Disclaimer: S. Myer owns all, but what I wouldn't give for a Jasper of my very own-sigh.
A/N- HUGE, massive creative license taken with Galveston, and the surrounding areas. Google Earth can only tell me so much, the rest I have to guess at. My apologies to anyone in that area that might go WTF when they read this. Forgive me?
My poor beta has been working her fingers to the bone, so this chapter is once again unbeta'd, so all mistakes, grammatical and otherwise are my own.
As always, many thanks and lots of hugs to Dannie, this wouldn't be here without her, even though she put visions of Darkward in my head when I needed to write Safesper.
More author's notes at the end.
To those that have read, thank you! I appreciate it very much. Five hundred reviews…I'm speechless people, utterly and completely speechless. Thank you!
"**~~**"
Winner at a Losin' Game
Location: Galveston, TX (Comfortable)
"**~~**"
Have you ever had to love someone
That just don't feel the same?
Tryin' to make somebody care for you
The way I do
Is like tryin' to catch the rain.
And if love is really forever,
I'm a winner at a losin' game."~Rascal Flats
"**~~**"
"Can you not put your boots on the dash?" I nodded to her boot clad feet on my dashboard. It was still early but the sun had already heated up the cab.
"I thought you liked them?" she countered, tilting her head back to look at me from under the rim of her cowboy hat.
"I do. They look great on you…just not my dashboard."
"Who stuck the burr under your saddle?" I looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Fine." With a heavy sigh, she leaned forward and began to pull the boots off her feet, tossing them on the floor with a thud. "Happy now?"
"Than a pig in shit."
Shaking her head, she turned back to the window. "Never known anyone so particular about his truck."
"Bella, you know there is a special relationship between a man and his truck."
"Apparently."
We had back to Peter's late the night before, all but falling into bed, each of us barely having enough energy to undress before I opened my arms and she scooted into them, wrapping her leg around mine. Sleep hit us both hard and fast, enveloping us quickly into its deep dark world. That morning Peter had woken us up at six, banging on our door and telling Bella to 'hurry up with relieving me'. After rolling her eyes at me, we showered and pack the last of our things before we found ourselves standing in their driveway for our goodbyes.
"Promise y'all will be back this way before heading back north?" Charlotte had begged.
"I hope to be kicked to death by grasshoppers if it ain't the truth." I had promised her before prying her arms from around my neck and holding her hands in mine as I placed a kiss on her forehead. "I swear we'll be back in time for my birthday next week."
"Let 'em go, sweetheart, they'll be back," Peter assured his wife. Bella had already said her goodbyes and was sitting in the cab of the truck waiting for me. Sticking out his hand, I clasped it and he pulled me into a hug. "You take care, Jasper. See y'all real soon. Remember what I told you."
That girl's head over heels for you….
As he released me, he grinned over my shoulder at Bella. "Darlin', you take care of our boy now, ya hear? Keep his skinny ass out of trouble."
Giggling, she replied, "You got it, Peter."
I walked around the driver's side, climbed in and started the truck. As I shifted into drive, I looked over at Bella, "Ready?"
"Yep."
"Y'all be careful now, ya hear?" Charlotte called out, waving wildly to us as I began to pull away. Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw Charlotte standing in front of Peter, his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.
Once again I was leaving Peter, only then it was only my own terms. Unlike being ripped from his life like before, I knew I would be returning in a few days.
"On the road again," I sang to Bella as we headed for the highway. Leaning her head back against the seat, she tipped her hat down to cover her eyes and yawned.
"Yeehaw."
"**~~**"
I stole as many glances at her as I dared to while she slept beside me. The brim of her hat covered her eyes, but I could see wisps of her hair hanging out from under the tan rim. Her lips were parted as she took even, sleepy breaths, every now and then her fingers would twitch or she would shift her weight toward me. I thought back to what Peter had said the night before in the bar, recalling how I had laughed out loud at his ridiculous revelation. Peter had always had a bit of a delusional side to him, it was something I admired about him, his ability to dream and dream big.
However I was a realist, and while there was no doubt that, even when Bella and I were barely on speaking terms, she loved me, it wasn't the type of love that Peter spoke of, the kind that he shared with Charlotte. Bella did not feel the all encompassing love for me that she did for Edward. I was her friend, her confidant, her shelter in the storm while Edward was…everything else.
I didn't even feel that Jake fit into her life as well as Edward did. She needed Edward in her life; her constant contact with him daily since we had left was evidence of that. Hell, she had talked to Edward more than she had talked to Jake. Would she say yes to Jake at the risk of Edward being a smaller part of her life? Her choice wasn't between me and Edward, it was between Jake and Edward.
When Peter had blurted out that he felt Bella was head over heels for me, I had been tempted to tell him about her and Edward, smash his little dreamy idea with the realism of the physical side of their relationship that they had shared at least once, if not more. But I kept it to myself, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his pitiful looks and consoling words.
I just wanted to wallow in my own misery without his company.
The trip to Texas was to revisit my childhood, to say goodbye and move on. It was also to repair the broken friendship between Bella and I, to return us to the closeness we had shared for years, and I felt confident we were on way to accomplishing that.
We were friends again.
But we would never be anything more and the sooner I accepted that, the better. Over the years, I had learned to harden my heart a bit, develop an outer layer of protection for it, a fortress of sorts that help soften the blows of the shared looks and whispered words between her and Edward.
