AN: Hi everyone, Happy MLK Day to those of you in the States. Here is the latest installment. I hope you all enjoy.

Special thanks go out to Mac214 for kickin' my ass… you would think that my punctuation would of gotten better by now, but it hasn't.

p.s. I do not own the characters of Twilight… I just like playing with them.

*Eifeltwr*

Previously…

"Damn, you're good, Cullen," I said grinning, as I leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. "Let's do this. Let's be together. We owe it to ourselves to see where this will lead."

Edward smiled brightly. "I know it's going to be hard since we live hours apart. But I can promise you I want you and nothing but you. I hope you can trust me with your heart. I guarantee I will take care of it better than my own."

My mind and body seemed to liquefy at his words. He wants to be with me. He wants my heart! "Only on one condition." He arched an eyebrow. "You can have my heart, but only if you promise I can have yours." I stated boldly.

Edward let out a sigh. "You have always had my heart, and you always will," he said, as he leaned in for a kiss.

Second Chances Never Looked So Good ~ Chapter Four

Edward and I remained wrapped around each other on the couch for the majority of the day, watching movies and talking softly. As twilight rolled in I realized I still needed to bake the pies for my mom's Thanksgiving dinner the following night.

Not wanting to disrupt the peaceful bubble in which we had been secluded, I whispered, "Edward." Nothing… hmm, he didn't seem to hear me.

"Edward," I said just a tad louder. Still nothing.

"Edward," I yelled, lightly jabbing his side with my elbow. FINALLY… I had his attention.

His confused face turned towards me. "Did you say something," he asked sheepishly.

"Nope, nothing." I laughed while trying to extricate myself from his hold.

"I think you are lying, my beautiful Bella," he answered, his fingers attacking my sides.

I squirmed, trying to get away from his tickling fingers. "Fine… fine! Plea… please stop tickling me," I gasped out between laughing fits. His fingers stopped. Thank goodness. I was about ready to pee my pants.

"So Bella, what did you say?"

"Actually, all I said was your name. But it took three tries and an elbow jab to get you to respond. What were you thinking about?" I asked as I searched his face for an answer. A slight blush filled his cheeks. I didn't want to embarrass him, but I couldn't ignore it either. I lightly ran the tips of my fingers along his cheeks, my fingers warming on contact.

Edward cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "I was actually thinking of how much I'm going to miss you when I leave here on Monday." Queue the swooning… holy fuck!

"I'm going to miss you too," I said softly. "But let's not think of that now, okay? We still have four days. Let's focus on that. We'll figure the rest out later." Edward turned his head and kissed the palm of my hand.

"So Edward, let's get serious here for a moment," I said sternly. "What are our plans for tomorrow? Do we go our separate ways for our family dinners?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"What I mean is I want you to meet my parents, and I want to meet yours. I know it seems kind of early to do so, but Bella, you and I have known each other for what, nine years? Granted, we just decided to start dating, but I still want us to spend tomorrow together with our families."

Fuck, what if his parents don't like me? What if they don't think that I am good enough for their son? Wait… you already know his parents. Well, maybe you don't really know them but you know of them. Carlisle and Esme Cullen were prominent citizens of Forks. They were always at the forefront of community activities. I bit my lower lip as I internally debated.

"Okay, let's spend the day with both sets of parents."

Edward released a sigh of relief. "Good, my parents eat late; I was told to be there by 6pm. What time does your family eat?"

"Usually around 1pm. At least our schedules should work out perfectly. Do we need to bring anything to your parent's house? I still need to make a pumpkin and apple pie for dinner at my mom's."

Edward chuckled. "I was told not to worry about bringing anything."

"Hmm… well in that case, we can pick them up a bouquet of flowers? I don't want to go empty handed."

"That sounds perfect," Edward said while nuzzling my neck.

"Good. I need to start making the pies. Would you like to help or watch?"

He chuckled. "I would love to help. Although, I need to be honest with you and say I haven't a clue what I'm doing. I mean, I can cook… somewhat, but not really."

I sat back and eyed him, quickly deciding to give him crap. "If you can't really cook, how do you feed Lizzy-Bear? I'm assuming she eats, right?" I asked while trying to stifle a giggle.

