Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Chapter 55 – Secrets & Societies
Saturday, December 5th
"Lilo," Masen warned.
The kitten looked up into his face, showing off her big green eyes.
"Don't even, young lady. The big sad eyes aren't going to make me forget we've had this talk before. Until you grow an opposable thumb on this paw, you are of no help to me in using a screwdriver. Take your paw off, sit down, and watch. And if you don't want to do that, you can go lay with Lizzy over there," he said, nodding toward a snoozing Lizzy in her dog bed in the corner.
Lilo let out a soft meow as she bopped the side of his hand with her head.
"Fine," he muttered as he reached into his toolbox. He rummaged around until he found his backup screwdriver and then he set it down in front of her. "There. That one is yours. Now leave mine alone."
She circled her new toy once and then pounced on the handle, sending it rolling a couple of inches. She ran toward it to pounce again but Masen scooped her up in his hand.
"This game is safer when played on the floor," he told her as he moved her and her screwdriver to the floor of his workroom.
He had originally planned to go over to Esme's to work in his shed where it was roomier, well-lighted, and distraction-free. Not to mention he could open up the back doors and hear the water and feel the breeze floating in. But with Bella feeling under the weather, he'd wanted to be close by in case she needed anything.
With Lilo occupied, he could now put his full focus into his work. Today's project was the mask Bella had given him. He planned to upgrade the camera with a faster model that also offered better pictures in low-light conditions.
What seemed like only minutes to him ended up actually being hours according to the time on his phone and certainly explained the growling of his stomach. He draped a cloth over his work to keep it clear of dust, took a minute to stretch out the stiffness in his arms and legs, and then headed inside with his pets.
Bella was on the couch, wrapped in the comforter from their bed and surrounded by tissues. Her nose was red and her eyes were puffy and still he found her lovely. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, allowing him to discreetly check her fever. She was still warm but not as bad as early this morning when her body heat had woken him from his sleep.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, watching as Lilo and Lizzy both hopped up on the end of the couch to lie at Bella's feet.
"Would you warm up some of that soup Esme sent over last night?"
"Want crackers with it? Or more warmed French bread?"
"Bread."
"I'll get right on it." He gave her another kiss on the forehead and went into the kitchen to make their lunches.
"What are you working on today?"
"Upgrading the camera in my mask you got me," he answered while emptying the fridge of sandwich ingredients for his own lunch.
"That's right. You told me that last night. Sorry."
"I guess I can forgive you since you're sick," he teased.
"I feel a little better today."
"That's good."
"But not enough to make it to the planning session tonight with Lee, Whit, Tanya, Kate, and Irina. I really wanted to help plan the wedding party for Esme and Uncle Carl."
"You can still help. You can call Lee and have her put you on speakerphone. Or you can text ideas as they come to you."
"It's not the same as being right there with them."
"True, but if you were right there with them, they'd probably get whatever bug you have."
"Probably." She didn't say anything else until they were eating lunch. He was sitting on the floor beside her so she wouldn't have to move to make room for him on the couch. "Being sick gives you a lot of time to think."
"About what?" he asked, taking a sharper look at her face. He had a sudden sense that this was going to be about her sister, a subject she hadn't wanted to discuss since the night Alice had made her confession.
"What I'm actually angry about with what my sister did. There are the obvious things, like portraying my life as a suicidal shark-crazed death wish and—"
Masen couldn't help snorting at her phrasing. "I'm so sorry, kapu, but that phrasing is—"
She cut him off with a single word full of conviction. "Accurate."
"Explain that to me. I really want to understand the way you're seeing this."
"A shark killed my dad, Edward. Without any context or explanation, she tells Renee that I'm diving with sharks, marrying a shark guy, and that I'm going to work with sharks daily. How can that come off as anything other than putting myself in harm's way on purpose?"
"Okay, I can see that. Without context, it does sound dangerous. But we—your 'ohana—all of us who love you and know the context, we think your personal and professional lives are pretty damn sweet. And we also know you've only just begun so we expect to see big things from you."
She nodded—she also tried to hide the fact that she was wiping away a few tears. He let her alone about it, having been warned by both Esme and Lee not to call attention to it. They had assured him a few silent tears were needed as an additional outlet once the talking started.
"What else has you angry?" he asked.
"I thought my sister was proud of me. Proud of how hard I'd worked this summer and of all the progress I'd made. But if she could turn my happiness into bait so easily, then she must not really care about any of it."
"On the surface, I can see where you'd think that. But, Bella, you know that Alice only said it that way to freak Renee out and make her react out of love and concern for your safety. You know I've struggled with Alice and you also know I can tell when she's bullshitting everyone. She is proud of you—I know that as a fact." He wasn't just saying that to make Bella feel better. It was something he'd come to believe after numerous talks with Whit and a couple phone calls with Alice herself. He might not have been able to fix this situation but he had made damn sure he had answers for Bella's inevitable questions.
Bella shook her head but he didn't think she was disagreeing. "I feel … I feel like it's my own fault my feelings are so hurt. Renee means more to Alice than I do. And my hurt is my own fault because even though I was the one who was there for Alice, Renee is still her mom."
"If Alice had only wanted Renee to wake up for her, then yeah, I could agree with your viewpoint. But since we know she wanted her to wake up for both of you, that argument doesn't hold up. Waking her up wasn't about replacing you as the go-to person for love and support in Alice's life. It was about healing the last of the gaping wounds in your family. Alice looked at you and saw that you were truly happy, that your fear was under control, and that your future was exactly what you wanted it to be. The course of her own life had become more solid in her choosing to move here to finish school and have more time with Whit. Carlisle was in love and engaged, and he was putting more effort into family than work. All the pieces had finally been put back together except for one. Alice went out to California firmly believing that once she shared with Renee all of this wonderful news, then it would heal her hurt too and your family would be back together again."
"What if you're wrong?"
He smiled in hopes of getting her to smile. "I'm never wrong."
Her frown deepened.
"Here's a better question—what if I'm right? What if I'm right but you don't or can't let yourself believe it? What will you miss out on with your sister? How big will this rift get if you two don't start talking soon?"
Bella gave him a half-hearted smile. "Leave it to Alice to make dealing with her become something scarier than sharks."
"You don't really believe that. You believe she's bubbly."
Her lips curled into a knowing smirk. "What I know is that you've been talking to her. And probably a few other people too considering how calm you are and how easily your words are flowing. There's none of the pauses and hair grabs that come when you're still trying to figure things out."
"Gopher is actually a pretty good listener," Masen admitted. "And of course Whit and Lee and I have had our conversations about all of this. But in the end I made the choice to hear it from Alice herself. She was apologetic but didn't try to excuse her behavior. I think that's going to be a big help in getting you two on even ground again."
