***IMPORTANT*** Please see closing A/N for posting schedule change! PLEASE READ!

**Words were added. Fiddling was had. All mistakes are mine.**


Songs:

"Your Arms Feel Like Home," 3 Doors Down
"Overjoyed," Matchbox Twenty


Chapter 19

"So, I'll see you tomorrow night?" With our arms wrapped around each other, we gently sway side to side, his forehead pressed to mine.

"Yeah. I'm staying tonight, just long enough to get them settled and spend some time with my parents, then I'll drive back tomorrow. I already cleared it with Alice to take the morning off."

"You're staying at my place while the boys are gone, aren't you?"

I pull back and smile up at him. "If you'll still have me."

"If I'll still have her, she says," he mumbles. "Stop being ridiculous and kiss me."

The smile doesn't leave my lips as they meet his, and just like every other time, he leaves me wanting more.

Reluctantly, I pull out of his arms. "I need to hit the road if I'm going to make it before dark."

"Text me when you get there?" he asks as he follows me to the driver's side door.

"I will." I climb in and close the door, lowering the window before buckling my seatbelt. "And thank you for letting me borrow your car."

He glances at the exceptionally large cargo in the back, turning back to me with a smirk. "While I would've loved to see you try to cram all that into your sedan, this is better. I'd hate to think how upset he'd have been if anything got damaged."

I jerk my head toward the insistent child in the backseat. "Taking it was one of his conditions for spending two weeks away from home."

Edward inches closer to the open window and leans in, lowering his voice. "And what a glorious two weeks it'll be."

I peck his lips. "I need to go. I'll text you when I get there."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

He looks over my head and tells the boys, "You guys have fun with your grandparents, okay? I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back."

"Bye, Edward!"

"Bye."

Once I steal a final kiss, I hit the road.

After talking it over with Garrett and the boys, we decided it was best to split the summer. The boys will spend a couple of weeks with my parents, and when they get back, Garrett's mom will have them during the day while we're both at work. Garrett also offered to pay for the boys to attend the local summer day-camp program for a few weeks. The boys seemed to be excited about it, and I wasn't about to turn down his offer.

I-17 isn't too terribly crowded for a Sunday afternoon, and we make it to my parents' in less than the two hours it usually takes. The boys, excited to get their visit started, grab their backpacks from the car and bolt toward the house and their amused-looking grandpa.

"Slow down, boys. Where's the fire?"

"Hey, grandpa!" Seth says, stopping long enough to hug my dad. "Are we going fishin' this week?"

"You know it, kid. Now go on inside while I help your mom bring in the rest of your things. I think Grandma just pulled some cookies out of the oven."

They take off like a shot and run inside.

"She never let Rose and me have cookies before dinner," I snark as I open the rear hatch.

"Didn't you know there are different rules for grandkids?" As if he only now realizes I didn't drive up in my sedan, he asks, "Did you get a new car?"

"This is Edward's."

"Why did you—" His question dies on his tongue when he spots what's in the back. "Really?"

I snort a laugh as I grab the largest piece. "Hey, you started this, buddy."

With a huff, he gently nudges me out of the way. "Let me get it."

I gladly step aside so he can lift out the largest section of Seth's drum set. "Thanks."

He grunts as he hoists it higher to get a better grip on it. "I don't know why you had to bring this."

Grinning, I reach into the back and grab another piece. "Because he adamantly refused to leave it. He said he'd forget how to play if he had to leave it at home for two whole weeks."

"So, he can actually play them?"

"I wouldn't go that far." I giggle at his groan as we walk toward the front door. "Just remember, Dad, you bought it for him."

Once everything is brought inside, I lock Edward's SUV and pull my phone from my pocket. It rings once before he picks up.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise? I thought you were only going to text me."

"If you'd rather I hang up and send a text, I can do that."

"No, this is much better."

"Uh huh. That's what I thought." I sigh when I hear my dad call for me. "I can't talk long, I just wanted to let you know we got here safely. Hearing your voice was strictly for selfish reasons."

"I'm glad you called."

"I'll try to call you tonight once they're in bed, but I can't promise my mother won't try to monopolize my time to interrogate me."

His chuckle is deep and makes my stomach clench. "Call if you can, but I'll understand if you can't. I love you."

"Love you, too."

I pocket my phone and head back inside … just in time to watch as Mom hands over what is probably the second or third cookie to each of them.

