Author's Note: Thank you for the great reviews! So this chapter will begin with the breakfast that Bella promised Sam. This chapter and the next one or two chapters will all focus on the same day as the one described here in chapter 3.

DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.

I woke up at seven to start getting ready for the day. I got up and took a shower, deciding to let my hair dry naturally leaving it in waves. I went down stairs in my shorts and t-shirt to cook breakfast. I started on my breakfast casserole first. First, I cut the bread into cubes and place it evenly into greased pan. Then I sprinkled the pan evenly with sausage and cheese. Next, I mixed eggs, milk, salt and pepper together and poured them over the ingredients in the pan. After it was in the oven, I started on some blueberry pancakes. I also had some bacon cooking. I looked at the clock to see that it was five minutes until eight. I quickly cut up some fruit. As I was slicing the last of the strawberries, I cut myself.

"Ouch." I looked around, relieved that I didn't do this with Edward or Alice was there. I held a paper towel to the cut, trying to stop the bleeding. I was starting to feel the effects of smelling it. The rust smell was filling my nose. I was trying to concentrate on something else, when I heard the knock on the door and made my way to it. I opened the door to see Sam looking just as good as yesterday. I knew it was wrong, but I was inwardly pleased to see he still didn't have a shirt.

"Good morning, Sam."

"It's a very good morning, Bella." He looked down at my hand and frowned. "You're bleeding. What happened?" He asked while looking around outside the door.

"I'm fine, Sam. I just nicked myself with the knife." I could feel myself getting a little woozy from the smell still.

"You don't look so fine."

"It's the smell. I don't do blood well." I heard him give a little snort. I wondered what that was about.

"Here, let me see." I gave him my hand and he removed the towel. "It's not deep, so no stitches will be needed. Do you have a first aid kit?" He said looking up into my eyes. Oh how I loved those eyes. I had never seen eyes such a dark brown. Edward's eyes turned black and they were dangerous and scary looking, but Sam's deep brown eyes brought me comfort and safety. "Bella? A first aid kit, do you have one?" I shook my head and brought myself back to Earth.

"Yeah, it's in the bathroom on the middle shelf in the closet."

"Okay, I'll go get it, why don't you sit down here." He lowered me to the couch and ran up the stairs two at a time. In no time at all he was back by my side and applying a cream and then a band aid.

"There you go. You're all set." He said as he lifted my hand and placed a small kiss over the band aid. "All better."

"Yeah, all better. Thanks," I breathed out. I suddenly had the urge for him to kiss a lot more.

"Sure, it's not a problem at all." I'm not sure how long we sat there on the couch staring into each other's eyes before he finally looked away toward the kitchen. "That food in there smells pretty good." He helped me up off the couch.

"Oh yeah the food, I forgot about it. I hope you're hunger because I made tons."

"Trust me, I can always eat." He said as we walked to the kitchen. "This looks great, Bella. Thank you."

"Not a problem, Sam. Just consider it part of your pay." We sat down at the table across from one another.

"Well I sure wish all jobs were this stacked with benefits." He said while eyeing the tower of pancakes. I put four big ones on his plate and one on my own.

"I hope you like blueberries."

"I love them." He replied while dishing out the egg casserole for both of us. I also dropped some bacon and fruit on each plate. We ate in silence for a little while just enjoying the food. Every once in a while I would look up to see him staring at me with a smile playing on his lips. I decided that I would take this time to find out exactly who Sam Uley was.

"So, what do you do when you're not fixing things for other people?" I asked him.

"Well, I do some work for the Council mostly. But I also work for a construction company outside of La Push. Plus, I do whatever small things people need to be done."

"What do you do for the Council? It must be important. Jacob said they really look to you."

"Did he? Yes, I would say it is important work. Basically, it's security for the reservation and surrounding areas."

"Security from what?" He thought for a second before answering.

"From anything that poses as a threat to the tribe."

"And those two boys that left with you yesterday, they work for the Council, too?" His eyes slightly widened and then he chuckled.

"Yes, they do. You're quite the observant one, aren't you, Bella Swan?"

"Trouble tends to find me so I'm always on the look out. Sometimes I see things that others don't."

"And what do you see when you look at me?" He said with all the humor gone.

"I see a man that is probably misunderstood by most." He gave me a small smile.

"I think we've done enough talking about me, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, what grade are you in? What things to you do for fun? That sort of stuff."

"I'm going to be a senior in the fall. I like to read. I don't really get to go out and do too much stuff. My boyfriend is pretty protective of me." I noticed Sam tense up when I mention Edward.