Stirring, her head fell toward me, her hat slipping to the side as she mumbled. Edward's name fell from her lips in a soft caress. Sighing as I felt the fortress crack a bit, I turned up the radio hoping to drown out anymore mumblings. I had already heard everything I needed to hear.
"**~~**"
"Paul."
"You've got to be kidding me? Everyone knows John was the best," she gasped. After sleeping for a few hours, she had woken up, refreshed and ready for our next found of This or That. she sat facing me with her feet curled up under her.
"I beg to differ. Paul had a more successful solo career."
"Well, yeah, because John was killed. He was just…so inspirational. You can't deny that."
"I agree, he had it going on…until he married Oko," I conceded on his greatness. "But he still can't hold a candle to Paul."
"Whatever."
"James Dean or Marlon Brando," I tossed out.
"James," she answered with a dreamy sigh. "I supposed it's Brando for you?"
"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse," I impersonated. Glancing over at me, she gave me a pitiful look.
"That was awful," she teased. I shrugged as I downshifted to exit the highway. "Breakfast?"
"Yeah. I'm starving."
We pulled into a small greasy spoon right off the exit, and I parked while Bella pulled her boots back on.
"You really like those boots, huh?" I waited outside her open door.
"Hell yeah. It was sweet of Charlotte to buy them for me." She hopped out of the truck, stirring up some dust as her feet hit the ground. Standing before me in her jeans and black tee shirt, her hair held back by an elastic, she peeked up at me from under the hat Charlotte had bought her to match the boots. "Ready?"
"Yep." I held out my hand and grabbing it, she walked next to me. It always amazed me how easily her hand fell into mine, it was like jigsaw pieces fitting together. Her fingers fit between mine, her palm perfectly placed and warm against my own.
We entered the diner to a few curious glances as the bell rang and were quickly escorted to a booth by the window. Sliding into the bright orange booth across from me, she took her hat off and sat it next to her as our waitress came up, took our drink orders while we looked over the menus.
"How come we never do drive-thrus?" Bella asked as her eyes scanned the menu.
"Because it's nice to get out and stretch."
"And you are a tall drink of water," she quoted Betty and smiled at me as she placed her menu on the table. "So what's our plan?"
"Hopefully, we'll hit Galveston early evening and get a spot at the state park to camp. Spend a day or two the coast, got a few places to show you, then head back to Abilene, and if you are a good girl, maybe stop on the way home at some place special."
The waitress dropped off our drinks before skittering off. I watched her before turning back to see Bella's disapproving look.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You have no idea, do you?"
"About?"
"Anything," she mumbled, probably not intending for me to hear her.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just…you have no idea when women are just practically throwing themselves at you."
Suddenly nervous, I glanced around the diner, wondering what I had missed. Just then our waitress caught my eye from behind the counter and winked at me.
"Oh."
"Yeah, 'oh'. Seriously Jasper, when are you going to wake up?"
"Bella, you're exaggerating."
"Oh, really?" she challenged. "How many numbers did you get last night?"
I thought back to the night before at the karaoke bar. I had left with two numbers in my pocket, but neither one had even made it to my truck because I had dropped them both in the trash on my way out. One had been from a woman who had cornered me on my way to the men's room and told me that she could put a big Texas smile on my face. I had gone to push past her but she grabbed my hand and shoved a crumpled piece of paper in it with a 'offer is open anytime' before rejoining her girlfriends. The second girl had been less blatant, writing her number on a napkin and dropping it at me feet as she had walked by our table.
I had no need for any other woman in my life but the one that sat across from me. While I was trying to accept the fact that it wasn't me she belonged with, I also knew I would never move on. Women could continue to give me their numbers, but I would never call any of them.
"I hardly think anyone is 'throwing themselves at me. It wasn't like they were shedding their clothes and spreading their legs, it was just phone numbers. They're just social," I grinned.
"Social my ass," she scoffed just as our waitress returned.
"What can I get you folks?" she might have been speaking to both of us, but she was clearly only looking at me. I looked over at Bella and found a very big 'I told ya so' smirk on her face.
"Two eggs over easy, side of grits, bacon, and toast," I ordered, never taking my eyes off Bella's.
"I'll have the same, please," Bella smiled politely up the woman, trying to get her attention, but 'Sally' would have none of that. After picking up our menus, she swayed her hips back to her counter to place our order. Across from me, Bella leaned back in her booth, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly.
"I still don't agree," I smiled, taking a sip of my juice.
"Yes, well I always knew you were insane, this just confirms it."
We ate quickly, leaving Sally a nice top before hitting the road again. As it neared noon, the sun beat down on us but we refused to turn on the air conditioner. Instead, Bella had changed into some shorts and I had unbuttoned my shirt.
"This or That?" she asked as she leaned her head back against her seat before turning lazily toward me.
"Nah…something different."
"Truth or Dare?"
I chuckled, "Well not sure what kind of dares we can accomplish while in the truck, but I'm game."
Suddenly interested, she sat up straight, pulling one leg up and under her so she could face me better. The wind from open window behind her played havoc with her hair, whipping the dark strands around her face. Admittedly I was a bit nervous about playing Truth or Dare, afraid I was opening up a huge-ass can of worms.
"Me first. Truth or dare?" she asked eagerly, jumping at the chance to ask me anything.
"Truth."
"Why do you still wear those, after all these years?" She pointed to the dark brown cowboy boots on my feet.
I was relieved we were starting off easy, but of course, I had to tease her anyway. "That's the best you got, Swan? You have the chance to ask me anything and you ask about my boots?"
