As always, I would like to thank all my readers, with a special shout-out going to those who left reviews on chapter 6: UnderlinedSmile, Ruiniel, leelee202, kouga's older woman, and Nissa-Cullen. THANK YOU!

*** Important side note about the town: As some of you might already know, in the books, Charlie's favourite restaurant is The Lodge, whereas in the movies, that restaurant is a diner called Carver Café. To avoid confusion, I'll clarify that in this fanfic, both establishments exist—though each might be tweaked to fit my own imaginings. In this story, Carver Café is a little sideroad diner not far from where Charlie lives, while The Lodge is a larger venue on the opposite side of town.

Lastly, at the end of the last chapter, I said that we would learn more about Edward in this part. In order to move the story along, however, I decided to hold off on that. Now let's see what Carlisle and Bella are up to. Will they finally meet face to face in this part? Read on to find out. ;-)

CHAPTER 7

DRAWN TO YOU

"Please say you're bored out of your mind. Please say you're coming home soon." These were Audrey's greeting words, her whining plea blending with the static on the line. "Seattle misses you. Your cubicle misses you. Lollipop misses you. And you know who else misses you?"

"Who?" Bella played along, biting back her amusement as she shifted on the couch. It was Tuesday afternoon, and after a day and a half of clear skies, clouds were moving in again. As the light beyond the living-room windows dimmed to a dull gray, Audrey's answer came through.

"Me. I miss you! Coffee breaks just aren't the same without you."

Bella glanced at the clock, her eyes narrowing when she saw that it was after five. "Seems awfully late for a coffee break. I thought you'd be wrapping up by now."

"Yeah, I'm pulling a late one today. This place is an absolute zoo." The muffled thud of a closing cupboard door echoed over the phone. Doubtless Audrey was in the break room, fetching her favorite coffee mug from the upper cabinet. The pale blue one with a yellow flower on the front. "Some idiot over in advertising opened a file with a damned virus. Knocked out half the computers in the office, including mine."

"Ouch."

"I know, right? The IT guys fixed the problem, but now we're all rushing to meet our deadlines."

"Sounds fun."

Audrey snorted. "That's one word for it." Because she was up to speed on the whole Evan situation, it wasn't long before her amusement ceded to friendly concern. "So, how are you doing today?"

To say things were peachy keen would have been a lie. The past couple of days had been a veritable rollercoaster. So many emotions. So many changes on the horizon. After her explosive and cathartic breakup with Evan, Bella had wasted no time in contacting her best friend.

After her initial outrage and some rather incensed Evan-bashing, Audrey had lent her support by asking if there was anything she could do. At Bella's request, she had gone over to the apartment, using her spare key to pick up Lollipop while Evan wasn't there.

According to Audrey, some of his stuff was already gone. Not everything, but a few key items like his game console, and the autographed football he kept in the living-room. Bella had been relieved to hear it. The sooner he moved out, the better it would be.

Her gaze flickering to the photo album on the coffee table, Bella's focus shifted to Lollipop. "How's my grouchy cat doing?"

"She really hated that pet carrier," Audrey answered. "But I think she's finally over the car ride. You should have seen her this morning, strutting around my kitchen like she owns it."

"That's Lollipop alright. Sounds like she's settling in."

"She is. I would have kept her in my room, but she wanted to sleep on the back of the couch last night. I suspect she'll be curled up in the same spot when I get back. So… returning to my original topic, when are you coming home?"

"Well, Dr. Coleman said I'd be good to return to work on November sixth."

"The sixth? That's nearly three weeks from now."

"Yeah, but I'll be heading home before then. Maybe next week or the one after. I have a lot of things to sort through. The apartment for one. I can't lift anything just yet, but with Evan moving out, I'll have to reorganize a few things, not to mention getting my head on straight before I start work again."

"It'll be nice having you back. When you finally get here, how about we do an ice cream movie night?"

"I'd love that." A soft patter drew her attention, and she looked to see raindrops hitting the windowpane.

