Bella The Babysitter: Chapter 13

Bella the Babysitter

Chapter thirteen

Edward Cullen POV

"I like you Edward. More than I'm willing to admit right now. With that being said, I have always followed my strict rule of never dating my employer. I refuse to start now." she said stepping back.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" I choked out unable to hide the stupid foolish grin on my face.

"Depends on how you swing it. I better get back before Lucas wakes up." she held up a baby monitor I didn't realize she had. "See you in the morning Edward. You can take the two of us out for Luke's birthday 
before you leave for your meeting."

I watched her turn and walk back into her room closing the door softly behind her.

She wanted to date me. That was obviously the reason behind her quitting. She had kissed me and wanted to do that more often. Thoughts of the three of us, Bella, Lucas and I began to play through my mind.

Christmas morning, Lucas sitting in Bella's lap as he tore open a giant box wrapped in foil while I toyed with a video camera trying to capture the moment on film.

Easter afternoon, the three of us sitting surrounded by my family as we enjoyed Easter brunch at my parents house. Lucas was covered with what looked like mashed potatoes and macaroni in cheese while Bella attempted to wipe his hands and the rest of the family including me laughed at the spectacle.

I was brought out of my ridiculous mental fantasies by my phone ringing inside my room. Shaking my head I walked inside the room and picked up the phone, sliding it open right before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Hey brother, do you have any idea why my wife is currently on the phone with your nanny?" Jasper asked.

"Umm, no." I mumbled.

"Well she is. Jumping up and down from the bed to the dresser. Warring with herself whether or not she is going to fly down there and kick one of your asses." he chuckled.

"Why?"

"I don't fucking know. That's why I'm calling you dumbass."

"Oh well, I don't know either."

"Ask him about Lucas calling Bella mommy." Alice prompted, her voice ringing clear through the phone.

"Lucas called Bella mommy?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, it was an accident though." I sighed. "Listen ask whatever it is you called about or hand Alice the phone so that she can ask. I have a meeting tomorrow and Lucas's birthday to celebrate and would like to get some sleep."

"Yeah, well Alice just wanted me to call you so that you wouldn't stand in the hallway looking like a douche or whatever." he chuckled again. "So the only question I have is are you safely in your room and out of the hall?"

"Yes."

"Then that's all." Jasper drawled tiredly. "Now we can all get some sleep."

"No, no no. Ask him if he's going to make a move?" Alice squealed on the other end of the phone.

"Say goodnight to Alice for me brother, and good luck getting that thing to sleep." I laughed.

"Hardy har har. Very funny. Goodnight brother." Jasper said while Alice yelled in the background wanting to know what was funny.

"Goodnight." I sang sliding my phone shut and tossing it on the bed.

After making sure everything was set up the following morning including my wake up call I slid beneath the cold sheets of my bed and allowed my mind to take me back to the fantasies.

Luke turning five, walking into Kindergarten while I comforted a crying Bella.

Bella, Luke and I having a lazy Sunday cuddled together on the living room couch. Luke giggling when
Bella tossed popcorn in my hair.

The next thing I knew the hotel phone was ringing. I reached over without looking and picked it up.

"Mr. Cullen. This is Greg at the front desk just calling to give you the wake up call you requested." the cheerful voice greeted.

"Yes, erm thanks." I grumbled clearing the sleep out of my throat as best as I could.

I hung up on his overly cheerful voice and rolled over rubbing my eyes as I stretched.

I dressed in some casual clothes before meticulously checking over my documents for the meeting I was going to attend in a few short hours and walking across the hall. I could hear rustling going on inside and Bella's voice loudly singing 'Happy Birthday' while Lucas squealed in delight. After knocking a few times I figured I would just use the key, thankful that Bella had insisted that I have one because she tended to lose them.

I smiled taking in the scene in front of me. Bella wearing a terry cloth halter dress with a tie-dye pattern all over it was kneeling on the bed, her hair falling all over Lucas's red face while she blew on his belly. Every time she came up for air she would belt out another line of 'Happy Birthday' before ducking back down earning another loud squealish giggle from the birthday boy.

"HAPPY BIIIIRTHDAAAY TOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOU!" she sang loudly and completely out of tune while she tickled his armpits.

I figured that it was a good time to make my presence known and started to clap. Bella jumped a foot off the bed almost falling off in surprise while Lucas sat up laughing at her acting goofy.

"Jesus you scared the crap out of me." she held her chest as if trying to slow her heart rate from the outside.

"Sorry, I did knock but you two were being so loud. I just used the key." I held it up.

"That's okay. I was just singing happy birthday to Lukey here. He probably doesn't understand a word
I'm saying but I wanted to make him happy and if acting like an idiot does that. Then so be it." Bella blushed pulling Lucas up to his feet.

The second he was standing he started jumping up and down. He was getting so big. It's hard to believe that a year ago today, I was sitting in the waiting room at Forks' memorial waiting for James to come out holding a blue bundle with a huge grin plastered on his face. It was as if it was yesterday that he placed the swaddled newborn in my arms and then led me back to the room where Vicky was resting. It was there that they told me I would be his godfather, and I laughed. If only I had known.

"You alright Edward?" Bella asked handing Lucas over to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I leaned down and kissed Lucas's cheek. "Happy birthday buddy."

"Gwabba." he mumbled sucking on his fist.

"Someone's starving and I'm not talking about the cannibal in your arms." Bella smiled rubbing her stomach. "Let me get my shoes on and we'll be ready to go."

She started to walk past me towards her flip flops but I grabbed her arm. "Good morning." I said softly.

