Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Stephanie Meyers does. However, I do own this plot and storyline. I also own my own original characters.
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Chapter 9: Home on the Ranch
EPOV
As soon as the truck is out of sight, Sarah turns to me with a smile. "Let's talk about this idea you have in mind for Bella's birthday."
We sit down in the dining room, and I start to explain the place I found, how the lady was really nice and answered all my questions. "She said she has a litter that will be ready the first week in May."
"What's the name of the breeder and where are they located?" Billy inquires, and I jump up to get my iPad where the information is stored.
"It's Sonesta Farms in Cypress," I answer, sitting back down.
Billy and Sarah both bust out laughing as the rest of us look at them like they're crazy. After they get themselves under control, Billy explains what's so funny.
"We know them," he states, still laughing. "They're horse breeders as well and very nice people. Bella and their daughter competed together in dressage shows back in the day."
"What a small world," Rose comments. "Maybe if Billy talks to them, she won't give you such a hard time with all the questions she was requiring you to answer."
I look to Billy and he nods his head, pulling out his cell phone and scrolling through the contacts. He sets the phone on the table with the speaker on just as it starts to ring.
A gruff man's voice answers, "Sonesta Farms."
"Hey, old man," Billy greets. "I hear you're causing trouble."
"Billy Black? Is that you?" the man questions playfully.
"Yeah, Peter, it's me," Billy answers, laughing. "How ya been?"
"We're good," the man replies. "Where's that beauty of yours?"
"She's here," Billy replies, his voice changing. "I have a favor, Peter."
"Anything, you know that."
"A few days ago a gentleman by the name of Edward Cullen called your wife inquiring about a puppy."
"Sure did," he confirms. "Janice said he was nice and was wanting to purchase it as a present for his friend. What's this about Billy? Should we not sell to him?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Billy hurries to interject. "He actually works on the ranch, and the puppy is for Bella's birthday."
"Oh hell," Peter laughs out. "Why didn't he just say that?"
"He didn't know we knew y'all," Billy explains. "He's right here and I have you on speaker. The puppy is a present from all of us. Charlie was gonna get Bella one before he passed," Billy voice turning somber.
"Edward?" Peter questions. "You wanted a male, correct?"
"Yes, sir," I answer. "With unique coloring, if possible."
"Hold on a sec," he tells us, and we hear noise on the background. Janice's voice comes on the line then.
"Edward," Janice starts. "I have the perfect puppy for Bella," she states softly. "You can complete the paperwork when you come to get him, if that's all right?"
"Thanks, Janice," I answer in awe. "That will be fine. Um … I can't get him until closer to her birthday though; will that be a problem?"
"No problem at all," she states. "He will be here waiting. And Edward? Don't worry about the cost, he's a gift; just put our name on the card too."
"Janice, no ..." I start but she cuts me off.
"We've known the Swan's and Black's a long time. Our daughter, who is no longer with us, and Bella were really good friends. Please let us do this."
"Thank you," I reply, a little choked up hearing about their daughter. "I'll call you when I know the day I can come to pick him up."
"He'll be waiting, son," she states before hanging up.
I look to Billy, who is staring at the now quiet phone, "Their daughter went missing durin' her freshman year at college. Everyone jumped in, searching for her. Charlie even offered a huge reward to anyone who could provide any information about her whereabouts. They found her three weeks later. She had been raped and beaten to death. Her body was dumped in the woods behind one of the university buildings."
Seth takes over, seeing Billy so upset, "It was her ex-boyfriend. She had broken up with him a few months earlier, and he went crazy. Started stalking her and when he saw her out with some friends, he lost it. He followed her back to her dorm and kidnapped her. He's on death row now," Seth finishes, anger in his voice.
"So, we're gonna accept that puppy and sign their name to the card," Sarah states, firmly. "I'll even go with you to pick him up. We'll need to make a trip to the pet store to get him some things, and then Bella can go crazy buying whatever she wants after that."
"Oh," Emmett blurts out. "And cake! We need cake. Edward can make a mean carrot cake." Leave it to Emmett to lighten the mood.
"How 'bout that," Billy chuckles. "Carrot cake is Bella's favorite, with cream cheese icing, of course."
"Well, it isn't carrot cake without the cream cheese icing," Alice comments, wrinkling her nose. "Then it's just carrot bread," she states with disgust. "Who the hell wants to eat carrot bread?"
We all laugh at her pout, and she sticks her tongue out at us.
"Okay," Billy remarks as he stands. "It's late and we have a lot of work to get done tomorrow. Let's hit the hay."
Thursday morning is weird without waking up to Bella and Cassie in the house. It's too quiet without their laughter. As I mindlessly prepare breakfast with Sarah's help, she breaks me from my reverie with a simple observation. "Don't worry, sweets. They'll be back soon." That woman scares me with her knowing looks and sly smiles.