Audrey must have read something in the ensuing silence. Lowering her voice so others wouldn't overhear, she said, "I know I sound like a broken record, but you're doing okay, right? You'd tell me?"

"I would. And I am. It's just a lot to process, you know?"

A compassionate hum echoed over the phone, the sound blending with the intensifying rain outside. "I can't even imagine."

"It'll be fine." It really would. At least in time. "Don't worry."

"Okay." Something seemed to capture Audrey's attention. A beat later, she said, "Shoot. I gotta go. I swear, this office is a mad house. I'll talk to you tonight?"

"Like always."

"Good. Later gator."

Bella breathed a laugh. Audrey and her cheesy lines. "Later."

"Ah, dammit." Charlie's muffled curse reached her from the other room.

Rising to investigate, Bella found him at the stove, his head shaking from side to side as he inspected the smoking contents of his cast iron pan.

"Everything okay in here?" she asked and fanned a hand through the pungent haze.

"Yeah." Charlie planted his hands on his hips, his shoulders rising on a heavy sigh. "But unless you want to eat these rubber soles here,"—using a fork, he pierced one of the blackened steaks, and held it up so she could see—"how about we eat out tonight?"

Trying not to laugh, she tapped her chin in feigned deliberation. "Rubber soles or eating out… Tough choice."

Five minutes later, the two had grabbed their jackets and were leaving the house.

"Careful, Bells," Charlie said as he helped Bella into the passenger seat of his police cruiser. Shoulders hunched against the downpour, he held to her arm as she lowered herself into the seat. Some of the aches were still there, but nothing like before. A few more days, and she'd feel like new again.

"You alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she answered over the driving rain, angling her legs slightly to the left as her father shut the passenger door.

As Charlie rounded the front bumper, hurrying to seek refuge in the car, Bella fastened her seatbelt. Less than a second later, the driver side door opened and Charlie climbed in. His beige jacket was already drenched at the shoulders, and his hair was pretty wet, too. "Man! It's coming down pretty hard." After wiping the water from his brow, he slid his key in the ignition and started the cruiser. "I'm really sorry about dinner. I don't know what happened. I promise, your old man can cook a decent steak."

"I know. And don't feel bad. It happens to everyone." A mirthful look crossed her features. "And you seem to forget, I lived with mom most of my life. She wasn't exactly the best cook."

Charlie chuckled at that. "True." After putting the car in reverse, he angled his body to look out the back window. "So where to? Carver Café or The Lodge?"

As they pulled out of the driveway, Bella gave it some thought. "They're both good, but we went to The Lodge last time I was here. Do you mind if we go to the diner instead?"

"Not at all. A burger's a burger."

And so they headed toward Carver Café.

Except for the sound of the rain, that of the engine, and the rubbery swipe of the windshield wipers, the first half of the drive was spent in easy silence. As the cruiser followed a logging truck, Bella stared at the double wheels, lulled by the fine spray the wet tires were leaving in their wake.

As Charlie drove his cruiser down the road, he craned his neck, his gaze seemingly drawn by something ahead and to his left. "Looks like Jake finally got your car."

Following his line of sight, Bella noted that her battered vehicle was no longer at the local repair shop.

Charlie said, "I called Merle yesterday morning,"—Merle was the owner of M.T. Auto Repair—"I told him Jake and his buddies would be stopping by to tow it out of there."

"Looks like he didn't waste any time."

"He was really itching to work on your car. I bet you he'll have it up and running in no time."

They were in the middle of town now. As the logging truck stopped at an intersection, Charlie maintained a safe distance, and slowed to a stop as well. Once they were underway again, Bella's thoughts kept going back to the other night, to that conversation she'd had with Jacob. His hostile reaction had taken her aback, and puzzled her still.

"Dr. Cullen. As in Carlisle Cullen?"

"Carlisle Cullen, yeah. He was hiking in the area when he found me."