Shrugging, she looked down at them and back up to my face. "I wanna know."
"Easy. Because you gave them to me." My gazed fixed on the road in front of me, not wavering to see her reaction. She had given me the boots for my birthday the year after we had met. Unless I was running, I never wore anything else on my feet.
"Aw, that's so sweet…you sap. Your turn," she grinned.
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
The one question I wanted to know the answer to, I didn't dare ask, so treaded around the subject. "Why Newton?"
"Ugh, did you have to go there, Hale?" She wrinkled her nose and frowned at me.
Imitating her previous reply, I said, "I wanna know."
"He was convenient."
"Convenient?"
"Yeah," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "He was available."
What the fuck did that mean? I considered her answer for a moment. Available how? Emotionally? Physically? I cringed at the last thought. Was I not available? Short black hair and a wide smile flash before me.
Alice.
I had been about as unavailable as someone could have been.
"Besides, you're supposed to do stupid shit at teenagers. Sow your oats and all."
"Well you could have sowed way better oats." I glanced over at her and smiled.
"I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." Turning to face forward again, she put her bare feet back onto the dash, her toes pressing against the windshield. "My turn again. Truth or dare?"
Feeling brave, I replied, "Dare."
"Pull up to that truck and wink at the driver…flirt with them." She pointed to a blue Chevy in the lane to our left.
"What if it's a guy?"
"Doesn't matter."
Shocked at her reply, I looked over at her only to find her with a raised brow. With a sigh, I pressed down on the gas.
After all, a dare was a dare.
Pulling up beside the truck, I was relieved to see an older woman driving alone. Probably in her mid-forties with blond hair pulled back, she had on a black cowboy hat and lot of make up. I glanced over at Bella one last time. She nodded toward the woman and smiled. Keeping my truck even with the blond's, I looked at the woman, tooting my horn to get her attention. When she looked over, I licked my lips before giving her my widest dimpled grin and winking. Laughing, she tilted her hat to me and returned my wink and smile.
Bella's laugh was full and loud as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Oh my God, oh my God, that was classic, Jasper…classic."
"Glad you thought so," I rolled my eyes as I felt the heat in my cheeks beginning to fade. "Truth or dare, Swan?"
Bella was smart enough to know that any dare she took was going to be just as embarrassing, if not more so than what she had made me do, she took the safe route, or so she thought. "Truth."
I took a deep breath, wanting to know the answer to one question for years, having only heard one side of the events. It was a topic I avoided, my heart always aching when I thought about it; I had pushed it out my mind, hidden deep until now. "Why Edward?"
"Why Edward what?" she seemed honestly puzzled by the question. When I had asked the same one about Newton earlier, she had understood completely. Suddenly, she realized what I was referring to. "Oh, that," she murmured.
For a minute, I didn't think she was going to continue, and I was undecided between reminding her about the rules of Truth or Dare and not really wanting to hear the answer. However the masochistic in me had to know, had to know why him. Just as I was about to urge her on regardless of the pit in my stomach, she turned and looked out her window. Small fingers came up to push her blowing hair behind her ear.
"Honestly? I thought I was ready for it, for sex…and…." she continued without waiting for me to respond, "I knew you had already slept with Alice. She had told me of course, and I figured if you were ready, then so I was I." My heart skipped a bit before charging ahead, racing in my chest in hope and regret. I didn't know what to say, I glanced at her quickly before turning back to the road. Without further prompting, she continued. "I wanted my first time to be with someone I loved, not some random boyfriend I might never see again years later. Your first time should be something special, something you always remember."
We were quiet for a moment, the silence surrounding us, not with a heavy burden, but with a comfort as our memories of our first times came back to us. She was right. My first time with Alice was something I remembered with love and kindness, it wasn't dark or awful, or with someone I didn't love.
She sighed, looking at her hands in resting on her thighs and she whispered. "So I wanted it to be with someone that would be in my life forever. That's only two people…and one wasn't available."
I bit down on my bottom lip, wanting the pain, the slight metallic taste of the blood seeped over my tongue.
"Edward was a gentleman, sweet…." she wiped her cheek. "He took good care of me, Jasper. I asked him to do it and he agreed. Of Course, it took some convincing. "
It was a heavy moment; she had finally confessed to me that she had slept with Edward. After all these years of avoiding the topic, she had told me she loved him. The comfortable silence had become thicker, the vines of it tightening around my heart, squeezing it. I needed out of the conversation, and quickly.
"Yes, well I have always wondered about him." I glanced at her, hoping she would catch my lead and run with it.
"Yeah, he is a bit too fashionable."
She took bait, smart girl.
"I mean, who really wears loafers anymore?" she added with one final swipe to her damp cheeks.
"Exactly…especially when cowboy boots rule." I gave her a weak smile and pointed at her boots on the floor. She let out a laugh and reached behind her.
"Want a drink?" Edward might not have been sitting in the truck next to us, but he was with us, on our minds and most definitely buried deep in our hearts, especially hers. Handing me a bottle of water, she plopped back down on her seat just as her cell rang. "Shit," she murmured as she looked at the display before hitting the end button and sending the caller to voicemail.
"Any decision yet?" I asked, motioning toward her phone.
Tossing the phone back in her bag, she looked out the window. "Can we not talk about it now?"
Frustrated, I snapped back. "If you can't talk about it to your best friend, then…"
"Is that what we are?" she interrupted, snapping her head toward me, her brows arched.
