Chapter 26: The Right Track
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight.
Charlie was in a quandary. He felt good about starting over with Renee, but he'd be leaving a mess behind. There was Sue, who he really cared about. He knew she cared about him too. Billy was probably the only one ecstatic about the whole situation. Things had been a little tense between the two of them, when Charlie started dating her. Billy never said anything, but Charlie knew that Billy had been getting close to Sue since Harry died. Maybe if he stopped seeing her, his relationship with Billy would revert back to the comfortable friendship they had at one time.
He wrote to Renee, saying that as long as she promised to stay with him this time, they could be a couple—but on a trial basis at first. He had been burned badly once, so he had to protect his heart and take things a little at a time. Caution was the mantra of the day.
Renee made arrangements to move to Forks; she would arrive in two weeks. He only had that long to break off his relationship with Sue. Charlie was not looking forward to his next conversation with her—in fact, he was dreading it. They had seen less of each other the past month, and every time he wanted to bring up the subject, his tongue would tie up in knots. Would there ever be a good time to let her down easy? What could he say to her to lesson the pain?
One evening, he decided to man up and get it over with. He was getting ready to drive to the Clearwaters' when surprisingly, Sue showed up at his doorstep.
After a slight hesitation, Charlie cleared his throat and said, "Hey, Sue. Come on in."
They sat together on the couch, and Sue took his hand, her dark eyes harboring a quiet determination. "I'll get straight to the point. I'm going to make this easy for you, Charlie. The rumor mill at La Push has it that Renee's coming back into your life. I've been waiting a while to hear it from your own mouth, but since that hasn't happened, I decided it was up to me to pull the plug."
He started to say something, but she put up a hand to stop him. "You're an honorable man, and I know you wouldn't purposely hurt me. But things being as they are, her presence kind of puts a damper on our future as a couple. So, I'm bowing out gracefully. We both know I can't compete with her. You have a history with Renee, whereas, we had just begun to make one of our own."
Charlie forced the words out over the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry it turned out this way. I really do care about you."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. Don't you think if I could be with Harry again, that I wouldn't jump at the chance? I can't blame you for wanting to be with her."
She touched his cheek with her hand. "We've had some good times together, and I think we could still be friends, don't you?"
Nodding in agreement, he admitted, "I would love that."
Sue laughed, and backing away, shook a finger at him. "I'm not going to be doing any more cooking for you though, so you better hope that Renee brings a good cookbook with her."
Smiling, Charlie added, "I'll tape some of those cooking shows for her."
As she stood up to leave, Charlie's smile faded. "Damn, this is so hard," he whispered. Hugging her tightly to his chest, he kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, Sue."
She gazed at him one last time. "Goodbye, Charlie. It was fun while it lasted." Then she turned and walked out the door.
No sooner had she left when Charlie sunk down on the couch, his head in his hands. He was feeling a mixture of pain and relief. She was one in a million. Billy better treat her right.
Renee landed in Forks ten days later and things were set in motion. Charlie went with her to find a studio apartment, and she found a job as a substitute teacher at the neighboring schools. He began courting her as if it was their first time together as a couple. And true to her word, she tried really hard to be a better person. It was a miracle.
Bella and Jacob were astounded by her turnaround. Renee was a changed woman. She even thought about her words before they spewed out of her mouth. Well, she did have a few slip ups but like the saying goes; Rome wasn't built in a day.
And Charlie? Bella had never seen him happier.
School was going well for the two newlyweds. Who would have thought that Jacob Black, of all people, would finally find his niche and come to * gasp * enjoy learning? So much so, that his college counselor wrote him a letter of recommendation to apply for a job at The Right Track, a rehab center for adolescents outside of Beaver.
It goes without saying, that Jacob had a good listening ear, and a no nonsense approach to life. He had experience at putting a soul back together—one in particular. He made an appointment to see Mr. Barlow for Thursday, on the second week in November.
The night before his interview, Jacob was a little antsy. He and Bella made love as usual; and Bella had just fallen asleep in his arms. He kissed her temple and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn't come to him. The sandman must've skipped his house, that, or he was on vacation. Hours went by, and he was still awake. There was a knot in his stomach, and he was definitely on edge. He didn't want to phase and run off; he needed to be rested for the appointment. So, being stressed to the breaking point, he did the next best thing . . .
