Chapter3 Volleyball and a Revelation
I was up by nine o'clock the next morning. Taking a quick shower, I slipped on a pair of denim capris and a red t-shirt, pushing my feet into my favorite white canvas flats. Grabbing my keys and wallet, I headed out the door to the grocery store. There I purchased a frying hen, and had the butcher cut it up for me. While he did that, I scurried around buying a few nice sized potatoes, a stalk of celery and an onion. I also picked up a dozen eggs, pickle relish, and a small jar of mayo.
I tried watched my fat and carbohydrate intake, so this was a departure for me. But, if I was going to prepare good old southern fried chicken, and my special potato salad, I had to have the right ingredients.
As I headed for the check out, I realized that I had forgotten the main staple of fried chicken…Crisco. This was truly an artery-clogging recipe, but oh so good!
After I got home, I put the potatoes and a few eggs on to boil and started preparing the chicken. By noon, the potato salad was chilling in the fridge and the chicken was resting on a platter on the counter. I'd cleaned everything up and headed to take another shower, I didn't want to smell like grease when Emmett arrived.
I chose a sleek one-piece swimsuit, in deep red and a white cotton cover-up. Red, wedged flip-flops and a white, floppy brimmed, straw hat completed the look.
I had just finished packing the chicken up into a covered bowl and setting the potato salad next to it on the counter, when the phone rang. The caller ID told me who was calling.
"Hi, you," I said to Sheri. "What's up?"
"Well, James and I are going to see a movie this afternoon and wondered if you wanted to come along."
"I'd love to, sweetie, but I've got plans," I replied. "Can I take a rain check?"
"Plans, with whom?" she asked, barley controlling her excitement.
I smiled.
"With Emmett," I replied. "He's taking me for a picnic on the beach."
"Sweet!" she exclaimed. "What beach? Is anyone else going? What are you wearing, that sexy little black bikini?"
"Sheri, no!" I cried. "I'm not sure which beach, he didn't mention anyone else coming, and I'm wearing the red one-piece suit, with a white cover-up."
"Mara," she whined. "You'll never get anywhere that way. You have to wear the bikini!"
"I'm not out to seduce the poor guy," I replied.
"Why the hell not?" she cried. "He's great looking, built like a Greek god, hotter than hell, and, he's definitely interested in you. Pull out all the stops, honey, and go for it!"
"We're still in the getting to know each other stage," I said quietly. "Sheri, I'm still not sure I'm ready for anything deeper. I just want to take it slow."
"Sugar, I saw the look on your face when you opened up that box of flowers," she said knowingly. "You're really interested and I think you should pursue it."
"I…" I started as the doorbell rang. "He's here and I've got to go. I'll call you later."
You'd better." she replied. "And have fun, Love you."
"Love you, too," I said and hung up, just as the doorbell rang again.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I opened the door. I couldn't help but gasp at the sight he made. Every time I saw him I was stunned, again, by his size. He was tall, broad and muscular, without an ounce of fat on his body.
He was wearing blue plaid board shorts with a blue tank top and flip-flops. On his head he wore a tan straw fedora.
I looked up into his face and blushed as I watched him look me up and down. Then he blushed and flashed those beautiful dimples at me when he realized that I'd caught him.
"Well, I guess that we both like what we see," he said with a grin. "I know I do. You look beautiful, sweetness."
"You look pretty good yourself, dimples," I returned shyly.
After a short awkward silence he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck as I stepped back to let him in.
"Are you ready?" he asked, turning to face me.
"Yes," I replied. "The chicken and potato salad are in here."
He followed me into the kitchen and I handed him the bowls.
"Do we need any plates or utensils?" I asked, going to a cabinet. "I have plenty."
"No, I have everything," he said. "There's room in the cooler for these. Anything else you need me to carry?"
That's it," I said, indicating the bowls in his hands.
"Okay then, let's go," he said with a grin and walked to the front door.
I grabbed my beach bag, containing my wallet, towel, sun block and a change of clothes, picked up my keys and oversized sunglasses. After locking the front door, I followed him out to a white Jeep Wrangler, with the top off. He placed the food into the cooler in the back, and helped me up into my seat.