"Aren't we?" I asked, completely confused. She didn't answer but turned back toward the window. The silence remained until I suggested we pulled into Madisonville for lunch, although I doubted either of felt much like eating. Instead, we ordered quickly and pushed the food around our plates as we pretended to eat. Silently, I berated myself for having brought Jake up.
Once we were back in the truck, Bella pulled her cell phone out and I cringed, preferring she called Jake in private, somewhere I didn't have to hear the murmurs of love and promises of a quick return.
"Jake?" I asked and received a nasty glare.
"No, actually, I'm calling Edward," she practically spat at me. Putting the phone up to her ear, she waited for him to answer. After a minute, she hung up and looked at me. "No answer."
Concerned clouded her, her eyes were downcast, but I knew they held worry in them.
"I'm sure he's fine, Bella, probably just working. You know his hours are crazy at hospital. He's kinda at their mercy."
"I know," she sighed as she fondled the phone in her hands. "But this is like the third time he hasn't answered, and he hasn't called back yet." Turning away from me, she wiped at her eye and tipped her hat down to shield herself from me.
"I'm sure he's fine," I repeated quietly, not sure I who I was trying to reassure more, her or me.
"**~~**"
It was about six when we pulled into the Galveston State Park. Stopping at the office, I hopped out and went into see if we could get a site. Luckily, they had some secluded sites available, and I picked the one that would be furthest from anyone. After signing the paperwork, I headed back to the truck and drove to our spot. The brush was thick, even scratching along the sides of the truck as we crawled along the small dirt road.
"Are you sure it's out here? I feel like we're going to drive into the marsh."
Bella glanced down at the map I had tossed in her lap after checking in. "Yep, should be just beyond those markers."
Sure enough, less than a hundred yards later we pulled into a small clearing and parked. "I'll get the tent, you get the bags?"
Nodding, she opened her door and got out. I was pulling out the tent before I realized she wasn't next to me. Walking around the side of the truck, I found her standing there staring out over the horizon. "You okay?"
"It's beautiful," she replied with awe. Following her gaze, I saw the sun as it hung low, casting deep hues of orange and reds across the darkening sky. We stood there quietly appreciating the beautiful sight when I felt her fingers weave with mine. I spread my own to welcome hers and gripped tightly, rubbing my thumb along her hand. Leaning against me, she sighed. "I'm sorry."
Placing a kiss on the top of her head, I whispered into her hair, "Me too." As much as I hated to, I released her hand to get the tent set up before it got dark. She followed, pulling out our bags and lugging them over to the site before heading back for the other supplies.
"Ah, Jasper, why is all this food in the cooler?" she asked as she opened the lid and saw the food I bought at the store before we had arrived.
"It's dinner and breakfast."
"Steak? Potatoes? We don't even have a grill, how are you going to cook this?" she asked dragging the cooler over to me. I had the tent unpacked and was about to pop it open.
"On the fire," I answered her silly question and swear I heard her chuckle, mumbling something about 'that'll be the day'.
Less than an hour later, the tent was up with our sleeping bags inside. Bella had unpacked our cooking supplies and had opened up a bag of chips, munching on them as she sat o a log watching me finish up. Finally, I kneeled before the fire pit.
"I can't believe you are going to attempt this. Why don't you just share these chips with me?" she offered, holding the bag out to me.
"Oh ye of little faith," I shot back as I gathered twigs from ground and laying them in the circle of rocks on top of the grass I had already put there. After building a tiny teepee with the sticks, I pulled out my flint and switchblade. I looked up at Bella before starting. "Still got that first aid kit handy?"
Her eyes widened. "Please tell me you were a Boy Scout?"
"Nope, Major wouldn't let me, said he could teach me everything I needed to know." Carefully, I scraped the magnesium onto a napkin before flipping it over to spark the flint. "Ready?" I asked her before I swiped the blade down the dark line of flint. Three sparks later, a small flame appeared before quickly dying out, but I leaned over and blew on the napkin, encouraging the flame to grow. Gently, I placed it under the teepee and watched with pride as it caught the dry brush.
"Wow, Jasper, I'm seriously impressed."
"Grab me those sticks over there." I pointed to large pile I had gathered earlier. Following my instructions, she brought them over and sat next to me on the ground, her eyes never leaving the growing fire. After tossing on some sticks and larger pieces of wood, I turned to her. "Time for some grub," I stood, dusting off my hands before heading for the food.
She continued to watch in awe as I sliced the potatoes and wrapped them in tin foil before tossing them into the fire. Next, I grabbed a long thin grate and laid it across the rocks, the fire reaching up through the rods. "We got about thirty minutes until the potatoes are done. Want a drink?"
Nodding, she moved back to her log, sitting on ground in front of it, she leaned back against the wood and patted the ground next to her. We were pretty quiet, watching the sun's last rays whisper their good-bye as it lowered on the horizon.
"One of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen."
"It sure as hell is," I agreed before getting up and grabbing the steaks to toss them on the homemade grill. Kneeling next to the rocks, I flipped the steaks, seasoned them with some spices, and checked the potatoes. Satisfied they were done, I grabbed the plates and served us, handing Bella her steak and potato, complete with butter.
"It is going to moo?" she joked as she sat back to cut her steak. Hesitantly, she took a bit, and as she chewed, her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God, Jasper. How the hell you do this?"
Beaming, I sat across from her, chewing on my own piece as I spread butter on my potato. "Do what?"
Swallowing, I swear she moaned in pleasure. "Cook. This is fucking delicious."
