Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of Hope Springs is mine.
This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.
HOPE SPRINGS
End of chapter 24-
Tex felt a hand on his shoulder and looked across at Vince, only to see him pushing his dark aviator glasses up his nose and sniffing.
"She's okay man; Charlie's little girl is okay." Vince said quietly.
"Yeah she is and Edward seems like an okay guy." Peter added.
Garrett nodded, "He'd better be; there is no fucking way that anyone is going to hurt that girl ever again; not on our watch."
Torres punched his fist into his open hand, "Did you hear about that piece of shit Rawlings? Seems like someone leaked that he is a baby molester to the other inmates… didn't turn out too pretty. I hear he's being shipped off to solitary for a year or so…"
Mickey grinned and shook his head, "What a shame…"
Peter sighed and put a hand on Torres' arm, "We may be a bunch of fucked up old men, but now that we found Bells, she's never going to be an orphan again!"
The other five men nodded and made their way back into the stadium.
CHAPTER 25 – Moving on…
Edward was happy to be home again, even though he was run off his feet at the practice. Ned had settled in well, and most of his father's patients were very accepting of the younger, serious man, but there were some stubborn elderly residents of Hope Springs, who insisted on being treated by 'a Cullen' and so it fell to Edward to carry the overload.
He and Ned quickly reached an agreement that Edward would extend his office hours while Ned volunteered to take their weekend duties.
That left Edward's weekends free to be with Bella. Not that he saw too much of her, because although she had already completed two summer courses before they had left for California, she left for college three days after their return from Arizona to complete another three courses before the new semester began.
Bella had been quite teary when she had said goodbye to Carlisle and Esme and Edward knew that it was because they were leaving for three months vacation in August. Bella had warned him that she would not have too much time on her hands in her sophomore year as she wanted to make up as much time as she could.
Fortunately for Bella, her two majors had some overlapping courses that helped to lighten her workload. Edward had driven to Johnson behind Bella to help her get settled in her room again. Although she had the opportunity to live on campus, she had decided to stay with Mrs. B. She loved her room at the top of the old house with her window seat and the old, polished wooden floors and her minuscule kitchenette.
Once all of her clothes and boxes were back in her room, Bella made up her bed with her freshly laundered linen. She put the comforter that she had brought back from Arizona on her window seat, while Edward unpacked the food supplies that his mother had packed. There were a couple of precooked meals that Bella could warm up in her microwave, as well as fresh bread and the makings for sandwiches, a couple of tins of soup as well as several containers of 'snack food'. There were freshly baked cookies, bags of jelly beans, tea, coffee and instant hot chocolate.
Esme had also sent a couple of boxes of fruit and vegetables that she had sent for Mrs. B to use in the house meals.
It didn't take long for Bella to finish unpacking her clothes, toiletries and school supplies while Edward flattened the boxes and packed them in the small storage area in the attic.
Bella looked around and it seemed as if she had never left, except now she had new photographs displayed in frames on her bedside table from her and Edward's summer vacation.
"What do you want to do now, Love?" Edward asked as he walked back into her room.
Bella smiled at him sadly. Her new course was beginning the next day and it would last for the full week. The following week she had two courses that would take up all of her time and then she had a week's break before the new school year began.
She still had to buy her new school books and she knew that once Edward left, she wasn't going to see him for the next couple of weeks.
Bella pouted as she walked across the room and slipped her hands around his waist, "I'm going to miss you so much, baby. I don't want you to go…"
Edward smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her jaw, "Aww love, you're killing me with that sad face! Come on, let's go and take a walk around the campus and then I'll take you for a great lunch and if you're a good girl, maybe we can come back here and fool around for a little bit before I have to leave." He said with an exaggerated leer.
Bella pushed her bottom lip out even more but she couldn't stop the giggle when Edward growled playfully and nuzzled her neck before he playfully smacked her bottom.
Mrs. B smiled as Edward ran down the stairs with Bella on his back, he winked at the older woman with a grin, "I'm taking my little 'sulky sue' out of your hair for a while, Mrs. B. Is there anything that you need from town?"
Mrs. B could feel herself blush as she shook her head and told them to have a good time. As the front door closed she went back into the kitchen to pack away the box of preserves that Bella had brought her.
She was going to miss Bella and her adopted family when she left but Mrs. B also knew that Edward and Bella's home town of Hope Springs was the reason that she was so driven to excel at school and to finish as quickly as she could.
=====HS=====
The campus was relatively empty because it was a Sunday and the only people on campus were visiting students that were taking summer courses.
After a while they went into the town and Edward took Bella to lunch as he promised, but instead of sitting in a restaurant, he ordered their food to go and they sat in a nearby park and ate their Chinese takeaways while they watched a few children playing as their parents watched them.
"I don't know how I'm going to get used to sleeping alone again." Bella commented quietly.
Edward sighed and he ran his hand through his hair.
"I know; it's going to be the same for me. Did you notice that Roscoe wouldn't even look at me this morning? Even when we were out for our run, he just acted as if I was just a tiresome necessity." He said sounding grumpy and Bella laughed.
