I'm so sorry about the delay. I've been struggling jumping into the mind of this story, partly because of where I am emotionally, and partly because the outline is still wiggly on me. I have the next several chapters outlined, so hopefully they will be able to roll out with some regularity. I'm also working on wrapping up writing of a few other fics, and when those are finally done I'll be able to focus more time here again, so thank you for your patience as I sort through it all!

Thank you to Fran S. Sunflower for beta reading!


Chapter 19: Edward

I was annoyingly happy the next two days. Bella and I spoke a few times, though mostly through text, and each time I grew more and more excited about our dinner date. I missed Bella, and I was excited that she wanted to open her world up to me, to invite Gracie into what was happening between us.

Wednesday night, I left work on time for once, heading straight home to shower and get ready for dinner. On my way to pick up Bella and Gracie, I stopped for flowers for both of them.

According to Bella, Gracie called me her prince, and I was determined to live up to that.

I pulled up in front of their apartment building, parking on the street before climbing out of the truck. I was anxious, and my fingers squeezed the stems of the bouquets a few times as I made my way inside.

I got to Bella's floor, and as I approached her door, I felt nervousness swell inside me. I wanted to make a good impression, not only on Gracie but on Bella too. Liam's advice had been ringing in me since I'd seen him, and I was determined to make Bella see that I was in this, as much as she'd have me.

I knocked on their door, a goofy as hell smile spreading on my face as I waited. The door cracked open, and my grin fell from my face as a tall man appeared. Did I have the wrong apartment? I glanced at the number on the door before looking back at the man. "Hey," he said, eyeing me curiously.

I cleared my throat. "Is Bella in?" Who was he? He looked about my age, maybe a little younger. He looked Native American, so I didn't think he was Gracie's dad, but what the hell did I know?

"Oh, yeah. You must be Edward. Come on in."

I frowned as he stepped aside, letting me in. Before I could ask, Bella appeared, fixing her earring.

"Edward!" she said, her sweet smile spreading over her face. I felt easier at the sight of her.

"These are for you," I told her. She grinned as she took the flowers.

"They are lovely, thank you!" She leaned up, pressing a sweet kiss to my lips, and I couldn't help but notice the guy was still standing next to us.

Bella pulled back, looking at him. "Edward, this is Jake. He's a friend of mine from Forks," she explained, motioning between us. I shifted Gracie's flowers to my left hand to shake his right.

"Nice to meet you." I tried my best to keep any uncertainty out of my voice. He offered me a smile back and nodded.

"You too, man."

Bella turned from us to take the flowers to the kitchen. "Come in!" she called behind her. I glanced at Jake before heading into the living room. Gracie was on the sofa with the cat and her doll, and her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Prince Edward!" she cried, scrambling off the sofa. I grinned and dropped to my knees to be on eye level with her.

"Hi, Princess." I held the flowers out to her. "These are for you."

She stared at the little bouquet with wide eyes. "Mama! Look!" She cried, taking the flowers and turning to Bella. Bella grinned and pulled a second vase out from under the sink.

"What do you say?"

Gracie turned back to me, and she looked almost bashful. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice sweet. I smiled.

"You're very welcome."

Gracie dashed to the kitchen to put her flowers in the vase Bella was preparing for her, and I stood up. "Mama, can Jake and Prince Edward come with us to dinner?"

I looked up at Jake in surprise and saw him shift in his spot. He looked as surprised as me.

"Oh," Bella looked up at us, and I could see how awkward she felt. I cleared my throat.

"I'd love that," I offered, trying to break the tension. Jake looked at me.

"I've had a long drive," he started. "I should probably get some sleep."

Gracie was in front of him before he even finished talking. "Please!" she cried, reaching out to his hands. "Please, please, please!"

He was helpless to resist her. We all were. Jake glanced at me again, and I let out a small breath, nodding. "All right," he agreed.

Gracie cheered and gave a little twirl. "Yay!"

Bella drove us, since I didn't have a car seat in my car. Jake tried to take his own car, but Gracie again demanded we ride together. He let me ride up front with Bella, but it was still a little awkward.

From snippets of conversation I'd been listening to, I gathered that Jake was new to the area and staying on Bella's sofa.

I tried not to let it show that it made me jealous.

Not that I really thought he'd try anything or that Bella would let him. No, it was his constant access to Bella and Gracie.

It was something I didn't realize I craved until right now.

Bella pulled up to the restaurant, and we climbed out of her car. She had to take Gracie's hand in her own in the parking lot, and Gracie reached for Jake's hand on her other side. I was starting to feel sorry for myself when Bella reached for my hand.

I looked at her in surprise, and she gave me a sweet smile. I immediately felt guilty for my childish thoughts.

The hostess stared a little too long before leading us to a table near the edge of the restaurant. As soon as we neared it, I saw concern cross Bella's face.