Laughing, I shook my head. "Sweetheart, I might not know my way around a kitchen, but give me a fire and I can make you a three course meal." She challenged me with a raised brow. "Okay, perhaps not three course, but at least a damn good steak."
"Damn good," she agreed with her mouth full. "Does Edward know?"
"Know what?"
"That you can cook?"
"Oh. Actually, I don't know, he's gone camping with me and the Major a few times, but I'm not sure he's eaten something I've cooked."
"After all these years, I can't believe you can cook…"
"Over a fire," I reminded her.
After filling ourselves, I cleaned up the dishes, rinsing them off under the spout of running water the site had and restocked the fire with some wood before grabbing my guitar and settling back next to Bella. The night air had brought a chill with it, and we both moved closer the fire to feed off its warm glow. Cradling the Gibson in my lap, I let my fingers trail over the strings, reacquainting themselves. I hadn't played it since the night before I had left.
"That's not your guitar," Bella observed.
"It is now," I sighed, caressing the smooth wood as gently as I would any lover that lay beneath me.
"You saved the money up?" I shook my head, debating on telling her the truth as to the guitar's original purchaser.
"Jasper?"
Lightly strumming the strings with one hand, my other pressed the cords. "Edward gave it to me." I paused, waiting to see if she would reply. When she didn't, I continued. "For my birthday, but since I wasn't going to be around for it, he gave it to me early."
"The night before we left." She began to fill in the blanks, "Along with the necklace." I nodded and tilted my head.
"Any requests?"
"Anything you want."
I paused for a second before beginning, my fingers moving over the strings.
"Cowboys ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold.
They'd rather give you a song than diamonds or gold.
Lonestar belt buckles and old faded Levis,
And each night begins a new day.
If you don't understand him, an' he don't die young,
He'll prob'ly just ride away."
Giggling as soon as the first words had left my mouth, she grinned through the entire song, even joining in on the chorus. I was silently thankful that we were far away from our nearest neighbor.
"Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
Don't let 'em pick guitars or drive them old trucks.
Let 'em be doctors and lawyers and such.
Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
'Cos they'll never stay home and they're always alone.
Even with someone they love."
I finished the song, letting the last notes fade away before looking up at Bella, seeing her thoughtful stare. "What?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"'Course."
She thought for a moment, pulling her sweatshirt down and resting her chin on her bent knees. "Why didn't you major in music? You obviously love it."
As I felt the guitar in my lap, its weight pleasant and comforting, I considered her question, one I had asked myself more than once. "For the same reason Edward wants med school." She waited for me to explain further. "We are expected to be doctors and lawyers and such." Again, a raised brow. "Alright, so only one of us is going to be a doctor. Regardless, it's expected of us. While Edward's true passion is music, he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor…and he will make a brilliant one."
"And with you?" she asked, tossing a stick into the fire watching the flames engulf it.
"Can you see the Major if I had told him I wanted to study music? History might not have the prestige of a doctor but it will get me a steady job. And if I wasn't going military, I had to pick something useful. Music? Not very useful."
"But you love it."
"Yes, I do, very much. But you never know how much food it'll put on the table."
"And unless you plan on cooking over an open fire every night, you need to make enough money to eat out a lot. "
Smiling, I agreed. "Or marry someone that can cook." I laughed at the thought of getting married, but she turned serious on me.
"Do you think you'll ever get married?" When I looked over at her, I found her staring at the fire as the flames danced toward the sky.
"I don't know, honestly."
And I didn't. Marriage wasn't something I had put much thought into. Hell, I could barely tell a toaster from a microwave, I was hardly ready for marriage. There was so much I needed to do first; graduate, get a job, find a place to live. While she had the proposal on her mind, I knew even if she said yes to Jake, Bella wouldn't marry until she had graduated; she was too responsible to do otherwise. Wanting to steer us away from the very conversation that had caused a rift earlier, I began to play a few random cords.
"Want another?"
She nodded at me and smiled, "Sure."
"This one's dedicated to Peter," I chuckled to myself as I played the first few notes.
"Blame it all on my roots
I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know
The last one to show
I was the last one
You thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise
And the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you
Said, honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain"
Laughing, she joined me in the chorus again.
"'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places"
We barely made it through the song, missing a few lines here and there from laughing. Bella's conveniently time 'yee haws' had sent me in a fit of giggles. The rest of the night was spent singing country songs, some old, some new…but each one holding a special meaning to me. As it neared the camp ground's quiet time, I put the guitar back in the truck and grabbed a blanket. Sitting against the log, I spread my legs before me and held the blanket out to Bella. Crawling between my legs, she leaned her back against my chest and I wrapped the blanket around her, taking her hands in mine and placing them on her stomach. With her head on my shoulder, we watched the stars in silence. When she turned her head toward mine, I felt her breath caress my unshaven jaw as she spoke.
"Tell me a story."
A story?
"Like a ghost story?" I pulled away a bit and looked down at her.
"No, a story from your childhood."
"Oh, a horror story," I laughed. "Didn't you hear enough of Jasper's most embarrassing moments from Peter?"
"It doesn't have to be embarrassing, just tell me something…." I thought for a moment, and then began.
"I was six or seven and the Major had just gotten back from being overseas for six months and we celebrated by going camping. I don't remember the campground, or where it was, but it was a nice place that had a big lake. There happened to be a fishing competition that weekend and the Major entered us. Early the next morning, long before sunrise, he woke me up and we gathered our stuff. My mom had made us sandwiches and packed a cooler for our lunch. I had my bright yellow life vest on and the Major paddled us out in a small rowboat. It was my first time fishing, and I was so excited to spend the day with my dad, and learn how to fish. He taught me how to bait the hooks…."