"Sometimes I forget that he is in fact a canine and not a human."
"Ha! I remember that he's a dog when he has his hairy ass smack bang in the middle of our bed so that he can sleep next to you. He actually tried to kick me out this morning, the little shit!"
Bella laughed again, "Oh! Don't act so put out – you adore him!"
Edward grinned and rolled his eyes, "You're right; I don't know what I would do without that furry mutt in my life."
Bella put her chopsticks away and wiped her fingers off and picked up her soda as she put her head on Edward's shoulder.
"This summer has been amazing. Before we left I was so afraid of what was going to happen and what Charlie's friends would be like and whether they would like me or approve of how my life had turned out. I wouldn't have had the strength to do any of it if it wasn't for you being there for me. You have been so supportive without pushing me or trying to protect me." She straightened up and turned to face him, "I know that I'm putting undue pressure on myself to finish school and Dad gave me a lecture before I left, but I know that I can do this; I want to do this."
Edward searched her face and he was moved by how torn Bella looked. He knew that her heart was back in Hope Springs and that it pained her to be away from his family during the week, just as it hurt him. He straightened his shoulders marginally and cupped her cheek, "Bella, you don't have to justify your actions to me, love. I just want you to promise me that you will take care of yourself. If you are going to burn the candle from both ends then you are going to burn out quickly and we don't want that, okay?"
Bella nodded.
"At least make sure that you eat at least three meals a day; not snacks mind you, proper meals." She nodded again and bit back a sigh.
"And get as much sleep as you can. I'm not going to make you promise to be in bed by ten or anything that silly, but try not to push yourself every single night. Can you promise me that?"
As Bella stared into Edward's deep green eyes, she realized that she would promise him anything. She licked her bottom lip, "I promise." She whispered.
Edward smiled and kissed her, "Good girl. So Carlisle gave you a lecture, did he?" he said with a smirk as Bella sat back and rolled her eyes.
"I never realized what a nag your father was, Baby! I swear, he is worse than Esme, Alice and Rosie and you know that's almost impossible!" She pouted.
Edward laughed out loud, "Yeah, that's a pretty tall order."
They spent the next while talking about everything and nothing and by the time that they made their way back to the boarding house, Bella felt better about going back to classes.
After a three hour 'nap' which left them both very satisfied but barely clothed; Bella walked downstairs with Edward's arm around her waist.
"I will see you at home on Friday, alright?"
Bella nodded, "I'm going to go straight home so that I can spend some time with Mom and the kids."
Edward hugged her on the doorstep, "I will swing by after work. Mom invited us for dinner."
Bella took a shaky breath as she wound her hands into the hair at the back of his neck, "Your hair has gotten long." She said as she tried desperately not to think about him leaving.
"Hmm, I need to get it cut sometime. I have to go into Woodstock later this week so I'll just swing by a barber." He said as he tightened his hands on her waist.
Bella grinned, "You had better not let Victoria or James hear you say that! James will shave your head the next time you go in there!"
James and Victoria had owned the Wild Horses Beauty Salon for the past twenty years. They had met each other at beauty school, although James was first to point out that he was attending 'barber' school at the time. After finishing their internships, they had worked in New Jersey for a number of years with the dream of moving away from the city to move their family out of the city.
They had come across Hope Springs quite by accident, when during a weekend away, they had gotten lost and had ended up in the small town. It was love at first sight for Victoria and James and within six months they emptied their savings account, had sold their small apartment and along with their three small children they moved.
A small storefront shop was rented for the first five years but when James had been knocked over and left for dead by a driver who was drunk and high; they had purchased the building and had it modified to accommodate James' wheelchair. From a modest beginning of one wash basin and two small cutting stations, they now employed two additional stylists; a shampoo girl; and they had recently opened a spa treatment section.
James was tried hard to not allow the women from over running the shop with too many 'girly touches' and so his barber section was partially partitioned and instead of the black and pink theme that Victoria had wanted throughout the shop, they had compromised and it was a tasteful black and white with accents of silver.
Edward laughed, "Your right – I'll go and see James, but if Victoria tries to 'blow out' my hair – I am not going back!"
Bella giggled, "Vicky loves to tease you, baby."
Edward huffed loudly and then sighed, "I have to go and pick up Roscoe from Mom. I love you so much, Bella."
Bella couldn't help her sharp intake of breath but she blinked the moisture from her eyes and plastered a fake smile on her face.
"Go on. Give Ross a hug from me, I love you too." She said brightly and gave his chest a playful push.
Like ripping off a band aid, Edward didn't linger and after another quick kiss he loped down the stairs and got into his truck.
He tried not to look in the rearview mirror but he couldn't stop himself and he felt his heart catch at the sight of her leaning against the door frame, with her arms wrapped around her waist as she bit her lip to try and stop the tears.
He had to force himself not to jump out of the car and pull her into his arms and spirit her back home with him.
