Protecting the Black Wolf's Mate
by wizardtho
Chapter 20:
Sam's POV
I am going to be a father.
I am going to be a father.
I am going to be a father.
No matter how I said it, it didn’t seem to be enough. I seemed to pray to -and praise- the ancestors every few minutes tonight. When Quil blessed the pregnancy in our native language, I felt like my prayers were being answered, my praises acknowledged. As far as I knew, he had not blessed a pregnancy since my mother was pregnant with me.
Twins… wow. The ancestors had blessed My Angel with protective magics, as well as us with twins. I would have never thought a week ago that I would have found my imprint, let alone found her, marked and claimed her, then her become with child so quickly. I would need to make sure I called my Mama soon.
I curled further around my mate when I heard her heart rate slow as her breathing evened out, signaling that she had fallen asleep. I stilled my hand on her stomach, then kissed her neck and fell asleep quickly.
I woke to the sound of Paul closing and locking the side door. I kissed Isabella’s shoulder, then slipped out of bed carefully to pull on my shorts. I heard Paul whisper, “Morning, Boss,” from the kitchen as I closed the bedroom door, then smiled when I made it to the kitchen.
"Morning, Paul. How was patrol?"
He beamed at me, "Perfect. No scents and the animals were all making their regular sounds. I hate how they all get quiet when one of them is around. It’s unnatural. The girls should be good to sit out on the porch or in the backyard while they do their research. Leah’s really excited to be doing this with Bella."
I smiled at that, saying, "Bella named Leah her assistant. I’m glad, because I know she’s going to need help… otherwise, she’ll get too stressed out."
Paul nodded, “Leah will do anything she can to keep the stress down, Boss.”
I smiled, "I know. I heard Bella asking Leah to remind her about the website for the GED prep this morning, so she didn’t forget. Leah got it all planned out for her, so she didn’t have to worry about when to get it done."
The coffee pot gurgled, so Paul got two cups down from the cupboard. He fixed both of our cups, handed me mine, then sat next to me at the bar. “So how does it feel knowing that your imprint is with child?”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, saying, "Incredible. I keep either praying to the ancestors for their safety, or praising them for blessing me with my imprint and children. When Quil blessed the pregnancy last night, I felt like they were acknowledging that they heard me."
Paul smiled slightly, "You and Little Mama will be good parents, Sam. Part of me wants to be jealous, but then I really can’t be. I know Leah and I aren’t ready. Maybe in a while, but not now."
I nodded in understanding just before he said, "I hear Bella wants to do a sleepover movie night? I think it’ll be a good thing. It’ll be the end of your first week, so doing that will give us all time together before you start patrol again."
I smiled, "Time together as the family we are. You all are, Paul. I hope you realize that."
He smiled and nodded, "Yep. I knew that when Little Mama showed her claws last night, telling me to get upstairs and sleep. When Leah went along with her, that confirmed it. She may not realize it yet, Sam, but she thinks of us all as her cubs. That’s what Quil meant about her being protective of all of us. Just like a mama wolf, Little Mama would do anything to keep her cubs safe. In the long run, I think it’ll be good practice for when the twins come… plus we really do need what she tells us.”
He shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair before he continued. “Ever since the barbecue, Sam, I’ve started thinking about some of the things I did before she came along. I didn’t realize that acting like we did could have hurt one of the elders or the imprints. I may not be able to hurt Leah, but to think that I could have hurt her mom or Kim by my actions... God, Sam. When Bella laid it all out like she did, it really hit home. I’m grateful that she had the guts to let us know. If it would have been anyone else, I don’t think the message would have gotten through to us."
I nodded, then said, "I’ve tried to do the best I can by you boys, but you need a woman’s molding. I’m just glad my Isabella is up for the job."
Paul took a sip of his coffee, "So am I, Boss… so am I. How’s she sleeping? Has she had any nightmares since that night?"
I shook my head as I sat my cup down, "No nightmares, but she had a scare when she woke up and I was in the shower. She was terrified that it was all a dream… that we weren’t real. I called to her through the wall that I was just in the shower, then hurried to finish up and get to her. Paul, she flew into my arms so fast when I opened the bedroom door, that I almost didn’t catch her. She was shaking like a leaf. It took a good few minutes to make her realize everything was okay, and that we were real."