"And?"
"Well, I got a little sick and vomited over the side of the boat."
"Oh, no."
"Yep. It wasn't much, but I was pretty embarrassed. The Major baited my hooks after that." Bella giggled and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "We tossed our lines and then just sat and waited. The lake was crystal clear and smooth as glass. We just sat there and watched the sun rise. It was beautiful. The Major told me stories about his tour, where he had been, what he had seen. He talked and I listened with awe. He was…my hero, everything I wanted to grow up to be. After a few hours, I had a bite on my hook. The Major got behind me, helped me reel it in and sure enough, we pulled in a small trout. It plopped on the floor of the boat, flopping around all wild like. Its mouth opening and closing as best it could with the hook in it. I looked up at my dad, he looked so…proud of me and I remember thinking...I couldn't do it. I couldn't take the fish's life for the sake of some contest. I was afraid to tell my dad though, afraid the look of pride he had given me would disappear, but I took a deep breath and told him anyway. His smile faded for a minute, and then he pulled out some clippers, cut the hook, pulled it out the fish's mouth. Then he told me to hold out my hands."
I paused, remembering how scared I had been that day as I stood there, barely able to move with the life jacket on and my tiny hands shaking. It had been one of the first times I had stood up my dad, and the thought of my hero being disappointed in me had almost broken my heart.
"I was afraid of what he was going to do. He was calm and I couldn't tell how mad he was. My hands shook as I held them out in front of me waiting for his belt to come slamming down on them. Instead, I felt the slimy fish. I opened my eyes and grabbed it, trying to keep it still and just looked up at him. He told me 'if you are going to be responsible for saving a life, you need to follow through'. I leaned over the edge of the boat and placed the fish back in the water. My dad and I watched him swim away. I imagined he was going back to his family. Like my dad had come home to me, the fish was going back to his kids. We just stayed in the boat until lunch, we ate the sandwiches my mom had packed and then headed back in. When we got back to the campsite, my mother asked us how we had done, how many fish we had caught. My dad looked down at me, and told her 'they just ain't biting today, sweetheart'. When she turned to walk away, he looked down at me, ruffled my hair and gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen."
"I've never heard you call him dad before," she observed, her voice thick with sleep. "Have you fished since then?"
"Nope and I still won't eat seafood."
"Who knew the Major was such a softy," Bella sighed. Pulling her to me tightly, I let my cheek rest against her head and felt my eyes drift close. I was warm and comfortable and had Bella in my arms.
The tent remained empty that night as we both fell asleep against the log, her wrapped in the blanket and me wrapped around her while the crickets played us their summer lullaby.
The sun rose to find it in almost the same positions we had watched it set in. As its early morning warmth spread over us, my eyes fluttered opened and I realized what had happened. Nudging Bella with my leg, I felt her stir but she only turned her head toward me.
My legs were stiff, my ass was numb, and my back was sore from the rough bark of the log. Yet, I couldn't remember when I had been more comfortable. Even waking up in the hotel rooms with Bella next to me didn't compare to waking up outside by the sunlight with Bella snug against me. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes again, inhale her scent and let it pull me back into sleep. Instead, I shook her.
"Bella," I whispered. "Wake up." My voice was husky from all the singing the night before.
"Sleep."
"Yeah, I know, but we got to get up and get goin'."
Slowly, her eyes opened and widened when she realized where she was. "Oh my God, Jasper. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. Why did you wake me up."
"Probably because I fell asleep too," I yawned, turning my head from her.
"I'm stiff," she complained, arching her back as she lifted her arms above her head and stretched.
"Tell me about it," I murmured under my breath when my growing erection felt the friction of her ass against it. Gently, I put my hands on her hips and helped her to her feet. "I'll get the fire started for breakfast while you shower."
Nodding, she stumbled to the truck still wrapped in the blanket.
By the time she returned from her shower, I had the bacon cooked and was flipping the eggs on the pan. She walked over, her hair damp and her cheeks still flushed from the heat of her shower, and stood beside me. "I still don't get it."
"What?" I asked, sliding the eggs into a plate.
"How the hell you can cook eggs over a fire but not on a stove top."
"Hell with the eggs, you should have seen what happened when I tried to cook bacon once."
"I can just imagine."
"Let's just say it's a hella easier to cook bacon on this grate than a pot."
"A pot?"
"Long story," I handed her the plate of food, "Bon appetit." Taking my own plate, I sat across from her and we ate to the sounds of other campers waking up and the ducks calling from the water. "Let's head to into town today, I want to show you something."
"Sure," she mumbled as she chewed. "Jasper, this is really good. We are so installing a firepit when we get home."
After breakfast, Bella cleaned up while I went and took a shower.
"**~~**"
We stood on the shore overlooking the bay, the green water ebbing with the wakes of the touring cruise ships as they passed by. Bella, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and black tee shirt that said 'Everything's bigger in Texas', stood next to me, her hand shielding her eyes against the high sun.
"See that over there," I put a hand on her shoulder and pointed across the water to the lighthouse on the other side. "That's Point Bolivar Lighthouse and Fort Travis is right there," I moved my hand to the right a bit.
"And where are we?" she asked looking around the bay.
