A/N----I was soo happy over the amount of feedback I got for the last chapter! It was the first time in forever I had more than a handful of reviews. THanks so mmuch for leaving them and please remember to do it again on this chapter!

Thanks goes to Mediate89 for betaing this chapter, and I would like you guys to know, shes not just a beta, Mediate is actually more of a co-author in some of stories, so please, show her some appreciation also.

Chapter 22

I dressed earlier than usual for my run. This was the first time in two weeks I was going for one and I was anxious to spend some time alone outdoors. I hadn't moved from my bed except to take care of Bridget since Paul and I had broken up.

Paul hadn't come back since it'd happened. He tried calling several times a day and left voicemails about wanting to see Bridget but I never answered the phone or called him back.

Getting used to being without Paul was hard. I kept waking up in the middle of the night and feeling for him beside me. Bridget missed him too, I knew she did. She was waking in the middle of the night as well and there was little I could do to stop her crying when she did.

Seeing the impact the breakup had on Bridget broke my heart and I knew that I had to move on for her sake. She would soon forget about Paul and I knew I could raise her without his help. My dad had assured me that Bridget and I would be taken care of financially until I could get a new job and get back on my feet. Aside from Bridget herself, I didn't want anything of Paul's anymore, and that included the money he gave me to help pay for food and diapers.

I left the house quietly and started toward the beach.

When I arrived at the shore I slowed my pace and trotted over to my favorite spot. I hadn't been here since the day I'd told Embry I wouldn't leave Paul for anything. Embry. I should have taken him up on his offer instead of waiting around for Paul to leave me. I hadn't seen Embry in awhile, but it would have been foolish and unfair to assume that he would be waiting around for me to change my mind.

I sank down onto a boulder, my out-of-shape body already feeling achy from the jogging. I leaned against the smooth rock and looked up at the sky. It was beautiful—the pink, purple and orange still lingering from the sunrise. I sat reflecting in complete silence until I heard a twig crack behind me. I snapped my head around and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of the tall, dark boy walking toward me.

"I didn't know you came here," I said quietly, quickly pulling myself into a sitting position and attempting to brush some of the sand off of my sweats.

Embry smiled wanly and moved to sit down beside me. "I've been coming here every morning for three months. I wasn't expecting to see you here, though."

I settled back against the rock and let my eyes run over his body. None of the usual guilt washed over me as I did. Embry wasn't as bulky as Paul but the long, thin muscles were still very easy to make out under the copper tan of his skin. His hair was only slightly longer than it had been before, some of it reaching down to his ears now, but it was still the same beautiful black—sleeker and shinier than Paul's was. Embry blushed under my scrutiny and I quickly looked away.

"I couldn't stay inside anymore. I guess you know what happened."

Embry nodded and started fiddling with a seashell. I couldn't help but notice the way his lashes brushed the top of his cheekbones when he looked down, or the way his bangs tickled his brow. "I knew the day it happened. Paul phased and we saw everything." He glanced over at me and I could tell that he was measuring my reaction.

"I think I'll be okay," I mumbled.

Embry dropped his shell and scooted closer to me. I wasn't surprised when I felt his heavy arm drape around my shoulders. Embry'd always been a friendly person, so this act of comfort should have been expected, but they way he held me so firmly against his body somehow seemed more personal.

"Do you still want Paul?" I heard him murmur against the top of my head.

I frowned. "Paul doesn't want me."

Embry inhaled deeply. He moved his mouth next to my ear and whispered, "Do you still want me?"

I should have been taken aback at his advance but the only thing I could focus on in that moment was the sound of my heart pounding inside of my chest. Being against Embry's body, feeling the heat radiating off of his skin, and being surrounded by a scent that was so different from Paul's, yet so alike made it difficult to think.

"I…."

Embry planted a gentle kiss on my temple and moved back to his original position. Without a word he drew his knees to his chest and turned his attention to the waves crashing against the shore.

We sat in silence until the sun was visible on the horizon. I knew Bridget would be waking up for breakfast soon and I wanted to be there when she did. Bridget and I needed to be with each other now more than ever. I didn't want her thinking her mother had run off on her too.

I stretched and groaned lightly. Embry turned his head toward me and raised his eyebrows.

"I should probably be getting back to Bridget." I stood up and dusted the sand off of my pants. Embry looked up at me and nodded in understanding before rising to his own feet. He stretched his arms high above his head and I couldn't help but notice the way his muscles shifted almost fluidly under his tan.

"So…. I guess I'll see you later?" It was more of a question than a statement.

