Chapter 21

Song:

"Oblivion," Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Look alive, Masen." A thump to my foot jerks me awake, and my head snaps up, my eyes meeting Maggie's amused blues. "Your three o'clock should be here soon."

"Shit. I'm up, I'm up." I stand and rub a hand over my face, trying to wipe away the sleepiness that follows me everywhere I go these days.

"Sure, you are," she says, raising a brow. "That baby girl of yours keeping you awake all night?"

I couldn't wipe the slow grin off my face if I tried. "She is."

"I bet she's growing like a weed already."

"She's gained enough to get back to her birth weight."

It's only been two weeks since she was born, but already Zoe has turned our lives upside down. Sleepless nights with endless feedings and diaper changes have made the last two weeks one giant blur.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Bella should bring Zoe by so I can see her. Or maybe I can bring you dinner one night and just hang out. Get my dose of baby snuggles in."

"You know, the offer still stands to spend Thanksgiving with us."

"No," she says, shaking her head. "Your aunt and uncle are coming into town. I don't want to intrude on your family time."

"I've told you a dozen times, you're not intruding. You guys are as much my family as Carlisle and Esme."

She gives me a contemplative stare before a small smile plays on her lips. "Fine. I'll call her tomorrow and see what I can bring."

"Good. She'll be happy you changed your mind. She misses seeing you every day. The last couple weeks have been hard for her."

"Has she said when she wants to come back to work? She's not still thinking of only taking four weeks, is she?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. She's got it in her head she can come back in four. I'm hoping she waits a little longer. Especially since ..." My gaze travels to the front window. It's where I've spent the last few days watching for Riley fucking Biers to man up and show himself again.

"Yeah," she says with a sigh. "Liam texted me a little while ago and said he was still sitting outside the motel."

I turn to face her. "I just wish the fucker would show his hand so we could get on with our lives. Waiting for him to make a move is driving me fucking crazy."

Liam followed Riley a few times and discovered the fucker's been staying in the same motel I was living in when I met Bella. The same motel where we think he showed up months ago looking for her.

"We need to be patient, Masen."

I step past her and walk around the counter to check the appointment book, clenching my jaw. "I'm out of patience. And it should be me sitting outside his motel room, not Liam."

"Hey." Maggie touches my arm and I turn to face her. "Let him do this. For both of you. If that creep sees you or gets a good view of your truck and follows you home, it won't end well. And we all know if you cross his path and no one is there to stop you, you'll do something you'll regret."

"That's where you're wrong. I wouldn't regret it."

She raises a brow. "Leaving Bella to deal with the fallout if you got hauled into jail for assault? Yeah, you would."

I huff a breath. "Fine, you're right."

She gives me a self-satisfied grin. "I know I am."

I scan the appointment book before turning back to Maggie. "My next one was Liam's consult, right?"

"Yeah. You two talked about it earlier, didn't you?"

I nod, scanning the notes Liam made in the book. "We did. He showed me the sketches he did and the emails they exchanged." I look up at Maggie. "Isn't it weird to do a consult that way?"

Her smirk returns. "Well, the guy's a repeat customer. He's been in here a few times before, but it's always when he's just passing through town, so email and video consults aren't a new thing for him."

"How do I not remember him?"

"He must've come by when you were off, because I'm sure you'd remember him if you'd seen him. Anyway, as I'm sure Liam already told you, he knows Liam isn't able to keep the appointment but recommended you."

"I still can't believe he's passing it off to me."

"Don't be so shocked, kid. You know how highly my man thinks of you."

"Yeah, but to pass along a client he's already had a consult with ..."

She pats me on the shoulder and smiles. "He'll be in good hands."

The client is an old biker from Arizona, sun-leathered and road-worn, and I'm a little nervous to be working on the guy.

Just talking to him is intimidating.

But the more we talk, the more relaxed we both get. After I have his final approval on the transfer and its placement, I find out he's on his way to Washington to see some old friends. And when I ask about the patches on his vest, I get a quick lesson in old school motorcycle clubs, namely, what the 1% patch means.

This guy is the real deal.

"So, you do community service type of shit?"

He meets my eyes and grins. "You could say that. Sometimes we do the things our friendly neighborhood law enforcement can't or won't do."

I nod, visions of what he might be able to do to rid the world of a particular fucker filling my head as I turn my focus back to my work.

"And from what I understand, our mutual friend is flying under the radar tonight doing his own kind of community service. Is that what was so urgent Liam had to back out on me?" he asks, a hint of humor in his voice as I dip the needle in the ink pot.

"He's ... he's actually doing me a favor."

"Oh yeah? What kind of favor."

Maggie's comment from earlier comes to mind and the corner of my mouth turns up. "The kind that would probably get my ass hauled to jail if I tried to do it myself."