She looked up at me, and I saw her predicament. A table was awkward, no matter how we sat.

I turned to the hostess and cleared my throat. "Excuse me?" She stopped by the table and turned to me. "Any chance one of those circular booths are open?" I asked, pointing to the booths along the south wall. She looked at all of us.

"Oh, sure."

She led us over to a booth, and Bella reached down, squeezing my hand gently before she helped Gracie climb up. Jake took one side of the booth, and I slid in behind Bella on the other end.

The waitress handed us our menus, sliding a coloring sheet and some crayons in front of Gracie before leaving us to look over everything.

"I've never been here," I said, looking around the restaurant. Bella looked at me and smiled.

"Great chicken tenders," she said, leaning into my shoulder a little. I grinned at her.

She turned to help Gracie with her menu while I looked over the options. When I'd decided on an entree, I set my menu down and looked at Jake. "So, what do you do?" I asked while Bella read the menu options to Gracie.

Jake cleared his throat. "I'm actually about to start a new job," he said, holding his hands over his menu. "As a sous chef."

I nodded. "Wow, congratulations."

He smiled a little. "Thanks. It's my dream job, and it's under one of the best chefs in Seattle. It's an opportunity I've been dying for."

"What restaurant?"

Jake scratched at his forearm. "Canlis," he said, sounding somewhat hopeful I'd heard of it. I shrugged, and he nodded. "It's up in East Queen Anne," he explained.

Bella sat up and shot Jake a grin. "Don't let him get modest," she said, sliding a hand over mine and squeezing my fingers gently. "Jake is working at one of the most elite restaurants in the state."

He looked down at the table, looking bashful.

"I'm afraid I'm not great about fancy food," I admitted. "But it does sound exciting."

Bella grinned at me, squeezing my fingers gently. "Edward is a basics man," she explained, looking at Jake. He nodded.

"Gotta respect a man who knows what he likes."

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Our waitress came over then, taking our drink orders before leaving us to look over the menus a bit more. I turned my attention to Gracie. "How is school, Princess?"

She looked at me. "Today, we are making holiday presents, but I'm not supposed to tell Mama, "She said, coloring aggressively over the paper in front of her. Bella laughed, shaking her head as she guided Gracie to stay in the middle of the placemat.

"How is Hannah?"

Bella looked up in surprise. "You remember Hannah?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Guess it just stuck in my brain," I told her. Gracie looked at me.

"Hannah is nice, and she has a new puppy, and Mama said we could get a puppy but not yet because she said I'm a monkey and Diego wouldn't like it."

I loved the way this child rambled.

Bella shook her head at her daughter, brushing down her curls.

"My brother has a dog," I said, leaning on the table. Gracie looked up at me.

"Is it a Feefee?

I frowned. "A what?"

Bella laughed. "I think she means something like a Bichon Frise," she clarified.

"Uh, no. He's a bulldog, and his name is Brutus." I grinned. "But he's a good dog, just a little slobbery."

Gracie considered this. "Will he wear a crown?"

Jake, Bella, and I snorted. "I don't know. Maybe we can give it a try sometime. He's a pretty patient dog."

Gracie nodded that this was acceptable and turned back to coloring.

She was pressing so hard against the paper that the red crayon broke in half, and she gasped. "Mama! I need a new one!"

Bella reached over. "Here, Baby, you can still use it, see?"

Gracie shook her head. "No, it's broken! I don't want it!" Her little eyes were starting to fill with tears, and I would have done just about anything for her at that moment to stop those tears spilling.

"No need to cry," Jake said, standing from the booth. He held a hand out to her. "Come on; we'll go see if we can find another crayon." He looked at Bella, and she nodded. Gracie climbed out of the booth, and Jake took her by the hand, walking her toward the hostess stand. The moment they were gone, Bella squeezed my hand. I looked at her, and she leaned over, pressing a hot kiss to my lips. Jesus, it was a good thing I was already sitting because that kiss would have brought me to my knees.

"I'm so sorry," she said, pulling back. "I didn't know Jake would be here tonight, and Gracie is so excited to see him again, and you know how she is," she was rambling, and I chuckled, reaching out to cup her chin and kiss her. She sank into me.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just happy to be here with you two." I assured her. I paused, glancing at the hostess stand across the restaurant. "You and Jake aren't …" I paused, not sure how to ask. Bella, thankfully, snickered.

"We were childhood friends. He had a crush on me when we were like thirteen, but he's long since grown out of it," she said smiling. "He needed a place to stay, and I offered him my sofa until he finds an apartment close to work."

I nodded. "You're looking out for your friend," I said, trying to tell her I understood. She smiled and leaned into my side a little.

"I'm looking out for family. I haven't seen Jake in a few years, and it's nice to reconnect with him. He's like a brother to me."