"Nice," I said as he leaned over to buckle my seat belt.
"Thanks," he replied, straightening to look right into my eyes.
For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. Then he took a deep breath and stepped away to close my door.
"All right then," he said, walking around the front of the vehicle to climb into the driver's seat.
He backed out of the drive and drove to the corner of Wilshire and Grove, my street, and turned left.
"Where are we going?" I asked loudly enough to be heard over the traffic.
"My family has a beach house in Malibu with a private beach."
I looked over at him.
"I thought you said that there would be a few people there." I said, feeling a little unsettled.
"There will be," he said, looking at me sheepishly. "My mom called this morning to tell me that the family was having their last day at the beach house for the summer, and insisted that I be there. You don't say no to Esme Cullen. When I told her about you, she invited you to come, too."
"Oh, Emmett, I don't know," I said, my stomach flipping. "Why didn't you say something before we left?"
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was afraid you would say no, and I want to spend the day with you. You'll love my family, just as they'll love you, I promise."
"Looks like I don't have a choice, do I?" I asked quietly. "I guess I'll just have to endure it."
He glanced over at me and took my hand in his.
"It'll be fine, you'll see," he said, squeezing my fingers lightly.
I was quiet for the rest of the drive, except in my mind.
This is terrifying! I won't know what to say to these people. What will they think of me? Oh, thank God I didn't wear the bikini!
As Emmett pulled into the drive of a beautiful sprawling beach house, I noticed the amount of high dollar vehicles lining it. There was a black Mercedes S55 AMG, a silver Volvo S60R, a red BMW M3 convertible, and a yellow Porsche 911 Turbo.
When Emmett opened the passenger door for me, I looked up at him, terrified. I didn't even know him well, so how was I supposed to react to his unknown family?
"It'll be okay, sweetness," he soothed, running his finger gently down my cheek. "They're good people. Carlisle and Esme adopted Edward, Alice and me when things looked pretty bleak for us and we had nowhere else to go. They've raised us to be kind and considerate, just like they are."
That explained the different last names.
I gave him a trembling smile and took his hand as he helped me from the Jeep; grabbing my beach bag as I jumped down. He got the cooler and plastic grocery bag out of the back and, still holding my hand, took me to the front door. I opened it for him and he led me inside, kicking it closed behind him.
The spacious open living room, kitchen, dining area was empty, but voices and laughter could be heard coming from outside the sliding glass doors.
"Yo, anyone around?" Emmett called out as he set the cooler and bag on the kitchen bar.
A shadow appeared in the doorway and a beautiful dark auburn haired woman entered.
"We're all out here, Em," she said, glancing at me curiously as she gave him a hug and a kiss.
She stepped away and held her hand out to me. I took it and she squeezed my fingers gently.
"You must be Mara," she said, smiling broadly. "Em told me about you this morning. Welcome."
"Thank you for having me at such short notice," I replied.
"Mara, this is my mother, Esme," Emmett said as another form filled the doorway. "And my father Carlisle."
I looked over at him and my breath caught. He was an extraordinarily good-looking man with a shock of glorious blonde hair.
Beautiful people must run in this family!
"Welcome, Mara," he said with a smile and surprised me by walking over and hugging me. "Come and join us out on the deck, we're just getting ready to go down onto the beach for a game of volleyball."
I looked up at Emmett and he smiled.
"We're a very competitive family," he said, taking my hand and following his parents outside.
As soon as we stepped through the door, all talking ceased and every eye was on us. I glanced around and recognized the other three gorgeous men from the club, and they smiled at me.
"Hey, everyone, this is Mara Brannigan," Emmett said, introducing me to the rest of his family. "Mara, the is my brother Edward Masen and his wife Bella"
I recognized the messy bronze haired man that sat beside a petite brunette with thick full waves cascading to the middle of her back and the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen. They both smiled at me.
"And, this is my sister Alice and her husband Jasper Hale."
