Chapter 10

An: Happy Tuesday. I have to thank everyone, yet again, for the gorgeous reviews. I can't tell y'all how much you make my day. The last two weeks have been crazy, so if I didn't respond to your review, please accept my apology. I read every single one.

A lot has happened to our darling. The injury really has him down. Let's see if his best friend can make a dent in his surly disposition. Let's meet Garrett.

"Said, what's wrong , my long time friend

Something's botherin' you?

Tell me, what the problem is

I'll see what I can do

There are time we disagree

We agree more than we don't

We won't always see eye to eye

But we will more than we won't

We got friendship

The kind that lasts a lifetime

Through all the hardship

You know, you're a friend of mine."

Friendship by Chris Stapleton

~oOo

Edward had been cooped up in the house for two solid weeks. He felt antsy, stir-crazy. He was lifting weights and eating well, in spite of the endless supply of Bella's chocolate chip cookies. The first week was rough. He had to work the RICE protocol hard. Under the watchful eyes of his mom, Riley, and Bella, he was doing all the things he was supposed to do.

Luckily, his pain was subsiding. He was still using his crutches, giving himself the optimum opportunity for healing. He had learned his lesson and stayed off it.

At his last appointment, the doctor had him walk on it, but the tenderness was still there. It confounded the coach and the doctor that his recuperation was taking longer than expected. It was a fluke that his heel hit harder than anyone suspected.

Since the injury was to his right foot, Edward couldn't drive. His mom or dad had to take him to the doctor, and frankly, he hated that. He was hoping to get a boot today so he could at least walk without the crutches and get his leg moving again.

The doorbell rang as he heard the door open. "Edward, you ready?" Esme's voice rang out into the entryway. Edward was dressed and ready, sitting on the sofa drinking a protein shake.

"Ready, Momma." Edward grabbed his crutches and got up from the sofa.

"Darlin', are you okay? You look a little pale." Esme's voice was laced with concern. "You need to get some sun back on that face."

"I'm fine, Momma. Don't go fussin'."

Esme was taken aback by his sharp reply. "Edward, don't take that tone with me. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just concerned."

Edward sighed as he raked his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just so ready for this to be over. I've been stuck in the house with my foot propped up for two damn weeks. Doin' everything I'm supposed to be doin'."

Esme hugged her son. "I know this has been hard on you. You can never sit still for long. But you'll be back on the field in no time. It's all part of the game, son." Esme picked up his unfinished protein drink and walked toward the door. "I have an idea. How about you come to the house today after the appointment and sit by the pool? Work on your tan. It'll do you some good with that ornery disposition of yours," she teased. "Riley and Liam will be there this afternoon as well. You can visit with your brother and nephew."

He nodded his head as he put a crutch under each arm and headed toward the door. "Oh yeah? I'd love to come over and hang by the pool. Riley came over to watch some ball and help me out last Sunday. It'd be great to hang with him some more."

"Good. I'll have Dad fire up the grill this evening. Maggie will be there to fetch the boys, too. We'll have a nice family dinner together. How does that sound? Food soothes the soul, you know?"

His mom was right. There was always a risk when you played sports, and this one got to him. No need for him to take his surly mood out on her.

"Sounds great. And thanks. I appreciate you taking me to the doctor and helping me out. Please…just please ignore my grumpiness. I know once the doctor gets me in the boot, I'll feel much more mobile."

"Consider it ignored. So, where are you taking your mother to lunch today?"

~oOo~

"Hey, shug. How was practice?" Edward was sitting on the sofa balancing a big cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie. His foot was propped up in the usual position on the coffee table, with a pillow underneath. He needed to take a load off since he'd been out all day. He set up his phone against a couple of pillows so he could see Bella better.

"It was long." Bella yawned. She saw Edward taking a bite out of a cookie. "Edward, you have to stop eating so many of those darn things. Every time I see you, you're putting one in your mouth."

"I swear, I'm only eating one! Leave me alone, woman." Edward discreetly hid the second cookie out of view. He didn't want her to get on him again. She was a tyrant when it came to eating and training. Bella had no one to blame but herself. She made the damn cookies. Who was he to deny himself after all the hard work she put into making them?

They're so much better than those animal cookies I have, he thought to himself.

"So, how was the doctor's appointment?"

Edward panned the phone down to show her his newest accessory.

"I'm so glad you're finally in a boot." Bella's smile radiated through the phone.