"You're going to regret loading them up with sugar, Mom."

She looks up at me, her expression one of false innocence. "What? They'll be eating in a little bit. We were just waiting for you."

Dinner is loud as the boys excitedly talk about what they want to do during their visit. Mom and Dad take it all in with smiles on their faces, more than happy to have the one-on-one time with them. Between the crazy art projects Mom has planned and the days Dad plans to spend fishing with them, the boys will be insanely busy while they're here.

After the boys are settled into their beds for the night, I step outside to call Edward. I sit on Mom's creaky, old glider and tuck my feet under me as the phone rings.

"Hello, beautiful. I wasn't sure I was going to hear from you again."

The rustle of sheets on his end makes me long to be there with him. "I told you I'd call if I could."

"Are the boys in bed already?"

"Yeah. I just tucked them in. It took a while, though. They were all hopped up on junk food, thanks to my mother."

He breathes a laugh, and I can imagine the smile on his face. "I'm not surprised. Are they still excited about all the fishing your dad promised them? That's all Jake could talk about at lunch today."

"They are. With everything Mom and Dad have planned for them, they won't have time to get bored while they're here."

"I'm sure the time will fly for them." He sighs. "Speaking of flying, I'll be flying most of the day tomorrow. So, if you call me, you'll have to leave a message and I'll call you back."

"Okay. I'll probably head back that way after breakfast. I should be back in Phoenix by noon. I'll head to your place after I'm done at work if that's okay."

"It's more than okay. It'll give me something to look forward to all day."

"If you're flying all day, shouldn't you focus on the sky?"

"Piece of cake since my head will already be in the clouds."

I snort a laugh. "You're such a dork sometimes."

"But you love me anyway." I can hear the smile in his voice.

"I do."


I'd forgotten how much I adore my mother's French toast. But maybe that has more to do with the fact that I'm not the one cooking it than how she makes it. I did learn from her, after all. I take full advantage of not having to rush and sip on a second cup of coffee while I supervise the boys on dish duty.

"Careful you don't slosh the water onto the floor, Seth."

He looks over his shoulder at me, a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry, Mom."

"It's not me you'll have to apologize to if you get water everywhere."

He glances at my mother sitting beside me. "Sorry, Grandma."

"It's okay. Just watch what you're doing."

"Maybe you should switch with Jake and dry for a little while," I suggest.

He turns back to the sink. "No, I'm okay. I'll be more careful."

Jacob rolls his eyes as he takes the dripping plate out of Seth's hand. "He just likes to play in the bubbles."

"You were the same way, Jake. You used to love to play in those bubbles," Mom reminds him. "That special helper chair has been around since you were about two." She turns back to me with a wink as she lifts her mug to her lips. "So, how are things going with Edward?"

Well, Mom, funny you should ask, I think to myself. I'm counting the minutes until I see him tonight so he can make me see stars … over and over and—

"Good."

She raises a brow. "Just good?"

I feel heat fill my cheeks. "Yeah. Very good."

She snickers. "Glad to hear it."

"He, uh, his parents are coming for a visit in about two weeks for his birthday."

She smiles behind her mug. "That's a big step, meeting his parents."

"It is. And I'm beyond nervous."

"Why?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure. I guess I'm worried about what kind of impression I'll make." I gesture toward the oblivious boys at the sink. "Among other things."

"Oh, sweetheart, they're going to love you. You'll see."

An hour later, I'm dressed and packed. The thought of spending time alone with Edward makes me anxious to get back to Phoenix. There's just the small matter of saying goodbye to my boys.

"I'll miss you, Mommy."

I hold Seth a little tighter and kiss the top of his head. "I'll miss you, too. But you're going to have so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa. You'll probably be too busy to miss boring old Mom."

He looks up at me and pouts. "I wish you could stay with us."

"I'll be back to get you before you know it. And I'm going to come up and spend the day with you guys and Grandma and Grandpa before we head back home."

His eyes light up. "Can Edward come with you?"

Somewhere behind us, my mother giggles. But I don't blame her. I think lately, my kids are as attached to Edward as I am. "We'll see."

"Okay." Satisfied with my answer, he bounces up to kiss my cheek then disappears into the family room with my dad.

I look at Jacob. "Do I get a hug and a kiss, too?"

He lumbers over, but I catch a hint of a smile on his face. "Bye, Mom."