Again, I recognized the tall lanky man with the shoulder length blonde hair sitting next to a tiny pixie of a girl, with black spiky hair and sparkling blue eyes. She couldn't seem to sit still, even being obviously pregnant. Jasper smiled at me as Alice clapped her hands and giggled.
"This handsome brute is Jake Black, Bella's best friend… a friend to all of us… and his wife, Rosalie, who is Jasper's sister."
Jake smiled a brilliant smile at me, but I was taken aback at the animosity in Rosalie's eyes. Her frown spoiled what was the most beautiful face I had ever seen; a model's beauty, with a flawless body.
It was almost as if she hated me. Had I done something wrong?
Bella and Alice came over and hugged me.
"It's nice to have you here with us," Bella said softly. "It's good to see Emmett with a twinkle in his eyes again. He's been unhappy for far too long now."
"Oh, I think that you and Emmett will be very happy." Alice's voice tinkled and she hugged me tight. "Oh yes, extremely happy."
I looked at her, not knowing how to respond to such unbridled enthusiasm and energy. I felt Emmett's arm wrap around my waist.
"Okay, munchkin, let's calm it down," he said with a chuckle. "You don't want to scare Mara too soon with your insights. Jazz, come calm this wife of yours down before she chases Mara off and I don't get to know her."
I heard a snort and turned my head to see Rosalie turn on her heel and stomp away. This was getting a little old. I didn't even know the woman.
Apparently no one else noticed Rosalie's attitude towards me, so maybe I was just being silly. Like I said, I didn't even know the girl.
"Well, come on everyone," Carlisle called. "Let's go play some volleyball.
"Do you want to play, sweetness?" Emmett asked. "Or would you rather sit this one out?"
I looked over to see Rosalie pretending not to listen to my answer.
Okay, that's it!
Taking a deep breath, I looked up into Emmett's face.
"I'd love to play." I said loudly enough for her to hear.
A sneering smile crossed her face, as she stripped off her cover-up to reveal a miniscule black bikini, barely covering that perfect body; full rounded breasts, a trim waist, tight ass and shapely legs that went on forever. I noticed Emmett staring at her and I gulped.
Then I thought, damn it, I'm nothing to sneeze at and pulled my white cotton cover-up over my head.
"Christ, almighty!" I heard Emmett exclaim under his breath as I watched him take in the sight of me. The plunging neckline, low back and high cut legs of the red one-piece covered my skin, allowing all my assets to be imagined. Sometimes that's more intriguing than total exposure. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail with an elastic band I'd had wrapped around my wrist, and waited.
Everyone was staring at me, and I know I heard a few chuckles as Rosalie stomped down the steps to the sand below. Everyone followed her, leaving Emmett and I alone for a moment.
"What is her problem?" I asked Emmett quietly as we headed for the steps
"Just ignore Rosalie," he replied. "We all do. I'll explain later, okay?
"All right," I said as we reached the sand and walked to the volleyball net.
Teams were picked. Edward, Bella, Jake and Rose against Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and me. Esme and Alice sat in lawn chairs, courtside.
We took our places, with Rosalie the first server.
She aimed the ball straight at me.
For a moment, there was a stunned silence as I clutched the ball to my chest. Then I smiled.
"Good one, Rose," I said. "I wasn't expecting such a hard serve, but I'll be ready next time."
Inside, I was seething. I didn't know what the curvy blonde bitch's problem was, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let her intimidate me. Payback was a bitch!
"Rose," Jake said quietly. "Baby, not everyone is as talented as you are. You might want to tone it down a bit."
"If she can't handle it," Rose retorted, "maybe she should sit on the sidelines with Esme and Alice."
"Rose…" Bella started.
"Oh, it's okay, Bella, I just wasn't ready," I said, looking straight into Rose's antagonistic eyes and smiling sweetly. "I'm definitely ready now."
Her eyes narrowed and, with a huff, she turned to go back to the serving line.
"Hey, Rose,' I called to her. "I think that you will need this back."
I slammed the ball back at her forcefully.
