Allright, I said this one would be short… and then Edward got to thinking and Charlie got to talking…. Sigh… so there you have it. It's their fault.

Papa Don't Take No Mess- Fred Wesley and the J.B's

~~oo~~

Chapter 49: I wondered where his gun was.

EPOV

I saw the Chief's truck in the driveway when I pulled up, plastic covering something large in the back. He was coming out of the house when I slid out of my car.

"Edward! Perfect timing!" he called out and slapped me hard across the back. "You can help."

I saw Bella from the porch, her eyes wide and shaking her head slightly.

"Really, Dad," she said quickly. "I can help. You don't have to ask Edward."

"Nonsense," the Chief said, grinning at me. "Need a strong man here to make sure this thing is put together properly."

"Um," I stammered and nodded, not knowing what else to do.

It wasn't like the Chief was going to threaten me while building Bella's bed, was he?

Was he?

"You got all the bedding off your old one?" the Chief called out to Bella as he untied the straps holding her bed in the truck.

"I didn't ask Edward over so he could help put my bed together, Dad," she continued, hands on hips.

She was blushing now too.

I loved it when she blushed.

"I can go call Jake," he said.

And then her blush was gone.

"Eww, no thank you," she muttered and gave me an apologetic look.

"Great! Let's get this in before it rains!" he said and motioned me to one side of the mattress. It wasn't the twin Bella had said he said she was getting.

It was a little bigger.

Something I fought hard not to think about. Instead I looked back at the truck.

"There's no box springs," I added as we started up the porch steps.

"It's a platform bed," Bella said from behind her dad, grinning and waggling her eyebrows.

"Yes," the Chief grumbled. "No place for boys to hide under when they sneak in at night."

My eyes widened and I almost tripped and fell on the stairs, but Bella was already swatting at her dad, covering my slip.

"There wasn't room with my old bed either, Dad," she shot back. "The springs were so worn they almost touched the ground."

"Well, this one won't have that problem," he muttered and then looked at me. "We just have to make sure it doesn't break."

I didn't really know how to respond to the Chief.

I mean, I was the one who probably broke Bella's bed. And if he knew that I had been in there that night.

And he had a gun.

There were plenty of places to dispose of a body in the Olympic Peninsula.

We returned to the truck and heaved the large box full of all the materials to finish off Bella's new bed and made it up the stairs without incident. Bella remained close by, chewing on her thumb and looking between her father and me the whole time.

Her old bed came apart easily. It appeared it really was only put together by four bolts and some luck.

"Bells, why don't you go to my work shop and grab out a couple hammers and some socket wrenches. Says here we need the 15mm sockets," he said, glancing over the instructions before pulling out long pieces of wood.

"I don't think I should go rummaging through your stuff, Dad," she started, only to have him look up at her expectantly. She swallowed and nodded, mouthing apologies to me as she slipped out of the room.

Leaving me alone with the Chief.

I wondered where his gun was.

"So, Edward."

I cringed at those words. I had heard them so many times from Carlisle. I hated to think what Chief Swan would say and think with those two words.

"Yes, sir?"

He didn't look up at me, only handed me one of the boards and pointed at the head of where her bed would go.

"You're seeing my daughter, so I feel the need to lay down some rules here," he said calmly, handing me another board.

"Absolutely, sir. I wouldn't go against anything you asked," I replied quickly, worried he'd ask exactly what I was afraid he would.

"Bella is my little girl, but I know she's grown up. But I didn't get to really see her much as a little girl," he said, glancing up at me warily.

I nodded and let him continue.

"So you have to understand this dating thing is sort of weird for me," he said.

"I can understand that, Chief Swan," I mumbled and took another piece of wood from him.

"But I want her to feel like she can trust me, and not go doing things behind my back, you understand?"

I nodded again.

I should have never snuck in.

I swallowed and waited for him to bring it up.

"She's got a mind of her own, and bless her, she has my determination," he said, shaking his head slightly. "So when she wants something, no one can stop her from getting it."