"Yeah, me too. I walked on my bare foot today. It was still tender. But there were no shooting pains up my leg anymore. Doctor says it could be another week to ten days, and then I should, God willing, be ready to go."

"That's so great. I know you're itching to get back."

"Am I ever. I'm going to go in tomorrow and just do the batting cage. I know I can't stand the way I am supposed to, but I want to warm up those muscles that have been dormant for the last two weeks."

"And work off those cookies."

"Yeah, yeah…and work off those damn cookies." He snarled at her playfully, eliciting quite the cackle out of Bella.

"Listen, while I have you, I want to thank you for coming over and helping me out. It really meant a lot to me and my parents. It gave them a break from babysitting me nonstop. And even though I wasn't much fun—"

"Who said you weren't any fun?" Bella giggled.

Edward scrubbed his hand down his face, rubbing his fingers over his unruly beard. "Well, shit. What did I say?"

"Nothing I can use against you in a court of law." Bella winked at him. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"Thank God for that. The first few days are hazy. I hate taking pain meds. They make me sick to my stomach, and I can't stand the way they make me feel. That feeling of being out of control is not one I'm fond of."

"Yeah, you didn't eat a lot either, except for the cookies and a few muffins."

"I did eat some of that fantastic casserole."

"Edward, you ate like a bird. I could barely get anything down you that wasn't a baked good."

"I'm sorry. I know you went to all that effort."

"It's all good. I put half of the casserole in the freezer for you, and the banana bread is in there as well. Since I had to go out of town for a game, I wanted to make sure you could eat them whenever you wanted."

"Aren't you just a peach?" He smiled brightly at her.

The spotlight of Edward's smile made her feel self-conscious. She did what any friend would have done for another. Bella was well aware these thoughts of friendship were becoming utter bullshit, and that she was fooling herself into feeling some sense of control. But it was the only way she could keep herself protected. They were leading separate lives when they left Atlanta. They never talked about what they did when they weren't together, but the thought always lingered in her head that he could lower the boom. This could all be over in a heartbeat.

"Hey, where did you go? You blanked out there for a minute." Edward looked at her on the screen, his head cocked as he narrowed his gaze.

Bella yawned into the phone. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I'm so flipping thankful I have a light day tomorrow with our game on Saturday."

Edward looked into her tired eyes. "It's all good. If anyone understands, it's me. Why don't you go to bed, shug? I'm ready to turn in myself."

"Okay, I think I will." She yawned once more. Her eyes were closed, and he could see how completely worn out she was.

"Say goodnight, Bella," he encouraged.

Her eyes popped open as she playfully responded, "Goodnight, Bella,"

"Sleep well. Talk soon."

"Night."

~oOo~

Garrett pulled up to Edward's house three hours before game time. He moseyed into his best friend's house, throwing Edward a jersey.

"Here you go, fucker. You know how hard that was to track down? If you'd waited any longer to make a decision to go, I never would have had time to go clear across the city to pick these up. Man, I hope she's worth it."

"Thanks. She is." Edward clapped him on the shoulder. "And watch your language." Edward schooled his face to keep from laughing.

"Shit. Is Esme here?" Garrett jumped in surprise, his eyes searching around the house.

"Nah, I'm just fucking with you." Edward cracked a smile and started laughing almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Fucker."

Garrett Swanson had been Edward's best friend since second grade. They'd been each other's ride-or-die since their first day in little league. There wasn't much they didn't know about each other.

They'd been through every life experience together up until Edward was drafted. That was where their paths had forked. However, that didn't lessen the love and friendship that ran deep between them.

Garrett played college baseball as well, pitching for UGA until he blew out his arm in a game during his junior year. It was a tragic day when he learned he wouldn't be able to pitch again. Luckily, Garrett had brains, not just brawn, so he took the LSAT, graduated college, and went to Emory Law School. Now he was a brand new attorney, working for the law firm that represented Edward as well as some other well-known athletes in and around Atlanta.

Edward admired his Atlanta Storm shirt before he put it on, turning it around to see her name on the back. There it was in bold, black lettering: Swan and the number seven. He was about to do something he had never done before: go to a women's soccer match. Hopefully, he would be able to stay incognito, but he was willing to risk it to support her.

"I got you a hat, too." Garrett handed Edward the Storm hat. "Figured if we were gonna do this, we might as well do it big." He cleared his throat as he inspected his own hat, trying to avoid Edward's watchful eye.

