Thanks for all the reviews!
Before I get started I wanted to recommend a couple more awesome stories for you Jasper lovers out there. I've told you about a few of my favs before but the ones I want to encourage you to read this time (if you haven't already) are Destiny Awaits by Midnight Seductress and Contentment by MissElizabethBennett. Two awesome stories by two more amazing authors. So what are you waiting for? Go read, read, read! :-)
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All characters from the Twilight Saga belong to Stephenie Meyer.
I am only having a bit of fun and do not own or profit from any of
the characters/story.
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Delivered
Chapter 26
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"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me." All I could do for a few moments was stand with my mouth open, turning my head side to side as I looked at the contents in each of my 'Switzerland' suitcases.
When I decided to keep the peace by letting Alice and Charlotte both pack a suitcase for me, I didn't think THIS is what I'd end up with!
I noticed that my mouth was hanging open with shock and confusion, but instead of closing it, I opened it wider to call out. "Charlotte! Alice!" The irritation leaked through my tone.
"Yes, Bella?" Alice said sweetly when she was by my side a second later.
"Everything okay?" Charlotte asked, but when she looked over my shoulder at the two open suitcases, her mouth fell open the same way mine had.
I groaned. "So I take it I'm correct in assuming that these…" I waved my hand between the two pieces of luggage, "aren't the clothes you two packed?"
"Oh Bella!" Alice's groan matched my own. "Please tell me that you're hiding your actual clothes under the bed."
As Alice spoke she started poking through the suitcases, and each item was worse than the last. "How did I not see this?" Alice muttered to herself, confused.
"What's going on?" Charlotte wondered aloud as she too sifted through what I suppose you would call 'clothes'.
I had just come up to my room to get ready for bed after our first day in Alaska and I put the suitcases on the bed, not sure which one Alice packed for me and which one Charlotte had handled. I had cautiously unzipped one bag and then the next and what I found was simply horrific.
One suitcase included what were shaped like normal shirts and pants, but the colors were hideous. Any color that you wouldn't want to wear was in that bag.
"Holy hell I think this one would glow in the dark!" Alice commented with disgust while holding up a fluorescent green shirt with fluorescent orange stripes down one sleeve and hot pink polka dots down the other sleeve. "The person who made this shirt should be arrested."
"Or shot." I murmured.
"What is this? I don't even know what it's supposed to be." Charlotte was holding up an item from the other suitcase.
I sighed, having a very good idea exactly what had happened to my clothes, or at least why they weren't where they were supposed to be. "Char, I think that's what one would call a 'Muu Muu'."
The 'house coat' in Charlotte's hand was at least 12 sizes too big for me. It had absolutely no shape to it and hung like a tent with one long zipper down the front. It was covered in large paisley shapes. Charlotte reached back into the suitcase and pulled out a matching pair of worn, fuzzy slippers. The soles were darkened from use and I visibly cringed.
I flopped down onto the bed and my arm automatically came up to cover my face. "How could he do this?" I said mostly to myself.
I suddenly had an awful thought and sprang back up. Alice was still picking through the clothes with just the tips of her fingers as if she was worried the offensive articles would infect her. And to be honest, they might not make her sick but I wasn't sure how close I should get.
"What if he did this when we were still in Forks?" I almost screeched. "What if he doesn't have my actual clothes hidden somewhere and I'm stuck with this crap for the next week?" I'm not vain about what I wear, but I wasn't wearing anything in those suitcases.
The room was silent for a moment too long and I slowly turned my head to look between Charlotte and Alice. Charlotte looked confused, but Alice looked angry. He should have known better than to mess with a carefully constructed wardrobe that Alice herself put together.
"I don't understand, Bella. Where are all…of…" Charlotte trailed off and I saw as recognition settled across her features. "He didn't!"
I nodded. "He so did."
"EMMETT!!" Alice screeched so loudly that my hands flew up to cover my ears and Charlotte looked like she was in serious pain for a moment.
Emmett must have been a good distance away from the house, either that or he was stalling, because it took him a lot longer than I would have thought to get to my room.
