Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or New Moon or any characters of Stephenie Meyer.
To answer a few questions about the Cullen's: NO, They are NOT vampires. But there will be vamps/werewolves. But that's later on.
Chapter 3 (Bella POV)
I was still giggling from his question. It was about five-ten minutes ago and I was still laughing about it. It was amusing to see a guy go beet red. Sure, Jacob--my best friend--would blush sometimes, but you couldn't really see it with his complexion. I was not expecting that to come out of his mouth. When I was up in the attic, I started listening to their conversation when I heard my name. Charlie was really getting bored in the house and had to find some type of amusement. Maybe I should get him some movies.
"Are you done laughing yet?" Edward's irritated voice rung out. "Because, I think I was hired to work as a farmhand, not a clown."
"But you do the latter one so well." I couldn't resist saying that. His frown and glare immediately shut me up and decided to get some work done. Right now, I was having him drive the tractor to get a large hay bale. It was an old 1967 Massey Fergusson and it was a bit easier to drive now that Jake had cleaned the engine.
"Alright. Alright. I'll quit laughing. Now, the lever to lift the back end is on your right as is the brakes. So, go out around the fence to the field over there." I pointed to the horse stables. "And go behind it and wait for me. Don't turn it off or anything, I just have to grab the pickup."
I watched him go and then I ran to my truck. The gates were still opened from me hauling feed in this morning, so I was in luck. I drove behind the stables and saw a worried and slightly frightened Edward sitting on the ground by the wheel of the tractor. Which the front was half-way in the hay.
I got out of the truck, biting my bottom lip to hide my smile. Why did I trust Edward with a tractor? I went over and assessed the damage. Which was none. I got on the tractor, started it up and put it in reverse. Edward was over by my truck at this time, sulking. I quickly got done with the hay bale and after parking the tractor, walked over to Edward, sitting on the tailgate of my truck. I hopped up and sat beside him.
"Why the long face?" I asked him, surely he wouldn't be this upset over the thing. He looked like he was going to kill somebody.
"I forgot to put in the clutch while using the brakes." He said quietly, telling me why I found the tractor like that.
"Well…excuses don't make improvements." I jumped to the ground. We still had a lot of work to do. "Come on, let's get back to work."
I was walking back to the truck when Edward's voice stopped me, "Your not going to fire me?"
"No, everybody makes mistakes, now let's go." I opened the driver's side, but he still wasn't moving. "Edward, I won't tell anybody and I won't fire you. Now. LET'S GO!"
He quickly moved and got in the cab. I noticed his bare hands and sighed. His clothes looked pretty good too. Like some rich clothing store.
"Where's your gloves?" I asked as we drove away from the house and towards the cattle which were in the very back fields this time of year.
"What? I didn't know what to bring." He looked at his hands, then his pants. "Or what to wear."
"Well, there's some of Charlie's gloves in here," I pointed to the glovebox, "so find them and put 'em on. You'll need 'em." He didn't ask why, so I just stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. When I finally spotted the cows, I stopped.
"Okay, first job. We feed half the cows one day and the rest of the cows the next. Especially now, right before we take them to the salebarn. So, you can either drive, or get in the back and open the feed bags and scatter it as I drive."
"Um, which one is easier?" He asked, probably not wanting to screw this up too.
"Back." He nodded his head and got out. I opened the small window on the back of the cab to talk to him. Then I got out, and quickly gave him a knife to cut the bags with. "Just open a corner of it and let it hang over the side of the truck. We don't want to put it just in one area. One bag per cattle group."
The cows were coming, so I quickly got in and drove over to him. When I looked in the rearview mirror, I again looked over him. Taking in his sharp features. He had a little muscle and a little tan. Oh, I should give him some suntan lotion. I forgot about that. He is going to burn like a ex-boyfriend's picture. (Taylor Swift-Picture to Burn)
We went around to all the field's, and it was eleven thirty by the time we were done. It would take about twenty five minutes to get up to the house, so it would be just in time for lunch. Charlie didn't fix much, but he told me he would start cooking now that he was stuck in the house.
Edward jumped out of the back when we stopped at the house.