"I guess I should probably call her."
"Give it a couple days. Think about what you want to say to her. And it's probably not a bad idea to let yourself get back to a hundred percent."
"Since when do you make so much sense?"
"Since always. Now eat your soup."
She twirled her spoon around her cup but didn't actually take a bite. Instead she looked at him again. "Thank you. It couldn't have been easy to talk to Alice but you did it anyway so you could help me when I was ready for it."
He put his food aside and got up on his knees so they could be face to face. "I'd do just about anything for you, Kapu."
"Kiss me?"
He immediately pulled back. "I love you, but that doesn't extend to your germs."
She pressed her palm against his forehead to push him further away. "Okole."
"Stop picking things up from Whit."
"Not going to happen," she replied, singing the words.
"Eat your soup. Please."
"Only because of the magic word," she teased before taking in a spoonful of her lunch.
Masen grinned, feeling pretty damn proud of himself. He'd kept his cool, relayed the answers she'd needed to hear, and was making sure she had a good lunch to help her get to feeling better. He felt like he might finally be getting the hang of this good boyfriend stuff.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Tuesday, December 15th
"Fuck," Masen barked at the unexpected shock to his finger. He immediately pulled the plug on his soldering iron and then backed away from the table, taking a deep breath so he could focus and take stock of his injury. He hadn't felt the sensation go past the end of his finger but it was always best to be sure. He turned his hand over and over again, looking for any sign of redness. He also listened to his body, making sure he didn't have any symptoms of electrical shock.
"Little fucker," he hissed at the soldering iron. "You couldn't have just not worked when I plugged you in? You had to go on the fritz while I was using you?"
He closed up his shed and headed into the house, planning on getting some water and then heading to the store for a new tool.
"It lives!" Esme crowed as he stepped into the kitchen. Her comment set off Gopher's booming laughter and Masen smirked as he gave his friend a playful punch to the shoulder.
"I haven't been working that long," he said to his mom while pulling a water bottle from the fridge.
She snorted. "Kid, you went out there at seven this morning. It's now one-thirty. I'm surprised your stomach didn't send you inside any earlier."
He made a face. "I'm not really hungry." He spun the cap off his bottle and drank half of the water in one long gulp.
"You need to eat," she urged.
"She's right, Mase. And it just so happens that I brought over my new chicken enchilada recipe for taste-testing."
"Maybe for dinner but I'm really not hungry right now."
Esme gave a little gasp and grasped Gopher's forearm. "He's gone and done it! He's figured out how to turn his stomach off."
Gopher laughed while Masen frowned.
"Edward, I'm only giving you a hard time," she promised, giving his shoulder a rub. "This is the first day you've been able to work all you want in a long time. Enjoy it."
"I was until my soldering iron crapped out on me."
She immediately started checking every patch of skin she could see on him. "Where did you get shocked at? How long of a shock was it? Do you have a headache? Any numbness?"
"Mom, I'm fine," he assured her. "It's not even red," he said as he showed her the finger that had gotten the tiny shock. "It pissed me off more than anything."
"I should take you to the doctor just to be sure. Gopher can watch Lizzy and Lilo while—"
"Mom, stop please. It didn't go past the knuckle. I have zero symptoms of electrical shock. I am fine."
She studied his face for a long moment. "Whatever project this was, you are done with it for the day, you hear? And with anything else that requires you messing with electrical components."
He could have argued and probably won but it just wasn't worth worrying her. "Okay, but you have to loan me your car to go pick up a new iron so I'm ready to get back to work tomorrow."
"Fine but Gopher is going with you."
Masen chuckled. "Mom, you can't just decide for him like that."
"I can and I have." She turned to Gopher. "Go with him and if he does anything out of the ordinary, you take him straight to the hospital and then call me."
"Yes, Ma'am," Gopher said with a salute.
"I can't wait for you to have an actual baby to baby," Masen teased as he kissed Esme's cheek.
"You are loved. Suck it up, buttercup, and be thankful."
"Every day, Mom," he promised her. He gave another kiss to her cheek and then left with Gopher.
"Let's take my car just in case Esme ends up needing hers," Gopher said as they crossed the driveway.
"Only if I can drive," he replied.
"Only if you buy me shaved ice," Gopher countered.
"Done."
Gopher tossed him the keys to his car and he happily slid behind the wheel of the classic convertible. Driving the '62 Impala was so smooth that he forgot all about being in a hurry to get a new tool and instead took his time heading toward Waiola's Shave Ice, even indulging Gopher in a discussion about that Lord of The Rings book he'd finally finished reading. While the characters had been interesting and fun, overall the book had been too illogical for Masen's tastes. Gopher had just been happy he'd gotten him to try something new.
Sitting at a table in the shade with their treats, Gopher suddenly stopped eating his shaved ice and took a long, hard look at Masen. "Are you out of your head enough for a real conversation? What I mean is, can you pay attention to me without thinking of the work you aren't doing?"
"Just between us, my mind hasn't been completely on work today. I've probably spent an equal amount of time wondering what's going on in Florida right now."
Bella had decided her talk with Alice needed to happen in person and since the semester was ending and Alice needed help packing for her move, Bella had gone with Carlisle to Florida. They'd left on Saturday with Carlisle set to return tomorrow and the ladies arriving on Friday. Masen was more than ready for his kapu to be home with him again.
"You pissed off about that? The not focusing?"
"I thought I would be but instead I just keep hoping Alice isn't saying anything stupid."
"You did right by staying, bro. They need to work their shit out without worrying about hurting your feelings. Or Whit's. And it's not like you being there could actually stop the little sister from saying something stupid. Our presence around you has never stopped you."
He leveled him with a dirty look.
Gopher raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just pointing out the same thing Lee and Whit have noticed—you and Alice have the same foot-in-mouth problem."
He waved his hand, not wanting to follow this topic any further. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I have the best idea!"
Masen's brows lifted as a sense of wariness rolled over him. "Why did that just make me flashback to Lee's 24th birthday?"
Gopher chuckled. "That party literally lasted all weekend. Hard to top for sure, but this idea will beat it hands down."
"Not making me less nervous here, Em." Masen vividly remembered how their quiet camping weekend had suddenly turned into a massive party with four other groups that had been camping in the area.
