Renesmee stretched as she began to wake.  Her body was sore, but the memories of last night reminded how she had become that way.  Jacob had been so scared that he would hurt her, that it took a lot of convincing on her part to finally get him to make love to her.  He explained that it was a mating instinct that was causing him to feel this way, but it didn’t mean he needed at act like an animal.

She wasn’t sure how Jacob’s phasing would affect their lovemaking, but she found out last night.  His stamina was incredible, but just as she suspected, he was still loving and gentle to her, just as he had always been. 

When Renesmee reached over to Jacob’s side of the bed, she found it cold and she frowned.  She sat up slowly and squinted.  She could hear voices in the backyard, so she assumed the guys were in the garage.

After a quick shower, Renesmee found her way to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.  She had just finished making the last of the pancakes when Embry and Quil showed their faces.

“I told you I smelled pancakes,” Quil announced.

“Wash your hands first!” Ness scolded as she swatted him with a dish towel.

“Fine,” Quil grumbled.

“You too, Embry.”

“Yes, mother,” Embry teased.  “Did you sleep okay?”  His voice and expression was playful and he acted like he already knew the answer.

Renesmee blushed when she remembered that the pack was now linked into Jacob’s thoughts again.  She avoided Embry’s gaze by dishing up a plate of breakfast for Jacob.

“Where are you going with that?”

“Jake needs to eat too,” she replied quickly.

“He’s not here,” Embry retorted.  “He went to run an errand.”

“Oh.”

Embry pulled out a chair for you.  “Come eat with us.”

Renesmee scowled.  “I should go finish getting ready.”

Embry insisted, “You need to eat.  Jake would want you to eat.”

She sighed as she sat down.  “So you two got stuck with babysitting duty?”

“Nuh uh,” Quil mumbled as he shoved another piece of bacon in his mouth.  “It’s security detail, Ness.”

She scowled again.  “I don’t need a security detail,” she pouted.

Embry laughed. “Well I suggest you get over it, because it’s a standing order from Jake until…”

“Until what?” she demanded.

Quil and Embry glanced at each other and looked nervous.  “You weren’t supposed to say anything,” Quil scolded.

Embry shrugged. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Well the wolf’s out of the bag now, boys...so spill it.”

When neither one of them said anything, Renesmee stood, grabbing her plate.  “Okay, okay, okay,” Embry conceded as he pulled on her arm and urged her to sit back down.

She returned to her chair and stared at him expectantly.  “Well?”

Embry sighed.  “Jake wants you to be protected until he can be sure that Wyatt is no longer a threat.”

Renesmee’s shoulders slumped.  “Will this ever be over?”

“Just quit worrying and eat your breakfast, Ness.  We’re here to work on repairs too, so quit feeling guilty,” Embry tried to convince her.

Nessie nodded, knowing Embry was right.  She did feel better with them there and they were always good company, probably even more so without Jake’s watchful eyes.  She finally relaxed and ate her breakfast and listened to Quil and Embry argue.

“Dude, no way!  You’re so lucky that Claire is only 12.  These women are a pain in the ass,” Embry grumbled.

Renesmee scrunched up her nose and tossed a biscuit at Embry’s head.  “Watch it, buddy!”

Embry laughed as he caught it, broke a piece off and threw it at Quil.  “I don’t mean you, Nessie.  You’re cool as shit.  Unlike Amara,” he paused to groan.  “She was being such a pain last night when we dropped you off.”

“She was probably jealous,” Quil observed.  “You do flirt quite a bit.”

“Do not,” Embry blushed.

“It was my fault you two were fighting.  And yes, I can be a pain too.  All girls do when they get jealous.  It’s called being territorial.  We all do it,” Ness explained.

Embry shrugged.  “I didn’t mean to make her mad.  But I didn’t like the way she talked to you.”

“I forgive her...and you should too.”

“Two girls fighting over you, Embry.  What’s better than that?” Quil quipped.

“That’s not...exactly what happened, Quil,” Renesmee chuckled.