Even now, she remembered how Jake had shaken his head, laughing sardonically when he'd said, "Hiking, right."

What did he mean by that? And what did he have against the mild-mannered doctor who had saved her life? The fact that others felt the same, that the Quileutes were now boycotting the hospital for the simple reason that Dr. Cullen worked there…

Bella couldn't wrap her mind around any of it.

Not one to shy away from a good mystery, however, she had resolved to find out more about this nebulous feud. It'd be a good way to pass the time, she reasoned. A good way to keep Evan out of her thoughts until her return to Seattle.

Yesterday, when she had gone to the hospital for her follow-up appointment, Bella had hoped to run into him, the enigmatic Dr. Cullen. Not seeing him anywhere, she had even approached one of the secretaries. "Hi. Sorry to bother you. Could you tell me if Dr. Cullen is working today?"

"I'm sorry, it's his day off. It's sunny today."

Seeing Bella's confusion, the woman had gone on to explain that he never worked on sunny days.

"Seriously?"

"Pretty cushy arrangement, I know. The man likes to go camping apparently. I hear he worked it into his contract and everything."

As the roadside diner became visible in the distance ahead, the riddle otherwise known as Dr. Cullen remained firmly anchored in her mind.

He's a camping enthusiast who likes to hike in the rain, she thought, enumerating what little she knew of him. He never works on sunny days.

Bella's fingertips drummed against her pantleg.

Alright, so he likes the outdoors.

Other than that, though, it didn't explain much, if anything at all.

And so the mystery remained. If the opportunity presented itself, maybe she would be lucky enough to solve it. In the meantime, the only thing Bella could do was wait and see. That and grab a bite to eat.

Carlisle was driving through the rain, his windshield wipers keeping cadence with the rock song on the radio.

Though some might find the weather depressing, he was rather relieved to see the rain. After all, rain meant clouds. And for him, clouds meant a return to normalcy, being free to wander into town during daylight hours.

It was a shame the rain hadn't come sooner, though. Day was already waning, and in a few short hours, it would be night again.

Carlisle hadn't been scheduled to work today—only tomorrow morning—but he was heading to the hospital anyway, to drop off some paperwork and see if he had any messages. Because he wasn't on the clock, he wouldn't be doing official rounds, but he would check on some of his patients all the same. Two of his most complicated cases. Just to see how they were doing.

The rock song faded to a commercial. Thinking he would switch to his own selection of music, Carlisle navigated his playlist, then chose a musical piece at random. As Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1 played at low volume, Carlisle watched the passing scenery, and enjoyed the drive.

At present, the winding road was lined with trees, but there were houses up ahead, as well as a few businesses, including the town's roadside diner.

Built way back in the twenties, the flat-roofed structure had once been a general store. As it came into view, Carlisle remembered the original wooden siding, and the hand-painted sign that used to hang above the door.

Except for its structural shape and the placement of most of its windows, the building looked very different than it did back then. Set before a rich backdrop of evergreens, the restaurant's exterior was a combination of light gray clapboard, dark green trim, and a matching awning.

Instead of a muddy lot, the ground outside the building had long since been paved over. When Carlisle and his family had resided here at the end of the 1930s, car purchases had been on the rise, but not everyone had them. Like a superimposed image in his mind, he could still see the water trough on the side of the building, and the horse-drawn buggies that would pull up every now and again.

Smiling in reminiscence, Carlisle was about to focus on the road when his attention snagged on a familiar vehicle in the parking lot. A police cruiser. Even at a distance, Carlisle easily read the number on the side. That's Charlie's car.

And sure enough, there he was, sitting near to the front window. And he wasn't alone. Next to him was the woman who had been haunting Carlisle's thoughts for over three weeks now. The woman he had been secretly yearning to see.

Presently, Bella Swan was sitting at the corner table, hanging on to her father's every word.