I heard the shower next to Paul’s room going, so Leah must be up. Paul shook his head, “He really did a job on her, didn’t he?”
I growled softly, “He took all of her decisions from her while they were together, making her dependent on him. Then he left her there in the woods, telling her she was nothing but a distraction… a plaything… and that it wasn’t worth it anymore, since she put their lifestyle at risk. It was a simple fucking paper cut, yet he made it sound like she was trying to ruin their 'diet'.”
I heard Paul growl, so I reminded us both, "He can’t hurt her anymore, and she’s already on her way to getting back the Bella that got off the plane from Phoenix. Ask Charlie if you don’t believe me. He can’t hurt her anymore, and we’ll protect her. Believe me, I want more than just a piece of that filthy bloodsucker, but my priority right now needs to be Isabella. Otherwise, I’d be out there, hunting the bastard down."
I hadn’t noticed Charlie coming in the side door until he said, "Paul, he’s right, you know. She is well on her way to being the old Bells I know again. As long as we don’t make decisions for her, and we keep her in the loop with whatever threats there are, I think she’ll find herself again fully in no time. What she did last night? Barking out orders? She never would have even whispered something like that with him. She would have never raised her voice or gotten excited about anything. She never even cussed around him. Her temperament was always so pliant and docile with him."
Paul's brow scrunched in confusion, "Well, that doesn’t sound anything like the person I saw last night.”
He let a breath out as he calmed, “Okay, I see your point. He didn’t break her. She’s picking herself back up. I still want a piece of his hide, though."
Charlie chuckled, “You aren’t the only one, Paul.”
Charlie fixed himself a cup of coffee, then sat with us at the bar, just talking about the day and what we’d be doing with the house. I said, “I’d like to get the carpet ripped out of the stairs and the second floor, but I’d like our room to be one of the first done, in case Isabella needs a nap sometime during the day.”
They both nodded, then Charlie agreed, "Good idea. That way we can have it done and mopped before it gets too far into the day."
Just then I heard My Angel get out of bed while whispering, "Good morning, Sam. I’m going to take a quick shower. Can you make me a cup of tea, please? I’ll be down soon."
I chuckled as I got up, only for Charlie to ask, “What am I missing?”
Paul grinned in response, “Little Mama is awake and requesting tea in the same sentence as her good morning to Sam.”
Charlie laughed, "That’s the Bells I know. Is she coming down or staying in bed for a bit?"
I shook my head, "Taking a quick shower, so she’ll be down in a few. That’s why she asked for her tea. I'm going to have to have Leah or Sue teach me to make her shakes."
Leah stepped into the kitchen then, "I’ll teach you this morning, Sam. I’ll be making the one to go with her breakfast, so I can show you then."
I nodded, "Thanks, Leah. You get enough sleep?"
She smiled, then eyed Paul like she was checking for injuries, but she said otherwise. "Yeah. Just woke up because the bed was still cold. I figured you were down here talking."
Paul got up to fix Leah a cup of coffee, making sure to cup her cheeks before giving her a tender kiss. I smiled. My mate was already making her impression on the boys. He brought the coffee over, then Leah sat in his lap. He kissed her softly again, "Morning, Babe. You look nice."
She beamed at him, "Thanks. This is one of the things I got from Bella’s monster of a closet... all that stuff she was planning on donating. She let me and Kim pick out what we wanted first. I’m keeping those sets here, in our room, so that if I need to go anywhere to buy things for the house, I look like her assistant should… sassy but professional. If she’s going to be doing more than one house, like Quil says, I want to do a really good job."
Charlie smiled as he reassured her, "Sue told me how much you and Bells have in common with the architecture and design, Leah. I think you’ll be a good fit as her assistant."
She beamed, "Thanks, Chief. I’m hoping to make it a permanent position. Speaking of which, do you think she’d mind if I went into your room, Sam? I need that website link, so I can pull the page up on the laptop for her."
I smiled at Leah, “Go on up. Just announce yourself before you go in, so you don’t scare her.”
