CHAPTER ELEVEN
The gym was full of students—from both Forks High School and the Quileute Tribal School. A DJ from the area played a variety of music to satisfy everyone's tastes.
The girls danced in a group at first, then they broke off as boys asked them to dance. Tyler Crowley asked Bella to dance, apologizing for the football incident and telling her she had a mean throwing arm.
She danced next with Austin Marks, who asked if she was enjoying Forks and if she was looking forward for softball season to begin.
"How did you know I played softball, Austin?"
"Bella, your entire lunch table plays softball. They won't let you in the group unless you can play."
"No kidding? I had no idea. But yeah, I like playing softball, so it goes without saying that I'm looking forward to the season to begin."
After the dance, Bella looked for her group, but they were all dancing in various locations. She caught sight of Jenny Cameron standing with a group of Quileute boys. She recognized two of them: Jared and Paul.
She recalled slapping Paul across the face when she went looking for Jacob on the reservation after he had transformed into a wolf. Paul had transformed in front of her and tried to attack her. Jacob had come out to save her. That was the day she met Emily, too.
Bella had almost reached Jenny Cameron and was about to greet her when Edward Cullen stopped her.
"Hello. Would you care to dance?"
As a matter of fact, Bella did not want to dance with Edward. The asshole didn't even bother introducing himself. Ugh! She couldn't believe she almost married the prick.
"No, thank you," Bella replied firmly.
"Are you sure?" Edward flashed her with that boyish smile that used to make her insides go gooey. "I requested the song myself. It's a tasteful, slow dance. None of that country music that most kids listen to these days."
"Dude, what the fuck? I like country."
"Please watch your language in front of me."
"You are not my father."
Bella maneuvered closer to Jenny and tried to get her attention by grasping her arm because she needed help, but right at that moment, Jenny took off for the dance floor with Riley Biers. As a result, Bella ended up squeezing a very firm bottom that was attached to the form of a very fit Paul—whose last name she didn't know.
XOXO
Paul jolted when someone grabbed his ass and turned to find a very pretty brunette in a pink dress and cowboy boots arguing with a pasty-looking albino dude with a pinched expression on his face.
"Excuse me, I don't know you, and I don't care to know you," the brunette told the guy. "Besides, I already have a dance partner." She laced her fingers through Paul's hand and smiled at him.
Damn! She's pretty, Paul thought when he took a good look at the girl. He decided to play along, grinned, and said, "Sorry, dude. She's taken." He winked at the pasty guy and led her away to the dance floor.
"Thank you so much, and I'm sorry I touched your butt. I was trying to get Jenny's attention, but she took off to dance with Riley, and I ended up fondling you. I'm not a pervert, I swear," Bella apologized as she swayed to the music with Paul.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm glad I could help. Who was that guy anyway?"
"I have no idea. I just started school here two weeks ago, but that guy gives me the creeps. He's always watching me in the cafeteria when I'm having lunch with my friends."
"I'm sorry about that. What's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Bella."
"Nice to meet you, Bella. My name is Paul."
"Hi, Paul." She flashed that winning smile at him again, and he was pretty sure he was going to dance with her all night long.
"Hello, Bella. So, I'm assuming you attend Forks High School?"
"I do. I'm a junior."
"Yeah? So am I. Where did you move here from?"
"Arizona."
"Arizona? Wait a sec, are you Chief Swan's daughter? Because I was at the station when you made that phone call during your driver's ed class. I was taking my permit exam."
"Yeah, but you can't hear anything from where you take your permit test. I was just there taking my test. It turns out you can't transfer your permit from one state to another."
"Well, that sucks, but to explain why I heard. My dad brought me in to take the test. As soon as your call came through, he went to help because the entire station was in a frenzy. He's a police lieutenant, you see. After Sergeant Cameron took my permit picture, I went to find him, and I heard you chewing that guy Greg out and then getting assaulted by the bad cop."
Bella laughed. "So much for privacy."
"It's a small town. So, what happened then?"
"Oh, with Greg? My friend Emma and I were in driver's ed together with Greg. He was driving first, then he lost his temper when the instructor told him to pull over because he was speeding and riding the bumper of the car in front of us. Anyway, when he pulled over, and the instructor got out of the car to trade seats with him, Greg took off with us in the backseat."
"Geez! He's nuts."