"Fort Point," I took her hand we headed along the shoreline. "In July 1861, the Navy blockaded this harbor, but it remained under Confederate rule. So in October of 1862, Union Commander Renshaw sent in the ship Harriet Lane with a flag of truce. The idea was to tell the authorities of the town that if they did not surrender, the Navy would attack. Colonel Cook, the Confederate commander for the area, refused to send an answer to the ship, so the Harriet Lane returned to the other ships, but was replaced by four Union steamers and mortar boat. To answer, the Confederates fired at the ships. The Navy answered and even disabled one of the Confederate guns at Fort Point."
"So what happened? Did they attack back?" she asked with sincere interest.
"Well, the Confederates had other guns, and fired those at the Union ships. Renshaw demanded surrender of Galveston or he would begin shelling the town. Cook refused and said that if Renshaw fired on the town, he would kill women, children, and aliens. Before the Union could fire though, a Confederate officer asked to speak with Cook and negotiated a four day truce to evacuate the women and children from the town. The agreement was finalized but never written down, which caused problems. The Confederates evacuated alright, taking all their weapons, ammunition, and basically anything they could carry. Well, Renshaw wasn't happy about that, but because there was nothing written down, he couldn't do anything about it."
"Why wasn't he happy about it?"
"Because part of overtaking an area is acquiring all their assets, such as guns and ammo. The less firepower your enemy has, the better for you. But when the people took it all with them, there wasn't much left for the Union to confiscate, and that basically pissed them off, though not much they could do about it."
"How did it end?" she looked out over the harbor, imagining the old ships lined up for battle.
"Galveston fell to the Union, which sucked because it meant one more Confederate port was closed to commerce. No income meant no money to fund the war. However, the port wasn't shut down for long. "
"Was that the only battle here?"
Shaking my head, I picked up a rock and skimmed it out across the water. "No, there was another. Major General Magruder-"
"Macgyver?"
"Magruder," I corrected her, looking down at her and laughing. "became Confederate commander in Texas in November of 1862. Needless to say, they relieved Cook of his duties after what had happened. Well, Magruder," I emphasized his name, "was very eager to recapture Galveston back under Confederate rule, so on New Year's Day in 1863, four Rebel gunboats appeared down the bay heading toward the town. As soon as they were in sight, the Rebels attacked via land too. The Union forces here were only three companies from Massachusetts, a volunteer infantry actually, under the command of Burrell. It wasn't too hard for the Confederates to capture or kill all of them, and they boarded and took the Harriet Lane and another schooner. When Renshaw's ship, the U.S.S Westfield, ran aground trying to help the Harriet Lane they blew it up on purpose to prevent her from being captured by the Rebels. In the end, the Confederate took Galveston back, but the Union blockade of the harbor still limited their commerce. "
We stopped walking and took in the view. The sun reflected off the water, bright sparks of light shooting from its surface.
"Over there is a Coast Guard Reserve." Putting my hands on her shoulders, I turned her a bit. "And that is the Fort Point lighthouse."
"When was that built?"
"I'm not sure, but late 1800's I believe, although it wasn't in service very long."
"Tell me more?"
"You're not bored?" I laughed.
"Nope, I want to know more."
"Okay. There was another battle in Texas, fought up in Sabine Pass by the Louisiana border. It was September of 1863 when a small group of people under Dowling defeated a large Union invasion from New Orleans. Dowling's men were more skilled with guns and disabled the lead ships. When they did that, the rest of the ships retreated back to New Orleans. It was a huge victory for the Confederate because of the odds. CSA-"
"CSA?"
"Confederate States of America. Their president was Jefferson Davis. He called the Sabine Pass victory the greatest military victory in history of the world."
"He was a bit full of himself, huh?"
"Yes, he was. I guess he had to be to think he could beat the Union forces. In fact, the last battle of the war was fought in Texas."
"Really? I mean, once it was declared over, it was over, right?"
"Well, Lee surrendered in April of 1865, but there was one last battle fought here in May, but it only lasted a day."
"How do you know all this?"
I stopped and looked down at her, the sun had been working hard on her skin and it was a beautiful shade of pink. "Seriously, Bella?"
Laughing, she continued to walk, pulling my hand. "I know you study history and all, but you are like a walking Google search."
"Want to know more?" Her slight nod was all I needed before I was telling her about the Texas secession from the country in 1861, and how Sam Houston had been replaced because he refused to sign the papers. I babbled out random facts until I was once again at the Battle at Sabine Pass. We had walked back and forth along the beach, Bella never seeming to lose interest, properly inserting well-timed 'ohs and ahs', and asking questions when I confused her or went too fast.
"Thank you for the history lesson, Hale."
"Professor Hale to you, miss," I tipped my head.
"Ya know," she began, looking out over the water. "People might be more inclined to go to class if they were all held on a beach."
"I know I would. "
"You're wrong, ya know."
"About?"
"History is your passion, Jasper. I can see it in your eyes when you talk about it. You get animated, and excited, and happy. You really love it."
Sighing, I knew she was right, my love for history ran deep. It had been installed in me at a young age and the thirst to know more had yet to be fully quenched. "We've been walking for hours, you must be starving."
"I am. Let's get seafood," she chuckled before starting to jog up the beach. I followed and we found a small shack that was selling burgers and fries. Ordering some, we took them back to the beach, sat in the sand and ate, our view one more beautiful than of any restaurant.
After lunch, we drove down Harborside Drive along the bay heading back into the city.
"What are those?" Bella asked, pointing out her window to the metal cities in the water.