"Go on in. Charlie should have lunch ready." I told him, heading off to go feed my horses.
"Where you going?" He asked, not doubt starved by all the work he did.
"Work. It never ends." He looked surprised. "Don't worry, I'll be in in a few minutes."
Once I made my rounds, I set off back to the house, wanting to get some food in and go back to work. But I soon met Charlie and Edward on the deck talking.
"Done?" I asked them. There were no plates or anything.
"Nope. Forgot to go grocery shopping. There is absolutely nothing in the fridge." Charlie told me, and it dawned on me, that I hadn't gone shopping since his stroke.
"Hmm. Edward needs some gloves too. And some clothes, so…" I was thinking of everything we needed in town.
"Well, I can make a sandwich for me, but you two are out of luck. So, go to town and get whatever you need. Bell's? The list is on the cabinet." Charlie told me, obviously wanting us gone again.
"Alright Dad, we'll be gone soon enough." I joked with him.
"You know I love you." His voice said right before I went in. I replied the same.
"How do those fit?" I asked Edward. We finally were done with the grocery shopping and now onto Edward's gloves.
"Too tight. I think." He took them off and looked around for some more. He had a wall of gloves to choose from and he couldn't pick one. The bell rang, signaling that someone came into the store. I looked to see who it was and quickly turned my back to them.
"What about these? They have a nice, flexible stretch to them. Bella?" Edward became aware that I was not looking in one direction. I saw him look around in my peripheral vision. "What's the matter?" He whispered.
"Umm, nothing. Are you done?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"Yeah." He said, then looked back. "Their not looking, go. I'll meet you at the truck."
"Thanks." I hurried and took off, out the door, before they could see me.
When Edward got into the cab five minutes later, he asked me, "Are you going to tell me why you rushed to get out of there or am I going to have to go back in and ask those people?"
I sighed, not wanting to tell him, but I did anyways. "The guy is from school, Mike. He always asks me out and everything. He's like a stalker. The father, Mr. Newton, wants to buy our farm. He's been hounding my dad to sell it. And every time he sees me, he just has to brag about how well his cattle and everything is and how we should just move into town."
"Why?" He asked after a few moments.
"He doesn't think we're going to make it." I exhaled. "And we might not."
"Why not?" He asked again.
"Because, there's too many cattle and nobody wants to work anymore. Charlie won't ever be able to go back to workin cattle and I—I just don't know." I started up the truck and took off, ending the conversation. I pulled into the vet's place. "Sorry, this'll be a quick stop. Just have to get my dogs. Be back in a second."
I left him in my truck and went to go get my two pup's. They weren't really pup's, but, to me, they forever will be. I opened the tailgate to let them in. They happily jumped in and I slammed it shut. I took off the leashes and got back in the cab.
"What are their names?" Edward asked as we pulled out.
I smiled. "Romeo and Juliet. I named them after I read the book."
"It fits." He said, trying not to laugh to loud. But under his breath, not meaning for me to hear-at least I think not-he whispered, "At least it wasn't Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy."
When we got home, we took the groceries in and went back to work. Around seven, when it was getting to dark to work, we headed to the house, for supper. Charlie had made hamburgers and the three of us enjoyed each others company. Me telling Charlie what Edward did wrong today and Edward grumbling about it. But the tables turned when Charlie started telling stories about me. How I ran into the stacks of feed with the tractor and how quickly I jumped off. When we finished the meal, Edward and I went outside.
"So I wasn't the only one who ran into something with the tractor." He said, smiling like he won first prize at a cattle show.
"Hardy-har-har." We walked to his car and I stopped dead in my tracks. "Why are you working here if you got that car?"
"Umm, my parents made me?" He said, laughing. "When we turn seventeen, we have to get a job."
"Oh." Then I remembered something else. "Hey, don't forget some suntan lotion tomorrow. Your lucky it was cloudy today. Your skin would be burnt to a crisp."
"Alright." He said getting in to his car. "See ya tomorrow, Bella."
"Bye." I replied. I watched him go down our dusty driveway and headed to the stables, to see my horses for a little bit. But I never did get too, Charlie called me in.