I watched Edward leave the bar with the fascination of a child at Disneyland for the first time. It took me a full ten seconds to realize I was still nodding my head yes and that my chin was touching my chest, shocked by what had just transpired. Quickly composing myself I stumble-walked my way back across the room and sat next to Rose.

'Well damn." She whispered in my ear. "If that wasn't entertaining, I don't know what was."

"Yeh."

Rose laughed and in my dazed state I grabbed the rest of my beer and drank it down in two large gulps.

...

"I made waffles, eggs, bacon and a fruit salad." Speaking above the dull roar that was my dad and Emmett going over baseball stats. "There's coffee and orange juice."

An arm slung over my shoulders. "Give it up, Bella, they're too far gone." Rose grinned.

"Watch this." I smirked and filled a plate with bacon and walked right between the two guys. They both stopped talking right away and twisted to follow me as I set everything on the table.

"And that's how you do that." I muttered as the guys started pigging out.

Rose followed me upstairs after we ate, leaving the guys to their baseball stats and whatever else it was that they were currently dissecting. Midway up, I scooped Lux under my arm and rubbed his chin, his pur rumbled against my ribs.

Closing the bedroom door behind us, I plopped Lux down on my bed. Rose immediately went for my closet, pawing through my clothes.

"So we're gonna need to get you something extra special to wear on Tuesday night." She ran a finger over my favorite navy cardigan. "And not this Mister Rogers crap."

"Right. I do not look like Mister Rogers."

"I never said you looked like him- I merely suggested you dress like him."

"Gee thanks, that makes it all better."

"Awww, come on, Bells." She wandered to my underwear drawer and starting digging around. "Oh! Perfect!" She held up a pair of black lace boy shorts and the matching bra. "You actually have a really nice collection here, girl. Shame you're not going to be showing it off."

...

Rose and Emmett left late Sunday evening after a BBQ dinner with Charlie and some of his friends.

On Monday morning I sat down with Charlie to talk to him about Edward. I wasn't nervous to tell him I was watching Piper for a few days, but I was very curious about his feelings toward Edward.

"Bells." Charlie let out a soft sight and patted Lux on the head. The cat was currently curled into a large fluff ball on his lap. "It's not that I don't like Edward, but I know what it's like to be a single dad. I know how hard it is for a single dad to make relationship decisions outside of his relationship with his kid."

"Okay, so?" I pushed at him some more.

"The thing is, I remember in high school when you were crushed that he left for college and didn't stay in touch. I remember you walking around with your head in the clouds when he did come back one summer. I could see that spark of awareness that you had for him. And then I watched you hold it all together when he left again at the end of the summer. I watched you hang out with your friends, go to parties, go to prom and graduation. The one thing I didn't see you do was date. I never had to shine up the ol' shotgun for anyone because you'd closed yourself off to every boy. Except Edward."

Well, damn.

"I didn't know I was that transparent."

"I love you, Bella. I'm your dad. If I hadn't noticed, I'd be the shittiest parent around." Pushing Lux over on his lap so he could flex his leg, Charlie winced.

"Listen Bella, I know you're going to do what you want. I know your heart is speeding away from you every time you see him, it was written all over your face when he walked into the diner the other day. I just want you to remember that there is a little girl there who holds his heart so tightly, he's probably terrified to let her down."

"Oh."

I sat there, realizing for the first time that my dad had been that guy. That single dad with a little girl and I couldn't for the life of me remember him having ever dated, let alone failed me.

"You did a good job, Dad."

xEx

"Daddy!"

The bed dipped and a soft hand touched my face.

"Wake up, Daddy."

"No way." My voice cracked from sleep.

"Daddy, Bella is coming today." Little hands shook my chest. "Wake up."

You'd think it was Christmas morning with the excitement in my little girls' voice.

"What time is it, Pie?"

"I don't know. I can't read the clock, I'm only four."

I laughed quietly. "Is the sunshine up?"

"No."

