A/N - Happy Saturday! Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!

Chapter 52 - Snow and Surprises

BPOV

Edward and I got home on Thursday afternoon, and went over to Em and Rosie's place to get our baby boy, Seth. He was incredibly excited to see us and we were both covered in puppy kisses. I loved being home with him. This dog was such a big part of our lives.

Rosie, true to Em's words, was definitely showing. I gave her a huge hug and set my hands on her gorgeous belly. "Hi, baby," I said, making everyone smile. Edward came up behind me and pulled me into a tight hug.

I knew how much he wanted us to start our own family. And I honestly couldn't wait. In my mind, I could see Edward softly rubbing my stomach and singing crazy country songs to our little baby to be. I knew that Edward and I would lay in bed and he would probably even sketch me, looking puffed up and swollen. But, he would tell me that he had never seen me look more beautiful. I couldn't wait to be pregnant with his child.

Rosie made dinner, and we spent the evening over at their house, telling them all about the conference. I smiled as Edward told them about my presentation. He looked so proud of me, even now, two days later. I loved my man.

Friday was a nice day. It was very domestic. Edward and I cleaned the house from top to bottom. It smelled stale as we hadn't been home in so long. I changed the sheets on the beds, and did laundry.

That evening, after the horses were fed, we bundled up in toques and winter jackets with steaming hot cups of coffee and sat on the porch together. "It's going to snow tonight," Edward said, looking west over the mountains.

"How do you know?" I asked, bumping his shoulder with mine.

"You can feel it in the air," he said. "It feels damp out here, even though it's cold." I smiled at him. I loved how in tune with nature he was. It was another characteristic that I loved in him. Edward reached over and patted my thigh. "Come on. Let's get inside. I don't want you to get sick. You're marrying me in a week."

I laughed. "I am so excited," I said, as I stripped off my winter clothes.

"Oh, I know, sunshine," he said, scooping me up and carrying me up to bed.

We woke on Saturday morning to a foot of snow. Edward was right. But, as we looked out at the field, it was absolutely gorgeous. There weren't any tracks in the snow and the whole farm was under a nice, white blanket. I was hoping for snow for the wedding. Everything looked so fresh and clean.

"It's beautiful," I said to Edward after we bundled up and went out to feed the horses.

"It is," he agreed, swinging our arms between us as we walked. I could literally feel the excitement bubbling off of him for the wedding. He was so carefree. I loved seeing him this way. It suited him. That smile on his face was priceless.

Edward and I fed the horses. Edward explained that we had to put out a lot of extra hay down because with the snow, they wouldn't be able to get to the grass to eat. He also showed me the heated water troughs.

There was so much to farming and country life that I had never really thought of. And everything I learned, made me love Edward that much more. I couldn't wait to watch him teach this to our children.

"Do you want to go for a ride this morning?" he asked, pulling me into his arms.

"Is it alright for the horses to ride in the cold and snow like this?" I asked, because, honestly, how would I know.

"Oh, yeah," Edward said, smiling. "They still need their exercise. And their coats are thicker in the winter. They're made for this, Bella."

"Okay, yeah," I agreed. "I've missed them."

Edward smiled, walking over to get the saddle blankets. "We just need to walk them for about fifteen minutes first, and then cool them down a little longer after the ride. If they sweat, it can make them freeze. But, basically, it's the same thing as riding in the fall. But, in the snow. Bella, it's just beautiful."

I smiled just listening to Edward talk. Edward set the blankets down and walked over to me, pulling me close to his body. "You are so gorgeous," he whispered against my lips, before kissing me deeply.

I groaned and tried to move closer to him, cursing our thick jackets, long underwear and the rest of our layers. Edward chuckled, pressing another hard kiss to my lips. "We'll have a little fun after our ride, Bella," he whispered. "But, I'm not striping down in the stable, babe. That's just asking for some frost bite in unpleasant places."

I laughed. "And we don't want any frost bite here," I said, grabbing him between the legs, and making him groan. "I'm going to need this on our honeymoon."

Edward laughed. "You are going to be the coolest wife, ever. I swear, Bella." I smiled. I was sure going to try.

EPOV

I was excited to take Bella for a ride in the snow. It was an amazing experience, especially the first time you did it. I remember going out with my dad when I was about eight years old. My mom had bundled me up so tightly, I could hardly get on the horse.