"She's going to be fine, she's going to be fine; she is going to be fine …" he chanted as he ignored the burning behind his eyelids.
Bella wiped tears off her cheeks and turned to walk inside the house just as someone call out her name.
"Isabella! What a surprise!"
She groaned as she turned around slowly, "Professor Watson-Smythe, what are you doing here?" she asked not really caring that she as being rude.
Mark closed his car door and walked up the path towards her with a teasing smile creasing his good looking face.
"I was coming to say hello to my mum's college roommate – there you are, hello Aunty Beatrice." He patted Bella's shoulder as he walked past her to hug and kiss Mrs. B's cheek.
"Mark! I'm so glad that you are back! Have you given any more thought to my proposal?" Mrs. B asked him.
Bella felt a sickening lurch in the pit of her stomach. This did not sound good at all.
"Well yes and the answer is… yes!" Mark grinned confidently at Bella over the older woman's shoulder as he hugged her again.
"Oh Mark! That makes me so happy!" Mrs. B turned to Bella, "Bella dear this is my very dear friend Corinne's son, Mark. He's a professor at your school and he has agreed to rent the entire third floor suite from me! Isn't that great?"
Bella frowned; no it wasn't fucking 'great' she wanted to scream. Instead Bella just made a non-committal 'hmm' sound and moved towards the stairs when Mark's voice stopped her.
"Isabella is one of my best students, Aunty Bea. Isabella? I would like to invite you to join us for dinner tonight as a way of getting to know my fellow housemates." He said.
Bella shook her head, "The rest of the boarders aren't back yet, and I really have a lot of work to do, so please excuse me. Good night Mrs. B." Bella turned and ran up the stairs to her room. She closed the door firmly and made sure that it was locked.
"Fuck me; this is just what I don't need in my life!" Bella growled out to herself as she walked across the room.
She climbed onto the window seat and stared outside. It was late afternoon and Bella watched as people walked their pets or jogged or cycled in the afternoon sunshine and she sighed.
She sincerely hoped that Professor Watson- Smythe moving in was just an unlucky coincidence. She felt uneasy as she thought of the way that he looked at her – almost as if he had a right to look at her like that.
Fuck! He was her fucking teacher! And there was nothing that she could complain about because he had never been inappropriate with her in public.
"What am I going to do?" she mumbled and then she almost fell off her perch as someone knocked on her door.
"Who's there?" Bella asked. Even to her own ears her voice sounded defensive.
"Um, it's just me Bella dear."
Bella let out a sigh of relief and moved to open the door.
She relaxed even further when she saw that Mrs. B was alone in the hallway.
The older woman looked concerned, "Are you okay, Bella? You seem upset."
Bella let out a shaky breath and she licked her lips nervously. She loved staying in the boarding house and she knew that the self-contained apartment on the third floor would bring in a lot of money for the older woman. The apartment consisted of a kitchen, a separate sitting room, a large bedroom and a separate bathroom. There was another smaller bedroom that was fitted as an office.
"It's just… I was surprised to see my English professor here. He is my teacher and it just feels odd that I will be sharing space with one of my teachers. I mean, it's not really appropriate is it?" Bella said.
Mrs. B smiled, "Oh my dear, this arrangement will be fine. I've already spoken to Mark and he had assured me that he doesn't intend to spend much time in the common rooms at all and he is also aware that all of my other boarders are in fact students at Johnson."
Bella smiled and nodded.
Maybe she was just imaging things.
"Oh! Well, that's good." She said.
"Now, are you going to join us for dinner, dear?"
Bella shook her head, "I really do have a lot to do, but don't worry, Esme sent dinner for me."
Mrs. B smiled, "That Mrs. Cullen is such a wonderful woman! You are very lucky to have them."
"I know; they spoil me rotten!"
They said good night to each other and although Bella's anxiety was slightly appeased, she still felt uneasy.
Bella warmed up one of the meals that Esme had sent and she snuggled on the window seat and watched a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory marathon that was on television before she had a warm shower to relax. She double checked her door locks and after tossing for an hour, she got up and put one of the straight back chairs against the handle before she was able to fall into an uneasy sleep.
The next morning Bella felt foolish as she showered and dressed in a denim skirt, a tank top with a button down over it and tied in her waist. She pulled her hair into a high pony tail as it promised to be another bright summer's day. She made sure that she had packed her first completed assignment into her book bag before she slipped on her thong sandals and walked downstairs.
Mrs. B greeted her warmly and handed her the extra large travel mug full of mouthwatering coffee as well as a croissant filled with scrambled egg, bacon and cheese.
"Mrs. B; you are going to be nominated for sainthood, you know that?" Bella quipped as she put a bright orange peach into her bag with a smile.
Mrs. B laughed, "Oh Bella, you are such a treat. Will you be home for dinner? It's just us again, I'm afraid, so I was just going to make chicken salad."
"Chicken Salad sound perfect, thanks. I have lots of work to do for this course so I'll probably eat while I work tonight…"
A large hand brushed across the middle of her back as Mark walked into the kitchen, "Now that's no good for you Isabella, you need to relax for a few minutes." He said in a husky voice as he winked at her.
