Chapter 9: Horseshoes

There were two days left until we all left to collect our cattle. Seth and Garrett were beside themselves with excitement. Jules was, until her period came. Hopefully it would be gone by then, poor girl. Seth noticed her different behavior, but he never pushed anything. He just let her be, like a good boy. I assured him that she would come around. He had been so nice to me lately. Maybe being on my father's land was all he needed.

We were in the kitchen eating cereal and joking about nothing, when we heard a car pull up. I frowned and rose from the table, as Seth followed me curiously. Parked outside our small place was a black Lexus with tinted windows. My stomach fell to the floor along with my cereal bowl.

"Dad?" Seth asked. I prayed to God that it wasn't Jacob. We stepped out onto the porch, our nerves on high alert. The back door of the car slowly opened. I had stopped breathing until I saw a bright, red, high heel step out onto the dirt.

"Aunt Rosie!" Seth cried. He jogged down the steps just as my best friend got out of the car. Her Louis Vuitton sunglasses pushed her short, platinum blonde hair back. She smiled when Seth crashed into her. They hugged and I stepped down off my porch.

"Shit, you've gotten taller!" Rose said to Seth. He beamed proudly. I leaned in to hug my best friend, and she squeezed my neck. I couldn't stop the tears in my eyes.

After getting Rose settled in my small, spare bedroom, we went to the back porch for a cigarette. Seth went off to feed the animals and promised Rose to bring Jules by to meet her. He was as happy as I was that she came for a surprise visit. I lit my cigarette and eased back into the rocking chair. Rose looked too good to be here; in her white skinny jeans, her red pumps, and a navy blue shirt with lace backing that showed off her pink bra. She wasn't exactly your ordinary, classic, divorce lawyer. She had spunk. I watcher her as she smoked her Camel Light.

"How long will you be here?" I asked.

"My driver will pick me up in Telluride tomorrow. Can you take me?"

"Of course," I replied sadly.

"I have a big case on Monday, or I'd stay longer, but I just had to come."

"And I'm glad you did, Rosie." We both smiled.

"You look fabulous," She told me. I rolled my eyes.

"Please. Frumpy is more like it," I replied. I picked at my old grey t-shirt.

"No, seriously. This place suits you, babe." I smiled.

"Thanks. It... Sort of suits you, too. Maybe it will catch up to LA one day."

"Ha, you would say that," She joked. "You been okay?" I sighed. I couldn't keep anything from Rosalie.

"I thought I saw Jacob the other day," I said in a near whisper. That horrible feeling of fear waited in the background to come trickle down my spine. It would return soon, I knew it. Rosie's face went serious at once. "It was in Telluride, and it was really crowded, and as soon as I saw... whatever I saw, it was gone. It wasn't him, though. It was just my mind, you know?" Her chest eased up.

"I know it's been tough. I'm just so glad you're here. After seeing you go back to him time and time again, this is what you needed; to get away. You look better and Seth does, too. You did the right thing." She patted my knee. I swiped away my stray tears. Rose always spoke to my heart. We finished our cigarettes.

"Whoa, who is that?" She cooed. My eyes followed hers to land on Edward. He was unloading hay bales. Those muscles in his arms were flexing again, making me shudder.

"That's Edward," I told her. My voice cracked, and Rose stared at me agape.

"What?" I asked.

"Ha, please." She rolled her eyes. "You have it bad."

"Oh, stop." My eyes stayed on Edward. They were drawn to him no matter where he was. I forced them away. But it was painful.

"He can't," I whispered.

"Why not? He married?"

"No, but Seth and Jules like each other and-"

"And what? They're fourteen, Bella. There's nothing wrong with crushing on a hot cowboy."

"Shh!" I scorned. Rose shrugged and puffed her cigarette. I grunted annoyed at my situation.

"Besides, Seth would freak out. Deep down, he still thinks his dad and I are going to work things out."

"God, you better not." I glanced back to Edward then away again. His dark jeans were tight and his red shirt made his copper hair stand out even more. The sleeves were cut off and the way the sun made his arms shine with sweat, had me heating up. I fanned myself absently.