There was a knock on my open door and I turned my head to see Emmett leaning against the door frame with a cocky, satisfied smile on his face. Although I will say that when he noticed the look on Alice's face, that smile of his faltered a bit.
"Where are my clothes, Emmett?" I spoke through clenched teeth, hardly able to contain the desire to throw something at him.
He just shrugged and his smile grew even bigger.
"Emmett" Alice was seething. "You have exactly 3 seconds to produce Bella's clothing…and they better not be wrinkled!"
He strolled into the room and came to stand right in front of me. In fact he was so close that the toes of his shoes were touching mine and I was forced to look straight up in order to see his face.
"You know damn well that it serves you right, Squirt. Are you seriously going to tell me that you can dish it out but you can't take it? Where's your freaking sense of humor, Bells?"
Before I could answer Alice somehow squeezed her way in between us and shook her finger up at Emmett's amused face. I lost my balance and fell back down on the bed, moving over slightly so Alice's ass wasn't right in front of my face.
"This is SO not the same Emmett. For one thing Bella told you where your clothes were almost immediately. Second, you weren't stuck over a thousand miles from home with nothing but hot pink crap and lounge tents to wear with no designer stores anywhere around. And C…it's not like you need an excuse to walk around naked, Emmett. You do it all the time."
Emmett shrugged. "There's nothing nowhere that says pranks have to be equal. This was an 'Emmett' job. I do have a reputation to uphold and there was no way I was gonna be outplayed by the Squirt!"
Before Alice could start screeching again, I stood up and grabbed her arm at the elbow to let her know I would handle it from there. I was pretty sure that no matter how much we screamed, yelled or threatened that Emmett wouldn't back down. Getting my clothes back in one piece would take some defensive measures.
I walked back over to Emmett and made my eyes look as submissive as I possibly could. "Em? This was a good one. You totally win and I can see clearly now that I'll never be able to outdo you in the world of pranks. I suppose it was silly to try." I sighed in defeat and although Emmett looked at me with surprise he continued to keep his mouth shut on the whereabouts of my clothes.
I went a little further. "Can you at least let me know if my clothes are in Alaska or if you left them in Washington? Where did you get all this stuff, Emmett?"
I held up what I would guess was a nightgown. The thick, scratchy material was worn and piling and was very long. It would have gone all the way to the floor if I actually put it on, and I could see that it had a very high neck. The ruffles would have gone to my chin and out to the tips of my fingers on the sleeves. Not even my grandmother would have worn it.
Emmett shrugged again. "I got them here and there…thrift stores, garage sales and even the trash for some of them." I shivered and dropped the nightgown. I had nothing against second hand clothing, but trash can shopping was a bit much.
He grinned evilly when he saw my response. "I may have been collecting them for awhile, just in case I needed them at some point. And I sure needed them didn't I?"
I had the feeling that I was fighting an uphill battle. Emmett wasn't going to back down easily, but neither was I. He hadn't told me if my clothes were close by or not, but until I knew for sure I'd keep trying. I decided to switch tactics. If there is one thing my big brother can't handle…
I turned away from Emmett and walked slowly to the connecting bathroom. I shut the door softly and glanced around the room. I turned on the shower, and moved to the corner of the room where an elegant vanity had been set up. I sunk down on the decorative seat, propped my elbows on the edge of the vanity and let my head fall into my hands.
I sniffed quietly, trying to make it seem like I was attempting to hide my distress. I was glad Jasper was hunting with the rest of the family, or he'd be able to tell I was faking it immediately.
One of the talents I was most proud of was my ability to conjure up tears almost instantly. I concentrated on the growing prickling sensation at the corners of my eyes and before I knew it the first few tears slipped down my cheeks.
I quickly removed the smile from my face and sniffled just a little louder, but didn't wipe the tears away…I needed them. I took in a shuddering breath of air and whispered 'to myself', "Oh, what am I going to do?"
A few tears later and just when I was starting to think my plan might not work, there was a soft knock on the bathroom door.
"Bells? Are you okay?" Emmett asked through the door, and I had a harder time hiding my smile.
