A Cowboy Love Story
"Dude, we seriously need to get you off of this ranch, and away from that woman," Emmett muttered, removing his hat and swiping his forehead with his arm. I smiled.
"Tanya's trying her best," I offered. Emmett snorted. Jasper's lips curled up as he shook his head.
"Boy, you know she ain't gonna last out here," he said, his thick southern drawl sounding more pronounced than usual. I sighed. I wanted to believe that he was wrong, but I'd had a gut feeling ever since the first time that Tanya had set foot on my beloved ranch two months ago. "She's a city girl – she don't wanna live in the country."
"Why are you wasting your time on someone you know isn't going to be around very long?" Emmett wondered aloud. I shrugged, rolling my shoulders and trying to ease some of the tension there.
"It's nice to have a woman around," I answered truthfully. I had been lonely for too long, I thought. I was only twenty six, but I was an old soul. I'd had time to sow my wild oats (as my Momma would say), and I was ready to settle down. I wanted a wife to come home to when the day was over – someone who would be a partner to me, and love me and support the lifestyle I'd chosen, no matter how grueling it could be. I wanted a house full of children who laughed and raised hell and ran me and their momma ragged. I wanted to grow old with someone. My dream was to sit on the front porch, drinking lemonade and holding hands with my wife as we yelled "No!" and "Stop that!" at our children and grandchildren. Emmett just didn't understand.
"Yeah, but you need a woman who's going to acclimate to this lifestyle," Jasper pointed out. "Tanya can't stand to be here for longer than thirty minutes at a time."
"Seriously, man," Emmett added, nodding emphatically. I grinned at him, then sighed.
"It'd be nice if you found a gal who enjoys this life as much as you do."
"It would," I agreed. I shook my head. "And with as many women as I've met over the years, you'd think I would've found one by now."
"You just ain't lookin' in the right places, son," Jasper said, grinning. "But it's Friday night, so let's get a move on. I'm ready for a nice, cold beer." I couldn't agree more.
"Let me run home and shower," Emmett said, hopping down from his perch on the fence. Thank god it was a sturdy one – Emmett was a big guy.
"I could do with some freshening up, too," Jasper admitted.
"All right. Meet you boys there," I said, nodding at them. I made my way back up to the house and walked right in – I rarely kept the place locked. My property was big, but it was closed off, too. I didn't get visitors often, so I didn't see the need. That was good for me, because it meant that I didn't need to keep track of a set of keys that would be easy to lose and impossible to find.
I stripped out of my dirty work clothes and hopped into the shower, thoroughly enjoying the way the hot water was massaging my sore muscles. I enjoyed my work, but it wasn't easy by any means. Most nights I fell into bed exhausted and slept like the dead – but there was nothing like waking up to a beautiful Texas sunrise. My family and friends all shared the same sentiment – we were all Texans, born and raised – and none of us ever felt the need to leave.
Tanya, on the other hand, was constantly full of chatter about visiting other places – like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago – you name a big city, and she'd most likely want to go there – as long as it was outside of Texas. I felt sorry for her in a way- it was terrible to be so unsatisfied with your life that you wanted to escape it. There were times when I'd like to get off of the ranch and retreat to the cool of the house, or my parents' house, but never had I ever wanted to move away from Texas. It was where my life was; where my history was, and certainly where my future would be.
I turned the shower off, stepped out, and began drying off. I liked Tanya well enough, I thought, but the guys were right. I couldn't see a future with her, so what in the hell was I doing with her? I tried to imagine Tanya in the kitchen, making dinner, and the thought made me snort. She had made it clear from day one that she couldn't even boil water. I tried to imagine her belly swollen with my child, and I had to fight not to gag. Not that we had had sex in the scant two and a half months we'd dated – she'd wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hadn't even really kissed her, for god's sake. I'd given her pecks on the cheek, but that was it. I could tell that it frustrated her, but I couldn't help it, and I wouldn't be pushed faster than I was ready to go.
I pulled on my Friday night jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, and then pulled on my socks and boots. I loved my leather boots, but they were more decorative than functional – I preferred my steel-toed boots for every day.
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to flatten it, but as per usual it had a mind of its own. It refused to stay down. I sighed and abandoned hope that it would submit to me – it might if I used hair gel or mousse, but I wasn't about to do that. I sprayed a bit of cologne on and grabbed my keys before making my way out to my truck.