Bella had stiffened as she felt his touch and not she gripped her bag in front of her chest, with her mug clutched tightly in her hand. She glared at Mark but because she didn't want to upset her landlady, she just mumbled about being in a hurry and left quickly.
She took a few deep breathes as she sat in her car and she made sure that her seatbelt was on before she checked her mirrors and pulled out into the relatively quiet road and drove to one of the older buildings on campus where her course, Classroom Management was being held.
The class was small with only twenty students and Bella thoroughly enjoyed the course. She wrote the final exam and knew that she should receive at least a 'B'. The lecturer was impressed with Bella's intellect and participation and she asked Bella what her plans were once she qualified.
Bella knew that the teacher, Maggie Powel was on the Education faculty at Johnson but she had never met her before. Professor Powel was very impressed with Bella and she was pleased to see that Bella was in two of her courses for the new semester. Maggie made a note to keep a special eye on Bella's progress throughout the semester and to assist her wherever she could.
The week raced by and Bella was happy when Friday rolled around and she had completed the first assignment for the course that she was taking the following week.
She was pleased to see that another student from her freshman year, Dash, who was an Arts Major, had moved off campus and he had moved in to the room next to Bella's. This had created a buffer between herself and Mark even though Mark had been obviously displeased with the younger man's familiarity with Bella.
Bella made sure that she left the dinner table with Dash and Mark had only managed to snag her alone once on the stairwell.
"Morning Bella, where's your guard dog?" Mark had asked her as he blocked her path on the staircase.
Bella glared at him impatiently, "Good Morning Professor, I don't have a 'guard dog' as you put it so eloquently, but if you mean Dash, then he's probably out already and if you will excuse me, I have to leave for class soon."
Mark smiled his most charming smile but he was pissed off to see that Bella didn't even look at him and so he huffed and grudgingly moved to one side.
As she passed by him, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You can't run from me forever, sweetheart; I'm not going to bite you, you know."
Bella turned and glared at him, "I won't tell you again; I am your student and if you carry on harassing me, I will have no choice but to complain about it to my advisor." Her voice was hard and cold and she left no room for error – she was not to be fucked with!
Bella was on the road as soon as she had finished breakfast. Her first stop was to the bookshop where she picked up the rest of the books that she had ordered for the classes that she was taking. She had completed some classes for her sophomore year already and so she had picked courses that would get her one step closer to graduating as soon as possible. There was a lot of field work or classroom work that she had to complete in the coming semester and although she wasn't nervous about it, she was anxious to hear if she had been successful in her application to Hope Springs Elementary or Reading Elementary which was only a few miles away.
Thankfully both schools were on Johnson's list of approved schools who welcomed student teachers. Bella knew the head of HS Elementary and Alice and Rose's children were excited to learn if Bella would be 'teaching' their classes.
The farm was busy, with the summer harvest in full swing and the autumn harvest just around the corner and Bella was struck by the activity as soon as she drove up the long pathway that lead to the main house.
She quickly took her bags up to her apartment and changed into shorts, T-shirt and sneakers before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and after she sent Edward a message telling him that she was home, she went in search of Esme and the children.
Surprisingly the kitchen was deserted when she walked into the main house and she checked her watch with a frown. It was midmorning and she wondered where everyone was.
Roscoe was sunning himself in the back yard and he welcomed Bella back with loud barking as he danced around her, trying to lick her face.
Bella crouched down and hugged him tightly, "Hello, Boy! I've missed you! They left you alone, did they? We can't have that, now can we? Come on, let's go and find your leash and we can go and look for everyone."
Roscoe panted happily. His girl was home! More treats, sleeping in a real bed (or close to it in any case – if Edward didn't try and muscle him out!), lots of hugs and playing ball… life was looking up!
Bella found one of Roscoe's leashes in the mud room and she walked to the staff kitchen and dining cabin.
Rachel was standing in the kitchen preparing lunch but she dropped the spoon as soon as she spotted Bella.
"Bella! Welcome home honey!" She gave Bella a hug and looked down at Roscoe who was giving her his cutest 'tilted head and doe eyes' look.
"I swear; he knows that I can't resist those expressive brown eyes." Rachel huffed and she pulled a bowl out of one of the cabinets before she ladled a couple of spoonfuls of shredded roast chicken and mushrooms into the bowl.
Roscoe followed her obediently to the front porch before he guzzled the tasty treat, and that's how it's done! He thought with gleeful satisfaction as he saw one of the farm cats glaring at him from the porch swing. The cat hissed as Roscoe licked the bowl. He grinned at the cat, amateur, he woofed in reply before he lay down on the step and dozed off while his Bella visited with the 'food-lady' Rachel.
"Do you know where Esme and the kids are?" Bella asked as she and Rachel sat at one of the small tables and drank fresh Summer Blend juice.
"I know that Esme left really early this morning because she had an early meeting with the team and as far as I know, she isn't due back today at all." Rachel said sympathetically.
