A/N: I have to thank you all for favoriting and alerting, commenting...such a wonderful response. Thank you all. I'm so glad you're enjoying this.

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see you at the bottom, enjoy!

Walk

Chapter 13

EPOV

James was arriving in a few short hours and I still needed to figure out where everyone was going to stay. Given what I knew about his daughter, I assumed that they would stay in the same room, but I really had no idea.

"Bella?" I spoke softly, as she wasn't quite fully awake yet.

"Hmm?" she responded sleepily.

"James will be here with his daughter today, and my parents are planning on staying for a few days." I paused, hoping my next question wasn't going to be too forward. "Would you mind if I stayed here? There isn't room for everyone at my place."

Bella's eyes were closed, but a big smile spread across her face. "You'll have to sleep on the couch." I could see her fighting a laugh even before all the words were out of her mouth.

I rolled over on top of her, taking her hands in mine and stretching them above her head.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, thrusting my naked body against her. Bella moaned and wrapped her legs around me. "Maybe I'll just keep you here like this, naked and satisfied. Then you won't have any choice."

Bella practically whimpered as I spoke to her. "I don't have a choice where you're concerned, Edward. I'd be perfectly happy if you never left." Her eyes were watery and our playfulness turned into something more intense.

I kissed her slowly, filling it with everything she was making me feel. I lifted my hips and entered her warm wetness, savoring the way she molded around me.

We kept our eyes locked on each other as we made love. I made some discoveries as I stared into her beautiful brown eyes. This woman was made for me, my match; my mate. She was just as much mine as I was hers.

Everything before her seemed as if it was someone else's life, not mine. The pain and hurt was still there, but a distant memory now. The only thing that mattered was Bella in the here and now.

"God, you're so beautiful." I murmured against Bella's lips. "I feel like I can't get enough of you."

Bella's eyes got teary again and she kissed me with such passion. I couldn't get close enough; I wanted to melt into her.

Bending one of her legs, I put her knee against my shoulder and increased my pace. She felt incredible and her soft moans hit me somewhere deep inside.

"Edward...yesss," she said softly. I felt her need as she tightened around me. I was very close myself.

I slipped a finger between us and began gently rubbing her clit. Bella rewarded me with stronger, more emphatic moans falling from her lips. Bella's head was pushed back into the pillow and I saw her struggling to keep her eyes on me.

"Let go, baby. I know you want to cum for me. Cum all over my cock, Bella." I panted, getting closer to my own release. I used more pressure on her clit and drove into her harder.

Bella cried out as she came, clamping down around my cock so hard that I tensed and erupted deep inside her. I fell against her body, trying to hold most of my weight off of her. We lay there, both sweaty and panting. I pushed her hair off her forehead and left a lingering, wet kiss there.

"That was amazing, Edward. It just seems to keep getting better." she chuckled.

"I agree." I kissed her lips and rolled off of her, enjoying the way our skin pulled gently as it peeled apart.

"So, to answer you...yes, stay here with me and let the guests have your place."

I didn't want to have to face my parents on the way to my own bathroom, so to avoid that awkwardness, Bella and I showered together. The quickie we had with Bella pressed against the wall convinced me that we'd be doing this more often.

With a kiss and a mug of coffee, Bella sent me out the door. I fed the horses and contemplated which horse here had the calmest demeanor.

Besides Zeus, there was a mare named Bailey and two geldings named Comet and Hazard. Bess was the other mare, but she was older and could be temperamental. Bella's Gidget was the last horse in the paddock, and she had already granted me permission to use her. I had sent out letters to the owners of Bailey and the two geldings. Besides Gidget, they were the only ones suitable to be used in the program.

I dug a few apples from a bag sitting against the stalls. Each horse heard the rustle of the bag and stuck their noses over the gates of their stalls.

"I wondered if I'd find you out here."

I turned to see my father walking towards me. He took a couple of apples himself and held one out to the appaloosa.