She nodded before making her way to the stairs off the side entry, then Paul whispered, "She’s so excited to do this with Bella. She always knew that the diner wasn't going to be a permanent thing, and she’s hoping that once Bella starts getting clients, she’ll want Leah to stay on as a paid assistant. You know once the Forks residents see the work being done in La Push, they'll want to contact her about doing their houses."
Charlie nodded, "Yeah, that’s the hope. Sue already knows she won't be getting Leah back into the diner, but she just wants Leah and Bella to both be happy, same as me. We’ll need to have them work on getting the study set up soon, so they have a designated area to work in."
I agreed, "Yeah, I think we should work on that after we get the carpet pulled up. Maybe Bella and Leah can look into the furniture for the room today as part of their research, while we get the bookshelves ready, along with the moldings stripped and re-stained."
They both agreed right as I felt my Angel wrap her arm around me. I picked her up, setting her down in my lap. Charlie got her tea, then placed it in front of her. She kissed me lightly, "Morning, Sam. Morning guys. What were you all talking about?"
I smiled as I inhaled her new scent, "Mmm, good morning, Sweetheart. We were talking about the study being one of the first rooms worked on today, after we got the carpet ripped out of the second floor. You and Leah will need the room to do your research and plan things out, so having a designated space to work will make it easier on both of you."
Bella's POV
I nodded at Sam, after he told me what the plan for the day was. It was a good idea. "I know. I was thinking about that in the shower. I didn’t want to seem selfish when we’ll need the suites with the pack growing… but it really would make everything run smoother if I had a good workspace."
Sam hugged me as I took a sip of my tea, then Charlie said, "Think of it this way, Princess. If you don’t have your own space to work, everyone’s always going to be in your way while they work, so things will just take that much longer to get done. In the long run, it’ll save a lot of time and headaches to get your study done first. That way you can concentrate on the other rooms, and we can get them done quickly."
I smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”
Leah set the laptop in front of us, so I noticed she had pulled the website up for me. "Look at this, Bella. I checked it out. With you being mostly in AP classes, this stuff would be a breeze. I don’t think you’ll need to do any studying. You can just go right to taking the test."
I pulled the laptop closer to us, then scanned the page. I smiled widely, “Christ, I was doing this shit in freshman year.”
I looked down at myself, looking for my phone, then muttered, "My phone. I forgot it upstairs."
Leah smiled, producing my cell phone from her pocket, "I saw it laying on your nightstand, and knew you’d need it sometime today. Here you go."
Thank God for Leah. I chuckled, “You’re the best, Leah.”
I flipped my phone open, then pulled up the number for the school. "Hi, Mrs. Cope. It’s Bella Swan."
She rattled out a bunch of questions, "Oh, Bella. Good to hear from you. Did you move yet? How’s the house? I heard it needed a lot of work. I was told it was a huge house, though. What are you going to do with all that space?"
I chuckled, “Yes, we’ve moved in. The house is amazing, and we’ve already started on the restoration.”
She gushed, "Oh, wonderful. You'll have to invite me out once it’s done. You know Jeff and I have been thinking about doing some work on our place. Maybe you could do it."
My eyes widened, "Oh, really. Well, you’ll have to remind me after the house is restored, and I’ll invite you to come see all the work that was done."
She sighed, "What a wonderful young lady you are, Bella. I’ll be sure to remind you in a few months, as long as you’re sure it’s no bother."
I smiled, “Of course, it's no problem at all.”
She finally asked then, "Oh Dear, was there a reason you called other than to chat? Are you calling for the GED the Chief came in about?"
I chuckled, "Actually, yes. I’m calling to get that scheduled if I can. I’d like to come in Thursday or Friday, if possible, to take the test. I still need to settle a bit in the new house, and get things running semi-normally."
Mrs. Cope mumbled, "Thursday or Friday… Oh. Well, it looks like Thursday would be a better day, Dear. The principal has nothing scheduled for the whole morning, so I won’t have to rearrange anything. It shouldn’t take more than what’s open, so would you like me to pencil you in?"
I beamed, "Please. I looked at the GED Prep link he gave Dad. I’ve been doing that stuff since I was a freshman, so I’m confident about just taking the test."
