Well here it is Sunday this week has been crazy for us both, but here we are posting a day ahead of the original posting schedule! YAY!

As always we need to send a HUGE shout out to the great group of girls who keep us readable: AWayWithWords, EdwardsFirstKiss, and LaPumkle, thank you so much for all you three amazing ladies do.

All things Twilight belong to Ms. Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. The story line of this fiction belongs to WeeKittyAndTAT, and any use or reproduction without permission is allowed. All other things, such as songs, movies, restaurants, foods, companies, etc. solely belong to the owner of those companies or people and no infringement is intended in our use.


Parallel Parenting

Chapter 10

Edward POV

I walk into my house to the sound of laughter. "Girls," I call, and smile at all three of them. I walk over to them giving Cordie and Kassie a kiss and then lean over Bella, taking a quick peek at her breasts. "A man could get used to this," I say close to her ear.

This is the first time I have come home to her in my home. I would say that it is quite a sight to behold. After our night out last weekend, we started talking about this weekend. I didn't see the point of Bella taking the girls to her home after school to only come here once I finished work. So, I gave her a key and told her to come here straight from school.

"How was school?" I ask sitting down next to Bella; right away my hand seems to find her hair and I start to twist it in my fingers.

"It was good, Daddy," Cordie tells me with a smile.

"It was okay," Kassie adds making me raise my brow.

I look at Bella who sighs. "She's still not happy that she's not allowed to join in at gym time."

"Don't worry, Ceecee, you'll be healed soon, and then you'll be back to gym," I tell her.

The whole night seems to go extremely well; in fact this whole week has gone well. Both the girls have been talking and active as ever with each other, but they also seemed to not just agree with the other for agreement's sake. Thankfully, they are slowly seeing that they don't need to like the exact same things, or have to agree all the time to be twins.

They both did, however, pick Mary to be their therapist, and their first session went well. Mary said both girls were doing well, and that she would see them every other week for three months, and then move it to once a month, before slowly pulling back and see them when the girls need her.

"I am just going to look in on dinner," Bella gets up and I watch her ass as she walks out.

Bella and I are still flirting, and the sexual tension between us has gone up. I am constantly feeling as if I am about to explode, and not being able to masturbate is making it harder to resist her. I know that I am close to saying 'fuck it' and taking her to bed, fucking her until we are both raw. However, I will not lose this game, and I know she's just as wound up as I am.

"I am going to get changed; I'll be back in a few minutes," I tell the girls.

I walk to my room and strip out of my suit, and put on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I walk back downstairs and head straight for the kitchen. I stand at the door, watching Bella dancing around a little. I can't help but smile, she looks so fucking cute dancing about in her pajamas.

"Hey," I say walking over to her.

She looks at me, and her eyes trail up and down before she smiles.

"Finally decide to cave to the comfy side of life and join us?"

"Like you said, we're not going anywhere later, and no one should show up, so why stay dressed?"

Bella nods and turns back to the stove.

"I am happy that you feel at home here, well enough to get changed into your bed clothes," I tell her.

Bella chuckles. "Well, I had a little accident at school, and my clothes were covered in paint. I really had no choice."

I walk to her and look over her shoulder as my hands go to her hips. "This smells so good," I hum close to her ear. "How did paint get all over you?"

Bella rolls her eyes and holds up a spoon with the food on it for me to taste. "I think this is missing something," she says.

I nod and open my mouth for her to feed me. I can't hold back the hum that comes out as I taste it.

"As for the paint, it was on the top shelf. I had to stand on my tiptoes, but I still wasn't quite tall enough. I tried to use my fingertips to slowly pull it toward me. It would've worked, except the lid wasn't all the way secured, so…" Bella waves her hand up and down and I am glad my mouth is full to stop my chuckle from bubbling up.

"Maybe add a dash of pepper," I say taking the shaker out of the cupboard. "Did you have a shower?" I ask knowing she must have as there is no sign of any paint on her.

"Yes," Bella smiles. "Your shower is very nice."

"Damn, I'm sad that I missed it. I could have scrubbed your back for you."

"I would have rather you give something else a good rub," she flirts.

I smirk at her, and my eyes scan over her body. My tongue runs over my own bottom lip and I move closer to her. Dropping my hand, I let it trail down her side, and cup her ass. Ducking my head, I keep my eyes on hers. "I'll rub any part of you that you want me to, all you have to do is ask," I almost growl.

"Daddy," Cordie calls.

I move away from Bella turning around just as Cordie and Kassie walk in.

"Can we put on Karaoke?" Cordie asks.

"Yes, but not until after dinner," I answer.

