Chapter 6

Edward grabbed Bella by the hand and lead her into the passenger seat of his car with a smile. He nudged Renesme playfully with his elbow as she climbed into the back seat with Jacob. They both smiled and had made up from their fight days ago. Edward could see that the two of them understood each other much better after the long talk they'd had the night before. He found himself feeling truly happy about that.

"So where are we going exactly?" Jacob asked. He looked at Renesme, then to Edward, who made his way in behind the wheel.

"A little place downtown. Mill Creek." He told them, starting the car.

"It's a bar," Bella told them.

"Yes!" Jacob said jokingly.

Edward smiled and looked at him in the rearview mirror.

"Dad's going to play the piano and Mase is going to sing." Renesme told him.

Jacob laughed, "This is going to be good."

Bella looked over her shoulder at him and shook her head, "They're pretty good together Jake."

"What are you going to do? Piano Man?"

"Actually..." Bella said with a laugh, "Yeah."

"You're kidding me, right?" Jacob said. He looked at Renesme, who smiled but shook her head at him too.

"They're so good," she insisted.

"I'll be the judge of that," Jacob continued to smirk and stared out the window, "We still have some patches of sun coming through."

"They'll be gone in ten minutes," Edward told him.

Their car cruised through the town and ended up downtown. Edward found a spot on the side of the road and parallel parked across the street from Mill Creek. The place was somewhat crowded, though it was still early and being a Saturday night in the summer, he was sure it would be packed by the time ten o'clock rolled around.

Masen and Leah were walking into the place just as the four of them crossed the street.

"Hey," Masen said, holding the door for all of them. He high fived Edward, "Ready?"

"It's been awhile since I've done modern music in public," Edward said with a grin.

"Modern?" Bella laughed, shaking her head.

"It's modern to me," he smiled, winking at her, "I forget sometimes how long I've been on this earth."

Bella smiled up at him and gave him a kiss. He stayed close to her face, asking for another without words. She continued to give him the small public display of affection before they headed into the bar.

"Don't you just love it when they do that Ness?" Jacob asked.

She waved a hand at him, "I don't care."

"Where's Michael?" Jacob asked.

"He didn't feel comfortable," Edward told them. He looked around as they walked into the place.

"Getting stage fright there... Dad?" Jacob joked. His teeth aligned in a perfect cheek to cheek smile.

"Jacob.." Edward started, through gritted teeth.

"Will you knock it off," Bella said to both of them.

Renesme and Jacob made their way across the place to where Seth and Luciana sat together. They noticed Jasper and Alice across the way getting a cocktail at the bar. Their silhouettes were easy to make out in the dim light that hung over the dive joint that provided some of the best entertainment for the small town. Carlisle and Emmett sat together at another table close by and gave a wave.

"Where are Rosalie and Esme?" Edward asked as they approached.

"Yeah, they weren't at home," Bella added.

"Male strip club," Emmett joked.

Carlisle shook his head, "Yes. That's exactly where they are."

"Took a walk with the kiddos," Emmett told them, "Down at the beach. Since we're allowed there now and all."

Bella sat down to join them, while Edward went up to where Masen chatted with one of the owners of the place. Leah was on his arm, then decided to sit with Bella across from Emmett and Carlisle. She looked over adoringly at Masen, admiring his shaggy, curly blond hair that sat perfectly under his baseball hat. A hint of jealousy passed through her when she thought of all the younger women at the place that would soon be staring at her man. They would undoubtedly find him attractive.

Bella noticed a little look of worry on Leah's face and nudged her, "What's wrong?"

Leah laughed, "Nothing." She fiddled with the ring on her finger, then whispered, "Don't you hate knowing that everyone's going to be checking them out?"

Bella giggled, and Emmett laughed hearing her concern. A smile crossed Carlisle's face as well.

"I used to a little," she admitted, "I got jealous a few times, but it doesn't really matter who checks them out. They're with us. They want us."

Emmett snickered again and Bella kicked at him under the table, catching Carlisle in the leg instead. He winced with a smile, surprised at her action.

"Oh, sorry Carlisle," she said, embaressed.

Emmett let out a brief high pitched laugh, "Good job Bella."

"It's fine," Carlisle told her. He elbowed Emmett in the side, drawing a look of pain on his face, "Is that what you were going for?"

Bella laughed, "Exactly what I was going for."

"Now it's your turn to hit Bella for me," Emmett told Leah, "Come on. Two on two here."

Leah laughed and shook her head.

Jasper and Alice made their way toWARD the rest of them, "Hey guys. We're going to stand in the back over there," Alice told them, "No room over here."

"You can sit here," Carlisle offered.

"No, it's fine," Alice smiled, "It's not like we'll get tired of standing or anything."

Jasper grinned and followed her, keeping her protectively close from all the wandering eyes of the men in the place.

