Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Hailey wound up staring at the horse for five solid minutes as if she would tell him what he should do. Hailey was under no delusion of what this would entail. Leah liked him, possibly even cared for him, of that he was certain. He wanted to be certain, at least. But he knew there would be complications. He remembered something his uncle had said. Something to the effect that he shouldn't be playing 'slap and tickle' with an Indian. He couldn't remember exactly what he'd said. Then his mother came to his mind. What would she say when she found out? She'd be nothing short of disapproving if she were to find out. If she found out that Leah had shot her father at the tender age of 11, she'd be downright livid. He already knew she wasn't telling anyone at the tribe of their rendezvous. Mitch knew about them, but Hailey had made a point to keep the extent of them unspoken. He didn't care much for it, but what other choice did they have? Given what happened with her mother, there was no way her Uncle and Aunt would be alright with this and his mother wouldn't stand for it. Absolutely not. As all this ran through his mind, it began to depress him. But then….Hailey thought. She can't get upset if she doesn't know about it, now can she? The woman doesn't live here, she lives in Port Angeles. How's she going to find out? With renewed hope, Hailey stood tall and petting the horse's nose.

"I think this will work out just fine," he said and the horse whinnied. Hailey finally left the stable and walked up the little steps into the shop. Some people were lined at the register ready to pay for their things, so Mitch didn't say a word. Hailey found something to do readjusting some of the merchandise that had been moved around to improper places, and then went to the back to check if there was inventory to replace what items were taken off the shelf. There were not. Only when that wave of customers left and Hailey returned up front did Mitch say anything.

"You brought Miss Jagger back home?" he asked.

"I brought her home," Hailey nodded.

"Did you thank her for bringing back that box of yours?"

"No," Hailey lied. "I shouldn't have to. The woman owes me an apology for all the times she's thrown baseballs at my head. Bringing back my strongbox after she'd kicked it into the ocean was the least she could do."

"Regardless, you should have thanked her," Mitch said, though not sternly. While mean, his words were gentle. Even caring. "What happened?"

"What?" Hailey asked, suddenly looking at Mitch from the spot he'd taken near the front of the store.

"Don't what me. What happened? I didn't know Miss Jagger was here. It was too quiet. I thought you said you two were bickering. You certainly weren't when I pulled up."

"I put her in her place," Hailey protested. "That's all."

"Put her in her place how?"

"I don't know," Hailey shrugged, his voice gaining irritation. "She told me she brought back the box and that meant I didn't need to come back to the bluff anymore, I told her I'll go when I damn well please, she said she'd reprimand me for it and I told her to go ahead and try. Same thing we've been arguing about." Mitch raised an eyebrow at Hailey when he saw the palest hint of a blush go across his cheeks. There was no yelling or arguing when he'd arrived and they certainly didn't argue when Leah was eating her bread. In fact, he'd been downright nice to her. At least, much nicer than he'd ever been to her.

"Is something going on that you want to tell me about?" Mitch said.

"No, there's nothing going on," Hailey said calmly, yet defensively. "And if she gets off my back, I'll be able to fish in peace."

"Yes," Mitch said. "You've been fishing a lot more lately I might add."

"To prove a point," Hailey said.

"A point, eh," Mitch said, then sighed. "Look, Hailey, I'll just get to the point seeing as you are intent on dodging it."

"There's nothing to dodge," Hailey said.

"Just shut up and listen, Hailey," Mitch said. "I knew that girl's father. We were very good friends. I'll not defend the Quileutes, but I'll speak up for that girl and say the last thing she needs is a philandering city boy."

"Philandering?" Now Hailey was raising his voice.

"Just leave the poor girl be and everything will be fine. And for the love of God, stop patronizing her. I can assure you every ball you've taken to the head has been well deserved."

"Well, every ball she's taken to the back has been well deserved too," Hailey snapped back. He walked past the register and made his way up the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I need to take a nap," Hailey said and continued up the stairs. Mitch yelled for him to come back downstairs and work, but Hailey ignored him and went to his room. Once inside, he pulled out and lit himself a cigarette and just stared outside the window.

Leah found herself doing much the same thing. She went about her usual chores but all the while she was thinking of Hailey. It was really only now sinking in what they'd just done. He'd kissed her and she didn't do a damn thing to stop him. She felt so strange about it. She wanted to be upset, but she just wasn't. She eventually resolved that she wasn't going to think about it so much and continued with her day.

"Do you know what's going on?" Caevia asked Renesmee after Leah had finally returned and Sara was speaking with her.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Renesmee answered frankly. "From what I know, it's a delicate situation and Jacob wants those aware to keep quiet about it for the time being."

"I suppose so. I tried asking Embry and he told me much the same thing," she sighed. "Does it have anything to do with that man hanging around the Meat Monger?"

"Between just us, yes, it has to do with him."

"I knew it," Caevia sighed. "I had a feeling he and Leah might-"

"I wouldn't say that for certain," Renesmee interrupted. "I only know it's something that needs to be handled cautiously. Let's make sure to keep this between us."

"My lips are sealed," Caevia said. Then she started rubbing her belly. "On a different note, I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant again." Renesmee smiled and even giggled just a little.

"I think I am too, actually." The two of them looked at each other and now they were both laughing. "So much for waiting awhile before having more."

"I haven't said anything yet to Embry," Caevia said. "At least we didn't get pregnant right away this time. And hell, we'll have our babies at the same time."

"The children we have now aren't more than four months apart from each other as it is."

"Yes, but these babies will be born within days of each other. Don't you think that's exciting?"

"If we're both right, then yes, I'd say it is. And as usual, you will be godmother to my child?"

"Nothing would make me happier," Caevia said. "I suppose that will be three down, two more to go."

"You're still set on five? I'd thought you'd changed your mind."

"Oh, no not at all. I just didn't want them one after the other after the other. I'd like a break now and then."

"You certainly have time," Renesmee said. Then she looked at Kyle, who was napping with his head rested on her lap. The boy had learned to walk and would play with Kevin, Embry, and Aidetzi, but above all he seemed to prefer her presence most of the time. "You'll have another brother or sister, Kyle. Won't that be exciting?"

"You may want to ask again when the boy is actually awake," Caevia teased.

"I hope we have a girl this time," Renesmee said. "Rosalie and Alice want a little girl to dress up."

"I'm surprised they don't complain about it more," Caevia joked. "I'm a little offended they haven't tried to dress up Aidie."

"I think they want to give me one last chance to have a girl." The two of them laughed. "But if this next child is another boy, I think Aidie might start getting to play dress up with my aunts."

"I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun."

Neither Renesmee or Caevia announced right away that they were pregnant. They both wanted to be sure. A few more days passed until it was Sunday again. So Leah got her baskets, making sure to pack a few potato cakes, and went into the woods without a word. Though against his better judgment, Jacob did not follow Leah this time. He decided to leave her alone and hoped he wouldn't regret it. Leah walked to the bluff where she and Hailey would always meet and, as he'd been the last several times, he was sitting at the edge of the bluff, fishing rod in hand and his strongbox at his side.