He chuckles. "I never took that pretty boy for the type to get his hands dirty."

I shake my head. "Nah. He's keeping an eye on someone for me so I don't do something stupid." I nod to the picture of Bella, Zoe, and me I have taped to my station. It's of the three of us from the day Zoe was born. "We're all just trying to keep my girls safe."

He studies it for a moment and a small smile spreads across his face. "Pretty girl. She reminds me of my buddy's old lady. Well, from about twenty years ago." Resting his head back in the chair, he closes his eyes. "Ah, to be young again. Sometimes it's like you don't have a care in the world."

I scoff. "Shit ain't exactly carefree for us right now."

He opens one eye and lowers his voice. "Anything me and my boys could handle for you?"

I take a breath and blow it out, meeting his steel gray gaze. This guy could probably make Riley suffer a thousand different ways. The thought is more than intriguing. "I'll think about it."

"Fair enough." He closes his eyes again and settles back in the chair. "Anyone who's a friend of Liam's is a friend of mine. Just remember that."

When I check him out at the end of our session, he tips me a hundred bucks and leaves me his number scribbled on a slip of paper. "I'm leaving in the morning to make it to Washington in time for Thanksgiving, but if you need a hand, me and a few of my boys will be rolling back through town next week. Don't hesitate to call me. You got it, son?"

I reach for his hand and shake it. "Thanks."

I've got news. I'll meet you at the shop. Give me 20.

Leaning against the side of the building, I glance once more at Liam's text before checking the time. It was sent nearly a half hour ago, and with every passing minute, I'm even more of a jumpy, nervous mess. Every set of headlights that passes our lot has me craning my neck, only to be disappointed when it's not him.

Fucking finally, his Jeep pulls in. I practically fly toward him, and it takes all my willpower not to rip him out of his car.

"Sorry. Got stuck in traffic."

"What did you find out?" I ask before he even has time to close his door.

"He's gone."

"What do you mean he's gone? Where did he go?"

"I sat outside his motel all afternoon, and around six he walked out with bags in his hands and checked out. I followed him until he hit the 5 and headed north. He never looked back. The guy's probably on his way home."

I shake my head. "There's no way he's given up already. He's gotta be screwing with us, right?"

"Look, I'd like to say I think he's gone for good, but he's probably just going home for the holidays. You can at least fucking breathe for a minute, though. Enjoy Thanksgiving and maybe even Christmas with your girls without feeling like you have to constantly look over your shoulder." He gives me a pointed look. "But as much as I'd like to think we've seen the last of him ..."

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes and trying to will away the anxious feeling creeping up my spine. In my gut, I know he'll be back. And the thought that Riley's off somewhere, possibly regrouping and planning something to hurt Bella or Zoe makes me feel helpless. It also pisses me the fuck off.

"Yeah, I know."

Our room is dark when I walk in. Only a strip of soft light shines through the cracked-open bathroom door, illuminating the still forms on the bed. Bella is curled up on my side, sound asleep, my t-shirt twisted around her torso and her hair a wild, tangled mess on my pillow. Our baby girl sleeps beside her, swaddled tightly in her blanket.

It's a scene so perfect it makes my chest ache. Seeing them lying there—so peaceful, so unaware—only reinforces the need to do whatever it takes to keep Riley away from both of them.

"Are you going to just stand there like a creeper all night or are you coming to bed?"

Cracking a smile at Bella's raspy, whispered words, I'm pulled out of my thoughts. I walk over to the side of the bed and lean over, kissing her cheek. "In a minute. I'm gonna grab a quick shower."

I can feel her eyes on me as I put my wallet and keys on the dresser and grab clean clothes from the drawer. We've become hyper-aware of each other in the last few weeks. Physically, nothing has happened between us in over a month, but when we're in the same room, it's like we can read each other's minds, each other's body language. So, I know if I slip into bed now, my emotions will be written all over my face, and the last thing I want to do is worry her.

The water is warm, and as I stand under the shower head, I close my eyes and try to pull myself together. I need to get my shit under control before I tell her Riley is temporarily out of our lives. I slowly go through the motions, washing off the day, and as I step back under the water to rinse off the soap, there's a soft knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

Through the condensation-covered glass, my gaze lands on the slowly widening crack in the door. My heart rate picks up, even though logically, I know she's not coming to join me. As close as we've gotten in the last few months, she's nowhere near ready for that.

I take a step closer to the spray, making sure my lower half is behind the towel hanging on the outer handle on the door panel.

I clear my throat. "Did you need something?"

"Sorry. I just need to wash my hands." She never looks up, her gaze focused on her hands in the sink. "Zoe had a dirty diaper."