"I've noticed," I murmured and then cleared my throat. "She has been really courageous in regards to what she has had to deal with about my family. And me."

"I like your mom," he said and frowned. "Your father I will deal with. And your brother… well I hope you aren't like your brother."

He looked up at me, his eyes boring into mine.

"No… no sir," I stammered. I had no idea what he thought of Emmett, but apparently it wasn't good.

He nodded and cracked a smirk.

"I didn't think so," he conceded. "Bells has a pretty good sense about people. It's why I trust her with you when maybe other parents would worry."

"I'd never hurt Bella," I said hurriedly. "I respect her. And I like her a lot. She isn't like other girls."

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, she's not."

"I didn't mean it that way, sir," I replied, stumbling over my words. "I mean she's kind and strong and beautiful and knows what she wants."

He sighed and leaned back into his heels, looking around her room. He looked a little wistful.

"She does. She is. Sometimes I don't see my baby girl, I see the adult she is," he whispered before turning back to me. "I expect you to be good to her."

I nodded, my thoughts on only just that.

"I know you guys will get into mischief," he said and cleared his throat again, glancing at the old bed leaned against the corner. "Just… don't treat my girl to some ham handed back seat fumbling or what have you. I don't want to pull up to your car one night."

He shuddered and frowned at me.

"And I don't want to be a grandpa. I am too young and too much the eligible bachelor for that crap just yet," he said, pointing at me.

"No sir. I wouldn't do that," I rushed out. "Junior is hard enough to manage."

I glanced over at where our flour sack sat, looking down at me with judging slits for eyes.

How long had it been there, watching this awkward conversation?

That thing creeped me out sometimes.

"Well, I just want you to know that whatever Bells wants she usually gets," he said and eased back over the boards to her bed. "I can't pretend that things won't happen. I work nights and all."

I just blinked at him.

I know he wasn't giving us permission to have sex in their house.

Couldn't be.

"Just," he said and I watched as he wrinkled up his nose and shook his head. "I have a gun, boy. Be good to her. And if I hear that you hurt her… Just be respectful and don't make me regret this."

He extended his hand and looked at me expectantly.

"I'll take good care of her, sir," I replied and took his hand. I let him squeeze it hard.

"Good. I hate not being here for her all the time. I trust you'll keep her safe," he said and released my hand, grinning dangerously.

"I'll do my best, Chief Swan," I replied and tried to match his grin.

He had no idea. Or maybe he did.

I'd just have to remember. He had a gun.

"Well, let's get this thing built. And if it breaks, I'm blaming you," he said just as Bella came in, arms full of tools.

She looked from her dad to me, one eyebrow raised.

"No blood?" she asked.

"Not yet," the Chief replied, smirking.

Bella rolled her eyes at him and handed off the tools, taking over for her dad in the reading of the instructions. We spent most of the afternoon up in her room, and while it was a little strange to have her dad there too, it was a learning experience too.

Charlie Swan was not like my dad at all. I could see he cared about his daughter. He was protective of her, but let her do her own thing, regardless of whether he approved or not. I am not sure how he really felt about us dating. No doubt Carlisle had tarnished an already shaky image of me in his mind. But I caught him watching Bella and me many times when she'd smile and hand me something.

He saw everything.

So maybe he saw how much I adored his daughter.

And while I am sure he also knew I was horny as fuck setting up a bed I prayed I'd be in one day very soon with her, he seemed to look past that.

He didn't judge.

On my way out that evening, he shook my hand again, thanking me for helping out. It wasn't as fierce as it had been earlier. I drove home thinking that perhaps Bella had the perfect family life. Regardless of her parents' divorce, they still loved her and wanted the best for her.

Esme wanted that too for us.

I smiled and thought about how much had changed in the last few weeks.

And then the smile turned to a grimace at the thought of Carlisle somehow messing it up.

I wondered when the other shoe would drop.

Hopefully never.

~~oo~~

More soon!

MWAH!

steph