"Trespassing again, Herr Dauer?" Leah said with her hand on her hip.

"Ja Frӓulein Jagger," Hailey said. "Und was willst du dagegen tun?"

"I recall my threat being to run and fetch my cousin." Hailey looked at Leah and raised a proud eyebrow.

"You understood all that?"

"Yes, that I understood."

"Go ahead and repeat it," he said.

"Und was willst du dagegen tun," Leah said.

"Excellent. Your accent was perfect that time. Is it safe to say you remember that so well because you used to use it?"

"Seth used to say that to me whenever I said he needed to do something or else," Leah smiled at the memory. She approached the bluff and sat down next to Hailey. "I remember mom had made some food for a function that was going on in town and Seth kept eating all the food."

"I would too," Hailey said. "So it's alright."

"No, it was not alright. The whole town was going to be there and mom had to make enough food for everyone to have cake. She would always make separate food for herself too."

"Did she? Why's that?"

"My mother was a fussy eater I'll admit. She didn't like the heavy food the people in town are accustomed to. She'd eaten like them for a time, but she didn't sleep as well, she felt sick, and she complained she was gaining weight I think. She returned to eating the way she'd grown up eating and things largely went back to normal. And she couldn't stand eggs. I remember her having an intense dislike of them."

"I'm not a big fan of eggs, either. I don't really like much food if I'm being honest."

"Probably because you smoke," Leah said, looking at Hailey critically.

"You sound like my mother," Hailey said. "She nags me to not smoke too. She thinks it smells."

"It does," Leah agreed. "Anything that smells that bad can't be good for you either."

"Whatever you say, 'mom'," Hailey said sarcastically, but he instantly looked at the pack of cigarettes he had in his little box and tossed them out to the side to get rid of them.

"Since your mother is not present to nag you about it, I shall do her the courtesy. Not that you ever listen to me when I nag you." Hailey chuckled and shook his head.

"You've been nagging me not to fish here for a few months by now and you've still not succeeded."

"It's hard to reason with a man like you. It's hardly my fault." Hailey chuckled again and Leah joined.

"Tell me more about your mother," Hailey finally said. "You seem to like talking about her."

"I have fond memories of my mother. I have fond memories of both my parents." Hailey looked at Leah, wondering if she would continue, but she didn't.

"Am I allowed to ask about your father?" At first, Leah remained quiet. She looked at Hailey with a stony face and neither of them said a word. Hailey's expression remained gentle, however. The look was making her feel more secure.

"He was a fisherman," Leah finally said. "He didn't drink when I was little. I remember he used to take me into the woods to play and he would always tuck me in at night. When Seth was born, he was just as attentive with him. He would take us everywhere whenever he was home. That's how your uncle knows me so well. He and my father were friends."

"I remember Mitch saying that. It sounds like your father adored you and your brother."

"He did," Leah said. "Your uncle used to joke that I was a regular daddy's girl. Perhaps I was."

"I can picture you being a daddy's girl." Hailey looked at Leah again and noticed she was getting teary eyed. Without warning, he preemptively brushed a tear away that had just barely left her right eye. "When did the drinking start?"

"I don't remember exactly. I just remember daddy came home one day very drunk and he got violent. He didn't hit mom, but he did flip the table. He was yelling in German the whole time and wouldn't let mom near him to try and calm him down. It was honestly the first time I'd ever been scared of him. It just progressed from there. First, he'd only drink once in a blue moon and mom was very understanding about it. Daddy would get angry when he was drunk, and then the next morning he would apologize profusely to mom. He'd beg her to forgive him. She told him she would forgive him but she wanted him to stop drinking since it brought out the worst in him. Then it became more frequent and she became less accepting of it. When daddy started hitting her, that's when mom really put her foot down. The first time, she forgave him and said he must promise to no longer drink and to never hit her again.

"Seth and I were watching when they were talking and daddy promised he never would. He promised he'd never drink again as long as he lived and he'd never lay a hand on mother again. And he made good on his promise at first. He stopped drinking, but he was crabby. He would come home upset a lot and seemed like he was scared of something. Around that time, I tried asking daddy what was wrong and he wouldn't tell me. He just said to me and Seth 'You three are the only part of my American Dream that ever came true.'" Leah rubbed a tear away. "It wasn't long after that when daddy drank again. This time, though, he didn't come home. I think he stayed away for four days. When he finally came home, mom was outraged. He was sober, so all they did was yell at each other and slept in different rooms. After that, daddy came home drunk again. Mom didn't say anything because he didn't get violent and he just went to bed.

"Then, the next day, daddy came home drunk again and this time he did become violent. He slapped mom and kept yelling at her. At that point, mom told him that she'd warned him never to do that again. She said if this was how he was going to behave, then she was going to leave with me and Seth. She even started getting things together to take us away. Daddy got angry and that's when…" Leah stopped and started crying completely. Once she started, she couldn't stop. Hailey put the fishing rod to the side so he could hold Leah in his arms. Aside from their kiss, it was the most tender contact the two of them had ever had.

"It's alright, Leah. Just cry." Leah did just that and continued until her eyes and cheeks were red and her head began to throb.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried about this. She remembered vividly when she grabbed the gun from his holster and shot her father. She remembered him falling over and being stunned to stillness. She remembered not being able to move and hearing Seth screaming behind her. She couldn't remember if she cried then. In fact, she probably hadn't. All she remembered was grabbing Seth and making him run. She'd remembered mother talking about her people and where they were. She would reminisce about them and say how she missed them. She remembered her mother saying they were directly west, so that's the direction Leah went and she didn't look back. She remembered finally making it to the tribe and everyone being stunned to see her and Seth. She used the best Quileute she could and tried to express as best she could what had happened. The town had come demanding the tribe release her and Seth and her aunt adamantly refusing to let them go. She remembered Mitch being the one to come forward and tell the people to allow her and Seth to stay.

"After mom died and I'd shot daddy, we just ran," Leah finally said. "My aunt wouldn't release us when the townspeople came looking for us. I remember your uncle telling them to leave us alone."

"He knows more than anyone what happened," Hailey said. "That's as far as I know it, anyway. Most everyone else seems to be content to say it was your mother's fault somehow."

"My mother did nothing wrong," Leah said defensively.

"I know," Hailey said. "This is the first time you've let yourself cry about it, isn't it?"

"The first time since it happened," Leah said, lifting her head back up and brushing the tears from her eyes. "I decided that I needed to be strong for Seth. He was so young and he needed me to be strong for him."

"You're very brave, Leah," Hailey said. "I don't know if I couldn't done what you did."

