Rescue Ink
Carlisle Cullen is a pillar of the community. He's a humane veterinarian/philanthropist who owns an animal hospital and shelter. He's a loving husband, a devout father, and his three sons follow in his footsteps as well as on his Harley. They're tattooed bad boys who right the wrong to protect and save. They have hearts that fall in love with the blink of an eye. Well, except for the middle one, Edward.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight.
I am still blessed with my Beta, Fran. Although, this chapter isn't Beta'd.
A/N: If anyone would like to join Fran's Facebook group (Pay It Forward), please let me know. She recs the best stories. Also, she introduces new writers to fanfic readers.
I actually like to share pics of this story in Fran's group.
Here's the site's address: : / groups / 896806390388220/ … just squish this back together.
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Chapter Twenty-five:The Sweet taste of India
EPOV:
To watch Bella's reaction to Taj Lake Palace is priceless. She tries to be nonchalant, but it's a no-go when Dad tells her it's all white marble.
BPOV:
To say I am speechless is redundant and an oxymoron. It's hard to keep my mouth shut at every bit of architecture I view. And on top of everything, The Taj Mahal is its predecessor. Edward watches me waiting for me to react.
I finally take a breath and gasp.
"You all right, Bella?" Edward leans down with a hand on my back.
I find my voice and push out a, 'yes'.
The dock looks like a patio with a lake view. There are three ornate wrought iron canopies with two small patio tables surrounded by a loveseat sofa and chairs on each end.
We stand near the water as a small, white canopy boat approaches us. Edward and Carlisle hop in and help Esme and me into the boat. We put on life jackets and we sit for the short ride to the middle of Lake Pichola. I lean against Edward for fear I will faint from all this splendor.
Once we reach the dock entrance, we are met by a colorfully garbed hostess in a multi-red saree with gold embroidery on the hem and neckline, and a man dressed in a red taxi hat and jacket, black pants and patent leather shoes and white gloves holding a huge, gold-tassel, dark paisley fabric umbrella. On a red carpet, they escort us to the main entrance. He holds the umbrella over the four of us as red rose petals fall from above. Esme and I both sigh simultaneously. Edward bends to grab a few petals and hands them to me. He knows I'll press them into a book as a remembrance.
The door opens and they nod farewell.
The marble continues throughout the lobby floor, ornate columns and archways of white and gold. There are rows of massive chandeliers of gold and crystals leading down both hallways.
We make a brief stop at reception and once again have an escort to our rooms.
Esme and Carlisle's room is a few doors down from us. Edward exhales a long breath. I try to hide my smirk.
We enter our room. There is an archway of two, beige marble columns with elephant heads and large tusks facing one another from their mantles. Just beyond, we see two periwinkle, crush-velvet, lounge sofas with an angled back creating an aisle to the massive, king-size, four-post bed. From the amber chandeliers to the scatter rugs, they all match in color and design.
Behind the bed, a decorative, carved panel of metal sits before the golden walls as a divider. There are three doors with gold triangular designs over each top and side frames and on each side wall. It's magnificent.
The bedspread is an embroidered gold silk and satin matching the gold designs on the marble floor.
Edward smiles. "You're taking this all in?"
"I'm speechless."
"The bed is huge. I won't find you."
I wrap my arms around his waist. "Oh, don't you worry, I'll be right next to you."
Edward cell rings. "Yeah, Dad?" He nods. "Yes, I know. Oh, okay, then we'll see you in the morning."
I carefully sit on the edge of the bed.
"I would bet their room is very similar to ours and they want to stay in for the night."
"Who knew your dad was such a beast?" I giggle.
He sits next to me and grabs my hand. "Well, it's just you and me. You hungry?"
"Starved."
*RI*
Edward arranges for us to have a private dinner in one of the small octagon-shaped gazebos. The moon hides behind clouds, but each key-shaped archway is lit by small tea lanterns. We are over the lake with the view of a well-lit City Palace.
We ask the waiter to bring us a typical meal and he brings back two trays full of smaller bowls and many Indian breads. I can't pronounce half of what I put into my mouth, but I pig put. So does Edward. The veggie platter has daal-bati-churma. The daal is a mixture of five lentils, the bati is fried bread and the churma is a sweet. Also, we have kadhi, Gatte ki sabzt, ker-sangri, three kinds of roti and khichdi. The meat is mutton and lamb curries.
After warm tea and honey, we're very full, and walk back to our room, ready for bed and crawl in. With his arms around me and slight kiss to my temple, I fall into a deep sleep.
