Disclaimer: SM still owns the Twilight characters and I own this plot!
Chapter 4 – Oh Lonesome Lone Star Blues
At a truck stop in San Angelo, I saw a billboard 'bout this rodeo;
Last weekend out in El Paso, so I signed up to ride.
I drew a bull called Original Sin, heard it killed a couple of men;
Figured this was something I could win, cause the devil's on my side.
I was havin' myself one helleva ride, when I ended up disqualified;
Cause that danged ol' bull just up and died, before they blue the whistle.
Well I've got them North Texas blues, though I paid all my dues;
And them South Texas blues, told me "Son, you ain't through."
And them East Texas blues and them West Texas, too;
I've got all I know to do, tryin' lose, tryin' lose these Lone Star Blues.
Lone Star Blues by Delbert McClintock
The boys got to the ranch house bright and early to help pack up Bella's truck for the trip. As soon as they were done, Alice's mom called them all in to breakfast. She went all out for them knowing, know it would be the last home-cooked meal the girls would have for a while.
It always amazed Bella of how much food that little Alice could put away. Even though she was too excited to eat, she did manage to get down one biscuit with sausage gravy and some fresh fruit salad. Now the boys on the other hand, included Alice's dad, polished off all of the food.
Breakfast was a quiet affair and before long it was time for the girls to hit the road. Slowly they made their way to the truck. It wasn't as if they were not excited to go, is was the thought of missing everyone; especially the boys they would have to leave behind.
As hugs were being given and goodbyes being said out beside the truck, Carlisle finally got a chance to get Bella to himself for just a few minutes. His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his chest. She buried her face into his shirt to keep from letting him see her tears. Bella's hands fisted in the back of his shirt as she tried to calm herself down. Carlisle cupped her face in his hands in a sweet caress as he wipes away her tears with his thumbs. Slowly their lips met in a soft languid kiss.
Carlisle pulls from the kiss, "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon." Their foreheads touch and he places a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose. "I know we just met, but I feel like I have known you all my life." His accent was coming out so thick since he was fill with so much emotion right now.
Those words only brought more tears to her eyes.
"Oh Carlisle," she sniffled, "I..I..fell the same way and I don't want to lose you." Bella stammered as she buried her face again in his chest. "Promise me, Carlisle. Promise me that you won't forget me?"
"Oh sweetheart, please don't cry," he says as he pulls her close again and kisses her on the top of her head.
Carlisle just held her tight to him, stroking her hair and placing kisses to the top of her head. "Your not going to lose me, sweetheart. We'll see each other and we will be in touch," He murmured in her ear. Reminding her, that they had exchanged contact information the night before.
Placing a finger under her chin, he tips her face up to look her in the eyes,"I promise you, sweetheart," he said with sincerity as his blue eyes met her brown ones. He placed his lips against her, sealing the promise with a kiss.
She didn't want to leave his warm embrace and his soft lips, but Bella knew it was time to get on the road. Slowly she pulled him by the hand to the drivers side door of the pickup. Carlisle opened the door for her and helped her up into the cab of the truck. She turned back towards him, pulling him by the hand till he was standing between her knees. With his hands on her waist and her arms around his neck, they continued to kiss for a few more minutes. Reluctantly, he disengaged from her arms with a final soft kiss. Shutting the truck door for her, he leaned in for one final kiss.
"Please be careful, sweetheart," he told Bella as he gently brushes the back of his hand across her blushing cheek. "And please call me when you stop for tonight so I won't worry about you."
Tuning her head to kiss his fingers, "I will. I'm really going to miss you, Cowboy."
"So will I, sweetheart, so will I." Carlisle back away but no before sneaking in one more kiss. Walking slowly, he rejoined the others on the other side of the truck.
As Bella finally got herself under control, she checked on Alice, as she was already in the truck before she got in. She didn't seem to be fairing any better on the emotion side, she was in tears and wouldn't let go of Jasper's neck as she rained kisses all over his face.
Turning her attention back to Carlisle and the others, "I guess we better get going. Okay Alice, you need to let Jasper go!" She smiled over at her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't wanna let him go! I wanna take him with me!" She wailed so unAlice like.
Finally Jasper had to physically remove her arms from around his next and held her hands in his as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Darlin', please calm down. I would like nothing better than to go with you, but it is just not possible right now. I have to work and you have to go to school. It's not like we won't be together again. I'll try to get some rides down that way and we can meet up and I'll see you on your breaks from school," he drawled out.
This seemed to placate her some and she started calming down a bit, "I know," she sniffled," but I don't think I can wait that long."
"You can, my sweet little pixie. I love you, darlin'." He kisses her one last time.
"I love you, too," she told him back, tears still falling.