"Game on," she muttered catching the ball and taking her serving position.
I heard all the quiet chuckles and snorts behind me, but I just got into position to receive whatever Rose was gonna throw at me. Turning my head slightly, I caught Emmett staring at me, a look of pride on his face. I winked at him and turned back, just as the ball flew at me. I returned it, jumping into the air and spiking it between Bella and Jake. Score! The game was officially started.
The score changed sides, repeatedly. Emmett was telling the truth when he said that this was a very competitive and athletic family. I held my own with them. Rose tried time and again to make me look bad, but I returned fire for fire.
In the end, our team won 21-20, Emmett scoring the final point. Edward had spiked the ball toward me and I dove, sending it back to Em. He over balanced and volleyed back to me. I sent him the perfect set up and he scored, spiking the ball straight between Rose's feet.
I watched, flabbergasted at her reaction when the ball slipped through her hands and hit the sand right in front of her. She jerked her head up, glaring sheer hatred at Emmett, and then sliding that same gaze at me. He laughed and smirked at her.
"Oh, come on, Rose," he taunted. "It's only a game!"
"Why you…" she started toward the net.
Jake grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.
"That's enough, Rosie," he said sternly, taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Em's right, this is only a game and you need to calm down and get over it."
She stared at him for a long moment. Then to my surprise, I saw her visibly wilt, reaching up to touch his cheek.
"You're right, Jake," she murmured, looking over her shoulder at the rest of us. "Sorry, Em, everyone."
Slipping his arm around her, Jake led her up the steps to the deck.
"Where did you learn to play like that, babe?' Emmett asked, breaking the awkward silence that followed their departure.
"I played Varsity Volleyball in high school for three years, I replied with a grin. "And we were all state champs."
"How many years?" Alice asked excitedly.
"All three," I replied. "And I was MVP for two of those."
"Holy shit!" Edward exclaimed.
"Language, Edward," Esme admonished.
"Sorry, mom, but no wonder she beat Rose," he said, turning to face me. "That's a first for her, y'know, and she's not likely to forget it."
"That's my girl," Emmett said, smiling, draping an arm across my shoulders and hugging me.
"That and the fact that she never thought she'd see Em here with anyone but her." Bella giggled.
I stiffened and he loosened his hold
What did he just say? What is Bella talking about?
Looking up quickly, I stared into his eyes. He stared back, his eyes darkening and his arm tightening around me again.
"Well," Esme said, grinning brightly, looking from Em, to me and back. "Why don't we go eat?"
Everyone agreed and started the exodus up the steps and back into the house. Emmett held me back.
"I need to tell you about Rose, sweetness," he said, gazing into my eyes.
"Let's save it for later, okay?" I asked. "We don't want to hold everyone up."
I'm not ready to hear this. With my luck, it will be bad.
He nodded and followed me up the steps, into the house.
After slipping my cover-up back on, I entered the kitchen and offered to help set things out. As we all worked, I kept feeling Rose's eyes on me. Every time I'd look at her, she'd turned away.
Suddenly it dawned on me. Rose and Emmett had been together in the past and, although she was married to Jake, she still had feelings for him. I glanced over to where the men were watching a football game on TV, just as Emmett looked up at me. He grinned and winked.
I turned and almost ran over Alice standing behind me. For the moment, she was very still. She glanced at Emmett and took my hand, pulling me over to a deacon's bench near the sliding glass doors.
"He didn't tell you about him and Rose did he?" she asked as she sat and patted the bench next to her.
I sat and looked back over at Emmett, totally engrossed in the game with his family. Alice touched my arm.
"No," I said, looking at my hands. "But, we have only just started seeing each other."
"Well, it's not my story to tell," she said softly. "But I want you to know that whatever happens, or doesn't happen, between you and Em, he will always tell you the truth. You can believe what he tells you. Rose is vindictive, so don't trust her. She's my sister-in-law and I love her, but I also know her faults. She hurt my brother deeply, and it's taken him a long time to start living again. I haven't seen him smile like this in a long while, and I believe that you have something to do with that. Just always be honest with him."
