Song: "To Make You Feel My Love," Garth Brooks

Chapter 8

"Give it back!" Jacob shouts.

Seth tugs on the action figure they've decided to fight over this time. "No, it's mine!"

"No, it's—"

I rush into the room and get between them, plucking the toy from their grabby, little hands. "And now it's mine."

"But, Mom, he—"

"I don't want to hear it. You can have it back when you stop bickering about every little thing." I walk out and open my bedroom door, tossing the offending toy onto my bed. I turn around, my arms crossed, and face them. "What's with you two today? Every time you're in the same room you're fighting about something."

Jacob mirrors my stance, his narrowed eyes trained on me. "Nothing."

"How about you go play outside for a little while? Maybe you can burn off some of this extra energy you seem to have in spades today."

Seth jumps up and down and his face brightens. "Can we go to the park?"

I open my mouth to answer him, but Jacob is faster with his biting opinion.

"I don't want to go to some stupid baby park." He heads down the short hallway and stomps down the stairs. "I'm going to play video games until Dad gets here."

A heavy sigh escapes me as I tilt my head back, closing my eyes and taking some deep breaths.

Seth wraps his arms around my middle. "I still want to go to the park, Mommy."

The hope in his eyes brings a small smile to my face. "You do, huh?"

"I do. And I bet if we pack some snacks, Jacob will wanna come, too."

"You, my dear boy," I say, pecking him on the forehead, "are an evil genius. I don't think even your grouchy brother can resist a bribe like that."

Like Seth predicted, when Jacob sees us packing a bag with chips, soda, and a package of cookies, his curiosity is piqued.

"What's all that?"

"Seth and I are taking all of this to the park." I look up from my task and raise a brow in his direction. "And if you want any of it, you'll have to come with us."

I know I've won when he huffs and rolls his eyes. "Fine. I just need to find my shoes."

The park isn't very busy, but I don't expect it to be at this time of day. The boys take off in a sprint for the equipment, leaving me to find a bench. Just as I sit, my phone rings, and my heart starts beating double time when I see who it is.

"Hello, Vamp."

His chuckle warms me from the inside out. It's the same feeling I've had every time he's called me. "Hello to you, too. How are you today, Bella?"

"I'm good. I'm at the park with the boys right now."

"Oh, is this a bad time?"

"No, not at all. I'm just watching them from a distance for now. They need to run off some energy before I even think about trying to keep up with them. What about you? What are you doing on this lazy Sunday afternoon?"

"Well, I was sitting here thinking it's been a whole week since I saw you last, and I'm going crazy waiting to see you again."

A smile dances across my lips as I think back to the restaurant he took me to last Saturday. The one that ended in another toe-curling kiss. "Oh?"

"Are we still on for tonight?"

"That depends on how late is too late for you. Garrett won't be by to pick them up until around seven."

"I can work with that. How about we catch a late movie? Maybe go for dessert after?"

I laugh. "You and dessert. But yeah, I'd like that."

"Then how about I plan to pick you up at, say, seven thirty?"

"I'll see you then."

The movie is an action flick I've wanted to see—Nicholas Cage's new one, Ghostrider—but haven't been able to until now. Edward holds my hand and doesn't try to cop a feel or make out with me when the lights go down. We share a popcorn and soda and squabble over who gets the last of the Junior Mints stuck to the inside of the box. He's happy to hand them over in exchange for a peck on the lips.

We're the last to leave the auditorium, neither of us seeming to be in any rush to leave. We finally make it outside, hand in hand, and we walk in companionable silence toward where he parked the car.

"I had a really good time," I tell him, looking up into his bright eyes.

"I did, too. I still can't believe you wanted to see that one. I was a little worried you'd be disappointed we weren't catching Because I Said So."

I scrunch my nose. "I'm not a huge fan of rom-coms, so if you are, whatever this is between us may not work out."

He slips his hand out of mine and wraps his arm around me as we walk down the sidewalk. He leans over and says softly into my ear, "Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem."

Being this close to him, this familiar, feels like the most natural thing in the world. I want to lean into him, to soak up this feeling I have when I'm with him. But along with those feelings comes self-doubt. Am I moving too fast? Am I a way for him to pass his time while he's here?

"Come on," he says, tugging me toward his car, "I believe I promised you dessert, and I'll be damned if I don't keep my promises."

With that one comment and his easy smile, a little of the self-doubt slips away.

I know we have plans for dinner tonight, but are you free all day tomorrow, too? - E

His text comes at the worst possible time on Friday morning. Everyone and their brother seem to be coming into the pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions or buy cold medicine or condoms before the weekend, and we've been swamped for hours. I've hardly had time to take a bathroom break let alone time to respond to his text.