"But can't we play it now; Mom's making dinner and it takes her ages?"

I raise my brow at Kassie who then gives me a sad look.

"Kassie, don't be rude. Edward has given you and Cordie an answer; take it or the Karaoke will not go on at all," Bella states.

Cordie drags Kassie away making me sigh a little.

"Sorry, she can get a little demanding at times," Bella says.

"It's okay, and I am taking her behavior as showing me that she is getting comfortable with me and being here," I reply.

"She is." Bella smiles.

I smile and look to where my living room is. "I'll watch them, or do you need me in here?"

"No, you're free to go, dinner will be ready in about ten minutes," she tells me.

I walk into the living room to find Cordie and Kassie talking.

"Sorry, Ward," Kassie mutters to me, and I move over to her.

"It's okay, Ceecee, but just like Cordie, when I say something, that's what I mean."

Kassie sighs as she nods at me, but then looks to the ground. I look at Cordie who's looking sadly at Kassie.

"Is something else going on that I should know about?"

"No," both girls say together.

They move together and start to whisper in each other's ears and every once and again their eyes flick to me.

I hum, but I am sure there is something going on. When Bella told me last week she thought they were plotting, I shrugged it off. Alice and I were always plotting something, but now I see them, I know she's right. There is something they want, but they're not saying what it is.

"You know if there's something you want, all you have to do is ask. Bella and I would talk and see if it's something we can give you," I offer.

Both girls stop talking and smile at me, but this just has me humming again.

Kassie opens her mouth but shuts it quickly when she hears Bella calling us to get washed up for dinner.

I help the girls wash their hands and we all walk into the kitchen together.

"How was work?" Bella asks as we plate up the dinner she made.

"It was good," I turn looking at Kassie. "Marcus is now under my wing, and I am doing business with him and his products."

"He is?" she asks.

I nod at her.

"Can I come to work with you one day; I would love to see how the stock market works?"

I swallow my food, and my eyes move a little to Cordie, because this is something she's never asked me. "I'll speak to your mom about it and let you know," I tell her but she still looks at me with eagerness.

"I love numbers almost as much as I do sports," she says.

Cordie snorts. "I hate math," her eyes shift a little to Bella. "But at least we can still use our fingers."

Kassie just chuckles. "But you like words and always find the fancy ones," Kassie tells Cordie.

I shake my head and look to Bella, who is also shaking her head at them. I am pleased they're not competing with each other; it's nice to see that they both love both the same and different things.

After dinner, the girls entertain Bella and me with their singing abilities. When it gets to their bedtime, I take them up and read them a story as Bella cleans up.

~PP~

"They're down for the count," I sigh as I sit next to Bella. Just like the last few days my hand moves to her hair.

"What do you want to do tonight, pretty girl?"

"Have I been downgraded all of a sudden?"

I just look her with what I am sure is a confused expression.

"A few days ago I was hot, now I am just pretty?"

I grin at her. "You're always hot, Bella, but that's not always something a man should tell a girl. But, pretty, now that is something that should be used all the time. It's something I would also like to use when I am talking to Kassie, if you don't mind me telling her she's pretty."

"No, I think that would be good for her. My dad always told me that I looked pretty, and it always made me feel good." Bella shakes her head a little.

"What is it?" I ask moving closer to her.

"It's just strange how some words can pick us up, and others can drop us down."

I nod at her in agreement. "I know I still worry about Cordie and Kassie getting bullied, due to circumstances neither of them could have changed."

"Me, too; kids can say the cruelest things. I, for one, am glad that Emmett has one of the most complete and thorough 'no bullying' policies I have seen. He does not even tolerate words being used to bully another person. It covers not only students, but staff as well."

"He does?" I ask, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. I'll get you a copy. It changes a little as grades increase, but overall, it is ironclad in the penalties that are administered."

I nod at her. "Tell me about your parents?" I ask.

Bella simply looks at me.

"I am only asking because I want to know the people who raised the warm, kind-hearted woman, who's sitting next to me. I want to know all about the woman who is raising my daughter's twin. I want to learn how you became the woman you are, and what led you to not only being a great teacher but a wonderful mother."

Bella sighs and then smiles. "My dad … was amazing. He was a cop—" she stops and laughs slightly. "He always made time for me. I was still crawling into his lap when I was a teenager, when I needed a hug and when I was upset. He always made me feel welcome and important in his life." Bella stops and looks at me. "My mom was the same—she taught me about life. She instilled in me how to not just see the outside of someone but the inside, too. She made me understand I didn't need to like everyone, but I did have to show respect for them. She was so beautiful and kind to everyone she met."