Bella pouted, "Well that sucks! They are leaving in two weeks time and I was going to spend some time with them. Anyway, thanks for the juice. Do you need any help around here?"
Rachel shook her head with a smile, "Oh no you don't! You are probably already working that little ass of yours off and you should be relaxing, so don't get me in trouble for working you as soon as you get home!" Rachel pushed her out the door with a laugh, "You can come back for lunch if you want to, but you are not working in the kitchen – now scoot!"
Bella grumbled as she picked up the end of Roscoe's leash and she decided to take a walk into town and she ran up to her apartment to fetch a bottle of water, her sunglasses and her wallet.
Bella and Roscoe made several stops on their way into town.
They met Sue and Billy Black who were working just walking out of Don Cope's small plant nursery, Garden Grows, and she stopped for a chat before walking on.
Before long, she came across Lauren Atera with her and Emery's latest addition to the family, baby Jason, Angela Yorkie and Emily Uley as they sat in Angela's front garden, under the large live oak and sipped iced tea as they gossiped. Bella was invited for a drink and she took a seat in the shade as she was brought up to speed on all things pertaining to Hope Springs.
Lauren leaned forward, "Did you hear that June Morrow and our delightful Doctor Davis are almost shacking up together? It's disgusting! Someone should warn him about her!" she said with a sneer, while Emily rolled her eyes at Bella.
"Oh come on Lauren, don't pretend that you are much better than her; none of us are squeaky clean! If I remember correctly; you and Emery got pretty friendly in the church car park on Friday night youth, and wasn't your father called in one time when you sat up wearing only your bra and panties after old Sherriff Bob tapped on the steaming window?" Emily grinned as Lauren blushed angrily.
"Yes, but – at least I didn't try and steal other people's boyfriends! Ask Bella what she has been up to!" Lauren said with her cheeks glowing pink. She glared at Emily who she had known since Kindergarten.
Three pairs of eyes turned to Bella as she took a sip of her drink before she looked at them with a shrug, "What? Don't look to me for answers; I haven't seen Ned or Edward yet. Look, the Morrow sisters may not be my favorite people in the entire world, but besides the verbal spat that I had with June at the karaoke evening; they haven't done anything to me personally."
Lauren gasped at Bella, "But, but, what about the 'thing' between Rosalie and April or was it August? I mean - you're supposed to be a 'part' of the Cullen family, so you should stick up for your family, Bella!" she looked from Emily to Angela for confirmation before she glared at Bella.
Bella knew that Lauren was a gossip and while she loved a good story as much as the next person, she did not believe in bashing someone's character if they were not there to defend themselves.
Bella shrugged as she put her empty glass onto the tray. She ignored Lauren's comment as she said her goodbyes to the other two ladies. Lauren was sulking and she barely acknowledged Bella's goodbye.
Angela walked her to the sidewalk, "Don't worry about Lauren, Bella; you know what she's like…" Angela muttered apologetically.
Bella smirked, "Now you know that she doesn't bother me. Just don't take her shit. If she gives you problems for talking to me; tell her to find me instead, okay?"
Angela laughed as she patted Roscoe's head, "I will see you later, Bells."
Bella laughed as she walked away. She sighed as she thought about the conversation and she wondered if she was being disloyal to the Cullen's by not 'hating' the Morrow sisters the way that the other women in town seemed to.
Bella was so deep in thought that she didn't see the large truck pull up a little ahead of her, nor did she sense the way that Roscoe wagged his bottom or the barked greeting, until Edward stepped directly into her path and she jumped back and gasped, "Son of a -! You almost gave me a fucking heart attack, Edward!" She screeched as she hit him with one fist even as she fisted his shirt and pulled him towards her with the other.
Edward warded off her small fist easily as he chuckled gleefully before he gripped her hips and pulled her into his arms.
Bella squealed and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck as he peppered her lips, jaw and cheeks with kisses and Bella giggled in delight.
"Edward" Bella said breathlessly and she buried her face into his neck before she took a deep breath. The pine, spice, woodsy scent immediately calmed her and the longing that she had felt all week disappeared.
Finally, she was home.
"Jeez babe, it took you long enough to walk to town!" Edward said as he lowered her to her feet and opened the door of the truck.
Bella rolled her eyes, "Well, have you ever even tried to walk through this town, Edward? Someone has a story to tell or offers you the most delicious drinks or snacks and it's time consuming!"
Edward chuckled, "I've missed you my Love. With your sweet tongue and charming personality."
Bella giggled, "Reverse psychology is never going to work on me, babe, don't you know that by now?"
"Get in the car and I'll take you to the diner for lunch – come on Roscoe. Why don't we see what scraps Jess and Mike have for you, okay?"
Roscoe wiggled his bottom in response. He climbed into the back seat of the double cab with a smile – his 'boy' knew just how to make him happy!