"Pie, it's too early then, baby." I pulled the blanket up over us and watched her snuggle into the pillow next to me. "Love you to the moon, Pie."

"Love you, Daddy." She whispered, little fingers touched my nose and finally rested on my shoulder. It wasn't long before she was passed out, her little lips parted with each deep breath she took. There were times when my heart absolutely stuck in my throat because she reminded of me of Valerie. It never made me angry or resentful, I had loved her and Piper was part of that love. But I still didn't quite understand how she could have just walked away. Go ahead and leave my ass, fine, but this sweet baby girl?

Gently I pushed her bangs from Pie's forehead and grinned when she smacked her lips in her sleep.

...

When I woke back up a few hours later, Pie was still out cold on her back, her foot tucked snug in the side of my ribs, one hand gripped the hair on my head. How she contorted herself in such crazy positions and slept through it was beyond me. I had to wiggle her little fist gently out of my hair so as not to wake her. Figuring I'd get some pancakes and bacon going for my favorite girl before she woke up.

I grabbed a clean shirt and padded into my bathroom to take a leak. As I washed my hands, I took a long look in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself with all the hair covering my face, no wonder Pie made faces and called me Harry Monster. Shit was out of control.

Quietly I plugged in my electric razor and went to town leaving a well-groomed and much shorter beard in its place. It would have to do until I could take a real razor to my face after a shower.

...

"Baaaaacon." A tiny growling voice came into the kitchen as I was getting her plate ready.

"Good morning, Breakfast Troll." I grabbed Piper up and sat her on the counter next to me, handing her a small Captain America cup filled with juice.

"You have no more hair!" She grinned and rubbed at the leftover scruff. "But that hurts now."

Laughing I scooped her up in my arms and deposited her in a chair at the table.

"I'll shave after my shower."

Looking me over very matter of fact, she nodded once. "Okay." Setting her plate in front of her I watched Pie's eyes grow wide.

"Chocolate cakes?!" She squealed out and immediately started stuffing her cheeks like a hamster.

"Slow down, you'll choke." I warned.

She just nodded and proceeded to wash everything down with a gulp of oj. She was all mine and I couldn't help but smile and feel nothing but pride.

...

Promptly at 7pm the doorbell rang sending Piper into an even bigger frenzy, dashing down the hall, damp hair flying behind her and giggling.

"Hurry, Daddy! It's Bella!" Her voice was squeaking and she kept dancing in circles.

"Okay, okay, chill for a sec, Pie." She was bouncing on her toes, hands clasped in front of her. "I don't want to open the door and hurt your toes." She immediately backed up leaving space for me to greet our guest.

"Hi Bella! Hi!" Piper exclaimed as she darted through my legs and grabbed Bella's hand, dragging her into the house.

"Hey there, Piper Elliott." Bella beamed down at my daughter and my heart spasmed in an almost uncomfortable way.

"Hi, Edward."

As she passed by in the hall, Bella's lightly floral scent grabbed at me threatening to bring me to my knees as a fire began in the pit of my stomach.

Her dark hair was loose down her back in long waves nearly touching her waist. She wore a sky blue, fitted, cable knit sweater and her signature painted on jeans. Moving quickly, I lifted the duffel bag from her shoulder.

"May I?"

"Oh, um, yeh." Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Why this gave me some sense of male pride, I don't know. But seeing that color on her cheeks and knowing I had done without even touching her, really made the rest of me stand up and take note, in a most physically uncomfortable way.

Taking the bag, I headed toward the guest room.

"Pie, we should show our guest to her room."

"Come, come, Bella! I will show you!" Both girls giggled as I followed behind them.

...

Closing the door to Piper's room an hour later, I exhaled a deep sigh and rested my head against the doorframe.