"Yes, she eats. I usually get take out or make frozen stuff I can throw in the microwave."

"A true bachelor," I mumbled. Edward feigned offense and clutched a hand over his heart. "Okay, if you want to learn, I will teach. Let's get to work, Hot Stuff."

I made my way to the kitchen with Edward on my heels. Grabbing the apples and a paring knife, I handed them to Edward. "Can you please peel, core, and slice these apples?" I asked sweetly, batting my eyelashes at him. Why am I batting my eyelashes? Oh well… I guess it can't hurt. Edward gave me a blank stare and tentatively reached for the bag of apples. "Do you want me to show you?" I asked.

"Yes, please," Edward answered, looking relieved. I quickly showed him what I wanted, after which Edward indicated he didn't feel comfortable using the paring knife, so I dug through my utensil drawer until I found a peeler.

As he prepared the apples, I walked into my pantry and secured my apron around my waist. Pulling the ingredients for the pie crust and I dumped them into my mixing bowl. I sank my fingers into the wet dough and mixed it all together.

I felt Edward step behind me, his fingers lightly ghosting down my arms while his chin rested on my shoulder. "Why are you mixing it with your hands?" he asked curiously.

"It's my favorite part. I love the feeling of the dough squishing between my fingers." I laughed as I brought a hand up towards his face, making him quickly step back out of my reach.

I finished mixing and rolling out the dough. Edward helped me combine the ingredients for the pie filling. With the top crust in place, I rolled out a smaller piece of dough and cut out leaf designs using my paring knife. I placed the small leaves, a little egg yolk, and a sprinkle of sugar on top of the pie before placing it in the oven.

After setting the timer I looked over at Edward, who was leaning against the counter staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"You are amazing. Watching you work is breathtaking."

I huffed a little. Take the compliment, Bella! my brain screamed at me. Get over yourself and learn to take credit and praise for what you do. "It's no big deal, Edward." I shrugged my shoulders.

Edward walked towards me, cornering me against the cabinets, each of his arms on either side of my body, effectively blocking me in. "Believe it or not, you are amazing. I will continue to tell you that all day, every day, until you believe me. You have my word on that," he stated seriously.

"If you haven't noticed, I really suck at taking compliments." I sighed as my gaze met his.

"Oh, I've noticed," he chuckled. "One pie down and only one more to go, correct?"

"Correct." I perched up on my tippy toes and placed a sweet, gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Edward," I whispered, ducking under his arms to get the second pie started.

E&B*~*~*~*~*~*E&B

I woke the following morning in pure bliss... Edward. I nuzzled my face into the side of his neck and took in a deep breath. He has got to be the best smelling man. I still wasn't ready for us to have sex. I wanted to make sure what we had was more than physical. Although sleeping next to him is making it extremely difficult to remember why I am putting it off. My fingers lightly drew patterns across his chest, and I sighed in contentment.

"I know what you mean," Edward whispered, his voice raspy with sleep.

"You know what?"

"If I am not mistaken, the sigh you just released was because you are happy. Am I correct?"

I lifted my face away from his neck and propped myself up on my elbow. "That is exactly what it meant," I said, leaning in for a kiss. My tongue lightly grazed his lower lip before entering his beautiful mouth and our tongues collided. Why am I waiting again?

Edward pulled my body on top of his, our legs tangling. My hands gripped his silky hair as our kiss became deeper and more intense. My heart thundered in my chest like a wild stampede of horses. His hands slid under the hem of my tank, and I shivered as his fingers caressed my spine. Edward pulled away. "Are you cold?" he asked as he brought the comforter up around us.

"No, not cold."

"You were shivering."

"Not because I was cold, but because your fingers are like magic." I blushed as I buried my face into his chest. Did I really just say that out loud?

Edward chucked. "Magic, huh? You are so cute, and have I mentioned lately I love your verbal diarrhea?"

"Shut up," I said in mock annoyance as I light slapped his chest. I stole a glance at the clock and groaned. "We need to get up. We have to be at my mom's house in two hours."

