Chapter 16: Cowboys and Indians

The weekend brought in Jules's birthday with it. The pretty redhead was more than excited for her day of festivities. We planned a big lunch along with a few games of horseshoes after some gift giving. Alice and I cooked her favorite food: steak, potatoes, and corn on the cob.

Garrett's gift was a homemade birthday cake. The boy had a thing for cooking, and he was even better at it than I was. After food and birthday cake, we sat at the picnic table beside the old, red barn. Alice and Jasper gave Jules a new acrylic paint set. Edward's gift was emotional. He gave his daughter her mother's high school class ring, which made Jules cry, Alice cry, and even me cry. She placed it on her right hand and stared at the small stone in the setting. Around the peridot was Tanya's name, year of graduation, and a small horse sat in a gold band.

Then, I gave Jules my gift. I had bought her a homemade dress from the same stand I had bought mine from. It was lavender with beige lace. Jules hugged me tightly and wanted to put it on immediately, and pulled me into the barn to help her with it. Seth watched us go, and I knew he wanted to give her his gift in private.

In the loft, Jules had undressed and pulled the new lavender colored fabric on. She turned around and moved her hair out of the way for me to zip up the back.

"Poor girl. You're as pale as me," I said laughing.

"It's not fair," Jules whined.

"It only means we will have excellent skin when we're old," I told her. Jules chuckled.

"You look like you're in your twenties," She said brightly.

I laughed, "That's very kind, Jules." I finished with the zipping and she turned around to face me.

The dress made her skin and hair color stand out beautifully. Even her scattered freckles became more visible.

"You look beautiful, sweetie."

She blushed and looked down shyly. "Thanks Bella, I'm glad you're here. Not only because you brought Seth," She paused and giggled, "But for helping me."

I beamed, "I'm glad I'm here, too, sweetheart." We shared a smile, and then heard Seth from the bottom of the staircase.

"Can I come up?" He called. Jules quickly smoothed out her hair and put on her boots. She nodded to me and I walked over and kissed her cheek lightly. Jules squeezed my hand and I left.

At the bottom of the stairs, I stopped in front of Seth.

"You can go on up," I said. I took notice to Jules's present in his hand. He smiled at me nervously as I kissed his cheek.

"Edward and I will be right outside," I said as I teasingly pointed a finger at him and narrowed my eyes.

He rolled his eyes but he was smiling. Seth took a deep breath and started up the stairs. I waited until he was out of sight before I went back out to the rest of the Masens.

Edward's eyes found me immediately upon stepping out of the breezeway. He looked worried, but relieved to see me smiling. In fact, for some odd reason, I wanted to cry. Alice, Jasper and Garrett had all started a round of horseshoes. I walked over to Edward and took a seat next to him beneath a large shade tree. He opened his arm for me, and I leaned in and sighed in contentment.

"How are they?" He asked.

"Good. He's going to give her his present. The dress looks beautiful on her. Tanya's class ring was perfect," I told him. Edward's arm tightened around my shoulder.

"You picked a good dress," He said smiling. "By the way, how did your talk about his dad go?"

"Good. Actually, too good. I think he's a little jaded and too focused on other things to really process it all yet."

"Will his dad visit here?" I took notice to Edward not using Jacob's name.

"Maybe Telluride, but not the ranch. Although, if Seth says he doesn't want to see his father, he doesn't have to. I have full custody, so any visiting time Jacob got, it would be because Seth wanted it."

"Oh, I see."

Edward and I had slowly started to open ourselves up more to the people around us. Seth and Jules haven't noticed much, though; they were too wrapped up in each other. But Alice and Jasper saw it. Edward told me that Alice was ecstatic about it all. Her hesitance had faded over time, and she loved to see us together. That alone made me more at ease.

Suddenly, our world began to crash together from every angle. Jules ran from the barn in tears, and Edward and I stood up immediately, just as a gunshot could be heard. Then, screaming cows and another gunshot. I saw Seth bolt out of the barn, his face laced with fear and guilt. Jules stopped just before entering her cabin, as all eyes trained out into the field.