"Then I'll just jump right into it," Gopher said as he set his arms on the table top and leaned in toward Masen. "Lee wants what she wants. She doesn't wait around. She enjoys a big production but if avoiding it gets her to her goal faster, she can do without. She wants to get married and we don't need a long engagement. We've known for a long time we were it for each other. So this brings me to my idea … Rather than waste more time with all kinds of events and planning, I'll take her to our favorite stretch of beach, ask her to marry me, and when she says 'yes', we get married right then and there. Have some tents set up and our families all there and get it all done. Start living life as wife and husband right away. What do you think, Mase?"
He didn't actually know how to answer. He was impressed with the man's bravado but he wasn't sure how his best friend would react to a wedding she had no input on. "Em, I understand you want to do something big for her, but maybe this is too much just in your hands. Women have specific ideas about weddings—even I know that."
"Got that covered, bro," Gopher said as he dug his phone from his pocket and started messing with it. "There's this website called Polyvore where you can put pictures of clothes and accessories together to show how they would look as a full outfit. I noticed her on it a few months ago and when I took a closer look, I found these pages for wedding ideas. Clothes. Jewelry. Even flowers. That gives me her input without her knowing I'm up to anything."
He offered the phone to Masen and he took it, thinking it wouldn't do anything to convince him. There were clear pictures of a wedding dress, an outfit for the groom, a dress for the bridesmaid, and a flower bouquet. It was pretty damn specific and would be hard to screw up.
"I can do this, Mase. I can give her a wedding she'll love."
He couldn't believe he was actually considering this and yet the question left his mouth all the same. "What's your timetable for this?"
"April. That gives us four solid months to pull everything together. And with your anal attention to detail and impeccable checklists—"
"I haven't agreed to—"
"You have to, Mase. You and Whit are her best friends, and with our combined knowledge of her likes and dislikes, we can make this happen for her. She deserves this, bro, but I can't give it to her without your help."
"What's Whit say?" Masen figured since Gopher was mentioning him, he'd probably already talked to him.
"Whit's in. He wants to be in charge of music and flowers. I let him have free reign on the music but he'll have to work with Kate on the flowers since she called dibs first."
"Kate's involved?" Masen asked with a laugh. He wasn't surprised her closeness to Lee had earned her an invite into Gopher's plan, but he was concerned about her ability to keep secrets from Lee.
Gopher's brow creased. "Well yeah, you're supposed to involve the bridesmaids."
He didn't miss that the man had used the plural version of the term. "Who else are you asking?"
"Bella as soon as she gets back. She and Lee have become really tight and I know Lee would want her at her side for this one. And Esme. They've been so close from pretty much the moment you introduced them."
He winced. "I don't know about that, bro. This is going to be a lot of work and my mom's kind of busy growing a human so she doesn't need extra stress."
"I thought about that. But then I also thought she'd kill us for leaving her out. We are her misfits. She takes that shit seriously."
He considered Gopher's view carefully and ultimately decided his friend was right. "We'll involve her but we'll limit it. We'll let her be the cake taste-tester and help with some of the decoration decisions."
Gopher grinned wide. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."
Masen shook his head in wonder. "How the hell do I get roped into these things?"
"Simple, bro. You love your 'ohana."
"Four months for a secret wedding." Masen turned the timeline over in his head. It would be tight but if everyone pitched in and followed his plans then it was doable. "We better get started right away. Arranging the flights and hotels to get your clan here from Tennessee is going to be a big project all on its own."
"The McCarty clan is a big one," Gopher agreed.
"We'll need to verify if we need permits for the stretch of beach you want to use, have a backup venue ready in case of weather, create a budget, and we are definitely going to need some checklists to keep all this running smoothly and on time."
"Top secret wedding planning committee activated!" Gopher somehow became even more animated. "A code word! We need a code word so Lee doesn't get suspicious."
He laughed. "I'm pretty sure shouting out a random word will make her incredibly suspicious."
"Okay so we need a code phrase. Some kind of project title she would believe."
"Why not use what's right in front of us and tell her we're working on the nursery for Esme and Carlisle?"
"Because the ladies are already doing that."
"They're focused on decorations and paint colors. We can say we're finding the best furniture and gadgets."
"Still seems sketchy. What's Lee gonna say when it's April and the nursery is still empty?"
"It won't be. The baby is due in May so we have to be done with the room by the end of April."
"So wait … We're gonna do both? The nursery and the wedding?"
Masen proudly showed off his shitty grin. "'Ohana, bro."
Gopher sighed heavily. "It's gonna be a long four months."
He shrugged. "You could be married at the end of it."
"If I survive all that work," Gopher countered.
"You gotta ask yourself, bro, is Lee worth it?"
"You know damn well she is."
His smile widened with his victory. "Then suck it up, buttercup, and let's do this."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Friday, December 18th
The clarity of the perfectly blue water would have been impressive if not for the gorgeous creature gracefully gliding through it. Masen rarely got to use the words "loomed" and "dwarfed" but none fit better in this moment. He looked to his right and there was no mistaking the smile behind Bella's mask. She took the lead this time and moved closer to the mammoth whale shark, reaching a hand out to touch its spots. He quickly reached for his camera, knowing without a doubt this would be a photo she'd want to hang on the wall in their home.
A booming pounding jerked Masen out of his dream of swimming with Bella and a whale shark. The noise was quickly followed by Whit's yelling. "Mase, open the damn door you over-focused bastard."
Masen chuckled while rubbing a hand over his face and stumbling toward the front door. "I was sleeping, okole," he said as he let Whit and Gopher inside.
"We've been calling you for an hour and we were banging on the door a good five minutes," Whit replied.
"And?" Masen asked as he crashed back onto the couch, careful not to disturb Lizzy and Lilo who were miraculously sleeping through the commotion.
"What the hell did you get up to last night, Mase?" Gopher asked.
"Mom and I finished turning my bedroom into the new guest room so Alice has a place to sleep when she gets in this afternoon," he answered while yawning. "We finished around three in the morning and then I came home planning to watch my nature show. Not sure how far in I got before crashing."
Whit and Gopher exchanged a look.
"What?" Masen questioned.
Whit exchanged another look with Gopher before focusing on Masen again. "Are you okay with getting rid of your room at Esme's?"
Masen shrugged. "It's not like I was using the room. It's still my home and I still have my office and my shed out back." He gave another shrug. "Giving up the room so Mom can create the nursery she wants upstairs was perfectly logical."
"Logical or not, it's a permanent ending," Whit remarked. "You sure you're okay with that?"
"I considered the end the day I moved into here with Bella. What Mom and I did was just clean out a room and box stuff up. Speaking of that, we need to load the Bronco up and take a ride out to the storage place."
Whit nodded in agreement. "It's not far from the tux shop. If we have enough time before our appointment, we can drop the boxes first. If not, we can do it before the meeting with the Land Division on using the beach."