She gushed, "You always were a good one. Never had any trouble out of you. We’ll sure miss you around here, Bella. Okay, Dear, you’re scheduled for first thing Thursday morning, so try to be here at normal time."
I thanked her, then said good-bye and flipped my phone shut.
I let a breath out, then laughed, "Boy, can that woman talk. I guarantee by the end of the day, the whole town with think she’s next in line to get her house done. She already told me she and her husband were wanting work done on their house. Can you believe it? We haven’t really even gotten this place started yet."
Leah laughed, "Well, don’t knock it, Sister. She’s a potential customer down the road. That’s a good thing."
I nodded, "That’s why I told her she could see the house when it’s finished. If she likes the work, maybe they’ll decide to actually hire us."
Leah said, "Us? You and Sam?"
I shook my head, "I’ll subcontract the work to Sam’s company, but I meant us as in you and me, Leah. I’ll need my assistant for any future projects, too, and I won’t feel as bad about hiring you when I can actually pay you."
She laughed, "We already set up payment for this house, remember? Free food."
She rubbed her tummy, then mine growled in response. I laughed, “Yeah, that does sound good right about now, doesn’t it?”
I heard Emily come in the kitchen just then, "Yeah, you and those little ones need nourishment, and breakfast does sound good. Good morning everyone."
I smiled as I noticed what she was wearing, “That looks good on you, Emily… and very comfortable to make house calls in.”
She smiled, "Thanks for these. Did you call the school yet?"
I nodded while telling her I just got off the phone with them, so she smiled, "That’ll be one less thing for you to worry about. What are your plans for today?"
I leaned further into Sam, saying, "I’m going to do some prep work right here on my mate’s lap, eat breakfast and have my shake, then Leah and I are going to do some research on furniture for my study. I don’t think I need to do much in the line of paint, since I want the wood, stone, and floors to be the focal point. There’s a buttercream paint in the samples that I think I want to use throughout the house. Most of the research is going to be what stone sample went where, what furniture to put in each room, and what we should do for accessories, lighting, and such. We really lucked out with the first floor still having all of the pristine hardwood."
She smiled, patted my leg, then said, "Good. You can check on the boys’ progress, but I don’t want you in the thick of it. Stay away from wherever they are using chemicals or tearing up carpet. Stay off those feet as much as possible. Since your morning companion will be Leah most days while working on the house, take your prenatal vitamin then. It won’t hurt to take it now, even though you had one in the middle of the night. You didn’t get sick last night, did you?"
I shook my head, "Nope. All’s quiet in baby land."
She chuckled, "Alright, then. What can I do to help with breakfast, Leah?"
Leah smiled, "While I get out all the ingredients, do you want to teach Sam how to make Bella’s shakes? He’ll need to know for when they have quiet nights without any of us."
She nodded, then Sam asked me as he nuzzled my neck, “What kind do you feel like this morning, Angel?”
I looked at Leah, “Do we have the stuff for a pineapple coconut?”
She nodded excitedly, "Oh that does sound good. I think we have everything…. yep. Both coconut flakes and milk, sweetened pineapple bits, and vanilla bean ice cream."
I smiled, "M'kay. That’s the one, then."
Sam smiled widely, "I think I might have one, too, without your powder, of course. The one you had last night was really good." He stood up with me in his arms, then set me down on the seat.
He looked at me, smiling, then said softly, “You look beautiful today, Isabella.”
I smiled bashfully. I had hoped he would notice. I had picked out an off the shoulder and slightly cropped and smocked peasant top, along with my crochet-waist full length boho skirt that was pink and white striped. I paired the outfit with pink and white Burberry Espadrille wedge sandals. He kissed my neck, then whispered, "And I like the little peek of tummy showing. Very tempting, Isabella."
I blushed, which of course made Paul chuckle.
Sam went to watch Emily make my shake while Leah brought me a cutting board, bowl, and bananas. She smiled, "Stand up for me? Let me see?"
I smiled as I stood away from the bar. I did a little turn, then she asked, “Is it just me or is she glowing already?”
Charlie, Paul, and Sam all chorused simultaneously, “Glowing, definitely.”
I laughed, "You guys are just saying that. Come on. Let’s get going on breakfast... before my stomach threatens to bite you." They all laughed as I sat back down to start on the bananas.