Because vampire brains could absorb sensory information at lightning speed, little escaped Carlisle's notice. Even as he was driving up, he could see and hear everything. Like a scene playing in slow motion, he heard her snort of laughter as she raised her half empty glass to her full lips. He caught the widening of her chocolate brown eyes as Charlie regaled with a story about a daredevil stunt involving an innertube and a motorized canoe.

"Oh my god, you didn't." Bella nearly spit out her soda. "You could have died!"

From the corner of his eye, Carlisle caught the rhythmic flash of a turn signal. His senses being what they were, he didn't have to look at the road to know that the truck ahead of him was turning into a nearby driveway. Easing up on the gas, Carlisle slowed to a stop.

At Bella's remark, Charlie shrugged, amusement threading his gruff voice when he said, "I was young and stupid back then."

The lane ahead of him was now clear. Since he couldn't stay in the middle of the road, Carlisle released the break, and pressed on the gas, staring at Bella for as long as he could. Only when the diner was out of his peripheral vision did he look to the road once again, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he grappled with what to do. Keep driving, Cullen. Don't you dare turn around. You can't go to her.

Anyway, what would he do if he did? Say hi then sit at a nearby table? Order vile food so he could steal glances and eavesdrop like some sort of stalker?

Yeah, I'm not that far gone. He might have Bella on the brain, but Carlisle wasn't a creep. Quite frankly, he already felt bad for the way he had intruded just now.

Once he had reached the hospital, and pulled into his designated parking space, Carlisle turned off the ignition, and grabbed his briefcase. Using it as a shield against the rain, he made a bee-line for the side entrance. Here he would find peace, he thought. Here he would find the distraction he craved and needed.

To him, being a doctor was much more than a profession. It was a calling, a way to make up for his nature, and do actual good in this world.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Carlisle opened the door and walked in. No sooner had he done so than a familiar scent wafted to his nose, catching him off guard. Faltering mid-step, it was a moment before he gathered himself.

Because the scent was so faint, Carlisle guessed that Bella had walked these halls sometime within the last twenty-four hours. If he hadn't seen her at the diner just now, he would have wondered if she was unwell—a lingering effect from her accident perhaps, or something else. She did say she was a klutz, after all.

But from what he had seen through the restaurant window, Bella seemed well. Reasoning that she had swung by the hospital for her follow-up appointment with Dr. Coleman, Carlisle set his worries aside, and tried not to think of his singer.

Loosening his tie by a fraction, he passed by the nurse's station, where he nodded to a swooning secretary, and dropped off his paperwork. Continuing toward his office, he shut the door behind him, and leaned heavily against it.

It's fine. You're fine, he kept telling himself. And he was.

Although it was present, the burn in his throat was nowhere near as bad as before.

Because their paths had already diverged, perhaps this would be the last time he would smell Bella's scent. Perhaps he had already seen the last of her through that restaurant window. The notion saddened him more than he cared to admit.

Remembering why he was here, Carlisle settled at his desk, checked his messages, and made a few brief phone calls. From there, he followed through with his initial idea, and went to see a few of his patients. This being dinner time, however, Carlisle didn't linger for very long. Instead, after making certain each patient was doing well, he wished them a good evening, and was on his way.

His footfalls echoing against the linoleum, Carlisle heaved a cheerless sigh. He had been wrong; his visit at the hospital hadn't been the escape he had hoped for. No matter where he went or what he did, thoughts of Bella followed.

Thinking fresh air would help, Carlisle carried his empty briefcase over to his car.

Alone in his Mercedes, he wiped the rain from his face, and simply sat there for a moment. Unsure of what to do with his time, Carlisle figured he could swing by the Thriftway and pick up a few things. Not food, no. But last he had checked, he and Rosalie were running low on cleaning products.

Fifteen minutes later, he was pushing a grocery cart down aisle two when he caught the sound of the automatic doors opening and closing. At first, he paid it no mind—with people coming off work, the store was rather busy right now—but while he was scanning the shelves for laundry detergent, a strong and familiar scent slammed into him, making him freeze on the spot.