Edward could tell his friend was unsure about what he was going to say. "Go ahead, Gar…say what you wanna say."

"Oh, hell, fine. You know…she has your number." He pointed to the shirt. "That's gotta mean something, don't you think? Some kinda weird karma."

"Yeah, so, she has my number." He shrugged his shoulders. "Why does it have to mean something?"

"Come on, Edward. You haven't looked at a woman—well, except for the occasional ball bunny to scratch that itch—since Emma. Of course, it means something. I just drove all over Atlanta gettin' you a fucking jersey for some girl named Swan, who you just said was worth all this hassle. You don't do that, Edward, unless it means something."

Edward glared at Garrett for a moment. Garrett knew any discussion about Emma was off-limits. Why in the hell was he bringing her up now?

Garrett went over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. "Want one?"

Edward looked at his watch. "Yeah, sure. We have time." Garrett handed him a beer and sat on the sofa.

Edward took a big gulp of his beer, enjoying the brief moment of silence between them before he answered. His hand began to shake again, that damn annoyance had been creeping in off and on recently, so he clenched his fist and put it down beside him away from Garrett's eyes. Garrett knew him inside and out, so there was no way around this but the truth, or at least some fraction of the truth.

"I met Bella at a Braves' function back in April. She's the sister-in-law of our new catcher, Emmett McCarty. What started out as a fun night at the Omni has turned into a really great friendship. We date when we're in town, but it's very, very casual. Zero expectations, zero pressure. We both like it that way. She's just as busy as I am, so it seems to work for us."

Edward took another swig of his beer. He felt satisfied he gave Garrett a good rundown of the relationship. He just hoped Garrett wouldn't ask too many questions—questions Edward knew full well he wasn't ready to answer.

"Bullshit," Garrett accused.

Edward leaned his head back on the sofa, looking at the ceiling. Fuck, what the hell am I going to do now?

"Garrett…"

"No, it's bullshit, Edward. I don't mean how you met her, or the fantastic sex. I believe that."

"I didn't say the sex—"

"It was implied."

Edward rolled his eyes at his best friend lawyering up on him.

"What I don't believe," Garrett continued, "is that it's as casual as you say. This whole undercover operation you've concocted for today isn't just for a piece of tail. You like her."

Edward did like Bella. She was everything he loved in a woman, and then some. It was just easy. However, he didn't feel like he was in the headspace for a commitment.

"Garrett."

"What? I'm just keeping it real."

"Damnit," Edward hissed into his beer. "Of course, I like her. She gets me. What's not to like?"

"Have you ever thought…?" Garrett asked.

Edward sat up straighter and held Garrett's gaze. "What?" Edward challenged as he put his beer bottle down on the coffee table with a bang.

"Just hear me out." Garrett held up his palms defensively. "I'm not trying to rile you up or put you on the defensive. Just… have you thought about the fact that this attraction to Bella is stronger or different because it doesn't come with the typical expectations or pressures? It's the perfect storm for you, no pun intended." Garrett laughed. "She certainly has your attention, and that's a hard commodity to come by."

Edward paused to consider what he was saying. "I mean, it's possible. You're leaving out one tiny detail, though: Bella wanted this, too. Hell, she's the one who proposed this damn deal."

"Interesting." Garrett pondered for a moment. "Where was she when you got hurt?"

"Uhhh…"

"Here, man. She was here."

"Not every day." Edward was beginning to get defensive. "She had practices and then went out of town for a game."

"Of course, but…she did bring you cookies—damn good cookies, I might add. She cooked dinner for you, dude. She likes you. That all took some time and effort."

"Yeah, she was really great." Edward couldn't help smiling. "She's very sweet and thoughtful, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Bear with me. How long has this been going on between you two?"

"Since the beginning of April."

"And it's the beginning of September. So, around five months. Respectable. I mean, you've already been tasting the goodies, so…" Garrett waggled his eyebrows.

"Gar…no." Edward frowned at his friend's words. "It's not like—"

"It's exactly like that, Edward. You're dating a girl—my bad. You're in a 'friendship' with a girl you sometimes date, sometimes sleep with, who made you some amazing cookies and dinner. You like her, and…wait for it…she gets you." Garrett smirked. "What more could any man want?"

Edward knew exactly what Garrett was trying to do, and he was doing a damn good job at it.

