20. Uh…

##

BELLA

I was making a three bean salad to take to Gran's for Edward's birthday dinner. She'd taken care of the guest list, and I knew Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle were going to man the grills. We thought about having it at the Town Hall, but Gran decided she'd rather have it at her house so we could sit outside to enjoy the evening. It was supposed to be beautiful.

The birthday boy was taking a nap. He said he wanted to "recharge the batteries" for the night ahead, but I could tell I'd worn him out this afternoon. I did leave a note for myself on the desk to clean the table in the reference section when I got in the next morning. I didn't really want my ass print there if anyone chose to do a little research.

I was contemplating the revelation that Emma Cope was a one-woman censoring machine. I planned to talk to Esme about it that night to see if she could shed any more light on the situation. It was the twenty-first fucking century, after all.

I pulled the blanched string beans from the ice bath and placed them in a bowl as the yellow wax beans took their turn in the boiling pot. I'd chopped up the red onion, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and drained the kidney beans. Just as I was transferring the wax beans to the ice bath, the front door opened and closed.

Mak walked into the kitchen slowly with a bright smile on her face. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Making a salad to take to Gran's for dinner tonight. Where've you been? When Edward and I went back to close the bookstore, Emmett was watching the desk. I thought you were handling it." I was a little pissed at her for leaving without a word because I'd hoped she'd matured out of her flighty behavior. If she hadn't, we were going to have a problem.

"I was, but something came up," she offered vaguely.

I pulled the wax beans out of the ice bath and placed them in with the string beans. I dried my hands on a towel, preparing to do battle with her. "Look, Mak, something that's very important to the people in this town is your word is your honor. You gave Edward your word you'd watch the store, and when we got back, Emmett was sitting at the counter reading a Harry Potter book. He didn't say what had happened, just that you had to leave. If you couldn't stay, you should have called my cell."

"Bella…"

Oh, I was just getting started. "Don't Bella me, Makenna. We're outsiders here, and if we don't live up to our word, the people in this town will always see us as such. I'm trying to live down my father's disappointment at having me here. I can only imagine what he's thinking since Edward told him we're engaged. If you're not going to be a productive member of this community, you need to just pack it up and go." I sounded like a harsh bitch, but I needed her to understand her behavior was a direct reflection on me, and I was already walking a tight rope by being with Edward. I didn't need her bullshit as well.

She reached up and clamped my lips shut, just as the boys had done to us that morning when we were fishing. "Shut the fuck up for a minute, will you? I had to leave because Brady came into the store, quite upset."

Yep, that shut me up. "What happened?" I asked as I emptied the mushrooms, onions, and peppers into the bowl with the beans.

"Someone named Jacob came into the library to ask about me, I guess. He led Brady to believe that I wasn't being honest with him about being interested in him. When he came to the bookstore, Brady was really upset. He was going on and on about how he wasn't smart enough for me, and I was just hanging out with him because I felt sorry for him. I told him that wasn't the case, but he just wouldn't hear it, even after Emmett told him he was wrong."

"Where is he?" I asked. I was so worried something of the sort would happen, and it obviously had. I was going to kick Jacob Black in the nuts the next time I saw him.

"Let me finish. He stormed out of the store without giving me a chance to convince him he was wrong. I hopped in my car and followed the direction he was going, figuring out he was coming home. I pulled over and got out to talk to him, pleading with him to believe me that I was interested in him and only him. He asked me if I had other boyfriends, and I told him I had in the past, but I didn't feel about them the way I feel about him. He said I felt sorry for him because he was stupid, and he kept walking."

"By then, I was crying, of course. I followed him down the side of the road, explaining to him that I didn't know Jacob Black or Paul Saunders. He said they were smart, and I'd probably like them better, and I slapped the crap out of him. He was stunned for a minute, and then he picked me up and carried me back to my car. He said, 'I was told to walk away from a woman when I got mad, so that's what I'm gonna do right now. Be careful gettin' home.' I peeled out, spraying him with gravel and I came home."

"Makenna, as much as I appreciate a good yarn, get to a fucking point, please. Where's Brady now?"

"He's in the shower, Belly. Anyway, I came home and sat on the porch until he started walking down the path to the cabin. I met him on the path, and I laid into him for what he said. You know how pissed off I get when I have time to stew on shit, and it took him about an hour to get home, which was just enough time for me to get really worked up. I shouted at him that I loved him, and he had no right to let anything this Jacob said make him doubt me."

