Emmett POV
"Emmett McCarty! You knew I needed some things from Lawrence's, why didn't you tell me you were going down to town today?" Woops, my mind was so wrapped around bullets, insanely fast doctor man, and now Penny, that I completely forgot what Momma had wanted.
"Momma, I'm sorry." I gave her my best smile. I knew I was out of the hole when the same smile spread across her face.
"Oh, you little shit. That smile and those dimples get me every time! But you listen and you listen real good, no more moping! I don't know what you're being so secretive about, but it needs to stop. Okay?" Like I would ever consider disagreeing with my Momma's finger wagging in my face.
"See anybody in town you like better than yourself?"
"How could I ever like anyone more than me?" I grinned back at her. "I did run into Penny Frost, though." Momma raised her eyebrows at that.
"You did, huh? And what is that pretty little thing up to these days?"
"Well, she's picnicking with me tomorrow after church; up the stream aways." I couldn't hide my excitement as my smile got wider and wider.
"Well, I'll be. I think she's an angel, son. Just be careful. You know the bears are wild right now."
"I just loaded up on ammo, so I can take the…"
"NO! You can't take a rifle on a picnic!" Patty yelled from the living room, where Momma was still keeping her and the baby.
"And why the hell can't I?" I asked as I picked up little Freddie from his momma's arms. He was just as cute as a little bugger.
"Because, no self respecting girl from town wants some crazy mountain man with a gun, jumping up and pointing at every little thing that rustles the leaves. It's just not polite, Emmett." She raised her eyebrow just like Momma did in the kitchen. Thank the Good Lord he didn't give me any sisters. The in-laws are enough!
"Patty, he really should. They're going up the stream from church. That path has berry bushes all over it." Momma said. Thank you Momma! One vote for rifle toting.
"It's April, Momma Mac! There ain't no bears eating berries yet!" Patty said.
"Fine, I won't take it! I'll make sure to check as we're walking for tracks. If I see any, I'll make us turn around and we can make our picnic on the church lawn. Will that make you both happy?" I looked back and forth between the two of them.
They both nodded and I handed Freddie back to Patty. I really hope it didn't come to eating on the church lawn. I was gonna try to get at least a kiss out of Penny. I don't think Preacher John would take too kindly to me kissing his daughter on the front lawn of his place of business with the big man upstairs.
"Yes, Emmett, that will work. It's not like I want you to get eaten by a bear or anything. I just want everything to go right with Miss Penny. She would make me a good neighbor out on the land." Patty just smirked at me.
"Leave the boy alone, Patty. He's just going on a picnic with her, not proposing marriage for God's sake!" I smiled at Momma and walked outside to load the ammo in my gun. I just sat down on the porch steps when I saw Robbie, Georgie and little Henry making their way out of the woods.
"Em! You're back!" Georgie yelled as he ran up to the porch. "Look what I picked for you!" He held out a basket full of morels. My favorite type of mushroom to hunt.
"Hey thanks, buddy. Maybe if we're real good, Momma will fry some of them up for us for supper." Man, did that sound good. I handed the basket to Robbie as he walked past me to take Henry into Momma.
"You'll never guess what we saw in the woods today, Em!" Uh oh, he's bouncing. This can't be good.
"Let me guess. A big ole…"
"If you say black bear, I'll scream. I'm so tired of hearing about the bears. That's all anybody is talking about!" He's right. Folks have been seeing a lot of them. I can't wait to hunt another down in the fall. Bear meat is mmm-mmm good!
"I was gonna say a big ole turkey, you little turkey!" I said as I tickled his sides. When he finally quit squirming and laughing, he got a very serious look on his face.
"What's the matter, Georgie?"
"It was a girl, Em. In the woods all alone." He bit his bottom lip and looked across the dirt road to where the woods began.
"She was real tall and pretty with hair like Carrie's, real yellow." Hmm, that doesn't sound like any girl from town. I would notice a girl who looked like that. Georgie still looked worried.
"She didn't say a word though. And she had blood all down her chin and neck."
"She didn't even tell you her name?" He shook his head no.
"I don't think I know any girls like that, buddy. You're really worried about her aren't you?" He looked up at me with sad blue eyes.
"Yeah, Em. I don't know why she was bleeding like that. I asked if she was alright, but she just ran away." Poor Georgie, he was so sensitive. He'll make a good little doctor one day.
I didn't know what to say to make Georgie feel better. I could go looking for her, but that would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Georgie would never be able to tell me exactly where they were when they saw her or which way she ran. I said a quick prayer for her, hoping that she would be okay and find help from someone.
I messed up Georgie's curls on the top of his head. "Come on buddy, you look like you need a nice cold drink of Momma's lemonade."
Rose POV
I stopped running when I could just barely make out the scent of the three boys. The McCarty's. Why did I run south? I don't recall making the decision after Edward's comments about the newest addition to the McCarty family. I just had to run. Due to my never ending luck from hell, I ran right to the family of dark haired boys.
I slightly recall from my days as a student in high school learning about a concept called karma. The saying 'what goes around, comes around' swims through my head often. Sometimes I question such things in relation to this 'after-life' I've been shackled to.
Perhaps if I treated others with a little more kindness, matters such as these would have turned out differently. But now I'm stuck in this hellish limbo forever so what's the point? Ok, pity party over.
The dark haired little one's face will not budge from my mind. Georgie McCarty. Carlisle's little friend. When that little chubby face looked up at me with concern all over it, my cold dead heart cracked a little bit.
When I saw the baby named Henry it officially broke. Apparently, the pity party is back on.
I glanced down at my black suede Ferragamo boots. They were a gift from Carlisle and Esme. They are now caked in mud. Lovely.
I sighed to myself and felt my legs itching to run again. So away I went.
I stopped when I smelled humans again. As I slowed myself down to a walk I heard a conversation.
"She was real tall and pretty with hair like Carrie's, real yellow." I fail at life. I was still about one hundred yards away, but with my enhanced eyesight I could easily see Georgie McCarty sitting on the front steps with a huge man. A look of worry was etched across both faces.
"She didn't say a word though. And she had blood all down her chin and neck."
"She didn't even tell you her name?" Why do I keep coming across these innocent people? I know a higher power must be punishing me. First of all for being a horrid human, but also for being a malicious murderer. I've never drank human blood, but I have taken lives. And now I'm banished to watch normal people live out their lives and have beautiful families.
I heard the large man say something about lemonade as I watched them get up from the steps and walk through the front door. I easily climbed a tree and could watch the family though the front windows.
They all looked so happy to be together as they ate dinner. I saw the new parents take turns holding their new baby. Edward's vocalization of Carlisle's description was correct; he had a head full of dark curls.
I watched into the evening. I assumed bed time had arrived for the little ones because I could hear the large man, whose name I found out was Emmett through conversation, telling a bedtime story.
He wove a grand tale of two little boys, named Georgie and Henry of course, who grew up to be famous baseball players who were the first brothers to play pitcher and catcher for the same team. As his story was winding down, I felt that familiar sting in my throat. I looked to the window one last time, catching Emmett kissing both boys on the head and pulling the quilt up over them.
With my heart successfully shattered, I silently jumped down from the tree and went on the hunt for another damn deer.