Chapter Twenty Nine

Bella

Something was wrong, it had to be, I couldn't contact my mom. Her phone was off and I had filled her voice mail with gradually more desperate calls for her to ring me, let me know she was OK, where she was, what was happening. Grandpa's too went straight to voice mail and I filled that too. It had been almost two weeks since I had come home to find the house empty and although my mom had left the note I was still convinced something terrible had happened.

It couldn't have happened at a worst time. Peter and Charlotte were out of the country visiting an old friend of his and wouldn't be back for another two weeks so they were of no help and I balked at the idea of calling them back. I hadn't received a reply to my text to Jasper although in itself that wasn't unusual, sometimes he wasn't able to text back or had to delete texts from me if Alice were on the prowl and it was just our way of saying thinking of you, the safest way we could devise.

I continued my life, going to work, keeping the house tidy, working my other part-time job at a bookstore but a dread was slowly stealing over me and I didn't know which way to turn. What was I going to do? At the end of week three with still no word I risked another text to Jasper hoping he might at least answer, that would be some comfort but again I heard nothing back and I knew I would have to do something more drastic.

I spent a whole day screwing up my courage to ring Jasper, ready to pretend I was a cold caller if she answered and to my horror she did. I was finally hearing Alice Cullen's voice. I kept my nerve, pretending to be calling about changing phone providers and she cut me off tersely, but I had the strangest feeling she had been expecting someone else. Possibly me? How could that be so? What did I do now? I didn't dare ring again, I couldn't pull it off more than once. There were so many questions and I found them whirling around in my head making me feel sick and dizzy with apprehension.

Alice

Well now that had been interesting, the girl had seemed genuine enough except for one thing, the number she rang from was the same one that had left the enigmatic message,

"Horseshoes".

So just who was she? She didn't sound very old or confident which made matters, even more, puzzling and I checked with Emmett that nothing strange was happening on Jazz's email account, but he just shook his head,

"Nothing, I think you've got it wrong Alice. You should just come straight out and ask him."

"Thanks, Emmett. When I want your advice I'll ask for it. You just keep watching and don't you dare say a thing to anyone."

Even more frustrating was that Edward could hear nothing suspicious at all. No thoughts about a girl and only a feeling of remorse at Peter. So, had Jasper done something to his dear friend the Swamp man? One could only hope.

I was beginning to think that maybe things had settled down again, just like they did after my first sighting of the girl and when we went off to Australia and then it hit me, crystal clear, the girl was coming here to the family house and she was coming soon. Now I knew what I had to do, I called Edward to one side and gave him his orders along with Rose and Emmett. I told them the girl was coming and the best way to rid ourselves of her was for them to deny they knew anything about Jasper and send her on her way. Luckily Esme and Carlisle were away for the weekend so I didn't have them to contend with too.

"They'll go nuts if they find out Alice, you know how much Carlisle hates lies and Esme will kill us if we turn a girl in distress away."

"Better that than we find ourselves in the hands of the Volturi don't you think Rosalie?"

My sister gave me an angry scowl, but I could see I had won over Edward and Emmett and she was still terrified of humans so she would keep her mouth shut.

"It's simple. Just tell her you have no idea what she's talking about and she'll leave."

"Are you sure about this Alice? What if Jazz finds out?"

"Yes, and he won't Emmett unless you tell him, he's not talking to Peter so who else is there? Just keep your nerve and do as we agreed."

I had pinpointed when the brat would call and ensured I had taken Jasper away on a little shopping trip into town. My shopping trips lasted all day and so by the time we got back, the girl would be gone, simple! While in the changing rooms at one of the designer boutiques I checked Jasper's old phone and found that it was full of panicked texts and calls from some girl who seemed very familiar with my "husband". Well, she would find out what happened to girls who stuck their noses in my business, my family, if she didn't get the message soon. I deleted everything and put the cell phone back in my bag looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on one wall. I looked stunning as always and this blue brought out the pale silkiness of my skin, Jazz would go crazy when he saw me in it.

When I came out of the changing rooms he was nowhere to be seen and I cursed, he was always doing this, wandering off when I wanted him so I paid for the dress and went hunting for him. He was outside looking in a bookstore window and looked up guiltily when he heard my voice.

"I thought you'd taken root. You know I hate hanging around, are you finished yet?"

I smiled brightly,

"Almost, I just need a new pair of shoes to go with the dress and I'm good."

"More shoes? Alice, don't you have enough? I don't know why you wanted me along in any case. You know you prefer clothes shopping with Esme or Rosalie, even Edward."

I put my arm through his handing him the bags of shopping which he took with a sigh,

"Is it so wrong to want my husband with me sometimes?"

He didn't answer, what could he say? After all, I was being the loving wife, which reminded me...

"Jazz, I've been thinking..."

I stopped strategically outside a jewelry store and smiled up at him,

"Maybe we should make it official."

He frowned,

"Make what official? Alice don't talk in riddles, please."

I turned him around with a sigh to look at the display of rings on their velvet cushions,

"Us, it's about time we made us official. After all, you were the one who wanted to get married originally."

He pulled free of me moving away,

"And you were the one who said no. Now come on, let's get those shoes."

I pouted, angry and hurt at his response, anyone would think he didn't love me any longer!

I should have made more effort to get him back into my bed first….yes that would be my next project and I'd bought just the sexy outfit to accomplish that!

Jasper

This was awkward, why did Alice wait until now to bring up the subject of marriage when she had told me over and over that she didn't need a ring to prove our love for each other. Rose told me on the quiet that Alice had yet to find the perfect wedding gown and wouldn't consider getting married until she had. That sounded like Alice, yet now suddenly she was clinging and demanding, things she had never been before. I thought the fact I was absent from her bed might have shown her how I felt, but it seemed as always Alice saw only what she wanted to. It was the last thing I needed right now, with just another couple of years until I could finally be with my real wife hopefully. Speaking of which I realized I had never replied to her text and she would be waiting.

While Alice was busy browsing shoes, although what could take so long I had no idea, I took my phone out and looked for the text to reply. It wasn't there although I didn't remember deleting it. Never mind I could send her one anyway. Yet when I wrote the text and went to send I found Bella was no longer in my contacts under horse breeders. What the hell was going on here?