I shrugged. "We'll probably run into each other." I thought I saw him frown. "Bye, Embry." I flashed him a quick smile before turning to leave.

"Are you doing anything this afternoon?" Embry asked in a rush.

I stopped and turned back around to face him. He looked down at his feet and started nudging the sand with his toes.

I cocked my head curiously to the side. "What?"

Embry glanced up at me and ran a hand nervously through his shiny hair. "Um, well… If you wanted to we could—maybe we could, you know… I dunno… hang out at the beach? You can bring Bridget," he added on quickly.

"Um… sure. Bridget could use a little fresh air."

Embry grinned and I felt my stomach flip. "Great. I'll be here around one."

"Cool, I'll see you then."

On the way home I really began to reassess the phrase: When Fate closes the door, somewhere she opens a window…

After I was dressed and showered I fed Bridget lunch and got her ready for the beach. I changed her into a little tank top with matching shorts and a sun hat, and pulled her soft, dark hair into little pigtails. After I had her looking as cute as she could get I grabbed her shovel and bucket and a few other things and stuffed them into a bag.

Bridget hadn't seen Embry since she was three months old, so her reaction to him would be really important as far as my friendship with him was concerned. I couldn't think of any reason she wouldn't like him, though. Bridget loved just about everybody. She definitely hadn't inherited Paul's attitude, and for that I was glad.

I settled Bridget into her stroller and handed her a graham cracker to snack on. She chattered happily the whole way to the beach and I knew she was enjoying the fresh air just as much as I was. I looked around for Embry when we arrived at the wooden stairway but I couldn't find him. Bridget smacked her cracker contentedly between her lips and entertained herself by watching the seagulls that flocked the shore.

When the clock on my phone read twenty after one, I sighed and stood to leave. I should have known Embry wouldn't really want to spend the day playing with me and Bridget. He'd probably taken some real friends up on their offer to hang out, and I didn't blame him. I wasn't a very interesting person.

"Hey, don't think you're getting out of this so easily." I looked up and saw Embry trotting down the stairs with a big grin on his face. He was wearing an orange shirt with some sort of logo across the front and a pair of board shorts with flips flops. Very beach bum, and different from the usual cut-offs and bare chest.

"I thought you forgot or something," I admitted, trying not to sound too relieved.

Embry hopped off the last step and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Nah, I didn't stand you up. I was just late. I passed out as soon as I got home and overslept."

"Oh, well you didn't have to--"

He waved his hand at me. "Don't worry about it. I needed to get out. It seems like all I do anymore is patrol, sleep…. patrol some more. It's about time I had some fun. Sam's running us all ragged."

I laughed lightly. "Well, I dunno how much fun we're gonna be."

Embry ignored me and squatted down in front of the stroller. "Hey, beautiful." He gave Bridget a sweet smile and reached out to tickle her tummy. Bridget squealed excitedly and pointed at Embry, making him laugh. "Can I hold her?" He asked, looking up at me hopefully.

I shrugged. "Sure."

Still smiling, Embry unhooked the safety belt and carefully lifted Bridget out of her seat. "You ready to play, cutie?" he asked once he had her situated in his arms. Bridget cooed and bounced in response so we headed out across the sand.

When we got to a clear area Embry lowered himself to the ground and sat Bridget across from him. I made myself comfortable beside them and reached into the bag to grab Bridget a toy. I handed her a shovel and she immediately started stabbing into the damp grits.

"Nine months, right?" Embry asked me, and I assumed he was referring to Bridget's age.

"Yep. I can't believe it's almost been a year." I shook my head in disbelief.

Embry nodded and continued to watch Bridget, who was now babbling merrily at her new game.

"You know, she really is too cute. Are you sure she's Paul's?" As if sensing some sort of funny joke, Bridget looked up and laughed hilariously at the two of us.

I glared at him and tossed some sand onto his shorts with my foot.

"Kidding, kidding." Embry said quickly, holding his hands up in defense. He turned his attention back to the baby in front of him. "You knew I was kidding, right Bridget?" Bridget stared at him for a few seconds before flinging a shovelful of sand in his direction.

"Hey!" Embry protested, looking down at his now soiled shirt. Bridget giggled gleefully.

Embry was dusting himself off when I decided to voice a concern that had been nagging at me since this morning.

"Embry," I started, biting down on the corner of my lip, "you're not just… hanging out with me to make Paul mad, are you?"

Embry's head shot up and all traces of amusement were gone from his face. I felt bad. Embry was always such a cheerful person. I hadn't meant to upset him with my accusation.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

Embry sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground. "Sarah…" He was struggling for words. "I liked you way before Paul ever did. I…" He paused and looked up at me. "I still do. I think you're a great person and I would love to get to know you more."

