Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision. Please don't steal my original work.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." ~ Colossians 3:23
EPOV
On Monday morning, I was sitting at my desk in the jail, looking forward to a certain school teacher to come by to get the key to the school. I was actually driving myself crazy, waiting for her to arrive. All my paperwork was completed long ago and now my cowboy boot on my left foot was rat-tat-tatting on the floor as my nervous energy was flowing out through my leg.
I finally gave up and stretched my long legs out in front of me under the desk and pulled a letter out of my vest pocket I'd received a couple of days ago. It was from my best friend, Garrett Cooper, and his wife, Kate, who lived in the Carson Valley.
Dear Edward, I read, Kate and I will be coming to Virginia City within the week. A neighbor has agreed to watch our animals for the few days we're gone. Kate is in the family way and you know there's no one we trust more than your father, so that's the main reason for our visit. While we're in town, I have a proposition I'd like to discuss with you. We'll be staying at the boarding house. We're looking forward to seeing you. Sincerely, Garrett.
A proposition of what kind, I wondered. My musings came to a direct halt as a feminine figure dressed in pure scarlet appeared at the doorway of the jail – just not the one I was expecting. It was Irina Gonzales.
"Edward!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you for a couple of days! How are things coming along with the house? Will you soon be inheriting your father's fortune?"
I took my time refolding the letter from Garrett and placing it back in my vest pocket while my mind struggled to catch up with Irina's questions. I hadn't told her I had decided not to buy the house in town. She thought I was inheriting money from my father – just because he was a doctor? We lived in a comfortable home here, but certainly not one of the mansions. Oh boy!
She continued, excitedly, "I can't wait until you start courting me properly!" She was almost overcome with excitement.
I stood and came around to the other side of the desk and faced her. It was time. I rubbed the back of my neck, squared my shoulders, and said, "Irina, I think it's time I set you straight. I won't be buying a house here in Virginia City. And as for an inheritance, I don't think there will be one. You probably do need to be courted properly, but it won't be by me – not by the sheriff of Virginia City. You expect a lot and I can't be the one to provide that for you."
She stamped her foot then – actually stamped her foot and I had to suppress a smile – and whirled out of the doorway, skirts flying behind her. "Fine, Edward!" I heard her yelling. "I will find someone worthy!" I had heard some girls were prone to fits and apparently I'd just witnessed one. It wasn't something I wanted to see again soon – if ever. I hadn't even got around to the part where I wasn't in love with her – it appeared she didn't care about that; all she cared about was whether I could provide for her financially. What a mess.
I stared thoughtfully out the window and again a female form appeared in my doorway. My face was turning itself into a scowl, thinking it was Irina again, when I heard Bella's smiling voice say, "Good morning, Edward."
I immediately breathed a sigh of relief, returned her smile, and replied, "Good morning, Bella! Are you ready to get started? I thought I'd escort you to the school to make sure any vagrants weren't using the school as a sleeping area since it's been unoccupied during the summer." I quickly jotted a note and left it on my desk as to my whereabouts should someone come looking for me. She agreed and we set off. She was dressed in a dark plum dress and had a basket of cleaning supplies over one arm. I quickly relieved her of the basket.
We talked about the nice weather we were having and other banal subjects on our journey. We arrived at the school before she said anything about my previous visitor. "I saw another woman leaving the jail in a huff," she said quietly. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."
I had been just about to hand Bella the key to the school when I took her hand gently in mine instead and said, "Bella, believe me, you were not interrupting at all. The woman you saw – Irina Gonzales – was someone who I had taken out to dinner a couple of times since she was in town as a pianist with the show currently playing at the opera house. She was thinking I could provide her with a wealthy future. She stormed off when I told her that is not on the horizon for me. I'm sure you heard she no longer considers me worthy. I wasn't in love with her. I think the only reason for marriage is love."