"I told him if he didn't think I was good enough for him then he should just tell me and I'd leave him alone. Again, I was crying, but I couldn't help it. He pulled me closer and kissed my cheeks where the tears were out of control, and when he pulled back, I could see tears in his eyes as well. He told me he loved me and he was worried someone else would catch my attention, so I took him by the hand and led him down to the cabin to prove to him that I believed he was the only man for me."

I froze because I was truly worried about what she did to the poor boy. I was certain Edward hadn't talked to him about sex like I'd asked, and if she'd…well, I was pretty sure the guy was freaking out. "Without any detail whatsoever, Mak, what did you do?"

"I dropped to my knees in the middle of the living room and I…"

"STOP! I know what you did. No need to actually say it," I ordered as I held up my hand like a traffic cop.

She giggled. "Anyway, he freaked out on me a little bit in the beginning, but after I explained to him it was something that women did for the men they loved, he got into it. Dear God, when we get down to fucking, I'm going to be walking funny, Bella. The man is hung."

Unfortunately, I'd had a glimpse of his junk so I knew she wasn't lying. "I'm going to hate myself for asking, but did he…"

She actually blushed a bit, which wasn't something Makenna Joanne Dwyer ever did. "Yeah, and then he freaked out a bit because I wouldn't let him, uh, move. I seriously thought he was going to pass out, Bella. I've got myself a bit of a dilemma because he's sort of freaked out regarding what to do with me, so do you think…I mean, I could explain it to him, but he's so sweet and innocent. I'm afraid if I tell him what I want him to do to me, he'll have a stroke," she surmised.

"Alright, baby, I'm ready for round three. I'm thinking the shower…," Edward announced before he walked into the kitchen, his hair all over his head. He was only wearing a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, but I was actually grateful he was wearing anything at all.

Mak looked at him and then me, eventually cracking up. "Damn, sis, you wore the old man out."

"HEY! I'm not old, little girl. Where'd you disappear to this afternoon?"

"You don't want to know," I told him.

"You! I need you to do me a favor, brother-in-law," she determined.

He walked over and kissed my cheek as I made the dressing for the salad. "What's she yammering about?"

I decided to be blunt so I didn't have to hear her extrapolated story again. "Long-story-short, she and Brady kinda had a fight today over what-the-fuck-ever Jacob said to him. Brady panicked that she'd meet someone else, and she…you slapped him at some point, didn't you?" I asked her.

"I did because he was behaving like a man. Look, I blew him and rocked his world, but he doesn't have the slightest idea how to reciprocate anything other than fucking. He said we shouldn't do that until we're married, and I gotta tell ya, Mayor, I think a discussion between the two of you would be kinder to him rather than if I give him a sex ed class. I love the guy. I wanna show him. I also don't wanna freak him out, ya know?"

At that point, Edward was nearly apoplectic. I chuckled. "I told you to talk to him when he first moved into the cabin. You didn't, and now, well…time's up."

Makenna piped up, "You got any high-class porn? Maybe that would be a good visual aid."

I nodded in agreement, seeing him pinching the bridge of his nose. "First, I have your sister. I don't need porn. Second, I don't have the slightest idea how to broach the subject with him. How did you learn about sex?" Edward asked Mak.

"Porn, but I wasn't as sensitive a soul as Brady, Edward. I'm afraid if I traumatize him, I'll never get laid." I laughed at her statement as I mixed my salad.

"Mother fuck. You two don't make anything easy on a guy, do you?" I'd have been pissed, but he was actually laughing when he made the comment.

"Wonderful things are rarely achieved easily," Mak spouted.

"That's one of yours, isn't it?" I asked. She made shit like that up all the time, so when she nodded with a big smile, I wasn't surprised.

I pulled on Edward's t-shirt until he leaned down. "If you talk to him and he understands what you're talking about, she'll likely spend a lot more time at the cabin," I taunted, seeing the sexy smile slowly appear on his face.

"I'm going to shower. Mak, you owe me for this. I think I'm going to hire you to help out at the bookstore. You're going to work for minimum wage, and…do you have any experience with web design?" Edward asked.

"Major in journalism…minor in computer science. Well, I didn't graduate, but I decided if I was going to be a reporter, I needed to be able to hack…research effectively. I also screw around with web design a little, why?"

"I want a website for the town and a website for the store. You two have inspired a new energy in town, and I think our little community might be on the brink of becoming one of those niche communities perfect for a weekend getaway. We just need to promote ourselves. I'm going to have to take my ideas to the town once I get my thoughts focused, but I'm expecting the two you to help me out," he explained before he left the room.