"What I did is nothing worth being proud of or calling brave. I killed my father, but no matter what, I still miss him every day." Leah started crying again. "I miss his smile, I miss his laugh. I miss how he used to carry me on his shoulders and make me fly. I miss how he told me stories and how sometimes when I was scared at night, he'd let me snuggle up right next to him. I miss how he would pick mushrooms with me and how he'd play with me and take me with him everywhere. He even took me on a boat once when he was working. He showed me how to catch crab and let me sit on his knee when he and his workmates would go to dinner afterwards."

"He sounds like he was a wonderful father."

"He was," Leah forced through her tears. "I loved him so much and it killed me when we started losing him. I spent years trying to make myself hate him for what he did, but I couldn't. I never could. When the townspeople came to get us, they accused me of killing daddy in cold blood. It wasn't cold. I never wanted to kill him. I never wanted to." She was crying with renewed vigor and her head was bent so forward that her face was in her knees. Not wanting to risk her falling, Hailey gently helped her off the edge of the bluff so they were safely planted on the ground.

"You had no other choice, Leah," Hailey finally said. "You did what you had to."

"I miss him so much," Leah said again.

"I know," Hailey said. "Believe me, I know." Hailey let Leah cry a little longer. By the time she was in control again, her face appeared sunburned for being so red and her eyes were just as red and puffy and her head was pounding.

"I'm sorry," Leah finally said. "I've never done that before."

"It's alright," Hailey said. "You've really never just let yourself cry like this? Not for your aunt or anyone?"

"I never wanted anyone to think poorly of me. When Seth and I returned and we'd told them all what happened, my aunt was devastated. My uncle was livid about it. He would speak of remembering how upset Sara had been when my mother ran away to be with my father. She'd begged my mother not to go, but she was just a 'girl that was wooed by a pale face' and she'd paid the price for it. I thought that if I mourned my father, everyone would be mad at me for crying over the man that killed my mother. So I held it in."

"It's not their place to talk," Hailey said. He found himself being flattered that Leah had told him all this. She'd not have done that if she didn't love him or trust him. He wanted that to be true. "What was her name? Your mother I mean."

"Uileila," Leah said.

"It's a pretty name," Hailey said. "Your father was Hugo, right?"

"Yes," Leah said.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Leah. I can't begin to imagine what it was like."

"I don't want pity," Leah said. "There's no point. I can't undo it."

"It wasn't your fault," Hailey said.

"I know," Leah said. "But it still hurts." Hailey brought his hand to Leah's back and started rubbing it. After a moment of doing that in silence, he reached for his box and opened it to take out some bread.

"Here," he said. "You're probably hungry after all that." When Leah saw the bread, she finally smiled.

"I thought I was supposed to bring food," she said as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks and off her chin and neck.

"This was just in case," Hailey smiled back and the two of them laughed.

"Tell me about your family. I need to hear something more cheerful." Hailey chuckled and kept looking at Leah while she ate the bread. She also pulled her basket closer so they could eat the cakes.

"Well, my mother and father met in Port Angeles. Dad had traveled a lot until he got here. I think I told you all that already. Dad wasn't quite so attentive when I was a kid. We fished together all the time but other than that our time together was always at home. My mother would take us to church every Sunday morning and dad and I were always falling asleep. When I was older, mom was furious because dad and I had fallen asleep on each other, basically." Leah smiled.

"So you're petulant and stubborn with all people," Leah teased.

"Stubborn, yes. Petulant?" Hailey brought his face just a little closer to Leah's for emphasis. "Only with you." Leah laughed a little and Hailey did too. "And Mitch," Hailey added. "But he deserves it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's my uncle," Hailey said bluntly.

"I would have no such excuse with William," Leah said. "If I acted that way with my uncle, he'd spank me until I couldn't sit for a week."

"He seems rather fine with your behavior from what I can tell."

"Because I direct it towards you. He doesn't care if I treat the Meat Monger and his lackey that way."

"Oh, lackey? Is that what I am?"

"It has gone around the tribe that your nickname is Meat Monger 2."

"Christ," Hailey said. "Just what I want to be known as," he said. "You'd better start fixing that, Miss Jagger."

"I don't know what you expect me to do about it," Leah said. "I'll call you Mr. Dauer in front of them from now on, but I can't promise that means they'll call you the same."

"If you say so," Hailey grimaced. Then he smiled again and took one of the cakes. "So this is what you people eat all day."

"They're potato cakes. They're very good."

"I'll be the judge of that, Miss Jagger. As I'm sure you know, as a German, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to potatoes." Leah smirked and watched him eat the potato cake. After a few chews and a swallow, he nodded approvingly. "They are adequate," he finally said.

"Just adequate? You're too harsh."

"I know good potatoes Miss Jagger." Leah smiled at him and ate more of her bread.

"I have one sister," Hailey said. "Her name is Leslie. She lives with her husband in the city. Her husband is a salesman."

"Is Leslie older or younger than you?"

"She's younger than me, but only by two years. So she's 26….." Hailey was silent a moment while he thought. "No, she'd be 27 now. I turn 29 next month and she was born in April, so she would be 27 now."

"You're 29?"

"Yes, Miss Jagger, I'm twenty nine. How old are you? Mitch never brought up your age."

"I just turned 22," Leah said. "Seth will be 17 in September."

"My, my, you are a young thing," Hailey said. "I admit I'm curious why you've not married."

"By your logic, it's because I'm vocal," Leah teased, giving Hailey a mean, yet playful smirk.

"Vocal isn't such a bad thing. A real man can handle a woman that's vocal. It takes a weak man to love a timid woman. Surely there's another reason."

"Well," Leah said, "if you must know, it's because I didn't want to marry anyone. I have more important things to concern myself with, like looking after Seth."

"He's 17, Miss Jagger. I would think him capable of fending for himself. And besides, you have your aunt and uncle."

"Either way, I never met a man that I wanted to marry. There was a time, several years ago, when my uncle had given my two cousins in marriage to another tribe to enact peace. The Hou's chief at the time had suggested I marry one of his sons as well, like my cousins did. But I adamantly refused. He was younger than me as it was and I barely knew him. I told my uncle that if he married me to a Hou tribesman, I would run away. In truth, he called my bluff, but my aunt put her foot down and refused to allow my uncle to proceed any further."

"What of men of your tribe? Has there been no one you've liked?"

"No," Leah answered bluntly. "Seeing as you're so interested in this topic, what about you? How are you not married?"

"How do you know I'm not?" Hailey asked with a light laugh.

"Because you're not wearing a ring. Or am I to assume you don't wear your wedding band and fraternize with the local ladies behind your poor wife's back?"

"No," Hailey laughed again. "You're right, I'm not married. Honestly, I'm not keen on marriage."

"Why's that?"

"It requires children," Hailey said.

"You don't like kids?"