The drive to the bar was relatively short, but it gave me enough time to think about what I was going to do about Tanya. Well, I had pretty much already decided to end things with her – I was just trying to figure out how to do it. I'd never broken up with a woman before. Usually they decided that I wasn't worth the trouble, and they just stopped calling and coming around, and I never bothered to call and ask them to come back.
I pulled into a parking space and cut the engine, then strode across the parking lot. One glance around the inside of the bar revealed Emmett and Jasper sitting in our usual booth. We'd been occupying that same booth every Friday night for the past five years – it offered the best vantage point in the bar. We could watch the entrance, the bar itself, and the dance floor. The guys seemed to be deep in conversation, but when I had made it about halfway to them, Jasper looked up.
The look in his eyes was one of panic – I recognized it because it was the same look he'd worn when one of my bulls had broken loose last August. We'd spent the better part of an hour trying to rein him back in. Emmett turned and met my eyes with his, but he didn't look panicked – instead his look was one of resignation. I wondered briefly what was going on with them, before Emmett's eyes shifted to my right. I stopped in my tracks and turned to see what he was looking at.
My first thought was that it was odd to see Tanya in a place like this – a honkytonk bar that was full of men just like me and my friends. I'd invited her twice, and she'd declined to come both times, stating that it just wasn't 'her kind of place.' My second thought was something close to a hallelujah, because I had been presented with an out. She was grinding on Mike Newton, the owner of the local sporting goods supply store. After a moment, his mouth was fused to hers for the second time since I'd walked in. I sighed and made my way over to my friends.
"Sorry, man," Emmett said, giving me a sad look.
"It's not a big deal," I said, shrugging. Jessica, the waitress who always worked Friday nights and had been asking me out since high school, brought me a beer without my having to order it. It was yet another reason why I loved living here – all the local places knew my usual orders. Jasper studied me in that quietly appraising way of his, and after a moment, he gave a slight nod.
"You're better off." He took a pull from his beer.
"I really am," I agreed, cracking a smile. Emmett frowned at me.
"You sure you're okay?"
"In the time it took me to clean up and get over here, I decided that you boys were right – I was just wasting time with her. Still, it was a nice thought."
"You'll find someone, man," Emmett reassured me, grinning before taking a drink of his own beer. I turned to Jasper, only to find that he was staring at the front door of the bar. I glanced over to see what he was so focused on, and my breath caught in my throat.
They had just come in, and were completely oblivious to the stares they were gathering. The tall blonde woman said something, and they all laughed as they made their way to the bar. Blondie was pretty, but she reminded me of Tanya – she looked too city for my tastes. The smallest of them had short jet black hair. She was pretty enough too – but I only had eyes for the brunette.
She was taller than the black-haired girl, but not as tall as the blonde one. She wasn't as skinny as either of them – they looked like they could use a couple dozen sandwiches – but she was perfect. She had curves where a woman should. Her chocolate brown hair fell in waves to the middle of her back, and it was so long that when she threw her head back and laughed, it brushed the top of her jeans.
Jeans! Shit… I was in trouble. Her jeans hugged every luscious curve (even though they weren't as tight as Tanya had liked to wear hers). How could one person make you drool and make your mouth feel dry at the same time?
But most of all… her face. It was lovely. Even from across the bar I could see big, dark expressive eyes, cupid's bow lips, and a perfect cute little nose, all framed in a heart-shaped face. I turned back to my friends for a minute only to find that they were openly staring.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Jasper swore, not tearing his eyes away from the girls.
"Amen," Emmett breathed. I smiled.
"See something you like?" I turned back to stare at the girls, only to find that the black-haired one was staring over at us, her mouth open. Before I could say anything, Jasper was out of his seat and walking towards them. I watched with bated breath, hoping that he wasn't going for the brunette. When he smiled at the little black-haired girl, I exhaled slowly.
"Apparently you see something you like, too," Emmett observed, his voice full of amusement. "The blonde or the brunette?"
"Brunette," I whispered, watching as Jasper leaned in and said something into the littlest woman's ear. Her cheeks turned pink and she smiled up at him. The brunette and the blonde were watching their friend and Jasper with obvious amusement.