She started to get up, and I took her hand. She sat back down and looked at me.
"I've been through a tough time, too, Alice," I said. "I know what betrayal feels like and I will never do that to someone else. I like your brother very much. He's such a persistent man, and he's made me laugh again. I'm just not sure if I'm ready for a relationship, yet. It's been over two years, but Brian screwed my head up pretty badly. I promise you that I will never lead your brother on and will be truthful with him."
She looked at me, smiled and hugged me.
"That's all anyone can do," she said and kissed my cheek.
"Okay, everyone," Esme called. "Soup's on!"
Quite a spread was set out before us. There were two other platters of chicken, one barbequed, baked beans, pasta and ambrosia salads , green bean and corn casseroles, bowls piled high with fresh fruits, as well as platters of sliced melons and lots of desserts, mostly of the chocolate variety. Every kind of beverage imaginable covered the kitchen counter, with a cooler full of ice on the floor.
Everyone filled their plates and found somewhere to settle down to eat.
Emmett and I chose to go out onto the deck; sitting in the freestanding, covered porch swing. Mine wasn't the only fried chicken, but I noticed that Em had taken two pieces of mine, as well as a generous helping of my potato salad. His plate was piled high and he seemed to really enjoy my cooking, and eating. I was surprised that he wasn't drinking beer. I asked him about it and he told me that he never drank when he drove.
"But the other night you said that your car was back at the hotel." I reminded him.
"It was," he replied. "If I hadn't felt sober, after that huge meal, I would have called a cab and gone back to get it the next day. So, here's to good old orange juice!"
He raised his glass to clink mine, which was full of iced tea.
When we'd finished, he took my empty plate with his, to the large trashcan near the steps.
"You are an awesome cook, sweetness," he complimented, sitting back down. "I can guarantee that your bowls will be empty. None of us has had good southern fried chicken or "tater salad" in a very long time. Yours is very much like my granny's."
"Thanks," I said happily, "I love to cook, and like watching people enjoy my efforts."
"Well, you won't have to worry about that with this bunch," he said chuckling.
For a moment we were silent. Then he looked at me, sighing. He took my hand and turned his body to face me.
"Sweetness, I need to tell you about Rose."
My heart began to race.
Oh God!
"I met Rose at Alice and Jasper's wedding," he said quietly. "I'd seen her around some of the studios I had worked in, but never worked with her. She's a makeup artist, but our paths never crossed. I thought she was gorgeous, my ideal."
I gasped quietly and drawing my hands from his grasp, folded them tightly in my lap and looked down. He took a deep breath and continued.
"We were both in the wedding party; Rose was a bridesmaid to my groomsman. We spent a lot of time together that weekend and I became besotted, she did too. It wasn't long before we were an item. I loved having her on my arm. She was always impeccably dressed and coiffed, and very sexy. I was the envy of all my friends.
"She had always been what I had called high strung and hot tempered, but when she started the erratic behavior, I began to get concerned. She would start fights and beat on me, never hearting me physically, but mentally I was a wreck. I loved her and it was tearing me up to see her that way.
"We'd been together for a little over a year and a half, when it all came to a head. I came home from a two-week shoot in Washington State, to find her sprawled across the bed. When I couldn't wake her, I got scared and called 911. In the few minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive, I found the cause of her unconsciousness; she had been snorting cocaine and drinking straight shots of Tequila.
"There were a number of empty bottles scattered around the floor, and one next to her that had soaked the mattress and her. White residue covered a small square mirror and the inside of a small plastic bag on the nightstand, a razor blade and straw beside them.
"Ordinarily that wouldn't have caused her state, but I found out later that she'd been on a three-day bender. She had passed out from the amount of Tequila she had put in her body. The coke had just kept her so high that she couldn't, or wouldn't, stop the shots.
I rode in the ambulance with her and watched fearfully while the EMTs worked to bring her around. I sighed in relief when that was accomplished. At the hospital, she was taken to a cubical in the ER, where a doctor checked her out. He ordered her stomach pumped to get rid of any alcohol still there. Then she was taken to a private room. I stayed with her, scared shitless.