"That's Bella's horse, Gidget."

"She's just as beautiful as her owner." he mused.

"She is." I smiled. Bella's face was always in the forefront of my mind these days.

"Bella seems like quite a young lady." That was my father's attempt at subtlety.

"Please don't tell me that you take issue with that?" I asked, not beating around the bush.

"No, no. Not at all. Bella strikes me as a very grounded individual. I'm just living vicariously." he chuckled. "I love your mother very much, so don't take that the wrong way." he countered. "I just admire you a little more, is all."

I had to laugh at him. My dad was a writer of children's books and a horn dog.

"I never had a problem with her age, just mine." I admitted.

"Edward," dad sighed. "I know that Kate said some things to you to make you feel that way, but you have to understand that she was using anything to get to you to make her point, useless as that was. You are still young enough to have a family and enjoy them for a very long time."

"I'm beginning to realize that, Dad."

"That girl loves you." he said quietly, stroking Gidget's nose. "Let go of all this nonsense with Kate and grab Bella with both hands."

"She told me that yesterday."

"Did you respond accordingly?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Not really." I had responded, just not with words. I hoped my actions made her feel what I couldn't say yet.

"What's holding you back, Edward?" he asked. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at Bella, or even talk about her. You don't want to fuck around and lose her." he warned.

"I'm not sure. Fear of putting myself out there, I suppose. Opening myself to being hurt." I thought about it for a minute.

Bella has not once given me a reason to doubt her. She's been patient and loving and completely supportive of me.

I looked at my dad whose face held a knowing look. His lips were twisted into a smirk and when he saw something in my own face, he started laughing quietly.

"You need to tell her. Make her yours, Edward and hold on tight." Dad advised.

My father had been around Bella for less than 24 hours and already knew all this, what the fuck was my problem?

Oh yeah. I was a cynical douchebag.

My father wandered back out to see what my mother was up to and I quickly finished in the barn. All of a sudden I wanted to see Bella and tell her that I loved her.

I walked out of the barn intending to go straight to Bella, when a car pulled into the driveway, stopping next to my house.

James had arrived. Dammit. I made my way over to the driver's side of the car and waited for him to emerge. He was turned in the seat speaking to his daughter, who looked frightened.

"Edward." James smiled as he opened the car door.

"Hello, James. It's good to see you again." I shook his hand. He had lost the sling since the last time I'd seen him.

James opened the rear door and coaxed Katrina out. She was a beautiful girl. Katrina's big blue eyes still held some fear, but I saw curiosity, as well. She had a red ribbon in her wavy blonde hair. The light breeze blew it across her face and her giggle was enchanting.

"Can you say hello to Edward?" James asked her. She looked up at me and smiled shyly.

"Hello, Katrina. It's very nice to meet you." I told her.

"Hello." she said quietly. Katrina fidgeted with the hem of her dress as she spoke.

"My parents stopped in for a visit and are staying with me for a few days." I told James. "Is it alright if you two bunk together?"

"Not a problem. Katrina would have stayed with me anyway." he smiled.

James still had his cane, but I noticed that he didn't rely on it as much. I grabbed their bags and headed towards the house.

"Mom and Dad are upstairs, this is your room." I told them as we came to a stop outside the spare room. "Make yourselves at home and help yourselves to anything in the kitchen."

"Thank you." James smiled. "Where will you be?" he asked in a hushed tone. He knew that I only had the two rooms.

"I'll be staying with Bella." I smiled. "Why don't you two take some time to get settled, then we can get started?"

"Sounds good." James ushered Katrina into the bedroom.

"Did you have lunch?" I asked.

"We stopped on our way from the airport, thank you."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the barn in say," I looked at my watch, "an hour?" James nodded. "In the meantime, I'll be up at Bella's if you need anything."

Finally! I thought to myself. I'm going to march in there and tell Bella how I feel. No more being afraid, that would only let Kate win. And THAT was not going to happen.