Bella spends the next two hours telling me about how she grew up. By the end, I feel sad that I didn't get to meet them myself. They sound like they were great people, and excellent parents. I knew Bella was also a little upset, and it's clear she misses them dearly. I take her hand and lead her to my room, holding her close just to show her that she isn't in this alone, that she has a family again.

~PP~

Bella and I are up and dressed, before either of the girls is awake.

After we all have breakfast, we agree that we will meet up at Bella's place around six this evening.

I drive away with a smile knowing that I have a fun day booked with Kassie, and I also know that Cordie will have a great time with Bella.

We arrive at the stadium, and I get us some food, before we make our way to our seats.

"Here you go, Kassie," I say handing her a hot dog.

"Thank you, Teddy," she says with a big smile.

We sit in our seats while we wait for the game to start.

"Teddy?"

"Yeah," I ask with a raised brow as Kassie is using what I have come to learn is her sweet voice, which she only uses when she is after something.

"It's my Mommy's birthday next week; can you get her a gift from me?"

I just look at her.

"I have some money, but I'm not sure if it's enough, and I would really like to get her something she would like."

I start to answer her, but she starts to talk again.

"Cordie said she would like to add some of her money, too. I'm glad she loves my Mommy, too."

I nod at her and give her a smile. "Your mom is very nice, and of course, we love her."

Kassie frowns at me. "Do you love her, too?"

I chuckle and start to pull my hair. "I like her very much and care for her, because she loves my daughter who loves her. Then there is the fact that I love you, Kassie, and she's important to you."

Kassie looks at me as if she doesn't understand what I mean. Not wanting to get into the subject without Bella, I know I have to move on and get back to what she had asked me at the start of this conversation. "What do you want to get her for her birthday?"

"She likes the theatre, but hasn't been able to go for a long time. I would like to get her two tickets …" Kassie drops her head a little and looks at me through her eyelashes. "So that you can take her, she … I want her to have a day where she's treated like a princess. Cordie said that you said that every girl should be treated like a princess on their special day.

I smile nodding at her. "Yes, that's right, but don't you want to go with her?"

Kassie shakes her head. "No. Her birthday is on Wednesday, so I could spend the day with her. You can take her on the weekend, and Cordie and I can stay with Rose? Oh, please, Teddy, say yes, please?"

I just look at Kassie, but she climbs onto my knee looking at me in the eye. "Please, Teddy, will you take her out?" Her hand moves from my face and goes into her pocket. "I have thirty dollars saved up—"

"Keep your money, Kassie, I'll get the tickets and put you and Cordie's name on them." Kassie opens her mouth, and I know she is going to ask me to take Bella out again. "I will take her, because I enjoy spending time with her."

Kassie kisses my cheek and then hugs me. "Thank you, Teddy."

"Any time, baby girl, any time."

We hear the sound that the game is about to start. Kassie spins around and watches it from my lap.

Kassie leaps off my knee when our team scores and starts to dance. I cover my mouth hiding my laugh. As she turns to me, she holds out her hand and I high five her.

"She is so cute; is she yours?" I turn to the woman who's speaking and smile happily that someone else can see how cute Kassie is.

"Thanks; she takes after her mom," I respond.

"Oh, is her mom your sister – is she here?"

I frown looking at her as her voice and body language is giving off signals that she is flirting with me "No—" before I can finish Kassie is talking.

"I hope Cordie and Mommy are having as much fun as we are." Kassie again claims my knee, but looks at the woman who was talking. "Cordie is my twin sister, and we wanted to do different things so Mommy and Daddy took one each so we could have some one- on-one time together. Aren't we so lucky to have such a great Mommy and Daddy?"

I watch the woman swallow and press my lips together to stop from laughing.

"Yes, you are," she says sounding disappointed. "Your daughter is lovely," she says looking at me.

I smile looking at Kassie. "Yes, she is."

The woman nods and walks away.

"I now owe you a very big Teddy Bear for that," I tell Kassie.

Kassie just shrugs. "No big deal. I'm good at it. Mommy's bad at getting rid of guys that she doesn't want to speak to, also. Emmett showed me how to do it, and I rock at it."

I chuckle and grin at her pulling her closer to me. I give her a hug, grateful that she was here and managed to get rid of the woman pretty fast.

I look back to the ground just in time to see a ball flying toward us. Quickly, I cover Kassie's head and straighten my arm out catching.

"Teddy, you got the ball!" Kassie yells and jumps up dancing. I laugh as she appears on the big screen dancing around. When she's done, I hand her the ball, which makes her hug me again and dance some more.

