CHAPTER THREE

'Every minute I spend with you is like being in Heaven and looking into an angel's eyes' - found on internet

CATCHING UP

He stood on the deck of the beach house, shuffling his feet, feeling every bit as nervous as a guy about to pick up a girl for a first date. He hadn't felt this way in a really, really long time, and he most certainly hadn't felt this around Bella.

He might have thought he did, but he'd been fooling himself, clearly. He smiled as he caught sight of Amie and Maddie through one of the windows, saw them dancing around the kitchen, laughing as music played full blast in the background. They looked like they were making cookies or something, if he had to guess.

He raised his hand to knock and the door opened, Maddie stood there looking up at him, smiling brightly as she sucked on her thumb. Amie lingered casually in the doorway behind Maddie, smiling at him as she said "Jacob, hi.."

He shrugged and took in the sweet scent of her as he smiled and muttered nervously, "I was walking on the beach and figured what the hell.. You're not busy, right?" while looking at Amie, what Kim told him repeating over and over in his mind.

Amie smiled and licked her lower lip as she bent to pick up Maddie and stepped to the side, shaking her head. "Not at all. We're just making cookies, actually, right Maddie?" she said as Maddie nodded excitedly, said with a smile, "Chocolate chip. Mommy makes 'em really good."

"I bet she does." Jacob said as he smiled at Maddie who held out her arms to him, letting him take her. Amie raked her hands through her hair as she let him walk into the house, shut the door behind them. It was a little odd, she'd just been thinking about him, how she felt about him being back and what her first move should be, and now, here he was.

Amie shook her head and said "I do not." as she put Maddie down at the table with her coloring books and crayons. Jacob looked at Maddie's coloring book and then asked, "Alice in Wonderland, huh?" before giving Amie a slight grin.

Amie blushed. Obviously, he remembered them huddling up in her room, under blankets draped over furniture, reading the book when they weren't much older than Maddie was right now. "Yeah.. She loves the Disney version of the movie.. I think Tim Burton's remake scared her more than anything." as Maddie nodded and said "Cheshire Cat was scary lookin." while looking from Jacob to her mother, then back again. "I go color in the living room." she said as she grabbed her books and crayons, slid off the chair and disappeared into the living room, the sounds of cartoons filling the house not too long after.

"So.. You said you wanted to catch up sometime.." Jacob mused as Amie nodded and smiling said "Yeah, I'd love that." while grabbing two sodas, handing one to him, smiling as she sat down in a chair, letting him sit down across from her. Jacob looked at her a few moments, wondering what to say or do, or talk about even. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but he wasn't sure if he had the nerve.

"I'm actually glad you came by tonight." Amie admitted as she looked at him, bit her lower lip and then finished by saying, "I was sort of afraid that with the wedding and all coming up, you'd be busy and I wouldn't see you before you left town again."

Jacob smiled and said "Like I was gonna let that happen, Amie." while sipping his soda, trying to urge his brain into gear. "How was work?" he asked as he smiled at her and thought about what Kim blurted out she'd said while they were all working the day he'd ran into her again after all this time on the beach.

"It went well.. This lady came in and wanted me to dye her hair.. Cotton candy pink highlights.. She was like 60.. I'm seriously wondering why in the hell anyone wants their hair the color of a crayon." Amie laughed as Jacob snickered and shook his head then asked, "So, what umm.. What made you move to La Push?" while looking at her. Amie shrugged and said with a casual smile, "The beach for one thing.. And I just wanted to get out of my dad's hair.. I mean we lived with him until Maddie was 2 and it had to be getting on his nerves." while mentally adding, 'Because you weren't here and I felt close to you here.' to herself.

Jacob nodded and then said "Yeah, if I moved back, I'd have to get a house on the beach too. It's peaceful down there."

Amie nodded and then said "So.. Did you like it in Canada?" while looking at him, covertly crossing her fingers and hoping to hell he said no, because if he didn't really like it there, it might be easier to try and get him to stay through subtle hints.

Maddie peeked in and then asked her mother, "Mommy, can I has more macaroni and cheese?" while smiling at them. She was giving them time to talk, she could just sort of tell that this man really, really liked her mommy.. And her mommy really, really liked him too.

And she wanted her mommy to be happy, wanted her mommy to fall in love because she wanted a daddy of her own. Her grandpa was nice, but it wasn't the same as having a daddy who you'd see every day and night, who might tuck you in and read you stories and do other stuff with you.