Masen reached under the couch and pulled out a notebook with a pen clipped to the cover. He flipped to the page for today and added a note about the storage place. He also checked that there was still a three hour block of free time for when Bella's plane would arrive this afternoon. "The conference call with the cake baker got moved from four-thirty today to ten tomorrow morning. Does that work for you, Gopher?"
"I'll have to make it work," Gopher answered. "Oh and I got a tracking receipt on the changing table. It'll be here next Tuesday."
"Excellent," Masen said as he added the delivery to Tuesday's list of tasks.
Whit chuckled. "Still can't believe we're doing this. A secret wedding covered up with building a nursery."
"Just doing what I can for two of the most important women in my life," Masen said with a shrug. "Hopefully they'll love it and not want to kick my ass. And so we're all clear here, if I go down, you're both coming with me," he said, pointing his pen at his friends.
Whit snorted. "Have some faith, Mase. We've got this all under control. And even if we don't, we know you do."
"We better," Masen said as he pulled himself up from the couch. "I'm going to head upstairs and get dressed. Would one of you turn the coffee pot on?"
"Food?" Whit asked.
He shook his head. "Haven't had time to shop so what's left is for Bella."
"Maybe we might have time to slip through a drive-thru for some breakfast," Whit said hopefully.
"Mom will have something for us to eat," Masen assured him.
After a quick shower that involved his electric shaver, he stepped into the kitchen wearing gray slacks with a light blue dress shirt rolled up to the elbows, topped off with neatly shaped facial hair. He'd transformed his two week growth from beach bum status to serious adult mode as Esme liked to call it.
"You sure clean up pretty, Mase," Gopher teased as he handed him a cup of fresh coffee.
"Ten out of ten in my book," Whit joked. "Bella's gonna be impressed you cleaned up for her."
Masen ignored their teasing, even as he hoped they were right. There was no book on how to be a good boyfriend—he knew because he'd searched everywhere—so he was going with his gut, something still very new to him. "One of us has to look the part of an adult responsible enough for a permit."
"I dressed nice like you told me," Gopher defended. "I'm wearing dress slacks. I even have socks on with my shoes."
Masen smiled over the rim of his coffee cup. "That green polo loses most of its adult cred thanks to that ninja turtle's face on it."
Gopher shrugged. "This is how I adult."
Whit chuckled while giving him a good natured slap to the back. "Then adult away, my friend." For his part, he'd gone with jeans, a white button down, and a grey vest that matched his fedora. That was date attire and damn sure for Alice only. It helped to reassure Masen that his choice to go all out in dressing up was the right one. It also solidified a plan he'd been toying with the past couple days.
With their coffee finished, they headed over to Esme's to drop off Lizzy and Lilo and pick up Masen's boxes. She had breakfast waiting for them and they had just enough time to stay and eat with her and Carlisle. It was a damn good thing for the guys that they were on such a tight schedule because Esme's mom-sense was tingling and she wasn't buying that they were only dressed up for Bella and Alice's benefit. Until Gopher had a chance to get her alone and explain his big plan, they needed to avoid raising her suspicions or she'd get Lee and Bella involved in her mission to crack them.
Their following stop was an appointment at a tuxedo shop to look at some options to see what they could match up to Lee's website choices. They found a couple that were similar enough to keep this place in the running but Masen didn't want to make any decisions until they'd viewed the offerings at all three shops on his checklist.
Up next was a visit to their storage units. They opened them all just to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, especially the jet skis. They found room for Masen's boxes in the unit that held MMR's files from previous years. He'd figured it would be easier to box everything and then sort through it later at his leisure.
Finally, it was time for their meeting with the agent from the Land Division. They went in prepared with a map of the area and the stretch of beach they wanted to secure clearly marked, along with the date and time span they needed. Masen had pulled and compared past weather reports to pick the optimum date that would lend to sunshine, low winds, and comfortable temperatures. It hadn't been the exact date Gopher had wanted—he'd wanted the eighteenth of April since eighteen was Lee's favorite number. It was close though, and if Lee added the fourth month to the fourteenth day, she would get her eighteen that way.
After filling out some paperwork and plunking down a deposit, they were assured the beach would be theirs for the date and time period they'd wanted. Gopher was so happy and excited that he couldn't stand still and kept hugging Masen and Whit all the way out of the building and back to the Bronco.
"Mase, the airport is the other way," Whit pointed out.
"I know. I've got one more stop to make before we head that way."
"Bro, they land in thirty-five minutes. It's going to take us twenty just to get to the airport."
"Twenty-eight with current traffic conditions," Masen corrected. "That's with the stop I have planned."
Luck was on his side and a car pulled away and freed up a spot right near where he needed to be. He slid the Bronco into the parking spot and turned off the engine.
"Look, bro, I'm hungry too but we can wait a little longer and eat with the ladies," Gopher commented.
"I'm not stopping for the restaurant," Masen replied. "I'm stopping for the flowers," he said as he pointed to the little shop on the corner.
A wide smile broke out across Gopher's face. "Edward Masen has finally grown a romantic bone."
"That ain't the romance," Whit joked. "That's a week without his kapu."
"You guys are okoles," Masen grumped as he got out of the truck, slamming the door closed behind him.
"Sorry. Truly," Gopher said as he caught up to him at the shop's door. "My only defense is that it's still new to see you putting someone else out front like this. But it's a good thing and I'm glad you're doing it. Guppy's gonna love being greeted with flowers."
Masen nodded in acceptance of Gopher's apology and explanation. And then he spotted Whit, and Masen's shitty grin immediately appeared. "Where do you think you're going?"
Whit grinned right back. "In there to pick some flowers out for Alice."
"Now, Whit, you know you wouldn't want to be accused of copying me," Masen said in a concerned tone. "I think you'd be better off waiting for us in the truck."
"Do you really think they'll believe it was your idea and not mine?" Whit questioned.
"Asshat," Masen sighed as he opened the shop door and waved Whit ahead of him. No one would believe it, even with Gopher as a witness.
Whit chuckled and clamped a hand on Masen's shoulder. "Don't worry, bro. I won't steal the credit for this great idea. After all, it's so rare that your bright ideas don't get anyone in trouble."
Masen snorted while pushing Whit into the shop. "Says the man responsible for every arrest and near-arrest experience I've ever had."
"Just doing my job as best friend to ensure your life is full of moments worth retelling," Whit replied.
They were barely in the shop a full minute before Whit found the perfect flower for Alice—a large pink gerbera daisy. It was attention grabbing and feminine, just like the young lady herself.