Kassie and I enjoy more snacks as we watch the game. When it ends, I take her down to the meet n greet, so that she can meet some of the ballplayers. I stand next to Kassie smiling as she asks the guys question after question. It was not just clear to me, but to them as well that she knows baseball.

When she is done, I hold out my hand. "So … what would you like to do now?"

"Can we play at the baseball cages?" I smile but shake my head at her.

"Your arm is still broken, Ceecee; we'll need to do something else until it is healed."

Kassie just pouts at me. "I hate not being able to play games," she tells me as she kicks the dirt.

"How about we get something to eat because I am starving. Then we can go to the theater and buy the tickets?"

"Okay; can you also take her out to dinner? Do I have enough money? I can give you my allowance when I get it?"

I shake my head at her. "It's fine Ceecee. I would like to do this for you and for her."

Before leaving the stadium, I take her to the Stadium gift shop buying a set of unused baseballs, gloves, and bats, so that all four of us can play outside in the yard.

I also pick up a copy of our home uniform for her, and a very large Teddy Bear in his own baseball uniform.

We go to The Private Bank theatre and buy tickets to see the King and I, and then I make reservations for us at the Grillroom Chophouse. "Come on, let's go shopping," I say.

"Do you think my mom will need a fancy dress?" Kassie asks, making me smile.

"You know, I think she will. Why don't we pick one out for her, and I can call my sister and book her in to get her nails and hair done the morning of the play?"

Kassie jumps up and down clapping. I chuckle and pull out my cell and call Alice.

"Hey?" she says sounding unsure.

"I need a huge favor," I start off.

"Okay," she says.

"Bella's birthday is this Wednesday, and Kassie and Cordie have bought her and me tickets to the theatre—"

Alice cuts me off from continuing by squealing.

"Alice, it's a surprise, so no telling her, but I need to book her into your shop. I want her to have the whole works on Saturday morning. Kassie and Cordie want her to have the princess treatment." I say and hang up.

"Are you ready to buy her a dress?"

Kassie smiles as she nods at me.

"Do you know what size your mom wears?" I ask Kassie as we look through the gowns.

"No, but I think Rose does."

"Let's hope Emmett's with her," I say pulling out my cell. I hit Emmett's contact info and the phone dials his number.

"Hello," he says.

"Hi, Emmett, it's Edward," I say as he answers.

"I know. I do have caller ID," he says with a chortle.

"Is Rose there by any chance?" I ask.

"Why do you want to talk to my wife?" he asks.

"I need to ask her something," I reply.

"What?" he asks me.

"Emmett, can I just talk to her?" I respond.

"Not until you tell me why."

I sigh; by the sound of Emmett's voice he's turning this into a game.

"I am with Kassie and we are trying to buy Bella a dress as a surprise for her birthday, and I need to know her size. Kassie said she thought Rose would know. Now, can I talk to her for a moment, please?"

Emmett chuckles a little. "Bella is a petite size four."

"What? How do you know that?"

"Because she and Rose are the same size—it's just that Bella is a petite, and Rose is tall."

I only hum a little. "Is Rose there?" I ask again.

"Why?" he asks.

"Emmett!" I hiss.

"Fine," he huffs.

"Hi, what do you need?" Rose says with a little chuckle to her voice.

"What color does Bella like, and what length of dress should I get?"

"What is the dress for?"

"A fancy night out."

"I would go for red, or blue, actually midnight blue, and long so it hits the floor."

I nod even though she can't see. "And she's a size four?"

"Yes, but she's only five-foot-two, so a petite. To see where the dress will land, use yourself. Place the dress just below your shoulders, and if the dress barely hits the floor, you're golden. Now for shoes to match, low style heels—no more than an inch or two— because she's not stable in them. Oh, and her shoe size is seven. Lastly, if Kassie is with you, she's good at picking clothes for her mom, so you'll be fine."

I smile and wink at Kassie." I know she is, and I just wanted to cut down the amount of dresses from which we're going to choose."

"Are you doing anything for her birthday?"

"Well, it's a surprise, but Kassie's going to spend time with her on Wednesday, and then on the weekend, I am taking Bella to the theatre. The tickets are a gift from the girls …" I lick my lips. "Speaking of that, Kassie asked if she and Cordie could spend the night with you and Emmett."

"That will be fine if you and Bella join us for dinner on Sunday?"

"Sounds like a plan. Again, thank you, and we'll see you Saturday."

"Later, Edward."

I push end call and smile at Kassie. "Okay. I know both her dress and shoe sizes; let's get this dress and a killer pair of shoes to go with it."

Kassie takes half an hour to pick out a red dress and matching shoes for her mom. I have the store box and gift wrap both the dress and shoes, before placing them in the trunk of my car.

