A/N: I don't own Twilight or any of it's characters or the brand names mentioned in my story.

I'm trying to keep this moving along. I know where the story is going but quiet time to write is a valuable commodity so it may take a while to get there, especially with a baby who refuses to be put down.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 21 - When Love Comes to Town (U2)

Despite the moon-lit interlude, the night spent on Esme and Carlisle's couch was perhaps the very best night's sleep I'd ever had. It was certainly the most exquisite wake-up ever, and I'm not referring to said interlude either, though that helped.

I awoke, once again, a bit warmer than usual but also feeling a bit boneless, I suppose that's how I'd describe how relaxed and blissed out I felt. Edward's arms were still wrapped around me. We'd stayed in exactly the same position we'd been in before we fell asleep, with my head was tucked under his chin and my leg draped over his middle. I couldn't remember ever feeling so comfortable in all my life and had my bladder not been full I'd have liked to stay forever. When I stirred a bit Edward tightened his grip to keep me from moving.

He groaned, "Please don't move yet."

That made me giggle a little, "I have to, I have a full bladder." At that he tickled me.

"No fair! Stop!" I said between giggles. "I'm serious, please let me up!"

"Not till you kiss me first," he said.

"Fine but just a quick one, I can taste my bad breath!" He laughed and I planted one on his kisser then hopped up and ran down the hall to the bathroom. While in there I found some mouthwash under the sink. I felt much better and headed back out. Sadly Edward had gotten up too. I found him in the kitchen brewing some coffee.

I stood back watching him, the way his muscles moved in his broad, strong back and muscular arms, and how his hair stuck out in all directions with a clear case of bed head. I liked that I had a part in that hair being so wild. He turned around and spotted me leaning against the doorway watching him. He opened his arms for me to come to him, which I gladly did.

"Hey Baby," he said as he kissed me again. His breath was minty, too, he must've tip-toed off to his bathroom to brush his teeth while I was in the other room. "Good morning!" He said with a bright smile.

"Indeed it is! Good morning to you, too." I melted into his arms wishing we could just go crawl back onto the couch and snuggle some more.

"How will I ever go back to sleeping alone now?" He asked me. "I loved waking with you in my arms."

His smile was intoxicating but I couldn't resist teasing him. "Which time my love?"

He got a wickedly lustful look in his eyes and he smirked, slapped me on my ass and said, "Both times. Each has its own merit." I couldn't help but agree.

Edward tipped my head up toward him and kissed me very sweetly. "I could definitely get used to waking up with you in my arms." I smiled and kissed him again. I heard giggles from the doorway and pulled back but Edward didn't release me from his arms. We both looked over to see his delighted children standing in the doorway.

"Bella!" Seth called out. "I was worried you'd wake up and go home last night. I'm the one who got the blanket so we could cover you up!" He said with a bright smile.

"Thank you! That was so thoughtful." I told him. It was very thoughtful, the A/C was cranked up last night.

"Good mowning Bewwa!" Emily said coming over to join our hug.

"Hi sweetie!" I said.

"Oooh! How was the show last night? Did you love Medieval Times? I've heard it's a lot of fun!" I asked.

Well that opened the floodgates as the kids went over the whole night with excruciating detail. Both were very excited that they'd gotten crowns to wear and their knight won the battle...yep exciting stuff unless it's 6 a.m. I decided to head home and get ready for my day. I was a little nervous about how the press would cover the ambush they'd staged the night before. Rose was very good about recording all the coverage and showing me our press clippings so I wouldn't have to worry for long.

When I got back to Charlie's everything was mercifully quiet. I crept up to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. Once I dressed and got ready for the day I realized my truck was still at my house. I was already wearing a dress so I opted not to ride but took Charlie's Camaro. It was another gorgeous summer day, perfect for a cool convertible.

When I pulled into the lot at work it was insane! There were TV news trucks and journalists everywhere. Thankfully I was still the first one in, so I took a second to text everyone to warn them then braced myself for the onslaught.

"Miss Swan Victoria Miller took the plea bargain and is offering up testimony against the companies and other people involved in the case, what do you think about that?"

Well that's interesting. They mentioned the companies, I didn't think there was anyone else involved.