"I hate kids," Hailey replied bluntly. "They're loud, they're smelly, they're time consuming, they're money drainers, life drainers, cock blockers, and ungrateful. I know the moment I marry, my mother will begin to harass me for grandchildren. I don't really have the heart to tell her I have no intention of giving her any. That's what my sister's for." Leah smirked and laughed a little. "What's funny?"

"Nothing. You just seem so adamant about it. I suppose I'm wondering where the stance came from."

"Nowhere in particular. I just don't like kids. I like my nephew well enough, but I'll like him a hell of a lot more when he's no longer shitting himself and capable of functioning properly in society." Leah laughed a little again. "I assume you love kids?" Hailey said that last part with a hint of sarcasm.

"I like children," Leah said. "Children have not offended me as they appear to have offended you. Though I'll agree the thought of children doesn't much excite me either." Hailey was still a moment and looked at Leah intently.

"Is that so?" he finally said.

"Yes," Leah answered, staring out into the ocean and unaware of the way Hailey was looking at her. "I'm not sure I'd say I'm opposed to children, but it's certainly not a life pursuit I would try to reach. I suppose the best answer is I'm indifferent to the matter."

"Indifferent," Hailey said to himself. "It's a refreshing opinion."

"I'm relieved someone thinks so," Leah said. "What about your father? Does he want grandchildren from you? Keep the family name going as it were?"

"My father passed away about three years ago," Hailey said. "He wouldn't have an opinion on the matter."

"I'm sorry," Leah said.

"Don't be," Hailey said. "The man died fat and happy and doing what he loved. He and I went fishing together, he told me he was going to take a nap and he never woke up. He was 77 when he died, so he lived a long life."

"At least he died in his sleep," Leah agreed. "How did your mother take it?"

"She was upset about it. She loved my father. When he first died, she would still lay out his clothes for him on his side of their bed like she always did every morning. My sister and her husband have been keeping an eye on her since I left. I still send her money to make sure she's taken care of, but they largely take the greater care of her."

"You're certainly a dutiful son, I'll give you that."

"I try to be," Hailey said.

"I'm curious what your nephew's name is."

"Henry," Hailey said. "My grandpa's name was Hubert, my father was Hinrich, I'm Hailey and now my nephew is Henry. It's just a little tradition in our family."

"That's a lot of H's," Leah laughed.

"Indeed," Hailey agreed.

"Have you seen your family since coming here?"

"During Christmas," Hailey said. "That's the time Mitch would always come and visit us. Mother wanted to know if I'd met a nice girl yet. I just told her I met an Indian that threw shit at me."

"You mentioned me?" Leah asked, a little stunned and even a little flattered.

"I've told you, Miss Jagger, you're the most interesting interaction I get in this backwater nowhere town. Mom said I needed to stop pestering you."

"Didn't listen to your mother, I see," Leah teased.

"The woman tells me to do many things and I don't always listen to her."

"I assume coming to Forks is one of those decisions you wished you'd ignored I'm sure."

"Not anymore," Hailey said honestly. Leah looked at Hailey and saw that kind smile again. She suddenly realized her heart was fluttering, so she immediately looked away.

"It's good you've grown alright with this place, all things considered. Better to be content than miserable I would think."

"Agreed," Hailey said, still looking at Leah.

Leah was still looking out to the ocean while Hailey looked at her. Her face was paling now that she was no longer crying and her eyes appeared to be returning to their normal color. Hailey looked at the braid she'd made her hair into and reached over to play with it. Leah twitched when she felt the strange feel, but otherwise said nothing. There was a little tie at the bottom keeping her braid in place. He felt the hair at the very end. Some of it was rough, but when he went high enough, the hair was soft. He was mesmerized by how long it really was. In a braid, it reached her lower back and was just barely above the ground.

"You have so much hair," Hailey said.

"I haven't cut it since I came to live with my aunt," Leah said. She trembled a little when the feel of him playing with her hair somehow tickled her.

"You always have it in a braid when I see you."

"Of course I do," Leah said. "If I didn't, it would be in my way."

"Would you let me see it down?" Leah looked at Hailey strangely.

"What for?"

"I just want to see it," he said.

"You're being strange," Leah said despite pulling the end of her braid to the front and removing the tie. She untangled her braid and brushed her fingers through it so that it was completely free. Her hair was wavy from the braid and a little frizzy now that it was out. It looked extremely heavy and Leah was fussing with it trying to keep the strands out of her face. He watched her run her fingers through her hair over and over again, changing the part in her hair constantly until most of her hair was opposite of him so that only a few strands still faced him and wrapped adorably around her ear. Then the wind blew and her hair went all over the place again. She grabbed her hair and kept it still as best she could until the wind passed. "As I said, it gets in my way when it's not in a braid."

"It's quite a show all the same," Hailey replied. Leah just smiled and pulled her hair back again. She didn't put it back in a braid, only in a ponytail. "Sie haben lange haare," Hailey said.

"I have long hair?" she repeated in English. Hailey chuckled.

"See," he said. "You remember more German than you give yourself credit for."

"It sounded similar enough to English that I could figure it out," Leah said.

"Well, let's continue with our German lesson."

"Mr. Dauer," Leah began to protest.

"Enough arguing with me, Leah," Hailey said as he reached for the book he'd brought. It was the collection of stories by the Brothers Grimm that Hailey had mentioned before. "I brought this so you can learn both the spoken and written language simultaneously. That's the hope, anyway. It's known as The Brothers Grimm, but the real title is 'Kinder und Hausmӓrchen'. Do you know what that means?"

"Nothing comes to mind."

"It's 'Children's and Household Tales'," Hailey said. "It's German folktales from all over the country. I'm sure there's a few you must know. Did your father ever tell you stories from his childhood?"

"I'm not certain," Leah said. "Grandma would tell us stories, but there weren't many she would tell us. She usually read us the Bible."

"You knew your grandma?"

"Yes," Leah said and smiled fondly. "Oma Evelyn Jagger. She lived with us for a few years before she died. I think I was maybe 7 or 8 when she died. Seth was really little, so he wouldn't remember her very well."

"What stories would she tell you?"

"There were two that I remember. One was about a young princess that was kept in a tower and the other was about a queen that had to guess a man's name to keep her son."

"Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin," Hailey said with a smile. "Those are good stories. My favorite is still Hansel and Gretel."

"I don't think I've heard that one," Leah said. Hailey smiled and opened the book looking for Hansel and Gretel. He stopped when he finally found the story.

"Let's read it, then," Hailey said.

A story that, for Hailey, would usually take him less than an hour to read ended up lasting at least 2 and a half. Leah wouldn't interrupt him, but he would frequently stop and have Leah read for a bit to get her used to the accent, the look of German on paper, and get her re-familiarized with the language. As Hailey predicted, Leah remembered more than she thought. She would remember little words here and there and, since it was on paper, Leah was able to figure out what some words were due to looking and sounding so similar to English.