"You like him. Tell him."

"Like I said, it's complicated."

"Well you better figure it out, because he's coming this way."

"What?" I nearly yelled. Sure enough, Edward was walking over to us. Each step that he took matched my thudding heart. He stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, and Rose was almost drooling. She reminded me of Seth when he looks at Jules.

"Jules and I wanted to invite you guys over for dinner," He said casually. "We thought we'd have it outside the barn, at the picnic tables."

"Oh? That'd be great," I replied. "Edward, this is my best friend, Rosalie Hale." He climbed two steps and extended his hand. She took it slowly, her shit eating grin broad across her face.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Lord, he was the first man I had ever seen who wasn't intimidated by Rosalie. I have witnessed grown men melt, and bend like grass when next to her. And naturally this has only heightened my growing feelings toward Edward.

"Likewise," Rose replied through batted eyelashes. I wanted to smack her. Edward chuckled lightly and stepped back off the porch.

"Jules said around six should be fine." I nodded. Edward smiled warmly to me and turned to leave. I watched his ass as it walked away from me, my mouth dry again. I reached for my tea. Rosalie was right about my feelings toward him. What was I going to do?

The better part of the day was spent with Seth, Jules and Garrett. The kids taught us how to play horseshoes out in one of the pastures while dinner cooked on an open barbecue pit. Alice brought lemonade and Jasper was helping the boys' teams while Jules tried to help me and my city girl, best friend. Edward watched from the sidelines as Rosalie and I lost horribly each time to the teenage boys. Jules laughed and rooted for Seth mostly anyway.

Although, my competitive friend and I weren't going to go down so easily. The boys agreed to one more game before dinner that would declare the true winners. Rose and I argued that the first two games were just warm ups.

It was a tie game, and this last go around would declare the winners. Seth went first, and hit the stake, scoring one for his team. Then Rosalie who got incredulously close, but lost since it landed further away than Seth's. Now Garrett was up. The blonde boy aligned himself with the stake across the yard in the small homemade sandpit. His elbow was slightly bent and he used the horseshoe to aim his throw.

My toss had to hit closer to the stake than Garrett's in order for us to win by two points. Jasper whispered something in his son's ear causing the boy to smile. We all watched in silence as he tossed his shoe, forty yards down. It landed only a couple inches away from the stake. My stomach dropped. I was the worst player, and my toss would have to ring around the stake in order to win.

I stepped up to the sand mound and took a deep breath. Rose cheered me from the sidelines. I looked back to Jules.

"Any last tips?" I asked. She smiled and shrugged.

"I'm even worse than you are," She admitted sheepishly. I turned back around.

"That's impossible," I mumbled. The boys laughed and began to heckle me.

"Give her a rest," Alice chided. Garrett and Seth quieted.

Then, I felt strong arms slide down over mine. I stopped breathing; I knew those hands. Edward stood behind me so close that I could feel his hot breath on the nape of my neck. I was suddenly thanking myself for putting my hair up in a ponytail. Everyone around us grew quiet, all eyes trained to me. My stomach grew queasy.

My ears could hear Rosalie and Alice striking up random conversations with everyone else to get their attention away from me and Edward. I needed to remember to thank them for it later. My breathing slowly started to return to me, as Edward's hands moved down my forearms, until he grasped the old horseshoe between my fingers.

"Ever went bowling?" He asked, and I nodded. He raised our tangled hands up in the air until the shoe was in front of my face. I stared through the gap and could see the stake waiting patiently for its mate.

"Don't throw the shoe," He whispered. "You make the stake come to you." I frowned. He then moved his left hand down, to place it over my hip. My throat constricted. With our right hands still connected, he slowly moved them down and back, as if we were growing to throw it. His left hand dug into my hip.

"Like bowling," He said. I smiled widely. I was actually pretty good at bowling. Each time the shoe raised back up to my face, I could see the stake coming at me. His breathing hitched as I took lead of the movement, giving it a try. My backside fit perfectly into his front. This was the most intense and intimate move I had ever acted out with another person.