Sam's POV
I am going to be a father.
I am going to be a father.
I am going to be a father.
No matter how I said it, it didn’t seem to be enough. I seemed to pray to -and praise- the ancestors every few minutes tonight. When Quil blessed the pregnancy in our native language, I felt like my prayers were being answered, my praises acknowledged. As far as I knew, he had not blessed a pregnancy since my mother was pregnant with me.
Twins… wow. The ancestors had blessed My Angel with protective magics, as well as us with twins. I would have never thought a week ago that I would have found my imprint, let alone found her, marked and claimed her, then her become with child so quickly. I would need to make sure I called my Mama soon.
I curled further around my mate when I heard her heart rate slow as her breathing evened out, signaling that she had fallen asleep. I stilled my hand on her stomach, then kissed her neck and fell asleep quickly.
I woke to the sound of Paul closing and locking the side door. I kissed Isabella’s shoulder, then slipped out of bed carefully to pull on my shorts. I heard Paul whisper, “Morning, Boss,” from the kitchen as I closed the bedroom door, then smiled when I made it to the kitchen.
"Morning, Paul. How was patrol?"
He beamed at me, "Perfect. No scents and the animals were all making their regular sounds. I hate how they all get quiet when one of them is around. It’s unnatural. The girls should be good to sit out on the porch or in the backyard while they do their research. Leah’s really excited to be doing this with Bella."
I smiled at that, saying, "Bella named Leah her assistant. I’m glad, because I know she’s going to need help… otherwise, she’ll get too stressed out."
Paul nodded, “Leah will do anything she can to keep the stress down, Boss.”
I smiled, "I know. I heard Bella asking Leah to remind her about the website for the GED prep this morning, so she didn’t forget. Leah got it all planned out for her, so she didn’t have to worry about when to get it done."
The coffee pot gurgled, so Paul got two cups down from the cupboard. He fixed both of our cups, handed me mine, then sat next to me at the bar. “So how does it feel knowing that your imprint is with child?”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, saying, "Incredible. I keep either praying to the ancestors for their safety, or praising them for blessing me with my imprint and children. When Quil blessed the pregnancy last night, I felt like they were acknowledging that they heard me."
Paul smiled slightly, "You and Little Mama will be good parents, Sam. Part of me wants to be jealous, but then I really can’t be. I know Leah and I aren’t ready. Maybe in a while, but not now."
I nodded in understanding just before he said, "I hear Bella wants to do a sleepover movie night? I think it’ll be a good thing. It’ll be the end of your first week, so doing that will give us all time together before you start patrol again."
I smiled, "Time together as the family we are. You all are, Paul. I hope you realize that."
He smiled and nodded, "Yep. I knew that when Little Mama showed her claws last night, telling me to get upstairs and sleep. When Leah went along with her, that confirmed it. She may not realize it yet, Sam, but she thinks of us all as her cubs. That’s what Quil meant about her being protective of all of us. Just like a mama wolf, Little Mama would do anything to keep her cubs safe. In the long run, I think it’ll be good practice for when the twins come… plus we really do need what she tells us.”
He shook his head, then ran his fingers through his hair before he continued. “Ever since the barbecue, Sam, I’ve started thinking about some of the things I did before she came along. I didn’t realize that acting like we did could have hurt one of the elders or the imprints. I may not be able to hurt Leah, but to think that I could have hurt her mom or Kim by my actions... God, Sam. When Bella laid it all out like she did, it really hit home. I’m grateful that she had the guts to let us know. If it would have been anyone else, I don’t think the message would have gotten through to us."
I nodded, then said, "I’ve tried to do the best I can by you boys, but you need a woman’s molding. I’m just glad my Isabella is up for the job."
Paul took a sip of his coffee, "So am I, Boss… so am I. How’s she sleeping? Has she had any nightmares since that night?"
I shook my head as I sat my cup down, "No nightmares, but she had a scare when she woke up and I was in the shower. She was terrified that it was all a dream… that we weren’t real. I called to her through the wall that I was just in the shower, then hurried to finish up and get to her. Paul, she flew into my arms so fast when I opened the bedroom door, that I almost didn’t catch her. She was shaking like a leaf. It took a good few minutes to make her realize everything was okay, and that we were real."