"Thank God," Emmett said. His relief was obvious. "I love you, man, but if you'd said the blonde girl – we may have had our first fight." I chuckled. The little girl grabbed Jasper's arm and dragged him closer to her friends, gesturing between him and them. I'd never seen Jasper take the initiative to introduce himself to a woman before, not in all the years I'd known him. This was a big deal. I watched as he held out his hand and the other two women shook it, and then Jasper gestured to where we were sitting.
When her eyes locked with mine, it felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room. I was grateful that I was sitting down, because I was so light-headed that if I had been standing, I surely would have passed out. Our eyes stayed locked and I watched as her teeth sunk into her lower lip. Suddenly it felt as though the temperature in the room had gone up about five hundred degrees – I felt feverish. She broke our gaze and I felt myself frowning as she turned and said something to the blonde. Jasper motioned to us again, and the little girl who was now attached to his right arm nodded enthusiastically. I downed the rest of my beer quickly, hoping it would help my suddenly terribly dry throat. It didn't. It felt like everything was moving in slow motion as I watched Jasper lead all of the women to our booth.
"Fellas, there's some ladies I'd like you to meet," he began, smiling down at the woman who was now tucked under his right arm. She beamed up at him. "This here's Alice. That's Rosalie," he said, pointing to the blonde. "And that's Bella." My breath caught in my throat. Bella. What a fitting name.
"I'm Emmett." Emmett nodded at them, and Bella and Alice smiled and returned the nod. Rosalie frowned a little. I stood.
"I'm Edward." I never took my eyes from hers as I offered my hand. The color rose in her cheeks – beautiful – and she slipped her soft hand into mine. I felt like I'd touched a live wire – electricity shot up my arm, making me suck in a breath. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at our hands before meeting my gaze again. She must have felt it too.
"Bella," she breathed. I was so gone. Her breathy voice made goosebumps appear on my arms.
"I'm Alice." I turned to see her watching me with a knowing smirk. She held out her hand for me to shake, and I realized I'd been holding on to Bella's hand for longer than was probably necessary. Reluctantly, I dropped her hand and shook Alice's. I turned and offered a hand to Rosalie, which she shook with a firm grip. I motioned for the ladies to sit down, and was pleased to see that Bella sat down last, which meant she'd be sitting next to me.
"It's nice to meet you guys," Alice said, snuggling under the arm that Jasper raised. My eyebrows shot up, and Emmett looked as though his eyes might bug out of his head. I glanced at the other two women, and they were both wearing silly smiles as they looked at their friend and mine together. Apparently this behavior was not out of the ordinary for Alice – but it sure as hell was for Jasper. In all the years we'd been friends, I'd yet to see him in public with a woman. Come to think of it, I didn't remember him ever having an actual girlfriend, either…
"You, too," I responded finally, clearing my throat. She didn't seem to be listening – she and Jasper were too busy staring into each others' eyes. I turned to the beauty at my side. "So do you ladies live nearby?"
"We're from Fort Worth," Bella explained, shaking her head. I blinked.
"You're a little ways away from home," I pointed out. Rosalie rolled her eyes, but I ignored her. "Planning on staying long?" I really, really wanted to know if I was going to see her again.
"I don't know," she answered, her cheeks reddening with her blush. Oh hell, that was amazing, the way her skin turned rosy… it had been so long since I'd seen a woman blush, I didn't think they even could anymore. My heart was pounding wildly. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and my fingers itched to reach out and touch her hair. I wanted to feel it for myself and see if it was really as soft as it looked.
"Bella has some kind of stupid, convoluted notion that she wants to live in the country, and not the city," Rosalie said acidly, shaking her head. Jessica approached and took our orders, and I couldn't help but notice that Bella ordered the same kind of beer that the guys and I were drinking, while her friends ordered fruity mixed drinks. My heart threatened to break loose from my chest.
"You want to live in the country?" I repeated, my eyes on Bella. She nodded. "Pine Springs is an amazing place to live."
"It's really beautiful," she breathed, nodding at me.
"Why do you want to live in the country? If you don't mind my asking, that is," Jasper added quickly. I noticed that he was rubbing his thumb against Alice's shoulder. They weren't acting like they'd just met – they were acting like an old married couple. It was kind of amazing to watch.