I look at my watch seeing that it's almost six. "Time to head to your house," I say.

I put Kassie in my car and strap her in just as my name comes out of her lips.

"Teddy," she says and I look at her seeing she looks strangely shy. "I had a good time with you today."

"So did I," I tell her.

"I love you, Teddy."

I smile and lean in to her kissing the top of her head. "Sweet, baby girl, I love you, too."

I pull back to see a large smile on her face. I wink standing up, and closing the door.

The drive to Bella's goes smoothly and when I pull up, I feel my mouth drop open at what I see.

Bella POV

Cordie and I arrive at the art gallery just as it opens. The gallery isn't very busy, but I still take a hold of Cordie's hand.

"Oh, wow, Beeberry, that painting is amazing." Cordie say moving quickly to it. "Her eyes are following me," she carries on with a giggle.

I move a little to find that the painting's eyes are indeed following me. "Creepy," I say with a shiver.

Cordie and I move on to the next part of the gallery to see the sculpture art.

"Is that made from forks?" Cordie asks me.

"Yeah," I hum.

Cordie hums, too and looks at it. "I think it would have been better if it had been made from wood."

"You know my neighbor Jake?" I say.

Cordie doesn't answer me and keeps her eyes on the sculpture, but her head nods just a little. "He carves wood and he made me this." I kneel down showing her the pendant that he made me.

"That's cool; do you think he'll teach me?" Cordie asks.

"I'm not sure, but we can ask."

Kassie said he's fun and has cool stories; do you think he'll be my friend, too?"

I feel a pang in my heart. There's something about the way she says that, and I know I will have to dig a little deeper.

"Yes," I say answering her question. "Do your friends like painting?"

Cordie shakes her head at me. "No, I've never had a real friend … just Colton." She stops and smiles broadly at me. "Kassie is my first, and then there's you."

"What about the boys and girls in our class?" I ask as we move to the next sculpture.

Cordie seems to think for a bit. "They're okay," she shrugs her shoulders. "I never know what to say, and I …" she stops and doesn't say anymore and I know I need to push her.

"And you what?"

"I don't like getting dirty," she admits.

"You don't need to get dirty to play," I tell her.

Cordie again shrugs. "I like painting, it's fun."

"I agree it is," I tell her.

Cordie and I take our time walking around the gallery. We stop and get a small snack at the cafe inside the gallery, and then move on to the museum. After we leave the museum, we stop at a huge arts and crafts store. We go crazy shopping, and fill a cart with all kinds of art supplies and craft things she wants to try.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" Cordie asks after stepping away from the checkout.

"No, this is perfect, and everything is fine," I tell her with a wink as we take the load to my car.

"I say we hit the library where we can check out some books about different crafts you want to try, and maybe find something else that you enjoy, too. What do you think?"

"I'm not a member of the library."

"You're not?"

"No. Daddy just buys me any book I ask for and bunches of others he finds."

"Oh, would you rather not go to the library? If you don't want to, we don't have to," I offer her, knowing that she is not great with crowds.

"No, I don't mind. I just don't have a card, and I know you have to have one to check out books."

"Well in that case, I have both my card and Kassie's with me, so we can use those."

Cordie nods at me, with a big smile. We get in and buckled up. The drive to the library is quiet. I park my car and we walk in, and as we do, Cordie gasps. "They have so many books," she says but frowns. "How did the Beast have this in his home?"

I chuckle shaking my head a little. "He lived in a castle – castles are very big."

Cordie just nods at me, still in awe.

"What should we look at first: the children's story books, crafting books, or drawing books?"

Cordie take her time thinking over her options, which is something Kassie never does. Kassie just says the first thing that seems to enter her head. "Story books, please."

I take her downstairs to the first floor. "Here we are," I say.

I watch as Cordie walks over to the books. She takes them down one at a time looking at each one, and then turns them around. I stand near her as she reads the back of the books, and help her with the longer words that she can't read yet.

"Would you like me to read this one to you in the library, or take it home?" I ask her.

"I can sit with you and we can read it together?" she asks.

"Sure we can," I say.

She nods at me and I show her to a comfy place off in a corner. I sit next to her. "Are you sitting comfortably?"

Cordie giggles as she nods.

"Then I will begin."

I read the story, happy that it is one that I know quite well. I enjoy reading stories to kids anyway, and I'm also able to do different voices.

"Are you having a good time?" I ask as we leave with two large bundles of books.

"Yes," she answers sounding happy.

I take a quick look at my watch seeing that it's half past one. "Let's head out and get something for lunch and then we can decide what to do next?"

