"Bella," bellowed Rose good naturedly, "I'm freezing! I refuse to let you turn down that air conditioning any further!"
"I'm so hot," replied Bella. She was eight and a half months pregnant. The pretty turquoise ditzy print dress that had looked so fresh this morning was clammy now, clinging to her uncomfortably. Her face was damp, her carefully blow dried hair sticking to her forehead. The indian summer was in full swing, a heatwave sweeping across the mid West and the great plains leaving the grass at the side of the road brown and dead and the air dry.
"Put the cooled seats on again," suggested Rose.
"I can't," said Bella plaintively, "they make me want to pee."
"Okay," laughed Rose, "we've had more than enough pee stops on this road trip. I think I've seen every gas station between Forks and Montana. If I had my Go Pro we could have made a documentary and uploaded it to YouTube."
"Are you forgetting that you insisted we come?" said Bella, taking a dog eared magazine from the door pocket and using it to waft air at her face. "You've got to take some responsibility."
"I could shake you sometimes, Isabella Swan." Rose took an iced coffee with all the ice melted from the central cup holder and took a sip. She grimaced and put the warm drink back in the cup holder. "First of all your excuse was sorting things out with Jacob, then it was not bringing Edward into things while the investigation was ongoing," she glanced across at Bella.
"I told you," retorted Bella, "it wouldn't be fair."
"Jacob chucked his sister under the bus!" said Rose. "That was the quickest investigation I've ever seen."
"Bitch deserved it," muttered Bella, "it was a crying shame what happened to those Vietnamese illegals under Rebecca's watch."
"Not the point," said Rose. "That was all resolved months ago. You should have contacted Edward then." Bella crossed her arms across her chest. She had heard these arguments from Rose repeatedly over the last few months. "It doesn't matter how you feel about him, he needs to know that he's got a child on the way."
"I don't expect him to pay anything," said Bella, quietly. Her hands moved to her bump, stroking it in the way that had become natural to her over the last few months. "I mean, it was a one night thing."
"It's not the money," said Rose. "Although," she added, seriously, "as your lawyer I do advise you that he has an obligation to care for the child." She changed tone again. "It's the morals of the matter. He has to know that he is a daddy. It's not fair to keep it from him. In fact, it's downright selfish." Tears pricked Bella's eyes. She knew that what Rose was saying was right. It was pride that had kept her from contacting Edward.
Before she knew that she was pregnant she had harboured a wonderful fantasy. With Jacob out of the picture and Bella safely installed in her own little house she would go to him. He would be pleased to see her and would sweep her off her feet and make her his wife. It was simple and powerful, a talisman that she kept close to her chest, that sustained her when the Black twins were trying to bully her into walking away with nothing and when Jacob was leaning heavily on her during the weeks of the investigation. However, now things were different. Turning up with a baby felt like blackmail. Would he feel like he had to marry her? She would never know if he felt for her or just felt the obligation towards their offspring.
A gas station swam into view, some distance in the horizon.
"I've got to stop again," said Bella. She glanced at Rose who smiled and shook her head.
"In that case," replied Rose, "episode one hundred and thirty five of `Gas Station Bathrooms of North America' coming up."
Fort Troy, Montana was a dusty little town. The low rise main street had a liquor store, a couple of grocery stores and a fishing tackle store as well as a little diner and a gas station. The buildings were a mixture of red brick and wood. The signs at the gas station looked like they belonged in a museum, rashes of dust bubbling up through the once bright paintwork. Behind them was wide open space and in the distance, miles away the down were mountains, a beautiful shimmery mirage in the distant heat.
"Let's stop at the diner for some lunch," said Bella.
"No," said Rose, "we're so close. We can't stop now."
"I'm hungry," said Bella, "and you know how my heartburn gets if I don't eat."
"Oh I know," said Rose with a resigned sigh, pulling her SUV into an empty space in front of the diner. "We've spent this entire journey indulging your bladder and your appetite."
"Sorry," said Bella. "I know I said I would do some of the driving but I've been so tired."
"You're pregnant," shrugged Rose, flipping the gearstick into park, "and I've got time on my hands." Bella looked across at Rose, wondering if she would finally open up as to why she wasn't at work after winning the biggest case of her career however Rose studiously avoided her gaze and opened the car door. Bella unclipped her seat belt and opened her own door. She gripped the grab bar and stepped carefully out into the street.
A bell on the diner door rang out their arrival. The lights were on and there was country music playing at a low level however the diner was deserted. It was a long, slim space with booths along the left hand wall and a row of stools on the right set up in front of a Formica counter. The smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the air.
"Take a seat," hollered a female voice from somewhere out back, "I'll be right out."
They took a seat at a booth with red leather seats. The diner was small but it was scrupulously clean.
"Good morning," a plump lady in a peach dress with white trim speed walked out of the kitchen and braked suddenly in front of their booth. "How are we today?" She dropped two laminated menus in front of Bella and Rose.
"Good," said Bella.
"Great, thanks," smiled Rose.
"No specials today, I'm afraid, it's just what's on the menu." Rose and Bella nodded their understanding. "Can I start you off with some drinks?"
"Coffee," said Rose.
"Hmmm, shall I leave the pot?" said the waitress with a smile. "You look like you need it.
"Perfect," said Rose, nodding her head.
"A strawberry milkshake," said Bella.
"You got it," she smiled. "You're lucky you came in when you did, I was just about to close up."
"Is it always this quiet?" asked Rose, looking around again at the empty space.
"Hell no," said the waitress, one hand on hip, "this would usually be the lunchtime rush. There's a big wedding on in town, most everybody is there."
"I love the idea that the whole town goes to the wedding," said Rose.
"Oh, when it's one of the old ranching families, like the McCaig's or the Cullen's then everybody will turn out to that church, whether they've been invited or not."
Bella started to feel hot. Rose looked over at her, concerned.
"Who's getting married today?" asked Bella, softly.
"One of those wild Cullen brothers apparently," said the waitress, leaning in to the table conspirationally. "I mean, I don't know the family myself, being new to town and all, but it seems a few hearts are breaking."
Bella stood up and stumbled out of the booth and towards the ladies bathroom. She opened the door and let it slam immediately behind her, resting her clammy back against the mercifully cool wood. She felt like she was having a panic attach. Her breath was coming in hot, thick gulps and blood was pulsing through her veins so fast that spots danced in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes and willed her body to take in long, slow breaths. The diner was so quiet that she could hear Rose and the waitress talking outside.
"Is she alright?" asked the waitress.
"Fine, I think," said Rose, in a bright tone that Bella knew was fake. "Eight and a half months pregnant and full of hormones."
"Wait a minute," said the waitress, in a low, urgent voice, "you guys don't know any of the Cullen brothers do you?"
"Oh no," said Rose, laughing gaily, a little too loud, "we're just passing through." She paused. "One of those Cullen brothers is the rodeo champion, right?"
"He sure is," agreed the waitress, "but it's definitely not him that is getting married today." Bella held her breath. "The younger one is still in school so I think it's the oldest one."