Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.
This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bella couldn't help but smile in pride as she frosted the last cupcake on the counter in front of her.
The past week at Sweet Bites had been incredible. After seeing how hard Shelley worked every morning making so many different things, she sat down with the older woman and suggested a special day for certain items. While the most popular items- white and wheat bread, bagels, doughnuts, cookies, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and Moon Pies- would remain a daily thing, other items would be switched to a "Daily Special" type offering. Whole cakes and specialty items would still be special order, and Bella could introduce new items as daily specials to see how the customers took to them. Jams and apple butter were canned weekly now, new batches only made if they were going to run out early. So far, it was working out splendidly.
Today's 'Daily Specials' were Hummingbird cupcakes, chocolate filled croissants, and cranberry orange scones. Bella had enjoyed making the Hummingbird cake and Shelley loved the idea of serving it as a cupcake once or twice a week. And needless to say, the bakery owner absolutely loved the idea of Bella making chocolate filled croissants whenever she wanted to.
Bella threw the empty piping bag away and washed her hands quickly before carrying the tray of cupcakes out to the case. Shelley was already there, filling the baskets on the counter with fresh bread and bagels.
"Those look wonderful, dear," Shelley praised, watching as Bella put the tray in its place between the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. "I like how you decorated the tops with the banana chip and candied pecan."
Bella blushed at the praise. "I had so much fun making them. Thank you for teaching me how."
They worked quickly together, making sure everything was in its place and the coffee was brewing before Shelley unlocked the door and turned the "Open" sign around in the window.
It was what was becoming a typical weekday at the bakery for Bella. Rosalie came in first go pick up scones, croissants and coffee to take to Carlisle's office. The business owners on Main Street came in for their breakfasts before opening their shops. Demetri came in each morning for the first few days after Bella met him, but after getting continually turned down, his secretary, Gianna, started coming in for his morning coffee and bagel.
At ten, Edward walked in with a grin on his face and his hand behind his back. Bella watched him with a smile on her own face until he stopped in front of her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before presenting her with a beautiful sunflower.
"Good morning, My Girl," he said sweetly as Bella's eyes lit up at her gift.
"Good morning, babe," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him chastely on the lips. "Thank you so much! It's beautiful!"
Ever since the Monday after their first date, Edward would come into the bakery each day, usually late morning, with a flower for her. Her vase in her apartment held his gifts from his prior visits; a purple Delphinium, a red Carnation, a white Calla Lily, and a red Amaryllis. Bella planned to keep them in the vase until they started to wilt, and then dry them so she could keep them forever. She wanted to be looking at those flowers when she was old and gray and remember how he would come in with a smile and present her with one.
For now, Bella placed it in an empty soda bottle filled with water that Shelley had left on the counter for her daily flower.
"Moon Pie?" Bella asked, finally turning away from the sunflower to smile at the handsome man in front of her.
"Surprisingly, not today," he grinned as he perused the cases. "I heard from some very pleased customers of yours that you have some fabulous scones today. Could I get two and a coffee to go, please?"
"Absolutely," Bella was flushed with pride at his words. "Are they really talking about them?"
Edward's own eyes were filled with pride as he watched her wrap his two pastries in wax paper before slipping them in the white bakery bag. "I've heard from no less than six people about them already. And something about orange butter to go with them?"
Bella chuckled, adding a little plastic ramekin of the butter she had whipped that morning with orange extract and orange peel, along with a plastic knife. "Just something I thought of last night when I was planning today's specials. I'm glad they seem to like it."
"I think 'like' is not a strong enough word for it," Edward teased, doctoring his coffee with cream and sugar as Bella set the bag in front of him on the counter. She didn't even bother ringing him up; Shelley Cope would never hear of charging one of the Cullen clan. "We still up for this afternoon?"
With Bella's culinary courses in Knoxville coming up, she was determined to get behind the wheel and start driving again without panicking. Edward and his family had offered their assistance and Edward was taking her to an abandoned dirt track nearby later that afternoon so she could start practicing again.
Bella nodded at his question. "I can't thank you enough for helping me. I need to get over this silly phobia before my classes."