Cordie nods at me. I take her to a little restaurant in the middle of downtown.

"What would you like?" I ask as she looks over her menu.

"Cheeseburger and fries," she says.

I order her meal along with a veggie burger and fries for myself.

"Can we go back to your house after this?" Cordie asks.

"Do you want me to call your dad?" I ask feeling worried that she's missing him, but she shakes her head.

"No. I would like to paint him a picture."

"That sounds like fun," I say, relieved she is not wanting to get away from me.

The waiter comes over and places our food down and we talk some more.

We arrive back at my house just after two in the afternoon. When we get there, Jake's outside carving wood.

"Hey, Little Wolf," Jake says to Cordie.

"Hi, Jake," Cordie says.

"What are you lovely ladies up to today?" he asks.

"Well, we went to the Gallery, Museum, Hobby Lobby, and the Library, and now we are going to do some art projects."

"I love making art. What are you planning to make?" Jake asks.

"Beeberry, and me, are going to paint my dad a picture, but would you show me how to do this first?" Cordie gushes.

"I would love to, Little Wolf," Jake says to her with a smile. "But first you should get changed into play clothes." Jake looks to me and smiles. "You know what – I have some overalls in my shed, and there should be some that would fit both of you. We can all wear them and protect our clothing," Jake offers.

I nod as he directs us to the shed. It takes us a few minutes to find the overalls, and once we have them, we head upstairs. I find Cordie one of Kassie's play outfits, and I change into my own play clothes. We both put our coveralls over our clothes and head back down to see Jake.

"Okay, Jakey, what do I do?" Cordie asks as she goes over to him.

"Well, Little Wolf, this wood," he says showing her a small block of wood, "you will be turning it into something."

"What?" Cordie asks.

"Whatever it tells you it wants to be," Jake answers.

Jake sits with Cordie and whispers to her as he helps her cut and shape the wood. I am in awe when I see that she's carved a heart. She looks up at me smiling happily.

"We will have to protect it with varnish," Jake tells her. "Coming?" he asks holding out his hand. She takes his hand, and skips next to him back to his shed. When we take her over to where the varnish is, something seems to catch her eye. She drops his hand and walks away from him.

"How did you do this?" she asks pointing to some very large paintings.

"Those are balloon paintings," Jake answers.

"Balloon paintings?" I ask.

"Yeah, you fill some balloons with paint and then throw them at the canvas," Jake says.

"Can we do that, Bella?" Cordie asks with large eyes.

"If you'd like. I'll see about getting us the supplies to do it." I smile back at her.

"You can create one with my supplies, but first you have to varnish your heart carving," Jake states.

He takes his time showing her how to do it correctly, and uses cocoa powder, organic ground coffee, and a black tea bag. After he dissolves the powders in hot liquid, he stirs them up until they start to cool. He gives her a paintbrush, and has her cover the heart completely.

"While this dries, we can go get the paint board set up for balloon painting," Jake says.

Jake helps me set up the large white sheet in the yard, and we stand several white poster boards up in a row.

We go back to the shed and fill small water balloons with different colors of paint. Using small funnels we fill one at a time, until we have a basket full of different colors.

"Now before we go out, we need to paint the heart once more with the homemade varnish," Jake says.

I watch as Cordie again paints the heart, and I can't help but smile as she does.

"It's so pretty," Cordie says.

"It is beautiful, Little Wolf, now when it is dry, we will buff it with a bit of warmed beeswax and coconut oil, and make it nice and shiny."

"Okay, so now we can balloon paint, right?" she asks.

"Yes, we can," Jake says and I help him carry the paint-filled balloons to where the sheet is set up.

"So what now?" Cordie asks.

"Throw the balloons at the paper," Jake tells her.

Cordie nods and seems to look at the different poster boards set up, after a few minutes have passed, I step forward only for Jake to pull me back.

"She's thinking about what she wants and how to go about it," he whispers to me.

I look at him, but a loud plop brings my head snapping back around to see that Cordie has thrown her first balloon.

I smile as she moves a little closer and then throws the next one, clearly doing what Jake told her to do.

"Bella, I need you to stand in front of this board, can you?"

I just look at her and she rolls her eyes. "I need you to block some of the paint," she huffs out. "And you said it's okay to get paint on you, and you have overalls on."

I move to the paper and stand in front of it where she wants me. Cordie gives a smirk, one that reminds me of Kassie. Before I am able to say anything, she throws the balloon and it hits me.

"You just wanted to throw paint at me, didn't you?" I question as she chuckles.

She throws a second one that hits me, and I look to her painting to see that only a little bit made it onto the board. "You know I am faster than you, I could just pick up one balloon and throw it at you?"