Masen was having a tougher time picking something out. He wanted something that Bella would really love, something that would remind her of her old home while also making her glad for her new one. Something shaped like a star to remind her of the vine flowers growing around the gazebo and the Gemini constellation he'd taught her about.
A flash of yellow surrounded by a deep red caught his eye and he crossed the room to take a closer look at a vase of flowers soaking up the sun in front of the corner window. The tag read "Ruby Spider Daylily" and it said the flowers were hardy enough to survive most conditions. Perfect for a household with two people who knew very little about growing flowers, though he knew if she decided to try to plant them then he'd research it and learn far more than necessary just to make sure they grew for her.
With a minute to spare from his original estimation of twenty-eight minutes, they arrived at the airport. Three minutes after that, they were parked and walking toward the airport entrance with Whit checking the flight information on his phone for easily the hundredth time today.
"They just landed," he informed them. "The baggage claim area should already be assigned. We can check the board when we get inside."
Gopher chuckled. "I didn't see it until just now because you hide it way better than Masen, but your ass is just as jumpy to be reunited with your lady love."
"It's been a minute," Whit said with a grin. He turned his attention to Masen. "You know just one of those would have been sufficient since each one has three blooms on it."
Masen shook his head. "My kapu deserves a hell of a lot more than 'sufficient'."
Whit and Gopher chuckled, and after thinking of how overboard the large bouquet actually was, Masen started to laugh with them.
"Guppy has definitely improved his sense of humor," Gopher remarked.
"Hells yes," Whit agreed.
They were almost to the baggage carousel when Masen heard his full name yelled out across the airport by Alice's chipper voice. He turned toward the sound and found himself very thankful that he had quick reflexes, allowing him to hand off his flowers seconds before he caught a running Bella in his arms. Now that he was holding her he could no longer ignore just how very much he'd missed her and he found himself hugging her tighter than he'd ever dared before. He closed his eyes and just held her, taking in her scent and warmth and weight. All week long he'd felt off and now he understood why—she'd truly become his other half and he'd never again feel whole without her by his side. The thought both thrilled and terrified him.
"Why, Bella, I never knew you could climb trees," Alice joked from beside them.
The movement of his kapu's arm had Masen opening his eyes—and laughing at the middle finger she was waving at her little sister.
Whit twirled a gawking Alice into his arms. "You better kiss me before I start to believe you didn't miss me."
"Not missing you would be as likely as not breathing," she replied before locking lips with Whit.
Bella's hands on his face had Masen looking up into her caramel eyes. He had come to realize that all he needed to know her heart was to look into those eyes. Right now they were saying she'd missed him, she loved him, and she wanted her "hello" kiss. He cupped her neck and brought her lips down to his, pouring into it every ounce of his happiness at having her home where she belonged.
Gopher coughed beside them. "So I guess I'll just stand here and try not to look ridiculous holding flowers while some other dude kisses the girl. Actually, mauls. You are definitely in mauling territory right now. It's a damn good thing Carlisle didn't come with us. Man, the look he would have on his face right now makes me want to take a picture of you guys so I can show him and see that look in person."
Bella's hand and finger went up again and neither she nor Masen could keep from laughing. He set her down on her feet while Gopher pouted and pretended to be hurt. All it took was a hug from her and the big guy was instantly returned to his previously jovial self.
Masen took the flowers from him and presented them to their rightful owner. "For you, kapu."
"They're beautiful, Edward." She took them into one hand and immediately used her other to anchor herself to his side. She also whispered just for him, "I can't wait to find out the reason behind them later."
He suddenly found himself needing another hug from her—not just wanting but actually needing. He gave into the sensation and held her with their bodies pressed together at every possible point.
"Gopher, let's give them a minute and grab the bags," Whit said from behind them.
When Masen was confident they'd all left the area, he lifted Bella's chin so he could see her eyes as he shared, "I missed you, kapu. A week without you is a week too long."
She smiled at him. "That would imply you missed me as soon as I left."
"Not as soon," he said with a grin. "It took a moment or two."
"Shut up and kiss me," she said with a laugh.
Their first attempt at a kiss was a complete failure because of how wide they were smiling. The second, though, that one was a long moment of sweet reunion and deep love.
They broke apart just as the rest of the group arrived with Bella and Alice's suitcases. They piled into the Bronco and headed out in search of a late lunch for everyone. Alice monopolized the conversation by sharing her immediate plans for her new life here, along with asking about a hundred questions about the area. Masen paid what attention he could to it for Whit's sake, but mostly he just enjoyed the way Bella spent the entire meal leaning up against him and always touching him in some way. She'd missed him just as much as he'd missed her.
After dropping Gopher off at the townhouse he shared with Lee, Masen headed for his mom's home. Whit and Alice would be getting out there so that she could visit with her uncle and settle into the guest room. They would probably also disappear to Whit's apartment for some time alone but that was for them to figure out on their own. Masen had cleared a three hour block of time for Bella and he was going to spend every second of it alone with her in their home.
Bella apparently had similar ideas, barely letting Masen into the house before pressing her body and lips to his. Just as suddenly as she'd grabbed hold of him, she pulled back. Her hands were shaking as she pressed them against his face, her deep brown eyes seeming to search his green ones for something.
"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu." His whispered promise had her eyes watering. "What's wrong?"
"I hadn't expected to miss you so much. It's only been six months but it already feels like you've been part of me forever. I've already forgotten how to be me without you. Not that I've lost who I am, but just that I'm not fully me without you. It's like when I'm alone it's the rough draft of myself and then when I'm with you, I'm the perfect plan version. Does that make any sense to you?"
He nodded. "It's like when you first look at the night sky and it's just a bunch of random stars. Then your eyes adjust and suddenly they line up into these amazing constellations." After a quick debate with himself, he decided to share the thought he'd had in the airport. "It's equally terrifying and thrilling."
She smiled and used the collar of his shirt to draw his lips to hers. He took her up on her invitation, sharing a scorching kiss fueled by their week of separation. When they finally broke apart, they were both struggling to pull in enough air. Bella smiled as her hands slid down his arm and wrapped around his wrist, giving an insistent tug toward the stairs.
He hooked an arm under her legs and scooped her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs and to their bed. As he set her down, he noticed she'd unbuttoned his shirt on the way up. Before he could shrug out of it, her hands were on him and the heat of her touch mixed with his need for her had him clenching his fists to keep from pouncing on her. That little secret smile of hers that only existed for him curled her lips as she leaned in and pressed a kiss over his heart, destroying the last of his restraint.
