A/N: I need to thank my wonderful StephieB for making Emmett all that he is in this chapter!

Disclaimer – Stephenie Meyers owns all that is Twilight.

Chapter 3

Pool Halls and Old Friends

BPOV

I take a deep breath and walk in the front door of the house I was now calling home. I look around waiting to be ambushed at any minute by a rabid pixie on a mission.

Alice has always been small; well small is putting it mildly. She is all of four foot eleven with the shortest, spikiest, jet-black hair I have ever seen on a girl, but Alice can totally pull it off because she is fearless like that. She may be small but she is scary if you make her mad. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of her before I am jumped by the pixie herself. "Bella, oh my gosh, look at you! You are a mess! Hurry up and get a shower, while I find you something to wear." Normally I would protest against my overzealous cousin picking out my attire but honestly I was too happy to argue.

After I get out of the shower, I notice the clothes Alice has picked out; correction - I notice the lack of clothing.

I have always been more comfortable in a good pair of worn out jeans and an oversized shirt, but Alice always has different ideas in concerning what I should wear.

Oh hell to the no! There is no way I am wearing THAT!!!

Just as I finish that thought. Alice bops into my room and looks at me with a smirk. "I know what you're thinking, barn goddess, and yes you are wearing it!" She thinks she is so smug!

"No way Alice, that has to be the shortest blue jean skirt I have ever seen!"

"Come on Bella. It will look great on you, besides you're single now. It's time to show off those perky little titties and that tight bottom. Trust me; you should know not to argue with me by now anyway." I let out a long sigh, knowing I will not win. I slip on the short denim skirt that has a worn look to it, with frayed edges and strategically placed worn holes. It looks ten years old, but I can tell from the designer label that it's brand new. Alice had also laid out a red, fitted v-neck t-shirt and I smiled to myself thinking she had stuck with my usual attire of "jeans and a t-shirt." The outfit actually does look good in contrast to my fair complexion. Then, I see the shoes. They are red, four inch heels and that is where I draw the line. I may be able to ride a horse at break-neck speeds around three barrels with all the fluid gracefulness in the world, however on my own two feet, I am extremely clumsy. If I am not careful, I'll trip over my own feet and I have done it on more than one occasion.

"Alice, seriously?" I'm unable to form compete sentences at this point. Alice really should know better as I hold the shoes up and look at her questioningly. Alice let out a frustrated sigh, "Okay Bella, you win on the shoes." As she concedes, Alice replaces the hooker heels with the cutest pair of black ballet flats.

Once dressed, we slid into Alice's car which is an ostentatious, canary yellow Porsche Boxster. Like I said, Alice and I are complete opposites; while I love real horsepower, Alice prefers artificial.

Alice never got into horses when we were growing up. Sure, she would ride some when we were little, and she was always good at it, but her heart was always set on going to design school. She has a pure talent for designing clothes and Alice Brandon Originals are highly sought after.

I, on the other hand, went to college and majored in English. Up until my divorce, I had taught English at Forks High School. As luck would have it, when I moved back to Arizona, an opening became available at the local high school for an English teacher. I got the job and will be starting in the fall. Teaching was always a clear choice for me because the hours and summers off allowed me to go to more rodeos.

We pull up to O'Brien's Sports Bar, which used to be our favorite hang out back in the day. As we walk in, I scan the parking lot and a newer model blood red BMW 125i convertible catches my eye. The car held my attention for a couple of reasons, not only was it a beautiful car, but it reminded me of Rosalie Hale, she always had a love of cars.

Rose was one of my best friend's growing up. We were inseparable throughout high school rodeo. Rose enjoyed barrel racing, but her talent was in breakaway roping, which wasn't surprising since her dad, Alex Hale, was a World Champion Calf Roper. More than barrels and roping, Rose excelled at the rodeo queen pageants. She has a twin brother, Jasper, who also high school rodeoed with us.

Alice actually had a crush on Jasper in high school, but Jasper was too focused on rodeoing to be in a relationship. After high school, he received a full rodeo scholarship to Texas A & M in College Station. Jasper followed in his dad's footsteps and excelled in calf roping. He won the College National Finals Rodeo Championship two years in a row and from what I have heard, he's in the lead for the Rookie of the Year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, or PRCA for short.

Alice and I make our way over to a small table and sit down. We promptly order two Bud Lights and get settled. As I look around, it seems everything changes and few things stay the same. Even at O'Brien's things are pretty dead for a Tuesday night, but man it feels good to be home.