Bella looked down at our joined hands for a long moment and then replied, "I knew a lot of people like that in Chicago – people who were only interested in getting to know my parents because of their social standing. I took dinner in my room when they hosted a lot of dinner parties as I preferred that to being around them and their pompous attitudes." She paused and then said, "Wealth doesn't make you worthy." A beautiful blush colored her cheeks as she kept her eyes cast downward and continued, "I will only marry for love as well."
We had to get busy or we'd never get anything done today – not that I wouldn't like to stand here for hours and see how long it took that blush to leave Bella's cheeks or just stare into her eyes. I finally handed her the key and she unlocked the school's door.
Thankfully, no one had been using the school as a place to sleep during the night. I could feel the relief radiating off Bella for that small miracle. However, everything was covered with a layer of grit and dust.
A mop, broom and dustpan were stored in a small closet off the main room. I went outside to fill up a bucket with water from the pump and returned inside as Bella was beginning to sweep the floor. I picked up a cleaning rag from the basket, dipped it in the cool water, and started wiping down a desk.
All of a sudden, several things happened without warning. Bella let out a blood-curdling scream, her broom dropped to the floor with a clatter, and when I whipped my head around, she had climbed upon a desk chair, shaking in fear. "What is it, Bella?" I asked, concerned.
She looked over at me, but pointed toward the corner, her voice shaky, "A m-m-mouse."
I looked the direction she was pointing. The world's tiniest mouse was poking its head out from a small hole in the baseboard. I had to conceal the smirk that was beginning to twitch on the far side of my mouth so I wouldn't laugh. Bella needed comforting. Maybe we would laugh about it later when she wasn't frightened.
I strode over to the chair where Bella was perched; wrapping an arm around her waist to help her down and my other hand was in her hair. I turned her away from looking in the mouse's direction. "It's all right," I whispered in her ear that was suddenly very close to my mouth, "I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Her arms were wrapped dangerously tight around my neck – like she wasn't planning to let go anytime soon. Since I was so close to her beautiful soft hair, I took just a moment to bury my nose in it. It had the faint smell of strawberries. I wondered what it would look like down around her shoulders. This was the second time I'd held Bella in my arms – and it felt just as wonderful as the first. Would I ever get enough?
"Come on," I said, trying to shake some sense into myself, "why don't you gather up the erasers from the blackboard and clean those outside while I go up to the blacksmith to see if he has any small pieces of wood lying around so I can patch that hole, along with a hammer and some nails I could borrow?" Bella let go of me and nodded.
We made our way outside, Bella carrying the erasers from the blackboard. I ran down to the blacksmith to see if he had what I needed. I noticed it was particularly bright out today. This was brought on by the fact I'd left my hat back at the school. My thoughts were a little occupied by Bella Swan, school teacher in residence. I reached down to pat the gun in its holster slung around my waist. Well, it was good to know I still had the presence of mind to protect the citizens of this fine town.
I hurried back to the school, tools in hand. I'm sure those erasers had been cleaned within an inch of their lives. Bella looked very intent on not entering the school until I had dealt with the rodent issue. I patched up the hole the best I could. It didn't look professional, but I wasn't trained as a carpenter. However, it would take care of the problem. I heard Bella's voice from the open doorway, "Did you repair the hole, Edward?"
I smiled as I got up from the floor and dusted off my light blue shirt. "Yes," I replied. Then with mock seriousness, I continued, "Based on the decibel of your scream earlier, I'd say that poor little mouse packed up his family and moved to Carson City by now."
Bella came to stand by me and said, "You, sir, are incorrigible."
"I'm just getting started," I warned under my breath. Then we both enjoyed a good laugh.
We worked until lunch, getting the floor spotless and the grit and grime off the desks. After lunch we would work on polishing the desks and the woodwork in the room. I escorted Bella to the boarding house and was kindly asked to join them. One of Rachel's helpers was going out just then, so she said she'd stop by my house and let my mother know I wouldn't be home for the noon meal. I thanked her profusely.