E&B*~*~*~*~*~*E&B

Edward and I showered separately. After taking my time getting ready, I walked down the stairs and stopped in my tracks when I caught sight of Edward. Holy fuck, he is one hot specimen of a man. He was clad in charcoal gray dress slacks, a navy blue button up shirt, and shiny black boots. It even looked like he had tried to tame his wild mess of hair.

Edward seemed to notice my staring; his eyes assessing me from head to toe. I was out of my normal comfort zone of jeans and t-shirt, dressed in a deep purple skirt, a black cap sleeved silk top, with little black heels to match. My hair lay in soft curls around my shoulders, half pulled back to keep it out of my face.

Edward and I continued to stare at each other, only breaking the trance when a slow smile started tugging at his mouth. "You look amazing, Bella," he said softly.

"Thank you. You look so handsome in that outfit, but I thought you were a cowboy? Why aren't you wearing Wranglers and a Stetson?"

Edward let out a deep belly laugh. "You are adorable. And to answer your question, yes, I am a cowboy, but I do own slacks. Did you check out my shoes though? These are not just some shit kickers - these are my fancy boots." He lifted a pant leg to show off his boots.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, then I guess that explains it. Let's get a move on." We packed up the pies and headed to Renee's.

"So, who all is going to be there?" Edward asked while I started up my truck. His hand slid over the console and grabbed mine, bringing it to rest on his thigh.

"Um… just my mom, grams, you, and me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my brother lives about 13 hours from here, so they usually only come up around Christmas. My dad is, well… he's not around. My family is really small."

Edward's thumb made circles on the palm of my hand. "My family is small too in fact; I think smaller is better. Can I ask about your dad?"

"Well, he's never really been around. He left my mom when my brother was two and I was barely six months old. When I was younger we saw him twice a year, but once I got old enough to decide for myself, I chose not to continue seeing him."

"Why did you choose not to see him?"

"Every time I went to see him, he would only talk with my brother. He would say hi to me, and then completely ignore me. So, I decided I didn't need someone like that in my life. The last time I saw him was at Emmett's graduation. That was ten years ago."

"I'm sorry. It's his lose. You're an amazing person, Bella, and if he can't see that then you're right, he doesn't deserve to be a part of your life."

Tears started forming in my eyes; thank goodness I had just pulled to a stop in Renee's driveway. I put my truck in park and turned towards Edward. "Thank you, Edward. You always seem know the right thing to say to make me feel better."

Edward's fingers brushed my tears away. "If I say the right thing, then why are you crying?" he asked, concerned.

I laughed. "I'm crying because I honestly can't believe my good luck. You have been brought back into my life. I am so lucky to have you with me right now." I leaned over the console and gave him a kiss.

"I am the lucky one," he said before deepening the kiss.

A knocking on the passenger window startled us both. Edward and I quickly pulled apart to see my mother grinning at us, causing me to immediately blush. Fuck my life. I feel like I'm back in high school.

"Hi, Mom," I yelled through the window as I extricated myself from Edward's hold. I pushed the truck door open and stepped out. "Um, Mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"You will need to back up so Edward can get out of the truck." Renee moved as Edward opened the door.

I made my way to the passenger side and started introductions. "Mom, this is Edward, and Edward, this is my mom, Renee Dwyer." Renee reached out to take Edward's hand and pulled him into an embrace.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me you were bringing a young man with you?"

I blushed. "I guess because I wanted it to be a surprise?" Please don't embarrass me, please don't embarrass me!

"It is so nice to meet you, Edward. I'm sorry to say my daughter hasn't told me a thing about you."

My face turned beet red, causing Edward to laugh. "It's okay, Ms. Dwyer. Bella and I just recently became reacquainted."

"Oh, you did, did you? You two certainly looked cozy just a few minutes ago. Care to elaborate?" Renee asked, looking back and forth between myself and Edward. Damn, she sure is nosey.

Edward glanced towards me, a grin plastered to his face. "Yeah, Mom, Edward and I went to high school together. We got back in touch through Facebook a couple of months ago. He's here visiting his parents. You know them, Mom - the Cullen's," I clarified. I sure hope that shuts her up. She was always going on about what great work Carlisle and Esme Cullen did for the community.