Edward motioned toward the door. "Can we go? I'm done with you psychoanalyzing me for the day." Edward stood from the sofa and walked toward the door.

"Sure, man. It's all good. Just wait 'til you see my billable hours." Garrett dangled the keys as he walked out the front door. "Your carriage awaits."

~oOo~

"Where to?" Garrett asked.

"I'm feeling like a burger," Edward responded.

"Sounds good to me. How about Taco Mac?"

"Nah, too many people. How about that little place we ate at when we went to see Zac Brown Band?"

"The Marlay House?"

"Yep."

"Let's do it."

They left the house in plenty of time. Garrett turned on the radio so they could listen to the Braves game as they drove.

They arrived at Marlay's, which just happened to be close to where Bella lived, in plenty of time before the game. Marlay's was a quaint neighborhood watering hole, with dark wood paneling, an antique bar, and a diverse beer selection. The front patio was a perfect place to sit on a gorgeous day. Edward decided to keep quiet about the proximity to Bella's house. He didn't want to open another conversation about him and Bella, though the smugness on Garrett's face after their talk spoke volumes.

Edward decided to shake off their discussion and not let it ruin their outing. He realized Garrett was only looking out for him. There wasn't a thing they didn't know about each other, how they thought or operated, so why would this be any different? However, he wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of him enjoying this day. He was looking forward to watching Bella play.

Edward and Garrett ordered pints and settled in to watch the Braves game while they waited for their food. Damn, it felt good to be out of the house. He didn't realize how much he'd missed it. He was happy Garrett was free today. They hadn't had a lot of time together recently, so this was an unexpected guys' day out.

"Please tell Kate thanks for letting you out today," Edward said. "I know it was kind of a last-minute decision. And since I finally ditched those damn crutches, it just made sense for me to go watch her play. I may not have another opportunity. Her season runs pretty much the same time as mine."

"Ahhh, it was really no big deal. You actually saved me. Katie is having a wedding shower for her sister today at the house, and The Bea was there. I was 'in the way.' As if being holed up in my office was 'in the way,' but you know how southern women are. Kate was running around the house like a drill sergeant. Fucking lists everywhere. She was working me like a damn dog. I was making balloon arches and all types of shit until I had to leave. I narrowly escaped helping with the floral displays, so I have to thank you."

Edward was cracking up. He loved Kate. She was Garrett's college sweetheart at Georgia. When she invited him to the Chi Omega Carnation Ball their freshman year, he was all-in and never looked back.

"I love it when Katie has a mission. She's like no other." Edward smiled fondly.

"That she is. God, I love that woman. Balloon arches, lists, and all."

"Y'all have a great relationship. Definitely something to admire."

Their food arrived and they dug straight in.

"Hey, man, listen… I've been stewing on it. I'm feeling bad. I didn't mean to—"

"Nope, we're all good." Edward bit into his burger, happy to dismiss the conversation.

"You know I love you."

"I know."

"And I want what's best for you. So, if this is what you think's best for you, I support you. Okay?"

"Okay. I don't want to hold back anything from you, you know?"

"I know, and that's why I'm apologizing. I can see something different in you, and if this friendship with Bella is what's making you this way, who am I to judge?"

"Thanks, man."

"And you know… Kate's going to want to meet her," Garrett said almost apologetically.

"I'm sure we could do that at some point. But do me a favor and please keep the details to yourself for now."

"Pfft. You think I'd tell Kate about this? Dude, she thinks you walk on water. Don't want to burst her bubble." Garrett popped a fry in his mouth and washed it down with the last of his beer.

"Fucker," Edward quipped.

They finished their meal and paid the waitress, tipping her handsomely when she recognized Edward and didn't make a fuss or tweet about it.

"Ready to go?"

"Let's hit it."

~oOo~

They arrived at the Atlanta Storm stadium in plenty of time. Edward was able to get some lower-level seats, so he didn't have to do a lot of stair climbing wearing his cumbersome boot. The arena was small in comparison to, say, the Atlanta United's, who played in the Falcons' Mercedes Benz stadium, but it had a certain quality Edward liked. He liked the openness and the overall atmosphere. The fans were excited and ready to see these women play and kick some ass.

Bella told Edward that Rose was traveling with Emmett this road trip, so he was happy he was able to represent Team Swan today. He was also glad not to worry about the possibility of running into Rose. He just hoped the Swan herself was happy to see him.