"Good morning." she said blushing a little before popping up on her tip toes and giving me a quick and surprising peck on my lips before slipping her shoes on. "Let's go eat."

Lucas bounced from my arms to Bella's the entire trip down to the hotel's five star restaurant. He started to think it was a game after I handed him over to her to tie my shoe in the elevator and she handed him back to me when I situated myself. His giggle was worth the muscle tiring game of pass-the-baby we played.

Once we were seated at a small table and handed our menus Lucas became and remained the sole focus. Bella ordered pancakes, an order of grits, oatmeal and a bowl of applesauce so that she could share with Lucas. I opted for the breakfast quiche. Bella scrunched her nose at my choice in disdain and I felt badly that I wasn't following her strict vegetarianism. But old habits die hard and I was having issues with letting my eggs go.

"What?" I asked slicing up my breakfast before delving in.

"Nothing." she grimaced spooning food into Lucas's eager and grunting mouth.

"It doesn't look like nothing." I smiled as Lucas squished his food out of his mouth between his gums and laughed.

"Hmm, you'll figure it out soon enough." Bella shrugged cutting up her pancakes while she expertly fed our little piggy.

Our.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said." she smiled wickedly sending a coy wink my way before turning back to the task at hand.

Lucas ended up with grits in his hair and somehow managed to get applesauce in his ear by the time we made it back up to our rooms. I was going to get ready for my meeting while Bella and Lucas walked around San Antonio like true tourists. She had even bought him an 'I heart Texas' shirt at the gift shop this morning.

I opened the door for her so that she wouldn't get Lucas's mess everywhere now that she was covered in his breakfast as well.

"Thanks. Come by before you leave for your meeting okay?" she shifted Lucas over to her other side and shook out her arm.

"Alright." Without thinking I leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Denied egg eater. Brush your teeth and use Listerine unless you want me to barf all over you." she laughed. "It's a psychological thing, I'll explain it when you're not on a time frame. Now go and get ready."

"Yes ma'am." I smiled ruffling Luke's messy curls. "See you two in a few."

"Cheesy with the rhymes Mr. Cullen." Bella laughed.

Before the door swung shut I could hear her talking to Lucas about how messy he was. I rushed across the hall in an effort to get ready for my meeting with Benjamin and Angela Cheney the co-owners of a well known parenthood magazine. I had went to college with Ben and was even present at the frat party where he met Angie. We were great friends but hadn't talked in a while until I received an email about a week after Vicky and James passed away. After conversing through email back and forth I found out that Ben and Ang started their own magazine.

It wasn't until I had informed Ben during one of our phone calls about the predicament I was in with Lucas that he offered me a potential job writing for him. To say I was upset when he informed me that the only time he could meet up with me to talk numbers and other things on Lucas's birthday would be an understatement. I was going to protest and ask for a rain check but then I realized that Ben and Angela were going out on a limb and doing me a huge favor.

The opportunity they were offering me was once in a lifetime. I could go from freelancing to an actual contract career, instead of spending hours a day in my office writing articles that could or couldn't sell, it would be a sure thing. So I sucked it up and decided to just swallow the loss... not knowing that Bella would take matters into her own hands.

I got ready for the meeting and checked my portfolio one last time before walking across the hall and knocking on the door. Bella answered the door clothed in only a hotel issued robe and a towel on her head, Lucas was laying on the bed swaddled in a towel and sucking on a bottle of juice.

"Hey, come on in. Our bath lasted a little bit longer than I thought it would." Bella said opening the door wide in invitation. "Lucas has realized that splashing water is his new favorite thing to do and soaked me."

"Sounds like fun. Listen I'd love to stay but I have to run, I don't want to be late." I kissed Lucas's
cheek before standing straight. "Hopefully it won't last long. I'll call you as soon as it's finished and meet you two."

"Sounds great. We're going to enjoy some frozen yogurt in a little while and maybe hit the Alamo or something." Bella smiled walking over to me. "Did you brush your teeth?"

"Twice." I whispered before catching her lips with mine in a passionate kiss before pulling away. "I'll call you as soon as I'm done. We need to talk tonight after Lucas is asleep."

"Kay."

"Mama." Lucas squealed happily tossing his now empty bottle to the floor.

"Duty calls." Bella laughed. "Good luck."

I didn't need luck. Hell I probably didn't even need to fly down to San Antonio for the three days. Ben and Angela had already typed up a contract and settled on numbers for my salary clearly giving me a chance of a lifetime. When I mentioned that it was Luke's birthday they both yelled at me for not telling them and then insisted that Bella, Luke and I came over to their place for dinner. We signed the contract and I left less than forty five minutes after I left the hotel.

After running back to my room to change out of the unneeded business suit I called Bella finding out that she and Luke were at the soft serve shop down the street. After a quick goodbye, I headed out deciding to walk instead of getting the rental car. We were in a great area, wonderful for the tourists everything was walking distance.

I entered the ice cream parlor and immediately found the two of them. Luke was sitting in a highchair waving a spoon around squealing and splattering ice cream all over the table while Bella laughed.

"Hope you saved some for me." I smiled leaning down and kissing the both of them on the top of the head.

"Nope, Lucas doesn't like sharing so we're going to have to get our own." she laughed. "Wanna share something?"

"Go and order it while I teach the boy some manners." I gestured to the front counter sitting on the other side of the sticky baby.

"What flavor?" Bella asked turning around and cocking her head to the side.

"Ice cream is ice cream. I'm not picky." I replied as Lucas swung an ice cream covered spoon splattering me with colorful ice cream.