A/N - Happy Saturday! Thank you all so much for reading! Enjoy!
Chapter 37 - Encounter
EPOV
This afternoon was going perfectly. Bella was absolutely glowing. I could literally see the difference in her demeanour. The support of her parents meant everything to her, and as amazing as I always thought she was, now she was even better. She seemed lighter and just plain happy. Bella deserved this. She was such an amazing, supportive and loving woman.
The Swans seemed to be having a good time, and I was happy to get them on horseback. This was a big part of my life, and now, Bella's life, so it was nice to see them giving it a chance.
Bella's dad seemed to be a little nervous on the horse, and when Cinnamon and Bumblebee started walking, and Sugar didn't follow right away, Mr. Swan looked too scared to give the horse a squeeze with his legs. I told him what to do, and he had Sugar walking in no time. I was fairly certain that Sugar could sense how nervous he was, and she wasn't sure what to do.
Bella was smiling back at me, and she looked so damn beautiful on her horse. I winked at her and she smiled. I loved that I could still get a reaction out of her, by doing something as small as winking. She was so gorgeous, and I couldn't wait to take her upstairs and, well, take her.
Seth ran up beside me, and we followed Bella out of the corral, as she headed north to the back of the property. Bella was taking them out to the back of the house to start at the big tree. Everytime I looked at this tree, I would picture Bella laying underneath it, naked. You could say, I was such a typical guy for thinking of that, but it wasn't just because she was a naked woman; she was mine.
"So, this is the back yard," Bella said to her parents. She looked over at me, and I could have sworn her cheeks were a little flushed. I was fairly certain that she was thinking of the afternoon we had made love under this tree, like I was. I couldn't belive that we had only done it once here. We were going to have to change that before the snow started to fall. And by the chill in the air, that was going to happen soon.
I was looking forward to being snowed in this winter with Bella. Being out in the foothills of Alberta in the winter is a very interesting experience. Out here the snow fell deep. I had a tractor and plow blade so, I could clear my own road, but the deep cold, gusty winds and foot after foot of snow could make you feel incredibly isolated. But with Bella out here, the thought of being isolated was very, very appealing.
Bella turned east to head out to the edge of the property. Bumblebee followed Cinnamon, and Mrs. Swan didn't have to pull the reins at all. Sugar just leaned her head down and started eating a tall weed. I rode up beside Bella's dad.
"These horses are trained in a western style," I told him. "Hold both reins in your right hand and pull them over to your left hip. That'll turn Sugar's head right, and she'll walk that way. Give her a little squeeze and she'll get walking."
I showed him with Nutmeg and Mr. Swan followed what I showed him, getting Sugar to turn and follow Bella. I clicked my tongue, and Nutmeg picked up into a trot. Sugar followed my lead, and trotted along beside me.
Bella's dad laughed. "That's quite the skill," he said, holding tightly onto the saddle horn.
"It comes with time," I laughed. "You're doing really well, though." I wanted Bella's dad to like this. I wanted him to see what a great life Bella could have out here with me.
As we rode, Bella's dad started asking me about myself and the farm. I was just happy he seemed to genuinely be interested in what I had to say. He asked if I had any brothers or sisters, and I told him Emmett was as close to a brother that I had. I told him a little bit about mine and Em's relationship, and he said that it was nice that I had someone like that out here. I couldn't have agreed more.
We turned the horses south, and headed towards the highway. Mr. Swan did well this time, following the steps I explained to him on the last turn and Sugar followed his directions well.
"So how many acres do you have out here, Edward?" Mr. Swan asked.
"I've got a thousand acres," I told him proudly. "It's a lot of work a few times of year, but because I dry land farm, I have to leave it all up to the weather. I depend on the rain and the sun."
"It would be too much to irrigate, then?" Bella's dad asked.
"Yeah. It would cost me a fortune to get everything set up out here and the water piped in," I explained. "I just started doing this on my own, and I've thought about irrigating part of the land, but my dad never did, so we'll see how things go in the coming years."
I looked out in the field and saw a young coyote pouncing for a mouse in the stubble. "Mr. Swan," I said, pointing out at the coyote. "Bella," I called, as she and her mom were about twenty feet ahead of us.