I choked a little dramatically, sniffed louder and instead of wiping the tears away I spread them across my cheek with the back of my hand.
"Squirt?" Emmett asked again, sounding worried. Perfect!
"Bella, I'm coming in so if you aren't decent you have two seconds to grab a towel or something."
I could see in the mirror that Emmett slowly cracked the door open and then pushed it open a bit wider and stuck his head in the door. I made sure my shoulders shook with my 'poor me' sobs but still didn't say anything. I risked one more peek in the mirror and Emmett had turned around to whisper pleadingly to Alice and Charlotte.
I couldn't hear what Emmett said, but right before he turned back around I caught the smirk on Alice's face. I dropped my eyes back to the top of the vanity and blinked out some fresh tears.
"Aw Squirt," Emmett spoke quietly and I could hear him walking over to me. He tentatively placed his hands on my shoulders and I shuddered again through my manufactured sobs.
"It was only a joke, Bells. Are you really this upset because of what I did? Please don't cry. Please, Squirt?" Emmett pleaded. This was too easy!
I finally raised my head and appreciated the shocked look on Emmett's face when he saw the tears that were still streaming down my cheeks.
I took another shaky breath and said, "It's…it's not that I don't a-a-appreciate a good prank, Em. It's…it's just that I-I wanted to make a good impression on your friends and family. Wh-What will they think when they see me in those ho-horrible clothes? I-I just want to go hoooommmme." I wailed convincingly.
Emmett responded with a quiet "Shit" and then scooped me up into one of his signature bear hugs. As he held me tight I buried my head in his neck and didn't even worry about the tears and snot that I was probably getting all over him. That thought only added to my entertainment but I stopped that thought in fear I wouldn't be able to keep the faucet of tears going if I became too amused.
"Shit Bells, I didn't mean to make you cry. This is all my fault. I should have known better than to mess with a girl's clothes. Alice was right. It really isn't the same. Please don't cry, Squirt. I can't stand it. I'll do anything…please?"
I sniffed again, loudly this time as it was now necessary, and finally wiped the tears from my face. I leaned up to look at Emmett and he swiped away a few of the tears I missed. I shuddered through another deep breath and gazed through my lashes at my big, dopey sweetheart of a brother. I almost felt bad for tricking him like this…but I needed my clothes back!
"Will you take me shopping, Em? Or help me find some clothes to wear? Maybe I can hide out in here until tomorrow because I can't imagine what everyone will say if they get back from hunting to see me dressed like…like that." I let a few stray tears fall and Emmett quickly wiped them away and set me carefully on the ground.
He smiled at me and tucked a piece of hair behind my head, but he still looked a bit concerned. I felt even more guilty, but not enough to stop.
"There's no need for shopping Squirt. I sent Alice to get your clothes before I came in here." Emmett assured while pulling me into another hug that was actually gentle this time.
Alice suddenly called from the bedroom, "I've got them, Bella, and they are perfectly fine." She paused for a few seconds before continuing, "So you can drop the act, Drama Queen!"
Emmett gasped and pulled me back from the hug, still gripping the tops of my arms. His mouth was open in surprise and he tilted his head as if he was trying to decide if I was faking or not. He dropped his hands, took a step back and asked, "Bells?"
I cleaned the rest of my face off in one final swipe and beamed up at him. "I don't like being outplayed either, Big Bro." I reached up to pat his shoulder as I walked past him out of the bathroom.
Alice was sitting on the corner of the bed and was smiling at me and looking very pleased. "Nice, Bella. Very, nice. I still don't know why I didn't see this happening, and I'm sorry about that, but you handled it beautifully."
I heard the shower turn off and Emmett stormed out of the bathroom a few minutes later. He looked equal parts angry and impressed. "That was a low blow, Squirt!"
"I did what I had to Em. I'm sorry, but you had my freaking clothes for hell's sake!"
Emmett shook his head and turned to leave the room. "I won't underestimate you again, Squirt, but we're gonna talk about this later. Understand?" Emmett grumbled before closing the door behind him.
Alice, Charlotte and I giggled for a few minutes, and although I was still feeling guilty and had a feeling I was going to get an earful from Emmett at some point, I was just happy to have my clothes back.