Edward's hand covered hers immediately. "It's not a 'silly phobia' Sweet Girl. You have every right to feel what you do and I'll do anything to help you get past it."
Bella turned her hand over so she could squeeze his. "Still. I can't thank you enough."
He grinned, leaning forward to kiss her quickly before snatching up his bag. "I think these scones will more than pay for it, then. I have a feeling I may be asking you to bake them for me on your off time."
"Whatever you want me to bake for you, just let me know," she offered, smiling widely. Paying Edward Cullen back for his kindness in baked goods was a fabulous plan, in her opinion.
Edward's grin turned mischievous. "You may regret that offer, Miss Swan."
Bella just rolled her eyes playfully at him as the door opened and a small group of teenagers walked in. "I'll see you later."
"Count on it," he waved before walking out, leaving her to wait on her customers.
Bella's routine continued like any other work day. She manned the register and waited on guests until noon, when Shelley was finished in the kitchen with the special orders. After that, they switched, and Shelley worked up front while Bella prepped for her specials for the next day. She made graham cracker crust and prepared the filling for the little individual strawberry cheesecake tarts she was serving tomorrow, along with pie crust for the apple cinnamon pecan turnovers and cut up the mango and raspberries for her cupcakes. She also mixed up the dough for the bread, cake doughnuts and bagels, letting them go through their first rise while she washed up the dishes.
By two, she was kneading the risen dough and getting the bread loaves set up in pans to go in the cooler. The bagel dough, she shaped and set out on cookie sheets, brushing with oil before storing in the cooler to slow rise overnight. She piped the doughnut batter into rings on large cookie sheets and covered with wrap before storing those as well.
Taking inventory, she saw that Shelley had prepared the cookie dough and cupcake batter for the following day as well. In the back of the cooler, about three dozen Moon Pies were setting on racks, ready to serve the following day.
Bella was extremely proud of all they accomplished each day. She knew each morning was a lot easier on Shelley with all the prep work she could do the day before, and all they had to do when they came in was bake, boil, fry and frost. The only things they had to mix up in the mornings were the icings, which never took long anyway. It was a good system they had and Bella loved every second of it.
When everything was prepped and all the dishes were done, Bella walked through the door to find Shelley leaning against the counter, nibbling on a croissant with a cup of coffee in front of her. Bella grinned.
"Gotcha!" She teased and Shelley just chuckled.
"I refuse to feel bad about this," the older woman joked, holding up her croissant. "If Carlisle wouldn't lecture me about sugar consumption, I would live off of these."
Bella shook her head in amusement as she started removing empty trays from the cases. She was pleased to see that her Hummingbird cupcakes and scones had sold out and there were only two chocolate filled croissants left. Looked like they were a hit.
"Although I agree that too much sugar isn't good, don't let Carlisle forget of his own sweet tooth. The night I made these for you the first time, he ate about four by himself until Esme kicked him out of the kitchen."
"Oh, I know of Carlisle Cullen's sweet tooth," Shelley smiled fondly. "When he was a teenager and I had just opened the shop, he would come in all the time for my 7-Up cake and Mock Apple Pie squares. He still comes in every now and then to beg me to make him some."
Bella had heard of 7-Up Cake- it was one of her father's favorites as a child- but the other…"What on earth is Mock Apple Pie?"
"It's made with Ritz crackers instead of apples. You can't even tell that there isn't a speck of apple in it."
Bella shook her head in amazement as she stacked empty trays on the back counter. "I can't even imagine that. Do you still have the recipe?"
Shelley tapped her index finger against her head. "Right up here, sweetie. I'll write it down for you, though, and then Carlisle can start hounding you to make it."
Bella chuckled, kissing the woman on the cheek as she passed. "I'd be grateful for it. I'll make it to take to dinner on Sunday."
She carried the empty trays to the kitchen to soak them in the sink and then helped Shelley box up the leftovers to take to the shelter after locking the door and turning the sign to "Closed". "I never thought to ask, but do you drive these to Sevierville yourself or does someone pick them up for you?" As noble a gesture the donations were, it seemed to be quite a drive for Shelley to do every day.