She pulled Cinnamon's reins and slowed the horse, before looking over her shoulder at me. "There's a coyote out in the field," I said, pointing out at it.
I basked in the smile that spread across her face, as she watched the coyote running across the field. She pointed it out to her mom, and then set her hand on her chest. She loved the wildlife, and I was happy that she got a chance to see it.
I looked over at Bella's dad and he gave me a knowing smile. "You're really in love, aren't you?" he asked. I couldn't help but smile, as I nodded.
"I am," I told him. "From the minute I first saw her in the diner, I just felt an incredible connection with her," I admitted. I was trying to gain her father's trust, so I figured that I might as well be completely honest with him. "I'm mean, not only is she absolutely beautiful, she's incredibly intelligent, happy, energetic and fun. And she keeps me on my toes," I laughed.
He chuckled. "She's an amazing girl," he said. "I'm proud of her. She has always been stubborn and went for what she wants, even if it was different from what her mother and I thought was best for her."
I smiled. That was my girl, alright. She was amazing. I looked up and Bella was still watching the coyote. He was running out to the west away from us. Seth was just watching him, and I could tell he wanted to chase him, but he knew better than that.
We caught up to Bella and rode as a group. We finally got to the road, and waited for it to clear to before we crossed the highway onto Em's ranch. They got to see all the cattle in their pens. I looked at them and saw a week's worth of work. I saw Em in his truck, hauling feed, and he honked his horn at us. Bella and I waved at him, before we hit the trail.
Bella's mom couldn't get over how beautiful the scenery was, and I was glad that they were enjoying themselves. It was deadly quiet out here, and I had a bad feeling about it. I rode ahead beside Bella, and she looked at me. She looked scared right away, and I loved that she could read me so well.
"It's too quiet," I told her, as I pulled my shotgun out of the scabbard, and pumped the action back, so the gun was ready to fire.
"Edward," Bella whispered. She looked pale, and terrified.
"Can you wait right here?" I asked her. "I'm just going to ride ahead and check the trail."
"No, I'm scared. Can we just go back?" she asked.
"I don't want anything coming up behind us," I told her. "I'll be fine." Bears weren't something I ever wanted to run into. It was fall and the bears were packing on the food before winter. You really didn't want to run across one that was eating. It would think we were taking it's food. With a grizzly, a gunshot should be enough to keep it at bay, and being this close to the mountains, grizzleys were common.
I looked down and Seth was standing beside me. "Seth. Down," I commanded, and he dropped to the ground. He wouldn't move. I didn't want him to upset the bear, or get hurt.
I heard a grunt ahead of me, and all my fears were confirmed. There was a bear here. "Back your horses up," I called. "Push your feet straight down, shorten the reins, pull them towards you and tell them 'back.'"
I didn't want to look behind me, but I could hear the horses the stepping back. I was scared to death, for Bella. She was my world and I was all she had between her and what I knew was a bear just around the bend. I could hear Bella whimpering behind me, and I just wanted to hold her, but I wasn't going to turn my back, and leave us open to an attack.
Grizzly bears could weigh up to eight hundred pounds and run thirty miles an hour. This wasn't a threat to be taken lightly. I rode slowly around the curve in the path and there he was. He was huge. The grizzly was a dark brown, his back humped, and he was using his huge claws to paw at the soft ground in front of him. He smelled the horse and lifted his head to look at me.
My hands were shaking and sweating, but I held my gun tightly. I locked eyes with the bear, that was about thirty feet in front of me. He growled, and stomped his front paws down. He was trying to stand his ground and show me he wasn't moving.
I said a quick prayer for a steady hand and brough the shotgun up to my shoulder. I don't think I had blinked in a minute, but it only took a second for things to change and I wasn't going to risk anything. He started huffing and breathing hard, and he faked a charge at me. It was a bluff charge and he was testing me. I didn't want to take a chance that the next charge was the real thing. I fired the gun above his head and he stopped immediately.
I pulled the slide back and braced myself for another shot. The bear watched me for a moment, before turning and running back south, towards the mountain. Grizzlys did not like gunfire, and I was so thankful that it just took a single shot to get it to turn back. I was also happy that I didn't have to kill it. This land was its home, and I didn't want to kill it for just following instints.