When their passionate love-making came to a satisfying end, he realized he'd been so focused on her that he had no real memory of what they'd just shared, only fleeting flashes … the smooth texture of her shirt in his rough hands as he pulled it off … the feel of her bare shoulder against his lips … the shiver that rocked him hard when her fingers followed his 'v' … While he might be fuzzy on the details, he would never forget the look of satisfaction on her face right now.
She shifted onto her elbow and put her kiss-swollen lips at his ear. "I would have waited a thousand years for you, but I'm so lucky and happy that I only had to wait twenty-three. I love you, Edward."
Unable to think of what to say to her heartfelt admission, he pressed his lips to her forehead in a tender kiss of thanks.
She shifted again, this time laying across his chest with her head on his shoulder. "Will you tell me about my flowers now?"
"Tonight," he answered, grinning as he traced little circles on her lower back. "I have a lavish date planned and it'll make great dinner conversation."
"I thought we were having dinner at Esme's."
"We are so this will be more like late night snacks. But lavish ones."
"Edward, I love you for planning something but after all the traveling and what we just shared, I'm not sure I'm going to be awake for a lavish date."
"You haven't even heard where we're going yet," he said, fighting not to laugh. She had grabbed onto the word 'lavish' just as he'd hoped and was clearly imagining one of the big restaurants in town.
"Where would you like to go?"
"Nowhere."
Bella propped herself up on her elbow to see Masen's face. "You're not making any sense. Did I break you?"
He laughed loudly and scooped her tightly into his arms, rolling them over so she was under him. His plans to tease her were forgotten with just one look into her lovely brown eyes. "I love you."
"I know," she said with a teasing grin. "You planned a date for me."
"I may have overstated the lavish part," he admitted. "I actually counted on you feeling tired so my plan involves pillows and blankets downstairs with your favorite movie on the TV and a huge bowl of your favorite buttery popcorn."
"I know you have a hard time accepting it when I say this, but I truly mean it. You're a really great partner. You make me feel so lucky that I'll get to spend the rest of my life with you." Her words once again left him speechless.
Which ended up being just as well since the front door opened at that moment, followed by Whit's voice carrying up to them. "Mase? Guppy? Where are you guys?"
They shared a wide-eyed stare and then jumped out of bed to grab for the clothes they'd discarded all around the room.
The floor creaked near the stairs and Masen quickly yelled out, "Be down in a minute!"
Since his clothes from earlier were now wrinkled and no longer needed, he yanked on a pair of black shorts and a white t-shirt. Bella had somehow finished dressing before him and she helped him straighten the shirt across his shoulders and then hugged him tightly. "I liked you dressed up but this feels more the real you."
Whit's voice carried to them again. "If you two don't get down here, I'm coming up there."
"Impatient bugger," Bella grumbled as she started toward the stairs.
Masen caught the back of her shirt and pulled her into his chest, locking his arms tightly around her. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."
"I love you too."
After a quick kiss to her cheek, he let her go and they joined Whit in the kitchen. "What brings you by?" Bella asked.
Whit took one look at her and doubled-over in laughter.
"What?" she asked as she looked down at her clothes. Masen looked too and found her clothes to be on correctly.
A red-faced Whit leaned on the counter for support as he looked up at them. "No need to ask what you two were up to. That hair says it all."
Bella gasped as her hands surveyed what remained of the perfect ponytail she'd worn earlier. Masen had to bite his lip to keep from laughing both at her shocked expression and the insane level of disarray her hair had reached. She turned and pushed past him, running up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Mean, bro," Masen said between chuckles.
"I wasn't really laughing at her."
He waited patiently for his friend to put some honesty into his statement.
"Okay, I wasn't laughing only at her. Esme assured me you two would just be hanging out on the couch and talking. She just knew you'd never pounce on your fiancée after her long flight."
He grinned wide, victorious in his innocence. "Still not the instigator."
"Maybe not, but you sure as shit didn't protest either."
He rolled his eyes at his best friend. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be getting reacquainted with your girlfriend?"
"I was attempting to do that very thing when an insistent Esme interrupted and told me I had to go get her kid so he could open the mail that came today."
"Why didn't you tell her it could wait until I come over for dinner tonight?"
Whit lifted one eyebrow high. "Jabroni, who the hell do you think you're talking to?"
He opened his mouth to respond but Whit cut him off with a stern finger pointed at his chest.
"It doesn't matter what you think!" Whit yelled, just barely keeping himself from bursting into laughter.
Masen snorted. "You aren't The Rock, bro. No matter how much you wish it."
"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah! Let's not get mean here, Mase. I'm on a mission for your mom after all."
"What does Esme need?" Bella asked, rejoining them with her ponytail fixed and her cheeks no longer fire engine red.
"A package came for Mase and it's got her very excited. She wants him to come over right now and open it," Whit explained.
"We can tell her she has to wait until later," Masen offered, knowing if they went over there now that they'd never make it back home for any alone time.
Bella looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "You really think you can deny her and not end up fixating on it?"
"I can do whatever I set my mind to," he replied confidently.
Bella and Whit locked eyes and started laughing.
"You watch," Masen said as he reached for the cordless phone on the counter. He pressed the speed dial button for his mom and waited for her to answer on the other end.
Bella and Whit both smirked at him and then made their way over to the front door. It seemed they had no faith in him at all.
"Edward, why are you calling?" Esme questioned. "You should be walking through my front door right now."
"Mom, I'm coming over for dinner and—"
"That's hours away. Why would you make us all wait hours like that? Are you upset with us?"
"No, I just—"
"Is it me? Are you angry I sent Whit to get you?"
"I'd never—"
"Because I certainly never meant any harm. I honestly believed you would want to open the package right away."
With a sigh, he admitted his defeat. "I'll be right there."
"I don't want to cause any trouble, sweetheart."
"No trouble, Mom. I'll be right over."
"You really are the best kid ever in the history of the world," she told him before hanging up.
He almost didn't hear her over the noise of Bella and Whit laughing at him as they walked out the front door. He put the phone back in the cradle, locked up the house, and then chased Whit and Bella down on the beach.
"Guess you set your mind to going see what your Mom wants, huh?" Whit teased.
"You're the real jabroni," Masen grumbled.
"Awe, he's just teasing you a little," Bella said as she linked her fingers with his.
"It's your own fault for pretending you can resist Esme," Whit told him. "You never could and you never will."
When they walked into the house, Masen was surprised to see Lee and Gopher in the kitchen with his mom, Carlisle, and Alice. "You weren't kidding about wanting everyone here," he said as he leaned down to make it easier for Esme to kiss his cheek.
"I have a feeling that what's in that box is going to demand a proper celebration," Esme said as she pointed at the rectangular box taking up a large amount of space on the table.