But Paul and I have a history… and a baby. Doesn't that bother you?" I had to cover my bases.

"Paul's imprinted. He's not coming back." I winced. "And Bridget's great," he added with a grin. As if to prove his statement, he reached over and wiggled Bridget's bare foot. She screeched and kicked his hand away in response and we both laughed despite ourselves.

We talked for awhile until Bridget started to get bored. We decided to take her to the shoreline to see how she liked the water. Embry and I each took one of her chubby little hands and slowly guided her along the beach. When we approached the waves she started whining and turned to me with her arms up.

"It's just water, Bridget," I coaxed. I walked a few steps further, trying to show Bridget that it was okay, but she wasn't hearing of it. When she realized I wasn't stopping she stamped her little feet and started to cry. Embry crouched down and rubbed Bridget's little back.

"It's ok, Bridget," he soothed. Bridget sniffled and peeked at him from where her face was buried in my leg. "Water's fun. Don't you want to give it a try?" Bridget stubbornly looked away and Embry sighed. A few seconds later a wave rolled in near us and Bridget whimpered. She abruptly turned and held her arms out to Embry. He picked her up and Bridget wasted no time in wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. It was such a sweet scene, and Bridget really seemed to like Embry. Not enough to let him take her into the water though, so we just walked along the shore until Bridget fell asleep.

Embry and I walked back to the stroller and said our goodbyes. He handed me Bridget and we exchanged phone numbers. I was supposed to meet up with him the next day. We were going on our first official date as a couple with Jared and Kim.

********

I ran a brush through my hair again and looked in the mirror. I'd rushed home from work and put on a pair of faded jeans, a snug fitting lavender t-shirt and a pair of flip flops. My best guess was that we were going to the beach. Mrs. Kimkirk had offered to keep Bridget for me. I knew that Paul was supposed to be out late patrolling, so I wasn't counting on him being able to visit Bridget.

I heard the rumble before I saw the two ATV's pulling into my yard. I could recognize Kim on one of them. She was smiling at me from her seat behind Jared. Embry was walking toward me, his own vehicle idling beside Jared's.

"Hey, honey. You ready for a ride?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Okay," I answered in a small voice. "Am I dressed ok for whatever you've got planned?"

Embry glanced at me and nodded and then held out his hand. I slid mine into his and followed him over to the waiting four-wheeler. I climbed on behind him warily and he reached behind him to pull my arms around his waist. Embry's well-muscled abdomen was very easily accessed from this position and I was glad his back was to me so he couldn't see the blush creeping across my face as we took off.

The boys rode through the woods trying to see who could outrun the other while Kim and I screeched. After a while they pulled up to the edge of the woods near the beach and stopped. We were all laughing as we got off and made our way to a dry spot on the sand.

"Ugh, my hairs a mess," I complained, trying to run my fingers through it. Kim was doing the same with hers. Jared was watching her as she moved, his eyes glazing over like Sam's did when he watched Emily. Like Paul's probably did now whenever he saw Rachel.

"I brought a blanket and stuff so we can sit down while they mess around," Kim said with a smile. The boys were already testing the water where the waves met the shore. They didn't even have to bother with undressing as they'd both come wearing only a pair of cut-offs.

I smiled back and moved to help her straighten the quilt out on the ground. "Thanks. I don't think Embry realizes that I'm not an outdoors girl yet."

"So, you guys want to go in too?" Jared asked. I hadn't even heard him and Embry walk up behind us.

"I can't swim," I admitted looking out at the choppy waves.

"I'm sure Embry will teach you how to hold your breath," Jared jibed. He nudged Embry who gave his arm a punch in return.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and blushed a little bit, letting my eyes look out over the water. It was, to say the least, an uncomfortable situation.

Eventually the boys ran off to race each other to the water, so Kim and I wandered around the beach gathering small pieces of driftwood for a fire. Kim told me the date plan was to hang out at the beach and then go eat somewhere. It seemed like an alright idea to me.

Kim was starting to light the driest pieces of wood we could find when Embry came back out of the water and sat down behind me on the log so that my back was beside his knees.

"You guys talking about me?" he asked, bending away from me and shaking his wet hair like a dog. A few drops hit me but I didn't mind. Embry looked good wet.

Kim rolled her eyes at him. "Why would I waste my time?" Jared snickered as he sat down beside Kim and started digging through his pants pockets to produce a lighter.

