A/N Alright... it's been a really busy week but here's another chapter for you. Thank you so much to everyone for reading it! You are all amazing! Also, a special thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter! I loved them all! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please review! Thanks! :)
Chapter 44 – Plans
Edward couldn't get over how truly amazing Bella was. It seemed like every time she opened her mouth to speak, she touched his heart even more than before. Every look she gave him, filled with so much love and adoration, made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. Bella was his and had promised to be his forever.
He smiled as he finished frying up some hash browns and bacon and placed a few eggs in a pan to cook. Breakfast for lunch was something he didn't usually do, but he and Bella had been a little distracted this morning. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he remembered and had to readjust his jeans.
While he was cooking Bella breakfast, she used the phone in the kitchen to call and check in with Charlie. From what he could hear of the one-sided conversation, the cleanup at the Swan residence was going well. It sounded like Carlisle had taken the afternoon off from the hospital and was there again to help with whatever he could.
"Dad, I'm so glad that you have Carlisle in your life. He and Esme are both truly incredible people."
"Oh, I agree completely! I think I can come up with something delicious to make for them. Could we do it on Saturday night? Edward wanted to take me to Port Townsend on Friday to celebrate my birthday. We wanted to go to dinner and then catch a late movie. After that, we were going to stay at the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at the night we got stuck in the storm. I meant to mention it to you before now, but with everything that's happened in the last few days, it kind of slipped my mind. Is that okay?"
"Thanks Daddy!"
"No, that should be fine. I'll make enough for everyone. Can you ask Carlisle with Rosalie and Emmett will be down from Seattle for the weekend, too?"
"Okay, so we'll plan on having Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, you, Edward and I. Is there anyone from work you wand to invite to make it an even ten?"
"Oh come on dad! Isn't there anyone at the station you'd want to invite? What about that receptionist… what's her name? Charlotte? She's single, isn't she?"
"Alright, suit yourself but you're going to feel like you're the odd man out on Saturday."
"Yeah, Edward is making me lunch right now and then I think we were going to head over there. Do you want us to bring you guys something to eat?"
"Oh, no! It's no problem at all! We'd be happy to bring something for you guys. We can stop by the Lodge and grab a couple of burgers to go for you. Do you want some pie too?"
"Okay, what about Carlisle?"
"Alright, two cheeseburgers with fries, two slices of apple pie, and two cokes. Anything else?"
"Great! We'll be there within the hour then."
"Yeah, we'll be careful, I promise."
"I love you too, Daddy! We'll see you soon."
While she was still on the phone, he had served up two plates, each with a pile of hash browns, two strips of bacon, and two eggs over easy. He placed one on the breakfast bar in front of Bella and watched as her eyes lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning. It made him feel warm inside that it was so easy to please her.
Before she dug into her meal, she jumped up from the barstool and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his chest. "Thank you, babe," she whispered.
He felt her smile against his chest and he returned her embrace, kissing the top of her head. He inhaled deeply, reveling in the delicious scent that was one hundred percent Bella. Reluctantly, he let her go. When he saw her lip jet out of her mouth in a pout, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Love, you're breakfast is going to get cold and I worked hard on it. What happened to being starved, anyway?" he continued to chuckle. "That and if I heard correctly, you told your dad that we'd be there within an hour and that we'd stop by the Lodge to grab a couple of burgers. That means that we need to leave here in thirty minutes if we want to make it there in time."
He leaned in and kissed her adorable pout before sitting beside her and digging into his meal. He couldn't really cook much, but what he was able to cook, was pretty good.
When he was finished eating, he took his plate to the sink and rinsed it before placing it in the dishwasher. After doing the same with Bella's he turned to ask her about the conversation with Charlie.
"So… what did your dad say about Port Townsend on Friday night? He seemed okay with it. Did he mention if mom said anything to him about it?" he remembered asking Esme to talk to Charlie to make sure it was okay with him. She hadn't said anything either way, so he wasn't sure if she had had a chance to bring it up or not yet.
As much as he liked the chief, he still wasn't quite comfortable with asking to take his daughter out of town for a night. Charlie wasn't a moron and Edward realized that he probably knew that he and Bella were intimate, but actually asking to take his daughter to a motel was way out of his comfort zone.
She smiled her breathtaking smile at him before answering his question. "Babe, you are so adorable. Are you worried about my dad knowing you're taking me to a motel to ravish me?" When she said it like that, he couldn't help but turn beet red. She could read him so well and knew that was exactly what was worrying him.
"Babe, my dad is fine with us and everything that goes with that. I admit, he may not be easy to talk to about it, but he understands. He did say that Esme mentioned something about it to him but didn't go into details." She wrapped her arms around his waist before she continued. "He also said that you are a sweet man and I have to agree with him on that. He's fine with us going and said to have fun."