I gave a cursory knock on the door and stepped into the utility room that led to Bella's kitchen. I heard my mother's voice and instantly cringed. Not about my mother, but the timing.

"Oh Edward, I'm so glad to see you. I've been waiting to show you something." My mother's smile was taking up her whole face.

"Then why aren't you at my house?" I thought that was a pretty good assumption that she'd look for me there first.

"Bella and I are getting to know each other better. Besides, I knew you'd eventually end up here, sooner rather than later." she winked at me.

I moved next to Bella and wrapped my arm around her, kissing the top of her head. She smiled up at me, putting her own arms around me and squeezing.

"I'm going to give you some privacy." Bella said, making a move to leave. I held tight and looked at my mother.

"What is this about?" I questioned.

"Well," my mother hesitated, "it's about Kate. I haven't said anything. Bella insisted that you hear about it first."

"You can stay." I looked down at her big brown eyes. "I wish you would, actually."

Bella rewarded me with a smile and nodded. We moved to the table where mom was clicking away on her laptop. She took a deep breath and turned the computer to face us.

Santa Fe Headlines

Mayor Banner caught on film

Mayor Banner of Santa Fe was caught in the act with advertising agent Katherine (Kate) Cullen.

Katherine Cullen, known as Kate to her co-workers, was caught in a very compromising position with the Mayor of Santa Fe, Thomas Banner. Mrs. Cullen is estranged from her husband Edward Cullen, now of Phoenix, AZ. As you can see in the picture, (below) Mrs. Cullen was photographed in the mayor's lap wearing only thigh high stockings and black stiletto heels. It is rumored that she was attempting to influence the Mayor to give her company the following year's account for the city's ad campaign. Kate Cullen has been fired over her actions. We've had no word from the Mayor's office or Mrs. Banner. The public outcry over this scandal has people demanding a recall of Mayor Banner.

"Oh my god." Bella muttered.

I scrolled down to look at the picture and my jaw hit the table. I knew those black stilettos. They were the ones I had never seen before I knocked them on the floor all those months ago.

I didn't know what to say. Part of me felt like I needed to say something to explain her actions but the other part of me wanted to dance around the kitchen.

"Karma is a bitch." I said, looking up at Bella with a small smile.

I almost felt vindicated and finally free from the whole thing. Kate had shown her true colors and while it was a truly sad situation, I couldn't find any sympathy for her.

I think that Bella wondered if she should laugh or not. My mother didn't think twice. She began laughing and by the time Bella joined her, they both had tears streaming down their faces.

"Oh Edward. Will you ever forgive me for getting you two together?" My mom asked solemnly.

"Mom," I got up and knelt before her, "you didn't make me do anything. All you did was introduce us." I kissed her cheek. "There is nothing to forgive."

BPOV

If I didn't already think that Kate Cullen was a world class bitch, I certainly did now. Bitch might be too soft of a term for her. Whore, slut... either of those would be fitting. After destroying Edward, she destroyed the mayor and herself. She'd be better off changing her name and moving to a new city.

Poor Edward. He looked like he was saddened and elated at the same time after he read the article. I really couldn't imagine what he was feeling.

"On a completely different note, James and his daughter, Katrina, are here. I left them to unpack and whatnot." he said, sitting next to me again.

"Would you like me to tag along with you?" I asked. "I can help keep Katrina occupied while you two get to work." I offered.

"Oh, I'd love to come with you, Bella." Esme said with a warm smile. This woman was quickly growing on me.

We both looked to Edward for approval.

"That sounds terrific, actually. You should know," he turned to his mom, "Katrina has been traumatized."

Edward told his mother about the car accident that James and Katrina were in, stressing the fact that she was terrified just walking around now. Esme left to tell Carlisle what her plans were.

When his mother was out the door, he sighed and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked, scratching my fingers along his scalp.

"I'm just worried about Katrina. The poor thing couldn't even look at me."