"Good morning everyone! If there is merit to the claim that Ms. Miller will speak out against the others involved, I'm grateful. It will help the police catch all the responsible parties involved in the theft here at Eclectic. I, for one, am eager to have this matter settled and behind us." I said then I walked into the building.

My first call was to Jake. He confirmed that not only did Victoria take the bargain, she was turning on everyone. The case extends beyond his scope and the Feds took over last night after she implicated some very large corporations. He couldn't go into great detail, not wanting to compromise the investigation, but it turned out we stumbled upon something a whole lot bigger than our own problem. Also, Leia and I were due to head up to visit his reservation tomorrow and Friday for business. His dad had told him and he said he'd be up there then, too and hoped to be able to show me around and help to make me feel welcome. Since it was his idea that I talk with Billy in the first place I thought this a great idea. It turned out we would be on the same flights to get there. He decided since the Feds had taken over his big case that he'd go home for a break, our case had been a real handful with all the attention it received in the press. It stands to reason since our company is multinational it would draw a lot more attention than they'd be accustomed to in sleepy little Lake in the Hills.

Soon the rest of the staff trickled in and Rose gathered us all together to see our clips. Alice joined us via Skype so she and Angela could watch as well. Nothing could've prepared me for the fluff pieces they did about Edward and me. We were mentioned in no less than ten different news/entertainment shows. Really they qualify more as entertainment as this is not newsworthy.

"For crying out loud there is a WAR on and they're talking about me kissing my boyfriend!" I shouted as everyone snickered.

"Hell's Bells, I loved the shot of you straddling your bike and putting your helmet on, you looked so bad-ass," Emmett added his take and Edward smirked.

"It's a good thing they didn't follow us home, they'd probably pay a pretty penny to see what I found in the driveway when I there," Edward whispered to me, causing me to blush furiously.

I whacked his arm and laughed, "Knock it off you guys! I'm serious, how am I supposed to be taken seriously when they show stuff like that?"

"Oh Swan, don't get your beautiful nickers in a bunch! Wait till we get to the blogs, the public LOVES you. You're gorgeous, smart, hard-working and you've got a, and I quote, "fuck-hawt" boyfriend," Rosalie said with a smirk and it was Edward's turn to blush while everyone else laughed.

"I just don't want to get any nasty reputation or negative publicity for Eclectic." I said. "I'm really boring I can't imagine why this is news."

"You really don't see yourself clearly," Edward said and everyone else nodded. "You're 27 and you've built this huge business, you look out for others and you really are beautiful. You're an amazing anomaly, of course people are going to want to see what you're up to. And I'd hardly call our evening yesterday boring."

I blushed and he chuckled. "I mean our long ride in the country and dinner," he whispered to me then kissed my temple.

"I suppose but I still don't see the big deal, I mean it's like I said, there's a flipping war on, and they're talking about us, that's just ridiculous to me."

"Whatever, it is what it is." Rose always cuts to the chase. "There was a lot of good press for Eclectic, they talked about us on some business shows, made a big deal about our restructuring and what that will mean for the company's future. You have no idea how many of those men wished the company was public! They're salivating thinking about how well you'll be doing in the months to come, particularly after the clothing lines are launched."

I laughed. "What they fail to realize is I reinvest everything I can. It's not like I am making bank."

"Oh they realize it alright. You've run this company so well you're growing while everyone else is shitting themselves. You've got zero debt and you're adding new endeavors. They're all green with envy!" Emmett said with a grin. "I can't wait to see what kind of profit we'll turn by December. I think we'll be well on our way to ready for those new locations you mentioned before."

I smiled at that. "Yeah, that'd be great but I don't want to overextend ourselves. It's like you said everyone else is scared to death, and with good reason, if no one has any money to spend we'll be stuck with a store full of great stuff no one can afford. That's why I love that we're expanding to established stores. Especially Target, we'll still be in the game but at a much lower cost point. It helps people stretch their money, and Target is cool." Nearly everyone laughed.

Leia spoke up, "You're right, Bella. Target is the right avenue for lower price points. In college everyone was so happy when they finally opened one in DeKalb because their stuff is cute but affordable to most people, even broke college students."

Of course she'd get it, she grew up middle class, too. Her dad was a fireman and they had to pinch their pennies, like I did growing up. I smiled at her.