"Alice, please stop crying, your gonna make me cry some more." Bella said trying to distract her and lighten up her mood.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't help it!" Alice replied, her smile slowly making an appearance.
"Well, lets just go now, or we never will leave and I am looking forward to this trip, even though I hate the thought of leaving him." Bella was looking over at where Carlisle stood.
"Your right," she said as she dried her tears with a tissue that Bella had handed her. "Let's get this party started.
They both started yelling and waving goodbye to Alice's parents and throwing kisses to the boys. Bella put the truck in drive and made her way down to the long dirt road that would lead them to the start of a new adventure in their lives.
– Time Jump...Four years later –
Between her class load at the University of Texas and her part-time job at Half Price Books, Bella was kept busy most of the time. And as with most people who experience college life, their lives change as new friends are made and old friends are lost.
Slowly over the first year after arriving in Austin, Bella lost contact with her first love... Carlisle. Getting used to her new schedule, she didn't have the time to talk to him as much as she really wanted. It didn't really help either, that his career was really starting to take off on the bull riding circuit.
The couple when from talking on the phone to each other several times a day, to just barely being able to find the time to talk to each other. More often than not, they played phone tag. They just seemed to slowly slip away from each other.
They both knew that a long distance relationship was going to be very difficult to manage. With all the new experiences going on in her life and with the class workload, her thoughts drifted away from that handsome rodeo rider.
As time went on, Bella did date some guys there at the college. Mike, Tyler, Eric and Jacob were just a few of the flashes in a pan that didn't hold her attention for very long.
Towards the end of her Sophomore year, she started dating Edward Masen, a political science major. Even thought she really liked him and felt something for him, there was just something that she felt was missing. When things really started to get serious between them and it was at the end of her Junior year, that she broke off the relationship with Edward.
Bella hated to do it to him, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She had to break it off before he could even think about proposing to her and she knew it wasn't right to string him along for as long has she had.
She knew that she could never truly love him. Her heart was just not meant for him, she could feel it. For somewhere, in the deep recesses of her mind, a certain bull rider owned a piece of her heart and her soul. Her own conscious knew she belonged to him, though she hadn't come to realize it yet.
Carlisle was finally living his American dream. Within the last couple of years, he was ranked as one of the top leading bull riders in the PBR. Since he had left Team Volturi three years ago, he had gained several name brand sponsors like Justin Boots and Chevy Trucks, signs that he was in with the big boys.
Since leaving Team Volturi, he doesn't get to see Jasper very much any more, due to their schedules. Sure, he bumped in to him from time to time when their riding circuits happen to cross and when they did talk, it was always about the bulls or Alice. He figured that Jasper knew that he and Bella were not together anymore and to spare his feelings, Jasper never brought her up in their conversation. And for the life of him, he still couldn't figure out how those two were able to keep their relationship going as they did, when his and Bella's failed.
The life of a rodeo circuit rider can get to be lonesome or at least it seems that way to Carlisle. Driving from one town to the next gets to be a bit monotonous and all the towns start to look the same after awhile.
Of course he made friends with some of the other riders on the circuit, but he just wishes he had someone special to share the thrill of his wins with. Sure, he could have his choice of all the buckle bunnies that gather around him at the different arenas, but when he does hook up with one, he always feels that he is cheat on someone and he feels extremely guilty about it. That feeling has gotten so bad as of late, that he just ignores all of the offers the girls throw out at him. He knows deep down why he feels the way he does about that, he just doesn't know how to fix it.
And that was Carlisle's main problem, he was lonesome; lonesome for his mahogany-haired cowgirl.
Everybody's going out and having fun,
I'm just fool for staying home and having none.
I can't get over how she set me free,
Oh, lonesome me.
A bad mistake I'm making just by hanging round,
I know that I should have some fun and paint the town.
A lovesick fool that's blind and just can't see,
Oh, lonesome me.
I bet she's not like me, she's out and fancy free
She's flirtin' with the boys with all her charm.
I still love her so and brother don'tcha know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms.
Well there must be some way I can lose the lonesome blues,
Forget about the past and find somebody new;
I thought of everything from A to Z,
Oh, lonesome me.
Oh, Lonesome Me by Don Gibson
A/N: I know, I know... I have been so slacking in updating this story, that it isn't funny. It just seem like since last November, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket when it came to computers and internet connections. It's not much of an excuse but it's all I have and I do ask for your forgiveness.
I know this chapter is a bit short but it just seemed to end in a good spot to lead up to the next chapter, which I hope won't take as long to get out...but I'm not making any promises. LOL.
Normally I wouldn't put two songs in one chapter, but that last one just sneaked in and wouldn't leave me alone until I added it!
Anyways, I hope you find it to your liking. Either way, good or bad, please let me know what you think!
CC