to all of you who asked for a sequel to 'trick, treating and warm hugs' this is for you! Ash also asked for a sequel, and it wasn't like I was going to deny it lol it's going to be a lot of holidays, so wait for the next chapter around Christmas. See you then!
Bella knew she could go a little overboard when it came to the holidays, but everyone loved to eat pies during Thanksgiving, right? It wasn't so crazy to make four different types of pies.
"You know you're exaggerating, don't you?" Charlie asked, amused at the overflowing cart Bella was pushing. "It's going to be just us, like it's every year, Bells."
Huffing, Bella turned to her dad before taking another packet of flour from the shelf. "I always make a lot of pies, and I never heard you complain once, Dad."
"It's because Grandpa likes to eat them alone after you go to bed, Mummy," Giovanna said, giggling at the look Charlie gave her.
"Gio! And here I thought you had my back, kiddo," Charlie said, trying to sound hurt, but he failed to stop the smile from spreading on his face.
"You never said I couldn't tell Mummy, Grandpa," Giovanna replied, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. "Was that a secret?"
"I know you couldn't ever keep a secret from your mother, but I didn't think you would throw me under the bus like this," Charlie said, grabbing Giovanna and making her squeal as he twirled her around. "I think you should say sorry to your old Grandpa."
"You aren't old, Dad," Bella said but knew he hadn't heard her, since the duo seemed to be in their own world.
Bella smiled at the banter between her father and her daughter; Giovanna had Charlie wrapped around her little finger ever since she was born. She didn't know if it was a good idea to bring Charlie and Giovanna when she was buying ingredients for the thanksgiving dinner, but at least she was fully entertained.
She was so distracted by the duo that she didn't notice the cart in her way until she almost crashed into it.
"Oh, my god, I'm so sorry." Bella looked up into the playful eyes of one Paul Lahote. "Hey! Paul! Fancy seeing you here."
Paul slowly smirked at her, and Bella had to suppress a blush. They had met on Halloween when Giovanna and Maya—Paul's daughter—had declared themselves sisters as they were both dressed up as Anna and Elsa from Frozen. They had met for two playdates already, but Bella still blushed every time she saw the man.
"Trying to feed the entire city of Forks?" Paul asked, leaning over his cart and peering into hers. "It looks like you have enough for a month."
Bella blushed but this time from shame. "No…I just go a little overboard during this time of the year."
Giovanna and Charlie realised that Bella wasn't next to them, and Giovanna beamed at the sight of Paul, not that Bella could blame her.
"Mr Paul! Hi! Is Maya with you?" Giovanna practically squealed, running towards Paul, who smiled at seeing her.
"Well, hello to you too, Miss Gio," Paul said in that soft voice he reserved for his daughter and Giovanna. "I'm sorry, Maya is with her grandmother today. They're having lunch in Port Angeles."
"Aww," Giovanna replied, pouting before changing her demeanour and smiling widely at him. "Can Maya come to my house for Thanksgiving?"
Paul looked at Bella, as if he was waiting for a reaction or some help from her, but she was quite curious to see how he would handle this situation.
Scratching his neck, Paul looked at Giovanna with a small frown. "I'm sorry, Gio, I don't think she can. Because we…we don't celebrate it like you do."
Giovana gasped as if Paul had committed the worst crime in the world, while Bella was curious as to why he didn't celebrate, but before she could say anything, Giovanna beat her to it.
"You don't celebrate Thanksgiving? But—but—" Giovanna stammered, but Bella decided to intervene.
"Some families don't celebrate, Gio, and it's alright," Bella said, putting an arm around her daughter's shoulders and bringing her closer. "Maya and Paul have other traditions."
"But they don't have pie!" Giovanna said as if it was the most important thing in the world, making Charlie let out a huge belly laugh; Bella had forgotten her dad was there with them. "Grandpa! They don't have pies!"
"I heard you, pumpkin," Charlie said, a twinkle in his eyes that put Bella on edge. "I know you don't celebrate, Paul, but you should come to Bella's house and try some of her pies. They're amazing."
Bella narrowed her eyes at her father, wondering what he was playing at; Charlie was smiling like the cat who got the cream, and she felt like she was missing something.
"I don't know, Chief, we don't want to intrude on family time," Paul said, biting his lip and Bella's eyes zeroed in on the action.
"You wouldn't be intruding, and I bet Maya would be delighted to spend some time with Gio, as I know Gio will be," Bella said, looking at him with a small smile. "I'm known to go a little overboard with pies, so you're more than welcome to come over."
Paul looked at her as if analysing her words. "Alright, I'll think about it and will send you a text. It was nice seeing you guys."
With that, Paul walked away and Bella wasn't ashamed to ogle his ass; it was begging to be grabbed in those tight jeans.
"He seems like a nice guy," Charlie said, breaking through the fog of lust in her mind. "And I bet he's going to love your pies."
Bella looked at her father, knowing exactly what he meant with that little comment. She was saved from saying anything by Giovanna piping in.
"Everyone loves Mummy's pies!" she said with a big smile, and Bella kissed her cheek, glad to have her by her side.
"That's exactly what I meant, kiddo," Charlie said, kissing Giovanna's head. "Let's go finish our shopping since your mum has some pies to bake."
Shaking her head, Bella started walking, trying not to think about Paul and knowing she was failing miserably.
She knew he wasn't coming, but she still felt somehow sad about it. Bella could understand why Paul didn't celebrate Thanksgiving considering he was a Native American, but she had thought he would have come to eat her pies. I wouldn't mind if he ate something else too…
"I wish Maya was here," Giovanna said. "She's my bestest friend."
Bella smiled at her daughter, loving that she had Maya in such high regards; Maya felt the same about Giovanna. She was about to comfort Gio, but the sound of the doorbell interrupted her.
"I got it!" Charlie yelled from the living room, sounding amused. "Look who's here! Gio, come here, will you?"
Something in the way he said that didn't sit right with her; when she walked with Giovanna towards a smirking Charlie, Bella was surprised to find Paul and Maya at the door. Giovanna rushed towards Maya and threw her arms around the girl, squeezing the life out of her with her tiny arms. "Maya! I missed you!"
"I missed you!" Maya screamed just as loud, and the two girls began jumping up and down as they shrieked in delight. The adults all chuckled at their antics.
"I guess this means we're more than welcome to come in, huh?" Paul said and held up a large bakery box that Bella recognised as Sue Clearwater's down in La Push. "I brought cake."
"You shouldn't have, I baked up a storm," Bella said, blushing when Paul gave her a soft look. "But thank you anyway. I thought you didn't celebrate Thanksgiving?"
"We don't, but Maya was missing Gio and you were nice enough to invite us, so I thought we could spend some time with you." Paul's gaze was so intense that Bella's mind immediately wandered down a dirty path from where there was no return until…she heard his next words. "Unless you'd prefer we left…"
"No!" Bella said maybe a bit too forcefully if the amused look on Charlie's face was any indication. "I mean, you two are more than welcome to dine with us. Please, come in."
Paul smirked at her before handing her the box. Bella tried not to dwell on the feeling of his fingers brushing against her palm as he did so, but she didn't think she hid her feelings very well when she noticed his smirk widening.
Giovanna and Maya were talking a mile a minute, forgetting about their parents already, and Charlie was smirking at her; Paul was giving her that heated look again.
"Pie, anyone?" Bella asked. When in doubt, pie would always be her answer.