BPOV
After lunch, Edward was called away to take care of some men who had been fighting in one of the saloons in town. Edward seemed to have such an even, calm personality as far as I knew – I wondered if his job was the right fit for him. My afternoon was uneventful. I polished desks until they gleamed. I placed a small slate on each desk, along with some chalk. I would slip in again on Friday to make sure the ink wells were full and I'd be ready to begin. The rest of my week would consist of making up lesson plans.
When I got back to the boarding house, I was surprised to find Edward there again; seated in the sitting room with a couple I hadn't seen before. He quickly asked me into the room and introduced me. "Bella Swan is our new school teacher for the year. Bella, these are my best friends, Garrett and Kate Cooper. They live in Washoe Valley. They have some business here in town. Will you be joining us for dinner?"
Garrett and Kate welcomed me warmly but I had to decline. "I'm invited to dinner this evening at one of my students' homes – the McCarty family. This week will be a whirlwind of dinners, I'm afraid. All my students' parents want to meet the new teacher before I begin on Monday. If you are still here for lunch tomorrow, I'd love to spend more time with you then." They assured me they'd still be here then.
I went up to my room to get ready for my evening with the McCarty's. Soon, Rachel was at my door to tell me Emmett McCarty was here to take me to his parent's house. An eight-year-old was out on the streets alone, in the evening? Edward was on his feet as soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked at me with his eyes blazing a bit and said, "I'll take you and Emmett to his house." He didn't look like he was in any mood to argue. I wanted to say it wasn't necessary and that he was just being overprotective, but I wasn't altogether too sure. He hooked my hand over his arm and we left the boarding house.
We reached the McCarty's without incident, even though they didn't live in the nicest area of town. Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear before leaving me, "I'll be back in two hours." I shook my head a bit and he said, eyes blazing again, "Please, Bella." I nodded and then he was gone, leaving me to enjoy the company of the McCarty's.
They were an enjoyable hard-working Irish immigrant family. Patrick worked hard in the silver mines every day while his wife, Emma, kept a very respectable garden in their backyard. She also took in laundry from various townspeople. They told me they expected Emmett to do well in school. He seemed to be a very bright boy and very strong as well. I was able to tell them a bit of my history as well and hoped that the coming school year would be filled with stimulating challenges for the students and also a bit of fun for them as well.
Two hours later, on the dot, Edward arrived to escort me home. Once we were on our way, I said, "Sorry you had to come out just for me. You needed to enjoy your evening with your friends."
"Bella, I wanted to," he replied. "Besides, Garrett and Kate are going to bed early. They have a lot they want to accomplish tomorrow. And you need to be protected from the men who are actually wolves in sheep's clothing around here." As if he needed any proof to his point, a clearly inebriated man stumbled past us on his way home. I was suddenly very glad to have my brave escort.
The rest of the week flew past entirely too quickly. I did get to spend some time with the Cooper's – a lovely couple. Kate confided in me that she was in the family way. I'm not sure why she confessed this to me. I didn't know when I'd ever see her again. I did know that by the time she had her baby, my school term would be almost completed.
Rachel asked me to help her with the quilt she was working on for Angela Webber for her upcoming wedding to Ben Cheney. I confessed I didn't know a thing about quilting. With Rachel, that would never do. She quickly armed me with a needle and quilting thread and she taught as we went. It wasn't all that difficult; once I got the hang of it and was kind of fun. I had done some embroidery and cross-stitch back in Chicago, so I wasn't a stranger to putting a needle and thread to good use.
Finally, Friday evening arrived and Edward waited for me in the sitting room as I came down the stairs. I had dressed carefully in a royal blue dress and had made a loose bun of my hair several times. I don't know why I was so nervous. I wanted the Cullen's to like me. Edward escorted me just like he did the night we had gone to the McCarty's, my hand over his arm. It seemed he was a little nervous as well.