In fact, I was so relieved that I wasn't as irritated by the clothes Alice had packed for me as I normally would have been. After a few minutes of unpacking, Charlotte excused herself as she and Peter were heading out for their own hunt.
"Be good, Bella." Charlotte had said as she hugged me goodnight. "Try not to piss off more than one vampire a day." She grinned and touched my nose with her finger before turning to follow Emmett out the door and closed it again.
Alice and I unpacked silently for a little while and I noticed that as the minutes ticked by, she lost more and more of the happiness she showed at getting my clothes back. I kept sneaking glances at her, but Alice either didn't notice or she was ignoring me. When I heard her sigh as she was hanging up the 'party outfit', I knew I had to say something.
"Alice? What is it? Did you have a vision, or…?"
She looked at me but didn't speak for a few minutes. I could tell that she was trying to decide if she wanted to talk about it or not. "Alice?" I prompted again, but she shook her head and motioned to the balcony.
I was pretty sure that Emmett was the only other vampire in the house, and if Alice didn't even want Emmett to hear it must be serious. I shrugged on my heavy coat and Alice tossed me a scarf and gloves. I had on thick wool socks, and because the balcony was covered I simply pulled on another pair that was even thicker and then followed her outside.
The chill of the night startled me and caused me to take a deep, involuntary breath. After that first initial shock I was pleasantly surprised to find that the balcony was in a somewhat protected alcove. The wind didn't seem to reach us.
I tried to be patient and wait for Alice to talk, but we had already been outside for what felt like 15 minutes. The longer we stood there the more I was sure I knew what was bothering her. I couldn't understand why she was being so stubborn when it came to Adam, but if that was the problem hopefully I could talk some sense into her.
I jumped when Alice sighed loudly, interrupting the heavy silence of the quiet night. "Bella, tell me to give it up. Tell me, because I keep seeing you trying to convince me otherwise, and right now I just need you to tell me I made the right decision."
"No." I said with quiet determination, afraid that I would do exactly what Charlotte had teased me about and get another vampire pissed off at me. I wouldn't tell her to give it up though. I was certain this was about AJ now and I wasn't going to tell Alice she made the right decision when I didn't think she had.
"Bella!" Alice half growled at me. "You know as well as I do that nothing that is said or done will change that I can't have him. He's a human for crying out loud!"
I snorted a laugh and looked incredulously at Alice. "And what am I? A canary? That argument won't work with me Alice, and it shouldn't work with you either. No Alice," I put my hand up to stop her from interrupting, "if Jasper can control himself enough to be with a human, then so can you, and if you take that little part out of the equation you don't really have a leg to stand on."
Alice huffed out an irritated sigh, and even I could hear the sad undertone that polluted every one of her words. "It doesn't matter. The family wouldn't approve. And besides, Adam is gone. He's already moved away and won't be in Forks when we get back, so it doesn't really matter."
I snorted again and clapped my hand over my mouth at the unladylike sound it made. Alice raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. "If you keep making noises like that nobody will mistake you for a canary!"
I ignored her jab and continued before I could lose my train of thought. "You know damn well that when you say the 'family' won't approve what you mean is that Edward won't approve. And give me a break, Alice! It doesn't matter if Adam relocated to the moon! You're a Cullen and you know that you could track him down pretty damn easily."
I stared at Alice, daring her to disagree with me. "Admit it!" I said a little louder than I'd intended, "you're just making excuses because you're scared." I saw Alice's face crumple and I instantly softened my tone.
"Alice, you deserve to be happy. I know you didn't talk to Adam that much, but it was obvious that he cared about you. What do you have to lose by trying? A hell of a lot less than you have to lose by not trying." I reached over to take her hand. "I know you've seen it Alice. You've seen that you two can be happy together and I don't believe for a second that the visions are just of your own making."
It was quiet for a long time, but this time I made myself wait. I wanted Alice to really think about what I'd said because it really was silly that she was cheating them out of the possibility of having so much. I just knew that Alice and AJ would be perfect together and if I had to write him a letter myself, I'd do it!