Realization dawned on Renee's face. "The Cullen's, of course. I know your parents, Edward. They're involved in a lot of the local community charities. Your mother is always bragging about you. What a great man you have become. She also shows off pictures of your daughter, her name is Elizabeth?"

Edward's face lit up at the mention of his daughter. "Yes, that's correct; my parents sure do love to spoil her."

"Is she at your parent's house?" Renee asked.

"No, she is at home spending the holiday with her mother," Edward said, looking slightly sad.

Oh my poor Edward. He is probably missing Lizzy-Bear so much right now. My hand rubbed circles along his lower back, at which Edward looked down at me and brought his arm around my shoulders, snuggling me into his side. Renee looked on with a smile.

"Mom, do you mind if we go inside now?"

"Oh, of course. Sorry."

After grabbing the pies, we made our way inside my childhood home, which smelled of roasted turkey. YUMMY… I love Thanksgiving! Renee took the pies from us. "Go introduce Edward to your Grams. She will be beyond thrilled. She's in the den watching The Food Network."

"Yeah, I bet she will," I said sarcastically.

"What?" Edward asked, grabbing a hold of my hand and lacing our fingers together.

I leaned in closer to him. "My Grams will be excited because I swear to all that is holy… she thinks I'm an old maid."

Edward's eyes danced with amusement. "Well then, we will just have to correct that perception, won't we?"

"Let's get this over with." I tugged Edward to the den. I slid the pocket door open and poked my head inside. I found her sprawled out lengthwise across the couch. "Hey, Grams."

Her head immediately sprang up from the cushions. "Hi, Bel… oh my, who is the handsome man standing behind you?" she asked, quickly standing up and straightening her hair. Edward's chest was flush against my back, and I could feel his chuckle vibrate through his body. Once again… fuck my life.

I introduced Edward to my Grams and tried to resist the urge to continually roll my eyes at her insistent questioning of him. After about ten minutes I couldn't handle it anymore. "Grams, would you please leave Edward alone? You don't have to know his whole life story in ten short minutes. Give him a chance to breath," I huffed while shifting my position on the couch so I was leaning my back into Edward's side.

"So, are you going to tell me?" she asked while giving me a knowing look.

"Tell you what?"

"Bella Marie Swan, don't you what me. You know exactly what I want to know. Are you and Edward dating?"

I huffed and once again felt Edward's chuckle, his face hiding in my hair. "Yes, Grams, Edward and I are dating. Are you happy now?" I elbowed Edward in the side and heard a soft ow muffled by my hair. I couldn't help but start laughing. "Edward, you aren't helping things here. Stop hiding and face my evil grandmother."

Grams looked close to tears, and she never cries. "Oh, Bella, I am so happy for you. You two look so great together. It's about time that you settled down with a good man," she said happily.

Thankfully, I was saved from answering, as my mom stuck her head through the door to announce dinner was ready. Edward laced his fingers with mine as we followed Grams to the dinner table. The food looked amazing. Thanksgiving had always been one of my favorite holidays. My family never had the tradition of saying what we were thankful for, so I wouldn't be embarrassed in front of everyone. I know I would have said I was thankful for Edward. My mind continued to work as I slowly ate my food. Is Edward as thankful for me as I am for him?

My mom's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "So, Edward, what made you decide to start up a ranch?" she asked as she served up the pie.

"Well, I always knew I wanted to have a job working outside. Plus, I have always loved horses. While I was in college agriculture seemed like it might be a good choice. After a lot of thought, I decided to put those two together, the outdoors and horses. I found a 100 acre spread of land just outside of Portland, bought half a dozen horses, and it took off from there. We specialize in training and breeding horses and now have about 30 horses, a full crew of ranch hands, and a ranch foreman."

It seemed no matter how many times I heard Edward explain his ranch, I was always in awe. My mom was the first to speak up. "Wow, you must be extremely proud of your hard work."

Edward shrugged his shoulders, causing me to giggle. I leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "Now who is it that can't take a compliment?"

Edward laughed and grabbed my hand under the table. "Me," he said softly before turning back to my mother. "Yes, I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish."

Both my mom and Grams were staring at us. "What?" I asked, clearly not amused.

"Nothing," they chimed together.