"Bella? Bella Swan is that you?" I hear a familiar voice behind me.

I smile and turn "Rosalie Mother Fucking Hale, I would know that voice anywhere." I get up I am greeted by Rose's beaming smile. She looks as beautiful as ever. Tall and blonde, that was Rose. She should have been a model in Milan.

"Oh my god Bella! It has been too long how have you been?" I reach out and hug her neck.

"Things were rough for awhile but they are definitely getting better." I say with a hint of melancholy. I know that Rose will see straight through me, she knows me that well.

Rose looks at me with understanding in her eyes, "Yeah Bella, I heard about the divorce and everything, but shit I'm glad you're back!" She hugs me again.

Rose takes a seat with Alice and me while she is filling us in on her plans to run for Miss. Rodeo Arizona this year. Just then, I look up and notice two extremely good looking guys walking towards our table. One of them is extremely big with muscles bulging everywhere. He was easily six foot three with short, brown curly hair. He had a huge smile, framed by deep dimples. Everything about him just makes you want to hug him.

I glance over to the other guy and I realize it is Jasper. I feel this vibration beside me and look over to see Alice hopping up and down in her chair. Apparently Alice likes what she sees as well.

Maturing did nothing but help Jasper. He was always good looking but man when he grew up, he grew up. Jasper's hair was a little longer on top, dirty blonde in color and slightly messy. He always had the deepest blue eyes of anyone I have ever met. He is still tall and lanky like his dad. I can see why Alice is about to leap out of her chair onto the poor guy.

Jasper is the first to make it to the table and in an accent I am sure he picked up in Texas he purrs "Ladies" and tips his head forward. I swear Alice just fell out of her chair.

"Jasper" Alice purrs right back at him, batting her eyes at him.

Just then I hear this bellowing voice. "Damn it Rosie! There was some guy in the bathroom checking out my junk! What kind of place did you bring me to, woman?" I giggle and look at Rose.

"Um girls this is my boyfriend Emmett McCarty. Emmett dear, if you didn't have junk the width of a Pepsi can then others would not be inclined to stare." Rose pauses, "Emmett, I would like you to meet two of my oldest friends, Bella Swan and Alice Brandon." Alice and I both shake Emmett's hand and invite them to sit down.

After several beers, we learned that Emmett's event is Steer Wrestling, which I have no doubt he's good at considering his size. Steer Wrestling is tough and the guys have to be big too lay down a steer running full-out with their bare hands. Emmett and Jasper were college roommates and hauling partners to the college rodeos, which is how Emmett and Rosalie met.

As we sit around the table, drinking beers and laughing a little too loudly, Emmett dominates the conversation, but not in an overbearing way. When he talks, it's always funny and he's keeping us in hysterics with all of his stories about playing high school football in Texas (which apparently is a sort of religion there) and growing up in a rodeo family. He's a third generation cowboy, who grew up in Bastrop, Texas where his grandfather started a small rodeo production company and stock contracting business. The business grew into one of the largest production companies west of the Mississippi River and the stock contracting company now owns some of the best bucking stock in the world. Emmett's dad is currently running the business and eventually he'll turn the reins over to Emmett, but for now it's clear that he is doing things his own way.

As he continues to talk, I really look at him and it's easy to see why Rose is crazy about him. She has always liked the bad boys and it is clear that Emmett isn't your regular nice-guy-in-starched-Wranglers kind of cowboy. He's wearing a camouflage messenger cap and his dark curls spill out from under it. His hair is little long, but not to his shoulders, just left kind of shaggy so it looks good under any kind of hat, cowboy or otherwise. He is wearing a silver chain with a Bob Berg cross on it. I'd recognize the detail anywhere, every cowboy or cowgirl I know owns at least one piece of Bob Berg jewelry. The cross is masculine yet stylish with black inlay throughout the intricate design.