The longer his message goes unanswered, the more guilt I feel. But when Garrett messages me hours later, my guilt is quickly replaced by burning irritation.

I need you to take the boys tomorrow instead of Sunday. - G

I'm usually pretty good at putting on a smile and faking a good mood with the customers, but knowing Garrett thinks he can swap days around to fit his schedule and what he wants to do makes it hard to smile at anyone. Even poor Mr. Watson gets my cold shoulder when he comes in asking about a new over-the-counter cream for his wife's bursitis.

Sue is the one to snap me out of my angry haze. "How about you go take a break?"

"What?"

"You're one annoying customer away from going off on someone. Go take a break. I can handle this," she says, waving to the small waiting area.

I know she's right, so I don't put up much of a fight. "Thanks. I just need like fifteen minutes, and I should be okay."

"Whatever you need, Bella." I turn to walk out from behind the counter, and she calls out, "Maybe give that pilot of yours a call."

After making a stop at the restroom, I head outside and walk down the sidewalk toward the deli that serves the smoothies I love. When I pull my phone from my pocket, I ignore my ex-husband's message and open the most recent one from Edward.

Hope everything is okay. I'm out of my meetings for the day, so you can call me when you have the chance. - E

I place my order, and when it's ready, I find an empty table and sit for the first time in hours. I stab my straw into the plastic lid of my cup and take a deep pull while I dial Edward's number and wait for him to answer. It's an unfamiliar feeling, having someone to call and share the mundane crap about my day, but I can't deny how good it feels to hear his voice.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hey. Sorry I wasn't able to call or text sooner. It's been a day."

"It's okay. And don't be sorry. What happened?"

I absentmindedly play with my straw. "Nothing specific. We've just been busy since we opened, and the afternoon has pretty much sucked. I haven't had a minute to think let alone time to answer you. Then Garrett messaged me and …" A frustrated groan rumbles in my chest. "Sorry. I know you don't want to hear all this."

"It's fine, Bella. It's obviously been a shitty day, so whatever you need to get off your chest, I'm all ears. What did Garrett want?"

"He told me, didn't ask me, told me he needed me to take the boys tomorrow."

"Did he say why?"

"No. I'm sure it's for something ridiculous or Kate wants to do something or go somewhere the kids can't. I just … he makes me so mad when he does crap like this. They're his kids, too, you know? I feel like he thinks he's babysitting them and not parenting them. And I know Jacob is going to feel like his dad is dumping them off again, which will mean I get moody Jake for the next week."

"Is there anything I can do to make it better?

His offer brings a smile to my face. "Just hearing your voice is making it better, actually."

"Then my job here is done. But I think I can sweeten the deal. It sounds to me like you'd rather have him keep the kids until Sunday."

"That makes me sound like a horrible mother."

"No, it doesn't. It makes you sound like a mom who wants their father to stick to his commitments and not flake on you every time something better comes up."

I pull the straw in and out of my cup, thinking about his assessment of the situation. "Yeah, I guess so."

"If you already had plans for tomorrow, would you be able to tell him no with a clear conscience?"

I grin as I sip my smoothie. "I guess it depends on what those plans are."

"Spend the day with me. I want to head up to Sedona and walk some of the trails. Maybe we can pack a picnic and spend the day together."

"I haven't been up there in ages."

"Is that a yes?"

Another smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "That's a yes."

Outwardly, I'm the picture of cool, calm, and collected, dressed for a hike in the great outdoors, but inside I'm a mess. I'm a ball of nervous excitement because it'll be the first time I've spent an entire day with Edward. So far, I've been able to handle his charismatic presence in small doses. I have no idea how being beside him all day is going to affect me.

I'm out of time to contemplate it all when there's a quick tap-tap-tap on my front door. And when I open it, I'm met with Edward's brilliant smile.

"Good morning." Leaning in, he kisses my cheek.

"Hey. Come on in while I get the rest of my things together."

"Thanks." He steps inside and I close the door behind him.

"Make yourself at home. I'll just be a minute."

I run up the stairs and do a double check of the things I'm bringing, making sure everything I might need today is packed in my backpack. I zip it closed and sling it over my shoulder before heading back downstairs.

"I'm all set."

"Then let's hit the road."

After stopping for the tallest stack of pancakes I've ever seen one man ingest, we get on the highway and head north. The spring air is crisp, and the sun shines brightly as we drive. I feel lighter than I have in a while.

"What has you smiling over there?" he asks, glancing over at me.

"I forgot how much I enjoyed getting away from the city." I shift in my seat a little, facing him. "It's nice. The company isn't half bad either."

He shoots me a grin. "Good to know."

"Have you had a chance to do much sightseeing since you got here?"