"Is that all I get? No 'I'll miss you, Mommy?'" I tease.

He chuckles, sounding so much like his father in that moment. "I'll miss you."

"That's better." I wrap my arms around him and squeeze, soaking up the rare hug. "Love you, kiddo."

After his reply of the same, I send him off to the family room, too, and gather my things.

"I'll call if there are any problems," Mom promises as she walks me out.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. And if not, I'm only a couple of hours away."

After a hug and kiss from her, I head out.

The closer I get to Phoenix, the more congested the highway becomes, but I'm in no rush, so I stick to the right lane and jam along to the music blasting through the speakers. One of the perks of driving solo is getting to choose the CD that's played. There will be no Kidz Bop on the ride home.

But my jam session is interrupted when my phone rings. Blindly, I search through my purse, fishing it out and putting it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Bella?"

"Hey, Angela."

"Have you seen the news?"

An icy finger of dread slithers up my spine at the panicked tone of her voice. "No. I'm driving back from my parents'. Why?"

"There was an accident."

My pulse skyrockets as my stomach drops to my feet. A million and one scenarios flash through my mind as I ask, "What kind of accident? What happened?"

"Someone went down during exercises this morning," she says with a stuttered hiccup. "It's all over the TV."

"What?" I croak. "Went down? Where?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is a plane went down in the desert."

Visions of a fiery crash fill my head, and I have to blink away the unwanted images. The blaring of a horn and Angela's shouting snap me out of my daze.

"Bella, did you hear me?"

I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles are white and focus on Angela's voice. My heart still races as I look down the highway for the next exit. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I said Charlotte and I are waiting at my house until we hear what's going on. If it's someone in our squadron, Ben or Edward will call me to go sit with the wife of whoever it is while she waits for news. I haven't been able to get ahold of anyone. Ben isn't answering his phone, and neither is Edward."

"Is that—" I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. "Is that normal? For him not to answer, I mean. How long before we know anything?"

"I don't know. But we'll know something before it's reported on the news; I'm sure of it. Someone is bound to call one of us. If you hear from Edward, please call me."

Edward. The man who single-handedly disarmed me and stole my heart, the man who I'm not sure I could live without, could be hurt out there in the desert. And the only thing I can do is sit here and wait.

"I will," I finally reply.

"You're welcome to come to my house to wait this out." She sniffs, and I can almost see her pained smile. "I know how lonely it can be to wait by the phone alone."

But I hear what she's not saying: No one wants to be alone if it's bad news.

I clear my throat. "I'm just outside the city, so I'll be back in town soon."

"Bella, it'll be okay. Even if it's one of our guys, it'll still be okay."

"Okay."

Trembling from the inside out, I pull off at the next exit and drive into the nearest parking lot. Pressing a few buttons on my radio, I switch off the CD and scan through the stations. My heart lurches when I finally find what I'm looking for.

"Breaking news as we head into our noon hour. Eyewitness reports have come in that a jet—believed to be an F-16–crashed in Yuma County, roughly twenty miles south of the city of Wellton just after ten this morning. Witnesses at the scene say one pilot was seen ejecting from the cockpit. There's no word yet about any casualties, and officials at Luke Air Force Base have yet to issue a statement. We'll update you with more details as soon as they're available."

The news report fades into the station's next block of music, but it's merely white noise to me. My head is swimming with questions and I have a pang in my belly not knowing where Edward is or if he's all right. Too many what-ifs bombard my thoughts, and I have an overwhelming need to go to him … wherever that may be.

But I'm not going to get any answers sitting in a random parking lot outside the city.

So, with tears drying on my cheeks and a new resolve, I shift into drive and get back to the highway, driving like a maniac back to Phoenix. Focused and determined, I make it to Angela's house in twenty minutes.

As I step out of the car, my phone rings. And when I see the name on the caller ID, my heart soars.

"Edward!" I can't stop the sob that rips out of me when I answer. "You're okay."

"Hey, baby. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry I haven't been able to call you sooner, but I just got back to base a little while ago, and there are …" He blows out a breath. "There are a thousand and one things I have to take care of. I just wanted to let you know I'm all right, and I'll be home late tonight."

I wipe at my nose. "I don't care. I'm just so happy to know you're okay."

"I am. I'm sorry if you were worried about me."

"Of course, I was. Angela called me, and then I heard the report on the radio." I close my eyes and swallow my tears. "I can't remember the last time I was so worried."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're safe. That's all that matters."

