Previously...

When she reached her home, she gasped.

Her garden...was exactly as she had left it in the morning.

She opened the gate and walked in, staring in disbelief at the lawn.

"What?" Why had Alice lied?

"Isabella Swan?" A familiar voice spoke breaking her out of her thoughts. She turned toward the direction it came from. There was a man standing outside her gate. The gate that she had left open. She squinted.

It was the man who was once a boy she knew. The only boy who had ever distracted her. The boy she hadn't seen in years. And now he was a man, standing at her gate.

She inconspicuously pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. When she felt the tiny bit of pain, she realized she was awake.

And he was real.

It was the man who was once a boy she knew. The only boy who had ever distracted her. The boy she hadn't seen in years. And now he was a man, standing at her gate.

Now

What was he doing at her home after all these years?

"Well, look who it is," she replied breathily. "Edward Cullen. What brings you here?"

He watched her intently, lips twitching. "My feet led me here." She was suddenly brought back to a time when he said those very words to her ten years earlier. Her face warmed as she felt a bead of sweat drip down her neck from her brisk walk home. The way he stared back at her made her wonder if he was remembering the same moment. She couldn't imagine that he'd remember it. It was impossible.

He held up a manila envelope she hadn't noticed was in his hands. "But really, I'm your new contractor."

Bella forced a laugh and walked toward the gate, opening it. She felt twitchy the closer she got to him. She ignored the feeling. "Come on in."

She led him past the proof of her magical capabilities - her garden. Dandelions and weeds had already begun growing. So Alice hadn't actually lied, but she was going to need to do something about her emotions.

"So, here it is," she paused in front of the steps. She glanced up at Edward.

Adulthood had been kind to him. He was wearing a baseball cap that hid his eyes - eyes she remembered were green like emeralds and if she looked directly at them, she'd be sucked in and completely unable to focus. His jawline was sharp, but overall he had filled out the lanky body he'd had when he was younger. She'd wondered why he was back.

She also wondered why Alice failed to inform her of exactly who it was that would be working for them. Bella would not have volunteered to be the one to meet him at the house. Jasper should have been there but his schedule wasn't as flexible as hers.

This was going to be a mess.

"A big mess," Edward murmured. For a moment, Bella thought Edward may have been able to hear her thoughts. When her eyes returned to his face, she realized he wasn't looking at her. He was referring to the porch. "I can already tell we'll have to detach the balistrude and build new columns. I can get some measurements done today. Jasper mentioned you also wanted it screened in?"

She nodded to his question but didn't understand a word of what we had said prior to that. When her flowers grew, though, they always managed to attract honeybees. It drove Bella crazy finding them in her sugar. A screen would help keep them from getting inside.

"This will probably take anywhere from four to six to weeks. We work pretty quickly, though, so I imagine it probably will be closer to four."

He turned to her. "So, I just need to take some measurements and check to see if there's anything salvageable. You're lucky this thing hasn't collapsed on you."

"That's what I was saying! Alice didn't believe me though."

"Alice?"

"Oh she's my cousin. Her fiance Jasper is the one you connected with."

His eyebrows hitched. "Oh, I assumed that you were the fiance."

"Oh no- I'm not...that's...no fiance." She stuttered, awkwardly. Then she changed the subject. "Do you...I can make some coffee if you would like some? I also have iced tea. Or...if you're hungry, I can whip up something for you."

She couldn't help being overly hospitable. She rarely had guests over. He also was making her very nervous.

Edward watched her fumble over her words. Her hair had been windblown and her cheeks were flushed. It made her look like a wild woman. His cheek lifted into a half smile. Bella's eyes went to his mouth. That crooked smile had made her knees weak when she was a teenager. Now, she looked away. She couldn't get caught up in those thoughts. She hadn't even known he was back in town.

Damn Alice.

"I'd love some iced tea," he responded politely. "I'd also love to hear what you've been up to this last decade."

She stiffened. He tilted his head at her reaction. Of course she couldn't share what she had been up to if she expected him to stick around and fix her porch, though he'd probably already heard rumors - the same rumors from when they were in high school. He had never seemed bothered by them, though. And as her eyes met his, she realized he knew who she was, but just as it had been years prior, he didn't appear to care.

"You think about what you want to share while I grab a few things from my truck." He tipped his hat before turning and walking back to his pickup. An orange snapdragon - the flower representing deception - blossomed quickly in front of her eyes. She gasped and pulled it from its roots as quickly as she could.

Think about what you want to share.

She stared at the flower in her hand. There would be some things she would have to omit. The last memory he had of her was when they were in high school. Her last memory of him was a few years ago, but he wasn't aware of its existence.

Or...at least she hoped he wasn't because she would have a lot of explaining to do.

What has Bella been up to?

Thanks for reading!

Stay safe,

Bravery