CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

(BPOV)

Charlie gobbled down his breakfast like he was starving and even asked for seconds, his compliments of my cooking doing my heart some good after the rough night I'd had.

"Damn, I've surely missed your culinary skills around this place. Diner food is good and all but it's not the same as home made. Nothing beats your cooking, kid!" Charlie stated with a full mouth, his eyes going to the large stack of French toast and rounded fruit bowl I'd added to his breakfast a few moments ago.

I took a bite of the fresh strawberry on the end of my fork and smiled his way, the two of us sharing some quality time together in a way we hadn't in so long.

I missed it far more than I thought I had.

"I'm glad my cooking still makes you happy, dad." I admitted. "At least I'm still good for something around here."

"Having you back home makes me happy, Bella. I just wish it wasn't so temporary is all." He truthfully replied, taking a swig from his coffee and reluctantly meeting my gaze from across the small wooden table.

"You're making this hard for me, you know? Talking like that...-"

Charlie paused with his fork of waffles half raised to his mouth, his crestfallen look causing a sadness to settle over the kitchen then. "Bella, I know I haven't always been the best father to you. I wasn't there as much as I should have been, and I lacked in a lot of ways but it sure would mean the world to me if we could spend more time together than we have been. These last five years without you around have been hard. I just wanna be part of your life in whatever way you'll have me, kiddo. I mean that."

His sincere words made me forget all about the full plate of breakfast food in front of me. I had never heard him be so honest and it made my heart warm.

"Dad, you were there for me when it really counted. You know I love you. I still have ten days left of the extended leave I took. Pen Bay approved my request and we can make the most of it. Maybe even go ice fishing before I go back to Maine?"

Charlie looked shocked at this as he finished the rest of his eggs with a huff of true surprise.

"What- you- you mean to tell me that you'll go out on the lake and freeze with me to catch some fish? Are you really serious? You know it's only been reaching the low thirties around these parts lately? Sure you could handle that kind of blustery cold all day?"

"I'm sure. Trust me, Maine is just as cold and besides, maybe it will do me some good to bond with nature a bit while I'm still here? Couldn't hurt."

"Wow, I never expected to hear you say that. I would love to go ice fishing with you. Let's aim for this Sunday? What do you say? We'll get up bright and early and take off? Should I mark it on the calendar?"

"Yes, you should! Consider it set in stone." I replied, hurriedly finishing my last few bites of fruit and downing my coffee, as Charlie eyed me curiously.

"Don't choke, kiddo. Where's the fire? You always eat slower than I do? Whatever happened to that?"

"No fire, but Jacob is coming over at noon to pick me up and I still have to clean up the kitchen."

Charlie set his plate back down on the table with a disapproving glare, the seriousness on his face making me rethink my choice of words, as he shook his head and gestured to the door.

"Bella, I thought we talked about this already before breakfast? Jacob needs time to grieve, not go head first into something else. He's always had a soft spot for you. Hell, poor guy sure did try to make you love him. Have to give him some credit for that at least. He's been a good friend to you. Saw you through some real hard times and I just don't want things to get complicated for the two of you again."

I stood there at the sink, piling the dishes into the sudsy water and stilling my hands upon hearing his concerned remarks.

"Jacob never had to try to make me love him. He's pretty easy to be around and he brings out the best in people. He's already lovable."

"That's not the kind of love I'm talking about and you know it. Don't play your old man for a fool. It's not nice to do." Charlie teasingly griped when he handed me his empty plate and fork.

"I assure you, that's not what's happening. Jeez dad, I never knew you to be such a worry wart. Is that a new trait you've adopted in your older age? Kinda like the AARP card in your wallet?" I teased back, stifling a soft laugh, as Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his gaze at me in annoyance.

"Hey now, you best bite your tongue there. You're not exactly a Spring chicken anymore yourself! Dirty thirty is coming for you quicker than you think."

I laughed and tossed a dish towel at him.

"That's not nice."

"You know it's true." He sarcastically drawled.

"Yeah, but I'm okay with it." I sighed, stacking the plates in the cupboard as Charlie shook his head to me in disbelief.

"Alright, Alright. Speaking of getting older, anyone back in Maine caught your eye yet? Any new man in your life I need to do a thorough background check on?"

"Hardly, I don't have time for that. Not many of us nurses do. It's a hectic field, dad. You of all people should know that." I replied, unable to hide my sheepish grin from the sight of Charlie's flummoxed expression at this.

"Come on, you can't huddle yourself up in that little house of yours and hide away from any potential husbands out there. You have to actually date, Bella. Get out there and try. Isn't like they'll show up on your doorstep as the Fed Ex man and ask you out for dinner. That's not exactly how it works, in case you forgot."

"I can't believe this is coming from you. The terminal bachelor of Forks! You yourself haven't dated in years! Sue is beautiful and available and she's exactly right for you if you ask me, but have you made a move yet?"

I watched Charlie's cheeks go red from his sudden blush, and I chuckled when he shrugged off my response and handed me another spoon to put away in the silverware drawer.

"That's not the same. I'm too old to be-"

"No, you are not. You're entitled to just as much companionship and happiness as everyone else. Age has nothing to do with it." I countered, placing my hands on my hips and earning myself an eyeroll from him.

"Stop that. You look just like your mother when you do that! Drives me nuts!" He huffed then, playfully tossing his towel back at me and storming off into the living room toward his favorite recliner with his coffee in hand.

"I take it that I win this debate of ours then?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll give you this one, but you're the one who's going to end up an old spinster if you don't start dating soon."

I followed out after him, plopping down on the couch with a bemused look his way.

"This is rich. You hated me dating in high school, dad. Loathed the idea even. Now you're pushing for it?"

"Correction- I hated who it was you dated in high school. Now, if you had chosen someone else, someone half decent and wasn't a glorified Jackass then you wouldn't have heard nearly as much complaining from me." Charlie sternly pointed out with a raised eyebrow, as he peered over his morning newspaper and turned on the TV.

"I know Edward was never your cup of tea or anything. The two of you were never exactly close."

"My cup of tea?" Charlie half choked out to me in return. "You could say that! Yeah, you've definitely got that right. He wasn't my cup of tea or my cup of coffee or even my shot of whiskey for that matter. Guy never suited you, Bella. Something about him was just- I don't know-... off. I could never put my finger on it but it just didn't sit well with me when you two were together. Call it cop instinct, I guess. Something like that."

I went completely quiet at this, thinking back to all the times that my father had not so subtly nudged me in Jacobs direction, all the while still claiming he had no favorites.

Yeah... right. If he said so.

"You've always had good intuition. Part of your charm."

"I try." Charlie sighed with half a grin to me as he went on with reading the sports section. " Listen Bella, all kidding aside, I need you to be careful with Jacob, alright? Can you do that for me? Keep the lines of your friendship a little more clear this time? Do you think there's a way for you two to disentangle yourselves a bit? I'm not asking just for his sake, but also for Billy's. You have to be smarter with his heart this time around, Bella. You guys have separate lives now and when you go back to Maine, it will be hard enough for him on top of the grief he's suffering from. Let's not add any insult to injury."

I chose to bite my tongue and merely nodded to him as I glanced at the mindless entertainment now displaying on the screen in front of us when a knock came to the front door. I got to my feet and hurriedly answered it, my heart leaping into my throat as my gaze fell on a wide eyed Jacob and an inconsolable Clarissa.