Chapter 5: Proposition
Of all my thirty-three years on this earth, I had never felt more happily nervous about something. It took me thirty minutes to figure out what I was going to wear over to Edward's. Seth was the same way. It was comical to see him fret so hard. He was an attractive guy, but he was entering that horribly awkward stage that boys go through.
Finally, after much debate, I decided on my nicest pair of jeans, my old brown riding boots, and a white button up. I hadn't really packed expecting this sort of thing. And It wasn't like I could ask Seth's opinion. If he had any inkling about my awkward feelings toward Edward, what every they may mean, he would surely never speak to me again.
The hardest part for me was knowing that Edward didn't care much. There was no way he saw me the same way I saw him. Although, maybe if I could figure out how I saw him, it would help. He did strange things to me when I was in his presence. It was unnerving.
"Mom, lets go!" Seth called. "We're late!"
"Okay, okay," I yelled back. "I'm sure the thirty second walk over wont hurt us on time." Seth groaned. It made me laugh. This was a new side to him. He never seemed to care for any girls in LA the way he already did for Jules. With one more look to my long hair, checking to see if it was still holding its loose curl, I left my room.
Edward answered the door in a pale blue button up, his jeans, boots and no cowboy hat. His copper hair was stunning in the dull light. I cleared my throat.
"Come on in," He told us. Seth stepped inside and I followed, tripping over the door trim. Edward caught me in his strong arms. I stood straight as a bored immediately. His touch left my arm. My skin burned where his had been.
"Still clumsy," Edward said chuckling.
"The only mom I know that runs into things that don't move," Seth added teasingly.
Edward laughed, "And she was afraid of frogs."
"I was not! I just didn't like to hold them," I defended.
Seth scoffed, "Wow, that's dumb." My face fell.
"Yeah, well it's good she was, actually," Edward countered. "They give you warts." Edward smiled at me, and I knew he was challenging Seth to say something else smart to me. He didn't. Instead, he shrugged.
"Dinner is ready!" Jules called from the kitchen. Seth stood up quickly and smoothed his shirt out before leaving into the other room. I chuckled. Another knock sounded on the door.
"Come in, guys," Edward told our neighbors. Three familiar strangers stepped inside quietly.
"Ms. Swan, I'd like you to meet my younger sister, Alice." The small familiar woman stepped forward and extended her little hand. I shook it firmly.
"Nice to formally meet you," I said.
Alice smiled, "Same here."
"And her husband, Jasper Whitlock." Jasper tipped his head to me.
"Ma'am." I nodded back with a smile.
"And this guy," Edward said, taking the boy by his shoulder and ruffling his hair. "Is Garrett. He's thirteen."
"Howdy, ma'am," Garrett said.
"How do you do," I replied kindly.
"It's gonna get cold!" Jules called out. The five of us hurried off to the dining room.
The food was excellent fried chicken, mashed potato's, and green beans. It filled my stomach quickly. That, and the wine that Alice had brought over. After pleasantries and more wine drinking had passed, it became much less awkward. I was seated at the head of the table with Edward at the opposite end. It made me a little uneasy. Every time I looked up, I saw his green eyes.
Seth and Jules sat close together of course. Alice and her family were a lovely bunch once you got to know them a little better. I learned that they all grew up around here. Alice married Jasper when she was seventeen and Garrett followed soon after that. I wanted to hear Edward's story, but he somehow managed to steer the conversation away from it.
"What about you, Ms. Swan?" Alice asked.
"Please, call me Bella," I told her. She flushed. "Yes, I was born here. In my dad's house actually. He couldn't get my mother to the hospital quick enough." I chuckled at the fond story. "Mama said that daddy did a great job in delivering me, but that he never could see or talk about blood the same way." Everyone joined in my laughing.
"And you went to school with my dad?" Jules asked.
"Uh, yeah," I stammered. "Then daddy pulled me out to be homeschooled so that I could be around as an extra ranch hand."
"Small world," Jasper said lightly. I guzzled more wine down. Edward watched me carefully.
"We moved here just after your father fell ill, Bella. I never got to ask him, how many generations has this land been in the Swan family?" I set my wine glass down and began tracing my middle finger around the opening absently.
"One hundred years as far as I know," I said.
"That long?" Seth choked. I nodded to him. "Whoa." Sooner or later, I would need to show him the property, and take him to my parents' grave. It would be hard for me to do.