"I see. Well, if there is anything that you would like to do and he won't let you, let me know and we'll see what we can do to rectify the situation."

"Okay. I hope you're serious, because I will probably take you up on that offer."

"I'm looking forward to it. Well, the breakfast was amazing, Bella, but I should get to work."

"Oh, okay." He stood up and took his dishes to the sink and turned the water on. "You don't have to do that. I'll do the dishes. Knowing Charlie, you already have quite the list of things to do."

"Only if you're sure about it."

"I'm sure, now out of my kitchen. Let me know if you want something to drink."

"Okay, I will. Thanks again, Bella." I nodded and he headed outside. I finished up the dishes mechanically; my thoughts were outside on a certain bronze colored man. I tried to distract myself with cleaning but everything was clean everything was still pretty clean from my massive cleaning days before. After two hours of busy work and trying to read, I decided to go out and make sure he didn't need any help. When I walked outside with a cup of cold lemonade, I didn't see him. I walked toward the back of the house and still I didn't see him. Where did he go? Just as I thought my question, I heard some noise coming from the woods just beyond our yard. A moment later Sam walked out and he didn't look surprised to see me standing there.

"Where did you go, Sam?" I asked looking toward the woods where he emerged.

"Oh, I saw a dog run into the woods and tried to go after him. Bad things are in the forest, Bella." I knew there were bad things in the woods, but I wondered if he meant the same bad things I knew to really exist in those woods. Edward did say the Elders remember what he and the other Cullen's were and Sam works for the Elders. So there was a possibility that Sam thought the same thing. I didn't want to say something to trigger his suspicions or to bring light to it if he didn't have suspicions. So, I decided to keep my thoughts to myself for the time being.

"Okay. Well, I brought this lemonade out for you." He smiled widely.

"Thanks." He drank the whole glass in under a minute. "Guess I was thirsty."

"I guess so." I chuckled. "I can get you some more." I said reaching for the glass.

"Thank you. I'll meet on the front porch."

"Okay," I said as I headed back to the house. Inside I poured another glass for Sam and another for myself. I went out the front door to see Sam opening a paint can.

"What are you painting?"

"The porch. Chief Swan thinks it could use a fresh coat since he hasn't painted it since he moved in twenty years ago."

"What color?"

"Same color as it is now, white."

"Well, that's boring. He should have done something different."

"Maybe, but I don't get paid for creative ideas, I get paid for requested work."

"I suppose you're right. But what if the other person living in the home requested a different color, then could you paint with another color?"

"I guess that would be possible. What color did you have in mind, Bella?"

"Well the house is white and the shutters are blue, so I would say blue."

"A completely blue porch, Bella?" He questioned. "How about we paint the flooring blue? That way you get some color, but you don't over do it."

"I think that could work. Can we go get the paint now?"

"We?"

"Yes, I'll need to be there for final approval, don't I?" I said smiling.

"I guess you do. Let's head there now, Bella." He said holding his hand out for me. I hesitated only a moment before grabbing it and following him to his truck. The car ride was short, because the hardware store was only five minutes away. We got out of the car and I stopped Sam.

"Hey, don't you need a shirt to go into a store?" He smirked.

"Not me. Randy, the owner knows me pretty well and doesn't care. I come in here a lot."

"Oh, okay, if you say so." I bit my lip and decided to voice my curiosity. "Do you own a shirt? Because the two times that I've met you, you've been shirtless." He laughed deeply as he opened the store door for me.

"Yes, I own shirts. I just don't like wearing them. The work I do tends to do keeps me hot and sweaty. It's more comfortable without one, plus it saves me on a ton of laundry. I guess you just get kind of used to it working and then don't like wearing shirts at all after a while."

"Hmm." I could get used to being around him without his shirts, so it didn't bother me one bit. I was just curious.

"Why, Bella? Does me not wearing a shirt bother you?" He asked while smirking. Damn him! He knew that he had a great body. Damn, anyone within a mile of him knew he had a great body.

"No, it does not. I was just curious if it was something I would being getting used to." His eyes widened a bit and seemed so shine a little brighter as did his smile. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You plan to be around to get used to seeing me without a shirt." He said it more as a statement than a question. I took a second to think about it. I guess that is what I implied and it was what I wanted even if I didn't know why.

"I guess I do."

"Good." He reached over and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Let's pick out that paint." We picked out a blue that matched the shutters. But it took us twenty minutes to agree on which color best would match. Finally, I gave in seeing as he did this sort of thing on a regular basis. We bought the paint and headed back for the house. I'd never looked forward to home improvement so much.