It was a good thing he was alone in the aisle, for here he was, eyes slipping closed as he filled his lungs with the scent he would know anywhere. A scent he loved despite the physical pain it caused him.

She's here.

Bella Swan was in this very store at this very moment.

God help me.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay in the car?" Charlie asked as he fetched a shopping cart.

"No, dad,"—Bella rubbed her face in exasperation—"don't be silly. I can manage a few minutes in a store."

As she looked on, Charlie's cart snagged. He had to jiggle the handle to pull it free. Pitching her voice over the racket, Bella bit back a smirk, and said, "And no offense, it's nice to be out and about." Even for something as mundane as grocery shopping.

Charlie weighed her words for a moment. Handing the cart over, he chewed the inside of his cheek. "Okay, how about this? How about we save some time by splitting up? I'll grab some things at the opposite end of the store while you do the produce section here." His brows rose as if to say, sound good?

Bella nearly rolled her eyes, but ultimately agreed. "Sure. Why not?"

Charlie grabbed another cart and had barely taken five steps when he called over his shoulder. "If you start feeling tired, just text me."

"Will do."

"And no potato sacks. You're not supposed to lift anything heavy, remember?"

With a long-suffering shake of her head, she watched as Charlie disappeared between the aisles. Fathers…

Glad to be on her own, Bella wove her way between the various displays, picking up produce as she went. A minute or two later, she was nearing the back of the store when the oddest feeling came over her, as if someone was watching from afar.

Slowing to a stop, Bella looked over her shoulder just as the feeling dissipated. Seeing nothing, she was about to resume her shopping when her gaze landed on a familiar figure at the end of aisle two. Oh wow, it's him. The mystery man of the hour, the kind doctor who had saved her life.

Her mouth slightly agape, Bella remained where she was, watching as Carlisle Cullen scanned a line of cleaning products, his back to her.

You imagined it. He wasn't watching you.

She, on the other hand, couldn't help looking him up and down.

For an outdoorsman, he didn't exactly dress the part. Instead of jeans and plaid—a style that was distressingly common in these parts—Dr. Cullen was dressed in charcoal colored slacks, gray dress shoes, and a simple leather jacket.

Teeth clamping over her bottom lip, she noted that he was wearing a scarf as well. Not a heavy winter one, but a dressy knit. As he stood there, comparing various prices and brands, Bella had to admit, the man knew how to dress.

Recalling the night he had brought her a mug of hot water and a selection of herbal teas, she knew he was thoughtful, too. Talking with him that night had been refreshing. Nice. And though she hardly knew him, she had felt completely at ease in his presence.

Regardless of what Jacob thought, Bella's intuition told her he was a decent guy. Why the animosity, then? According to Charlie, the Quileutes disliked the doctor because of something that happened nearly a century ago. A slight or disagreement involving their ancestors.

In Bella's view, it should have been ancient history. But clearly, the Quileutes didn't see it that way.

Thinking she would head on over to say hi, she promptly grabbed a tomato from the nearest display, and slipped it in a plastic bag. Before she could push her cart in his direction, however, someone stepped in her way.

"Hey! Arizona!"

Caught by surprise, it was a moment before she could find her voice. "Mike, hi."

Mike Newton had been a classmate of hers at Forks High School. Sporting a grin, he stood as an unknowing barrier between herself and the object of her fascination.

"Wow, long time no see," he was saying. "It's been what… two, three years?"

Distracted by the doctor, Bella craned her neck so she wouldn't lose sight of him. Remembering her manners, however, she quickly dragged her gaze back to her high school friend, a guy who had been unfailingly kind to her in those days.

"Um, two and a half, I think," she answered, and remembered to smile.

"Man, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. So how…" She cleared her throat. "How've you been?"

Underneath his baseball cap, Mike's short hair was a pale shade of blond, lighter than Dr. Cullen's warm honey gold.

"Not too bad," he said by way of answer. "Gearing up to take over my parents' store. Mom and dad want to retire next year."