"Looks like your girl is pretty popular." Garrett noticed a lot of Swan jerseys as he looked around the arena.

"You don't know the half of it. She's definitely a marquee player. Did I tell you she's an Olympian? And she's won the World Cup. The girl's a stud on the field. Just wait 'til you see her."

"Oh, this tale just gets better and better." Garrett quietly chuckled to himself. "And wow, she's impressive. Especially for someone so young."

"I know. I'm in awe of all that she's accomplished in her sport already. She puts me to shame." Edward couldn't help being proud of her.

"Now, you'll have to school me some. I only know the basics of the game," Garrett said.

"You and me both, son. I'm still learning myself. I've been figuring it out along the way. One thing I know for sure, it's a lot of running. I don't know how she does it. She's in much better shape than I am."

"I doubt that. Who're they playing?" Garrett asks.

Edward lowered the brim of his hat over his sunglasses, making sure he stayed unrecognizable. This was Bella's day, and he didn't want to pull any attention away from her or the team.

"The Kansas City Current…and do doubt it. Her workouts are way more intense than mine. I sprint; she runs her ass off."

Edward and Garrett spotted Bella as she and the other women finished their warm-ups. As they all stood for the National Anthem, Edward noticed Bella's head turning as if she was looking for something or someone. There was no way she could know he was there, so who the hell was she looking for?

Edward and Garrett were engaged the entire game. They couldn't believe how much they got into it and how much they cheered for their girl. The Storm won 2-1. Bella had one goal and one assist. She was on fire.

When the game ended, they sat back and let the people leave the stands ahead of them as they watched Bella and the other players greet fans and sign autographs. It was mostly teen and young girls with their parents, with a few boys in the mix. They came with their own memorabilia for her to sign. It appeared to be a much more relaxed atmosphere, and Edward loved it. Bella was beaming as she encouraged young girls, smiled, and took pictures. Watching her interactions, seeing her in her own element, unearthed some new feelings inside him.

For a fleeting moment, everything Garrett said earlier came rushing back, and he thought, maybe, just maybe, he could take a chance. See if he could trust himself. See if he could balance it all. Finally, the crowd around her dissipated, and when she was down to the last few kids, Edward and Garrett decided to walk over and make themselves known.

Just as he was about to call her name, a tall, well-built man walked up to her and gave Bella a big, familiar hug. To Edward, it felt like a huge cooler of cold water was thrown on his head as she beamed up at the guy. One thing he was absolutely certain of: he did not like what he was seeing. And the worst part was he had zero reason to be upset.

Edward's back stiffened as he heard Garrett mumble, "This ought to be interesting."

Edward ignored him, put a smile on his face, and walked right up to Bella, waiting for a moment to interject.

"Hey, Bella," Edward called out, looking to interrupt the man talking to her.

"Ed…Edward?" She squealed. "Oh my God. What are you doing here? Should you be out like this?"

The surprised look on her face was priceless. She was completely gobsmacked as she rushed up to hug him. Her mind was running in so many directions.

"I came to watch you play. I finally had the opportunity, so I took it." Edward gave her one of his best smiles, and then he turned to the offending man who was taking up the space Edward wanted.

He offered his hand out to shake. "Edward Cullen."

"Peter Johnson. Nice to meet you." He shook Edward's hand, and then recognition dawned on his face. "Are you the Edward Cullen? Shortstop for the Braves?"

"Yep, that's me."

"Sorry about your foot. I was watching the game when it happened. How much longer until you're back out there?"

"Thanks. It's gettin' there. Hopefully, I'll be back in another week to ten days." Edward looked at Bella, wondering who the hell the guy was.

Bella noticed Edward clenching his jaw off and on during the whole interaction with Peter. Then the realization hit her. He thought Peter was another "friend."

Bella spoke to explain. "Edward, Peter is my neighbor. The baseball enthusiast and renowned chef I've told you about. He and his husband, Al, take care of Millie and watch the house when I'm out of town."

Relief washed over Edward. Now he felt like a dumbass.

"Oh yeah, Bella's mentioned you quite a few times."

Garrett, standing to the side, piped up and offered his hand to Peter then to Bella. "I'm Garrett Swanson, the long-lost, forgotten best friend."

Edward put his hand over his face in embarrassment. "Sorry, man. I wasn't thinking."