Edward's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?" he asked her, holding her tightly to his chest.
She nodded her head against him. "Yes, really." He could hear how happy she was by the sound of her voice and it made him ecstatic. He knew he wanted to make Friday night one that Bella would never forget.
Remembering the rest of their conversation, he thought of something else that was a bit confusing. "Okay, so what's going on Saturday? I heard you mentioning something about it," he asked.
"Oh, my dad and I thought it would be a good idea to do something special for your family because of all the support Carlisle and Esme have offered lately. He suggested dinner and I told him I should be able to make something delicious for everyone. Rosalie and Emmett will be down from Seattle to visit for the weekend, so there will be nine of us total."
She was the sweetest woman on the planet and if it were possible, he loved her even more than before. "Love, look at me please," he told her as he gently used his index finder to tilt her face up towards his. "You are incredible. Even with everything that's happened in the last two days, you're still thinking about my family. How did I get so lucky?" He leaned down to bring his lips to hers and kissed her sweetly. "I love you, Bella; with all my heart. Thank you!"
…..
While Edward was making her bacon and eggs, she took the opportunity to call Charlie to see how he was doing on the house. He finally picked up the phone after four rings, but sounded a little breathless. She assumed he had been upstairs when she called.
"Hey, Dad, it's me. How's it going?" she asked him.
"Oh, hey Bells! It's definitely going. Carlisle took the afternoon off work and is over here helping. We were just upstairs painting your room, actually." That confirmed Bella's suspicions that he was upstairs. It also melted her heart that Carlisle was there again to help her dad.
"Dad, I'm so glad that you have Carlisle in your life. He and Esme are both truly incredible people," she told him. It was no wonder they had such an amazing family with the way they put everyone else's needs before their own.
"I know Bells, I know. They really are amazing people. That's why I wanted to run something by you." He paused for a quick second before continuing. "I was thinking we should make dinner for them sometime this weekend, you know, to show our appreciation for everything they've done; Carlisle especially. What do you think?"
"Oh, I agree completely! I think I can come up with something delicious to make for them." She was actually excited because this would be the first time she'd get to cook for Edward. Then she remembered that he wanted to take her back to Port Townsend on Friday and thought she'd better mention it to Charlie now.
"Could we do it on Saturday night? Edward wanted to take me to Port Townsend on Friday to celebrate my birthday. We wanted to go to dinner and then catch a late movie. After that, we were going to stay at the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at the night we got stuck in the storm."
She hesitated for an instant, knowing she should have brought the trip up sooner. "I meant to mention it to you before now, but with everything that's happened in the last few days, it kind of slipped my mind. Is that okay?" She hated to ask for his permission because she was a legal adult now, but she also didn't want to be disrespectful by not at least giving him the impression that his opinion mattered.
She knew that even if he said she couldn't go, she would end up going anyway. She loved Edward more than anything in this world, and even though she didn't want to ruin things with Charlie, she knew she would if she had to.
Charlie took a second to answer, but when he did, Bella was ecstatic. "Bella, I like Edward a lot. He's already proven he wants to take care of you and loves you as much as I do. Of course it's okay with me if Edward takes you out Friday night."
She could hear the smile in his voice as he said it and couldn't contain her excitement. "Thanks Daddy!" she nearly squealed.
"Okay, so about Saturday night dinner – I was thinking that since Alice went with us to Port A yesterday and helped you pick our your new clothes, we should include her when we do the dinner and that would mean her boyfriend too. Is that too many people for you to cook for?" he asked her.
"No, that should be fine. I'll make enough for everyone. Can you ask Carlisle with Rosalie and Emmett will be down from Seattle for the weekend, too?" She figured if she should find out if they would be down from college this weekend for a visit. If they were, she'd cook for them too.
Charlie set the phone down for a second and then yelled upstairs to Carlisle. Bella could hear his muffled voice but not what he was saying. When he came back on the line he said, "Carlisle says yes, Rosalie and Emmett will be down for the weekend and that they would love it if you made dinner for all of them."
"Okay, so we'll plan on having Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, you, Edward and I. Is there anyone from work you wand to invite to make it an even ten?" she asked, knowing that her dad was lonely. Things had been good when she was home all the time, but she could still a void deep in the recesses of his eyes that needed to be filled. Charlie needed to find someone to love, whether he admitted it or not.
Charlie laughed into the phone. "No Bells, I'm good. Thanks though."
"Oh come on dad! Isn't there anyone at the station you'd want to invite? What about that receptionist… what's her name? Charlotte? She's single, isn't she?"
Charlie's laughter faded and he actually raised his voice when he answered. "Isabella Marie Swan, I do not want or need to bring a date on Saturday. I am perfectly happy just spending time with you and the Cullen's." His tone abruptly ended the discussion.
"Alright, suit yourself but you're going to feel like you're the odd man out on Saturday," she told him feeling somewhat shut out.