If I needed another reason to love this man, that was it.

"Let your mom and I see what we can do, Edward. Who knows, maybe one of us can reach her?" I shrugged.

Edward lifted his head, only inches from my face. He looked so serious; it made my heart speed up.

"What?" I whispered, stroking the side of his face. The stubble scratched my palm in an enjoyable way. Was he going to say something about Kate?

"I love you, Bella." his eyes searched mine. "I know it's not the most appropriate time. I'm sorry I couldn't say it before."

I hugged him to me in a tight embrace, burying my face in his neck. That was not at all what I was expecting.

"No sorries, Edward." I kissed his neck. "I wanted you to mean it when you said it, all on your own." I paused, relishing his scent and the feel of him in my arms and against my body. "I love you, too."

Edward pulled back and held my face in his strong hands. He smiled at me then placed a blazing kiss on my lips. Always wanting more, I twisted my head to deepen our kiss. Edward was my new favorite taste, and his tongue against mine did not disappoint.

Edward broke away from me, still holding my face and leaning his forehead against mine.

"I'm so glad I met you, Bella." he said reverently.

"Me too, baby." I agreed, kissing the corner of his mouth. I noticed James and Katrina walk by the side window. "Let's go." I said, standing and taking Edward's hand in mine.

After we met up with James in the barn, everything went into high speed with the construction and setting up of equipment. We left Edward and James to their work and took Katrina on a tour of the grounds and my house.

Esme and I desperately tried to engage her in conversation, but only got a few words at a time from her. I showed Katrina some of Jake's pieces in the attic. She especially liked the sculpture of a whimsical fish.

When we came back downstairs, I made her a snack of cut up apples with some chunks of cheese and a glass of milk. Carlisle joined us, appearing shortly after a fresh pot of coffee finished brewing.

He sat with us at the table and produced a couple of books from a satchel he had brought with him. I watched Kat's eyes brighten when she saw them. All our coaxing and cajoling didn't hold a candle to Sammy the Squirrel.

I looked at Esme. She had tears in her eyes and a look of great pride on her face. Carlisle read both books to Katrina, and they discussed the stories along the way.

He then brought out a mockup of a new book. He explained that after hearing about his son's project here at the farm, it inspired him to write a new book.

Penny the Penguin had a broken flipper and needed rehabilitation in order to use it again to swim through the water. Carlisle must have heard what happened to Katrina and her father, because he tailored the story to something that was similar, for her to connect with it. He said that after her flipper was healed, Penny was afraid, and didn't want to get back in the water.

Something broke free and the little girl smiled and asked questions. Carlisle was elated and they talked for almost an hour. She was by no means healed, but she had opened up and I couldn't wait to tell Edward about it.

Esme helped me to start a dinner that would feed everyone, while Carlisle and Kat went out to see what her dad and Edward were up to.

"I haven't seen Edward this happy in a very long time, Bella. I wanted you to know that. And to clarify, he was never this happy with that wretched Kate." Esme nearly spat her name when she spoke it.

"Edward makes me very happy, as well." I smiled.

Esme chopped onions and jalapenos for the enchiladas while I stirred the chicken.

"I hope you've forgiven me for any rudeness I may have shown you, I really did not mean to."

"Esme, I already told you that everything is fine." I smiled and gave her a quick hug around her shoulders.

"I'd like to explain a little, if I may."

"Of course. Whatever makes you feel better." I didn't want her to think she owed me anything or that I felt like it was my business how she acted around her only child.

"I had two miscarriages before I became pregnant with Edward, and one after. We weren't able to have any more children and that made Edward very special in my heart. I never spoiled him," she paused then laughed, "maybe a little." she conceded. "But I only ever wanted the best for him. And I did everything in my power to make sure that he got the best of everything."

"Of course you did. I hope that every mother feels that way." I added the contents from her cutting board to the simmering chicken, and then poured us each a fresh cup of coffee.