Bella giggled. "Well, today is full of all sorts of surprises. Garrett, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you as well." Bella shooed away his hand and gave him a friendly hug.

"If you heard anything bad, it was all Edward's fault."

"I'll try to remember that." She winked at Edward.

The conversation went on for a few more minutes, until Peter excused himself to head home.

"Y'all have really surprised me. Thank you so much. Especially to you, Garrett, for driving him all the way out here. I'm sure that wasn't part of your Saturday plans."

"It was my pleasure." Just at that moment, Garrett's cell phone went off. "Excuse me, it's Katie."

"Sure."

Edward smiled at Bella as Garrett walked off to take the phone call.

"Shug, you really were amazing out there today. I was so impressed."

"Thanks. I'm glad y'all got to see a good game. I'm still a little shook you're even standing here in front of me, to be honest. How are you feeling? Was it too much?"

"Nope. It feels fine, actually. I'm taking that as a positive sign."

"And where in the world did y'all find my jersey? You both look like super fans or something." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Garrett found them. Drove clear across Atlanta to pick them up. The hats he found were a bonus."

"Wow. That's quite a commitment. I have to say I'm flattered."

Before Edward could say another thing, Garrett returned.

"Hey, man, I hate to cut this short, but Katie needs me back home. My buffering duties have been summoned. The Bea has a bee in her bonnet about something." Garrett looked a bit exasperated.

"The Bea?" Bella looked, questioning.

The guys chuckled. "The Bea, also known as Beatrice, is what we somewhat affectionately call my mother-in-law. She can be quite a force of nature. She's been known to leave a little carnage in her wake," Garrett explained.

"Oh my…"

"Yeah. The shower today was for Kate's sister, so you know The Bea was heavily involved."

"You may have to pull out the Hendrix for this one," Edward said.

"Don't I know it. You good to go, or are you…staying?" Garrett looked between Bella and Edward.

"Ummm..." Edward wasn't quite sure what to say. He didn't want to assume anything.

"I have him, Garrett, if you need to go. I'm happy to help you out. Is that okay with you?" Bella responded, looking hopefully into Edward's eyes.

"Absolutely, thank you." Edward grinned appreciatively at Bella.

"Sold. And thanks, Bella, it really does help me get home a lot faster since I don't have to take this turkey home." He gave Bella a quick hug, smirking at Edward over Bella's shoulder.

Edward snorted. "Sorry to be such an imposition, man."

"Nah, you know it's not a big deal. Really. I had a great time today. It's been a long time since we got to do something like this."

"Yeah, thanks again for taking me out. And give Katie my love."

"Will do. And Bella, it was great to meet you. Today was a lot of fun. I'm dying to bring Katie back. She would love it. See you two crazy kids later." Garrett ran off to the parking lot with haste, eager to save his bride from the wrath of The Bea.

As they watched Garrett trot out to his truck, Edward turned to Bella, "Well…that was Garrett."

"Yes, I caught that." She giggled. "I can see why you've kept him around all these years. He's entertaining. And a good friend."

"He's truly the best person I know."

"I need to run to the locker room and shower real fast. Do you mind waiting?"

"Nope, go do what you need to do. I'll sit out here and wait for you."

"I can take you to somewhere more comfortable if you'd like."

"Nah. It's nice out. I'll just watch the sunset while you're getting ready."

"Okay, give me twenty. I'll be fast." Bella gave him a quick peck on the lips. Just as she was about to turn and walk away, an idea popped into her head. "Hey." She laced her fingers with his. "Just a thought. Are you ready to head home? Or would you like to come to my house and let me cook a little something for us?"

"I'm game for anything. But if you're cooking, make sure you put yourself on the menu, 'cause, shug,"—Edward pulled her into his arms, staring into her beautiful brown eyes—"the only thing I'm hungry for right now is you."

AN: So what do we think about Garrett? Edward has a great friend in him, that's for sure. Garrett is an amalgamation between my husband's best friend since 2nd grade little league, and his best friend from 9th grade. Truly some of the best people we know and we share God children and life with these amazing men as well.

If you follow me on FB, I've been pimping a new contest that jayhawkbb and I are putting on called the Eras Contest. The contest and the FB group go live August 1st. Stay tuned for any updates and information on my FB page, in the Twilight FB groups, and on here.

The writing continues, so I'll see y'all in two weeks. :)

~Be Happy

~Be Kind

~Be Blessed

~DrivingEdward