"Oh no, dear, I drop these off at the Baptist church near my house and Pastor McMahon and his wife take it for me. They help out at the missions during the week and on Saturdays and know where it's most needed."
Bella carried the box out to Shelley's car in the back lot and hugged her goodbye before heading back into the bakery to finish washing the last couple trays. When everything was washed and shut off, she locked up the bakery, grabbed her sunflower and headed upstairs to her apartment.
She checked on the barbecued pulled pork she had in her slow cooker on the counter, turning it to "Keep Warm" before rushing off to take a shower. Ten minutes later, she was back in her kitchen, dressed in a comfortable pale yellow tank and jean shorts, pulling her damp hair back in a ponytail. She added a little more barbecue sauce to the meat in the crock pot before mixing up a batch of jalapeno corn bread. If Edward was going to take time out of his day to help her with her driving phobia, she was going to make sure he got a full stomach out of the deal.
Corn bread in the oven, she checked the coleslaw in the refrigerator that she made the night before, sampling it before adding a few more dashes of hot sauce. She called it perfect and covered it back up, double checking that she had both lemonade and sweet tea when she put it back in the fridge.
Bella always knew that she had enjoyed cooking, enjoyed trying new things, but since coming to Chapel Crossing, she had discovered that not much made her happier than cooking for the people she loved. She loved making new dishes and baked goods, couldn't wait to see the look on the faces of whoever tasted them. She would always remember the look on Carlisle's face when he first tasted the chocolate filled croissants and the look on Emmett's face when he first tried her toasted ravioli. Eyes rolled back in the head, loud groans of appreciation, every sigh of pleasure from her cooking left her feeling about ten feet tall and bulletproof. And when Edward had sampled the first bite of her lemon basil frozen custard…well the look on his face and the sounds he made from that first taste fueled quite a few steamy dreams for Bella that night.
She found she kept looking for different things to make, something new to pull out a new reaction from somebody. That was another reason she loved working at Sweet Bites. The first day that week when she served a "Daily Special" item, Jackson McCarty had come in to buy half a dozen chocolate cupcakes but saw her Salted Caramel cupcakes and bought those instead. He proceeded to eat three of the six right there in the bakery in a haze of sheer bliss before realizing what he was doing. Bella only laughed when he just grinned and bought three more, swearing her to secrecy that Anna would never find out about his splurge.
She was extremely blessed that Shelley was so open to the new things Bella was trying out. Most bakers would likely be stuck on what they had been making for years, but she was the opposite. Shelley loved to watch Bella create new treats, loved to sample each new creation and was not shy about throwing in ideas to add to the recipe. It had been Shelley's idea to add basil to her frozen custard; an addition that Bella thought made all the difference in the flavor.
Bella was just taking the cornbread out of the oven when there was a knock on her door. Smiling, she stood up straight, setting the hot pan on top of the stove before answering it. Edward stood on the other side, a smile on his face and a single stem with three pink sweet pea blossoms in his hand. Warmth spread through her at the sight.
"It's beautiful, thank you!" she threw her arms around him, careful not to crush the lovely flower. He hugged her back tightly before releasing her reluctantly.
"You're very welcome, Sweet Girl." He stepped into the apartment when Bella waved him in, breathing in deeply. "It smells fantastic in here."
Bella closed the door and turned to face him. "I didn't know if you wanted to eat before we go or after. I've got pulled pork, jalapeno cornbread and coleslaw."
He groaned in pleasure at her words. "You have got to be the perfect woman, I swear. Sent down from Heaven just for me."
Bella smiled bashfully, sniffing her flower before adding it to the vase with her collection. "I don't know about 'perfect', but thank you."
Edward just smiled at her. "I could eat before we go. I was so busy today that the only thing I had was your amazing scones, which I seriously hope you will be making again soon. I'm starving."
"I'll make them whenever you want," she offered, moving around the table to get plates and glasses from the cupboard. He joined her, grabbing the silverware and helping her set the little kitchen table. She plated up the food while Edward poured their drinks- sweet tea for Bella and half tea half lemonade for him.