Finally I watched as Alice's face defrosted and she turned to give me a cautious smile. "Do you know that I've been so preoccupied with thinking about AJ that it's been messing with my visions? I think that's why I didn't see Emmett's little stunt." She sighed. "I think you're right Bella. I have to at least try, Edward be damned. OH…"
I was elated to hear that Alice was going to talk to AJ and was startled again when she trailed off into what I knew was a vision. Her eyes glazed over and as I watched her anxiously I wondered what she could possibly be seeing.
Alice smiled slightly and then I saw her eyes clear. She focused on me and her smile grew.
"What? What's going to happen?"
Alice smiled even wider now and the little pixie was bouncing slightly when she answered me. "It looks like Edward isn't going to be as big of a problem as I thought he'd be. It seems little Miss Kate will have quite the positive effect on our uptight big brother."
I grinned along with Alice and was so very excited for her. I realized that this could be 'it' for Alice and I vowed I would do everything in my power to help make it happen. AJ might be freaked out to learn about vampires when the time came, and I would be there to help. This would work!
"Okay!" Alice interrupted my thoughts. "When we get back to Forks I'll get AJ's new contact information. I'm sure the high school keeps records on that sort of thing."
"Alice, you said Adam was going to be moving to Alaska. Couldn't you find his contact information from here? Hack into the school computer or something? Then you could actually see him sooner."
For just a second Alice's face brightened, but then she frowned slightly and shook her head, her voice the quietest whisper. "I'm not ready."
"Alice!" I chided.
"Bella, no. This isn't the right time. But it will be, and I promise I'll find him and call him when we get home. Promise, okay?"
I watched her for a minute making sure she was sincere, and then nodded with a smile. "Okay."
Alice hugged me, whispering her thanks and we enjoyed a few more minutes gazing at the stars before I got too cold and had to go inside. Unfortunately when I went to move to the door, my damn socks had frozen to the floor of the balcony.
Alice looked over her shoulder, obviously trying to stop herself from laughing. "Problem, Bella?"
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? I thought your visions weren't working." I muttered, but honestly I was having a hard time not laughing myself.
"I said I was having issues, not that I was completely out of order." Alice trilled.
We locked eyes as I was unsuccessfully trying to detach my socks from the frozen floor, and neither of us could stop the giggles any longer. Alice finally came over to help me and was able to easily yank my feet free, leaving fuzzy patches of wool still frozen on the ground.
The next few days went by quickly. I spent a lot of time with Jasper, but I also spent a good amount of time getting to know Tanya and her family. Apparently their sister Irina would be returning during the party and I would be able to meet her then.
I noticed that Tanya's family got a little quiet when talking about their absent sister, but I attributed it to the fact that they missed her. That was easy enough to understand.
I even spent time getting to know Ely. He was actually a lot more quiet and reserved than I would have pictured, but it was easy to see that he and Tanya were totally in love.
And I had been right about Emmett. He approached me the day following the 'clothes incident'. He had his hands perched on his hips, and clucked at me just like an angry mother hen.
"I know you wanted your clothes back, and you would have gotten them back, but that stunt you pulled with the boo hooing was just going too far. You can't use emotion to fool people, Bella."
And after that Emmett's voice had started to sound like the teacher on the old Charlie Brown cartoons. 'Wah wah waaaa wah."
At one point Emmett even tried to get Jasper on his side, and I was starting to get irritated with the way he was treating me like a naughty child. After all, Emmett was the one who started all of this when he put the rocks in my backpack!
Luckily Jasper just smiled and shook his head. "This is between the two of you, Emmett. I'm staying out of it from now on." Jasper had said, earning a bright smile from me when Emmett wasn't looking.
Emmett eventually gave up after I promised not to cry anymore unless I was actually upset. He said I was being 'manipulative' and I said he was the one being a baby. Okay, so I didn't really say that to Emmett, but I did tell him that he was now the one that was acting like he could dish it out but not take it.
Esme and Carlisle intervened in the end, and when I look back on it they were probably embarrassed at the way we were acting in front of their friends.