"I'll make it up to you tonight."

His promise brings a small smile to my face. "I'm counting on it."

He blows out a weary breath. "Okay, I really need to go. I have to get in touch with Angela before we notify the family."

"I actually just pulled up at her house. Hang on and I'll just hand my phone to her."

"Thanks, baby."

There are so many things I want to ask him, to tell him, but I settle on, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella."

When I reach Angela's doorstep, she's at the door on her own phone, a tearful smile on her face. I can only guess she's talking to Ben.

"Yeah. Bella just got here," she tells whomever is on the other end of the line as she ushers me inside. "Okay, I will. Love you, too." She ends the call and turns to me. "It wasn't Ben. Have you heard from Vamp yet?"

"Yeah," I tell her, handing my phone to her. "He needs to talk to you."

She takes my phone and walks toward her kitchen, giving Charlotte a chance to wrap an arm around my shoulders. "You all right?"

"I am now. Have you talked to Peter?"

She nods. "He called right before Button called Ang."

"And he's okay?"

"He is. I take it Edward is, too?"

"Yeah. Has anyone said who it was?"

"Not yet. Our guys keep that info to themselves until the spouse is notified. That's protocol anyway." She gives me a gentle shake and grins. "But once Angela gets the details from Vamp, all bets are off."

"Yeah," Angela says, walking back into the room, "I'll text you when I get there. Okay, bye." She hands back my phone and blows out a breath. "I need to head over to Jessica's."

Charlotte gasps. "It was Fig?"

"Yeah. It was a bird strike. Vamp said it took out the engine, so Fig had no choice but to aim for an unpopulated area and eject. But they're pretty sure he's okay. He's on his way to the hospital to get checked out. They'll need to check his neck and spine. He's probably got a few bruises and one hell of a sore neck. He's going to be sore for a while, I'm sure."

Charlotte wraps her free arm around Angela and brings her into our little group hug. "They're okay. Well, not everyone, I guess."

Angela sighs as she pulls away. "About that. I need to get going. Edward asked me to let him know when I got to Jessica's so she could be notified. I'll probably go sit with her at the hospital, too."

Charlotte snatches her purse off the sofa. "I'll go with you, Ang." She looks at me. "You'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine." I breathe a laugh. "I might need a sedative for lunch to calm down, but I'll be okay." I slap a hand to my forehead. "Shit. I need to call Alice. I should have been back to work by now."

"Do you feel like you can work?" Angela asks.

I take stock of myself from head to toe and realize, between my now-pounding headache and my still-shaken insides, I'm not sure. But then I think of the alternative. I'm not so sure being alone is the best idea right now. "Honestly? I think I need something to focus on. Going home to an empty house probably isn't a good idea. But I still need to call Alice to let her know I'll be late coming in."

Charlotte grabs my hand and squeezes. "I'm sure Alice will be fine with it. She's been in your shoes before."

Thankfully, Alice is more than understanding. She tells me to take as long as I need to get myself together and even offers for me to take off the rest of the day.

"No," I tell her, "I need to stay busy. Edward won't be home until late, and I think I'd go stir crazy if I sat at home just waiting for him."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Alice. Thanks."

When I finally make it to Cope's, I'm relegated to the basement where there's plenty of paperwork and filing to be done, which is probably for the best. While I need to be at work to stay busy, I'm not sure I'd be able to deal with customers right now. And other than fielding calls from my parents and sister asking if Edward was involved in the crash, I'm able to focus on my work.

Lost in a sea of numbers and the music playing on the radio, I'm able to keep from dwelling on what happened today … what could have happened. Hearing sporadic reports on the crash help remind me that Edward is safe, just incredibly busy. But it doesn't completely take away the immense need to see him with my own eyes.

"Knock, knock." Alice taps her knuckles on the doorframe. "I was starting to get worried you'd been swallowed up by the mountain of paper down here."

I sigh, looking over the yet-to-be-filed stack. "I'll guess I'll have to finish tomorrow."

"You can come in late tomorrow if you need to. The first close call is always … emotional."

I give her a downhearted smile. "So, I have more of these to look forward to?"

"If you're in this for the long haul, then yeah, unfortunately."

"Does it get any easier?"

She steps farther into the room, her head tilted as she considers my question. "Not really. It's normal to be worried about someone you love when they're in harm's way. Even today, Jasper may not be up there in a fighter jet but flying a 737 isn't without its risks." She reaches out and grabs my hand. "At the end of the day, being in their lives makes all of it worth it."