Cordie just looks at me, but then throws a third balloon at me. I give her a smirk leaping towards her. She dashes out of the way but I pick up one of the balloons and throw it at her. She turns looking at me, and then starts to laugh as she throws another one at me.

Cordie and I run around the yard throwing paint balloons at each and laughing.

"What in God's name is going on?"

Both Cordie and I stop and turn to see Edward looking at us with shock in his eyes.

"I'm making a paint balloon painting!" Cordie quickly answers.

"In the yard?" he asks looking around.

"Can I play?" Kassie asks as she picks up a balloon.

"You'll need to change your clothes," Cordie tells her, and she just shrugs.

"I don't care about getting paint on me. Think quickly, Mom!" With that said she throws the balloon at me, but I duck and it flies over my head, landing against Edward's chest.

I stand up and cover my mouth, as I look at a shocked Edward.

"Oh, so this is how you want to play?" he states. Edward moves to pick up one of the balloons only for Cordie to hit him with the one she had in her hand.

All four of us start throwing the paint balloons until we run out. I lay down on the grass laughing, as the girls lay next to me.

"You three get washed up, and I'll hose the yard down, before Jake revokes your lease," Edward says.

I nod at him and he holds out his hand, I take it and he pulls me up to stand in front of him. His other hand moves to my face and he smears paint all over my face.

"Thanks," I snarked sticking out my tongue.

Edward drops his head and moves his lips to my ear. "I wish it were chocolate then we could both use our tongues to lick it off each other."

"Too bad it's not; I think I would have enjoyed that," I respond, giving him a smile as I walk backwards. "Come on, girls, let's get cleaned up, and changed."

Cordie and I take off our overalls, and leave them for Edward to hose down. I take the girls upstairs and help them strip. Kassie has more paint on her than anyone else, so she jumps in the shower first after I cover her cast. Thankfully, it somehow missed most all of the paint fight. I wipe Cordie's face, and as soon as Kassie is done, Cordie jumps in and washes up quickly.

"I had a lot of fun, Beeberry," Cordie says as I brush out her hair.

"I did, too," I tell her. "You two watch some TV, while I shower. I won't be too long," I say leaving them in the living room.

I walk into the shower and start washing, and there is a soft knock on the door; I peek around the curtain. "Yeah?" I call.

"Can I come in?"

I swallow grabbing the shower curtain closer to me. "Sure," I say and Edward walks in. He looks me up and down and then gives me his lopsided grin that lets me know he's in a playful mood.

"Can I share the shower with you?"

"As much as I would love to say yes, I don't think I would be able to share nicely with you, and that would lead to us fighting and then of course the girls would come in."

"Ah, yes, and that's not something I would like to explain. It would be very hard to explain why a grown woman can't share."

"That may not be the only hard thing," I banter back at him.

"That is also true. Do you mind if I wash my face and hands?" he asks pointing at the sink.

"Go ahead," I say and go back to showering myself.

"Do you need me to scrub the paint off your back?" he asks.

"Damn, you're too late," I say as I turn off the water. "Can you hand me my bathrobe?"

I shove my arm out and Edward puts the robe in my hand. I pull it back through the curtain and slip it on, before opening it.

"Shower is all yours," I tell him.

I walk to the door but Edward pulls me back to him. "She had fun … she acted like a kid. Thank you," I look over my shoulder at him.

"Yes, and from the sounds of it, Kassie had fun, too, so thank you."

Edward looks down at me before softly kissing my head.

"Go get dressed before I get you to scrub my back," he says.

I walk into my room, putting on some bed clothes. I pick up the pajamas that he left and take them to the bathroom for him.

"It's just me," I knock. "I am leaving you your pajamas on the counter. I think I'll order Chinese for dinner."

Edward pokes his head out and smiles at me. "Sound great."

I walk into the living room to see the girls seem happy.

"What do you think of Cordie's heart?" Kassie asks and moves it over for me to look at.

"This is amazing, I love it," I say.

I sit down on the other sofa and call in a large order of food to be delivered.

"What would you girls like to do this evening?"

"Can we watch movies in our room?" Cordie answers quickly.

"Don't you want to watch something out here with your dad and me?"

"No, we want to spend tonight together, because tomorrow, after Cordie and Teddy go home, we won't see each other until Monday," Kassie states.

"Okay," I answer almost feeling guilty that they feel as if they have to do that just to make up for lost time.

"How are my girls?" Edward asks.

"We're good, Daddy," Cordie says as she gets up and moves into his arms. I watch as he picks her up smiling, just as Kassie sits down next to me. I look at her as she leans her head on my shoulder.