"Here," Embry said, leaning forward and taking it from him. He clicked the flame into place and had the fire roaring in no time. It was beautiful. The ocean salt colored the flames in blue, purple and green. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

"So Sarah, have you met Rachel yet?" Jared asked suddenly.

Embry shifted, but didn't say anything. I shook my head. "No, and I don't want to," I replied, consequently ending all conversation on Rachel and Paul. I did not want to have my first date with Embry ruined by talking about my ex and his new girlfriend. Kim quickly changed the subject.

"So how long have you and Embry been seeing each other?"

I'd let Embry take this one. I wasn't exactly sure if we were even technically together or not. Embry shrugged and looked into the dazzling fire. "Not long," he said finally. "We met up at the beach yesterday and got to talking. So I guess it was probably then, right?" He glanced up at me for confirmation and I nodded.

We sat around talking and laughing for almost an hour before Jared muttered something to Kim and she reached into her pocket to pull out a large, neatly wrapped joint. Jared brought it to his lips and lit it and I was mildly surprised when he passed it to Embry. I was glad that Kim had refused when it was offered to her because it made me feel slightly less dorky when I did the same.

The weed didn't seem to have any effect on the guys because their body heat burned it off so quickly, but I imagined it was an old habit from back when they could actually get something out of it.

Embry moved closer to me, closing in the space between our sides. "Are you having fun? I know this has got to be boring for you. I just didn't really know where to take you. Sam said you liked being outside, so I figured the beach would be okay."

"I do. I like coming here. It's so open and laid-back," I told him with a smile. I wondered why Sam had lied to Embry. I was still good friends with Emily, so he knew I preferred to stay inside. I wasn't about to let Embry know that, though.

Embry reached down and looped his fingers through mine. His skin was burning like Paul's used to. Kim's eyes flickered in our direction and she stood, pulling Jared up with her.

"Let's go for a walk, baby," she suggested, and Jared didn't argue.

Embry and I watched them disappear into the trees. It didn't take me long to lose sight of them because it was starting to get dark.

Embry shifted uncomfortably beside me now that it was just the two of us. I hadn't realized how awkward the silence had gotten until my stomach started knotting itself up. Ever since Embry had announced our courtship it seemed like things had become much more intimate between us. I was grateful when he cleared his throat and turned toward me.

"Sarah," he began hesitantly. His gaze was intense and even in the firelight I could see the deep mahogany of his eyes shining bright at me. "I really like you. And I hope that this can be the start of something meaningful between us."

I nodded, unable to speak and in one swift, sudden movement Embry leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. They were soft and warm and very gentle in their movement. Embry's kisses were so unlike Paul's and I couldn't help but follow his lead. I wanted more. Embry must have taken my pounding heart as encouragement because he wrapped his strong, muscled arms around me and deepened the kiss.

"Is this okay?" he asked as he lowered me to the ground. I nodded again and opened my mouth to give him an easy entrance. After a few minutes of fevered kissing I could feel Embry hard against my thigh. A part of me wanted to stop the whole thing in case Embry let it get out of hand but another part reminded me that I hadn't had sex in over a month and that Embry was really good at the thing he was doing to my neck.

I knew we were entering a territory I didn't want to enter on the first date but I couldn't help it. I kept pressing my hips against his every time he would move his lower half. It was almost like seeing what the real thing with him would be like, and I had to admit… I wanted it. After only a few minutes of teasing each other with the pressing and the hip movements, I squeezed my legs around his waist and he froze.

I almost whined when Embry groaned and pulled away, mortification flooding his features. It was only when he glanced down at himself that I realized what had happened. I didn't need light to know that his entire face and probably his ears were red.

"Oh shit," he whispered to himself, running a hand through his thick hair.

Jared took this time to make an appearance and he laughed as he took in the scene. "What happened there, buddy? Get a little excited?"

"Jared!" Kim hissed and gave him a hard shove, which didn't do a thing other than stop his laughing.

"Shut the fuck up," Embry mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. Jared grinned when Embry walked past him and started heading toward the waves.

"Where is he going?" I asked Jared worriedly.

Jared snorted. "He probably needs to go cool himself down a little." Kim glared and smacked him across the arm. "Sorry baby," Jared apologized, but his eyes were still dancing.

*******

"So do I get another date?" Embry asked as he walked me to the edge of my driveway.

I shrugged. "I suppose. You weren't too terrible."

Embry looked down at the gravel. "I'm sorry about the um, you know…."

"Don't worry about it. In fact," we stopped and I leaned up so that my mouth was near his ear, "I think it was kind of sexy."

Embry smiled and rolled his eyes before leaning down for one last kiss goodbye.

"G'night, honey."

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