I heard the shower next to Paul’s room going, so Leah must be up. Paul shook his head, “He really did a job on her, didn’t he?”
I growled softly, “He took all of her decisions from her while they were together, making her dependent on him. Then he left her there in the woods, telling her she was nothing but a distraction… a plaything… and that it wasn’t worth it anymore, since she put their lifestyle at risk. It was a simple fucking paper cut, yet he made it sound like she was trying to ruin their 'diet'.”
I heard Paul growl, so I reminded us both, "He can’t hurt her anymore, and she’s already on her way to getting back the Bella that got off the plane from Phoenix. Ask Charlie if you don’t believe me. He can’t hurt her anymore, and we’ll protect her. Believe me, I want more than just a piece of that filthy bloodsucker, but my priority right now needs to be Isabella. Otherwise, I’d be out there, hunting the bastard down."
I hadn’t noticed Charlie coming in the side door until he said, "Paul, he’s right, you know. She is well on her way to being the old Bells I know again. As long as we don’t make decisions for her, and we keep her in the loop with whatever threats there are, I think she’ll find herself again fully in no time. What she did last night? Barking out orders? She never would have even whispered something like that with him. She would have never raised her voice or gotten excited about anything. She never even cussed around him. Her temperament was always so pliant and docile with him."
Paul's brow scrunched in confusion, "Well, that doesn’t sound anything like the person I saw last night.”
He let a breath out as he calmed, “Okay, I see your point. He didn’t break her. She’s picking herself back up. I still want a piece of his hide, though."
Charlie chuckled, “You aren’t the only one, Paul.”
Charlie fixed himself a cup of coffee, then sat with us at the bar, just talking about the day and what we’d be doing with the house. I said, “I’d like to get the carpet ripped out of the stairs and the second floor, but I’d like our room to be one of the first done, in case Isabella needs a nap sometime during the day.”
They both nodded, then Charlie agreed, "Good idea. That way we can have it done and mopped before it gets too far into the day."
Just then I heard My Angel get out of bed while whispering, "Good morning, Sam. I’m going to take a quick shower. Can you make me a cup of tea, please? I’ll be down soon."
I chuckled as I got up, only for Charlie to ask, “What am I missing?”
Paul grinned in response, “Little Mama is awake and requesting tea in the same sentence as her good morning to Sam.”
Charlie laughed, "That’s the Bells I know. Is she coming down or staying in bed for a bit?"
I shook my head, "Taking a quick shower, so she’ll be down in a few. That’s why she asked for her tea. I'm going to have to have Leah or Sue teach me to make her shakes."
Leah stepped into the kitchen then, "I’ll teach you this morning, Sam. I’ll be making the one to go with her breakfast, so I can show you then."
I nodded, "Thanks, Leah. You get enough sleep?"
She smiled, then eyed Paul like she was checking for injuries, but she said otherwise. "Yeah. Just woke up because the bed was still cold. I figured you were down here talking."
Paul got up to fix Leah a cup of coffee, making sure to cup her cheeks before giving her a tender kiss. I smiled. My mate was already making her impression on the boys. He brought the coffee over, then Leah sat in his lap. He kissed her softly again, "Morning, Babe. You look nice."
She beamed at him, "Thanks. This is one of the things I got from Bella’s monster of a closet... all that stuff she was planning on donating. She let me and Kim pick out what we wanted first. I’m keeping those sets here, in our room, so that if I need to go anywhere to buy things for the house, I look like her assistant should… sassy but professional. If she’s going to be doing more than one house, like Quil says, I want to do a really good job."
Charlie smiled as he reassured her, "Sue told me how much you and Bells have in common with the architecture and design, Leah. I think you’ll be a good fit as her assistant."
She beamed, "Thanks, Chief. I’m hoping to make it a permanent position. Speaking of which, do you think she’d mind if I went into your room, Sam? I need that website link, so I can pull the page up on the laptop for her."
I smiled at Leah, “Go on up. Just announce yourself before you go in, so you don’t scare her.”