My dad hadn't said much on the ride, I just followed him, and enjoyed the snow crunch under the horse's feet. I had always loved riding, but I was never allowed to go out in the winter, so it had been a real treat for me.

My dad pointed out a few animal tracks in the snow to me, but that was about it. Just thinking about my dad, now, I was really hoping that he would show up for the wedding. My mom would probably drag him out here. But, I really just hoped he didn't say much. I didn't want him to embarrass me, or himself, in front of our friends and Bella's family.

I had just finished saddling Cinnamon and Nutmeg, and Bella reached up to put her mittened hand on my cheek. "Where did my carefree Edward go?" she asked, and I cursed myself for making her worry.

"Oh, uh, he's right here," I said, lamely and Bella smiled at me sweetly.

"Edward, you can talk to me, remember," she said, softly. "If something's bothering you, then I want to hear about it."

"I'm okay, Bella," I said. "I was just thinking about the first time my dad took me out on horseback in the snow."

"Is that a good memory?" she asked, before kissing my lips, and making me smile.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could call it that. I couldn't get over how breathtaking the scenery was," I told her. "Well, you'll see, sunshine. Let's get you up on Cinnamon." Bella smiled at me, and I knew what she was thinking. 'He's keeping something from me.'

I lifted her up onto the horse, before mounting Nutmeg. We had to walk with the horses to warm them up, so we rode side by side. "I was just praying that my dad shows up for the wedding and behaves himself," I told Bella, breaking the silence in the air.

I knew I had to tell her, so she wasn't worrying about me all day. I wanted her to enjoy this ride, and I knew her well enough to know that if she was trying to figure me out, she wouldn't be having fun.

"Well, your mom sent her RSVP to Rosie and marked down two people, so I'm fairly certain your parents will be at the wedding. So, that's a plus," she said, making me smile. "And if he doesn't behave, then he doesn't behave. Edward, there is no sense worrying about it. What happens, happens. Plus, just think, we'll be married by then, and about to leave for a week to who knows where. But, cowboy, it's going to be alright."

I smiled, back at Bella. "You are perfect, huh?" I said, making her laugh. "Come on. Let's ride."

Bella and I rode our horses around the farm, and I thrived in the sound of her laughter. She loved riding and I felt so blessed that I had found a gorgeous, classy woman from the city, that transitioned so seamlessly into a true country girl. She loved the horses as much as I did, and I couldn't have been happier.

We walked the horses to cool them back down and after taking the saddles off of them and brushing them out, Bella looked over at me and pouted. "What so you want, sunshine?" I asked, and both of us knew I would give it to her.

"I want to ride Sugar with you," she said, batting her eyelashes at me, as if I needed convincing.

"You're sure you just don't want to ride me?" I asked, mostly teasing her.

She laughed and blushed. "Well, I'd love to ride you, but Sugar first," she said. We saddled up Sugar and we got on her back together. Bella loved to be fair with the horses, which told me how great of a mom she was going to be; never playing favourites.

After a nice hour long ride, and a bunny sighting later, we groomed Sugar and cleaned up the tack. I could tell Bella was frozen to the core and I wanted to get her into a nice, hot bath, and then if that didn't work, I'd warm her up the old fashioned way…in bed.

As we were walking in the door, the phone started to ring and I ran to grab it, tracking snow into the living room. I grabbed it and answered, "Cullen."

"Hey, Edward." I smiled. It was Rosie.

"Hey, honey. Is everything okay?" I asked, that precious little baby always on my mind.

"Oh, yeah. All three of us are fine," she answered, making me smile. "I called because I wanted to invite you guys over for lunch. Can you be here in about an hour?"

I sighed, because I had planned to keep Bella in bed for the rest of the day, but Rosie sounded so hopeful and I could never, ever say no to her. "Yeah, we'll be there," I told her.

"Don't sound so excited," Rosie teased, making me laughed. "Are you in bed?"

I laughed. "No, we were riding all morning," I told her. "Just walked in the door, actually."

"Okay, good. I don't feel so guilty, then," she laughed. "One hour, Edward. Love you," she said, before hanging up. She wasn't going to let me get out of this lunch.

I turned around to tell Bella our plans and smiled when I saw her. She was standing there in nothing but her long underwear and a black bra. "You are so damn gorgeous, Bella," I said, as she gave me a little twirl.