I awake to Edward kissing my forehead and pulling me out of bed towards the terrace. The bright morning sun sparkles the lake into rays of cut diamonds. I sit at the table with a breakfast feast before me. The copper platter has roti, which is a flatbread, dosa, a thin crepe made of lentils and irdlis, a steamed-rice dough pancake with different dips and chutney and some spiced potatoes. Edward pours me a piping hot cup of tea as I reach for the honey.
He's normally a good eater, but he fills his plate a few times chowing down and smiling.
"Can I assume you like your breakfast?" I kid.
He swallows, wipes his mouth with his napkin and takes a sip of tea. "Pretty much."
I smile and tease. "I'll still love you when you get all soft and mushy."
He glares at me. "That will never happen."
"That's true. You will never get … soft."
Oh, I get the look. "Damn straight."
"So, what's the itinerary for today?"
"Well, Max is sending a car for us in an hour. We'll see how things go at the sanctuary."
*RI*
EPOV
The sanctuary is on the outskirts of Udiapur about a thirty-minute drive. We dress casually and comfortably in jeans, T-shirts and work boots. Bella brings a lunch basket with a case of water for us unknowing if anything would be provided since she read and reread the manual about the volunteer conditions.
Our driver, Raj, is a go-to-guy. He does everything from picking up injured animals, cleaning out stalls and cages and assisting with care. He gives us a quick rundown of what we will be doing.
Once we arrive at the sanctuary, we look from the hills to the land to the lake. It's a vast, open area with many people attending dogs, cows, donkeys, pigs and other animals.
Max happily walks up to dad and they hug vigorously patting one another on the shoulder. Being a small, thin man with gray hair and a goatee, I'm afraid Dad will knock him over. Introductions are quick and we begin the tour. Max's wife, Adele, who happens to look like his twin without the facial hair, is the talker of the two. She explains the daily operations.
As we walk throughout the compound, many animals following us. I look behind me and see a trail of dogs, cows, and donkeys.
Dad and Max stand off to the side with Mom and Bella.
Adele turns to me and says, "They look as though they want some loving from you, Edward."
I kneel down petting one of the dogs and another shoves himself in front of me. I stroke both their heads until another few knock me down. Bella extends her hand and I rise dusting myself off.
Bella doesn't let go of my hand. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, bruised ego. That's all."
The rest of the tour takes us through the hospital area. The website does sensationalize the tougher cases. "We raise more money," Max admits, but a majority of the time, they're healing cuts and bruises.
A call come is in that a small donkey fell into the basement of an abandoned house and is stuck in thigh-deep, sewer water. Dad and I offer our help.
Mom and Bella stay behind with Adele as one of the pregnant dogs is about to deliver.
*RI*
The building we encounter is wide open. We walk up five cement steps to a flat area where there is a medium-size hole. We hear the soft braying of a very tired donkey. How he fell in there is a mystery, but we'll have to widen it to get him out.
One of the workers digs a pick at the opening, but it does nothing. Max walks out of the van with a jackhammer, and despite his size, he works it until it's wide enough to pull the donkey out.
Another worker drops a ladder through the hole and I go down with him. We wrap two ropes around his front and back. The little guy leans his head against me from the exhaustion of standing.
Once we get him up, he lays on my feet. When I bend to examine him, he moves closer and his head lays on my lap.
Max shakes his head. "Damnedest thing I've ever seen."
I look at my father and smile. "Don't say it."
"I was only going to say that when we go back, you need to sit with the donkey." He waves a hand in front of his nose with a stink face.
Two of us carry him into the van. He has no energy to walk let alone stand any longer. I sit on the floor with his head against me petting him.
When he gets back to the hospital, Dad and I do a thorough examination. He's a tough little guy, dehydrated and weak, but full of spirit.
Bella and Mom meet us in the reception area. My girl looks no different than me and we sit at the back of the van.
"Tomorrow, Max asked if we could spay and neuter a few dogs," Dad says.
I nod. "Sure."
Mom interjects, "You two do your thing and we'll do ours. And once you two are showered, we can do dinner. Yes?"
Bella groans, "Yes, dinner."
Mom sings, "We'll do tonight up right."
A/N: Thank you archy12 (id: 2268597) for all the help with the wonderful menu. Please, check out her stories.
*RI*
Ooh, what thing is Esme doing and what are they doing up right? One more chapter of India through their eyes.
*RI*
Time for recs: This list is authors.
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