For as long as she remembered, Mike's parents had owned the sporting goods store here in town. Newton's Olympic Outfitters. Bella hadn't been there in years, but she'd worked there as a teen.

Because Forks was a small town, where news and rumors had a tendency to spread like a bad rash, it wasn't long before Mike brought up the accident. "I heard you were in the hospital and everything."

"Yeah, but as you can see, I'm out now. Still in one piece." Hiding her discomfort behind a tight smile, Bella listened as he went on, saying how glad he was that she was okay.

Switching topics, Mike then told her that he and his wife, Olivia, were expecting their first baby. "She's three months along." The excitement on his face couldn't be missed.

Genuinely glad for him, Bella offered her congratulations.

From there, Mike filled her in on some of their high school friends. "Most of them moved away of course, but Tyler's still in town,"—he pointed over his shoulder—"and Angela lives less than a half hour away."

"I've kept in touch with Angela over the years, so I knew she lived near here. But Tyler, I had no idea. You all still hang together?"

"You know how it is. After graduation, we pretty much all drifted apart. But then, two years ago, the three of us ran into each other at a fourth of July barbecue. We ended up talking for hours. Even our spouses hit it off. Now we meet up every other week."

"That's great." As kind and engaging as Mike was, Bella found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying. Unable to help herself, she kept stealing glances at Dr. Cullen, who was unhurriedly moving away.

"Actually, we're all heading over to The Lodge later tonight," Mike was saying. "You wanna come with?" His invitation captured her attention, his hopeful face suddenly filling her field of view.

Promptly gathering herself, Bella blinked a few times. "It'd be nice, but I don't think I'm up to it tonight. Doc says I still need to take it easy."

"Oh. Right. Maybe next time, then."

"Yeah, maybe."

His features set in gladness, Mike took a backward step. "Great. Well, I suppose I should get going." He indicated the frozen section. "Olivia will be wanting that ice cream."

Though the timing of their conversation hadn't been the best, Bella's laugh was genuine. "Best not to keep her waiting. See you around, Mike."

Once he had gone, she looked for Dr. Cullen again only to find that he was no longer there. Shoot.

Resigned to the fact that she had probably missed her chance, Bella swallowed her disappointment, and resumed her shopping. Finished with the produce section, she took to the aisles. She had already grabbed some pasta and was perusing the canned goods when a honeyed voice reached her ears.

"Hello, Isabella."

With a shy but heartfelt smile, Bella closed her eyes for an instant. Turning to face him, she said, "Dr. Cullen. Hey."

Maneuvering his cart so it wouldn't be in the way, the blond doctor released the handle, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's good seeing you on your feet. I gather you're feeling better?"

The kindness of his tone matched that of his golden eyes.

As he waited for her reply, Bella kicked her dumbstruck brain into gear. "I'm feeling much better, thanks." Hoping to overcome her awkwardness, she was searching for something to say when her gaze flickered to his cart. "I gather there's a special on cleaning supplies?"

Instead of food, the bottom of his shopping cart was lined with everything from laundry detergent and fabric softener, to floor and glass cleaner and disposable dusting cloths.

His answering chuckle was endearing. "I was just running low on things."

Unable to maintain eye-contact—he was just too pretty—Bella contemplated the rest of his attire. Now that they were face to face, the opening of his jacket revealed a light gray cardigan with a pale blue button down and tie.

The colors suited him, she thought and swallowed thickly before meeting his eyes again. "So how have you been?"

"I've been well. I had a few days off, but I'm starting work again tomorrow." He was about to say more when an old man walked up to Bella, asking if he could pass.

Aware that she was obstructing the aisle, Bella grabbed her cart, and pulled it in front of Carlisle's. As the old man walked by, there was no missing the wary look he cast toward the doctor. Unless her eyes were cheating her, he seemed rather eager to get away from him. What is up with the people in this town?