"Yeah, he is. To tell the truth, he reminds me of Mr Creepy over there," Bella said, pointing her chin towards Edward.
The next song came on. Bella was about to leave, but Paul reached for her and said as Alan Jackson's voice blared from the speakers, "Let's keep dancing. This is a great song."
"Ooh! Chattahoochee. My dad likes this song a lot."
"So does mine. It's an older song, but it's good." Paul twirled Bella around on the dance floor. He was happy to find she could dance. He enjoyed dancing, especially with a pretty girl with a sweet personality.
They danced for a couple more fast songs before they headed off to the refreshment bar to get a drink. The drinks and snacks were being manned by both Quileute and Forks High School parents.
"Bella?" A Quileute man seated in a wheelchair and wearing a cowboy hat greeted her. He was Billy Black, the chief of the Quileute tribe and a close family friend.
"Billy!" Bella rushed around the table to give him a hug.
"Look at you, all grown up and looking pretty. I see you've met Paul."
"Oh, yeah. He saved me from a creepy stalker dude, and then we found we had similar interests."
"I see. Jacob should be around here somewhere, too."
"Good to know." Personally, Bella didn't feel like hanging out with Jacob. He was another one who had stalked her during her first time in Forks.
Bella walked back around to Paul, who handed her a bottle of water and said, "Do you want to go and have these on the bleachers?"
"Sure," she replied. "Bye, Billy."
"Goodbye, Bella. I'll see you sometime this weekend," Billy whispered to Paul. "Be on your best behavior, young man. Treat her with respect."
Paul rolled his eyes. "Chief Black, you know my carefully crafted bad-boy persona is just that."
"Get out of here, kid."
While Bella and Paul talked while sitting on the bleachers, their friends came to join them. Bella was introduced to more people, and they all eventually danced in a big group.
They joined in on a line dance to "Country Girl Shake It For Me" by Luke Bryan, and Paul was happy to discover that Bella could keep up in a line dance. It shouldn't have surprised him. She was wearing cowboy boots.
Bella, meanwhile, wondered why she had suddenly been so uncoordinated during her first time in Forks. She was increasingly convinced that Edward and Alice had done something to her. Or could it be that Jasper influenced her confidence? She planned on discussing this with Taha Aki as soon as she got home.
The homecoming king and queen were announced. This year, it was Riley Biers and Jenny Cameron.
"Are they dating?" Bella asked the group.
"Oh, yeah. Riley and Jenny have been together since they were freshmen.
This was more of a reason to keep Riley from going to the University of Washington. Bella didn't want Jenny's heart to be broken. Her return to Forks was getting more and more convoluted.
"Hey, do you want to dance again?" Paul asked as a slow song came on.
"Sure," Bella said, realizing the irony because "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine started playing.
It was the song she had danced to with Edward at the junior prom from hell. She did not want to go but was forced into going when Alice showed up in an ugly blue dress. It was during this song, when Edward gazed into her eyes, that she suddenly forgot about her misery and was sure the vampire was the most perfect boy in the world. But why did she become so obsessed and so suddenly? And then something Edward had told her niggled at her brain. He said he was a killer. When she said she didn't believe that, he told her, "It's because you believe a lie. Camouflage. I'm the world's most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in. My voice. My face. Even my smell…"
And Bella realized why she had spent all her time with Edward and his coven. They had drawn her in naturally, and because she had spent all her time with them, she had become addicted to them, unable to stay away—eventually losing the ability to think for herself. Well, it sure as hell wouldn't happen again. She was going to stay as far away from them as possible.
As soon as the song ended, the DJ announced that there would be one final song before the dance was over.
Edward Cullen approached them and, this time, spoke to Paul. "Would you mind if I took the last dance? You've danced with her all night."
Paul scowled at Edward. "Hell, yeah, I mind. It's the last dance."
"That's very selfish of you," Edward sneered. "She's not your type."
Bella noticed all the Cullens watching intently. Her softball girls all stood around her, showing solidarity. Tyler, Austin, and the entire football team, plus all the kids from the tribal school, stood behind them with their arms crossed.
"Who are you to say who his type is? Only he can answer that, you arrogant prick!" Bella yelled. "I can tell you one thing, you are definitely not my type, and I want you to stay away from me! Do. You. Understand. Me?"
