Emmett's POV

Just as I turned down the tree lined street to Edward's house my phone chimed. I had a text. It was from Rose. Finally, it's about time she came around and got her exquisite rear end back home. I opened the email, but it wasn't a text it was a photograph, two to be exact.

The first showed my wife on the back of a white Vespa. She was holding on so tightly to the chiseled man in front of her you'd think her life depended on it. I had to do a double take as her shorts were so short I wasn't sure at first if she was wearing anything at all. In the next she was dancing at a disco in between two guys with their tongues hanging out. She was wearing a gold dress with a neckline that went almost down to her navel.

The caption read, "Ciao! Am having a wonderful time!" Signed "Adano, Bernardo, Flavio and Rose."

I pulled over in front of Edward's address and got out of the Jeep slamming the door shut. These weren't just guys, these were vampires. Why Rose? I thought as I deleted the photos with a shaking hand. I had planned on going to Edward's first, but I didn't want him reading me right now. Instead I walked a diagonal path to Sarah Davenport's door.

I knocked on the door harder than I meant to and stood back onto the porch. I didn't understand Rose. What the hell was she thinking? If she thinks I'm going to put up with her skanking her way all over Rome she's got another think coming.

"Who's out there!?" A cautious voice came from inside. She knew I was a vamp, but didn't recognize the scent.

I placed myself in front of the peep hole and tried to look friendly by smiling and waving. It didn't work.

"Whatever you're selling, Sugar, I don't want any!"

Oh, come on, like a vampire would go door to door selling shit. "It's me, Emmett."

The front door creaked open about 3 inches and golden eyes and the longest black lashes I've ever seen looked out and up at me inquisitively. "How do I know you're Emmett, sir?" She asked with southern accent. "We've never been introduced."

I held up my arm to show her the bracelet I always wore depicting the Cullen crest. She recognized it, stepped back and opened the door wide to admit me. "I'm so sorry, but a girl living alone must be careful, " she batted her eyes. Gees.

"If you expect me to curtsy, you're going to be sorely disappointed, " I scoffed at her, walked into the living room and made myself at home.

She sauntered over to me, hands clasped behind her back, her little chin in the air. "You're nothing like your brothers you know, they're polite." Her remark hit home. I felt like a jerk.

"Um, sorry, I guess I'm having a bad day." That was an understatement. Her posture loosened up a little. She had long, glossy brown hair with a slight wave to it and full, pink lips. I stared at them as I said, "I'll try not to take it out on you." They smiled as I watched…delicious. I shook my head to clear it.

"That's all right, Sugar. We've all been there; we'll just begin again, " she took three quick steps, grasped my hand in hers and looked me straight in the eyes. "It's good to finally meet you, and I'm grateful for everything you and your family have done for me."

Gees, this woman makes me feel like a complete heel. "Uh, no biggie…and yeah it's nice to meet you too." She sat down on the couch next to me probably wondering if I knew how to speak in complete sentences. I sighed. I felt tired. All this crap with Rose was exhausting me. There were a few uncomfortable moments of silence, she looked about the room for a moment, smiled and then asked, "Would you like a drink?"

It's not often I get offered a drink, and I'd heard about the whole juice box fiasco that Edward had fallen into. What a lame brain. "What have you got?" I asked her really interested.

She jumped off of the couch, went to the fridge and opened the door. "Well, we have raccoon and deer this week, but in your frame of mind I'd go for the deer. I can warm it up if you like, " she took a container out, poured the contents into two clear glasses and stuck them into the microwave. In a few seconds she was two feet away handing me a glass. I was about to take a sip when she said, "It's just a little spiked." I stopped and looked at her accusingly. "No, really, it's a very low alcohol content." When I still hesitated, she followed up with, "Of course, if you'd rather not…" Well, what could I do at that point, it was practically a dare. I downed the liquid.

Only a few minutes later and I was looking at my 3rd glass. "I haven't a drink like this since that six pack behind my dad's garage."

Sarah spoke a little softer. "It always relaxes me, almost to the point of where I might almost fall asleep, you know, that floaty feeling you used to get before you nodded off?"

Yeah, I knew it.

A few more drinks and I was feeling better. A lot better. I felt like getting a few things off my chest, and Sarah seemed the perfect sounding board. "I've got woman problems." I waited to see what she'd make of that. No need to spill it all at once.

Her brows rose along with her 4th glass of spirits. "Oh yeah, Ed said all you boys were married." She sighed herself. "What a shame."

The little compliment cheered me to no end. I wasn't used to compliments, from Rose it's usually the opposite. "Let's take this party outside," I suggested. We had moved from individual drinks to a large jug. I took it by the handle and slung it over my shoulder. "Allow me ma'am, "I said attempting a Jasper-ish accent. She rose from her seat on the couch, smiled coyly, picked up our two glasses and moved to the French doors leading outside.

I followed her with the jug and experienced a sort of tunnel vision focused on her cute little ass. Her hips were swaying in her short little sundress all the way to the patio. She was barefoot. I thought about what a wolf I was being and then laughed at my own joke. "Do you have a license for that?" I slurred. "Because that move just might be ill…ill…against the law."

She turned and set the glasses down on a table next to four padded chairs. "Excuse me?"

"It's just you have a real cute little shape to you, babe." I set the jug down next to the glasses.

She put her hands on her shapely hips. "I have never, never met a man who simply spoke his mind without thinking of the consequences."

I did feel very liberated. "Maybe it's the booze…" I offered.

"Maybe it's the upbringing, " she suggested.

"Maybe it's that tantalizing little wiggle of yours." I leered.

Silence. We stared at each other. I won because she broke eye contact first.

"Maybe we've had enough stimulants for now, " she put the cork back into the jug and sat down sinking into her chair. "You were saying…about your problem?" We were interrupted by the side gate opening and a Canadian mounty waltzing in. This was just weird.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the two of us. His eyes stayed on me while he asked Sarah, "Is everything alright here?"

She sat up from her lounging position. "Just peachy, Ranger Honey. Nothing to worry about…but this isn't the best time. I'll call you." He was being dismissed. He didn't care for it, but didn't know what he could do about it.

"We haven't been introduced." He was still staring holes in me and I laughed, everything seemed so damn funny to me.

Sarah shook her head, "he's one of my kind." She let that sink in. "I'll call you."

The county mounty tried not to look pissed off and failed. "Good, we definitely need to talk." He turned and left the way he had come.

Sarah decided prohibition was over and reopened the bar. She took a swig and I poured myself another. "Boyfriend?" I asked.

"Sort of." She was trying to decide what to tell me. "He doesn't know about me, I mean, he knows I'm different, but doesn't know what I am. I've been told I'm not supposed to say," she signaled to next door. Edward.

"So you like cops?"

"He's not a cop!"

"Looks like a cop."

"He's a park ranger. You know, like Smokey the bear."

"Oohhh." I laughed again. "Nice hat."

She laughed with me this time. "I really do feel bad not telling him. I guess our run is about up. It never lasts very long."

I put my drink down. How many were we up to? Who cares? Boy, did I feel relaxed. "How can you even stand being with a human, anyway?" She looked perplexed. I tried to enlighten. "It must be like trying to make out with a house of cards…if he's walking away from the experience in one undamaged piece." She leaned in closer. So did I. "You must have to handle him with kid gloves."

"What do you mean?"she asked breathily.

"I'm talking about the sex, babe," I whispered conspiringly. "There is no holding back with another vampire." I gave her a toothy grin. "It's explosive, it's rough, and it can go on for days."

She swallowed audibly and fanned herself like only a southern belle can. "Oh My," was all she could manage.