Charlie instantly apologized. "I'm sorry Bells, I just don't need my eighteen-year-old daughter trying to set me up on a date." He took a deep breath and then changed the subject. "So are you planning to come over here today? We could sure use the extra help."
"Yeah, Edward is making me lunch right now and then I think we were going to head over there." She realized that they probably hadn't had anything to eat and instantly felt bad. "Do you want us to bring you guys something to eat?" she asked.
Charlie seemed to think about it for a minute before he answered her. "No Bella. Don't worry about it. The last thing I want to do is put you or Edward out. I'm sure we can find something here to whip up pretty quick…"
"Oh, no! It's no problem at all!" she interrupted him. "We'd be happy to bring something for you guys." She thought for a second and then added, "We can stop by the Lodge and grab a couple of burgers to go for you. Do you want some pie too?"
"Thanks Bells. You totally spoil me even though I don't deserve it. Apple is fine for me," he told her.
She had figured as much for Charlie but had no idea what kind of pie Carlisle would like so she decided to ask. "Okay, what about Carlisle?"
Again, she heard Charlie set the phone down and then shout something she couldn't quite make out. When he came back he said, "Apple is fine with Carlisle, too. Can you also grab us a couple of cokes please? The ones we had in the fridge here are currently all over the countertops and floor."
"Alright, two cheeseburgers with fries, two slices of apple pie, and two cokes. Anything else?" she asked him wanting to make sure he didn't need anything else.
"No Bells," he told her. "That's plenty already."
"Great! We'll be there within the hour then." She was happy that he was letting her help him at all. Usually he was so stubborn he refused any kind of help.
She was about to tell him good-bye when he cleared his throat. "Um, Bella? Please be careful," he begged. "We still don't know who the creep was that's behind all this.
She was touched by his concern, but then he'd always been that way. It must have been the cop in him. "Yeah, we'll be careful, I promise."
He seemed satisfied with that and said, "I know you will baby girl. I love you."
"I love you too, Daddy! We'll see you soon." She hung up the phone with a smile on her face. When Edward had placed a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns down in front of her, her eyes grew wide. It looked and smelled delicious. When she finally hung up the phone, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him and kissed his chest softly before whispering a thank you.
She reveled in the feeling of his returning her embrace and the fact that he was breathing in her scent. When he released her and pulled back slightly she started felt her lip stick out in a pout. She was never happier than when Edward was holding her and when he wasn't it was hard on her; she couldn't help it.
She looked up and saw that Edward was laughing but she knew he wasn't laughing at her. "Love, you're breakfast is going to get cold and I worked hard on it. What happened to being starved, anyway?" He smiled down at her and continued. "That and if I heard correctly, you told your dad that we'd be there within an hour and that we'd stop by the Lodge to grab a couple of burgers. That means that we need to leave here in thirty minutes if we want to make it there in time."
He bent down and kissed her lips before gesturing for her to sit. He sat beside her and they ate in companionable silence. When they were finished, he rinsed their plates and set them in the dishwasher before he turned back to her.
"So…" he started, sounding somewhat nervous. "What did your dad say about Port Townsend on Friday night? He seemed okay with it. Did he mention if mom said anything to him about it?"
He was so cute when he was nervous and she couldn't help but tease him a little. "Babe, you are so adorable. Are you worried about my dad knowing you're taking me to a motel to ravish me?" He blushed such a pretty shade of red at her words and she started to feel bad for embarrassing him.
"Babe," she told him, "my dad is fine with us and everything that goes with that." She took a deep breath as she herself realized that what she was saying was true. "I admit, he may not be easy to talk to about it, but he understands.
"He did say that Esme mentioned something about it to him but didn't go into details." Wrapping her arms around his waist, she continued. "He also said that you are a sweet man and I have to agree with him on that. He's fine with us going and said to have fun."
He seemed to really perk up at her words and held her tightly to his chest. "Really?" he asked with a smile in his voice.
She smiled too as she nodded against him. "Yes, really." She was so content here in his arms that nothing else really mattered.
When Edward spoke again, it pulled her out of her reverie. "Okay, so what's going on Saturday? I heard you mentioning something about it."
She smiled, knowing that this was going to come up. "Oh, my dad and I thought it would be a good idea to do something special for your family because of all the support Carlisle and Esme have offered lately. He suggested dinner and I told him I should be able to make something delicious for everyone. Rosalie and Emmett will be down from Seattle to visit for the weekend, so there will be nine of us total."
Using his index finger under her chin, he tilted her face up to his as he spoke. "Love, look at me please." When she lifted her eyes to meet him, he went on. "You are incredible. Even with everything that's happened in the last two days, you're still thinking about my family. How did I get so lucky?" She felt like she melted into a puddle of goo right then and there as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you, Bella; with all my heart. Thank you!"