From afar we could hear the cattle stampeding. Edward took off to the barn along with Jasper. Twilight was slowly descending upon the land. Alice grabbed Garrett and ran over to Jules as I raced over to Seth. It seemed like only a few of us were confused about what was happening.

Edward and his brother-in-law emerged from the barn on their horses. They each bore a gun at their side. Fear ripped through my body. I grasped Seth's forearm.

"Go to my cabin and stay there until we get back," Edward voiced sternly.

"Do you understand?" I nodded to him.

"I want to come," Seth said.

"No!" Edward and I replied in unison. Seth frowned.

"I can help."

"Just go with your mother, Seth," Edward said. My son ripped away from my grasp and stalked over to Edward's cabin, walking passed Jules without a word.

"What is it?" I asked Edward, my voice was shaking. Jasper was loading his shotgun.

"Someone is trying to steal the cattle," He said darkly. Edward took out his pistol and checked the barrel. I shivered. "Go into the house," He said.

"Please, be careful," I told them both. Jasper nodded, looked over to Alice on Edward's porch, and blew her a kiss. Jasper shot off on his horse, as Edward stepped over to me.

The man I had grown so incredibly fond of, leaned down atop his dark horse and kissed my mouth. It shocked me. I was expecting maybe a peck on the cheek, but his mouth devoured mine. I reached up and gripped his hair. With one last taste of his tongue, he pulled away, sat upright, and yelled at his horse.

He rode away from me, as I stood frozen.

"Bella, come on!" Alice called. She broke my stare and I jogged over to the house.

Upon entering Edward's home, Jules stalked over to me.

"Why did you kiss my dad?" She asked angrily. I frowned and bowed my head, as Seth came out from the kitchen.

"You did what?" He asked. My shoulders fell.

"I... We, I mean-" I didn't know what to say, or how to tell them how I felt. I feared that the severity of my feelings toward Edward would be too much for them to take.

"What the fuck, Mom!" Seth yelled. My head snapped up.

"Do not speak to me that way," I voiced evenly. Venom dripped from each word, but Seth didn't falter.

"Everyone calm down," Alice said. Garrett stood beside her in silence. "Now is not the time for this."

"Whatever," Seth spat angrily. He walked back to the bathroom and slammed the door.

"I thought you were my friend," Jules told me.

"Sweetheart, I am."

"No, you're just in it for my dad!" She yelled. Before I could reply, she turned briskly on her heel. In a few seconds, her bedroom door slammed. I shivered again.

Then I felt Alice's small hand on my back.

"Bella," She said. I threw my head into my hands.

"I'm sorry," I croaked.

"Shh, stop." Alice walked us into the kitchen and I took a seat at the old, wooden table. She poured us some coffee left from the afternoon and heated it up. She took a seat across me and scooted a mug my way.

"Thanks," I whispered. "What's happening? When will they be back?"

"I don't know for sure, but this has happened once before."

"Someone stealing our cows?"

Alice nodded, "We know it is Paul and his men, we just haven't caught them red-handed yet."

"Why don't we call the police?" Alice stared at me dumbfounded.

She snorted, "And have a couple cops go round up some cows?" I shrugged.
"No, Edward and Jasper will handle it," She confirmed. I sighed and bowed my head on the table.

"Everything was going so well. Now, Edward and Jasper are gone and in danger, and Jules and Seth hate me, and I don't know how to fix any of it."

"It'll come to you on how to deal with Seth and Jules. They're kids, Bella. You can't let them rule you. I know they care for each other, but that doesn't mean that you can't care for my brother." I raised my head to peek at Alice. She was smiling at me.

"I really do care for him."

"I know."

"But I care about what Jules and Seth have, too."

"As do I. It'll sort itself out. Edward and Jasper won't be gone too long."

"Stupid cowboys," I muttered.

Alice laughed. "You got that right."

Thank you Sunflower for the beta work!

Hope you all are still hooked to this story, it's getting more intense, huh?! ;)

I encourage you to check out my new story, Shattered Hearts, too :D