"Are you going to warm me up?" she asked, smiling, as I stripped off layer after and layer of my winter clothes on the floor.

"Damn right, I am," I said, going over to lift her up. She laughed and wrapped her legs around me, grinding herself against me all the way upstairs. "Do you want to have a hot bath with me?" I asked, as I we walked down the hallway.

"No, I want you laying on our bed with me over top of you, first. Then maybe after a couple of hours, and when I'm all worn out, we can go soak," Bella said, completely reading my earlier thoughts from my mind. That was, until Rosie called.

I set Bella down in our room and we stripped each other, before climbing on the bed. I laid back, like Bella had asked, and she straddled me, making me groan. There was nothing this feeling, especially when we had waiting all morning for it.

As Bella moved above me, it took everything I had to actually form coherent sentences. She looked so sexy, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "Bella, sunshine," I groaned. "I promised Rosie we'd be over for lunch in an hour."

"Edward," Bella half scolded, half groaned, looking down into my eyes.

"I know, I know," I breathed. "I'm sorry. But, maybe after we're all fueled up, we can come home and pick up where we left off?"

Bella threw her head back and laughed. "It's a date," she said, before moving faster.

We made love twice, before taking that hot bath. We didn't get to soak as long as I would have liked, considering my hands were giving Bella's pretty breasts a nice little massage that had her making the most delicious sounds, but at least we got to warm up, and clean up at once.

I pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a heavy sweater, clearly dressing for the weather, while Bella dressed as if it was a beautiful summer day. She pulled on a pretty white sleeveless dress that hit her mid thigh. She looked like the picture of innocence and purity. She looked gorgeous, and like a bride. It made me smile thinking that in one week, I would be looking at her in her wedding gown.

"Sunshine, as beautiful as you look, aren't you cold?" I asked her, walking over to her and running my hands up and down her chilly arms.

"It's the only white dress I have," she said, snuggling close to my chest.

"Do you need to wear white?" I asked her, rubbing her back.

"I wanted to," she said, smiling up at my face. "I'm not crazy, Edward. I'm just excited about the wedding."

I chuckled. "I know you are," I told her. "Well, you're a little bit crazy," I teased, making her laugh.

Bella went into the closet and pulled on a cute little maroon cardigan, before going to the dresser and getting a pair of white tights and pulling them on under her dress. "Better?" She asked, making me smile.

"Better," I said, pulling her back into my arms. "I can't wait to see the real dress, Bella," I confessed making her whole face light up.

"I can't wait for you to see it, either," she said, kissing my lips. "I love you."

We pulled on our winter coats and after loading Seth into the truck, we drove over to Em and Rosie's place for lunch. Rosie opened the door and was all dressed up in a pretty hunter green maternity dress. She smiled and gave us both hugs, leading us into the kitchen.

She wasn't saying anything, which I thought was weird, but we followed her into the kitchen, hand in hand. I smiled when I saw Bella's mom and dad, Em, his cousin Alice, Bella's best friend Jessica and her boyfriend Mike, and our neighbours, Tyler and Lauren, that Bella had met at the church.

"Happy bachelor and bachelorette party," Rosie said, making us laugh.

"Aw, this is so great," Bella said, her eyes welling up with tears, as she walked over to hug Rosie, tightly.

"Em's not the stripper, right?" I asked, making the guys laugh, before I walked over and pulled my best friend into a hug.

"We figured this was better than the bar, man," Em said, quietly. "This okay?" I appreciated my best friend so much in that moment. He knew that the bar represented my old life. The life that made me miserable and feel like a horrible person. What I wanted now, was family and friends, people that wanted the best for me, for us.

"This is perfect, Em," I told him. "Thank you so much. Thank you to everyone for being here." I turned and watched a tearful Bella go around the room and hug everyone. I could see how much this meant to her, and that made me happy.

BPOV

I was beyond surprised by Rosie and Em's little party for us. I loved that they had something for us together. It was nice to have our closest friends and family all together to celebrate mine and Edward's wedding.

"Are Edward's parents not coming?" I whispered to Em while giving him a hug. It hurt me that they didn't really want anything to do with their son.

"I couldn't get a hold of them," Em explained, looking at me sympathetically. "Not that I didn't try."

"You know, it's probably for the best anyway," I said. "Carl just upsets Edward, anyway. And he doesn't deserve that."