I watch as she turns off the tap and reaches for the hand towel, her eyes still downcast. For a brief moment, she looks up, her gaze making a quick scan of my body before meeting mine, but it's over far too quickly. Before I can even acknowledge it, she's out of the bathroom, the door closing softly behind her.

Unsure how I feel about what just happened, I hurry through the rest of my shower, turning off the water and drying off. As I pull on my sleep pants, the weight of the day catches up with me, and I'm tired to my bones.

Leaving the nightlight on in the bathroom, I pull the door almost closed and step quietly into our bedroom. Bella is on her own side of the mattress, and Zoe is in her bed in the window nook.

I pull back the covers and slide under them, settling on my side and facing a sleepy Bella. I brush her messy hair from her face and cup her cheek. "How was she today? Was she still fussy?" I whisper.

"Yeah. And she nursed almost every hour all day today. I called the pediatrician, and she said it's more than likely a growth spurt."

"That's a good thing, right? That she's growing?"

Her smile is tired, but happy. "It is. But it was a rough day. She calmed down while she was nursing, but then she'd fuss. It would have been nice to have some help today, just so I could try to catch some sleep. I'm exhausted."

Opening my arms to her, I whisper, "Come here." I nuzzle the top of her head. "I'm working a short day tomorrow, then you have me all weekend. I've got baby duty and you only have to show up to feed her. Deal?"

She smiles against my chest. "Deal. Except I promised Alice I'd help her with dinner on Thursday."

"I don't want you pushing yourself, Bella. You just had a baby. No one expects you to cook for a dozen people."

She pulls back and looks up at me. "A dozen?"

"I got Maggie to agree to come. She'll probably call you tomorrow to make plans. She said something about asking what she can bring. Let everyone else pitch in. And Esme will be here later tomorrow, so she can help Alice. You shouldn't be on your feet all day."

She settles back into my arms, her cheek on my chest. "I won't. I promise." A giggle escapes her.

"What?"

"Maybe I can get away with sitting at the kitchen island and barking orders like Alice likes to do."

"Whatever you want, beautiful."

I know I need to tell her the news about Riley, but before I can get my thoughts in order and figure out how to tell her, she gives me the opening I need.

"Did I miss anything interesting at the shop today?"

I take a slow, deep breath and hold her a little closer. "Yeah."

"What is it?"

"You already know Liam's been tracking Riley."

She stiffens in my arms and pulls away, finally tilting her chin up and meeting my eyes. "Yeah," she says slowly, trepidation in her tone.

"Well, it looks like he's left town." Again, I brush the hair from her face with my fingertips. "At least for now."

Bella opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say anything, Zoe's familiar cries start up from the other side of the room.

She starts to get up, but I reach for her. "I got it."

I reach Zoe's bassinet just as she really gets going. "Hey, baby girl," I say softly as I scoop her up, her cries calming just a little. "Are you hungry already? Haven't you had enough of your mommy today?" I place her over my shoulder and bounce her as Bella sits up in bed.

"She shouldn't be hungry already," she says as she reaches inside her shirt and unhooks her nursing bra. She lifts the hem as I place Zoe in her arms. I try not to stare at the nipple peeking out from under the cotton.

I climb over Bella and curl around them, my head on Bella's pillow as I watch her feed our daughter. "She's a growing girl, remember."

Bella looks over at me, exhaustion in her eyes as she reaches for my hand. "He's really gone?"

I lace my fingers through hers and squeeze. "Yeah."

She looks down at Zoe as she suckles, leaning in and murmuring against the top of her head. "I just wish he'd go away for good. I'm not sure I can handle the roller coaster I've been on for much longer."

I scoot closer and wrap my arm around her, drawing them both more tightly to me. "Whatever comes next, I'm right beside you."

"I know." She rests her head against the top of mine, whispering, "I love you."

No other words are spoken as we both lie here watching our baby girl drift back to sleep. But only minutes pass before Bella follows. Carefully, I remove a milk-drunk Zoe from Bella's arms, pulling my wife's shirt down as I do. Zoe sleeps on my shoulder as I gently pat her back. With both my girls in my arms, I feel content for the first time all day.

Riley may be back one day soon, but I'll be damned if I let him take this from me.

"Oh, let me see this gorgeous girl." Esme makes a beeline for Bella when she walks into the house, leaving Carlisle to carry in their bags.

"Hey, what about us, Ma?" Emmett whines, turning to his brother. "Dude, we've been replaced."

Jasper rolls his eyes as Esme looks up from the baby now in her arms, her expression completely serious. "No, you haven't been replaced, dear. You've just been demoted." As the rest of us laugh, Esme turns her attention back to Zoe. "She's so beautiful. The pictures you sent really don't do her justice."

With my arms wrapped around Bella and my chin resting on her shoulder, I grin. "She's Bella's mini me. Of course she's beautiful."