They got us to agree to take a break from the pranks for awhile and I even apologized to Emmett for using my tears to 'manipulate' his 'tender wittle feelings'. That comment had gotten me a stern look from Esme so I gave up at that point. I wasn't trying to get myself in trouble, and I had genuinely felt bad about tricking Em.
The vacation was great except that both Charlotte and Esme made me complete my school work first thing each morning. Even Rose occasionally got on my back about not letting my grades fall after being away for a week. And me? I kept telling myself they meant well and tried to keep the grumbling to a minimum.
But other than school work, vacation was great! Today when I finally finished my school crap, Jasper decided that we should go sledding. I had never lived anywhere that had enough snow to make sledding even possible, so I was excited about the idea.
Rose, Emmett, Edward, Kate, Peter and Alice all joined us. Ely had been planning to join us, but Tanya asked him to help with the party preparations at the last minute. The party was happening that night so we were given strict instructions to be home in plenty of time to get changed. I felt a flutter of nervous butterflies at the mention of the party, and Jasper gently squeezed my shoulder.
"What is it Darlin?"
"Uhm…just a little nervous about tonight. That's all." I answered, feeling a little embarrassed.
Emmett chuckled. "Hey Squirt, at least you won't have to attend the festivities wearing a Muu Muu, right?" I laughed with him as I was able to appreciate his prank a lot more from this side of it.
Alice turned around from the front seat of the car and it was obvious that she still wasn't amused by what Emmett had done. She totally ignored him and instead talked to me. "There's nothing to worry about, Bella. You'll look amazing, and I've already seen that you'll have a fabulous time at the party."
I'd wanted to argue and tell Alice that she couldn't be sure, especially with her visions all messed up lately. I stopped myself though, because I was certain that Alice wouldn't thank me for bringing that up in front of the family. I would just concentrate on having a good time sledding and deal with the party later.
It took about 30 minutes to drive to the sledding hill that Kate had suggested. She was sitting in the very back seat of the Suburban next to Edward. Although they weren't holding hands, they were sitting very close to each other and it was plain to see that they were both enjoying their developing relationship.
Jasper took my hand in both of his and rested them on his lap as I leaned my head on his shoulder. We were sitting in the center seat with Peter and I had a feeling that Pete was pointedly trying to ignore our public display of affection.
Emmett was driving and pulled into a small parking lot where I could see several other cars parked. I glanced toward the hill and saw all kinds of people, mostly familes, sledding.
"We're going to sled here?" I was confused. "With all these people?"
Jasper chuckled and assured me that we were only taking advantage of the parking space. When we piled out of the car, everyone but me grabbed the sleds. Alice grabbed the extra clothes I'd brought and they all walked to the edge of the forest. Jasper took my hand again and we followed them.
As soon as each vampire reached the covering of the trees they all took off running and before I knew it, Jasper and I were alone. I turned to ask him if I should get on his back, but in that same instant I was pinned up against the closest tree.
Jasper's mouth descended greedily onto mine. The kiss was hard and passionate. Jasper wasn't one to hold back when it came to kissing, but this was a more intense kiss than we'd shared before.
I totally lost myself in the feeling of his lips on mine and moaned when his tongue took possession of my mouth. My hands tangled in Jasper's hair, and his hands went around my waist as he pulled me closer to him.
I was forcing myself to breathe out of my nose in attempt to draw out the amazing kiss as long as I could, but it unfortunately had to end some time. I decided to make the best out of it while it lasted and hooked my leg around Jasper's to pull him even closer.
This turned out to be what ended the kiss because as our lower bodies connected, both Jasper and I gasped. We were panting heavily and Jasper pressed his forehead against mine.
"We haven't had nearly enough time to ourselves, Darlin. I just couldn't resist that opportunity. I would have died all over again if I was forced to wait much longer to kiss you."
Jasper's voice had taken on the husky sound that made me tingle in all the right places. He pressed his lips to mine once, twice more and then pulled me away from the tree and into his arms.
My voice was muffled against his chest. "I'm glad you didn't wait any longer, Jazz. I've missed that."