"You're a good woman," Em said, kissing my cheek. I smiled, happy that I had Em's approval.

"Okay, everyone. Dig in," Rosie said, giggling, as she rubbed her pregnant stomach. "Em said I have too much food. Let's prove him wrong."

I was so impressed. She had so much food on the kitchen table and on all the countertops in the kitchen. She had mini sandwiches, sausage, cheeses and crackers, chips and dip, veggie trays, fruit platters, pastries, punch, coffee, tea, lemonade and beer.

As we all filled our plates with food, my mom came up beside me. "You look gorgeous, Bella," she said, smiling. "Can you believe the wedding is only a week away?"

I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her cheek. "It seems like too long," I admitted, making her smile.

We all stood around the kitchen, eating and talking, and the whole thing just felt casual and comfortable. Everyone was getting along, and the room was filled with joking and stories and laughter.

After about an hour, Rosie steered the girls in the living room, leaving the guys in the kitchen. I kissed Edward's soft pretty lips, before I was physically dragged away from him by Jess.

I looked at him over my shoulder and smiled. He was leaning against the counter between my dad and Em, holding a bottle of beer. His cheeks were rosy, and he was chuckling, looking so happy and handsome. I couldn't believe he was mine.

"Come on, Bella. You're going to like this part of the party," Jessie said, pulling me onto the couch.

I giggled. "What's happening, now?" I asked, a little nervous all of a sudden.

"It's a lingerie party," she said, laughing.

"Oh, my goodness," I said, blushing, but smiling at the same time.

"We thought you might need some pretty lingerie for your honeymoon, so we thought, who better to help you out but your best friends," Rosie said, smiling. "And your mother," she added, making us all laugh.

My mom passed me a white box with a red satin ribbon tied around it. "Congratulations, Bella," she said, making my eyes tear up. I pulled open the box and lifted out a beautiful white satin, knee length chemise. It was very simple, but it was elegant. Underneath it in the box, was a matching satin robe. Both had a little white lace detailing, and honestly, it was the prettiest nightgown I had ever seen. It was perfect for a wedding night.

"Oh, mom," I said, leaning over to hug her. "I absolutely love it." My mom looked thrilled, and I loved her take on lingerie.

"Here, Bella," Alice said, passing me a pink and white striped bag. I smiled as I opened it and pulled out a cute blue slip nightie with spaghetti straps, detailed with cute pink bows on the straps and pink ribbon on the hem. It was sweet and understated, but it was totally me, and I loved it, so I gave Alice a huge hug.

"Okay, my turn," Lauren said, smiling, as she passed me a pink gift bag. I had only spoken with her at church so far, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I opened the bag and pulled out a pair of green flannel pjs. They looked so warm and cozy and would be perfect for studying in on a cold morning.

"Oh, Lauren. This is great," I said, getting up to give her a hug. "Thank you."

"Well, you'll need them on the cold nights we get out here," she added, being so practical, it made me smile. It was obvious she was a mom. I really liked her.

Rosie was next and passed me a pretty floral gift bag. Rosie was conservative woman, but her and Em had a very active sex life, so I wasn't really sure what Rosie would have bought for me. But when I opened the bag, I laughed so hard, the guys all peaked into the living room.

I pulled out a pair of pink plaid pyjama shorts with the John Deere logo printed all over them. There was even a little tank top in the bag with a rhinestone tractor on the front. "I love it, Rosie," I said, smiling as she came over to give me a hug.

"You're a country girl, now, honey," she told me, kissing me cheek. "And I got pregnant wearing a shirt just like that one," she whispered in my ear, making me blush and laugh even harder.

"Okay, this was supposed to be a lingerie party," Jess said, smiling, as she pushed a black box into my hand. I was already embarrassed and I hadn't even opened the box yet, but I knew Jess so well, so I was expecting something super sexy. I wasn't disappointed. Inside was a black baby doll with a built in push up bra, the edges lined in hot pink lace. The front of the baby doll was split right open so Edward would be able to see my stomach. And of course, a matching thong.

"I love you, Jess," I said, getting up to hug her, but mostly to hide my red face from my mom.

"You're going to love me even more, once Edward sees you in that little number," Jess said, winking at me. All the ladies giggled, but I could tell that Lauren and my mom were a little uncomfortable. But, honestly, she was right. My Edward was a real lover in bed, and we would definitely have a lot of fun with this piece of lingerie.