"We have a similar story in our tribe," Leah said when they were done.

"Do you?"

"Yes. There's a story about an Ogress that used to live in the mountains and she would kidnap naughty children and cook them over a big fire. She would cover the children's eyes with gum so they couldn't see and she would sing and dance around the fire of how tasty the children would be. Then one day, a little Quileute girl was able to warm her hands, remove the gum from her eyes, and pushed the ogress into the fire to burn. She saved all the children and returned them home."

"Good to know the ogress is dead," Hailey smiled. Leah smiled, then stood up suddenly and patted down her dress.

"Thank you for the story and the lesson, Mr. Dauer. I had better leave. Everyone will be wondering where I am as it is."

"Are you sure you don't want to read one more story?"

"Another time," Leah said. She picked up her baskets and prepared to leave.

"Leah," Hailey said, making Leah turn to look at him. "Perhaps we could see each other sooner than next Sunday. I mentioned my Uncle leaves to go on errands on Wednesdays. We could read another story while he's gone."

"He isn't gone that long, Mr. Dauer," Leah smiled.

"Hailey," he said. "You can just call me Hailey. Lord knows I've been calling you by your name."

"And it's most improper, Herr Dauer," Leah teased. Hailey chuckled as Leah smiled. "I shall scold you next week."

"Leah," Hailey said again before she could leave.

"Yes?" Leah asked. Hailey approached her and did not stop until he was just inches away.

"The moment he's gone, I'll ride until I'm a mile away from the tribe in three days. Mitch usually leaves at 10 before the rush happens. Depending, he'll be gone upwards of 2 hours. We can probably sneak in one more story in that time."

"You may be biting off more than you can chew with that, Mr. Dauer," Leah joked. "What happens if your Uncle sees me there? I'd rather not tell him you're teaching me German. They'd call you a Squaw Lover and hang me for trying to learn."

"Such a dark humor," Hailey said. Then Hailey went to his fishing rod and brought to Leah to hand to her.

"What's this for?"

"It's an excuse to come see me," Hailey said. "I'll return in a huff saying you made me lose another fishing rod, then you can find it and come over to return it like you did with my strong box. I'll warn you, though, we'll have to be more vocal when we argue. Last time, we were too quiet and Mitch didn't know you were there." Leah smiled despite herself, but did not accept the rod.

"No, you don't have to give me the fishing rod. Everyone would ask where I got it from."

"You can always say you found it."

"It would seem too convenient," Leah said. "I'm sure he didn't have trouble believing us the first time. The second time we would not be so lucky."

"You're damned logic is starting to hurt my feelings, Leah," Hailey joked.

"I was under the impression you didn't have any, Mr. Dauer." Leah and Hailey started laughing at her snide little jab. Hailey dropped the fishing rod and walked back to Leah so they were close again.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Hailey said, mere inches from her face.

"So are you," Leah said. Hailey laughed again and Leah joined. "I'll come again Sunday to catch you fishing on our bluff. If I catch you again, I'll bring reinforcements." Hailey grinned a cocky grin and brought his face a little closer until their noses were touching and Leah felt butterflies in her stomach.

"This should make it easier," Hailey said before handing Leah a tiny little pocket watch. There was no carved image in it. It was only a simple gold watch. And when she opened it, the face of the watch was just as simple. Purely functional. It listed the time as 3:45 pm. "I'll make a point to be a mile out of the village on Wednesday by 10:15 am. You know how to read time right?"

"I remember how to read a clock," Leah said with some mild condescension.

"I knew you did," Hailey said. "I'll wait until 10:25 for you."

"You can't honestly be giving me this," Leah said.

"I can and I am," Hailey said. "I have several, so don't worry about it too much. This one is the watch I bought myself before I left Port Angeles. My favorite, though," Hailey pulled out another pocket watch. This one was more detailed but still relatively simple. There was what appeared to be a black, curved plus sign on it and when she opened the watch, the face sported a strange bird. "This one is my favorite. This was given to my great grandpa by the Kaiser back in 1849 when he was in the military. He'd won himself an Iron Cross medal and this pocket watch was a gift from the Kaiser himself for saving his life."

"Is that what this is?" Leah asked, pointing at the black cross.

"Yes, that's the Iron Cross. It's a prestigious medal given to men that show courage and bravery in battle. I wish I knew more of the story. Dad wasn't too familiar with the story himself. He left it to me when he passed away. It's always been my favorite watch."

"It's beautiful," Leah said. "Very patriotic."

"That's a good word for it," Hailey chuckled. "So I'll wait for you at 10:15 on Wednesday."

"If you want to, Mr. Dauer," Leah said. She placed the watch in one of her baskets and smiled at him. "Thank you for the lesson and the story, Mr. Dauer."

"Thank you for visiting, Leah." Finally, Hailey leaned down and gave Leah a kiss. It was a quick peck, but it still left Leah a little stunned. Then Hailey left her side and went to collect his things. With everything in tow, he went back to his horse and mounted. "Auf wiedersehen," he said before riding off. Leah watched him ride away until he was no longer in site anymore. She started licking her lips thinking about his own.

Eventually, she finally started walking back to the village making sure to forage on her way back. She managed to find some potatoes and hid the watch Hailey gave her under the potatoes. When she returned, few really acknowledged her. Anyone who did said nothing and she walked on as if nothing had happened. Sara, however, came right to Leah.

"Leah, where were you? You've been gone since this morning."

"I'm sorry Aunt Sara. I," Leah took a moment to think of a reasonable excuse. "While I was out, I came across a comfortable spot and I just fell asleep. I didn't realize I was gone so long."

"Alright," Sara said with a relieved sigh. "So long as it's nothing serious."

"It's not, Aunt Sara. I'm alright. I just fell asleep, that's all." Leah smiled and reassured Sara one more time that she was fine and had just fallen asleep in the woods. She started walking back to the tent she shared with her brother when Jacob came up to her suddenly and when he spoke, it was hushed so only she would hear him.

"So how was your date?" Jacob teased, but making sure his voice was low.

"Date?" Leah snapped back in a harsh whisper. "What date? I went to make sure he wasn't still fishing at the bluff."

"And that took you since this morning?" Leah said nothing and continued walking to her tent planning to ignore Jacob. "You know Leah, we'll have to tell mom and dad eventually. How long do you think you'll be able to keep this a secret?"

"There's nothing to keep secret. Mr. Dauer is an insufferable intruder and I plan to make an example of him."

"If you say so, Leah," Jacob laughed a little and Leah leered at him.

"What's so funny?"

"There's nothing wrong with admitting you like him, Leah. Least of all to me."

"Okay," Leah said, walking closer to Jacob as if to intimidate him. Given he had a foot on her, it wasn't worth much, but she did it all the same. "Let's pretend we live a warped world where there was something between me and Mr. Dauer. What makes you think I can tell Aunt Sara and Uncle William about it? If they found out, they'd never allow it."