Bella bit her lip and hid her grin when he moaned at his first bite. Now that was perfect.
*.*.*
The abandoned track was a simple dirt lap with overgrown weeds and dilapidated metal bleachers on two sides in the middle of nowhere. Bella looked around, trying to imagine it full of people and cars.
"Was this ever a big thing here?"
Edward parked his truck and looked around, shrugging. "Not really. Sometimes high school kids would come out here and race on weekends. Someone built it thinking it would grow into something like Bristol Speedway, but it didn't get much attention."
"Jake and Sam would have loved this growing up," Bella thought of her best friend and how he loved to race down the dirt roads on the reservation growing up. An actual track would have been right up his alley.
"Maybe they can come and visit and we can race out here. I know Alice would love to show off how fast she can get that Porsche of hers."
Bella chuckled, clasping her hands in her lap. Her nerves were picking up a bit at the thought of driving. If she really thought about it, she was mostly afraid of panicking. The thought of getting behind the wheel and seeing inky black night and rushing water again filled her with dread.
She had discussed her panic attack with both Edward and Carlisle and they suggested she try driving Edward's truck. Carlisle figured maybe it would be easier for her; being higher up off the ground than in her Volvo might make her feel more secure. Plus, she had driven a truck a lot longer than she had driven a car, maybe the familiarity would ease her nerves. If she found the truck more to her liking, she could always buy one instead of another Volvo.
"You ready to give it a try?" Edward asked softly, gauging her reaction. Bella swallowed hard and nodded.
"Would you sit in the passenger side when I do?"
"Whatever you need."
Bella smiled to herself at his simple comment. She didn't expect anything different from Edward. He was as perfect as a human could get.
With a deep breath, they got out of the truck, switching places. Bella adjusted the seat and steering wheel before buckling herself in. She gripped the wheel tightly, staring out the windshield. She was relieved to see dirt track and rusty bleachers before her, but snippets of her accident and the flooding river were not far behind.
"You're safe, Bella," Edward murmured beside her, his voice a soothing balm on her nerves. "I'm right here beside you. You're not alone."
"I'm safe," Bella whispered, forcing herself to focus on what really was outside the truck and not what was etched in her memories. "I'm safe and there's no flood. No tree in the road. No storm."
She breathed in deeply through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. The sharp, tingling anxiety that had been flowing through her blood began to lessen and she could feel her heartbeat slowing down. With one last cleansing breath, she reached out to turn the key in the ignition, listening to the engine come to life.
"You've got this, Bells. Just keep your eyes on the road."
Bella gasped when she heard her father's voice, clear as day. She remembered his words instantly, from when he was teaching her to drive.
Edward started at her gasp, reaching out to touch her hand. "Are you okay, Sweet Girl?"
Bella nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay. Just remembering something my Dad told me."
He stared into her eyes for a long moment before he returned her smile. Sitting back, he let her focus on the task at hand.
Bella listened to the engine, closing her eyes, getting used to the sensation of being behind the wheel again.
"Don't forget to adjust those mirrors, young lady."
Yes, Daddy, she thought, opening her eyes to do just that.
One more deep breath and she put her foot down on the break before shifting the truck into 'Drive'. Starting off slowly, she drove around the track, getting used to the feeling again. With each lap, she felt her confidence grow and she couldn't help but glance over at Edward. His smile was huge and the pride in his eyes was easy to see.
"That's my girl," he praised, leaning back comfortably with his legs stretched out. "I knew you'd be a truck kinda gal."
Bella laughed. "I have to agree with you on that."
She drove a few dozen laps before pulling the truck out on the road and heading back to Chapel Crossing.
"So… truck shopping on Saturday?"
"Sounds like a plan."
They drove in peaceful silence until they reached the outskirts of town and Edward sat up slightly. "Would you like to see the land I'm going to build my house on?"
"Yes," her answer was instantaneous. Hell yeah she wanted to see where he planned to build. Where he planned to live for possibly the rest of his life. Where she hoped to be spending a lot of time at herself, beside him.