I watched it as it walked back into the trees until I couldn't see it anymore. I didn't move and I still held the gun to my shoulder. To say I was terrified was an understatement. I had never been so scared in my life.
"Edward?" I heard Bella call from a ways back, and I knew she was probably worried sick about me. Her voice snapped me out of it, and I slid the gun back in the scabbard. I patted Nutmeg on the shoulder, and slowly backed him up. I kept my eyes on the treeline, but I was sure we were safe now.
I turned and rode back to Bella and her parents. My sweet girl had tears streaming down her face, and her parents looked pretty damn pale. I rode up beside her and leaned in to kiss her lips. I just needed to touch her, to get me back down to earth. I was still really on edge.
"What happened?" she asked, as she reached up to wipe her cheeks.
"There was a grizzly bear on the trail," I told her, letting out a deep breath.
"Did you shoot it?" Bella's mom asked me.
"No. It charged, and I fired in the air. It just turned and ran back into the trees," I told them, shaking my head. It was an incredible experience, but I honestly couldn't wait to get back home. "We're safe," I reassured them.
We rode back to Em's corral and he was outside waiting for us. "I heard your shotgun," he said. It looked like he was saddling his horse, and I knew he was on his way out to find us.
"There was a grizzly out on the trail. It bluffed me, but I shot above it, and it turned back, heading south," I told him. I dismounted my horse, and I walked around for a minute. Em patted my shoulder and I chuckled, shaking my head.
It was an insane experience, but I felt bad that it happened while we were showing Bella's parents around.
"You okay, buddy?" Em asked me.
I nodded my head. "I was just scared for Bella," I said, trying to hold the tears back. I think the shock was wearing off and my emotions felt all over the place. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and squeezed my eyes shut. I let out a deep breath, and then wiped my eyes.
I felt Bella's hand on my back, and I turned around and pulled her body tightly to mine, bringing my head down to Bella's hair and taking a deep breath. "Are you okay?" she whispered.
"Mmhmm." I hummed, not letting her go. Em must have lifted her off of her horse, and I was grateful to have her back in my arms.
"Do you want to go home?" she whispered, rubbing my back.
"Yeah," I said, pulling back to look at her face. She looked worried, and I was pretty sure she was worried about me. "I'm fine, sunshine," I reassured her. "I was just scared to death to lose you."
"I'm fine, cowboy," she said, kissing over my heart. "Thanks to you."
BPOV
I had never been more terrified in my entire life. Sitting on my horse with my parents behind me, and watching Edward disappear around the curve in the trail, was torture. I knew there was a bear on the trail, by the way Edward was acting. He knew before we all did and he had his shotgun out, immediately placing himself in between us and the bear.
My cowboy was absolutely fearless, and he didn't back down. He rode right towards it. I was so scared that I was going to lose Edward. It was like watching my entire life, my future, disappear around the trail. I had no way of knowing if I would ever see him, again.
I knew I was crying, but I wasn't sure that I was breathing. I heard a growl and a gunshot, and I think my heart stopped beating. But the worst part was that after the gun was fired, Edward didn't ride back over to us. I was waiting for him, but there was nothing. I could faintly hear twigs snapping, and I had no idea what was happening. I called out Edward's name and he came back around the trail.
He kissed my lips and I felt like I could breathe again. When we got back to Em's ranch, Edward got off of his horse and started pacing. I looked at Em and he lifted me off of Cinnamon, so I could over to my man, my brave cowboy.
Seeing Edward with tears in his eyes ripped at my heart, and I had no idea how terrifying it must have been to face down a charging bear. I just wanted to hold him in my arms, and never let him go.
"Guys, I put Bella's mom on Cinnamon," Emmett said, making us both turn our heads.
"Thanks, buddy. Bumblebee was great," Edward said to Em. He seemed to have snapped back to normal. He looked at me. "Okay, let's go home and you can show your parents the house."
I frowned at him. "Are you sure?" I asked, placing my hand on his cheek.
"Yeah," he said, smiling at me. "Ride back on Nutmeg with me."