"Oh, shit," Rosalie muttered. "Here we go." She took a long drink. Alice rolled her eyes.
"Shut up, Rose. I think it's nice."
"I'd like to live somewhere where I can see the stars at night without artificial lights clouding my view," she began. My heart nearly stopped. That was one of the many reasons that I loved the ranch, and the place I lived. "I'd like to raise my kids somewhere where they can play outside and run and be kids without having to worry about them getting run over in the street. I want to-"
"Yeah, we get it, Bells. You want to live in the country." Rosalie sighed and rested her chin against her fist.
"Do you have children?" Emmett asked, tilting his head at her curiously. She shook her head.
"No."
"But you want kids?" he clarified. I blinked and glanced over at him. The bastard winked at me. He was asking her questions for me! This could not end well.
"Absolutely."
"A lot?"
Rosalie and Alice both fixed him with calculating looks. After a moment, Alice's eyes slid from him to me, and then from me to her friend, and her smile brightened impossibly.
"Bella wants a house full of kids," she interjected. Bella's face turned bright red, and she took a drink of her beer. I would've done the same thing, if I had been embarrassed by my friends.
"Really? What a coincidence. So does Edward, here." Emmett jerked his thumb in my direction. I took a swig of beer to keep from saying something harsh about his butting in.
"That is interesting," Alice said, eyeing me. "What do you do, Edward?"
"He owns a ranch," Emmett answered for me.
"So he's a cowboy?" Alice asked gleefully, her eyes darting to her friend. Bella's face was so red, it was almost purple. I thought I heard her mutter something, but I couldn't be sure what it was.
"Basically, yes ma'am," Jasper answered. "I guess we all are. We're his ranch hands." Alice's lips parted and her eyes became hooded as she looked up at him.
"Really," she breathed. Rosalie snorted, and Emmett turned his attention to her.
"Is there something wrong with being a cowboy?"
"No," she answered, her tone suggesting otherwise. She took another drink, finishing it off, and motioned to Jessica for another.
"What do you do, that's so important?"
"I'm an attorney." Emmett bristled. Oh, shit. He hated lawyers with a burning passion. It didn't help that his father was a lawyer, and he and his father were currently estranged.
"That explains a lot." Rosalie shot Emmett a venomous look, and he chuckled, taking a swig of beer.
"And just what in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly that-"
"What about you, Edward?" Alice interrupted. I gave her a grateful look, and she smiled at me. "Do you want a family someday?"
"Er… yes."
"Don't you think that's kind of a personal question to ask someone you just met, Alice?" Bella asked, sounding angry. Alice looked unfazed.
"Not really. We just talked about what you want, didn't we? I for one want to get married and have lots of sex and babies." I choked on the beer that I'd been attempting to swallow. Jasper's smile widened.
"What a coincidence," he began. I couldn't help myself- I laughed. Bella gave me a strange look.
"What?" I leaned over a little so only she could hear me.
"I just think it's funny how they're acting like an old married couple." She grinned back at me.
"It is, but it's also kind of … adorable," she said, glancing back at them. Hell, they were basically undressing each other with their eyes!
"So what are you doing here, then?" I wondered aloud, my voice still soft enough that only she could hear me. "Checking out different potential places to live?"
"Something like that," she laughed. "Rose thinks I'm crazy because I don't want to leave Texas, but I can't. I love it too much." I stared. Her cheeks turned pink again. Oh, God… I was so gone.
"Have you always lived in Texas?"
"I'm a born-again Texan," she teased, laughing. "My dad was in the army, and we got stationed in Texas during his last two years before retirement. I fell in love. I haven't left since."
"How long ago was that?"
"Twelve years ago."
"And in all that time, you've never wanted to leave Texas?" I was sure I sounded creepy, but I just had to know.
"Nope," she said, popping the 'p.'
"May I ask your age?" she smiled, and my heart jumped into my throat.
"And here I thought that all southern gentlemen were taught not to ask a woman's age," she teased. I grinned, and her smile faltered.
"My momma would have my hide," I agreed. "But I'd still really like to know, if you don't mind telling me."
"I'm twenty four."
"You're still young," I pointed out. "Are you sure you don't want to get out there and see the world?"