She drove through town towards the north end, turning right on a side road just outside town limits. The road was a narrow two lane that was a series of curves going up. Bella could feel the truck climbing as they continued, surrounded by trees and wild grasses. "Boy, you're going to need a lot of salt and sand for this road come winter if it snows."
"I had to get a snow plow package a few years back for the truck," he admitted. "We had a pretty big snowstorm and I ended up plowing a bunch of people out of their driveways. Emmett and I were the only ones in town who could get out on the roads, so we spent a few days plowing all the streets in town and laying down salt."
"The county doesn't have snow plows?"
Edward shrugged. "We don't get the heavy winter weather like they do further north, so it's not really budgeted like it would be for New York or Chicago. I remember being in Chicago and it snowed for days and the plows were everywhere. And then you come further south, and it's not the same. You remember when all those people were stuck on the Interstate in Atlanta a few years back because of a little snow and ice?"
Bella remembered that, thinking how crazy it seemed that the same amount of snow and ice that she'd driven in herself had brought a major city to a standstill. She never thought of how much she had depended on the city and county's preparedness.
"I guess I took all that for granted," she admitted, following a right hand curve in the road. "At least if it snows here, my commute to work is pretty easy to manage."
Edward laughed. "You really can't beat your commute. There's no calling Shelley to tell her your car broke down."
Bella laughed along with him, until the road came to an end and she lost all ability to speak.
"Welcome to my bluff, Miss Swan."
Where the road ended, a huge meadow began. The plot was round, surrounded by trees on two sides. Straight ahead, she could see where the land ended and there was nothing beyond it but sky and mountains in the distance.
"This is all yours?" Bella was stunned. He wasn't joking when he said the views were amazing. Edward nodded, looking out the windshield proudly.
"All mine. I'm going to grow old on this plot of land, sitting in a rocking chair on my porch looking at that view until the day I die."
Bella immediately turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt, feeling a sudden urge to get out of the truck and explore this beautiful property. Edward followed her lead and he stood in front of the truck while she walked around, taking it all in.
The trees surrounding the land were huge; cedars, maples and hackberries reaching up to the heavens. Wildflowers of every color were scattered among the grass, leading up to where the ground disappeared and the sky began. She walked silently to the cliff, looking down over the rooftops of Chapel Crossing, the river in the distance and the mountains even further, as far as the eye could see.
"Wow," she breathed, taking it all in. Edward had definitely found the prettiest piece of land imaginable. It was the easiest thing in the world to imagine appreciating this view for the next fifty years.
"Do you like it?"
Bella was so taken by the sight that she didn't even startle when Edward's arms wrapped around her waist. She just leaned back, her head finding its place beneath his chin. "I love it, Edward! It's absolutely gorgeous up here. You're never going to want to leave your house!" She paused. "How close to the edge are you planning on building?"
"The house will actually be closer to where the road ended. I don't want it so close that it will be in danger if there's a rockslide," he murmured, his lips moving over the top of her head. "Where the road ends, the driveway will begin. A circle driveway to fit everybody's cars when they come up. I'd love to build a gazebo a few feet back from here, though. Something simple with a two person swing, looking out."
"You could build a greenhouse out here," Bella suggested. "Grow your own food. Plant flowers on your green roof. I can almost see it in my head."
His arms tightened around her and Bella breathed him in, savoring the warm, woodsy scent that made her feel safe and secure. "That's what I'm hoping to do. I want to be completely self sustained up here. Solar panels for energy, rainwater collection and filtration systems, gardens for food. I can't grow everything up here, but a lot of it can be done myself." He paused, gathering more excitement from his plans. "I've decided on sand and concrete bricks for the walls and bamboo for the floors. It will retain heat in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. The entire back wall facing the cliff will be glass sliding doors. We'll be able to see these views standing in the kitchen making dinner if we want."
Bella's heartbeat sped up at his sudden use of 'we'. She wanted nothing more than to share this with him, to stand in his kitchen making a meal to share with him while they look out at the mountains and sky. She wanted to lay in bed with him, wrapped in his arms with the early morning sunlight filling the room with warmth.
"It sounds absolutely perfect," she whispered.
*.*.*
A/N: What would be your dream house?