Bella and Edward chatted as he stopped his car in front of the diner. It was just past noon and Hope Springs was busy. There were mothers dragging children to shops to get school supplies from Hope Springs Convenience Store and Embry was standing in the doorway, looking quite harassed as Bella and Edward waved to him, with Roscoe tugging impatiently on his leash – he could smell the delicious smells coming from the diner, the butcher, the bakery, and further down the road, the pub – yummy!
"Rather him than me, that's for sure," Edward muttered as he took Bella's hand.
She looked over at Alice's shop and tugged on his hand, "Babe; I have to go and say hello to Alice and Mack. They are quite likely to hurt me if I don't!"
Edward smiled, "Now, do you honestly think that the family isn't waiting for you inside?" he said with a smirk as he pointed through the large window.
Bella laughed as she saw Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper all pulling faces at her through the glass and she pulled Edward through the doors quickly.
"BELLS!" Emmett shouted and everyone began to call out greetings to her and Edward.
Bella moved as quickly as possible towards their table and mock glared at the four of them, who were now laughing at each other's 'funny face', "What are you – like five? I swear, Brady is more mature than you lot!" She growled.
Emmett clicked his tongue and pulled her down next to him, "Aw come on Bells; admit it – you missed us fugly freaks!"
"Speak for yourself! We are gorgeous, right sis?" Rose looked at Alice who nodded, "Damn straight, Cullen!"
Edward walked over to Jessica and pointed down at Roscoe. Jess laughed at the twin pouts on master and his pet before she sighed dramatically and held out her hand for Roscoe's leash.
Edward murmured his thanks and walked over to the table while Roscoe followed Jessica obediently to the side of the shop, where there was a run for her two rescue mutts, Higgins and Bailey. They barked out a greeting when Jess let him off his leash and he headed over to where they were resting under the shade of the bright colored beach umbrella that human Mike put up for them.
The paddling pool was in the sun and Roscoe could see various chew toys lying about. He enjoyed visiting with the two dogs, even if they weren't pedigree breeds and they didn't know who their parents were.
The three dogs sniffed each other in greeting before the youngest of them, Bailey, picked up a stick and tossed it to Roscoe.
Roscoe grinned at him and made a run for it down the side of the shop, with the other two dogs on his 'tail'. They played tag for a bit and then they all took long drinks of the cold, fresh water that Jess brought out for them, along with three large, meaty bones.
Heaven, Roscoe thought, pure heaven.
=====HS=====
Lunch at the diner was filled with laughter and noise and more than once, Jessica threatened to throw them out. Jasper just laughed and asked if she wanted to make a complaint, which everyone found hilarious of course.
Bella found out the Esme and Carlisle had decided at the last minute to take the children to Boston for the weekend as Carlisle had an early consult with one of his colleagues early on the Monday morning and they thought that it would be fun to spend some time with the grandchildren before they left for the next three months.
Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were ecstatic that they could look forward a children free weekend and although Bella was sad that she was going to miss having the time with Esme and Carlisle, she had to admit that she got a little excited when Jasper and Emmett leaned across the table and stared at each other before they turned to look at Edward silently.
Bella frowned because it seemed as though they were having a silent conversation with each other.
"Soooooo – shall we?" Jasper said cryptically as he wiggled his eyebrows.
Emmett nodded enthusiastically and poked Edward across the table, "Come on Eddie, what do you say?"
Edward sighed and rolled his eyes but Bella could see the sparkle in them and before he could say anything, Emmett punched the air, looking like a demented version of Rocky, "Yeah! Road trip!"
Alice and Rose clapped with glee as Bella looked from one to the other, "What's 'road trip' mean?"
Emmett bumped her hip with his and grinned down at her, "Road trip, my dear sweet Bella, means that we are off to Montreal for the weekend!"
"What? But what about the house? And Bree? And what about Roscoe?" she asked quickly.
Rosalie explained that Brianna has gone to a friend for the weekend and Edward interjects that Roscoe would be happy to spend the time with his 'friends'. Apparently Jess and Mike loved having him over.
Bella looks up to see that five people were staring expectantly at her, "What?"
Jasper snorted, "Come on Bells; we all know that you've got Eddie's balls in your purse. So if you say 'no', then he's out. What do you say?"
Bella looked across at Edward and she could see how excited he was. She still wanted to mess with them for a bit so she hung her head and let out a heavy sigh, "Hmm, I don't know… I've got to finish this assignment, you see."
There was not a sound from the table but Bella could sense the disappointment in the air. She looked up with a small grin on her lips, "Buuuut, when you put it that way – okay, let's go on a road trip!"
Jasper and Emmett high fived each other while Rosalie and Alice began talking really fast, deciding on what to pack, and where they wanted to stay, while Bella and Edward stare at each other with smiles on their faces.
"Well played, Miss Swan," Edward said as he lifted his soda towards her.
Bella nodded and lifted her glass up to meet his, "Why thank you Doctor Cullen. I do try and keep you on your toes."
Edward sat back as Mike brought over a tray overflowing with burgers, fries and deep fried onion rings.
The rest of the meal was taken up with plans and phone calls as Jasper and Edward made sure that their businesses were covered by Ned and Eric.
