Jacob worked quickly to finish the steps, and when he'd put the tools away in the shed, he and Marlie climbed on his bike and they drove to his house.
"Sorry I'm so sweaty and gross." He muttered, taking the key out of the ignition and shoving it into his pocket. "I can take a shower if you want me to."
She nuzzled his back through his t-shirt, and he could feel her smiling. "I don't mind. It makes me feel like I'm with a real man." Then she laughed and swung her long leg over the bike. "You can take a shower if you want to, but don't feel like you have to on my account."
He swept her up in a long-limbed, sweaty embrace, pressing his lips into her sweet-smelling hair. She broke free and kissed his lips, one hand trailing lightly down his abdomen. Then she kissed him one last time and stepped away, an impish smile on her lips.
"Let's get this over with." He muttered, holding out his hand to her. She accepted it wordlessly and he led the way into the house. "Dad?" He called, pushing open the front door. "I'm home!"
Billy wheeled himself into the hallway, about to say something. He stopped when he saw Marlie, standing there in her cowboy boots, and his expression changed immediately. He grinned broadly, more cheerfully than Jacob could ever remember seeing him. "Annie Cromwell!" He exclaimed. "It's so good to see you around here!" And he wheeled forward to shake her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Black." She answered stiffly, shaking his hand only briefly.
Billy seemed to notice her cool demeanor just as much as Jacob did, and his smile faltered briefly. He looked suddenly nervous. Then he made a face. "Whew, son, you stink!" He teased. "Why don't you run and take a quick shower? I can amuse Annie for fifteen minutes."
Jacob didn't like the sound of that, not with things so tense between the two of them. He glanced briefly at Marlie. She kept her eyes trained stonily on Billy, but she gave a slight nod. "Alright." Jacob mumbled, not liking the way things were turning out.
He went down the hall towards the bathroom, where he turned on the water. Then he crept back down the hallway on silent feet to eavesdrop.
"You look so much like your mother." Billy said to Marlie, warmth flooding his voice.
Marlie's voice remained cool and distant. "Thank you. I only wish she was around so I could admire her beauty firsthand instead of from old photographs." She sighed heavily. "Look, Billy. I don't really want to play this game with you. This has nothing to do with you. You just happen to have an amazing son that I have fallen in love with. It's between me and him, not you."
"I'm glad that something having to do with me can give you happiness." Billy mumbled. Marlie didn't respond, and it looked like the confusing conversation was over.
Jacob jumped in the shower for the briefest of moments, then threw on some clean clothes and rejoined his father and girlfriend in the living room. Things looked tense, but Marlie smiled broadly when he sat next to her on the sofa and asked, "Did I miss anything important?"
"Nope." Billy assured him gruffly, and he promptly wheeled himself out of the room.
Dinner was a tense affair, but eventually Jacob drove Marlie back to Al's house. He perched on his bike and gave her a flat stare. "So what was going on between you and my dad?"
"Nothing." She assured him, rolling her eyes. "Some stuff happened when I was just a kid, which is part of the reason why we moved away from La Push. Anyway," Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "It's part of my secret and I thought we agreed not to talk about our secrets."
He sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Sam and Emily and the others are having a bonfire Friday night. Emily really wants you to come. So do I, for that matter." He grinned.
She matched his smile. "I'll be there." She kissed him again. "See you Friday!" And she dashed into the house to face her grandfather.
Jacob's mind was troubled as he drove unusually slowly back to his house. He had heard a lot of disturbing things today, not one of which made any sense at all. He wanted to ask Billy about it, see if he could pry anything out of his nosy father, but Marlie had made it clear she didn't want him to know.
Billy was nowhere to be found when he got home, which was just as well, Jacob thought with a sigh. He was tired, exhausted, and the overwhelming need to keep an eye on Marlie was there to top it all off. Just a few hours of sleep, he told himself, crawling into his bed. Then he'd go watch Al's house.
DUN DUN DUN!! And so the plot thickens! Lol I hope everyone enjoyed this little chapter. It is somewhat important in the overall scheme of things.
On another note, I am 17 weeks and 3 days pregnant. That's four months. I go next week for an ultrasound, and hopefully they'll be able to tell if the baby is a boy or a girl. Ian and I have narrowed our list of baby names down to two choices per gender. For girls it's Delilah Jane and Johanna Nicole. For boys it's Connor Dean and Dean Alexander. What do you guys think about those? I'm kind of hoping for a girl, but I suppose a boy would be nice too. : )
Review!