"I made this for you, Daddy. Jake and Bella helped me."

My eyes move back to Edward and see that he is looking at the heart with a little shock. "You made this, Princess?"

"Yeah," she says with a duh tone.

He looks at her but smirks. "It's amazing and I love it, thank you," he says.

~PP~

"We want to go and play," Kassie tells me.

"Put your dinner plates away first, girls," Edward says as I pick up ours.

Just as I start to run my dishwater, I feel Edward's arms wrap around my waist. He uses his other hand to turn me to face him, and as I open my mouth to talk, his lips cover my own while his hands go into my hair. Desire creeps over my whole body, and I drop my scrubbing pad and push my hands into his hair as my body moves to seal us together. His kiss slows and becomes soft pecking. I look up into his eyes and they seem a little darker than normal.

"Thank you," he says with a heavy breath, and he's clearly as breathless as I am.

"What for?" I ask.

Edward places a chaste kiss on my lips, and clears his throat while moving slightly away from me.

"I enjoyed my day out with Kassie; you have raised an amazing, bright, and well behaved, girl."

I raise my brow and look at him as I start to clean the dishes again. "How much did she pay you to say that?"

Edward chuckles. "Nothing; she did, however, get rid of a woman that started hitting on me at the ballgame."

"You needed to be rescued again?"

"What can I say—all women love me?"

I snort loudly and look at him. "Not all women," I say as I roll my eyes. "Haven't you been told some women like other women?"

"All the rest love me," he states.

I chuckle shaking my head. "I can't see that, you really aren't all that. I mean, it's not like you are Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, or Brad Pitt; in fact, I don't think I have seen you on the sexiest man top ten lists, ever."

"If I were a movie star, I would be number one," he growls.

"Sure, you would," I deadpan.

Edward again wraps his arms around me. "You find me sexy; in fact I bet you dream about me."

"Yeah, I dream about all the ways I can beat you."

"Yeah, or dominate me. I bet you even had kinky dreams where you tied me up," he whispers against my skin.

I bite my lip as Edward pushes my hair out of the way. I feel his breath and nose as he trails his lips down the side of my face and back up to my ear. "Or, do you just dream about me taking you fast, hard, and making me beg for more of you?"

"If I were to fall, would you be strong enough to catch me?"

I feel Edward smile at my words. "Fall and you will see."

I turn and move my hands up his arms. "You should fall first; after all, it has been so much longer for you than me."

"It's been just as long for you," Edward says with a wiggle of his brow making it known he's talking about masturbating.

"How close do you feel?" I ask as I run my hand down his body and I move around him. His eyes follow me as I move. "How much more can you take?" I moan pressing my body close to his back as I keep moving slowly. "How much more of this game can you take before you snap?" I ask now that I am back to standing in front of him.

Edward moves so quickly that I'm momentarily in shock. He picks me up and sits me down on the table. He stands between my legs and hovers over me.

"Not much more, I will admit, but I know you're close, too." He again runs his nose over my skin making me let out a small gasp that seems to get a little louder as he touches my leg.

"I am going to go and check on the girls, and take some time out in your room," he says standing and walking out of the room without giving me a second glance.

"Damn it," I hiss knowing that my little stunt backfired, and I am now horny as hell, and there is nothing I can do about it.

I calm myself back down, and clean the rest of the kitchen. When I am done I pick up one of the books I got myself today at the library, and with my leg under me, I sit and read. A little later Edward joins me.

"Are the girls doing okay?" He nods and I give him a look to ask if he is okay. "I'm good, too," he tells me with a smirk. "Cordie has, however, called my sister for some reason," he says.

"Did you ask her why?" I ask.

Edward nods at me, and his hand starts to play with my hair. This is something he seems to do whenever he is sitting next to me. "Yes, she said something about helping us with Halloween costumes so we can go out as a family."

"Yeah, she said something like that to me, too, but I take it that you don't believe her either?"

Edward shakes his head a little. "She doesn't lie, but I get the feeling there is more to it." He lets out a sigh and shrugs. "No worries, Alice will tell me; she's never been good at keeping things to herself for more than two weeks."

"Therefore, you're saying it shouldn't be anything to worry about?" I ask.

Edward glances at me and then shakes his head. "Naw. So, pretty lady, what are we doing tonight?"

I smile shaking my head, but show him my book.

"Okay, you can read and I'll catch up on my TV shows."

The rest of the night passes with Edward watching programs and rubbing my feet while I read.


A/N: Okay, so what did you think of the girl swapping parents and having a day out? What do you think of the rapport building between Bella and Edward. How do you think things are going?

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