A few acts went up to the empty space where everyone had been performing that night. Some sang country songs; others covered rock songs from the eighties and nineties. The atmopshere was fun and upbeat and most of the crowd got into the singers and rockers that played one or two songs for everyone's entertainment.

"Popcorn?" A young waitress yelled over the music, looking around the table at Bella and Leah, then Carlisle and Emmett.

"No, thanks," Carlisle told her.

"She's trying to cut back on the calories," Emmett joked, pointing to Bella, "She's a little chunky." He grinned at her.

"Thanks Emmett," Bella said with a closed mouth grin. She kicked him successfully in the shin this time and threw a peanut shell at him that had managed to survive from the last group of people who sat there.

The waitress seemed mildly amused and smiled as she wandered to the next table to see if anyone else needed anything.

"Bella?" A voice came from across the room.

She turned and saw her friend Angela from high school.

"Oh my gosh," Bella stood up, "Angela."

They hugged and Angela smiled, "How have you been? How's married life?"

She chuckled, "Good."

"Where is the hubby anyway?" She looked around and waved at everyone else.

"He's, uh, about to play the piano."

"Sweet!" Angela said with a smile. She looked over to where Bella was now pointing, "Still just as gorgeous," she whispered.

Bella smiled and shrugged.

"Who's the guy he's with?"

"Oh, that's, uh, that's Masen."

"Related?"

"Yeah. He's Carlisle's nephew."

"Hottie," she said, "Taken?"

Bella laughed, "Very taken actually," she motioned to Leah, "That's his fiance. Leah."

"Damn," Angela said with a laugh, loud enough, she thought, for just Bella to hear.

"Not with Eric?" Bella asked with a smile.

"Ehh, we were better off as friends," Angela told her, "And we still are. We've hung out a few times this summer, but I'm going back to school in like a week."

"Gotcha, gotcha. Well..."

"It was great seeing you. If you ever want to catch up..."

"I'll call you."

"Defiintely. And I can't wait to see Edward and..."

"Masen."

"Yeah. They're going to kill it." She smiled and hugged Bella again before making her way back toward her group of friends.

Bella slid back into the booth.

"Told you," Leah said, "I knew everyone was going to think he's hot."

She laughed, "She said Edward was hot too."

"He only has eyes for you, Leah," Carlisle assured her.

"I know," she smiled, "I hate that I'm so jealous."

"You're a piece of cake compared to Rosalie," Emmett laughed.

A young man with a white t-shirt and jeans, covered by an open plaid buttondown stood up at the microphone. He tapped it once and took a swig from his Bud Light, "Ready for the next act?"

There were cheers from around the bar and a few people raised their glasses.

"We have a bar room classic tonight folks," he raised his bottle, "Give it up for Piano Man!"

"I love this song," someone said from across the place.

Edward had a harmonica propped on the piano stand and his fingers traced the keys before he started blowing into it, starting off the classic Billy Joel song. A few cheers gathered around the room.

Bella smiled to herself, admiring Edward as he carefully played each note. She was shocked when Masen started singing, not realizing how nice his voice was, "It's nine o'clock on a Saturday... regular crowd shuffles in.. there's an old man sitting next to me... making love to his tonic and gin..."

Emmett let out a loud cheer as Edward continued on with the harmonica. Carlisle raised his eyebrows, apparently just as shocked at his son's talent. He turned to Leah for a moment, who smiled back at him and clapped her hands.

As the song went on and the crowd began to chime in, "Sing us a song you're the piano man... sing us a song tonight.. well we're all in the mood for a melody.. and you've got us feeling alright..."

Bella couldn't take her eyes off of her husband as his hands graced the piano keys. He was completely in his element and focused solely on the music. The two of them sounded great together.

Alice and Jasper creeped back closer to the family, and Alice began to sing along, encouraging everyone else to in the area. She gave Carlisle a wink and egged him on until he started singing with them.

The song finished a few minutes later and everyone in the place cheered for Edward and Masen. They made their way back to their family with smiles.

"You guys sounded great," Bella gushed. She wrapped her arms around Edward and kissed him.

"Yeah, that was great," Carlisle said enthusiastically.

Masen pulled Leah into his side and kissed her on the cheek.

"This is so fun!" Alice said loudly above the noise.

The same guy from earlier climbed back to the microphone to introduce the next person who was about to cover a Bon Jovi song.

"Let's stay down here all night," Masen said with a smile.

"You guys stay down here all night," Carlisle said. He patted his son on the back, "I'm going to head home."

"Same," Emmett said, "But that was a kickass song guys." He high fived Masen.

"You guys staying?" Masen asked everyone.

"We'll stay," Jasper said with a grin.

Jacob and Renesme, and Seth and Luciana agreed too.

"We might stay for a few," Edward said in a leery voice, looking to Bella for approval. When she shrugged and nodded, they waved goodbye to Carlisle and Emmett and enjoyed the rest of the night on the town.