"That's a rare thing considering all the budget cuts and such," Jasper said. He ran a hand through his long golden strands then let it fall to the back of Alice's chair.
"The Swan's are hard workers," Edward stated proudly. My eyes flickered to his. He placed his fork down next to an empty plate and took his wine glass.
"Wonderful meal, Jules," I said. She smiled, her cheeks red. Everyone else toasted to her good cooking. Seth's eyes never left her freckled face.
After helping clean the kitchen, Alice and her family left for home. I secretly hoped that Garrett and Seth would become friends. I knew that they wouldn't have much in common, but maybe it would divert Seth from so much video game playing and drooling over Jules. The girl was trying to play hard to get, but failing miserably. I placed the last clean plate in the cabinet as Edward put the left over food in the fridge. Our children suddenly bounded into the kitchen grinning.
"Can we go for a walk?" Seth asked.
"Please daddy? I want to show Seth my horse," Jules added. I looked to Edward. I was fine with it, because I knew my son, but I could see his hesitation. He finally nodded. Jules kissed his cheek and took Seth's hand, pulled him along behind her.
"No more than forty five minutes, Seth O'Ryan!" I called.
"Okay!" He yelled back. And then the house was silent.
"O'Ryan?" Edward asked. I shrugged. "O'Ryan was my first horse." He laughed at me.
"He was a good horse!" I argued. Edward continued his chuckling and took out another bottle of wine from the fridge. He held it up as a question.
"Please," I told him. He poured the red liquid into my glass then his.
We found ourselves on Edward's back porch in silence. A giggle from the barn could be heard every so often along with low rumbles of thunder. I was glad that the rain had held off. I thought more about the predicament of my personal life and of Stone Meadow.
If I couldn't go home, I needed to make this place home until I could. There was no way I would survive doing nothing all day without going crazy, and without Seth pushing my buttons out of boredom. I could be a ranch hand again, surely. And it wouldn't hurt Seth to actually work for something meaningful.
It seemed that I had made my decision. I looked out onto the property once more. Twilight had fallen bringing peace to the land. The silence was growing on me once again. I peered over at Edward next to me. He was calm, still, and quiet. I was thankful for the lack of conversation. It wasn't awkward. My mind needed to work itself out in order to offer him my proposition. He sipped his wine and took out a cigar. I cleared my throat. Edward's eyes didn't leave the barn.
"He's a good boy," I told Edward with a light laugh.
"I know, but he's still a boy. A city boy at that."
"So?" I countered. Edward laughed softly. The sound came from deep within his throat.
"What I mean is, there's a lot that Jules doesn't know being secluded out here. Alice home-schools her and Garrett both, but she doesn't have a womanly figure besides Alice. And my sister isn't exactly the talking type when it comes to boys."
"Oh."
"Don't get me wrong, Alice has helped Jules through a lot. A lot that I didn't even know about with women, but not as much as her mother would have." I laughed politely. Edward snickered. I suddenly wondered about his wife. Where was she? My stomach clenched.
"Seth is too shy to try anything, I can promise you that." I sighed.
"You've raised a good kid."
"I've tried," I replied quietly. That was the best compliment I had ever received as a mother. Edward nodded and we fell silent again.
"So, I was thinking," I hedged. Edward turned to look at me. It made my mind reel off away from me again. I groaned inwardly.
"Um," I squeaked.
"What is it?" He asked. He was collected. Maybe I didn't have the same affect on him. I wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"About the cattle. I want to purchase three hundred for the ranch." Other than his eyebrows raising in curiosity, his face stayed the same.
"And you have the money for that?"
"I do." I wondered if he would ask me how, but then remembered that he probably didn't care. He turned his head away.
"Don't do it for me," He said quietly.
"I'm not," I replied immediately.
"Ms. Swan-" I was growing tired if his polite name for me. It felt too impersonal. Superficial.
"Look, you want to make your money, and I need somewhere to be for a while. I don't see why we both can't gain from this."
"If you have the money for cattle, why not pay me instead to leave?"
"I don't have that much money," I half lied. Edward looked back to me. "Maybe the ranch can be salvaged. You wouldn't owe me, Edward. I want to help. And Seth, too. He needs to learn about hard work." He took a moment to reply and puffed his cigar. I grew uneasy in my seat.
"All right," He finally said. My chest eased. "But only if we all work it. It won't be easy."
"I know." He turned away from me again but I could hear him smile.
"So, we have a deal?" I asked.
"We have a deal."
And so it is settled, yes?!
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