Once we arrived at the Cullen home, it was like I'd been enveloped into a large hug. This was the most comforting home I'd been invited to in Virginia City thus far, aside from where I lived. As soon as I walked in the door, Alice ran to give me a hug and a drawing she'd made of a little bird that had been outside her window that morning. I marveled at the incredible detail and returned her hug.
Finally, we were all seated around their large dining table, enjoying a wonderful meal of steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, yeast rolls, and berry compote for dessert, and I was telling them my story of how I came to be in Virginia City. Dr. Cullen then told me their history – of moving from Phoenix to this mining town so he could provide them with medical services. In Phoenix, they had run a successful ranch in addition to Dr. Cullen being a physician. The Lord had certainly blessed them.
During a lull in the conversation, Edward said, "While I have everyone here, you know Garrett and Kate were here this week."
"Yes, son, we're aware. They have a little one on the way," Dr. Cullen interjected.
"They do," Edward replied and blushed a bit so that the top of his ears colored red. "Anyway, they had a proposition for me." He looked across the table at me meaningfully.
Esme asked, "What was that?"
"Well, their closest neighbors will be moving to California after the spring thaw." Edward looked around the table at his family members and then settled his gaze back on me as he continued, "They asked if I'd like to buy their neighbor's place and get into ranching again. The neighbor is willing to sell to me."
Dr. Cullen looked thoughtful for a moment and then replied, "Isn't that the place that has five sleeping rooms?"
Edward blushed again, looked over at Dr. Cullen and said, "Yes, Dad, it is." Then he looked up at me through his lashes.
Was he suggesting...? Certainly not! I believe I need some air. Calm yourself, Bella. He can't possibly mean what you think he means! Holy crow! Why is he having this conversation with his family when I'm here?
Esme said enthusiastically, "Oh Edward! How exciting!" She jumped up from the table to give him a hug.
Edward said to her while leaning into her hug, "You're not mad?"
"Oh, how could I be?" she asked. "I knew before when you said you wanted to buy that house here, your heart wasn't in it. But this, Edward – this is exactly where your heart is."
The house had erupted into joy and happiness and it was drawing me into it, although I'm not sure why. I told Edward "congratulations" on realizing his dream. After staying the proper amount of time, I felt I should get back to the boarding house so I could get to bed. Angela and Ben were getting married tomorrow.
As Edward took me back home, he was still excited and I was having trouble keeping up with his long stride. "Edward," I asked gently, "could we slow down a bit? I can't keep up with you."
"Oh Bella, certainly," he replied and slowed down to a much more reasonable pace. "But I'm just so excited!" With that, he picked me up by the waist and swung me around. What has gotten into him?
He pulled me into the shadow of a nearby building, leaning me against it as he stood over me, looking gently in my eyes. He said, "I don't think I'm doing a very good job of explaining myself. I want you to move to the ranch with me. I know we don't know each other that well yet. But I want to take this school term to get to know each other better. When the school term is over, I hope you'll agree to marry me." He reached up to finger a curl of hair that had escaped my carefully-placed pins.
"Well, Sheriff, if that was your idea of a proposal, you'll need to work on the romantic aspect a bit." I pushed against his chest and stalked off, leaving him standing there for a few moments, still dumbfounded.
How dare him! Was I just supposed to swoon at his feet the moment he proposed marriage? Did he think I was some spineless school teacher from Chicago? I wanted love and romance, not some quick proposal!
"Bella!" he called after me. I could tell he was close by. He could catch up to me in a moment with those long legs of his.
He stayed behind me all the way to the boarding house and when I got to the door, I knew he was still there behind me, even though I didn't turn around. I said quietly, "Thank you for seeing me home, Edward."
"Bella, please, let me apologize," he said.
I replied, "There's nothing to apologize for. It's late. I need to go inside."
His voice was thick with emotion, "Can we still…be friends, Bella?"
"Yes, Edward. Always." Then I opened the boarding house door, slipped inside, and shut it behind me.
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