"I did push Kate at Edward, regardless of what he says." Esme's voice quieted to just above a whisper. "If I had only known..." she trailed off, her breath hitching in her throat. I pushed off the counter and hugged her to me. The woman was blaming herself for what Kate did.

"You may have encouraged them to get together, but you are in no way responsible for what Kate did. That is all on her." I said sternly. "And like Edward said, you didn't make him marry her. No one knew what she was capable of, probably not even Kate."

"Bella, you are an incredible individual." Esme smiled through her tears. "I'm so glad you and Edward have each other." she held me tightly as she regained her composure.

Carlisle and Katrina came back in and helped put the extra leaf in the table so we could all sit together. James and Edward joined us as the food hit the table and we had a very enjoyable dinner. Katrina told her father all about Penny the Penguin, albeit in a very quiet voice. The look of pride and thankfulness shone brightly on his face.

The next few days were going to be busy. My mom was coming over to kidnap Esme tomorrow and Emmett was coming back with half a crew, as they had finished one of their jobs early.

I planned on helping out as much as I could and hated the thought of going back to work in just a few short days.

Edward and I settled into the tub, which was fast becoming one of my favorite times of the day. We relaxed and talked about everything the other one had missed.

"You should have seen her, Edward. It was like a light switch got flipped on, she lit up from the inside." I told him.

"I've seen that before." he said knowingly.

Of course he has. This was his profession, rehabilitating kids. I'm sure that a lot of them carried some emotional scars from whatever incident had put them in his care.

"It's incredible to be there to see it, isn't it?" he asked.

Edward soaped up the wash cloth and began washing my back. Being in the warm, sudsy water with him was divine; his strong arms and legs surrounding me. I felt completely safe with him and though some may think me crazy to be feeling this way so soon, I didn't want him to go back to his own house.

"I don't want to move." Edward sighed. "This feels fantastic."

I peeked over my shoulder at him. Edward had his head back and his eyes closed. I picked up his hand and kissed it. Rather than placing it back on the side of the tub, he laid it across my chest and held me there.

I could definitely get used to this every night. We soaked in the tub in a comfortable silence until Edward sighed heavily and tapped my thigh.

"We have to get out."

I groaned, but moved to get up anyway. "I know." I whined. He kissed me on the back, just below my neck as we stood in the water, and then patted my ass for good measure.

"I was just thinking that I could get used to doing this more often." he said.

"No way!" I laughed. "I thought the very same thing." I stepped over the edge of the tub, leaning at the same time to grab a towel. My head started spinning a little and I grabbed onto Edward.

"Whoa," he steadied me, "you okay?" his voice full of concern.

"Yes." I said after a moment. "Just got a little dizzy. I must be more tired than I thought."

The light-headedness made my stomach roll, so I made sure not to move too quickly as we dried off.

Edward waited for a moment to make sure that I was okay, then went into the bedroom. I followed shortly after and pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts. I snuggled into Edward's side, breathing him in deep. He sighed and kissed my hair, whispering that he loved me. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. My stomach had settled down and I was able to sleep very well.

The next few days were all long and filled with bustling construction workers. The sounds of hammering and electric saws became common. My driveway was congested with work trucks and saw horses.

Edward's house was still filled with guests but I didn't mind one bit. His parents were wonderful and I got to spend a lot of time with Katrina. At one point, Tanya had stopped by to see how things were going. I was polite, but a trifle miffed at her presence seeing that the last time I saw her, she had her hands all over Edward.

He had assured me that there were no sparks whatsoever between them and when I saw her interest piqued by James, I felt much more at ease around her. She didn't stay long, but said she would be back to help however she could.

My mother arrived way too early Saturday morning to collect Esme for another fun filled day of whatever it was they were doing. They barely took the time to say hello before they took off.

"I'll take care of the morning feed; you just do what you need to." I told Edward as he scrambled some eggs.

"James and I are going to take care of that portion of fence that needs to be repaired before Emmett gets here."