I smiled because suddenly, I was part of a wave of change. I truly hoped the town was ready for it. I planned to be a catalyst for change, and I knew in my heart, it would be a good thing. "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades." God Bless Timbuk3.

##

"I just can't believe she was so backward she thought those books needed to be hidden in the basement. I'm going to put them on the shelves. It's ridiculous," I complained to Esme as she and Liz McCarty helped Gran and I finish the sides while Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper cooked hot dogs and hamburgers. Alice and Rosalie were spending time with Mak. The three of them had hit it off, and I knew Mak felt as welcomed to town as me.

I didn't know where the birthday boy was, but I hoped he was off somewhere talking with Brady. The discussion needed to be had, and I couldn't imagine anyone…except maybe Jasper…having it with him besides Edward. Brady saw Edward as a trusted friend, so I knew he'd listen. I just hoped Edward had a game plan.

"I swear it's a wonder Emma ever got married and had Ellie. I'd bet you the lights were never on in their bedroom," Gran announced, bringing us all to laughter in the kitchen.

"I don't doubt it. So, Bella, have you…where's your ring?" Esme asked. Shit! I didn't want to trump Edward's birthday with the news of the engagement, but I wasn't going to have a choice.

I pulled the chain from under my t-shirt and showed the ring to Esme. "That's beautiful, dear. Welcome to the family," she whispered as she hugged me.

I saw Gran eyeing me, and I felt guilty. "Edward and I got engaged this morning. I was trying not to take focus from his birthday party."

"That's a load of manure. You put that ring on your finger, and you be proud of the fact that boy asked you to be his wife," Gran ordered.

"Oh, this is where it gets good. Carlisle and I were…um, the phone rang at six-thirty this morning, and it was Bella asking for our blessing to propose to Edward. It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my life. When I spoke to him later, he was so damn happy about this," Esme gushed. I was really happy to hear the affirmation.

I saw Gran eyeing me. "What?" I asked, waiting for some sort of a sermon.

"I'm glad you came to your senses and saw the possibilities life presented. You're more like me than your father gives you credit. I'm really proud of you, Bella." Gran had a huge smile on her face, and I knew she was happy for me.

"Now, where's my grandson?" she asked as she walked out the back door. I heard her hollering for him, and when he finally stepped up on the porch, I saw her say something to him, which brought a huge smile to his face. He reached down and hugged her before she walked back in the house.

She didn't stop in the kitchen, and I could have sworn she had tears in her eyes. I had to find out what she'd said to him because it took a special man to bring tears to my grandmother's eyes. I went back to mixing the dressing for her German potato salad, dumping the warm mixture over the cooked potatoes.

"I think that's it," I announced as I saw all of the sides. We carried everything outside and set it up on the large table buffet style. Before everyone began scrambling to eat, Edward stood on the bench of the picnic table in the front, holding up his hands.

When he had the attention of everyone, he smiled. "I wanted to thank you all for coming. I'll make this brief. Yeah, I'm a year older. Now, we need to have an emergency town hall because Volturri Communications has taken an interest in our community. They're thinking about bringing cable to Evening Shade, but we need at least a sixty-five percent commitment before they'll undertake it.

"Talk to your friends in town, and look for a poster at the town hall regarding when we'll actually take the vote. Show of hands, how many people here would be excited to have cable television and broadband internet? Let me throw this out. We'd be able to have reliable internet access in town, and we could consider adding a media center at the school."

I looked around and saw a smattering of hands, seeing he wasn't really getting the point across. I walked up behind him and took his hand. "Hi! I'm offering this in support of the Mayor's suggestion regarding cable coming into town.

"I'm preparing a proposal to put before the town council regarding some changes I'd like to make at the library. I'd like to expand story hour to more than just Wednesday afternoons. I'd like to offer it every day, and I'd like to offer diverse activities. With Brady Smith as my assistant, I think he and I can actually provide an hour a day over the summer where the kids can read, do crafts, or even learn computer skills if this cable thing goes through. I'd propose we charge two dollars an hour per child, and the money would go to the library. How many people would be interested in that?"

A lot more hands went up. "Don't we want to come into the twenty-first century? The possibilities for growth are endless," I offered.

I saw Fern stand up with a frown firmly in place. "All of us don't know how to use computers or the internets. I'm fine with my television as it is. Why would I want to…will we have to pay more taxes or something?"