He kissed the top of my head and almost regretfully helped me climb onto his back. I felt the same way and would have gladly given up sledding for some 'practice time' if everyone wasn't waiting for us.
In a gesture to let Jasper know just how much I wanted him, as I wrapped my arms around his neck I let my foot graze him in just the right spot before hooking them around his waist.
Jasper gasped again and then purred quietly as he ran his hands up and down my legs. "I'm not even going to comment on that right now, Darlin, but as soon as we have some time to ourselves you're gonna finish what you just started."
I shivered in delight at Jasper's words. He turned his head back to me, certainly feeling the lust that was radiating off of me, and I kissed his cheek to let him know I was totally up to the challenge.
His grip tightened on my legs and he took off running without another word. We didn't need to speak because we spent the short run exchanging every intense feeling we had for each other.
When we came around an outcropping of trees I couldn't even hide the disappointment I felt at seeing our family. Alice was grinning at us with a knowing look in her eyes and I quickly turned my head. Unfortunately it was too late to stop the blush that always takes over, and several members of my family snickered.
Jasper walked over to join them and I sighed before sliding off his back. I could have stayed wrapped around him most happily.
We spent the next couple of hours sledding, and it was even more fun than I thought it would be. I always imagined it as entertaining, but thought it was for children. But I was wrong. The thrill I got when we flew down the hill was only second to the way I felt as I wedged myself between Jasper's legs each time we got back on the sled for our next run.
A great advantage was that I didn't have to hike back up the hill each time. Jasper would simply pick me up and before I knew it we were ready to get back on and cruise down the side of the mountain.
I knew that Jasper was only taking us down smaller sections of the hill in an attempt to keep me from getting hurt. I could feel that he really wanted to climb to the top with his family and sled down the section that I wouldn't get near.
"Jazz, I'm fine. Go with the others this time. I know you're dying to try out the big hill."
I could see he was considering it, so I encouraged him a bit more until he finally agreed to join everyone else for a few runs. It was easy to feel how excited he was and it was affecting my own level of enjoyment.
I stood back and watched as one by one my family came down the hill. They were going so fast and literally caught air several times. I knew I'd break a tailbone if I even thought about joining them.
"That was great!" Jasper beamed and kissed my cheek. It was freezing outside so his touch didn't feel as cold as normal. "Do you mind if I do it once more before we tackle our hill again?"
I assured him it was fine and he took off after Edward and Kate to climb the hill again. It was only Emmett and I at the bottom and he had a mischievous look on his face.
"What?" I asked warily. "I know that look, Emmett."
"Why don't you try going down by yourself, Squirt? You don't have to wait for Jasper." He grinned. "Or are you chicken?"
I huffed out the breath I'd just taken. I wasn't chicken! "Fine! I don't have a problem going down on my own." I gave Emmett a sly grin of my own. "I just like the feeling of sitting between Jasper's legs, Big Bro."
Emmett's face twisted into a grimace. "Ugh. Bells, don't even go there." He shook his head as if he was trying to get rid of the mental image I'd just created for him. "Stop stalling, Short Stuff. Put your money where your mouth is!"
I could feel my competitive streak surging through my veins and even though I wasn't scared to go down on my own, I didn't want Emmett to think I was. I trudged over and grabbed a sled and positioned it at the top of the hill.
I climbed on, folded my legs in front of me and gripped the underside of the sled tightly. Hmm, the hill looks a lot steeper when I'm by myself.
I pulled some courage into my bones and started to scoot forward to the lip of the hill. I heard Emmett chuckle behind me and then felt a large hand on my back as it pushed me forward…hard.
As I was trying to get a better grip on the sled that was now careening down the hill thanks to my big brother, I heard Alice's terrified scream.
"Emmett!! NO!!"
Thank you all so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them a ton!
Just a side note (along with my apology for the cliff hanger :-p) my daughter is out of school for the summer but I will still try to update at least once a week. I am going to get another chapter out this weekend but then the one after that might not be until the middle to end of next week.
Don't forget to go read those awesome stories I mentioned at the beginning!
Thanks again!
-Jules