As we're eating breakfast, Billy breaks the silence with an amused snort, "I'm gonna get you city folks to ride horses today." There were a couple of chuckles at our expense heard from around the room, but Billy continues, addressing everyone else at the table. "We're gonna go trail ridin', so if anyone else wants to go, you're welcome to. We only have ten horses on the ranch that can be ridden at this time."
"Why can't any of the other horses be ridden?" Rose questions, confusion lacing her voice.
"We don't take the mares on long rides when they're pregnant, and the stallions are too high strung for a beginner to ride," he explains.
"Um, Billy?" Alice asks hesitantly. "Can I try riding Cisco today? Seth said Bella's been working with him a little."
"You can try," Billy shrugs. "He's gonna be yours soon, and he needs to be worked. Just be careful."
She just nods at him and goes back to eating as Jasper kisses her temple, smiling at her.
After the kitchen is cleaned, I take Lleu outside and set up his pen by the ranch office where Leah is standing. "I'll keep an eye on him for you," she states, reaching down and rubbing his belly. "I'll be in and out of the office covering for Jessica."
"Thanks, Leah," I express my gratitude. "Here's his leash if you need it."
I walk into the main barn where my brothers and Rose are nervously standing next to the tack room waiting for instructions. The others are there, but they are standing off to the side.
Billy and Jake walk out of the tack room carrying bridles and a saddle. Billy shows us how to tack and saddle a horse. We each have to get a horse ready under his watchful eye, making sure that we get it right. If we make a mistake, he is quick to point it out and help us ensure that it is done correctly. He is patient and calm the entire time.
After a few tries, we have all successfully tacked up the horses and led them out of the barn. He shows us how to mount them the correct way. Alice is there with a fully tacked Cisco, who seems a little nervous himself. She is petting him and whispering to him, trying to keep him calm.
Billy walks over, taking the reins from her, holding him as she mounts. Once she is in the saddle, he calms down. Billy hands her the reins with a smile, "Stay at the back so he doesn't feel threatened. I think he'll follow without any problems."
Once we are all mounted on our horses, we make our way to the trail. Billy explains how to get the horse to walk, trot, stop, and turn. "The more you ride, the more you'll learn," Billy explains once we all get the hang of the basics. By the time we make it to the trail, my nerves are gone and I'm completely relaxed. Jasper and Emmett are already discussing purchasing their own horses.
Rose is still looking a little uncomfortable as Billy rides up next to her, "Tell me what you're feeling."
"Um ... I'm not nervous about the horse, I'm just uncomfortable, like I'm going to fall or something," she explains to him. "I feel like my lower back is rubbing and cramping up."
"Then it's the saddle," he states. "It's too big for you, and your body is trying to overcompensate for the extra room. It's why Bella rides with an English saddle; maybe we should try you with one and see if that helps."
"Lean forward a little, Rose," Alice directs from her position behind us. "It'll take the pressure off your back, and don't try to hold on with your legs. Let them hang naturally in the stirrups."
Rose follows Alice's directions and looks a little more comfortable for the rest of the ride. When we make it back to the barn, Billy directs Jake to grab Bella's saddle from the tack room. He switches the saddles out on the horse Rose was riding and has her mount back up.
She has a radiant smile on her face as she rides around the grassy area in front of the barn.
"Well, that was an easy fix," Billy states with a shake of his head. "I'll have to get you a saddle because we don't have extra English saddles on hand. They're too expensive to keep in inventory."
"Is there a place close by that we can get her one?" Emmett questions.
"I think we should let Bella handle that. It's not like a western saddle; there're different sizes and additional equipment," Billy explains. "You can't just go to a feed store and pick one up."
"All right," Emmett acquiesces. "We'll wait until Bella gets home."
Rose finally dismounts and expertly un-tacks the horse. Once she puts the horse in its stall, she runs and jumps on Emmett's back, "I want a horse and one of those saddles."
"Sure, babe." Emmett laughs at her enthusiasm. "I'll get right on that."
"I'll talk to Bella and see if we can find y'all some horses," Billy confirms. "We have a few mares who are in their last breeding cycle; one of them could be a good fit."
I scoop Lleu up on my way back to the house to help Sarah with lunch. He is wiggling to get down so I hook his leash to his collar and set him on the ground. He is getting so independent.
When I walk in the house, it's quiet as I make my way into the kitchen where I find Sarah leaning over the counter with her head in her hands.
"Hey," I call softly. "You okay?"
She looks up, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Yeah, I'm all right."
"What's wrong?" I ask, hugging her.
"Where's everyone else?" she deflects.
"At the barn," I answer with concern. "What happened?" I ask again.
"Let me call Billy in and I'll tell ya," she states as she picks up her phone and asks Billy to come to the house.
He walks in the door a few minutes later, "What's wrong, darlin'?"