After our meeting I found myself very distracted. There was a certain green-eyed Adonis who kept stealing kisses and offering covert touches whenever we were in the same vicinity. It was maddeningly wonderful and felt like we had magnets between us and we could never be close enough.

For lunch we headed to the Texan Barbecue to get away together. It was so hard to behave ourselves. It's like last night awoke something inside me and I couldn't stand to not touch him or not be near him. It was fun but it kinda' freaked me out.

As usual Edward noticed when I had that thought and asked me what was bugging me.

"Did it bother you that they showed us on TV?" I asked.

He smirked, "Of course not, I get to be the stud who kissed you in the national news!"

"International," I corrected and he laughed.

"Even better! Now the world knows you're taken so hands off." Such a guy.

"Really you don't mind that invasion of privacy?"

"It's not like we were really being private. I mean think about it we were walking out of the office in the afternoon, kissing in public in broad daylight. It's not like we were really trying to keep it a secret, right? Did you not want people to know about us?"

"Oh, NO! Not like that, I mean you're not a dirty little secret or anything like that, it's just that ... I dunno, it's weird to have other people commenting on my love life, I guess that's what I mean."

"I can see that."

"Especially since I never had much of a love life to begin with" I said with a laugh. "It just seems cheap and wrong to have something so private and beautiful displayed so publicly and treated so callously."

"I'm with you there, but like I said it doesn't really bother me, I like that the world knows you're taken," he smirked again and an Edward smirk is too delicious not to kiss, particularly paired with barbecue sauce.

"So was that all or was there something else bothering you?" Oh you're a damned persistent and observant man!

"Um."

"Um?" He gestured with his hand as if to say, come on, spit it out.

"Well I never felt like this, it's intoxicating and kinda' freaks me out." I said, not making eye contact.

He tipped my face up to him to make eye contact and asked, "What do you mean?" He looked a little worried.

"I mean, well... like I said I never felt like this, it's a bit scary how consuming it all is. Like all I can think about is wanting to be near you. It makes it really hard to get my job done, and I've never had a hard time doing my job!" Darn verbal filter, I didn't meant to spill it like that.

He smiled a beautiful smile. "Do you think it's any different for me? Hell, Baby, I'm the one who has been groping you all day, stealing kisses in the office. I'm the one who can't stand the thought of going to sleep tonight without you in my arms."

"You're not alone there," I said. "Oh I forgot to ask, did the kids or your folks say anything about me being there this morning?"

"Emily was mad she didn't get to be part of the sleepover, and is wondering when you can stay again, otherwise I only got a smirk from my dad and my mom had a spark in her eye. I swear she's got the wedding planned and is already picking out names for her future grandchildren," He said with a laugh.

I really liked the sound of all of that, and I think it showed on my face because he smiled and said, "I know, Baby ... all in good time." I smiled back at him. I'd wonder if this was too good to be true but with all the other crappy stuff in my life showed that I certainly wasn't dreaming and I know if he hurt me, Esme would tear his ears off. Plus he's a good guy, I have no doubt that we belong together, it's just a matter of timing at this point.

"So I put in a call on the annulment," he said. I quirked an eyebrow because this was very interesting to me. "Fr. Pat says he thinks it'll be good-to-go very soon. Like I said, since Tanya signed away parental rights it moves the case along much more quickly. Also in my parents affidavits they mention her fixation on the money I inherited. All that adds up to help my case." He smiled at me.

"That's wonderful!" It really, really was. I couldn't imagine not being able to marry in The Church. It would break my heart; I need a sacramental wedding. Most people wouldn't understand that, but to a Catholic, it is not a valid union without a priest officiating. It's more than just joining a couple together, it's also receiving God's blessing. But because we only receive according to our own ability, sometimes the union isn't complete and that's why the Church offers Annulments. Sometimes one partner or both aren't ready for that commitment or don't have the disposition for the sacrifices marriage and family require but they didn't realize it until afterward. The priests involved in the process take sworn affidavits from family members and close friends of the couple and look to see if the marriage rites were invalid or unbinding. I don't know everything about the process, I only know that I have friends who were married outside the church while they awaited annulments, sometimes as long as 15 years! And those couples who remarried inside the church after getting their annulments all said the same thing, it made a difference to their marriage. Nothing else had changed but they said it was not only different but better. I need to start my own marriage with that already in place so I'm grateful that he's already sought his annulment, it shows that he takes our relationship and my views on my faith seriously... not that we're ready for that commitment yet. Right? Right, but boy I can dream...great ... and now I'm having conversations with myself inside my head! ha ha.