"Why?" she asked, wrinkling her nose adorably. "I mean, I wouldn't mind going on vacation every now and then, but I love it too much here. All of my family is nearby, and they wouldn't be if I left."
I think I'm in love.
Sweet holy Christ, is it possible to fall in love this fast?
"You should come by and see my ranch," I blurted before I could stop myself. "That is… I mean, if you want to." It was then that I realized that all conversation at the table had stopped, and all eyes were on us. Alice's eyes darted around the table.
"What? Why are you guys staring at him like you've never seen him before?"
"Um," Jasper said, clearing his throat. "It's just… nothing." He shook his head and smiled down at her.
"You'll tell me later, won't you, Jazzy?"
"Jazzy?" Emmett asked, barking out a laugh.
"Later?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Jasper shrugged and smiled.
"I'm going home with him," Alice announced proudly. I felt my mouth drop open, and both the other women began talking at once.
"Alice, what in the fu-"
"Rose!" Bella shrieked. Then, "We need to go to the bathroom and powder our noses, gentlemen." All three women moved out of the booth and scurried towards the bathroom. Emmett laughed.
"Powder their noses? Who the hell says that anymore? And why in the hell would she think we were stupid enough to believe it?"
"I'm sure it was just a polite way for her to get away from the table," I snapped, frowning at him. He turned and looked at me, his expression guarded. Then his eyes widened.
"Holy shit! You like her!"
"Of course he does," Jasper said, winking at me. "God, Edward, could she have been any more perfect for you? You've always had a thing for brunettes anyway, but what she said-"
"Brunettes, huh?" I exhaled slowly and turned to face Tanya, who was staring intently at me, her arms folded over her chest.
"Tanya," I said curtly. "I'm surprised to see you here. You've never liked this place, if I remember correctly."
"Things change."
"Apparently," I said, looking pointedly over at the table where her dance partner was sitting and trying not to ogle her. She followed my gaze, and her face flushed – not in the adorable way that Bella's had, but with anger.
"Well, you can't really blame me. You weren't filling my needs, so I found someone who would."
"I'm sure he fulfills your needs very well," I said, trying not to laugh. I saw the ladies heading back towards us, and my heart began stuttering as I met Bella's eyes. "Now if you'll excuse us…"
"What he means is go the hell away," Emmett spoke up, grinning. Jasper laughed.
"That's it?"
"What, did you think you would come flaunt a new guy in Edward's face, and he'd beg for you to stay with him?" Jasper asked. From the look on Tanya's face, it was clear that that had been exactly her goal. I stood and let Bella slide in beside me, and I forgot all about the angry redhead.
"Don't get involved with this one," Tanya told Bella, pointing to me. "He's an ass." With that, she turned and stomped off. Bella gave me an incredulous look.
"What was that?"
"That was Tanya," Emmett said, shaking his head. "She's been after Edward for almost a year. Two months ago, he said he'd go out with her, and he hasn't been able to get rid of her since – until tonight, anyway," he added, laughing. Bella craned her neck and looked in the direction Tanya had gone, then looked back at me.
"That was your last girlfriend?"
"I wouldn't really call her my girlfriend," I said, cringing a little. "We didn't really date – it was more like hanging out." Was I the only one who thought that sounded lame? "She wasn't a very nice person."
"She was a bitch," Emmett said, waving at Jessica for another beer. Rosalie snorted, and Emmett's eyes narrowed at her.
"Do you have something to say, Rosalie?"
"Why is she a bitch? Did she assert herself? Refuse to cook and clean for him? Say she didn't want kids?"
"She's a bitch because she thought she was better than us," he clarified heatedly. Her eyes snapped over to him. "Apparently coming from a big city made her better than us – what did she call us the other day, Jasper?"
"Country hicks," he supplied coolly. Emmett glared at Rosalie, who looked slightly taken aback. Alice cleared her throat.
"So why were you with her, if you didn't think she was a nice person?" she wondered.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I didn't really enjoy spending time with her. We wanted different things, I guess."
"When Bella comes to see your ranch, can I come too?" Alice asked innocently. Bella glared at her across the table.
"Sure." Alice clapped her hands together, and I grinned. Her enthusiasm was infectious.
"Ooh, do you ever have bonfires? It would be so awesome to stargaze around a fire," she gave Jasper a sideways glance, and he grinned at her.