Amie smiled and stood, going to the cabinet for bowls, turning to Jacob as she asked, "Do you want some too? It's homemade, I like making it better than I like the boxed shit actually.. Especially when I add bacon." making him realize how hungry he was. He stood and grabbed the bowls from inside the cabinet, chuckling as he asked, "Why put them up there if you can't reach?"

"Because, Jacob, if I can't reach 'em, princess Maddie can't either. And when she was smaller, she liked trying to climb up and get them off the counter, then she'd take them outside and forget them.. Or she'd bang on them. I was always too worried that she'd get on the counter one day and fall off, so I moved them." Amie explained as Jacob snickered and said quietly, "You did the same thing.. Climbing.. That's how you got that one small scar.." his voice trailing off as he realized just how close to her he was standing, his chest was pressing against her back..

She licked her lips before turning around, she could feel his breath on her skin, she could feel the body heat that radiated off of him almost like a slow burning fire or something. It had her whole system in a sort of sensory overload right now, his being so close to her.

When she did turn around, she smiled and nodded then said "I had help though." as she looked at him for a moment, her hand in her hair.

Maddie giggled and watched them intently.

Amie blinked and forced herself on scooping out macaroni and cheese into the three bowls, then handed Jacob his bowl, taking hers from the counter as they walked back to the table. Maddie dug into her food and then looked at Jacob and asked, "It good?" through a mouth full.

Amie wiped at the cheese on her little girls cheeks as she muttered "The bacon shoulda been more crisp. Not bad though." while Jacob groaned and asked through a mouth full, "Where did you learn to make this? I mean I remember when you burnt grilled cheese before."

"I wasn't that bad." Amie pretended to pout as Maddie giggled and said "She still burn 'em." through a mouth full, making Jacob snicker and then grin at Amie who said "It was one time, Maddie."

"But mommy, it was winter, and we almost frozed while granpa was lettin all the smoke out of the kitchen." Maddie said as Amie poked her tongue out at her and asked Jacob, "When is Rachel getting married?"

Jacob shrugged and said "In two weeks I think. She keeps spazzing and changing the date or everything else though.. Guess that's what happens when you're also pregnant and trying to deal with planning a wedding." as he looked at her, leaned across the table, wiping at her cheek as he joked with Maddie, " Mommy's a messier eater than you are, huh?"

Maddie nodded, giggling as she ate her food quietly.

Amie gave him a playful glare, but the spot where his hand brushed her skin felt warm.. It'd felt good when he'd done that.

She mentally kicked herself, she was supposed to be a mature adult, not losing her shit totally when he touched her.. But given her longtime crush on him, it was sort of hard to contain it.

" In answer to your question, Amie.. I did like it in Canada, but being back here made me realize just how much I missed home." Jacob said as Amie smiled and said "That's how I felt when I moved back from California. I mean I thought it'd be so great, being out on my own.. It actually sucked."

"I know right? Funny how that works out." Jacob mused as he looked at her, added mentally, 'Home wasn't the only thing I missed though.' while thoughtfully chewing his food.

They'd finished eating and Maddie, after making Jacob read to her, fell asleep in his lap where they sat in the living room. Amie stood to carry her to her room and lay her down but Jacob shook his head and held his finger to his lips as he said "I think I can do it. It's probably better, I'd have to move her less, all I have to do is stand and walk."

Amie nodded and followed him, lingering in the doorway, letting him put her in the bed, coming in behind him to cover her up and turn on the nightlights that were strung above her bed. Jacob smiled and then said "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you when I did come back. Especially with a little girl." as Amie nodded and said "I didn't think you'd ever come back, I mean the way everyone talked, that crap with my sister.."

Jacob nodded and said quietly, "Was me being stupid. And like I said, I've been over her a really, really long time now." as they walked out of Maddie's room. The smallness of the hallway sort of pushed them to walk closer together and he liked it. Their bodies brushed now and then, it felt like a thousand jolts of high voltage electricity ran through them every time it happened.

Sitting back down on the couch, Amie looked at Jacob and said quietly, "When I came back.. Parts of me were sort of hoping you'd be here.. I just.. I missed you really.. I mean we were always so close when we were little and I had the biggest crush on you.." as she bit her lower lip.