"I'm not kidding you when I tell you to stay away from her, Fuck Face!" Paul growled.
"How dare you denigrate me with that vile term. I am not a f… f… that!" Edward cried.
"That was clearly a mistake on your part, Paul. No one is going to fuck that face," Bella commented, rolling her eyes. She couldn't help herself; the snark just slipped out.
There was a roar of laughter around them, followed by titters and whispers as the most recent comment from Bella and Paul made their way around the gymnasium. Bella looked up and saw Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper clutching their stomachs and laughing without Edward. Alice looked appalled.
Paul turned to Bella with an amused expression. "You know, you're probably right there. What's a good moniker for him?"
Bella tilted her head as she contemplated the question, then replied, "I was thinking Mr Creepy Nuts because he's creepy and he's nuts."
"That fits." Paul turned his attention back to Edward. "Stay away from her, Mr Creepy Nuts."
Edward stepped directly in Paul's face and glared menacingly at him.
"What? Is that supposed to scare me?" Paul asked.
Suddenly, a tall Quileute man got in between Edward and Paul. Bella recognized him. It was Sam Uley.
"Is there a problem?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, there is!" Bella said. "This guy is stalking me. I told him I didn't want to dance with him, and he kept asking me. He is creepy! Ugh!"
"Did you hear what she said? She thinks you're creepy. Now, stay away from her."
Jasper Whitlock put a hand on each of Edward's shoulders. "Come on, Eddie. It's time to go." He nodded to the group, then maneuvered Edward towards the exit.
"And tell Mr Creepy Nuts to stay away from me," Bella added as a parting shot.
Jasper glanced back and gave her a single nod.
The DJ, seeing that the intense moment was over, announced the final song: "Best Song Ever" by One Direction.
"We're dancing, right?" Paul asked with a smile.
"Heck, yes!" And they danced all night to the best song ever… Well, they pretty much did dance all night.
After the dance ended. Paul waited with Bella until Charlie pulled up to the curb. She noticed Sam Uley was leaning up against a pillar to make sure she was safe. She was grateful for his protection.
"Hey, I had a great night," Paul said. "Thanks."
"Me, too," Bella told him. "Thank you for everything."
"Yeah, see ya."
And Bella hopped into her father's truck.
"I see you've met Paul."
"I did. He's really nice."
"He's a good kid. His dad is one of my best cops. He works the late shift."
"Cool. Paul said his father is a lieutenant?"
"He is. I'm sure you'll meet him one day."
"I hope so. Now, how was the dance? Who was elected homecoming king and queen?"
"Riley Biers and Jenny Cameron were named homecoming king and queen. As for the dance, I had fun, except some guy kept asking me to dance and wouldn't take no for an answer."
"What guy?"
"Apparently, his name is Edward Cullen, but I call him Mr Creepy Nuts. He's always staring at me while I'm with my friends in the cafeteria."
"Alright, I'll put in a call to Dr Cullen tomorrow. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in school. Otherwise, did you have a good night?"
"I did, Dad, but I'm going to need to take this dress to the dry cleaners."
"Just put it in the bag in the laundry room. I'll bring it in with my uniform on Monday."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Anything else happen?"
"Not really? Mrs Stanley kept trying to get Mrs Mallory to do Jessica's hair even if she was closed. They got into an argument."
"Not surprising at all."
"Otherwise, it was good," Bella said as her father parked in the driveway.
"Okay, off to bed with you." Charlie gave his daughter a peck on the forehead.
Bella hopped into the shower to rinse the sweat from all the dancing off of her. She changed into her pajamas and hopped into bed, then switched the light of her makeup mirror on. She was about to say something, but Taha Aki put two fingers to his lips and held up a sign that read, "Scream at the top of your lungs. NOW. Keep screaming!"
Bella screamed as if she had seen a ghost, only to find Edward Cullen standing in the opposite corner of her room watching her. Caught by surprise, he tried to silence her by putting his ice-cold hands over Bella's mouth.
Meanwhile, Charlie kicked down the door and came bounding into the room wearing his pajamas, his gun at the ready.
"Step away from my daughter! Now!"
Edward bolted away and jumped from the open window. He took off running.
"Daddy, I was so scared. I was about to go to bed but found Mr. Creepy Nuts skulking about in my room!"