I rolled my eyes and caught a glance at my watch. It was almost five. "Um, okay, on that note, Edward and I need to leave soon. We are going to the Cullen's for dinner."

"You are going to eat another dinner?" my mom asked.

"Yeah, Mom, how long have you known me? Let's say about 27 years – give or take – and have you ever seen me turn down food?" I smiled sweetly.

"Oh… Oh… that reminds me," my mom suddenly yelled and went running from the room. Christ almighty… abort! Please not the baby albums!

I pulled Edward from his chair. "Edward, we need to leave NOW."

His startled face looked at me. "Why?"

"Just trust me, okay? We have to leave, please?"

"I got it," my mom giggled as she ran back into the room. She was holding a photo album.

"God damn it," I hissed and shot an annoyed look at my family and especially Edward, who was now huddled with Renee and Grams looking at my baby photos. I slumped back into my chair. Seriously, does she really need to embarrass me? I should have found that book when we got here and hidden it.

"Oh, Bella, you were so adorable as a baby. Look at you. You look like a little bird waiting to be fed," Edward cooed.

"Fuck you, Cullen," I said while giving him my number one salute, causing him to laugh.

"Bella," my mom chastised.

I knew exactly which picture he was talking about. I was barely a year old and sitting on my grandpa's lap. He had just brought a fork full of cake to his mouth. My head was tilted back, my mouth wide open, and my little hands tried to grab his fork. That picture has haunted me for years.

Finally, when the book was closed I quickly gathered up my coat and Edward and shuffled us towards the front door. "Thanks for dinner, Mom," I yelled, slamming the door shut behind us.

"Bella, that was rude. I didn't even get to say goodbye to your mom or grandma," Edward huffed.

"They'll get over it. Come on, Hot Stuff, we need to stop and pick up some flowers and make it to your parent's house in 30 minutes."

I didn't even realize with it being Thanksgiving and living in a small town absolutely nothing would be open. Damn me and my crazy ass luck. I hate showing up empty handed, but I guess there is nothing I can do about it now.

"Bella, don't worry about it. You don't have to bring my parent's anything," Edward said in hopes of relieving my angst. It didn't work. It didn't help that I was nervous as hell to meet them.

I glanced over to Edward. "Do they know I'm coming?"

"Sort of. When I saw them on Tuesday, I said I hoped you would be coming. I haven't talked with them since." His hand gripped mine tightly. "You have nothing to be nervous about. Just be yourself and they'll love you."

My body relaxed slightly at Edward's words. It's not like I've never met them before. For goodness sakes, I've lived in Forks all of my life and have met them on several occasions throughout the years. It's just that this is the official meeting of the boyfriend's parents for the first time. It means so much more.

Edward pointed to the secluded driveway; I slowly made my way up, trying to steel myself against my nerves. I seriously hope I don't throw up my dinner.

We pulled up in front of a gorgeous, two story, white house with black, shiny shutters and a deep red front door. A beautiful porch wrapped around the front. I saw a light flicker in one of the front windows and saw a silhouette of someone looking through. I gathered all of my strength, smiled, and gave a small little wave.

Edward looked over his shoulder and started laughing. "That would be my mom. Come on, my beautiful Bella," Edward said as he got out of the truck. He waited until I came around to his side before he put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him as we walked to the front door. Turning my face to look at him, he leaned down and gave me a chaste kiss just as the door opened. I, of course, blushed.

"Edward, your father and I are so glad to have you home," Esme said, giving him a hug and then turning to me. "And Bella, you look as beautiful as ever. I am so honored to have you here with us tonight."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Cullen."

"Esme, please, dear heart," she insisted.

"Esme," I answered as she led Edward and me into the house, "your home is beautiful."

"Thank you, dear. Now Edward, why don't you take Bella in to see your father? I have a few things left to do before dinner is ready."

"Can I help with anything?" I asked, not quite sure if I was even ready to have a one -on-one with Esme, but offering nonetheless.

"No, thank you. Please relax and enjoy the company." With that she turned and headed to what I assumed was the kitchen.

Edward's grip on my waist tightened a bit. I looked up into his face. "See now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I huffed out a sigh. "No, but I still have one more to go."