Jacob nodded and coughed a little, shocked.. Then again, she wasn't ever really good at hiding her intentions or anything. When she really wanted something, or meant it, she didn't try and hide it. He just never suspected anything she'd just said, which he'd felt then too, and still felt now, to actually be returned.

"You did, huh?" he asked as he leaned in a little and then said casually, " Ironic, because I had a huge crush on you too."

Amie nodded, shocked.. She'd always thought he just considered her as a friend or something.. She had no idea he'd felt the same way at the time, or she'd have done something about it the last time she visited her father.. Hell, she might have even considered moving to Forks when Bella came, had she known.

She had a feeling that somehow, Bella knew about his crush and wedged herself between them a lot of times when she had back then, to try and keep them from getting too close, pushing her out because Bella had a crush on him too.

"The guy.. He was an idiot to run like that and he didn't deserve you." Jacob stated as he leaned in a little, looking at her intently. Amie licked her lips and shrugging said "It actually didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would when he did it.. I mean I knew to some degree that he wasn't the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but his leaving just proved me right. I hate that Maddie suffered, really. It was my stupid mistake. But if I hadn't made it, I wouldn't have her."

Jacob thought to himself for a moment, 'If you'd come back with your sister, who knows? You still might have.. But I would definitely not have left you and Maddie, made you two go through all that alone.' while nodding and saying quietly, "Yeah."

Amie laughed a little as she said casually, "This is odd for me.. I mean I really don't even attempt dating or anything.. So you are actually the first guy who's not family, that's been in this house." mostly in nerves. Jacob smiled and then said with a smirk, "Are you flirting with me?"

Amie shrugged then smiling said "Maybe I am." as she raked her hands through her hair and looking at him. She blurted out, "I am so glad you didn't cut your hair off. I always pictured you, exactly like this.. " while muttering to herself how stupid that actually sounded, having said it.

Jacob chuckled and then said "Thanks.. And you.. Wow.." while holding her gaze intently. He was trying not to move too fast, but this current situation was tempting him beyond reason.

The phone rang and she grumbled, stood to go answer it. When she walked back in, he could tell something was bothering her.

"Well, that was weird as all fuck." Amie said as she sat down, looked at Jacob and said " I have a prank caller.. They think it's funny to call and breathe or mumble things and try to scare me.. It always sets me on edge." as Jacob stiffened a little and asked, "What'd they say?" in concern.

"Just a lot of heavy breathing and then something that sounded like "I'll see you soon." " Amie said dismissively as she looked at Jacob and pointed out, "It is probably just some stoned teenage guy who thinks doing this shit is funny. I mean why the hell would anyone wanna stalk me?"

Jacob nodded, but the whole thing didn't sit right with him and now he wondered if she were actually safe. Sure there were no vampires around to pose a threat, but there were plenty of real world sick fucks.. "Are you sure it's a joke? I mean you said it's happened more than once.."

"Jacob.. Pretty damn sure it's a joke. I mean if it weren't, they'd have gotten beyond the whole calling and breathing like a bad porno movie thing.." Amie mused as she shook her head and said "Anyway, can we talk about something else?"

"Sure." Jacob said, even though he really didn't want to let the whole matter drop. Now it was bugging him because he wanted to keep her safe.. He was supposed to keep her and Maddie, of course, safe.

He thought a few moments and then said casually, "Actually, I did have a reason for coming by.. Rachel apparently wants me to bring a date to the wedding.. And.."

"Duh, Jacob.. Yes, I'll go with you." Amie said as she looked at him, barely hiding the slight smirk that played across her lips. Jacob nodded and smiling said "Actually, you can bring Maddie too. I'd like that."

"Sure.. I mean she loves getting dressed up." Amie said as she looked at him and asked, "And you still totally have two left feet... Don't you?"

"Sadly, yes." Jacob laughed as he looked at her and then said casually, " But maybe I can be taught.." with Amie nodding and saying in amusement, "Subtle."

They talked a little longer, and when he looked up at the clock on the wall, it was almost 1 am. Amie gaped at the clock and laughing she said "Actually, if you want.. I'm gonna make ravioli tomorrow.. And if you want to, you can come over again or something?"

"I'd like that." Jacob said as he stood and hugged her, walking out and down to the beach, smiling to himself.. Now he just had to keep from moving too fast. Which apparently, was easier said than done.

But if he were going to do this, he was going to do it right and not rush into it.