I nodded and leaned down to kiss her again. She moaned against my mouth. "God, I've missed you," she murmured, pulling back. I grinned.

"I've missed you too." I really had. We'd started dating at one of the most difficult times of the year, with holidays pulling us in separate directions and keeping us busy as hell with our families.

I spotted Jake and Gracie coming back to the table, and Bella sighed, pulling away from me. She slid her hand down onto my thigh, though, and it burned through me, keeping me warm while simultaneously lighting a fire in me.

Gracie climbed back into the booth with her new crayons just as our waitress came by to take our food orders. I ordered a burger, making Bella snicker softly.

When our waitress left with our order, I turned back to the table.

"Gracie, how was your Thanksgiving?"

She looked up at me, a slight frown on her face. "Mama made a lot of foods, and Uncle Jake said she was good in the kitchen, and Mama told him he had the magic touch."

Both Jake and Bella choked on their waters. I reached out to pat Bella on the back, and Jake had to actually stand from the booth because he was trying to suck in a breath and laugh at the same time.

"Christ," he wheezed.

"Gracie!" Bella gasped, shaking her head.

"That's what you said, Mama!" Gracie said, shooting her mom a look.

"Lord," Bella muttered. She turned to me. "Jake got Gracie to try tapenade," she clarified. "Hence, the magic touch."

I laughed. I wasn't that insecure about it, not since Bella had explained her relationship with Jake, but I was relieved to hear the context around Gracie's memory.

"Must be magic," I said, shaking my head and shooting Jake a smile. "I've never met anyone that could convince me to try it."

Jake laughed, and Gracie grinned. "But it's yummy. I will make you some," she declared. I couldn't fight the smile that spilled over my face.

"For you, Princess, I'd try it."

Gracie beamed. "We can eat it when you come over for a play date!" She shouted. The three of us coughed to hide our laughs, and Bella squeezed my thigh under the table.

Dinner stayed light, and I found that I actually liked him now that I wasn't insecure about Jake. He was funny; and watching him with Bella, it was clear they really did have a sibling-like relationship. Honestly, it made me happy Jake was moving closer to her. It was clear she missed having family nearby.

After dinner, we took a walk down the street, where Gracie led us toward a light night bakery. Bella held my hand as Gracie ran ahead, Jake right behind her, so they could look in the window of the shop.

"Thank you," Bella said softly, squeezing my fingers. I looked down at her. "Tonight has been amazing."

I smiled at her. "Gracie is a great kid," I said, shrugging one shoulder. "And she deserves to be showered in attention by people who adore her."

Bella glanced up at me, smiling gently. "I feel like we're both getting spoiled," she said, looking back at Gracie. Jake was crouching beside her at the window, explaining the types of pastries on display. I squeezed Bella's hand, bringing her attention back to me.

"You both deserve it."

We stopped walking, gazing at each other in the middle of the sidewalk. God, she really was so fucking beautiful. "I've missed you." The words were out of my mouth before I could overthink them, and the most breathtaking smile spread over her face.

"I've missed you too," she murmured, stepping closer to me. I wanted to kiss her. Fuck, I wanted a lot more than that. I just wanted to lose myself in her. I adored Gracie, but what I wouldn't give for her to be out for the night so I could have Bella completely to myself.

Bella glanced away from me to where Gracie and Jake were still at the window. She looked back at me, smiling, before she reached up, fisting the collar of my jacket and tugging me down. Our lips met as my arms wound around her, and fuck, I'd forgotten how soft her lips were, how comforting the feel of her body was against mine. Jesus, she was perfect.

My hands splayed over her back, and my fingers itched to reach into her hair, to get lost in those chocolate locks. Her own hands slipped past my coat, squeezing my chest, right over my fucking heart.

She pulled back before I could truly get lost in her, and the light in her eyes made me smile. "Are you free this weekend?" she asked, rubbing my chest softly. I nodded, clearing my throat.

"Yeah."

She smiled. "I'll find a sitter."

My heart squeezed, and I nodded, wanting more than anything to kiss her again. She pulled back from me just as Gracie turned toward us. "Mama! Come on!" she called, taking Jake by the hand. They slipped inside the bakery, and Bella and I moved to follow them.

As much as I'd loved spending time with Gracie, and even to my surprise, Jake, I couldn't wait to get Bella to myself again.

This weekend couldn't come soon enough.


I'm sure most of you weren't expecting Jake on their date. He sort of showed up in the story, and this one of those instances where characters take over and do what they want. That being said, there is a LOT of Gracie/Edward moments coming up, so never fear!

As I said above, I'm so sorry about the delay. Chapters might roll out every other week for a couple weeks until I can get my feet under me. I'll of course keep pushing for weekly, but I can't guarantee I'll make it every Monday.

Thank you so much for your patience, and for sticking with me through this little bump in the road!