Hello my sweets. Thank you all so much for your responses and birthday wishes. They mean so much to me. Love you all.
Here's another foray into Edward's mind. I hope you enjoy.
Normal disclaimers apply.
EPOV
I woke, after possibly the best nights sleep I've had since moving to Seattle, to the glorious smell of freshly brewed coffee. I didn't want to leave the warmth of the bed but the coffee was calling me like the ocean calls Moana. I climbed out from under the duvet and pulled on my jeans from last night. They were a little stiff from where the rainwater had dried into them but they would suffice for just heading next door. I forwent my tee, opting to sling it over my shoulder instead and padded down the stairs.
Bella was standing in her kitchen, staring into space while drumming her fingers absent-mindedly on the counter top. I don't think she even realised I was there as I observed her for a minute. I closed my eyes and deeply inhaled the aroma of the coffee. "Morning." I yawned.
"Bitch!" She cried.
I snapped my eyes open and saw she was holding her fingers under the cold tap. She shouldn't do that. Cold will only make it worse.
Bella muttered something about cat bells and creeping and I went and helped her adjust the water temperature. She apologised for being cranky and showed me the state her garden was left in after the storm. I couldn't believe my eyes. Her garden looked wrecked. I couldn't leave it in this state for her to sort out by herself. She's a petite little thing. How on earth did she expect to be able to move that tree by herself?
"Give me an hour Bella. I can help you with this." Naturally she protested but I wasn't having any of it. "One hour Bella." I pulled on my t-shirt and boots before heading back through the garden to mine. The coffee can wait.
I had a quick shower and changed into some of my gardening gear before calling up the guys I usually work with on landscaping jobs. I agreed to pay them double their usual rate and shout them lunch afterwards, to which the four of them happily agreed to. It wasn't long before Jasper, Eric, Alec and Paul were standing in Bella's back yard with me over looking the mess within.
"The storm sure did a number here." Jasper said, running a hand through his blonde hair. "What did you have in mind for us to do?"
"Obviously the first things will be fixing the fence panels and clearing the debris. The tree is going to need cutting into smaller pieces before we can even attempt to move it."
"Okay, then what? It's such a blank canvas garden. I don't like leaving a space as untouched as this. It needs a seating or entertaining area, some perennial borders. Maybe even a water feature." Jasper started to get excited. I think spending so much time with his fiancée Alice was beginning to rub off on him. Usually he was the cool and calm, level headed garden designer that people paid big money for. But seeing Bella's garden with her plain expansive lawn and few shrubberies made his eyes grow wide with possibilities.
"Calm down Monty Don." Alec laughed. "How do we even know this chick wants all of that done? She might just like her open space. Obviously her dog does." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder towards where Jake was scratching at the back door to come out.
I jogged over and let Jake out. He proceeded to sniff the other four before he was happy enough to just run around the garden. "Right fellas, let's get to work. I'll grab my chainsaw and start on the tree, you lot can decide amongst yourselves which jobs you want to take on." I went back to my garden and into the garage were I kept all of my gardening tools. I tossed the lot into my wheelbarrow and pushed it through into Bella's yard. I originally planned on this just being a single morning's worth of work, but with Jasper on board I can see it turning into so much more.
000
A couple of hours of hard graft later a loud whistle caught our attention. We all turned towards the house to see a long table had been set up with platters of pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausages, fruit and fresh rolls. Pitchers of juice, water and milk sat alongside a giant carafe of freshly brewed coffee. Emmett was adding two jugs of warmed syrup to the table, while Alice and Bella put out stacks of plates, bowls and cutlery. My stomach growled at the sight. I took off my gloves and hard hat, setting them down on a pile of chopped wood, before wiping my face on the t-shirt hanging from the waistband of my jeans.
By the time I made it to the table the guys had practically stripped the platters bare.
Bella placed her hand on my forearm. "Here. I saved you a plate. I knew you would wait until the others had finished before coming over." She handed me a covered plate piled high with a little bit of everything and a steaming mug of coffee. I graciously accepted it and thanked her with a little kiss to her cheek before sinking down into one of the spare lawn chairs Emmett brought over. Every bite was heaven to my empty stomach and the coffee was just as good as it smelled.
I was wiping the last of my roll through the syrup on my plate when Alice danced over. "Hey Edward." She smiled. "Thank you so much for doing all of those flower arrangements for me. The wedding went off without a hitch. I'm so glad it's over. I don't think I could handle another day of listening to Jessica bitch and whine about every minute detail. That's her husbands job now."