"I already said I'd come to your defense if you needed me to. He's crass and an asshole, but the two of you certainly get along well when you think you're alone."

"Did you," Leah began as her blood started to boil.

"No, Leah, I didn't follow you this time. You asked me not to and I didn't. All I'm saying, Leah, is that right now mom's not too worried about your little disappearing acts for a few hours but eventually she'll start to get suspicious. I'm surprised she isn't already. Given your mother was doing virtually the same thing, I can't imagine mom won't eventually put two and two together."

Leah didn't answer. She was taken off guard by something Jacob had just said. Her mother was doing the exact same thing. Hearing it said out loud made it more apparent to her exactly what she was doing. She looked in her basket where the watch was, covered by potatoes or not. He would be waiting for her Wednesday. She'd not planned to see him though, deep down, she knew she would have anyway. Now it was all the more important they see each other sooner. She needed to put an end to this.

"I won't make my mother's mistake," Leah finally said. "I can assure you of that."

"Leah," Jacob said and Leah finally looked up at him. "You know we want you to be happy. And when you were with him that time I'd seen you, you looked really happy. I don't want to take that from you and I know, once mom and dad understand, they won't want to take that from you either. But we can't move forward if you keep this secret."

"There's no need," Leah said. "He asked to see me in three days. He said he would come to the village and wait for me a mile out. I'll go and tell him this has to stop."

"Leah, you don't-"

"I won't make my mother's mistake, Jacob. I'll speak to him on Wednesday and I'll put an end to this. I promise I will."

"Don't do that if it will make you unhappy, Leah."

"I've made up my mind," Leah insisted. "Once this is ended, then we can go back to normal and Aunt Sara will never have to be the wiser. We'll pretend this never happened and we'll move on."

"Are you sure you're alright with that, Leah?"

"I'll make myself alright," Leah said. "I've made myself alright with far worse."

Jacob tried to argue further but Leah walked away and ended the conversation. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. It was beginning to upset her. She went straight to her tent and immediately pulled out the watch that Hailey had given her. It really was a very nice watch. She opened it to look at the time: 4:45 pm. She closed the watch, but kept staring at it for a while. She didn't hide it until Seth came in later in the night ready to go to bed. Thankfully, he did not see it.

Two days later, Renesmee and Caevia decided to announce that they were both pregnant and everyone was delighted. Jacob and Quil continued to tease Embry. 3 down, 2 more to go they would say. By this point, Aidetzi and Kyle were both relatively rambunctious. They had both learned to walk, though Aidetzi had learned the perks of being a daddy's girl and had learned, or so it seemed, just what doughy eyes to give Embry to make him carry her around. Kevin and Embry were growing like weeds too. By now, Embry was 2 and Kevin was just shy of turning 2. Each of them were walking on their own, talking on their own, and would even argue with each other. Though it was usually over who's turn it was to play with one toy or another. Even when they argued, though, Kevin and Embry Jr. were inseparable most of the time. It wasn't terribly uncommon for Kevin to sleep at Embry's tent or vice versa.

Upon learning officially of Renesmee's most recent pregnancy, Alice and Rosalie started praying for a girl. She'd had two boys already and it was time for a girl. They even started making little baby dresses, determined for this child to be a girl. Edward joked that when this child was born, he or she would be a girl like it or not. Renesmee just laughed. On Tuesday night, before Jacob went out on patrol, he helped Renesmee tuck Kyle in. This night, Kevin was sleeping over at Embry's tent, so they were free one toddler for the moment. Jacob always reveled in the silence, though it was usually repaid in full by the next night when Embry would sleep over with them.

"Do you think this one will be a girl?" Jacob asked after Kyle was tucked in.

"I think she will be," Renesmee said. "We should plan for either, though. I still want Natalie if it's a girl."

"And if it's a boy?" Jacob asked.

"Nathan," Renesmee answered.

"You want to place a bet?" Jacob teased.

"We are not placing a bet on this child or Caevia's and Embry's child for that matter, Jacob," Renesmee said sternly, though she couldn't help but smile. "Let's just enjoy the pregnancy and eagerly await the new baby."

"Alright," Jacob said.

"One other thing I wanted to talk to you about," Renesmee said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"I want this to be the last," she said.

"Last?" Jacob asked, unsure what she meant. "Last what?"

"The last pregnancy. Boy or girl, this is it. Three children is plenty. I think we need to make this the last time I get pregnant and focus on the children we have."

"Well," Jacob said, unsure how to respond. "That's fine, but how will we do that? Short of never having sex, there's really nothing we can do to guarantee that."

"Carlisle can make sure we don't have any more children."

"How?"

"There's a procedure he can perform," Renesmee said. "It's a little invasive, but it works and I know he'll be able to do it correctly and safely. He can do something called 'tube tying' where he closes off my fallopian tubes so that, when my ovaries produce eggs, they won't make it into the fallopian tubes and I won't get pregnant. It's a permanent form of sterilization."

"I didn't understand most of that," Jacob said and Renesmee smiled.

"This will be easier if I just show you," she said as she held out her hand. Jacob took it and allowed Renesmee to basically repeat herself, all the while showing Jacob exactly what she was referring to. "I'll speak to Carlisle about it once this child is born."

"I don't know, Renesmee. I'm not sure I'm thrilled about this. I don't mind us stopping at three, but I'm not sure I'm alright with accomplishing that by Carlisle cutting you open."

"Like I said, he'll be able to make this safe. He has a friend, actually, that can put people to sleep. He's a doctor too. A dentist more specifically. It'll make the procedure far easier for me and for Carlisle. And the way I heal, I'll be just fine by the end of the day." Jacob continued to look at Renesmee skeptically. Finally, he smiled and gave her a kiss.

"We'll talk about this more later," he said.

"I need you to be on the same page with me on this Jacob. After this, no more. I mean that."

"I know," Jacob said. "I'd just rather we speak to Carlisle about it a little more. Maybe he'll be able to put my mind at ease about the whole thing."

"You're right," Renesmee said. Jacob gave Renesmee one more kiss and finally went out on patrol for the night.

Leah eventually went to sleep that night, but it wasn't without great difficulty. She'd kept close track of the days until it was finally going to be Wednesday. She wound up oversleeping and, when she finally did wake up, she pulled the little pocket watch out of hiding to check the time: 9:50. She only had twenty minutes before Hailey would arrive. Rather than try to be discreet, Leah got up, left the tent and started making her way east. She wasn't paying much attention to how far she had done. She could have far exceeded the agreed upon distance, but it was of no importance. She kept checking the time trying to make sure that she wasn't late. She started walking instead of running when she was too tired to run. And as she walked, she started hearing the trotting of a horse. She looked up and saw Hailey. He was riding to her at 10:15, just as he said he would. Leah stood still and waited for him until he reached her.