"Oil rigs."
"They're huge."
"Lots of oil."
Heading east, we headed back toward the beach, found a place to park and then hit some stores, hunting down some souvenirs for friends and family back home. Bella was undecided about what to get for Edward until we walked into a hat store.
"We have to get him a cowboy hat," she practically squealed.
I stopped short. "You've got to be kidding." Shaking her head, she began searching through the hundreds of hats. "Bella, Edward doesn't seem like the cowboy hat wearing type."
She ignored me, digging through hats, trying the occasional one on. "Well, we got to get him something, right? So why not a hat? I mean, really Jasper, what says Texas more than a cowboy hat?"
She had me there. I had no argument and began to help her look. It seemed like hours later, she finally settled on a red hat with a black band. I had almost expected to see tassels hanging off the brim. Part of me couldn't wait to see the expression on Edward's face when Bella gave it to him. Somehow, I knew he would blame me for it.
When we were done shopping, we headed back to the camp ground, relaxing a bit before I started the fire for dinner, opting for some simple hot dogs and some pasta salad we had picked up at a store. Bella watched as I started the fire and cooked the hot dogs to perfection.
"Seriously, Jasper, the fact that you can cook is the world's best kept secret," she said as she bit into her hot dog.
"Bella, it's a hot dog. Monkeys could cook them."
"Yeah, well monkeys could probably cook toast too," she challenged.
"Point taken." I sat next to her and began to eat. "More songs tonight?" I asked hopefully, eager to feel my guitar in my hands again.
She wiped her mouth with her hand and nodded. "Yep, got to get ready to do more karaoke with Peter and Charlotte. "
"God help us," I groaned before waiting the impact of her tiny fist on my arm, which came with more force than I expected. We spent the night singing, laughing and joking. As soon as we both began to yawn, we climbed into the tent, not wanting to fall asleep outside again. Our sleeping bags were right next to each, the tent not leaving much room for anything else. Once Bella was inside hers, I zipped her up and crawled into my own before opening my arms. In her bag, she slid over into my embrace, her head resting on my chest.
"G'night, Jasper," she sighed.
"Sweet dreams, Bella."
"**~~**"
I was already cooking breakfast by the time Bella crawled yawning out of the tent the next morning. Handing her a plate with a breakfast sandwich on it, I smiled as she shook her head.
"Amazing," she mumbled. "Can't work a toaster, but you can cook bagels on a fire."
"Don't bother showering when you're done."
"Why?" She said before biting into the sandwich and moaning, her eyes rolling back into her head a bit. "This is really good."
"Thanks. Because we're hitting the beach today, swimsuit and towel are all you need." While she finished breakfast, I cleaned up and changed into swimming trunks, tossing on an old tee shirt and throwing towels into the truck.
Sitting next to me in her bathing suit, I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road. It was black and simple, and even though it covered her well, it left little to the imagination. Suddenly I was thankful my shorts were extra baggy. We crossed the bridge over the bay, Bella pointing out Fort Travis as we went by it. I complimented her for retaining the history lesson from the day before.
Walking onto the sand, we found a place for our blanket and spread it out. After Bella coated herself in sunscreen and I wiped the drool off my chin, we lay in the sun and talked. Bella insisted on more childhood stories. Lying on my stomach, resting my head on my folded arms, I told her about our family trip to the beach we were at and my first trip to a cattle ranch.
"Wait, you know how to ride?" I wasn't sure that question even deserved an answer. Did anyone grow up in small town Texas and not know how to ride? Instead, I raised an eyebrow at her. Quickly, she turned to her side to face me. "Will you teach me?"
A trotting chestnut horse popped into my head and I got an idea. "Sure, if you really want to."
"Awesome," she giggled with excitement as she rolled onto her stomach, her head on her arms facing me. "This is really beautiful here, Jasper."
Squinting, I looked down the shoreline. "Well, it is now. It got slammed by Ike a few years ago, did some damage to a lot of these buildings, docks and piers. The wind hit hard, but there was a nasty storm surge too. Totally destroyed some places, lots of damage to others."
All day we stayed on the beach, heading into the water several times to cool off, splashing and swimming. When the day grew long, we packed up and headed to a restaurant, Bella giving me the night off from cooking. Once back at the campground, we showered off the sand and ocean water before settling in by a small fire I had made. We talked movies, books, and our upcoming classes. Bella fell asleep in my arms to my story about Edward and me camping with the Major. I carried her into the tent, placing her on her sleeping bag. Then I unzipped mine and covered us both with it.
It was another night of peaceful sleep with Bella safe and sound in my arms.
"**~~**"
After breakfast, packing and checking out, we headed northwest on I-45. We had been driving for almost four hours when we started seeing signs for I-20 and Abilene. As Bella realized we had passed the exit for Abilene, she looked over at me surprised.
God, she looked beautiful with her freshly tanned skin.
"Ah, Jasper, why didn't you take the exit?"
Just as we passed under a sign that said 'Dallas 40 miles', I glanced at Bella.
"I told you if you were good, I had someplace special to show you."
She looked up at the sign, "In Dallas?"
"In Dallas," I confirmed.
"**~~**"
Thanks for reading!
Voting has begun at the Slash Awards, there are many great stories up for Best Kiss, Best Hand Job and many other categories. Lost and Found was nominated for a few, as well as Merger and Acquisitions. Read through all the nominations and vote here http . com/ ?zx=16777e4acdfb109a (remove spaces)
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