They decided to leave by four that afternoon. Alice went online on her phone and within minutes she had booked three suites at the Hotel de la Montagne, which Rosalie assured her was the right place to stay when there were no kids around and where the Cullen's often stayed when they visited the city.
They agreed that they would spend the following morning and afternoon playing tourists so that Bella could see the 'sights' before they would go out to dinner and a club.
Bella got excited when Edward waved goodbye to his siblings and they all arranged to meet at the hotel that night for dinner at nine o'clock, which would give them all time to check in and freshen up.
Edward had a word with Mike and Jessica and he and Bella said goodbye to Roscoe, who made sure to ham it up by giving Bella sidelong, woefully sad eyes and he even threw in a few whimpers for good measure. He explained to his two friends as they watched Roscoe's master lead his lady away as she wiped tears off her eyes, that his pathetic behavior, while embarrassing, would ensure that he received a good amount of gifts and treats from his 'charges' when they returned. He explained that he had almost an entire closet full of treats, toys, balls and various chew toys from their recent trip away.
Edward tried to assure Bella that Roscoe was going to be just fine as he drove first to his house, where he packed as quickly as he could, while Bella put a bag of Roscoe's favorite toys and a tin of treats together.
The next stop was Bella's apartment and Bella packed a couple of outfits but left some space because Alice and Rosalie had threatened to make her buy more luggage when they took her shopping.
Edward checked the main house and placed a call to Paul to let him know that they were leaving for the weekend so that he could keep an eye on the main house as well. He also called Bree and then he called Pastor Craig where she was staying for the weekend.
He still couldn't believe that his parents were allowing her to stay in the same house as her boyfriend, the little bastard, as Edward and his brothers now called him, or Riley to everyone else – even though his father was the local minister and a good friend.
Edward was well aware of what teenagers got up to and Emmett used to have a thing for 'good girls' in his youth and he had turned many a 'good' girl into a wanton slut, but no amount of arguing on his part or on the part of his brothers could change his parent's minds.
The close relationship that he and Bree had always enjoyed had become strained over the past few months and he was looking forward to taking off with her and his brothers in two weeks time, just before school began.
His parents were leaving just before and everyone had thought that it would be the perfect time for some sibling bonding.
After hunching over some of their old hiking maps and trail journals, they had unanimously decided to hike and camp the Glastonbury Mountains section of the Appalachian Trail in the Burlington region. They would be gone for five days because even though they would usually cover that distance in two and a half days; they had left plenty of time to rest, catch up with each other and to enjoy some down time together.
Carlisle and Esme had enjoyed many camping trips over the years with their friends, extended families and children. Esme and Carlisle had hiked the Long Trail twice from South to North, and then for their fifteen wedding anniversary, they had hiked the Appalachian Trail from start to finish.
Being such an active family was a blueprint for many happy shared memories and Edward was hopeful that being away from everyone and everything, including the little bastard, would bring them closer together again.
Being only one of two girls in the family meant that Bree had learned to hike, fish and shoot hoops almost before she had learned to walk. She ice-skated like a pro and her baseball skills were more than average. Esme had always worried that she would turn in a real tomboy, but that was before Alice and Rosalie had joined their family. Although both women hiked as well; they did it with more luggage than all of the Cullen's put together!
Bella brought Edward back to the present as she tapped him on the shoulder. After a shared kiss, Edward made sure that Bella had her passport and they loaded up her bags before they left for Montreal.
One of Bella's most favorite things about entering Canadian space was when she found out that Edward was completely fluent in French and she could barely keep her hands to herself until they checked into to their suite.
As the door closed, Bella growled and pushed Edward towards the bedroom, "All bets are off, Monsieur Cullen!"
Edward's eyes widened before they grew dark and he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a number as he walked backwards.
"Em, yeah, we're gonna run late for dinner…" he disconnected the call and tossed his phone onto the sofa as he grinned at Bella, "Maintenant qu'est-ce que la jeune fille voudrait de moi?" He said in a husky whisper as Bella blushed and giggled.
Hours later, Bella stood on her and Edward's private balcony that overlooked the hip and 'pumping' Crescent Street in Montreal. They had just returned from a late dinner at the wonderful Restaurant Newtown, which was a wonderful mixture of fine French and Québec Cuisine at its best.
Bella had just changed into the tiniest pair of bright blue boy shorts and she had teamed it with a matching tank top. She had pulled her hair up into a very messy bun.
Edward's warm hands slid around her stomach and Bella shivered with delight as she felt his bare chest press up against her as his lips nuzzled her neck. Bella could feel the thin cotton of his sleep pants brush against her bare legs.
"Hey baby," he murmured.
"Mmmm," Bella hummed.
"Are you ready for bed?" Edward could not wait to get her inside.
She had been taunting him all night long in the sexiest grey and black cocktail dress with the most awesome fuck-hot heels! Her long legs teased him for hours and when she danced with Rosie and Alice on the tiny dance floor of a small club that they passed on the way back to the hotel, Edward thought that he was going to pop a blood vessel in his dick and his brain!
