As soon as Bella pulled into the Black's driveway, Quil greeted her with a smile and gestured for her to park by the garage.
Charlie mumbled, "They're letting Quil guide the parking?"
"Looks like it." Bella chuckled.
Quil Ateara V had zero sense of direction, frequently calling people to ask for landmarks to point his way as he tripped over his large feet. As she turned off the ignition, she assumed that at least one vehicle would be dented after everyone arrived. She was grateful her truck was practically a tank. Then again, so was Quil.
If he gets any beefier, he'll be able to simply stack the cars by hand. Bella chuckled as her much larger cousin playfully waggled his fingers at her from where he stood near the road.
The house and backyard were bustling with activity as the smell of garlic bread and pasta sauce permeated the entire property. Jacob met them at the door wearing his usual sunny smile. Charlie said hello before walking around the house toward the crowd of elders in the backyard.
Bella followed Jacob inside and heard Embry's cheerful hello. The tall, slender boy sat at the kitchen table as though guarding it and playfully slapped Jacob's hand away as he pretended to reach for a serving spoon. Three large roasting pans nearly overflowing with Billy's famous spicy spaghetti, Sue's homemade chicken Alfredo, and garlic bread overtook the kitchen table. Sue Clearwater stood next to Billy at the yellowed kitchen counter, pouring bags of salad mix into an enormous plastic bowl. Meat, cheese, crackers, and olive trays sat beside a wide platter of deviled eggs.
"You two made a proper feast," Bella said.
Nodding toward Jacob and Embry, Billy teased, "You can't feed these monsters all the time, Bella."
"And me. Don't forget me," Quil said as he entered the house.
"We could never forget you, Hoss," Embry teased. "You eat twice what we do."
Simultaneously, Jacob whispered, "You heard what we were saying from outside?"
Quil chuckled and flexed his massive biceps. "Yes, Jake." Looking toward Embry, Quil winked and added, "And I need it to fill these guns ." Embry laughed and shook his head.
"No guns in the house," Sue joked as she adjusted the massive salad bowl on the countertop, simultaneously coating the entire thing with shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes.
Walking into the kitchen from the backyard, a confused Charlie patted his hip for the gun he'd left at home and asked, "Huh?"
Billy began cackling at them all and had to stop what he was doing to catch his breath. Wheezing through laughter, he choked out, "Get out. All of you. Dinner will get done faster if I can breathe."
He tugged Sue's elbow as she moved to leave and said, " Not. You."
She laughed and reached for the refrigerator door as Charlie took over Embry's chair at the table. The once-trio, now a quartet, shuffled outside so Bella could greet the elders she knew.
The second Seth spotted his idol, the younger boy was at Jacob's heels, talking a mile a minute. Jacob took it in stride, swinging an arm around Seth's shoulders and ruffling the younger boy's hair with his fist. Seth never stopped talking as he laughed and pulled away to fix his hair. Quil and Embry had already begun roughhousing in the yard as Bella took the time to greet and hug Harry Clearwater.
Bella glanced around as she released Harry and realized she was the only female her age in sight. She wondered where Leah was and assumed she must be hidden in the living room. The sting of a sharp rap on her calf muscle caught her attention as she jumped. Bella spun to face her assaulter and looked down into the face of her great-uncle as he set his cane in its usual resting place across his lap. Bella narrowed her eyes at the half-senile shaman and pursed her lips.
He scowled at her right back as she put her hands on her hips and harped, "Don't you sass me, Little Bird!" She bit back her grin over the affectionate nickname. Bella had been very fond of her great-granduncle as a child.
" Stuff it, you Old Bird," Bella grumbled back, gaining the attention of everyone present. No one else would dare speak to the elderly Shaman thus, and most gaped at her in shock.
Quil hovered over Embry on the ground, focusing on his grandfather while keeping his best friend's head pinned in his armpit.
"Ugh. Get off me," Embry grumbled, the only sound in the otherwise silent yard.
Eyes widened throughout the space as Old Quil laughed heartily. He motioned for her to come closer. Bella grinned as she bent down to hug him, leaving everyone else confused.
Quil released a sputtering Embry and yelled, "Why does she get away with that crap?"
Embry collapsed on his back and gasped for air. "Huh? God, Quil. Deodorant man. Pleghhh." He spit and wiped his hand across his face.
Bella kneeled in front of her uncle and shook her head. "He was a ridiculous child. He's a ridiculous teenager."
Old Quil chuckled quietly, his eyes shining in amusement. "The only thing ridiculous is how you have lived here for a year and have not come to see me, Isabella!"
She teased, "Roads fly both ways, Old Bird."
Old Quil laughed as he stamped his cane and shouted, "I am old, damn it! You should come to me !"
Bella snickered as she patted his knee and stood. "I know, Uncle. I'm sorry that I haven't. I promise I will come inside to visit the next time I bring Quil home."