Seemingly embarrassed, Dr. Cullen unobtrusively stepped to the side, widening the space between himself and the retreating man.

He knows. He knows that man is wary of him.

Feeling somewhat bad for Carlisle, Bella pretended not to notice.

As a clerk spoke over the speaker, informing the shoppers of some of their specials, Dr. Cullen engaged her in small talk, asking how her father was doing.

"He's doing good," she answered, and rose on her toes to look around them. "In fact, he's in here somewhere."

Silence fell between them. This time, their gazes held.

Without knowing why, her heart quickened a little—though not as much as the time he had dropped by her hospital room. The strength of her reaction had been rather startling, if she was honest. Bella had never been one to lose her head at the sight of a handsome man.

Thankfully, her response felt a lot more normal today. If she felt a bit nervous, it was only because he had piqued her curiosity, and she had been thinking about him earlier in the day.

Rooted to the spot, she swallowed hard, and watched as he cleared his throat. "I suppose I should leave you to your shopping." His polite smile seemed regretful.

Not wanting to part ways just yet, Bella indicated the aisle. "Alright, but since we're headed in the same direction..." Hoping he would catch her meaning, she allowed the sentence to trail.

After a moment of deliberation, Dr. Cullen agreed with a smile and a nod. Then they were both moving, pushing their carts nearly side by side.

"This is different," Bella said after a time, chuckling as she reached for a can of mushrooms.

"What's different?"

"Grocery shopping with my doctor."

The laugh he gave loosened her nerves.

Matching her leisurely pace, he leveled a mirthful look at her. "Technically, I'm not your doctor."

"That's right. You were filling in for Dr. Coleman when you looked me over that time."

His chin dipped downward at that. Perhaps he was as embarrassed as she was. After all, they had both behaved oddly that day.

And so they ambled along. Though their silence was comfortable, Bella searched for something to say. "So... Have you done any roadside rescues today?"

Laughter as his response, Dr. Cullen shook his head.

Emboldened by his reaction, she prodded all the more. "No hiking by the highway, then?"

"Not today, no. Saving stranded motorists is something I do on the weekends." As reserved as he seemed, the guy had a sense of humor. Bella liked that.

Stealing glances every now and again, she matched his easy stride, grabbing a few items along the way. "Aren't you getting anything?" she found herself asking.

"Um. Yes. Yes, I am." Looking to the shelf, her shopping companion promptly grabbed a can of tuna before reaching for some wax beans.

Maybe she was wrong, but the way he was plucking items off the shelf made it seem like he was picking things at random. Puzzled but amused, Bella continued with her shopping. She was straining to reach an item on the topmost shelf, inwardly cursing her short legs, when he moved closer to her.

"Here. Allow me."

Bella acquiesced by stepping aside, but as Dr. Cullen fetched the carton of chicken stock, she found herself staring up at him, breathing in deep. Whoa… To say that the man smelled good would have been an understatement. It was a clean and refreshing scent, with a hint of spice underneath. Very appealing.

Snapping out of it, Bella took the proffered carton, and thanked him.

Having reached the end of the aisle, they were turning into the next one when they crossed paths with two gabbing women. No sooner had they seen Carlisle than they stopped midway through their discussion. Slack-jawed, the women stared and stared as he passed them by.

Carlisle, on the other hand, paid them no mind.

Bella motioned over her shoulder. "Come on, you had to have seen that."

"Seen what?"

Her eyes widened, and she bit back a laugh. "Those women. The way they're staring at you? I must say, you have a rather noticeable effect on people."

Before he could deny it, Bella pushed on. "I spent quite a bit of time at the hospital, remember? I saw how the nurses looked at you." Alright, so she was teasing. Thankfully, Dr. Cullen took it all in stride.

"Is that so?"

Bella snorted. "Uh, yeah!"

Instead of answering her original query, the man scratched the back of his neck. "So, are you enjoying the rain?"

Her brows shot toward her hairline. "You're asking me about the weather?"