"A little. I walked one of the shorter trails last fall. I've wanted to come back and do some of the longer ones, and this is the first chance I've had." Another glance my way. "I wanted to wait until you could join me, too. I figure a local like you would know the best spots to see."

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be. It's been ages since I've been up here."

He reaches across the console and takes my hand. "Then we'll figure it out together."

His words make me smile, but for some reason, I'm suddenly desperate to change the subject.

I sit a little straighter in my seat and ease my hand from his. "So, how does a military man—from a military family—become a lover of the great outdoors?"

"Growing up, just about everywhere we'd go, Mom would find the most remote places to explore. We'd hike, we'd camp. Wherever we were, she'd find a way to expose me to what the local area had to offer. Here in the States, we'd visit national parks, historical monuments. She was big on history, so we'd go exploring all the time."

"That sounds like an amazing way to grow up."

"It was."

"And she sounds like a great mom."

His smile softens at the mention of his mother. "She is."

"Tell me about her."

"She's a retired schoolteacher, so she was all about finding teachable moments when she could."

"My mom retired from teaching just a couple of years ago."

"Oh yeah? What did she teach?"

"She was the eccentric elementary school art teacher, and she loved every second of it. What about your mom?"

"Middle school Social Studies. She found it was easiest to find work every time we were stationed somewhere new, which was great for her. Not so much for me when I finally got to middle school."

The thought of a gangly, awkward Edward coming into his own under his mother's watchful eye makes me giggle. "I bet you were a handful back then."

He grins my way. "What gives you that idea?"

I raise a brow. "Let's see. I'm guessing middle school is about the same time you got popular with the girls?"

He snorts, looking over his shoulder to change lanes. "You would guess wrong. The girls didn't start noticing me until high school."

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's the truth. I didn't even have my first girlfriend until junior year." He looks over at me. "What about you? When did the boys at your school finally see you for the beauty you are?"

It's my turn to snort. "That definitely didn't happen. I was the ugly duckling well past graduation, especially when my classmates knew my sister as the beautiful, popular senior when we were freshmen."

"So, you didn't date much in high school?"

"I went out with a few guys, but none of them were serious."

He takes a breath, and I know we're about to step into dicey territory. When he finally asks his next question, I'm not entirely surprised. "When did you meet Garrett?"

My smile is rueful as I think back to that time of my life. "Not until I went to college. Rose was dating Garrett's brother and introduced us. She married Emmett a few years before I married Garrett."

His brows shoot up. "That has to make things a little complicated now. Your sister still being part of the family."

"It's not as bad as you'd think. My ex in-laws are great people, and so is my brother-in-law. None of them are happy with Garrett these days. But they all work together, so they make it work, I guess."

"That's good."

"It is. I'm glad there aren't any hard feelings between them and me. It would make it really hard on the kids if that were the case."

"So, Garrett's the only serious relationship you've had?" he asks gently.

I stare at the man beside me, wondering if what we're doing is serious. Does he think it's serious?

Do I?

When I reply, it's with a timid, "Yeah," and I leave it at that.

The lot at the trailhead is full of other vehicles, but very few people are lingering there. Despite the crowd, we're able to find a spot. Once we're parked, we climb out of his SUV, pull on our backpacks, and straighten our ball caps, shielding our eyes from the late March sun.

He holds out his hand. "Ready?"

With only a moment's hesitation, I take it. "I'm ready."

The trail he's chosen is moderately difficult, but muscle memory seems to serve me well, and I manage not to trip or lose my footing. It probably helps that he's still holding my hand. We pass a few other hikers every so often, but despite the full parking lot, we have the trail mostly to ourselves. Somewhere along the way, amidst a conversation about our favorite movies, he laces his fingers with mine, and while it makes my heart beat erratically, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Every few hundred yards or so, he leads us to the side of the trail and pulls out a camera to snap a few pictures.

"Smile, Bella."

"What? No." I duck out of the shot he's trying to take.

He narrows his eyes at me. "I'll get you in one eventually."

I grin over my shoulder, watching as he points his camera off toward the horizon. "You can try."

When we stop to eat, I'm basically a sitting duck as he turns his lens on me. It doesn't take long for my self-consciousness to rear its ugly head, and I look away.

"Come on. You can't keep denying me the privilege of capturing the prettiest thing out here."

Who could argue with a statement like that?

Reluctantly, I smile, which in turn makes him smile.

"Beautiful" he says as he snaps a few shots. Then he leans closer to me and wraps his free arm around my shoulders, turning the camera on us. "One more. I need a good one to email my mom."

His words catch me off guard, and my surprised face is what he gets a picture of. But my surprise morphs into a giant, happy smile when he kisses my cheek and captures another shot.