"Okay," I agreed, as he helped to lift me on the horse's back. Edward put his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up on the horse, sitting behind me. He had his left arm around my waist and was holding the reins in his right hand. He rode over to my parents, who were waiting patiently for us.
"I'm sorry," Edward apologized. "You guys alright?"
My mom smiled at Edward, sympathetically. "We're fine, Edward. We're just worried about you," she said.
"I'm fine," he told her, giving me a little squeeze.
We all rode back across the highway and down the gravel road towards the house, and I basked in the feeling of being in Edward's arms. I was so grateful that he was alive.
Edward helped me and my parents off of the horses. "Do you want me to help you get the horses brushed out?' I asked Edward.
"No, sunshine. Go ahead and give them the grand tour," he chuckled. "I'll be in soon, okay?"
I pressed my hand over his heart. "Okay. I love you so much, Edward," I told him.
"I love you, too, Bella," he said, kissing my lips. "I'm fine," he added, trying to reassure me.
I led my parents up to the house and put some water down for Seth. "Is he alright?" my dad asked me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
"I think so," I said, looking out the kitchen window. I could see Edward taking the saddles off of the horses. He would be in the house in about a half hour.
"Do you want us to just leave, Bella?" my mom asked. "We can come back another time?"
I appreciated my mom for being sympathic to the situation, but I was fairly sure that Edward would be upset if my parents left because of him. "Unless you want to leave, I'd love to show you the house," I said.
"Alright," my mom said, smiling.
"Okay, so this is the kitchen, obviously," I laughed.
"Do you cook, Bella?" my dad chuckled.
"Sometimes," I giggled. "It all depends how much Edward is working. He worked most of last week with Em herding in the cattle, and he has to work this coming week loading the cattle on the liners for the feedlot."
"A lot of physical work, huh?" my mom added.
"That's what keeps him so darn handsome," I teased, causing my mom to make the most adorable shocked face. My dad and I laughed. I was not used to joking around with my parents, but I loved it.
"Come on. I'll show you the rest of the house," I said. I took them to the living room, and then back to Edward's old office. "This is where I work," I said, showing them the stacks and stacks of library books. I bragged a little and showed them Edward's Agriculture degree on the wall. I was so proud of him.
I led them upstairs and showed the guestroom, the bathroom, and our room. I quickly picked up my t-shirt, panties and Edward's jeans off the floor, and pulled up our well messed up sheets.
"I had this room spotless yesterday," I giggled, a little embarrassed. "You would have been proud." The way our clothes were thrown around the room, it was more than obvious, at least to me, what Edward and I had been doing in here last night and this morning, and again before lunch.
"We skipped a door." My dad said, looking back down the hallway. I had purposefully skipped Edward's art room. That was his own personal and private place, and if he was here with us, and decided to show it, then that would have been fine, but I didn't feel like it was place to make that decision for him.
I smiled. "That's Edward's drawing room. He's an incredible artist." I picked up the sketch that Edward had drawn of me for my birthday off of the night stand, and passed it to my dad.
"Edward drew this for me," I said, as my mom walked over to look at it. "It was my birthday gift." It was the sketch of the photo Jess took of he and I chewing on wheat.
"He's very talented," my mom said, smiling up at me.
"He is," I agreed, smiling.
My parents and I walked back downstairs and I walked them out on the porch. I wanted to show them the garden that Edward had made for me. What I wanted to show my parents, was just how much Edward loved me, and was dedicated to our future out on the farm. I wanted them to see how he took care of me, not just financially, but emotionally. He made me happy.
Edward walked up to us on the porch, and pulled me into his arms, leaning down to give me a kiss. I loved that he felt comfortable enough around my parents to do that. He took my hand and stood beside me.
"So, how was the tour?" he asked, smiling. He looked so happy, and like himself again, and I was glad that he seemed to be feeling more relaxed after the bear encounter.
"It was great," my dad told him, patting his shoulder.
"You have a beautiful home," my mom added. She walked up and pulled me into a hug. "I'm still sorry that you left home the way you did last month, but, Bella, I feel content that you are so happy."
I wiped a stray tear from my eye. "I am, mom," I said, kissing her cheek. "I love you."