"Can we just stand here for a few minutes longer?" she asked quietly and Edward pulled her back more firmly against him.
"Of course. Did you have a good time tonight?"
Bella nodded before she turned around in his arms and Edward could see the excitement and happiness rolling off her in waves. Her eyes sparkled, her skin was tinged with a pink, "Oh hell, it was amazing! Montreal is fantastic! I just wish that we had more time here! I want to see everything and go everywhere! Thank you so much for bringing me!"
Edward laughed as Bella climbed up his body and wrapped her legs around his waist as she peppered his face with kisses.
"Thank you for (kiss) all this (kiss) affection (kiss)." He laughed again as he dodged her lips, "Come on, let's take this inside. I really don't want to put on a show for the good people of Montreal!"
Only then did Bella hear the wolf whistles from the street below and she waved as she grinned cheekily and Edward carried her inside and secured the balcony door before walking to their bedroom and lowering her onto the bed.
Edward stared down as Bella lay back on the pillows. Her hair was fanned out in a dark silky curtain and she had lifted her arms to rest above her head. A smiled curved her red lips and Edward watched as her eyes shone with love and passion.
His heart had never felt so full before. Every time he thought that he couldn't love Bella any more, he just ended up falling even deeper in love with her than ever.
Suddenly he was right there, hovering over her, his almost black eyes glittering with emotion, "I will never get tired of telling you how much I love you, Bella. I'm so thankful that you didn't make it all the way to Canada without me."
Bella lifted her arms and cupped his face in her hands as she recognized the emotions that were brimming over, "I will never get tired of hearing those words from you and I am blessed that you found me in the gazebo all those months ago. I love you."
Edward gave her one last look before he lowered his head and their lips sought each other's. They moved slowly, savoring each caress, each touch. They spent hours showing how they felt about each other with their bodies, softly whispered words and heated touches.
In the small hours of the morning, they fell into a contented, sated sleep, still wrapped in each other's arms.
The next day passed in a whirlwind of activity. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Edward had been to Montreal many times before, but they thoroughly enjoyed putting on their comfortable shoes, breaking out the cameras and the tourist maps and taking Bella on a guided tour off all of their favorite places in the city.
After Bella watched her companions draw straws for who was going to be 'Tommy Tour guide' first, Jasper won and soon they were off to the Montreal Biodome. Next was Emmett's choice and so they went on a tour of the Olympic Stadium, after which it was Edward's turn and they went to see Mount Royal, with a promise to go back the following day to see the drumming performance of the Tam Tams.
After a quick lunch and bathroom break, Rosalie and Alice shooed the guys off and they took Bella to the Underground City, where they shopped for hours until Bella phoned Edward and begged him to save her.
That night, they went to one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city before Emmett pulled out tickets that he had managed to secure for a new club that had just opened up.
Night turned into morning, and the three couples found a small eatery open at five the next morning where they ate croissants with pancetta and wild mushroom omelets and copious amounts of tea and coffee.
Once back at the hotel, Bella and Edward decided to sleep and when they woke up a few hours later and showered, it was time for lunch and then they made their way to Mount Royal's Cross, where they enjoyed the drumming rhythm of the Tam Tams which Edward explained was a regular attraction in Montreal during the summer months.
After the concert, the couples said goodbye to each other and Edward promised Bella that he would bring her back for a longer stay.
Bella slept for some of the drive home and after Edward had fetched Roscoe, he and Bella scoffed down a couple of pieces of toast, while Roscoe ran around the backyard. They were showered and asleep in bed shortly after the sun went down.
Esme and Carlisle invited everyone to dinner a couple of nights later and announced at dinner that they were leaving for their vacation one week after school began, around the twentieth of August.
Edward would move into the main house with Bree and Roscoe, which would make it far less disruptive for the teenager as she settled into her sophomore year in high school.
Most of their holiday was fairly laid back with the first part of their holiday being spent travelling though Europe ala backpack style. Thereafter they were going to Thailand and onto Australia before they made their way to Hawaii.
Bella's nightmares began that same night.
A/N: Hmmm – what nightmares? I'll tell you what's been a nightmare for me and I'm sure many, many other readers and authors – this 'Salem witch-hunt that's going on right now! That's a living freaking nightmare! So ladies, I'm here (on ) for as long as I'm here and I am also on THE WRITERS COFFEE SHOP. I am thinking of posting somewhere else as well, but not sure where yet. So if you read me on FFN – please put me on alert on TWCS for now – you just never know (I am peoplelikeus over there). I'm sure that PLU will be pulled at some stage…..
Hang in there, okay? This too shall pass… Okay, enough of that for now. I love you all and thank each one of you for your reviews and thoughts.
TRANSLATION: "Now what is it that the young lady would like from me?"
Please let me know what you think? Fee – you are an angel; thank you for being in my corner.
Love and hugs until next time,
Michele (justginger/ffn – peoplelikeus/TWCS)