He checks the digital screen on the back of the camera. "Perfect." With another kiss to my cheek, he tucks his camera back into his bag.

The rest of the day is as easy as breathing. Neither of us feels the need to fill every moment with words. Instead, we're both content to just be together. We're drawn to the same things, one of us spotting something notable moments before the other does and pointing it out. And standing together, his chest to my back and his arms around my waist, we watch the setting sun paint its final brushstrokes over Cathedral Rock.

"It's gorgeous out here," I murmur, afraid to ruin the moment.

"It's even more beautiful with you here," he says, the words rumbling his chest at my back.

With his lips at my temple and his arms around me as we watch the setting sun, it's one of the most peaceful moments I can ever remember having. Every moment with this amazing man makes me want more.

The only question I need to ask myself is if I'm ready for more.

The week that follows is busy. The boys have science projects that have to be ready for the upcoming science fair, and of course, Garrett hasn't made sure they were working on them while they were with him. So, we spend time each evening working on getting them ready. Watching them work is a lesson in patience. It's also a race against time. With their usual homework, we're spending far more time at the kitchen table than usual, and by the middle of the week, I'm ready to pull my hair out. When Seth spills food-coloring-dyed water all over his display board, I almost lose it.

"Sorry, Mommy," he whispers, his lips trembling as he undoubtedly holds back tears.

I close my eyes and count to ten. When I open them again, he's still staring at me with those shining eyes, probably wondering if I'm going to bite his head off. "It's okay. It was an accident."

"Will we be able to get another one?"

I glance at the clock. It's well past eight. There's no way I can get them loaded up to make a Target run and get them home before their bedtime. I turn to Seth. "How about I get one on my lunch break tomorrow and we can get it all finished up after I get home from work?"

He clambers out of his seat at the kitchen table and climbs into my lap, putting his arms around my neck. "Okay. Thank you, Mommy."

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. "I love you, Seth."

"Love you, too."

Like it does every night at 10:00, my phone rings, the screen lighting up with one of the desert sunset pictures Edward took last weekend.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. You sound tired."

"Because I am. It's been a long week, and it's only Wednesday."

"Still battling science fair projects?"

"I am. And the science project won this round."

"That doesn't sound good."

I sigh, curling onto my side and pulling the blankets up and over my shoulders. "It wasn't my proudest moment. Poor Seth almost cried at the table tonight when he spilled water all over the display board he's worked so hard on. All of this is due on Friday, so we were in the home stretch."

"Poor kid."

"Poor Bella," I say with a chuckle. "I'm the one who has to spend her lunch hour tomorrow running to the store to pick one up so he can work on it when he gets home from school." I sigh. "It's going to be another busy day tomorrow, and I'm already tired thinking about it. Now, tell me about your day."

The deep timbre of his voice is soothing, and I momentarily wonder if he could read the phone book to me and have the same effect. It's so soothing, in fact, it lulls me to sleep.

I don't even remember saying goodnight.

The next day starts like any other. I get the kids off to school and get to the pharmacy to start my shift. The morning speeds by, and before I know it, I'm eyeing the clock for when to take my lunch.

Before I get a chance to take it, a young man I don't recognize walks through the door … with two giant pieces of folded cardboard.

He walks straight for the counter. "I've got a delivery for Bella McCarty."

With a smile so big my cheeks hurt, I walk over to him. "That's me."

He hands over the display boards and a small, folded note. "Here you go. Have a nice day, ma'am."

"Thanks," I murmur, opening the slip of paper.

"Well, that was bizarre," Maggie says. "Since when do people have cardboard delivered? Your pilot is losing his touch if he thinks cardboard is more romantic than flowers."

When I open his note and read his sweet words, I have to disagree.

If the kid wants his tip, this made it to you before you spent your lunch break running across town. I'm in meetings and flying today, otherwise I would have brought them to you myself and spent your lunch with you. But this is the next best thing, I guess. At least now you can spend your break actually eating and taking a minute for yourself.

I'll call you tonight.

~Edward

Flowers have nothing on this.

A/N: I have to agree with Bella; some things are exponentially better than flowers. ;) I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Round two of the TwiFicFandom Awards is open for voting, and I made it through for 13 nods in 12 categories! Even if it's not for me, be sure to show your love to your favorites and vote! You can vote once every 24 hours at TwiFicFandomAwards dot blogspot dot com! The poll will be open through this Sunday, March 13.

Remember, the best way to stay up to date with what I'm up to, join in the discussion, and to see exclusive weekly teaser pics, check out my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. I'd love if you all could join us. I'm also on Twitter at CSunshine1220.

"See" you next week!

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love
~Sunshine