Then, Edward released me and stepped back. It suddenly didn't feel right to stand alone. My heart ached, but I had to finish the game. Conversations stopped from the sidelines. I breathed in through my nose, brought the shoe back, and then lunged forward, releasing the playing tool into the air.

I could feel the tension in the air. No one breathed. The horseshoe soared through the dim sky and came down to ring around the stake with a loud clang. I jumped into the air excitedly. Rosalie ran over to me screaming with joy and threw her arms around me. The boys whined and complained, while Alice clapped proudly. I saw Edward with his glass of brandy in the back. He winked at me and raised his drink. I beamed with pride. He had made winning possible.

After dinner, Rose had brought out an old boom box that barely worked anymore. She insisted on music, and no one prostrated. We all sat around the picnic table until Adele flooded through the small speakers of the machine. Only the three of us from LA knew who the singer was, but everyone commented on her lovely voice. Garrett had pulled out an extension cord from the barn that allowed the stereo to be placed on the picnic table.

After the horseshoe game, I changed into my new dress. It fit me perfectly. Rose curled my hair and I didn't wear a bra. The dress wouldn't allow me to do so since the neckline was so low. It was classy though, and my face went without makeup. I didn't have cleavage, so the bare spot between my breasts was visible. I was embarrassed, but as soon as Edward saw me, that went away. His eyes were big and full of need. Jasper and Alice were the first to get up and dance slowly.

I watched with a mother's look at my son as he asked Jules to dance. She blushed, and took his hand. They were spaced far enough apart as to not worry me or Edward. Rosalie hooted him on proudly. Then, Garrett came over to the picnic table and spoke through a crackly voice. He asked my best friend to dance, and she accepted gladly.

I was left at the table, but I wasn't sad. I enjoyed watching my loved ones dance. Edward was leaning up against a tree watching them, too. Then, my own bravery burst through its confinement. If Garrett could ask Rosie, and Seth could ask Jules, I could ask Edward. I got up and sauntered over to him. Twilight was descending around us, and it made Edward's eyes the color of emeralds. I curtsied before him and he laughed shyly.

"Oh, no," He said, holding up his palms in defense. "I break toes." I rolled my eyes and grabbed his raised hand, pulling him out into the soft dirt that was illuminated by the barn's overhead lamp.

Everyone glanced at us, smiled, and then turned back to their partners. Edward stumbled once as he took position, placing one hand on my hip, and the other still grasping my hand. Our wrists relaxed. I stepped into his frame with one slender hand on his shoulder and then we started to move as Adele's rendition of a cover song by Bonnie Raitt, flooded through the small boombox. It was a slow dance that didn't require much moving, and I felt Edward ease up beneath my touch.

Suddenly, Adele's voice pierced through my exterior. Her lyrics hurt, and I wondered if Edward was paying attention to them, too.

I'll close my eyes cause then I don't see

The love you don't feel when you're holdin' me

Morning will come and I'll do what's right

Just give me till then to give up this fight

And I will give up this fight.

Tears threatened my eyes and closed my throat. Edward's hand on my hip moved slowly around until it was placed on the small of my back. I looked up to his eyes that were shadowed by his cowboy hat, and he tightened his hand over mine. He could hear the lyrics. He was paying attention.

Our steps were slow, our bodies turned into the dance. Everyone around us faded away as Adele told Edward what I could not.

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't

You can't make your heart feel something it that won't

And here in the dark, these final hours

I will lay down my heart, I will feel the power

But you won't, no you won't

One loose betraying tear drop slipped from my right eye and rolled down my pink cheek. The song came to a close, but Edward didn't release me. Small talk began to ensure around us, and I took my hand down from Edward's shoulder to quickly wipe away my tear. We stepped back away from each other, putting that familiar gap between us as protection.

He smiled. I smiled.

The unspoken emotion of our hearts was now known.

Again, thank you Sunflower for your awesome Beta work on this chapter! I sure owe you!

How was THAT for you? Getting steamy... Slowly but surely! Ain't ya glad that Rosie showed up? ;)