Bella tried not to think about how odd it was that she was only close to her second cousin because of their mutual friends. She saw Quil less often than Jacob and Embry, but Quil had many friends. Most of them wore skirts. He frequently tried to reach underneath them - with permission, of course. Many were all too willing to chase after the tall, muscular native American boy with a thick mop of heavy Swan curls atop his head. It was the only prominent feature from her side of the family he displayed.
Bella didn't need to see Jacob approach her to know he was there. The more time spent together, the more each somehow gravitated to the other. Jacob's arm slid around her shoulders as she instinctively leaned against him.
Old Quil shook his cane as he scowled at Jacob. "Don't get fresh with my niece, boy!" The other guests laughed as Jacob hopped backward, missing Old Quil's swinging cane by a hair.
Quil jogged toward them and asked, "Why does Bella get to talk trash and I don't?"
Old Quil's cane swung back, hitting his grandson's behind. "Because she's not my responsibility, you little rascal. And she behaves like her father. Can't tell these damn Swans anything." Lowering his voice, he added, "I should know. I married one."
Quil darted away from his grandfather, rubbing his buttock as he laughed.
Bella turned to Harry and teased, "This family is so damn weird."
"Hmph," Old Quil grumbled, "Smartass. You kids git. Let us old folks jabber."
Harry swirled his cup and grumbled, "Who are you calling old? You got a mouse in your pocket?"
"Shooed away again," Jacob whispered in Bella's ear as he gently tugged her shirt sleeve.
The familiar sound of pot lids clanging poured from the back door to the kitchen, and Billy yelled, "Come and get it!"
The friends waited outside until everyone else formed a line, gathering plates and drinks before returning to their lawn chairs. When it was finally their turn, they ushered Bella through first. She watched in amazement as the other three filled disposable plates near the point of collapse. Quil had two heaping plates for himself alone. Bella followed them to the living room, where Leah and Seth were already eating and watching television.
Bella froze as she spotted Leah Clearwater at one end of the sofa, twirling her fork in her pasta with her large dark eyes glued to the screen. She was tall with sharp features, full pouty lips, and long, gleaming black hair. Her beauty was striking. Leah's curvy figure was worthy of envy, peeking hints of brown skin under a form-fitting pale green sundress. The bodice was strapless, the material bunching, twisting to cup her full breasts, concealing and lifting them becomingly. The smooth flesh of her shoulders shimmered despite the dimness of the overhead light.
Bella froze as that one detail caught her eye, immediately reminding her of diamond skin as rays of sunlight struck it while speeding through the forest. For a moment, Bella felt lightheaded and had to take a deep breath.
Like Jacob and the Cullens, Leah was gorgeous. It wasn't fair.
Gesturing toward the dark-haired beauty on the sofa, Jacob asked, "Bella, you remember Leah?" He promptly sat on the opposite side of the couch and leaned against the armrest.
"Yeah. Of course," Bella said and gave a slight wave. "It's good to see you, Leah."
Jacob gestured for Bella to sit between them. She glanced around for another option, finding every available space already crowded, including on the floor. Leah's eyes narrowed at her as she watched Bella blush and carefully sit between them.
Leah asked, "Charlie's daughter, right?"
"Yeah." Bella nodded as she bit back a grin and leaned into Jacob. Who else would I be? She and Charlie were the only pale faces for miles.
While Bella frequently had difficulty connecting with other females, she was unsure why Leah made her nervous. They played together as children countless times, but something about adult Leah Clearwater was different. Bella already detected Sue's no-bullshit attitude in her daughter. And according to Jacob, Leah had just been through the breakup to beat all breakup stories.
Funny, Bella thought. For someone brokenhearted, she sure looks well put together. The other woman seemed utterly at home in Jacob's house and in her own skin. Bella looked down at the scar on her wrist, feeling like she was still coming apart at the seams. She half-expected the half-moon scar to rip open one day and feared what remained of her heart would disintegrate and seep out of it.
And here is Leah Drop-Dead-Gorgeous Clearwater, looking like a supermodel after a brutal breakup for no damn good reason.
It really wasn't fair.
The corner of Leah's mouth lifted in a smirk as she asked, "So, you gonna eat or just stare at me all night?"
Bella let out a nervous laugh and turned her attention to her plate. "Uh, yeah. Sorry," she muttered and stabbed her salad with her fork. "You just grew up to be very pretty. That's all."
"Embry, you're pretty," Jacob teased.
"You too, Jacob," Embry teased back as he readjusted his sitting position on the floor near Quil.
"And we all know I'm pretty," Quil said after shoving a wad of pasta into his mouth.
"Talking with your mouth full is not pretty," Embry quipped, and Quil kicked him in retaliation.
Leah leaned toward Bella and asked, "Aren't you glad you didn't sit with those bozos on the floor?"
Bella could only nod as she laughed and snuggled further into Jacob's side.