"I'm glad you screamed. I'm going to radio in for help."
Within minutes, several squad cars arrived at the Swan home. "Charlie, what's going on?" One of the officers, whom Bella had never met before, asked after he and another officer were let in. The first officer was obviously Quileute, about her father's height, dark hair, and chiseled jawline. He was handsome for an older guy. The other officer had light brown hair and looked familiar.
"Don, this is my daughter, Bella. Bella, this is Lieutenant Don Lahote. He works the second shift. And this is Detective Stanley. You might know his sister Jessica."
"Half-sister," Detective Stanley corrected, different mothers. "The current Mrs Stanley is my father's second wife."
"Nice to meet you both."
"Well, let's sit down…" Lieutenant Lahote turned to Charlie. "What happened to your living room furniture?"
Charlie sighed. "I gave it all away to Waylon. I figured he'd stay off the bottle if he were doing something productive. My furniture needs upgrading."
Lieutenant Lahote scratched his chin. "That's not a bad idea. We've got some old pieces to pass along to him. I'll talk to Allison when I get home, and I'll spread the word around the reservation. Now, what happened here?"
"Come on, we can sit at the dining table. Bella, you tell them what happened first."
"I was about to go to bed when I noticed a shadowy figure at the corner of the room, so I screamed at the top of my lungs. The guy walked up to me and clamped my mouth shut with his hands to shut me up. Then, my dad broke down the door and yelled at him to get away from me. The guy jumped out of my window and ran away."
With a concerned expression, Lieutenant Lahote asked, "Did you recognize the intruder?"
"I did. I don't know him personally, but I found out from other kids that his name is Edward Cullen. He goes to my school, and I had a problem with him at the homecoming dance tonight." Bella gave everyone a thorough explanation of what transpired, including how Paul had defended Bella. She ended with, "I think Edward Cullen is a dangerous predator."
"You've got that right," Lieutenant Lahote agreed before asking, "So, Paul knows about some of this? He's my son, in case you're wondering."
"Oh. He's very nice and a great dancer."
"I'm glad the two of you met." After Charlie explained his version of events, Lieutenant Marshall and Detective Stanley walked upstairs to Bella's room to check things out. They put on latex gloves before approaching the window and dusting the room for prints.
"Hey, did you know the latch to your daughter's room is broken, Chief Swan? That's how he got in. How he was able to climb up here is a mystery, though. I'd fix that latch if I were you," Detective Stanley said. Bella didn't even know Jessica had a half-brother. It was proof of how little she knew her.
"I'll get to it right away. Thanks for letting me know," Charlie said. "For tonight, let's nail that window shut."
"I'll do it for you if you get me a hammer and nail." Detective Stanley seemed eager to please his boss.
Bella, thinking about how Edward had told her that even his smell was meant to draw her in, decided it was good the window was wide open so the room was aired out while they waited for the hammer and nails to arrive. She absolutely did not want any lingering scents in there.
XOXO
On Saturday morning, Charlie went straight to the police station, taking Bella along because there was no way he was leaving her alone in the house, even if it was for an hour or two—not after last night. "Alright, talk to me," he ordered as he walked into the station.
Lieutenant Lahote, who had come in early, waited with Captain Marks and Lieutenant Marshall.
"Charlie, we've got a problem. There's a lawyer named Jenks waiting in your office for you, along with Dr Cullen and Edward Cullen. The lawyer claims Bella instigated the situation by making a scene at the dance."
"Of course, there's video footage of what occurred at the end of the dance last night, so we can refute that." Captain Marks raised his camera in the air. "Regardless, they'd like to settle things before legal venues are pursued."
"But we haven't even charged the kid yet."
"Exactly. By the way, all three of our kids confirmed the Cullen boy wouldn't leave Bella alone at the dance last night. We also got a call from Sergeant Cameron reporting the events—both Jared and Jenny were at the dance. Captain Biers over at the firehouse reported the same issue along with the Newtons and the Webers. The town has Bella's back, Charlie."
"That's good to know. Alright, let's go to my office."
"All of us?" Lieutenant Marshall asked.
"Hey, they invaded my office without an appointment."
They all entered Charlie's office. "How are you, Charlie?" Dr Cullen asked.
"Carlisle," Charlie replied.
"This is my attorney, Jason Jenks." Jenks handed a business card to Charlie. "And my son, Edward."