The evening news doesn't give any more information than I already know, doing nothing to calm the anxiety still coursing through me. Rose calls, asking if I've heard anything, but beyond what's being reported on the news, there's nothing more I can tell her. The calls from my parents go much the same way. Their calls are hardly a distraction. I can't keep my eyes off the clock, and every noise makes me jump from Edward's couch to rush to the door.

But hours pass with no sign of him. The meager dinner I make for myself grows cold as the sun sets, and the longer I sit staring at the television, the bigger the need to see and touch Edward grows.

It isn't until Ty Pennington is screaming "Move that bus" at the end of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that I hear the unmistakable sound of keys turning the lock of the front door.

Edward barely takes a step inside before I basically tackle him.

"Oof. Hey." He wraps his arms around me and holds me up as I cling to him. "Hey, I'm fine, Bella. I promise you I am."

"I was so—" My words cut off with a sob, the emotion I've kept at bay all afternoon and evening spilling out of me.

"I know. Shh, I'm okay, baby."

"I was so scared. I'd … I'd die if something happened to you."

"But nothing did. I'm here now."

I twist my fingers into the fabric of his flight suit, tugging him closer. "I need … I need …"

With not so much as a word, I fuse my lips to his, the frantic need to have him right this instant almost debilitating.

Understanding what I need, he drops his bag to the floor and walks us down the hallway, his lips never leaving mine. But he must feel the same overpowering need as I do, because he pushes me up against the wall before we even make it to his bedroom. With one arm still holding me up, he slips a hand between us to tug at the hem of my shirt.

With a flurry of hands and lips, buttons and zippers are unfastened and lowered. He hastily sets me on my feet and tugs off my pants before lifting me again, pressing me against the wall once more.

He reaches between us to pull out his cock, too impatient to completely remove his flight suit. With a grunted "Fuck," he pushes into me.

Relief washes over me when I feel him inside me. I know, logically, if what happened today had happened to him, he would have been fine. I know that. But for that brief period of time when I didn't know, my whole world turned upside down. But this—him moving in me, his skin on mine—sets everything right again.

He sets a punishing pace, the need to be together like this apparently fueling him, too, and my head falls back, hitting the wall as he pounds into me.

The feel of his tense muscles flexing beneath his flight suit as he moves, the frantic way in which he takes me, makes this feel that much more intense.

It doesn't take long for me to fall apart in his arms, my body tensing and arcing as he stills, pulsing inside me.

With panted breaths, we hold onto each other, seemingly afraid to let go.

"I love you," I whisper against his temple, his warm breath wafting over my collarbone.

He pulls away, his piercing eyes meeting mine. So many emotions swim in his sea-green gaze. "I love you, too." He brushes the hair from my face. "I'm sorry you were so worried."

I shake my head, embarrassment blooming on my cheeks. "I'm sorry I freaked out."

"Don't do that. Don't apologize. It's … it's kind of nice to have someone worry about me for a change."

"Well, get used to it, Vamp, because you're stuck with me."


A/N: Are we all breathing a sigh of relief? Tense moments, for sure, but our girl did okay, I think. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

***Important info regarding updates***
PLEASE READ!

I have a whopping three chapters banked. It's the lowest number of reserved chapters ever I've had since posting any WIP, and I'm nervous. And I'm mostly nervous because I'm having trouble with the words flowing for this. I know where it's going. I know what's going to happen, but that's not translating easily to the page. School starts for us next week, so I'm hoping that with a return to some routine and some semblance of a schedule, I'll get back to a writing-a-chapter-every-week-or-two rhythm. But I can't guarantee that. In the meantime, I'll be updating according to how fast it's flowing, not on any kind of schedule. I'm about halfway through writing chapter 23, give or take, and if I can finish that one and feel the words flowing for the next, I'll post again in two weeks. If not, it will be a little longer. The last thing I want to do is post all of what I have left and leave you all hanging for possibly weeks or a month or more. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. And if you can, send me some writing mojo and good vibes. I could use it.

Remember, the best way to stay up to date with what I'm up to, join in the discussion, and to see exclusive teaser pics, check out my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. I'd love if you all could join us. I'm also on Twitter at CSunshine1220.

I will "see" you in two weeks!

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love
~Sunshine