Masen went over to the box to get a look at the return address sticker—and found it missing. "Really?" he asked his mom.
She smirked and shrugged.
He shook his head over her goofy behavior and reached for the knife she had left waiting beside the box. The first layer in the box was those little white packing peanuts that had a tendency to fly off in every direction no matter how carefully you tried to pile them up together. The second layer was thick bubble wrap and it immediately disappeared into Whit's hands, followed quickly by the rapid-fire popping of a line of bubbles.
Masen chuckled as he looked down at the plain brown paper wrapped tight and taped around whatever the rectangle in the box was. He lifted it out and just from the feel and weight, he knew it was something framed. He set it down carefully on the table, wondering which photo Esme had blown up and framed.
The treasure hidden beneath all that wrapping wasn't some early Christmas gift from his mom as he'd suspected. It was a framed magazine cover—with his photo on it. He'd always believed his photos were worthy of being printed in magazines but to be on the cover was something altogether different.
"You won!" Bella squealed as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I knew your photo would blow them away."
Esme's eyes were swimming with pride and tears as she cradled his cheek in her hand. "I am so damn proud of you, Kid. Lanakila." She gave each of his cheeks a kiss—one for her and one for Elizabeth.
"He's not speaking," Lee pointed out. "Why is he not speaking? He should be trying to convince us this proves he's the best photographer on the team."
"Perhaps he's just taking a moment to relish in the win," Carlisle suggested.
"Nah, he's thinking. I can hear the gears turning in that head of his," Whit replied.
Masen was thinking but not about teasing the team or yelling out lanakila to let the entire house know victory was his. Well, he was thinking about those things, but more than that he was contemplating what to do with this prize. A few months ago, there wouldn't have been a need to think. It would be hung in his office for everyone to see. But this was now and it didn't feel like it was his lanakila alone. This belonged just as much to him as to the person who'd believed in him enough to make the submission on his behalf.
"Edward, aren't you going to say anything?" Bella asked him.
He smiled at her and then leaned in to kiss her lips. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she replied with a beaming smile.
"Mase on the cover of a magazine," Gopher stated. "Well, his shark is on the cover."
"Where will its place of honor be in your office?" Lee questioned.
Masen grinned as he looked at Bella. "Where do you want it?"
"Me?" she squeaked, completely surprised by his gesture.
"I took the picture and you submitted it so that means we both won. Where would you like to hang our prize?"
"Holy shit!" Lee crowed, grabbing hold of Whit's shoulder.
Whit stared at her with wide eyes. "He's sharing credit for something that's solely his."
"I don't know why you two are so shocked," Esme told them. "I've been telling you both for years that the love of a good woman was all he needed to calm his ass down." She waved her hand to indicate Bella.
Masen leaned into Bella so only she could hear him. "How quickly they go from being proud of me to making fun of me. It's almost as if they love me."
She used his shoulder to hide her giggles. "I can't imagine why."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Saturday, December 19th
"What are you smiling so big for?" Edward asked as he settled in beside Bella at the island.
"You love me. You made me waffles," she answered, practically singing the words.
He chuckled. "You clearly woke up goofy."
"I woke up rested," she corrected before taking a big bite of syrup-drenched waffle.
"You better be after using me as a mattress last night."
"Shush. You know you liked it."
He quickly leaned over and growled against the side of her neck, making her give a surprised yelp and then laugh. "I always like your naked parts on my naked parts."
"You're ridiculous," she said as she pushed him away.
"And I'm surprised you aren't still knocked out after a week with your bubbly sister," he teased.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Is that your covert way of asking if I'm ready to talk about Alice?"
"No, that's me hoping your lack of sleep was for something fun."
Bella thought back on her week with her sister and although much of it had been intense and hard, there had been some good moments as well. "We did have some fun at the end. What about you? Did you have fun while I was away?"
"I managed a little," he answered with a teasing smile. "I spent a good chunk working in my shed but I also spent time with Esme, had dinner with Lee and Gopher, and went out for beers with Whit."
"I'm glad you had a good week."
"I did, but it definitely would have been better with you here."
"Awe," she cooed as she gently patted his cheek. "I appreciate you sucking up so much."
"Smart ass," he replied while laughing.
She smiled, feeling good that she'd gotten him to laugh.
"So Alice," he pressed.
"Alice," she repeated slowly. "This is the first time that I feel completely confident that we're in a good place and will stay that way. The other times I had this little nagging feeling that not everything had gotten out into the open, that she was holding back."
She paused for another bite of breakfast and then continued. "I can guarantee nothing was held back this time. Some of it really hurt to put out there but we just got to this point where it had to happen.
"Alice isn't a kid who needs to be protected anymore. She needs the truth, and I think especially when that truth is going to hurt because it's what will propel her to grow as a person. As hard as it was to go through the details of what happened to our dad, she needed to have the reality and not what she'd been imagining.
"For me, I need to not be pushed. My pace is different than hers and although I'd made the decision to not go on the California trip this year, I wasn't ready to face the reality of my mother. I still needed that tiny little pocket of hope that she could be okay someday. Alice ripped that away from me without my consent or even a warning.
"What really shocked me was the reason she did it." Bella swiveled on her stool to face Edward, hoping he could see in her expression how big this was for her. "She thought she owed me."
He could definitely tell how much that revelation rocked her because he immediately took hold of her hand and started to trace those little circles on her wrist that always helped to calm her.
"She's spent years being afraid that I would resent the fact that she got to keep being a kid while I became the adult watching out for her. She saw the change in me this summer as being that fear coming to life. She became fixated on the idea and it led her to her big plan to wake our mother.
"I'm not any happier about what she did but I know now it came from a good place and I understand being consumed by a fear. We've agreed that from this point forward, we're just sisters and friends. We're leaving behind the roles of protector and fixer and just sharing our lives as they are."
"And you feel like that's possible for you both? That you can really take such a huge step back?"
Bella shrugged. "I did flip her off yesterday. I wouldn't have done that a month ago. I would have still felt that urge to protect her innocence. And we don't expect it to be a complete change right away. We're going to have to self-edit and force ourselves not to jump in where we normally would have. But we want to get back to having a solid, close relationship again and this is the only way we're going to get there."
"I think you can have both. You need both. You're her big sister so that need to protect is never going to leave you. As smart as Alice is, she's still young and she's going to need someone to step in and pull her back from the cliff every so often. And sometimes you do need things fixed for you simply because you don't know how to do it on your own. There just needs to be balance and boundaries in it, just like with my relationships with Lee and Whit. You bet your ass I'm stepping in if they need it, just like they jumped in to nudge when I needed my point of view fixed."