There was that shyness again. He really did have a pretty smile. "Yes, I suppose I am."

As he waited patiently, Bella considered her answer. "When I was a teen, I didn't really like the rain. Or any cold, wet thing. But now, I don't mind it so much." Maybe it was the sound. Or maybe it was the little rivulets that coursed down the windows, distorting the surrounding view, cocooning her from the outside world. As she walked by a row of baking supplies, her shoulders rose on a shrug. "Maybe it's just me, but rainy days seem like a good excuse to fire up a kettle and open a book."

"You like to read?"

Bella gave a nod, and explained that she had majored in English. Before she could say anything else, however, Charlie's voice netted her attention.

"There you are." As he walked up to meet them, his gaze flitted over to her shopping companion. "Oh, hi, doc."

"Charlie," this one greeted, and extended his hand.

Once the two had exchanged a few pleasantries, Charlie turned his attention to Bella again. "I picked up some steaks. Some bacon, eggs, and milk. Got everything on your end?"

"Yeah, I think we're good."

As they made their way toward the cash register, it seemed Dr. Cullen was also done with his shopping. Upon reaching the line, he motioned for Bella and her father to go first.

A minute or so later, as the cashier scanned their items, Bella couldn't help but overhear a nearby conversation between two employees. "It must have happened within the last hour or so," a balding man was saying. The badge on his shirt indicated he was the manager. "Probably some kids with too much time on their hands."

He was frowning, she noted. The man seemed rather miffed. "Alright, well I'm going to call the cops."

"Wait," the other employee responded, and pointed over at Charlie. "The Chief of Police is here."

"Dad," Bella said quietly, and nudged his arm.

Following her line of sight, Charlie frowned, and addressed the manager. "Hi, Ed. Something wrong?"

Keeping his voice low, the man walked up to them, and said, "I'll say. The back of our store just got vandalized. There's graffiti all over the loading door and the outside wall."

"I trust you have surveillance footage?"

"We should, yes. The security room's out back."

At this, Charlie turned to Bella. "Mind taking care of this for me?" He handed her his wallet. "I'm gonna radio the station and get a unit in."

As her father hurried on over to his cruiser, Bella pocketed Charlie's wallet before retrieving her own. Sensing the doctor's gaze on her, she looked sidelong at him. "Best to keep this between us. Charlie hates it when I try to pay for things."

"He likes to look after his daughter."

"Yeah, but he's done more than enough for me lately. This is the least I can do."

By the time he returned, Charlie had donned the police jacket he kept handy in his trunk. With his radio now hooked to his shoulder, and his flashlight hanging on his belt, it was clear he would be handling this one. He might be out of uniform, but because he always kept his gun on him, Charlie was always ready for duty.

Shaking the water from his salt and pepper hair, he walked on over to Bella. "Do you mind if I call Jake to come and get you? I'm gonna have to take this one. All the other units are out on calls."

"Sure. But I can call him. Go do your thing."

"If I may," Dr. Cullen interjected. "I can drive her home."

Surprised by the offer, the two looked at him for a moment.

"You wouldn't mind?" Charlie asked, and put away his phone.

"Not at all."

Because he knew and trusted Dr. Cullen, Charlie looked in Bella's direction. "You mind going with him?"

"I don't mind." To Carlisle, she said, "If it's not any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. I would be happy to drive you."

To all who are reading this, thank you for checking out my story. I know it isn't fast-paced, but from here on out, we'll get a lot more interactions between Carlisle and Bella. If you feel like leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you.

As for those who are waiting for an update on "Of Dust and Everlasting Stars", I'm happy to report that it's finally taking shape. I had the beginning all written, and a part of the end. But the middle part of my chapter was giving me trouble. Yesterday, while I was working on it, an idea suddenly came to me, and now I'm kind of glad I didn't rush to update. I think the chapter will read a lot better now.

Until next time, I hope you are all doing well. Happy Sunday, everyone.

CygnusRift xox