"There's nothing Edward loves better," he said, looking up at me. My eyebrows shot up. "What do you say, Cullen? Want to host a bonfire tomorrow night?"
"Cullen?" Rosalie asked, her eyes darting over to me. Jasper nodded. "Your last name is Cullen? As in Esme Cullen?"
"That would be his momma," Jasper drawled, nodding. Was I going to get to speak for myself again at some point tonight?
"Do you want to come with us then, Rose?" Alice asked, fixing interested eyes on her friend. Rosalie stared at me for a minute, and then nodded.
"Is anybody going to ask Edward if he even wants to have a bonfire?" Bella interjected. "You guys are making all of these plans for him, and haven't let him get a word in edgewise!" I felt my lips curl up into a pleased smile, and I couldn't help it – I stared at her. Her cheeks turned pink and she gave me an exasperated look. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just nice to have someone stand up for me." The pink on her cheeks blossomed into red and she looked down at her beer, but she was smiling. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't want to come?"
"No, I wasn't-" she stopped when she looked up and realized that I was teasing. "I'd love to come."
"Better eat before you come," Emmett cautioned them. "Edward can do just about anything – except cook."
"Bella could come over and make dinner," Alice volunteered. If Bella's glare could kill, Alice would've been stone cold on the floor. Jasper bit his lip and tried valiantly not to laugh. "I mean, I could help her, too, but she's the most amazing cook ever."
As if I hadn't already known it, this woman now owned me – and I didn't even know her last name.
"I'm sorry that Alice keeps inviting us over without asking you first," Bella said, giving me a wry smile. "She does that a lot."
"I don't mind if you don't," I answered honestly. She blinked, and then a slow, beautiful smile blossomed across her face.
"Are you sure you don't mind letting me loose in your kitchen? I'm practically a stranger."
"I don't mind, and I'd really, really like to change that." She bit down on her lower lip and looked down. Alice began clapping excitedly, and Rosalie rolled her eyes – though I noticed that her eyes hadn't strayed very far from me since she'd figured out who my mother was.
"Um," she murmured, finally looking back up at me. "How do we get there, and what time do you want us there?"
"I can meet you here tomorrow and you can just follow me out there," I offered. "Time doesn't matter to me, though it's easier if we plan for after four o'clock."
"Will you guys already be out there?" Bella asked, glancing from Jasper to Emmett.
"Jasper is going to bring me later on," Alice said, smiling brilliantly up at him. I felt my mouth drop open a little bit. He was really going to spend the night with a woman he'd just met. It wasn't completely unheard of, but it had been a damned long time since it had happened.
"Well, what the hell am I, chopped liver?" Rosalie demanded. Bella smiled at her, caught her bottom lip with her teeth, and glanced shyly at me before looking back to her friend. Rosalie softened visibly. I didn't understand the unspoken communication, but whatever was going on, Rosalie suddenly seemed a lot more relaxed. She nodded and smiled back at Bella. "I'll ride with Bella."
"Goody," Emmett muttered, turning his head and taking a long pull of his beer. He missed the frown Rosalie shot at him.
"Well I'd like to be able to say that I'd like to stay longer, but it wouldn't be true, and if there's one thing my momma didn't raise, it's a liar." Jasper grinned and started scooting himself and Alice out of the booth.
"Alice, call if you need us," Rosalie called, watching them head towards the door. Alice waved without turning around, and then they were gone. She was about to say something when Jessica handed Bella and I each another beer. "Shit. You don't want to leave yet, do you?"
Bella shook her head no, and took a drink of the fresh beer. Rosalie screwed her face up and made a disgusted noise.
"How can you drink that swill?"
"Too good for beer?" Emmett asked, snorting. Rosalie rounded on him.
"What exactly is your problem with me, you Neanderthal?"
"Oh, so I can't buy into the stereotype that you're a bitch because you assert yourself, but you can buy into the stereotype that I'm a stupid caveman because I'm big? Nice double standards, there, blondie." Rosalie's cheeks turned red and her eyes narrowed. She pointed one perfectly manicured nail in his direction.
"Don't call me blondie," she ordered.
"Or what? You'll bore me to death with your lawyer-speak?" he yawned to punctuate his point. "Sorry, Edward. I think it's time for me to bail. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early." He got up and scooted out of the booth. Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest and exhaled noisily.