Charlie pointed to his team. "Captain Marks, and Lieutenants Lahote and Marshall. This is my daughter Bella."
Edward stood, plastered a smile on his face, and offered his hand to shake. Bella refused it, folded her arms in front of her chest, and looked away. She kept reminding herself to avoid eye contact with the Cullens lest they use their eye juju on her. She still hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Taha Aki because last night, she slept on a rollaway in her father's room.
Jason Jenks spoke. "Chief Swan, my client would like to resolve the issue before any legal avenues are pursued."
"And what issue are you referring to? The fact that your client trespassed onto my property, skulked in a corner, and, when discovered—proceeded to limit his victim's ability to call for help by placing his hands on her mouth? To me, that points towards malicious intent."
Both Carlisle and Jenks snapped their heads towards Edward. "I'm afraid he failed to mention the last part," Carlisle said apologetically.
"Then let me ask you this, what exactly did your son tell you. I'd like to hear it from you, Dr Cullen.
"Edward said he asked your daughter to dance, and she became unreasonably violent, using foul language. He was also threatened by two thugs from the reservation."
"And is your father telling the truth?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, he is, Chief Swan. And might I suggest that you have a discussion with your daughter about the type of company she keeps? The two boys who threatened me were violent types, and their background is suspect."
"Really?" Bella put her hands on her hips and glared at Edward.
"Yes, really," Edward confirmed.
"I was being sarcastic, you fool." Bella turned to Carlisle Cullen and Mr Jenks. "Let me give you my version of events. Your son, who I have not been introduced to until now, asked me to dance. It was a dance, so there was nothing wrong with that. I declined, which was also allowed. I already had a dance partner."
"You lie! You didn't have a dance partner. You just randomly picked that thug because you didn't want to dance with me!" Edward cried.
"Which is also allowed, but that begs the question, how did you know? How did you discover that I, in desperation, randomly picked someone to dance with? Do you read minds?"
Edward's eyes widened while Carlisle gasped. Perhaps Bella hit too close to home with that one.
"Well, it doesn't matter how you found out. The only thing that matters is that I said no to you. And then, at the end of the night, you proceeded to attempt to dance with me again, asking my friend to give me up as a dance partner. He and I both declined this time. Then, you kept hounding us instead of quietly retreating."
"Your friend called me a name."
"What did he call you, Edward?"
"He…" Edward gulped as if swearing would send him straight to hell. "He called me Fuck Face."
"Did I not tell Paul last night that it was clearly a mistake? I gave you a new, kinder moniker. So, don't ever say I didn't do anything nice for you!" Lieutenants Lahote and Marshall, who stood behind the Cullens, both put their hands over their mouths to stop themselves from laughing. Captain Marks turned around to compose himself, but Bella could see his shoulders shaking. Clearly, they had reviewed the video of last night's showdown earlier.
Carlisle Cullen, Mr Jenks, and Charlie looked confused.
Bella turned her attention to Carlisle. "The fact of the matter is, your son kept hounding me at the dance. He even had the nerve to criticize the type of music I listen to and the friends I keep. Like I told you earlier, I was only formally introduced to him now. Yesterday, he was a complete stranger, and he had the nerve to try to insinuate himself into my life. As for Paul, he defended me, and then the taller boy—Sam, I think—defended both of us.
"Then, when I got home, showered, and got into bed, I found Edward standing in the corner of my room. I immediately screamed for help, and he clamped his hand over my mouth. I have a bruise on my jawline from where his hand grasped me."
"You didn't tell me that, Bella," Charlie said, examining the finger-shaped bruise.
"I didn't have a chance to. I noticed it in the car this morning."
"Lieutenant Lahote, please take a photo of my daughter's face, make a note of its origins, and submit it for evidence."
"Now, Charlie, that's going too far!" Carlisle protested.
"Is it? The teens who live with you are your foster children, correct?"
"Yes, my wife and I are unable to conceive."
"Then, I wonder how you would feel if you found a strange boy in your foster daughter's room. Tell me," Charlie urged.
"I suppose I would be appalled."
"That is exactly how I feel—appalled. In my eyes, your son is a predator, Carlisle. I don't want him anywhere near my daughter. As such, I will request that a protective order be filed against him."