"Come with me, and I'll get you a drink." Edward led me through a beautiful hallway with gleaming hardwood floors and cream colored walls lined with large black and white prints. Edward continued pulling me further through the house until we came into a huge living room. A fire was roaring in the hearth. The room was artfully decorated with a cream-colored sofa and love seat, a black coffee table with matching end tables covered with family photos, vases, and silver candle sticks. It was as if I was walking through the home of my dreams.

A throat cleared, and I focused my attention on Carlisle Cullen. Trying to make up for my unintended rudeness, I quickly thrust my hand out. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Cullen."

Carlisle chuckled. "It's Carlisle, Bella. It's great to see you too. I cannot tell you how excited Esme and I were to find out you might be joining us today. Can I get you both something to drink?"

"I'll just take some water, thank you." I didn't hear Edward answer his father; my eyes were still in sensory overload as my gaze continued to wander around the room. Edward grasped my hand in his, interlocking our fingers, and led me to the sofa. Heaven… I'm in heaven, my mind sang to me as I got comfortable on the plush couch.

"Are you sure all you want is water?" Edward asked, our fingers still twined together.

"Umm… I'm sure."

"It's a beautiful house, isn't it?" Carlisle asked, handing me my drink.

"It sure is. I feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a magazine shoot."

Carlisle and Edward chuckled. Wow, they sound almost identical. "My mom will love to hear that."

"Dinner's ready." Esme's voice sounded from the kitchen.

After settling down at the dinner table, I almost felt bad for having eaten a full meal just an hour or two before… almost. "My goodness, Esme, this food not only smells amazing but it looks amazing. Is cooking something you enjoy?" I asked.

"I really do."

"Mom, did you know that Bella is an amazing baker?"

"I did not. What do you enjoy baking, dear?"

I blushed. "All sorts of things. My favorite are cakes. I've been baking character cakes since I was about 16 years old. I started with a car; well, it was supposed to be a Corvette but turned into more of a VW Bug instead. It's evolved since then. Right now I do birthday cakes and an occasional wedding cake."

"How is it I've never heard of this before?" Esme wondered out loud.

"Well, I've never advertised. I usually just do it for family members or friend's birthdays."

"I would love to see pictures someday," she said.

"I would love that."

Edward's cell phone rang, Elvis singing Daddy Big Boots ringing through the air. Edward's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Go answer it. You can't keep her waiting," I said softly.

Edward swiftly got up from the table to answer his phone. I watched him as he left the room, then feeling two pairs of eyes on me; I turned back to Carlisle and Esme, both with amused expressions on their faces.

"You two make such a beautiful couple," Carlisle mused. Of course, being who I am, my face flushed.

"Thank you."

"Bella, I have to tell you how different Edward has been these last two months. He's had a rough couple of years, getting the ranch started, dealing with Lauren and helping raise Elizabeth. But since he came back into contact with you, it's like he's back to his old self. You make him happy."

I felt on the verge of crying. "He makes me happy too," I choked out.

Edward stalked back into the room, causing the three of us to stare at him. I could tell instantly something was wrong. "I… umm… I need to go."

"What happened? What's wrong?" We all rang out.

Edward's eyes became red. "Lizzy's been in an accident. Lauren is with her at the hospital. They are taking her into surgery… oh God." Edward crumpled to the floor and started sobbing.

I quickly jumped from my chair and crouched down next to him, fighting tears of my own. I wrapped my arms around him and swayed him back and forth while running my fingers through his hair. I looked up and saw Carlisle with his arms wrapped around Esme. "I'm going with you," I said quietly.

When Edward looked up at me, the sight nearly broke my heart. "Don't fight me on this, Cullen. I can't let you drive like this."

Edward cracked a small, sad smile. "You aren't in much better shape than I am," he said as he wiped tears from my face.

"We're coming to. We'll drive ourselves, that way we can bring Bella home." Esme said between sniffles.

Edward glanced towards me and I nodded in agreement. "Come on, let's go. We'll stop by my house and grab our things, then be on our way."

AN: So, how did you all like it? Please take a moment or two to leave me a review… good, bad or ugly.

Thanks to those of you who have given me your thoughts on where you would like to see this story go. Please keep it up, they are helpful!

TTFN ~ *Eifeltwr*