"Thank you." I told him as he set a plate of eggs and toast in front of me.

"Enjoy them, it's about all I can make from scratch." he grinned.

We left the house and after a really nice kiss, went off in different directions. I fed everyone and opened the gate to the coral. One of the stalls couldn't wait for the afternoon to get mucked out by Mike, so I took twenty minutes to clean it out.

I had the back door open and was about to walk in when I heard my name being spoken with a French accent. I rolled my eyes and turned around, standing in the open doorway.

"Laurent. I didn't know you were coming by." I said coolly.

"I thought I could come and go as I wished, dear Bella." he said over sweetly. It made my skin crawl.

"You can. It's just that there is a lot going on right now." I explained.

He looked over my messy appearance and tskd me. "You're too pretty to have to do manual labor, Bella. What have you been doing?"

"Taking care of my farm, Laurent. What else?" I laughed. Was this guy for real? He never cared before whether or not I was a sweaty mess.

He took a step towards me and I got an uneasy feeling. The goose bumps that had broken out on my arms spread to my entire body.

What the hell?

Laurent has always been an ass, but I've never felt threatened by him until now. He took another step toward me and I had to fight to keep my feet planted in the doorway.

"I would treat you like a queen, Bella. All you have to do is give me a chance." he was now close enough to reach out his hand and brush some hair from my face. I cringed and jerked my head away.

"Laurent, have you been drinking? What the hell are you doing?" I asked, attempting to put the door between us.

"I'm only drunk on you sweet Bella."

I was able to finally close the door, putting a barrier between us. I felt a sense of relief, even if it was only an old screen door.

"You are fucking delusional. You need to leave." I took another step away from the door, out of his line of sight and leaned against the washer.

I took a couple of deep breaths to compose myself, bowing my head and closing my eyes. The squeak of the screen door made my head snap up and I saw Laurent standing right in front of me.

"Get out of here!" I yelled at him and moved quickly into the kitchen.

"Bella, Bella." he sighed dramatically. "Why do you act in such a way? You are so much better than this."

He followed me into the kitchen. The pan the Edward cooked the eggs in was still sitting on the stove. I decided that would be my best bet for a weapon. Before I got a chance to get close enough to grab it, Laurent had me pressed against the counter.

"Bella, you know that you feel as strongly for me as I do you. Stop fighting me." His calm tone and demeanor was freaking me out almost as much as his actions.

I stretched a hand out to try to reach the frying pan; Laurent caught it. The little fucker was stronger than I gave him credit for.

He grabbed my face roughly and pressed his lips to mine. I almost gagged but my survival instincts kicked into overdrive. I brought my knee up hard and caught him squarely in the nuts. He howled and stumbled backwards.

I went for my phone to call Edward, it was the only thing on my mind.

Call Edward.

Get Edward here.

Laurent lunged at me, knocking the phone from my hand. It skittered across the floor and he came at me again. All I saw were his crazy eyes and puckered lips. I cocked my hand back and slapped him as hard as I could.

"YOU BITCH!" he bellowed. Laurent shoved me hard and I lost my footing. That was the last thing I remembered.

A/N: OMG! Did I really just do that? Yes. Yes I did. And that is about the extent of the angst in this story, so no one freak out on me. It won't get worse than this. Trust, folks ;) You know the drill, let me know what you think about anything you've read here. Esme? Some of you weren't too sure about her. Carlisle? He was awesome with Katrina. The lemon? Not a big one, but still citrusy! Oh, Tanya made a quick appearance. Any thoughts on her?

Ok, down to business. The only thing I am reading right now is a fic called "Foul Territory" by rinabina Quite the delicious baseballward.

The Emerging Swan Awards is open for voting. My lovely and talented friend, TheQueenWriter, has Bird Girl in the running for Best Humor-no, I did not nominate her. Someone beat me to it! There are lots of great fics there and many categories. Go vote-support your favorite authors! .