"You're welcome Alice. How did you and my brother manage to do the wedding and sort all of this out in such a short amount of time?" I asked, popping the bite of syrup soaked bread into my mouth.
"We didn't. We've only been back about twenty minutes. All of this is down to Bella." Alice nodded in the other woman's direction where she was laughing with Jasper. "She's such a sweetheart with the mouth of a dirty old sailor."
I nodded my head, making a mental note to thank her for all of this later.
"She's cute too. And single."
"Yeah she is." I sighed.
"Oh! I knew it!" Alice squealed, making several heads turn in our direction. "You like her don't you?"
There was no denying it. "I've found Bella attractive since the day we moved in. She was on her ass in her driveway. The heel had snapped off of her shoe." She was adorable even in her justified anger against heels. "I don't think the feelings are reciprocated though. I think she see's me as nothing more than a friend."
"Leave it to me Edward. She'll be putty in your hands in no time."
"No Alice. I don't want her to be forced into anything. If Bella wants me it's going to be on her terms." I smiled up at my friend. "Please, don't interfere."
"Okay. I promise to not interfere. But, I don't promise to not drop any hints when I converse with her. You two would make an amazing couple. Heck even your dogs have a thing for each other." She pointed to where Jake and Ness were curled up together in the grass.
I couldn't help but laugh along with her and agree. The two pups had certainly grown close.
000
It was late afternoon when I finally stopped for the day. Alec, Eric and Paul having gone home after lunch. They did an amazing job on fixing up Bella's fencing and digging some borders out upon Jasper's request. All through breakfast he had been convincing her to let him design her garden, to which she finally relented and gave him a five thousand dollar budget. He was currently sitting with her and Alice on my lawn chairs where they were going over his ideas for her garden. Emmett was out walking our dogs, leaving me to finish clearing the fallen tree. I cut the branches down into firewood and took the trunk away for an old colleague to make into a bench for Bella's garden.
Unfortunately her small veggie patch wasn't salvageable. The plants were too badly damaged. She took what produce was there and made some soup out of it, which everyone had a cup of at lunchtime with some of the left over breakfast rolls.
I set down my tools and walked over to where they were sitting. "Decided on anything yet, Bella?" I asked, lifting the bottom of my shirt up to wipe off my face.
"Yes actually, I...I..." She trailed off, staring at me with her mouth agape.
"What? Have I got a bug on me?" I dropped my shirt and spun round, trying to see if there was a creepy crawly on me. I may be a grown ass man, but if it's got more than four legs it's unnatural and should be squished. I don't care if anyone says otherwise. Bugs are horrifying with their beady eyes and segmented bodies. Ugh. It makes me shudder just thinking about them. A great fear to have for a landscape gardener and florist. I think my fear began when I was five and Emmett -who was seven at the time- put a dead moth on my pillow while I slept. I woke the next morning to it stuck to my cheek. Emmett was an evil shit when we were little.
"No. Nothing like that. You're alright. No insects in sight." Bella replied, blushing a deep pink. "Sorry. I got distracted over something I shouldn't. I've chosen these three so far, but I can't decide on just one. They're all so good."
I took the rough sketches out of Bella's outstretched hand and held them up, trying to envision the sketches coming to life in her garden. I switched between the three before picking the one that would flow better in the space available. "This one." I said, handing the sketch back to her and leaning over her shoulder to point out certain parts. "It provides equal parts shade and sun. You can restart your veggie patch in this area and we can expand on this small patio to create a better entertaining area for you. It also provides enough space for Jake to run around in without destroying your plants."
"You're right. Thank you Edward." She beamed up at me. Our faces so close it would be easy to close the gap and kiss her.
I resisted though and straightened up, running my hands through my hair. It was sticky with sweat and sawdust. I made my excuses to leave and shower. I met Emmett coming in the front door of our house. He unclipped the dogs leashes and they both ran straight through and into the garden. "Hurry up bro. I've bought us all pizza." He held up the four pizza boxes as the smell of melted cheese and spicy meats filled my nostrils. "Actually take your time. Bella will probably save you a plate again."
It would appear that everyone was aware of mine and Bella's attraction except for Bella herself. Maybe I should enlist Alice's help after all.
Anyone else feel the same way Edward does about bugs? I do, but I don't squish them. I just bite the bullet and safely relocate them elsewhere. I nearly cried when my kitten caught and killed a butterfly the other day.
Much love x