The evening is spent prepping for tomorrow's main event, and as promised, Bella sits at the island, chopping and directing, while everyone else does the heavy lifting. Meanwhile, I'm on baby duty, only bothering Bella when Zoe needs to be fed.

Those of us deemed in the way have been banished to the patio, the rest of the guys enjoying a drink while they man the grill. I'm sprawled out on the chaise, the baby currently wrapped up in the carrier Bella got at her baby shower. Zoe seems to be more than content with her tiny body wrapped snugly against my chest, her ear against my heartbeat.

"I still can't believe our little Eddie is a daddy," Carlisle muses as he sips at his drink and flips the burgers.

My eyes shoot to Jasper and Emmett, hoping they can keep the details of Zoe's paternity to themselves. I'm just not ready to go down that road with the rest of my family. I look down at the sleeping angel in my arms. "Some days I can't believe it myself."

Around noon the following day, Maggie and Liam arrive, and the house seems to be bursting at the seams. Laughter and the smells of a feast float through the air, and when we sit down to eat, it's like old times. Well, the holidays I remember spending with my extended family when I was younger, anyway.

The only difference is this time I've got a baby in my arms.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take her?" Bella asks, her eyes bouncing from Zoe to me.

"I'm good. Eat. By the time you're done she'll probably want to nurse again."

With a dubious expression, she finally caves, going back to her plate. When I turn to the others at the table, more than a few pairs of eyes are on us. But my aunt's are practically glowing as she smiles our way.

When the last dish is passed and groans of "I'm stuffed" are muttered, like I predicted, Zoe starts to fuss and root against me.

"She's hungry," Bella says, her exhaustion from the past couple of weeks clear on her face. "But I should help clean up at least. I didn't—"

I shake my head. "You don't need to do anything. Go lie down with her. Feed her then take a nap. I'll come get you when we get out dessert." I kiss her forehead. "I got this."

Her sleep deprivation keeps her from arguing with me, and she disappears into the bedroom with the baby, leaving me to help the guys clean up the mess left behind. Dishes get done and the food is put away. We settle in to watch some football, and it's my turn to almost fall asleep, the tryptophan working its magic. Just as I'm about to fall out, Esme pops up off the sofa and heads toward the kitchen.

Emmett is hot on her heels. "Is it time for pie?"

"Honestly, Emmett, are you ever full?" She turns to Rosalie. "Does he ever stop eating?"

Leaving them to discuss the details of my cousin's diet, I walk down the hallway to grab my girls. As I expected, Bella is sound asleep, her breast exposed as Zoe lies beside her on the bed. It's picture perfect and I hate to disturb them. So, instead of waking them, I slide into bed beside them, and fall back to sleep, leaving the pie for later.

I have no idea how much time has passed, but when a bark of laughter floats down the hallway, I'm pulled from my catnap.

"Did I miss pie?" Bella rasps.

"We both did." I roll to my back and rub at my eyes. "I came back here to get you, but the bed looked too inviting." I turn to face her. "I think we both needed sleep more than pie."

"Think Emmett left us any?"

"Only one way to find out."

After Zoe gets a fresh diaper and Bella freshens up in the bathroom, we walk out into the kitchen. The party has moved outside to the patio. A few people are horsing around in the pool, but most of my family is sitting together on the outdoor sofa.

"What kind do you want?" Bella asks from behind me. "Do you just want to share a few of these?"

I turn around to watch as she hovers over the desserts. "Whatever you want, babe. You okay if I go kick them out of our spot?"

She grins my way. "I'll be out there in a few."

When I step outside and close the doors behind me, everyone's eyes shoot my way. A few of them look nervous, but my aunt's seem almost hopeful. She hops out of her seat and walks my way.

"Let's take this inside where the light is better, Edward. There's someone who wants to say hello."

Emmett and Jasper exchange a look, and in the blink of an eye, I'm on guard. And as my aunt walks toward me, that feeling of unease only grows.

She breezes past me, her iPad in hand, calling for Bella to join us when she's ready. But I'm not sure I could have prepared myself for what's waiting for me when I walk into the living room, because staring back at me from the small screen are the faces of two people I'm not prepared to see.

Elizabeth and Edward Masen.

A/N: Did anyone recognize our special guest appearance? And how are we feeling about the sudden appearance of the Masens? How do you think the showdown with Edward's parents will go? I'd love to hear what you think!

***I haven't really been able to add to my bank of chapters, so we might be switching to biweekly chapters soon if I can't get the words to start flowing again. So, send me all the good writing mojo. Hehe.

The best way to stay up to date with what I'm up to is to check out my FB group, Sunshine Fics. I share exclusive teasers and teaser pics for this story and others. I'm most active on FB, but I'm also on Twitter at CSunshine1220.

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love,
~Sunshine