She nodded before making her way to the stairs off the side entry, then Paul whispered, "She’s so excited to do this with Bella. She always knew that the diner wasn't going to be a permanent thing, and she’s hoping that once Bella starts getting clients, she’ll want Leah to stay on as a paid assistant. You know once the Forks residents see the work being done in La Push, they'll want to contact her about doing their houses."
Charlie nodded, "Yeah, that’s the hope. Sue already knows she won't be getting Leah back into the diner, but she just wants Leah and Bella to both be happy, same as me. We’ll need to have them work on getting the study set up soon, so they have a designated area to work in."
I agreed, "Yeah, I think we should work on that after we get the carpet pulled up. Maybe Bella and Leah can look into the furniture for the room today as part of their research, while we get the bookshelves ready, along with the moldings stripped and re-stained."
They both agreed right as I felt my Angel wrap her arm around me. I picked her up, setting her down in my lap. Charlie got her tea, then placed it in front of her. She kissed me lightly, "Morning, Sam. Morning guys. What were you all talking about?"
I smiled as I inhaled her new scent, "Mmm, good morning, Sweetheart. We were talking about the study being one of the first rooms worked on today, after we got the carpet ripped out of the second floor. You and Leah will need the room to do your research and plan things out, so having a designated space to work will make it easier on both of you."
Bella's POV
I nodded at Sam, after he told me what the plan for the day was. It was a good idea. "I know. I was thinking about that in the shower. I didn’t want to seem selfish when we’ll need the suites with the pack growing… but it really would make everything run smoother if I had a good workspace."
Sam hugged me as I took a sip of my tea, then Charlie said, "Think of it this way, Princess. If you don’t have your own space to work, everyone’s always going to be in your way while they work, so things will just take that much longer to get done. In the long run, it’ll save a lot of time and headaches to get your study done first. That way you can concentrate on the other rooms, and we can get them done quickly."
I smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”
Leah set the laptop in front of us, so I noticed she had pulled the website up for me. "Look at this, Bella. I checked it out. With you being mostly in AP classes, this stuff would be a breeze. I don’t think you’ll need to do any studying. You can just go right to taking the test."
I pulled the laptop closer to us, then scanned the page. I smiled widely, “Christ, I was doing this shit in freshman year.”
I looked down at myself, looking for my phone, then muttered, "My phone. I forgot it upstairs."
Leah smiled, producing my cell phone from her pocket, "I saw it laying on your nightstand, and knew you’d need it sometime today. Here you go."
Thank God for Leah. I chuckled, “You’re the best, Leah.”
I flipped my phone open, then pulled up the number for the school. "Hi, Mrs. Cope. It’s Bella Swan."
She rattled out a bunch of questions, "Oh, Bella. Good to hear from you. Did you move yet? How’s the house? I heard it needed a lot of work. I was told it was a huge house, though. What are you going to do with all that space?"
I chuckled, “Yes, we’ve moved in. The house is amazing, and we’ve already started on the restoration.”
She gushed, "Oh, wonderful. You'll have to invite me out once it’s done. You know Jeff and I have been thinking about doing some work on our place. Maybe you could do it."
My eyes widened, "Oh, really. Well, you’ll have to remind me after the house is restored, and I’ll invite you to come see all the work that was done."
She sighed, "What a wonderful young lady you are, Bella. I’ll be sure to remind you in a few months, as long as you’re sure it’s no bother."
I smiled, “Of course, it's no problem at all.”
She finally asked then, "Oh Dear, was there a reason you called other than to chat? Are you calling for the GED the Chief came in about?"
I chuckled, "Actually, yes. I’m calling to get that scheduled if I can. I’d like to come in Thursday or Friday, if possible, to take the test. I still need to settle a bit in the new house, and get things running semi-normally."
Mrs. Cope mumbled, "Thursday or Friday… Oh. Well, it looks like Thursday would be a better day, Dear. The principal has nothing scheduled for the whole morning, so I won’t have to rearrange anything. It shouldn’t take more than what’s open, so would you like me to pencil you in?"
I beamed, "Please. I looked at the GED Prep link he gave Dad. I’ve been doing that stuff since I was a freshman, so I’m confident about just taking the test."
She gushed, "You always were a good one. Never had any trouble out of you. We’ll sure miss you around here, Bella. Okay, Dear, you’re scheduled for first thing Thursday morning, so try to be here at normal time."