"I need to go to the ladies' room. I'll be right back." And then she was gone, leaving me and Bella alone together. Our eyes met, and we both burst out laughing.
"Is she like that all the time?"
"Is he?"
"Strangely… no. Emmett's the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet."
"Not the nicest," she said, catching her lip between her teeth again. Suddenly it was hot in here again.
"So…" I swallowed to try and force some moisture back into my dry throat, but my throat was too thick to cooperate. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"I have a stepbrother and a half-sister," she said, nodding. "I've never lived with either, though, so I may as well be an only child. My dad got remarried about a year after I moved out of his house, and she brought her son with her. My mom and stepdad had my sister five years before that."
"So you're the oldest?"
"Yeah." She took another drink and licked her lips, and I felt lightheaded. "Seth is fourteen, and Carlie is sixteen. What about you? Any brothers or sisters?"
"Just me." I smiled, and her answering smile took my breath away. "But I like it that way. I'm a momma's boy, but my Dad and I are best friends." Her smile got wider.
"My Mom is my best friend even though I haven't lived with her for a really long time – and I'm a daddy's girl." I laughed. "What else should I know about you, Edward Cullen?"
"I'm the poster boy for cowboy stereotypes," I offered. She giggled. I could listen to that sound forever. "I love my ranch, I love my work, I love country music – for the most part, I love my life." She bit her lip and studied my face, and her smile faded a little bit.
"For the most part?" I shrugged. "What would you change?"
"I get lonely sometimes, just like anyone else," I explained, focusing on the label of my beer bottle. The corner was ripped and pulling away from the glass, and I tugged at it, ripping it further. "Other than that, my life is pretty much perfect." I smiled and looked up. She was frowning down at her own beer bottle. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't mean to make you sad, or anything."
"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head and forcing a smile. "It's just that – you and I seem to have a lot in common."
"That's a good thing," I reassured her, grinning. She smiled and rolled her eyes at me.
"It's… can I tell you something really weird?" I nodded. "It's the strangest thing. I've dragged these girls all over this state, looking for a place where I might fit, and Alice took one look at the map and told me to come to Pine Springs, because what I was looking for was here." She paused and glanced up at me through the fringe of her lashes. My breath caught in my throat. "Does that sound as crazy as I think it does?"
"It depends. Do you think she's right?"
"Yeah," she breathed, her eyes meeting mine. "I think she is." I'm sure I looked like a fish – my mouth kept opening and closing of its own accord. When I was finally able to get it to stop, I smiled at her.
"So what else do I need to know about you, Bella …?" She shook her head slightly and looked embarrassed.
"Sorry! Swan. My name's Bella Swan. Well, actually it's Isabella, but only my mom calls me that."
"I like it, but I think Bella suits you better." She blushed.
"There's not much to know about me. I'm a chef – someday I would love to own my own restaurant or catering business, or even a little hole-in-the-wall bakery slash coffee shop. I love the outdoors, I love animals, I love kids, and I probably like country music more than you do," she said, shooting me a sly look. I laughed.
"You're a chef?" She nodded. "What's your favorite kind of food to cook?" It was her turn to laugh.
"Edward, that's like asking an artist what his favorite color is! I love everything. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say I probably like making comfort food the best."
"Comfort food?"
"You know, things like soup, macaroni and cheese – stuff like that."
"Stuff that comes from a box or a can is your favorite?" I tried to hide the disappointment that leaked into my voice, but she heard it and smiled.
"I'll have you know I've never made macaroni and cheese from the box." I sighed wistfully.
"I haven't had real mac and cheese since the last time I visited my parents."
"When was that?"
"About a month ago." She looked surprised.
"I thought you said that you were close to your family?"
"I am, I just get really busy sometimes, and I haven't had a chance to get over to see them. They live in Dell City, about an hour's drive west of here. Momma always cooks up a storm when I go – she sends a ton home with me, too." I couldn't help the smile that curved my mouth upwards. She smiled and wrinkled her nose a little at me.
"You are the most adorable thing," she breathed. My heart stopped, and her face flushed. She shook her head. "I mean, I think it's adorable that you… and your mom… oh, god!" she dropped her face into her hands. "I should shut up now."