"When she awoke and was coherent enough to talk, she broke me."
He stopped for a few moments and pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiping at his eyes and his face, where the tears had flowed down. It was tearing me up to see him like that.
"Emmett, please, you don't have to tell me anymore," I whispered, taking his hand.
"Oh, yes I do," he rasped.
"You see, she killed any love I had for her when she cruelly and heartlessly, screamed at me that, while I was gone, she had killed my baby. She said that she hated it, and me, and had wanted it out of her."
Ifelt the color leave my face as I gasped, my mind whirling. I forced myselfto concentrate and listen.
"I stared at her, feeling the rage take over where the love had been. I knew that I would hurt her if I stayed any longer. As I hurried down the hall to the elevators, I could hear her laughing.
"I went crazy for a while, so much so that I worried my family. After two weeks, I finally concluded that booze, anger and hatred were not going to solve anything. Realizing that the drugs had changed her, I knew that it wasn't directly my fault. But what had I done to cause her to turn to them?
I didn't see her again, but I made arrangements for her to enter a private clinic that Bella had told me about. Her best friend, Jacob Black, was a therapist there and she felt sure that he could help Rose.
She went, kicking and screaming the whole way. It took six months of intense therapy to get Rose to where she is today. During that time, Jake learned to handle her outbursts; like today's. He explained that Rose is severely bi-polar and the use of the drugs acerbated the problem, which greatly relieved me. There was a reason for her behavior, and it wasn't me.
Jake fell in love with her and Rose loves him, as much as she can anyone. They married the day she was released from the clinic. She listens to him, and I'm happy for her…for them.
"Being Bella's friend, Jake was often at the folks' house, where Edward and Bella were living while their home was being built. The first time he brought Rose with him was really hard for both of us; I couldn't stay in the room.
"It eventually got better and we starting talking, slowly at first. Then one afternoon, while they were visiting, she sought me out in my gatehouse cottage, telling me that Jake had encouraged her to do so.
"She haltingly told me how sorry she was, and I ended up holding her as we both cried for our loss. Rose had always wanted a house full of children, but it hasn't happened for her yet.
"Since that day, it has gotten easier to be around her. The family has forgiven her and so have I. But, I will never forget. I care about Rose, but in a totally detached way. I want the best for her in life, but without me."
"It's been over three years now, since that horrible night and I haven't wanted to get close to a woman since."
Taking a shuddering breath, he turned his reddened eyes to look at me.
"Until I saw you," he whispered, cupping the side of my face, wiping my tears with his thumb. "My heart jump-started when I saw your face and heard your voice."
I stared into his eyes and, searching, saw the sincerity in them. Reaching up, I touched his cheek, running my finger down his dimple. Leaning in, I pressed my lips to his in a tender kiss.
He wrapped his arms around me and returned my kiss with fervor, clinging tightly. My fingers wound into the curls at the nape of his neck as I pressed tightly to him. I whimpered when his tongue swept across my lower lip and I opened to his request.
"Oops," said a voice beside us. "Sorry man."
We broke the kiss, abruptly, but kept our arms around each other. Looking up into Jasper's red face, Emmett smiled.
"Great timing, bro," he said with a smirk, causing Jasper to blush even more. "What's up?"
"Uh," he stammered. "Alice sent me to tell you that we're all getting ready to leave and wanted to say goodbye."
"Okay, we'll be right there," Emmett, replied.
With a nod, Jasper turned on his heel and went back into the house.
"We're big on the saying goodbye thing," he explained, standing and holding his hand out to me, pulling me to my feet. "Mom says that you never know what may happen and you need to let each other know how you feel about them when you part."
I smiled as he put his arm around my waist an led me back into the house
I knew that our discussion wasn't over, that I had to tell him my story, but I put it to the back of my mind, for the time being
A/N:
Thanks for readin'. Now I hope you'll tell me what you think by clickin' that little button down there that reads "Review" I need to know how I'm doin' with Emmett and Mara!