"Morning, Leah," he said as he stepped down from the horse.

"Good morning, Mr. Dauer," she answered. She'd remembered she'd planned to speak with him regarding their current arrangement. She'd remembered this was imperative. But then, when he smiled so genuinely at her, she couldn't manage to even broach the subject.

"I'm glad to see you're on time," Hailey said.

"I take it your uncle has left to run his errands?"

"He has, so we'd better move fast." Hailey took a hold of Leah and led her with him to the horse. He remounted the horse first and then helped Leah up. Then he motioned for the horse to turn and run back to town.

When they arrived in town less than 20 minutes later, Hailey made sure they remained behind the shop so no one would see them. He helped Leah get off the horse before getting off himself, and then pointed at the door that led into the kitchen.

"It's unlocked," he said. "So go through that door and wait for me inside." Leah just nodded and walked to the door while Hailey led the horse back to her spot in the stable. When Leah stepped in, the door leading to the entrance was open and she saw a woman looking around, so she made sure to stay out of site. But the noise of the door caught the woman's attention.

"Hailey? Mitch? Are one of you back there?" called the older woman. Leah stayed still and silent, hiding behind one of the cupboards that kept her out of site. "Gracious, where is everyone," the woman started mumbling to herself. "I come here to by some string, shouldn't take me more than five minutes." Just then, Hailey came inside through the back kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Hailey said, looking at Leah.

"Hailey?" the woman called again, overhearing Hailey.

"Shit," he whispered harshly under his breath. "Coming!" He left Leah and went to the front of the store with his usual smile. "No worries, Mrs. Marshal, I'm here. Sorry about that. I was in the back looking for something. I must not have heard you. You weren't waiting long were you?"

"Oh, no, dear, that's alright. My children complain I can't hear them when they're standing right next to me sometimes." Hailey and Mrs. Marshal shared a laugh. "Anyway, I just came here to get some string."

"Twine?" Hailey asked, rummaging through the shelf that had their string selection. Mrs. Marshal confirmed that was what she needed and she paid for her selection once Hailey cut her the amount she needed. All the while, Leah stayed hidden behind the cupboard. When Mrs. Marshal finally left, Hailey returned to the back, still breathing heavily. "Broad scared the shit out of me," Hailey said.

"You're just lucky she didn't start searching the place for you," Leah said. "Will she say something to your Uncle?"

"Probably, if she sees him. I'll just tell him the same thing I told her: I was looking for something back here and I didn't hear her. That's not so unusual."

"We'd better make this quick, then," Leah said, bracing herself to have a discussion she was quickly realizing she really didn't want to have. "Mr. Dauer, my family is growing suspicious."

"Are they?"

"When I saw you on Sunday, I wound up being gone for so long that my aunt was worried. I was gone for at least six hours if I'm right about when I left to go to the bluff. I told her I'd fallen asleep against a tree, but I don't know if I can get away with it for much longer."

"You have a point," Hailey said, surprising Leah. "I suppose we should be more crafty."

"No," Leah said, now understanding why he wasn't upset yet. "I'm saying I think we might want to stop while we're still ahead," she finally managed. She stared at her hands, expecting him to be angry. When he was quiet, she looked up at him and saw a stony, hard line. She couldn't really tell what he could be thinking and it was making her nervous.

"You mean no longer meet at the bluff?" Hailey finally said.

"Yes," Leah replied. "Or anywhere." Hailey was quiet again. He seemed to be thinking. Hailey stared at her trying to reason what she'd just told him. She was saying they should stop seeing each other, that much he understood. He was trying to understand why. She didn't want them getting caught: understood. She didn't want to upset her aunt and uncle: understood. After running it through his mind, it became obvious what she was thinking.

"Is this about your mother?" he finally asked. Leah looked at him a moment before finally looking at her hands again and nodding.

"It dawned on me that I'm doing exactly what my mother was doing. Running off for hours at a time without a word, never telling anyone where I've been. If my aunt found out, she'd be heartbroken. She's very understanding. I don't want you to think ill of her."

"But it's beginning to be too close to a bad memory for comfort," Hailey finished her thought.

"Exactly," Leah said. "I'm worried about my uncle too. My aunt was devastated when my mother ran away to be with my father. When she found out what happened when Seth and I came running, it was worse. He'd never tolerate me doing the same thing." Hailey took a deep breath and stepped away.

He began pacing, racking his brain. He wasn't willing to let go. He couldn't. Not now. It was too late for him. She consumed his thoughts every hour of the day. Shit, he'd not had a cigarette since Sunday because of her. His mother tells him to stop, it goes in one ear and out the other. Leah tells him to, and he does it cold turkey without a second thought. Mitch had bared the brunt of the past few cranky days when Hailey was getting used to not smoking anymore, but it didn't bother him anymore. He was actually rather proud of himself for it. Leah had never voiced any sentimental feelings for him and neither had he for her, but he knew it was there. The fact that Leah was comparing this to her father and mother made that fact all the more apparent. Yet at the same time, he didn't want Leah to compare this to her father and mother. He didn't want Leah thinking that history was doomed to repeat itself simply because the circumstances of their meeting was similar to that of her parents.

"I won't do to you what your father did, Leah," Hailey finally said.

"What?" Leah asked.

"I won't do what your father did," he repeated. He started walking back to Leah and took her hands in his. "I know it might be hard to believe, all things considered. Frankly, I don't blame you. But it's too late for me. I can't just stop seeing you. I've grown fond of our meetings. I look forward to seeing you every Sunday. In between that time, I miss you and I think about you a lot."

"You're not making this easy on me, Hailey," Leah said. He smiled when she said his name.

"I know," he said. "I guess I just don't want to let you go without a fight." Hailey chuckled when a memory that came to mind. "It seems like just yesterday you'd thrown a baseball at me and I'd thrown it right back at you. I laughed the whole way back to the shop. Even when I realized I was bleeding, I was still smiling."

"You seemed rather grumpy and ready to pick a fight with me the next week."

"Of course I was. That little banter was the most fun I'd had since leaving Port Angeles. After that, you'd come to my mind from time to time."

"I would tell my aunt you were insufferable. I can't even count how many times I've called you that," Leah smiled.

"Insufferable?" Hailey said. "Well that's harsh, Miss Jagger," he teased. Leah smiled and giggled a little. Then she stopped smiling and seemed like she might cry.

"You keep making this harder," she finally said. Hailey watched her hold her head down, but she kept letting him hold her hands. She was breathing deeply as if to force herself not to cry. He lowered his head so that his forehead touched hers.

"Would you miss me? If you and I stopped meeting at the bluff, if the only time you saw me was every summer when we come to get salmon. Would you still think about me?"