"It's pretty impressive that you can admit that now. You were so sure you were right for so long."
"It stung to be that wrong," he shared. "But it was also the best thing for me. For both of us."
"I do get waffles out of the deal," she said, smiling and waving her piece of waffle at him.
He laughed and leaned over to kiss her sticky lips. "I hope you know if there's anything I can do to help with Alice, all you have to do is ask and I'll do it."
"I do know but thank you so much for saying it out loud. I know she's made it difficult for you to build a relationship with her."
"Good thing I'm always up for a challenge."
They had just finished breakfast and started on the dishes when Gopher came strutting into the house. "Morning, campers," he greeted as he leaned over the couch for a closer look at the blankets and pillows still covering the floor.
"Morning, Gopher," Bella replied.
"Where are my little fur buddies?" he asked as he took up a seat at the island.
"I left them with Mom. Bella needed her rest and those two would have had her up early," Edward explained.
Gopher sighed dramatically. "But I need my yips and yaps."
Bella laughed and then asked, "What brings you by?"
"Mase and I have some errands to run. But before that, I have a very important question for you."
Edward took the soapy plate from her and handed her the dishtowel to dry her hands. "You'll want to give him your full attention for this."
"What are you two up to?" she asked with a smile, enjoying how close the two men had grown.
Gopher's smile was so big that it made Bella laugh. "If you so choose, Bella Cullen, you can become a member of one of the most important secret societies ever founded in the history of ever. With your membership comes my undying gratitude and the potential for untold glory when we succeed at our mission."
"Which would be?" Her lips twitched from the effort it was taking not to laugh.
"Give the amazing, wonderful, and gorgeous Rosalie Hale the wedding of her dreams."
Bella squealed and raced around the counter, throwing herself into Gopher's open arms. "I can't believe you proposed while I was gone!"
Gopher chuckled as he set her on her feet. "I didn't pop the question. Not yet anyway."
"So then you want help proposing to her?"
"No, I want help marrying her. Lee is pretty much done with the waiting and so am I. She wants me and I want her and I want to make that permanent for us."
"Gopher, that's a really sweet thought, but women have very definite ideas about their wedding day," Bella said, careful to choose her words so she wouldn't hurt his feelings.
"That's what I said," Edward interjected. "Show her what you showed me."
Bella twisted to see Edward. "Wait, you're in this society? The most logical man on the planet?"
Edward grinned. "Just look at his phone. You'll see."
Gopher proudly showed off the website behind his big idea. He followed it up with a flip through a notebook Edward had been filling with detailed checklists and instructions. She knew that for Edward and Whit to agree to help, they had to truly believe Lee would like this idea. They would never do anything to hurt their best friend.
Unfortunately, they didn't have all the facts either. "There's something you guys should know. During that girls night we had just before I left for my trip, Lee was in that place between sober and drunk where little hidden truths escape. She told me she was ready to be engaged and that if Gopher hadn't asked her by the new year, then she would ask him."
"She can't do that!" Gopher yelled, looking terrified. "She can't do that, right, Mase?"
Edward chuckled. "Calm down, bro. This isn't a big deal."
Gopher jumped to his feet and started pacing. "Not a big deal? Sure. Not a big deal except for the fact that the whole point was to ask right before the wedding to show how ready and serious I am about being her partner for life."
"Think a minute, Gopher," Edward coaxed. "Why would she ask you?"
Gopher paced a little more and then suddenly stopped, his eyes wide as he looked to Edward. "She doesn't really want to ask me, she just doesn't want to wait anymore."
"Bingo!" Edward replied. "All you have to do to stop her is drop the hint that you're planning something big. Don't overdo it. Don't drop it every week. Just a couple times a month should do it. Let her overhear the tail end of a conversation or two. Let her find a ring size chart partially covered by some mail. Sign up for some junk mail from a jewelry store."
Bella wasn't sure how to feel about Edward so easily rambling off ways to be sneaky. She sure hoped he'd never use that skill against her. While she didn't mind the occasional surprise, she absolutely did not ever want to be surprised with a wedding. The only thing that kept her from worrying about it too much was how hilariously bad all of his plans for big romantic gestures had a history of going. She still giggled each time she thought of the night he'd proposed to her.
"So now that we're back on track," Edward said as he slipped an arm around Bella's waist. "Are you joining the society to provide Lee with a dream wedding?"
She smiled up at him, loving that he loved his friend enough to plan and execute something so elaborate. "Absolutely."
"We're going to the beach to take measurements this morning. We'd love to have you along," Gopher offered.
"I totally would love that but Esme and I made plans to do some shopping today. It appears Edward has left both our houses empty of food."
Edward grinned while rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Not all of it."
She laughed. "Yes, you did leave her pickles alone. Though, I suspect that was only because you were avoiding the pregnant rage that comes when your craving food is gone."
"Smart ass," he said as he leaned down and kissed her lips.
"I managed to get a few minutes alone with Esme last night so she'd inducted too," Gopher shared. "If you ladies want to brainstorm while you shop, we could use some options on how to handle the reception part on the beach."
"Wasting no time in putting us to work," Bella teased.
"Time is the only natural enemy of our society," Gopher answered solemnly.
Edward chuckled at his friend and then focused on Bella. "Why don't you go hop in the shower while I finish the dishes? By the time you're done and ready to head to Mom's, we'll have all we need packed up in the Bronco and can drop you off."
"And pick up Lizzy," Gopher added excitedly. "She can help us measure."
Edward snorted. "Yeah like she helps when we pitch tents on the beach."
"That's not a 'no'," Gopher pointed out.
"Of course it's not," Bella replied with a laugh. "His special girl is always welcome to tag along."
Edward spun her around to face him and she was so sure he was going to accuse her of being mean like he usually did. Instead, he smiled so brightly that she had to smile right back. "I'm so glad you're home, kapu."
"Me too." She backed her promise up with a kiss and a tight hug.
Though she had absolutely needed that time alone with her sister to work out their issues, she had missed her life here so much. It wasn't just about being with Edward and having his arms around her, despite that being one of the greatest feelings in her world. It was everything. It was her friends and her pets and how her days could be mundane with shopping one day and filled with a pod of pygmy killer whales the next. And yes, it was most definitely the luck of ending up with a man who made her believe she really could do anything, including being let into every part of his heart to love him the way he deserved.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
A/N:
We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and we wish you the best of New Years! We hope this chapter put some smiles on your faces. I know I personally enjoyed Bella flipping Alice off. LOL Everyone is moving forward together and we can't wait for the great things we know are coming their way. Thank you all so much for being patient with us and sticking with us on this winding journey. See you again soon!