"Yeah, Fr. Pat said it's shortlisted, which means it could happen very soon." As he said this he had a very intense expression in his eyes that simultaneously thrilled and terrified me.

The spell was broken as our server delivered lunch and no more was said on that matter. However Edward was not thrilled to hear about Jacob's involvement in my trip the following day.

"It seems really convenient that his trip would coincide with yours," he said sounding really aggravated.

"Edward, you said it yourself, the whole world knows I'm taken now, and even if it didn't I'm not interested in Jake." I said, adding, "Or any other man for that matter."

He looked more appeased at that."It's just that Jake was the one who told me about his tribe and their crafts. They do beautiful work, I love their beading details and am thinking of adding some details like that into our design lines. It'd be great for holiday wares and evening gowns."

"I could see that. But why does he have to be there for that?" He just wouldn't let this go.

"I dunno, Edward. I have made it clear that I'm not interested, what more can I say? "Leia's gonna be there, too, it's not like I'll be all alone. We're booked for one night at the casino and I'll be home before dinner the next night."

"Wait, you said you made it clear? As in he already hit on you?" I rolled my eyes and he saw my aggravation. "Sorry baby, I trust you, don't doubt that. I just don't want anyone getting any ideas."

"No but if you don't trust me you'll mess this up for us. I don't know what else I can say but you have got to trust me, you're the one I want. I love only you." I said.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He kissed me and said, "I love you too, Baby. I'll try not to be so jealous." And that was that.

The rest of the afternoon was crazy with phones ringing off the hook and last-minute details before the trip. By the time I rolled into Charlie's driveway I was ready to crash. But I had to make dinner, pack and visit with the kids. Edward had reminded me that their feelings would be hurt if I left without them.

I had a quick shower to wash my day off me then dressed in yoga pants and a tank top before heading down to the kitchen. Sue and Charlie were sitting at the kitchen island, playing cards. The two really were getting along well now that Charlie was starting to mellow with the prescriptions kicking in.

"Hey guys!" I said.

"Hey girly," Charlie said. "Where have you been, I haven't seen much of you lately."

"I know, I'm sorry. I've been really busy."

"Busy with Edward," he said with a grin. "I like him, his kids are great."

"Oh so you like him so you can have some grand kids. I see how you are!" I laughed.

"You caught me." He loves kids and would've loved a whole horde of them had Renee not flaked out on us. That's why he loves all my friends and treats them all like they're his own kids. "Actually, he's a really great man. He takes care of the kids alone, and it helps that he looks at you like you hung the moon."

I couldn't help but smile. It was all true. "He takes great care of everyone, Dad. I'm glad you like him. That means a lot to me. I think he's the one for me."

"No surprise there, you've never looked at anyone the way you look at him." He said.

"Do you think it's too soon, Dad? I mean it has only been a few weeks that we've been together."

"Yeah, but you spent time before that getting to know him and the kids, and years getting to know his parents. You know where he's coming from and it's not like he just divorced, it's been a couple years. The man is secure and knows what he wants and needs."

"Yeah, that's true. It still feels really fast."

"Does it feel right?" This from Sue.

I sighed, "Yeah. It feels like I've known him forever."

"Don't worry so much, kiddo. I have a good feeling about him, and if he hurts you I'll shoot him," he said with a laugh.

SHIT! I still hadn't moved the guns. The safe is all set, I just need to find a time to get the guns out.

"Thanks, guys. So what am I making for dinner?"

Since I didn't have a lot of time I opted for burgers on the grill with corn on the cob. And that made my dad really happy.

After dinner I dropped by to visit with the Cullens and kicked some ass at Wii bowling with only Emily managing to beat me. We said our goodbyes and I headed back to pack. Edward insisted that he would drive Emily and me to the air port so I'd be seeing him at the crack of dawn so I hurried through my list and hit the hay before 9 p.m.