I thanked her, then said good-bye and flipped my phone shut.
I let a breath out, then laughed, "Boy, can that woman talk. I guarantee by the end of the day, the whole town with think she’s next in line to get her house done. She already told me she and her husband were wanting work done on their house. Can you believe it? We haven’t really even gotten this place started yet."
Leah laughed, "Well, don’t knock it, Sister. She’s a potential customer down the road. That’s a good thing."
I nodded, "That’s why I told her she could see the house when it’s finished. If she likes the work, maybe they’ll decide to actually hire us."
Leah said, "Us? You and Sam?"
I shook my head, "I’ll subcontract the work to Sam’s company, but I meant us as in you and me, Leah. I’ll need my assistant for any future projects, too, and I won’t feel as bad about hiring you when I can actually pay you."
She laughed, "We already set up payment for this house, remember? Free food."
She rubbed her tummy, then mine growled in response. I laughed, “Yeah, that does sound good right about now, doesn’t it?”
I heard Emily come in the kitchen just then, "Yeah, you and those little ones need nourishment, and breakfast does sound good. Good morning everyone."
I smiled as I noticed what she was wearing, “That looks good on you, Emily… and very comfortable to make house calls in.”
She smiled, "Thanks for these. Did you call the school yet?"
I nodded while telling her I just got off the phone with them, so she smiled, "That’ll be one less thing for you to worry about. What are your plans for today?"
I leaned further into Sam, saying, "I’m going to do some prep work right here on my mate’s lap, eat breakfast and have my shake, then Leah and I are going to do some research on furniture for my study. I don’t think I need to do much in the line of paint, since I want the wood, stone, and floors to be the focal point. There’s a buttercream paint in the samples that I think I want to use throughout the house. Most of the research is going to be what stone sample went where, what furniture to put in each room, and what we should do for accessories, lighting, and such. We really lucked out with the first floor still having all of the pristine hardwood."
She smiled, patted my leg, then said, "Good. You can check on the boys’ progress, but I don’t want you in the thick of it. Stay away from wherever they are using chemicals or tearing up carpet. Stay off those feet as much as possible. Since your morning companion will be Leah most days while working on the house, take your prenatal vitamin then. It won’t hurt to take it now, even though you had one in the middle of the night. You didn’t get sick last night, did you?"
I shook my head, "Nope. All’s quiet in baby land."
She chuckled, "Alright, then. What can I do to help with breakfast, Leah?"
Leah smiled, "While I get out all the ingredients, do you want to teach Sam how to make Bella’s shakes? He’ll need to know for when they have quiet nights without any of us."
She nodded, then Sam asked me as he nuzzled my neck, “What kind do you feel like this morning, Angel?”
I looked at Leah, “Do we have the stuff for a pineapple coconut?”
She nodded excitedly, "Oh that does sound good. I think we have everything…. yep. Both coconut flakes and milk, sweetened pineapple bits, and vanilla bean ice cream."
I smiled, "M'kay. That’s the one, then."
Sam smiled widely, "I think I might have one, too, without your powder, of course. The one you had last night was really good." He stood up with me in his arms, then set me down on the seat.
He looked at me, smiling, then said softly, “You look beautiful today, Isabella.”
I smiled bashfully. I had hoped he would notice. I had picked out an off the shoulder and slightly cropped and smocked peasant top, along with my crochet-waist full length boho skirt that was pink and white striped. I paired the outfit with pink and white Burberry Espadrille wedge sandals. He kissed my neck, then whispered, "And I like the little peek of tummy showing. Very tempting, Isabella."
I blushed, which of course made Paul chuckle.
Sam went to watch Emily make my shake while Leah brought me a cutting board, bowl, and bananas. She smiled, "Stand up for me? Let me see?"
I smiled as I stood away from the bar. I did a little turn, then she asked, “Is it just me or is she glowing already?”
Charlie, Paul, and Sam all chorused simultaneously, “Glowing, definitely.”
I laughed, "You guys are just saying that. Come on. Let’s get going on breakfast... before my stomach threatens to bite you." They all laughed as I sat back down to start on the bananas.