Chapter Twenty

Jasper

By the time I reached Rio I was ready to hunt and delayed my trip to Isle Esme to enable me to do so. The countryside around the city abounded with prey and I wondered if one day I would bring Bella here to hunt with me, after we were married and I had changed her. Thinking of this made me sad, I missed her but knew she was enjoying herself with Renee and Phil. I tried her cell phone but it went direct to voice mail so they were already out of contact.

Wandering back through the streets of Rio towards the harbor I spotted a jewelers and in the window was a brooch in the shape of a swan, white enamel with a blue sapphire eye and couldn't resist buying it for my beautiful fiancee. Wrapped and in my pocket I walked the rest of the way to the boat Carlisle had waiting, my bags already aboard and with a nod at the boat keeper I took her out, The Esme, headed towards the isle just visible on the horizon with my vampire sight.

When I arrived at Isle Esme Emmett was waiting at the dock ready to greet me and be first to get the news but I wanted Esme and Carlisle to be the first to hear about Bella so I just kept him busy with the news in general, the latest computer games to hit the market, the football and basket ball scores and handed him the latest gaming magazines which he took like an eager schoolboy. We walked up to the house to find Esme and Rose out front waiting both giving me hugs as if I'd been gone for decades instead of a single year.

"You look drawn Jasper. I hope you've been hunting regularly. I bet it was the flight, all those humans around."

"Esme he looks fine, in fact too good so what's the news brother? There has to be a reason for you looking so content."

"Esme, Rosalie at least let Jasper get inside before you start giving him the third degree."

Carlisle shook my hand and I followed him inside throwing my bags in the room I always had when I visited the island which in fairness wasn't often.

When I'd changed into shorts and a tee shirt I went outside to join the others sitting around the pool, Esme patting the lounger next to hers,

"We're assuming you haven't just come to tell us your through with college yet again and Alice has been avoiding us so lets hear it. What is going on in your life Jasper?"

I explained about Bella everyone listening eagerly and clamoring for a look at her photograph.

"She's very pretty."

I agreed with Esme although I knew Rose was concerned because Bella was human.

"I haven't told her anything Rose, not about what we really are at least. She knows I've got a sister though."

"How the hell do you manage to keep it a secret when you're doing the horizontal tango Jazz? Doesn't she notice the chill and the hardness?"

"Em, some of us just have the knack of knocking the senses out of a woman when we make love, you're still just a learner brother."

Esme tutted but it was true and Carlisle tried to get the subject back to more important issues as he saw it.

"Do you think it was wise to propose to her before she knows what you really are son?"

"I love her Carlisle and she loves me, it won't make any difference to her I'm sure."

"Never the less its a gamble son. She could tell someone else, her father for instance. That could put us all in danger. Had you thought about that?"

"Of course Carlisle but what am I supposed to do? I met her and I knew she was the one. I even asked Alice who had already seen something was going on."

"Have you asked Alice about her reaction to you telling her our secret?"

"I tried but Alice says she can only see Bella through my eyes."

"See? Don't you think that's a bad sign? If Alice can't see this Bella then there's something wrong."

"Not necessarily Rosalie, Alice doesn't see everything we know that."

"I still think it's ominous and I hate anything we can't see coming."

"Rose, I will do all in my power to ensure Bella keeps our secret. I won't bring her here until after I tell her and if she does throw a fit I won't bring her at all. She will never see any of you and you'll be safe, I'll be the only one in danger and I'll stay away from the family."

"Jasper, I trust your judgment son, things will work out. You obviously feel the pull even though Bella isn't a vampire herself."

"I'm not sure what it is Carlisle, its a strange feeling, I just know she's the one and I already met her parents."

"Oh God, it gets worse."

Rose got up and stomped back into the house but Em stayed sitting in his chair looking after her,

"She'll come round Jazz, you know how touchy Rosie gets. Personally I can't wait to meet the girl, she sounds fun. Hey, maybe we should go to Yellowstone and surprise her."

"Emmett, you stay put and leave Jasper's girl alone. You'll likely frighten the life out of her."

Em pulled a face at Esme but ran before she could get to him, none of us were too big or fast to avoid a slap if she felt we were being cheeky but Em got away with murder most of the time. Esme was just concerned for my sake, she'd been hoping I might meet someone sooner rather than later but then she had always hoped Alice and I might become more than just friends but she'd accepted that just wasn't going to happen eventually.

I started to unwind after a few days here, swimming and climbing with Emmett and helping Carlisle build a new dock for the boat. Edward and I played chess which usually went on for days as we were so well matched and I could keep him out of my head and then Alice arrived with her latest beau, a friend of Carlisle's called Garrett. We'd met a few times and got on well so water polo, basketball, fishing for sharks, and any other competitive sport we could think of became more interesting with a new competitor.

Rose took a few days to speak to me again but then she cornered me and drilled me all about Bella. It was like a machine gun firing off the questions but when she'd finished I knew she was satisfied. She could tell I was happy with Bella and that's what concerned my "sister" most. She and I had become very close almost like real siblings and I knew she would always look out for me even if she didn't exactly agree with my choices.

"Don't you think you rushed things a little though Jazz? Surely it would have been better if we'd met her first and she learned about us?"

She seemed to have forgotten she was the one who said how dangerous it was for Bella to learn our secret!

"Rose, how did you feel when you first set eyes on Emmett?"

She thought about this for a moment before replying and then grinned,

"OK point taken. Did she really take your breath away though and make every nerve in your body start to tingle?"

"I'll bet that wasn't all that stood on end."

We had been so engrossed we hadn't heard Emmett approach but he'd picked the wrong time to stick his nose in and Rose chased him all the way round the island before finally catching him and throwing him into the sea. It didn't pay to annoy my sister, no siree!