It is evident that Emmett's t-shirt was intentionally bought a size to small. The sleeves are stretched to their limit around his huge biceps and I'm sure they are bigger than my thigh! As he talks, he uses his hand and arm gestures a lot; they cause the sleeves to roll up revealing tattoos on each arm. On his left arm, just up from his elbow are flames. I can't be sure, but it looks like they go all the way up to his shoulder. On his right arm I can see a band of barbed wire. He's also got a scar on the underside of his right arm where the tattoo is distorted and doesn't match up. When the chance comes, I ask him what happened; he raises his sleeve so we can all see more clearly. "A mother fucking steer jacked up my tat, that's what happened! I was up in Austin at a college rodeo and knew I drew a fast steer, so I had my horse, Punchy, really on the muscle, ready to run. The steer broke from the chute and Punchy waited like a fraction of a second, because my ass sure as shit isn't going to get a penalty for a fucking broken barrier. Anyway, I start leaning off to the right, slipping off Punchy and the damn run is going so good, I've damn near got a hard-on. Then, that mother fucking, son of a bitch steer set up on me and I'll be damned if the fucker's horn didn't gorge my arm right where my new tattoo was. Hurt like a mother fucker too. I got lucky though and drew that bitch again a couple of weeks later and threw the bastard down in two point eight seconds, set an arena record too. Son of a bitch steer!"

I like Emmett. His Texas drawl is thick and he uses expressions like "well, blow my dress up" which caused another roar of laughter from out table. He stood up to talk when he was telling us about the bulldogging-gone-bad and he's got just the front of his ultra tight t-shirt tucked in his jeans. His jeans are also a little on the snug side and it's pretty obvious that Rose wasn't entirely joking when she made the reference to a Pepsi can. He also wore a new championship trophy belt buckle and when he turned around his jeans hugged his tight, firm ass just right. His ass looked like you could bounce a quarter off of it. His jeans were a dirty wash and had loose legs, but his well muscled thighs filled them out anyway. They were distressed around the pockets and hems. Despite his height, he bought the jeans long enough that the hems at the bottom of the legs drug the ground, which added to the distressed look. I'm pretty sure he bought them long enough that they wouldn't ride up when he was on a horse and expose the shaft of his boots. He had on black, square toe Lucchese boots that were made from full quill ostrich leather. His look was all together urban cowboy-esque. He looked like he'd fit right in behind the chutes at a rodeo, on a Harley riding through the strip in Vegas or hanging out in Los Angeles at a Nickelback concert.

Eventually, the conversation than shifts back to me, "So Bella, now that you are back what are your plans?" Jasper asks.

Before I can answer Alice screams, "Bella just bought a horse and she is getting back into barrel racing!"

"Really Bella?" Rose says with one eyebrow cocked up.

"Uh yeah, I did buy a horse but trust me when I say she is a project. It'll be awhile before I am back competing like I was used to. I actually have an appointment Thursday to get her checked out by Dr. Cullen." When I said that name, you could hear a pin drop. Rose and Alice just look at each other and start giggling.

"Alright guys what is so funny? You are making me nervous should I not take my horse to him?"

"Oh no, no Bella it is nothing like that! Dr. Cullen, well, um... let's just say that not only is he the best equine vet in the state but he is also extremely good looking for an older man. I always tag a ride over there when Jasper is taking Stroker to get checked out. I just like to stare at the yumminess that is Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

"Rosalie Hale! You are so bad!" I laugh shaking my head.

Alice chimes in, "I heard that Dr. Cullen's son is moving here. Rumor has it he is joining his dad at the clinic. If the son looks anything like the dad, whoa mama! That is all I am going to say." Jasper cocks an eyebrow at Alice. I can't help but smile, thinking maybe Alice's crush was not all that one-sided after all. Emmett's voice broke me away from watching the eye fucking going on between Jasper and Alice.

"Yeah, Edward Cullen, Jasper and I know him. He went to A & M with us. We ran into him a few times at the Vet School whenever we were there with a horse from the college rodeo team that needed tended to. He was also dating a girl on the rodeo team, but for the life of me I can't remember her name. Nice enough guy though. Serious as all hell, I believe he and his family are originally from Chicago. They moved to Texas so his dad could grow his equine practice. I had no idea that Dr. Cullen ended up here in Arizona though." Emmett finishes up his beer and leans back and starts circling his finger on Rose's back.

We polish off the last round and decide to call it night, but not before exchanging numbers and promising to get together again this weekend. Rose wants to ride out and take a look at Phoenix and visit with Renee. I notice Jasper and Alice talking privately in the corner. I laugh to myself again, knowing it is just a matter of time before they are a couple.

~*~*~*~

End Note: Next chapter coming Thursday. Thanks to everyone that has added my story to their story alerts I love ya'll hard!

Reviews are to me like Emmett's tattoo's are to him!