I turned to Edward. "That's something we'll have to consider. There will be state taxes associated, and we need to decide what local taxes we'd levy, but I truly think this could be a huge boost to our local economy. We need to grow as a community, and I believe this is the answer. Talk to your neighbors, and thank you for coming."

He stood down, seeing no interest at all from the people in Gran's backyard. I took his hand and held it. "These things aren't sexy, but growth isn't easy. I'd guess your constituents aren't welcoming of change? This is change, babe."

Suddenly, he jumped back up and held his hands up again. "Sorry. I forgot to tell you the best news of the day. I'm getting married. Bella Swan and I are getting married!"

The applause was amazing, and when he pulled me into his arms and kissed me sweetly, I was in heaven.

##

EDWARD

After we arrived at May's house for the party, I went in search of Brady because I really did need to talk to him regarding what Mak had done to him earlier in the day. I was damn sure he'd never heard anything about any such act, much less experienced it for himself, so I needed to make sure he knew it was a natural thing between a man and a woman. I also needed to explain to him about how to reciprocate, and I knew I'd have to get graphic. I was truly dreading it.

I found him sitting on the ground by a tree off to the side of where the tables were set-up. He was playing with Bella's cat, taunting it with a piece of ivy vine. "Hey," I called as I walked up so as not to frighten him. What I was going to discuss with him was going to scare the shit out of him as it was. I didn't need to cause him to have a heart attack by sneaking up on him before I opened my mouth.

"Hey, Edward. Lots of people here for your party," he observed as he looked around the yard.

"Um, yeah. It's nice that everybody showed up. Look, I wanted to talk to you about something. Um, Mak mentioned that you two, uh, that you had an intimate encounter this afternoon," I began, not sure if he'd understand to what I was referring.

He looked at me, confusion evident. "Huh?"

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Mak mentioned you and she…well, I guess she did something for you today that maybe you're confused about. She also mentioned you're not sure what you can do for her in return. Is that right?"

He paled a bit before he went back to focusing on the cat. Maybe if he didn't look at me, he could get through it. "Yeah, um, she…well, I know what she did, but I didn't know if it was bad or not. She explained to me it wasn't, but was it? It seemed like it should be." I glanced in his direction, seeing his face was glowing. I was sure mine was as well.

"When a man and woman love each other, there are a lot of ways to show each other physically. If both people agree to the act, it's not bad. Only if someone does something against the other person's will is it bad."

"Against your will? What's that mean?"

"Oh, um, without your permission." He got a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She didn't ask me before, she just did it. Does that make it bad?" Oh, God, I'd love to dig his father up and beat the shit out of him.

I took another uneasy breath. "Okay. Let's start from the beginning. What Mak did is something that…well, I've never met a guy who didn't like it. Did you like it?"

He nodded fervently, which nearly caused me to laugh. "Okay, then that doesn't make it bad. She probably should have talked to you about it instead of just springing it on you, but she's still getting used to the fact that you aren't like other guys. And, before you start thinking that's a bad thing, it's not. She loves you because of it. The fact she loves you is why she did it in the first place. Most women won't do that for someone they don't care deeply for, and I can tell you Mak and Bella are those types of women."

He contemplated it for a minute and smiled a little. "Does Bella do that to you?"

Not exactly where I wanted to go, but I needed to be honest with him so he'd understand, and I had kinda opened the door. "She does, but I'd appreciate it if that stayed between you and me, okay?" He nodded.

He picked up Lovey and placed her on his shoulder where she burrowed into his neck. "How, um, how do I get her to do it again?" I looked at him in my periphery, catching the smile on his face as he plucked a piece of grass and began winding it around his finger.

I laughed. "That's the question every guy wants answered. One way, I've found, is if you do the same for her." I knew that would bring more questions, but I had no idea what he knew about the female anatomy.

He closed his eyes for a minute, and then I saw his eyebrows shoot into his hair. "How on earth would I do that to her? She doesn't have a pecker."

"Um, no she doesn't. Women have something…shit. Do you know what a woman looks like without clothes? Have you ever seen a picture of a woman's geneta…a woman's private area?"

He blushed a little. "I've seen a book with naked girls before. That was how Jake told me how a man and a woman have sex to make a baby. Is that what you mean?"

"Okay, good. Well, you know where your, um, pecker would go in a woman, right?" I prayed to God he did.

"Yeah. Closer to the top. Never try to go into the bottom. That'll get ya nut punched." I laughed, knowing he sounded just like Jacob.