"You don't have to bother with a restraining order. I don't want such an uncouth girl for my mate anyway," Edward snarled in an apparent loss of control. "She's simply too unladylike for my taste. I won't approach her."
Bella knew that Edward had lost control of himself because the word mate wasn't used in normal human exchanges unless you were in Australia or England.
"Edward!" Carlisle chastised.
Bella decided to interject because she felt she might have taken things too far by getting Edward to lose control. He might double up on his strange obsession. "Look, Edward, is it?" When he nodded, she continued, "You seem like a nice guy, a bit uptight but nice. You are definitely not and will never be my type. I think maybe a good preacher's daughter would be perfect for you. Like, say, Angela Weber. While I don't know her personally, it's been said she's the pinnacle of goodness, almost saintly even. You seem to like those types of girls."
"I… I… I never considered her. I'll have to read her… get to know her better," Edward said.
"Yeah. And who knows? Maybe you'll thank me one day."
Edward seemed to be deliberating on what Bella said. He finally looked up with that boyish smile of his and said, "Maybe I will. Thank you, Miss Swan."
"Well, that's a good start. We're still filing a protective order against Edward. He's not to come within one hundred yards of my daughter. Otherwise, I will move forward and press charges for breaking and entering and stalking with malicious intent, as well as assault. You have a choice."
"Can we not settle this some other way? For example, I can handle Bella's college tuition." Carlisle plastered a greasy smile on his face in an attempt to persuade Charlie.
"And we would add bribery to those charges as well," Charlie declared.
"Dr Cullen, if I might interject," Jason Jenks said. "Chief Swan is being extremely generous. If I were you, I'd take the deal."
"Father, Chief Swan is completely within his rights to file a restraining order. I was completely out of line when I entered his premises. I was angry because of what happened at the dance," Edward interjected.
"Thank you for your advice, Mr Jenks." Carlisle turned to Charlie. "We agree to the deal."
It took another hour to hammer out the details. Judge Caldwell was called in to approve the writ, and Edward Cullen was legally required to keep his distance from Bella. He would definitely stay away from her now that she had given him someone else to focus on.
XOXO
As soon as the Cullens left, Charlie demanded to see the video. By then, everyone at the station, including the maintenance worker who was currently repairing the air duct system, had seen it.
When he got to the part that caused his three top officers to break out into fits, he arched his eyebrow at his daughter. "That's what you meant by a new, kinder moniker? And this was after you insulted him further." Charlie shook his head in an exaggerated manner, then smiled and winked. "Where did I go wrong in raising you?"
"Oh, don't worry. That was all, Mom. When she loses her temper, all sorts of things come flying out of her mouth."
"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure of that," Lieutenant Marshall said. "When your father was in high school, he was the king of snark. He still is, to an extent. He just keeps a lid on it now because he's our venerable police chief."
"Alright, alright. Settle down. Between you and Paul, you had Edward twisted up in knots."
"I swear. I never thought my son would meet his equal," Lieutenant Lahote said.
Charlie watched the video to the end and declared he was satisfied that Bella and Paul had handled the manner well. Then he announced that he and Bella were headed to Olympia to pick up living room furniture and a new door for Bella's room.
"Forget Olympia. See if Costco has anything you like as far as furniture is concerned," Lieutenant Marshall suggested.
"You should probably replace that window, too," Lieutenant Lahote said. The wood on it is rotting."
Charlie turned to his friend and co-worker. "Why the hell are you reminding me of more home repairs I need to make? And besides, I don't even know how to replace a window."
And then Bella had an idea. "You could always call Mr Forge. You said you wanted to keep him busy, Daddy."
"Hey, now, that's not a bad idea. I'll keep Waylon busy fixing up the house. God knows it needs it."
Bella crossed her fingers that this job would lead to more by word of mouth. Then, maybe he'd be safe from dying a horrific death. She needed to work on Riley next.
Charlie called Waylon, who was happy about the work and said he'd stop by to take measurements right away. He had Waylon look around the house, and he found several areas that needed repair.
"Charlie, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. I needed the work more than you know."
"Well, Waylon, you can thank Bella here. It was her idea to call you."
Bella smiled at him. "It's because you were such an awesome Santa."
Waylon gave them both a wide grin and ruffled Bella's hair. "You are a thoughtful young lady." He turned to Charlie. "I'll get started on Monday."