Bella and Piper got along like old friends that had known each other for years instead of just days. I was confident that Bella was going to be fine here with Piper over the next day or so that I had to be away.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched Bella as she crossed the hall toward the kitchen with Piper's Turtle cup in one hand and a princess book that they had been reading, in the other. Pushing off the wall, I followed down the hall and paused at the doorway into the kitchen. Bella was washing out the cup, her back was toward me and I was afforded a long look at her lush curves. My fingers twitched at my sides frustrated that they had not yet been giving the chance to twist themselves through all of those silky strands that hung almost to her jeans. She was humming quietly to herself, her bare feet dancing as she picked up another of Piper's cups from the sink and washed it as well. Her ass swayed back and forth and the fire low in my gut blazed out of control.

"You don't have to do that."

xBx

"Oh my god!" I jumped at the sink, sending soap bubbles flying as I clutched my chest. Turning, I nearly brushed against Edward. Tilting my head I looked up into his dark green eyes, his face gave nothing away, he was too damn hard to read.

"I know, I just thought, you know, since you were tucking Piper I'd go ahead and get this done for you. I know you have to be up early to head out." My heart was racing, not only from the scare but because Edward was standing so close that I could feel the heat from his body, if I moved even an inch, our bodies would absolutely be touching in all the right places and suddenly, I could think of nothing I wanted more. I could smell the citrus and sandalwood of his cologne. My eyes traced the very sharp angle of now clean shaven, jaw.

"Bella."

His voice was like gasoline fueling the spark of desire that rumbled through my veins.

"Yes?"

Edward stepped into me, closing the small gap and I stumbled back into the counter. His hands came down around me resting on the counter, bracketing me in place and he lowered his face to mine.

"When do you leave?"

"Um, I, uh." I couldn't breathe, he was so close that all I could do was stare at his full upper lip as it tugged upward in the far right corner. "At least two weeks."

Finally my brain was cooperating.

"I can work with that."

I felt the air in my chest catch at his words.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"It means, I'm going to kiss you now."

My pulse kicked up four notches and I just stared at him, too dumbfounded to say anything or do anything at all. Ever since I was fourteen I'd wanted Edward to kiss me. I'd lived so long fantasizing about the moment and now that it was here I was fighting to stay with the program.

"Unless, you don't want me to."

"No. I mean, yes."

"Yes you want me to?"

"I mean, yes, I want you to, I've wanted you to since I was fourteen." Dammit. Take a breath, Bella. Edward's smile shifted slightly. "Don't let that go to your head."

"Sweetheart, it all went there when you were sixteen."

"Oh." I looked down at our feet, my bare toes nearly touching his socked ones. "Listen, Edward, I don't think this is a great idea. I'm leaving in a few weeks and I'm really not the one night stand kind of girl."

"I know, Bella. I know all of that and yet here I am."

His fingertips brushed across my cheek and I had to fight to keep my eyes open and not to purr into the palm of his hand.

"I know you feel it too, Bella. You don't have to say it out loud, but don't lie to yourself and say you don't."

His lips were soft and unyielding when they met mine, his breath smelled of mint and beer, an odd combination but one that made my toes curl and my chest flutter. His teeth scraped and nipped over my lower lip, followed by a soothing swipe of his tongue. As far as kisses go, it was quite innocent, but it stole my breath and sent shock waves through my entire body.

Reaching out, I pressed my hands against a very distinctly male chest. The hard lines of what was most likely a spectacular naked torso, heated beneath my touch pulling a low growling noise from Edward.

I pushed gently trying to gain some space. I needed to think about what this was that was happening here and I couldn't do that with his mouth on mine.

"Think about it, Bella."

"You know I will." My cheeks felt warm and I was struggling to control my breathing.

"Go to bed." Edward gently tucked my hair behind my ear, goose pimples raced down my neck and arm. "I'll finish the dishes."

"Okay."

I was really going to have to work on my vocabulary and communication skills when it came to Edward.

His lips touched mine lightly one more time as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to do and my heart stuttered in my chest.

"I'll see you in a few days." He whispered.

"Night, Edward. Drive safe tomorrow."