"Bella had a flare-up; she fell and hit her head," Sarah states shakily. "She's in the hospital and Esme is with her. She insisted that Carlisle go with Jessica to Cassie's appointment. Bella has a concussion, and they wanna keep her overnight."
"Damn," Billy utters, shaking his head. "What are the doctors gonna do?"
"Esme said there calling in a rheumatologist and she'll call me back when they know something more," Sarah asserts.
"What's a flare-up?" I ask Sarah, confused.
It's Billy that answers, "When her Lupus flares up it can affect her joints, which is probably what caused the fall this time. Sometimes, if she has a flare-up, it affects her breathing or heart. It's an autoimmune disease, so the symptoms can vary."
We're so caught up in our conversation we didn't hear the others come in.
"Where's lunch, Momma?" Jake booms, walking into the kitchen but stops short seeing Sarah's tear stained face. "What wrong?"
"Bella fell and hit her head; she's in the hospital with a concussion," Billy answers. "It'll probably be a few more days until they're home."
"She had a flare-up, didn't she?" Leah inquires, shaking her head. "Are they having her see a rheumatologist?"
"She has lupus?" Angela inquires. "SLE?"
"Um, yeah," Sarah answers this time. "And lunch is gonna be sandwiches."
"Hey," Rose softly commands. "We're all capable of feeding ourselves; just tell us what you need."
"Thanks, dear," Sarah says, hugging her. "I have sandwich stuff at my house. If we wanna go over there, we can eat sandwiches and chips."
As we eat lunch at Billy and Sarah's house, the mood is somber as everyone's concerned about Bella. I go to take a bite of my sandwich but hear a meow and look down, "Holy shit!" I exclaim. "That's one huge ass cat."
Sarah busts out laughing as she walks over and picks the gigantic cat up. "She isn't big, just furry," she giggles, and as she pets the purring feline, her hand disappears in the fur.
I just shake my head and go back to my sandwich. My mind wanders back to how Bella is doing, and I feel like I should be in Houston with her.
After lunch, I help Sarah tend the garden and cut a few herbs for dinner tonight. Both of us are lost in our thoughts. I make up my mind to tell Bella how I feel and ask her out when she gets back home and has recovered.
My mother calls during dinner and speaks with Billy, telling him that they are going to run some tests and should know more tomorrow.
Sleep does not come easy that night, and I guess Lleu can feel my anxiety because he ends up in bed with me.
Friday the girls continue to plan Jessica's wedding. Even Seth's mom comes out to the ranch to help. She is a wonderful lady, and we enjoy getting to know her. Seth asks Jake to be his best man, and Sue says she'll take care of the minister. Sarah and I have the cake and menu planned out for the big event by the end of the day.
My mother calls again during dinner, sounding exhausted. She explains that the doctors are going to change Bella's medicine, and she should be released on Saturday as long as she doesn't have a reaction to the new medication.
I wake up Saturday from another restless night of sleep. Everyone is jumpy and anxious to find out if Bella is coming home. To help distract ourselves, we all jump in and easily get the chores done, and the ranch in tip-top shape.
By the time we are eating lunch, I'm about to jump out of my skin when Billy's phone rings.
"Jessica," he breathes out in answer. "How is she?"
We sit patiently waiting for him to finish the call. When he hangs up, we just stare at him as a smile spreads across his face, "She's comin' home, and they're leavin' the hospital now."
There is a collective sigh echoing around the room.
Jasper's phone rings, startling us all as a smile creeps up his face. "What's up, boss?" he answers, and every head in the room whips around in his direction.
"Yeah, I'll take a look at it and see what needs to be done. Just get your butt home so we can make sure you're resting," Jasper responds to Bella. "See you soon then."
He looks up after disconnecting the call to us all staring at him, "What?"
"What did boss want?" Seth asks with a smirk. "And I know she was probably sneaking off to make that call."
"Um ... nothing," Jasper stutters. "She didn't want anything."
"Yeah, whatever," Seth retorts. "Keep your secrets."
As we're cleaning the kitchen, I see Jasper and Billy whispering, and then Billy slips Jasper a key.
Three very long hours later, my father pulls into the driveway. The back door opens and Dasher jumps out with Jessica right behind him. She helps Cassie out as my father walks around to the passenger side and helps Bella out. I rush to help my mother with the luggage while Billy goes to help with Bella.
"I'm all right." I hear Bella comfort everyone gathering around the truck. "Promise. I feel better; I just have a small headache."
"Let's get you in the house, dear," Sarah directs. "We have some shopping to discuss."
Cassie looks just as tired as everyone else so I scoop her up on our way in, handing off the bags to Emmett.
I make my way into the living room where Bella is already sitting on the couch. Sarah and Billy are seated on each side of her. After not having her here on the ranch, just for that short amount of time, and watching everyone interact with her it, is very easy to see what makes this ranch so special.
Bella is the center of everyone's world. She's the piece holding us all together.
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