Spooning his sweetheart, his nose found a trail to follow on the back of her neck. That was followed by some heavy breathing in her ear. He pressed closer to her, his head extended over her shoulder, lips traipsing along her throat.
"Bells . . ." he whispered. "Bells . . . I need you."
What the . . .? Bella turned over, now awake, and aroused. She blinked at her husband. "What is it, Jake?"
Darn those puppy dog eyes. They silently pleaded his case. "I'm sorry, honey. I can't sleep; I'm really stressed out. Do you think we could have an encore performance?"
She ran one finger down his nose and along his full lips. His eyes closed spontaneously as he felt the love in her gentle touch.
She murmured huskily, "Well you've already got me going. So you better finish what you started, you naughty boy!"
Needless to say, our anxiety ridden guy got his wish, and fell asleep shortly thereafter.
Jacob hadn't been to that many interviews, but this one seemed a little strange. He walked in, shook Mr. Barlow's hand, and the man said, "Jacob Black, you've got the job."
Taken, aback, Jacob stuttered, "Thank you Mr. Barlow, but aren't you going to interview me?"
The man motioned to the cushioned seat across from the desk. "Sit down, Jacob. Sit down."
He took a seat and looked around the room while Mr. Barlow sat behind the desk. Scanning the room, Jacob peered at the still life pictures on the wall, the framed college degrees, and the family photos on the cherry wood desk. Maybe he didn't wake up yet. That was it—this was a dream he was having. If he ever had this dream again, he'd change out those pictures though. He'd repaint the grey walls with something a little brighter too.
Barlow waited for Jacob to settle in the chair. "As soon as I saw your name on the application, I knew you were right for the job. Most of the kids here are Native American, like yourself. They all know who you are. Your reputation precedes you. They all look up to you. You were one of them, but you made it. Don't you see—I have to hire you, just to show these kids that there's something better waiting for them to take hold of. There's a life out there for them, and you can point the way. So when can you start?"
Jacob was pinching himself. He answered quickly, "Monday, I guess."
"Well, good—glad to have you aboard. Now I'm going to send you to . She'll have all the paperwork for you to sign. Just so you know, I expect you to become a full fledged counselor at this facility after you get your degree. I realize you'll have to move in another year or so to continue your education. But I promise that I'll have a position here for you when you're ready."
Jacob never signed so many papers in his entire life. When he finished, though, he felt like he had accomplished something worthwhile. He wanted to help these kids get their lives back on the right track. He was a protector of his people and now he would have the added responsibility of protecting them from themselves.
He ran into the house after parking the car. "Bells!" He yelled, dashing from one room to the next. "Bells, where are you?"
His wife was in the back yard, pulling the weeds out of the garden. "Holy cow, can you yell any louder? The neighbors can hear you."
He stuck his head out the back door. "Who cares? C'mere, woman. You are looking at a man with not just a job—but a bona fide freakin'career!"
"Oh, Jake!" she squealed.
Bella ran up the steps to the door, flinging herself into his arms. He swept her up off her feet as they circled around, giddy with happiness. They smothered each other in kisses until they were gasping for air.
"Girl, we are celebrating tonight. No cooking, no dishes to wash—we are eating out. I'll even wear this tie."
Suddenly serious, Bella complained. "We still have an English class this afternoon."
Jacob lowered her to the floor, and countered with, "So?"
"And we'll have homework."
He kissed her forehead. "So?"
"So, maybe we should celebrate tomorrow night instead."
His balloon had popped. "Jeez, Bells . . . that's like having Christmas the day after.
"We can still fit in class, and you can read me the assignment while I'm driving to the restaurant. Then on the way back, we can collaborate on the assignment, and when we get back home, we can finish it up. C'mon, Bells, pleeeaaaase. It won't be the same tomorrow. This is my first real job—you know, besides auto mechanics. Whaddya say, huh?"
Then he played dirty; he gave her that look. The one that she couldn't resist.
Four hours later, they were in the car on the way to a restaurant outside of Forks, and Bella was reading the assignment out loud, to Jacob who was as promised wearing a tie—and a vest, and his best slacks and the biggest Jacob grin that ever was.