"Right, well, if you keep going to the top, there's a bundle of nerves at the top of the, um, slit that excites a woman when it's touched, just like you get excited when your penis is touched. If you gently rub it, or you can, you know, kiss it, she'll like it very much, and if she has an orgasm…you know, like you did with Mak, that will usually get a woman to want to do more. She might want to give you a blow job, or she might actually want to have sex. Does that make any sense?"

He burst into hysterical laughter, and I was fairly certain he wasn't going to stop. "It might sound funny, but…"

He coughed a little as he calmed down. "I'm just kiddin' ya. I know about goin' down on a girl. I didn't know if Mak was the kind of girl who'd let me do that to her. I'm sorry for makin' ya explain it, but you seemed to feel the need, so I just went along with it. I hang out at the garage, Mayor. I hear those guys talkin' about this stuff all the time. I'm not sure how I'll know if I'm doin' it right, though."

"Brady, I say this with love…you're an asshole." We both laughed.

"Sorry, Edward, but I ain't givin' ya a blow job just 'cause ya love me. Anything else you need to explain to me?" he teased.

I reached over and punched his shoulder. "Great, and you're a smart ass just like Mak. One more thing I'll ask and then I'm out. Before you and Mak have sex, you need to talk about birth control. Ask her if she's on birth control and if she wants you to use condoms. If she does, I'll take ya to the store to buy some. Some girls want to use them, some girls don't, but you should always ask. You understand that?"

"Paul said never to dip your wick without a glove because bitches lie," he stated. Yeah, I needed to keep him away from the garage and those mouthy bastards, or he'd be acting just like them in no time.

"I can guarantee you if you refer to sex with Mak as dipping your wick, you'll never have the opportunity. Stop hanging out with those idiots, or you'll end up just like them. Now, anything else?"

"How will I know if she's enjoyin' it? I mean, I want her to like it, too," he asked.

Maybe there was hope for him yet. If he was smart enough to want to make sure she got something out of it as well, he was light years ahead of those asses who hung out at the garage. "That, right there, is the sign of an intelligent man. If your woman gets pleasure from it, I promise you, she'll want to do it again. If you listen to her when you're with her like that, she'll let you know what she likes and what she doesn't. Actually, with a girl like Makenna, if you ask her what she likes, I'd bet you she'd tell you exactly what you need to know, Brady."

"Yeah, I don't think she'd have any problem tellin' me anything. Thanks for talkin' to me, Edward. You're a good friend to try to help me. Now, I'm gonna go find my girl and tell her she needs to quit tellin' tales about our sex life. That's somethin' that should remain private, right?"

"Yes, it should. Don't be like those guys at the garage. If you love Mak, you won't want the other guys to know anything about what the two of you do in private. That's a sign of respect. I'm glad to see you understand it. That's key in a relationship, Brady. You have to respect each other as much as you love each other. You're well on your way. You'll be fine," I encouraged.

We rose from the grass and shook hands, going our separate ways. I heard May calling my name as I walked up the grass. When I arrived on her back deck, she looked a little pissed. "May, what's wrong?"

"I understand you're going to marry my granddaughter. Why am I just hearing about it?"

"I just talked her into it earlier today. It's the best birthday I've ever had, May. I love her very much, and I plan to make sure the woman is very happy for the rest of her life. If I don't do my job as her husband, I'm pretty sure you won't have a problem setting me straight," I teased as I leaned down and hugged the woman.

She held me tightly. "I'm very happy to have you in my family. You take care of her, Edward. She's a special girl, and she's got a lot of love to give. I know you do, too, so I'm not worried about you two in the least. Now, get washed up. It's 'bout supper time."

She pulled away and bolted into the house without looking back. Maybe I didn't exactly have Charlie on my side…or rather on Bella's side…but we had May in our corner. That was probably better because I knew she would defend us and support us. I wasn't sure what Charlie would do, or if he'd ever come around. For Bella's sake, I hoped so.

\\\

I am so in love with this chapter. I love Brady, and how he messed with Edward. I laughed so hard when I read it again. I hope you enjoyed it as well. Tell me about it, will ya?

I'm quite happy to announce that this story was nominated as a fic of the week at The Lemonade Stand (tehlemonadestand). Please, if you love this story, go vote! And to whomever nominated me, my heartfelt thanks!

SMeyer owns. I don't infringe.

Thank you for reading.

Till next time…xoxo