"Actually, I was just thinking that you're pretty adorable, too." She peeked at me through her fingers.
"I have no verbal filter. That's not cute, it's humiliating."
"It's refreshing to talk to a woman who speaks her mind, instead of wondering what kind of game she's playing this time." Her hands dropped and she frowned at me.
"Did Tanya play games?"
"That's all she did. I'm starting to think it's all she knows how to do." Bella looked in the direction where Tanya had been sitting, but she was nowhere to be found.
"I know I don't know you all that well, but just judging by her looks, she didn't look like your type."
"Definitely not."
"So you guys weren't serious, then?" I opened my mouth to answer, and she exhaled noisily. "Sorry, I'm being nosy. Please don't feel like you have to answer that."
"I don't mind," I said honestly. "You can ask me anything you want to, Bella. I want you to know me."
"Thank you." She smiled and drained the rest of her beer.
"No, we weren't serious. Not even close. Momma kept asking me when she was going to meet her, but Tanya isn't exactly the kind of woman I wanted to take home to meet her."
"Would your mom have liked her?"
"Definitely not." Bella giggled. "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend somewhere who's missing you?" she turned red again and stared at the table as she shook her head.
"No."
"I hope you'll excuse my language, but why the hell not?" Her head jerked up, and she stared at me for a minute.
"I think it's mostly because whenever Rose is around…" she shrugged and let her sentence trail off. "Well, you saw her."
"And what does she have to do with you not having a boyfriend?" I asked, confused. She stared at me again, her lips parted.
"Are you for real?"
"Why?"
"Rose is gorgeous," she said emphatically. "Men don't look twice at me when she's around."
"Bella, I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you since you walked in that door," I confessed.
"You haven't?" she half-whispered. I shook my head. We sat there in silence for several minutes, just studying each other's faces. After what seemed like forever, Bella frowned and broke eye contact to glance around the bar. "Is it just me, or has Rose been gone for a really long time?"
She was right, I realized. Her friend had been gone for a while. "Should we go look for her?"
"Look for who?" We both turned to see Rosalie approaching our booth from the opposite direction of the ladies' restroom. Bella and I shared a curious look before she rose from the booth and stood by her friend. I rose too, and stood behind Bella – close enough to smell the fruity scent of her hair.
"Where have you been?"
"I thought you and your cowboy could use some time to get to know each other," Rosalie said, shrugging. Bella narrowed her eyes at her friend for a moment, and then they widened.
"You had sex!"
I blinked in surprise and my eyes moved to Rosalie, whose face was flushed.
"And what if I did?"
"But – but you argued with him the whole time we were sitting here!" Bella pointed out incredulously. Rosalie shrugged.
"I've slept with lots of men I hated. Doesn't change the fact that they were good in bed – or in this case, in his truck." Bella turned and threw her hands in the air.
"Does he do this a lot?" I laughed uncomfortably.
"Yeah – Emmett's kind of the loose one of our group – no offense meant," I said, directing this last at Rosalie. She shrugged again and inspected her nails.
"Works for me. Can we leave now, Bella? You'll get to see your man-meat tomorrow." I started to laugh, but quickly turned it into a cough when I saw that Bella's hands were clenched into tight fists. Rosalie turned and began walking towards the door. Bella turned and gave me a helpless look.
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. I laughed.
"You have nothing to apologize for. That's something else you should probably know about me – I'm generally pretty easygoing."
"That's good to know," she said, her shoulders relaxing just a bit. "So apparently I have to leave – what time do you want to meet back here tomorrow?"
"Four thirty too early?"
"No, that's fine. It'll give me plenty of time to shop."
"I don't want you buying groceries for a dinner at my house," I said, frowning. She rolled her eyes.
"You can pay me back by buying the beer – and maybe a bottle of wine for Rose," she said. "You're not allergic to any food, are you?"
"No."
"Good. Thanks for having my crazy friends and I over," she said, sounding shy. "I can't wait."
"Me neither."
"Goodbye, Edward," she said, biting down on her bottom lip. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously and hoped like hell that I wasn't blushing as hard as it felt like I was blushing.
"Goodbye, Bella." I watched as she turned and walked away.
Watching the distance grow between our bodies was the hardest thing I had ever done.