"Of course I would," Leah answered honestly. "But I have to be realistic about this, whether I like it or not." Hailey smiled a little and kissed Leah's forehead before resting against it again.

"You really are stronger than me, Leah."

"No I'm not," Leah said. "This wouldn't be so hard if I were." Leah took a deep breath again to keep the tears back. "God damn you, Hailey."

"What did I do, Leah?"

"You made me love you," she said, still trying her hardest not to cry. Hailey was a little quiet at first. He hadn't expected her to say it. Not so willingly at least. But now that she had, the thought of never seeing her became all the more unreasonable for him.

"Good," he finally said. He took a gentle hold of her chin and made her look at him. "We're even."

Suddenly, before Leah could say a single word, Hailey brought his lips to hers in a fierce kiss. Their last two kisses had been so gentle and chaste. But this was different. His lips were firm against hers and his hand had moved from her chin the the back of her neck where he held her in place. It occurred to Leah to argue with him or to push away. Her point was certainly being weakened by the fact that she wasn't. As Hailey kissed her, she just couldn't stand to stop him. She noticed he tasted better than she remembered. He didn't taste like smoke like he had before. He even smelled better.

Leah wrapped her arms around Hailey's neck and only then did he take his hand from her neck and relocate to wrap around her waist. He pulled Leah firmly against him while he continued to kiss her and then she came just a little closer when Hailey walked the few steps until they were against the wall behind the cupboard. Once there, Hailey licked Leah's lip so that she would open her mouth and let him in. Once he was, she sighed and tilted her head and Hailey did the same. Their tongues mingled and mutually tasted. Leah's hands began to trail up until they reached his hair and she was able to run her fingers through it. The feel of her hands made Hailey's whole body tingle and he pressed against her just a little harder so that she would feel what she was doing to him. She moaned when she felt him pressed against her hips, his quickly hardening erection easy to feel. It caused Leah's whole body to tingle too.

If this was what it was like for her mother, Leah was finally beginning to understand why she'd done what she did. She'd not understood it when she was younger, but it was all starting to make sense now. Hailey kept kissing Leah as one of his hands trailed up until it reached her breast which he started to squeeze tenderly. His other hand moved just a little lower to her butt where he did the same thing. She felt an ache start to build as he touched her. As if by instinct, Leah lifted her right leg a little to try and wrap it around Hailey's hip. Hailey brought down the hand that was on her breast and guided Leah's leg further up so her leg was wrapped around him and he pressed up against her with renewed enthusiasm. Hailey was truly loosing himself in their passion. He wasn't thinking at all anymore, only doing. His erection continued to strengthen with each passing moment and, left to do so, he would have taken her right there at the kitchen door. But they were interrupted when the bell to the front of the store rang suddenly, indicating that someone had entered. Hailey pulled his lips away suddenly and looked towards the front. It was a man that came in and he was looking around, not looking into the back.

"Fuck," Hailey cursed when he caught his breath. He muttered the word again when he looked down and saw his erection was too prominent. So he grabbed an apron and put it on so it would no longer be visible and went to the front. "Did you need help with anything, Mr. Bradley?" Hailey asked when he was at the front of the store again.

Meanwhile, Leah stayed behind the cupboard out of site. She was still in shock. She touched her lips, feeling that they were slightly swollen from the pressure of his lips. When he'd kissed her, she lost all will to argue or fight. Before, he'd made this harder. Now he'd made it impossible. He'd just said they were 'even'. He'd not said he loved her. She hadn't even realized she'd loved him until the words left her mouth. Once uttered, she realized how true they really were. The spell of the kiss, however, had worn off thanks to the ring of the bell from the door. Now she could attempt to think clearly. Yet 'thinking clearly' wasn't coming quite so easily. After their kiss, Leah found herself lessoned in her resolve. She felt light on her feet and she felt like she was out of her mind. Perhaps she was.

"Thank you, Mr. Bradley. You have a nice day too," Hailey said from the front before returning to the back. Leah was just where he'd left her and she seemed like she was miles away. "Sorry, it's been a busier morning than usual." Leah's head shot up when Hailey spoke and she looked stunned. But she recovered and shook her head and returned to looking at the floor.

"It's fine," was all she could manage. "It's bound to happen."

"Leah," Hailey said. "Look at me." Leah lifted her head as Hailey asked her to and took a deep breath. Hailey realized Leah's braid was ruined. So he reached over and pulled her braid forward and pulled off the little tie she had. He started pulling the hair apart to loosen her braid until most of it was gone. Leah took over and undid the rest of the braid so it was all down. "There we go."

"It's not quite so troublesome when there's no wind," Leah said. She was still licking her lips Hailey noticed. And she seemed as though she was still a little dizzy. He came closer to her again so their noses touched. Leah pressed her hands against Hailey's chest this time. "You took me by surprise," she eventually said.

"So long as it was a pleasant surprise," he said as he bowed his head to her neck and started kissing her. The feel of his lips tickled and it made her weak in the knees.

"As I recall, Mr. Dauer, the purpose of us meeting here was so we could read another story," she said with the slightest glimmer of a smile.

"That is a planned activity," he agreed while he placed more kisses on her neck. Then he gently pulled her dress aside so her shoulder was in site and placed his mouth there. He licked and sucked and gently bit making Leah's knees that much weaker. She brought her hands up to Hailey's shoulders and he wrapped his arms around her to keep her upright while he worked. He didn't take his lips away until there was a red spot on her skin where his lips had been. "This was more exciting though."

"I would say so," Leah said. "That wasn't fair, Hailey."

"I know," he said confidently. He looked at her again and placed his forehead against hers. "But you made me love you, Leah. That wasn't exactly fair. You can't be mad at me. You made me love you first."

"So this is my fault?" Leah said, but she was smiling now.

"All your fault," Hailey teased and he kissed Leah again. She reciprocated and they kissed for another long moment. It wasn't the kiss from before. This was like their other kisses, tame and pleasant.

"You don't taste like smoke anymore," Leah said without thinking when he pulled his lips away.

"Good," he said. "I haven't had a cigarette since Sunday."

"Really?" Leah asked, flattered. "You mean nagging you worked for once?"

"I wouldn't get used to it, Leah," Hailey laughed and kissed her again. "But yes, this time I listened to your nagging."

"I'll have to look outside and check if there are pigs flying." Leah and Hailey laughed and kissed again. "So much for me trying to put a stop to this."

"I just can't," Hailey said. "I'm too selfish." Hailey kept his forehead against hers while they looked at each other. Leah wasn't sure what to do now. Hailey saw the look of concern that was beginning to come across Leah's face, so Hailey gave her one more kiss. "We'll figure something out," Hailey said.

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet." Despite the less than desired answer, Leah smiled at Hailey and he smiled back. Then he kissed her again. As they kissed, the shop door opened again, ringing the bell, and Hailey cursed under his breath before attending to the next customer that had dared to interrupt them.