Quill stood up and started clearing the table.  “No don’t tell me about it.  In my mind, Nessie and Amara are wrestling...in mud...no pudding...no green Jell-o,” he finally decided.  “Yeah, green Jell-o.”

Renesmee and Embry glanced at each other and burst out laughing.  “Quil...you’re so weird!”

“Did I miss breakfast?”

Renesmee’s face fell when she saw Jacob smiling at her from the doorway.  She stood up and scowled.  “Yeah, sorry.  I had no idea when you would be back so…”

“You made them pancakes?  I’m so jealous,” he teased.

Embry rolled his eyes and joined Quil at the sink.  Quil washed the dishes, while Embry dried and that left Renesmee no choice but to talk to Jake.

“I made them for all of you.  I thought you were in the garage when I got up.  I even made you a plate...ask Embry,” her voice kept rising.

“Okay...I’m sorry,” he soothed, that killer smile never leaving his lips.  “It’s my fault.  I didn’t tell you I left.”

Renesmee shook her head.  “No...you didn’t.”

Jacob approached her cautiously as she stood there scowling.  “I guess I could have left you a note…”

She sighed, “That would have been nice.”

Jacob stood over her, his smile still shining brightly.  “I’m planning something special for us...a date.  And I had to handle a few details.”

Renesmee scowled.  “Whatever.  There’s no more pancake mix, but I can make you some eggs,” she offered, her irritation still evident.

“I’m fine.  I don’t need any breakfast.  I only need you.”

When she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and furrowed her brow, he laughed.  “You must be sick,” she decided.  “You never turn food down.”

Jacob wrapped her up in his arms. “Nope, not sick at all.”

Renesmee refused to hug him back.  “Oh.  So you already ate?  Secret breakfast date?” she mused.

“Ness, you’re being a pain.  Stop harassing poor Jake,” Embry laughed as he finished drying the dishes.

“Really, girl.  Stop being so jealous,” Quil added as he turned to face them.

“No fair ganging up on me,” she pouted.

“I think she needs a group hug,” Embry suggested as they encircled her.

“No!”

Renesmee was enveloped by six warm arms and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep from smiling.  They were dorks, but they were her dorks.

Embry and Quil made their way back out to the garage as Jacob kept her tight in his embrace.  “So do you forgive me now?”

Ness lowered her gaze shyly and shrugged.  “I guess.”

“I’m sorry I made you mad.”

Renesmee sighed.  “I wasn’t mad.  I know that’s how I was acting, but I was worried about you.”

Jacob rubbed her back lightly and smirked.  “Worried that I was on a breakfast date with someone?”

“No! Now you’re just teasing me,” she grumbled.

Jacob pressed his forehead to hers and smiled.  “I didn’t mean to scare you...last night or this morning.  I love that you worry about me.  Sometimes I’m so focused on keeping you safe that I forget how much you worry.  I should’ve been more considerate, but I just couldn’t wake you up this morning.  You were sleeping so hard and you looked so adorable...I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry.”

Renesmee finally wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.  “That was a damn good apology, baby.”

Jacob beamed.  “I’m trying.  And I love you...so much.”

She captured his lips with hers and kissed him softly.  He moaned ever so slightly when he felt her tongue taste his lips.  He deepened the kiss and pulled her even closer, their bodies fitting together so perfectly.

“And I love you too,” she whispered breathlessly when he broke away from the kiss.
........

…........

Renesmee took one more look at herself in the mirror and smiled a little.  Her dress was very short, pretty sexy and she rarely wore red.  This was one of those hot little numbers that Alice had bought for her when she still lived at home, but she never had a place to wear it before now.  Jacob had insisted she dress up for their date, their first date to be specific.  He had been so excited for tonight and she thought that was adorable.

When she grabbed her matching red handbag, fluffed her hair one more time and strolled into the living room, she frowned when she realized that Jacob wasn’t even at home.  She glanced around quickly before noticing a rather large white poster board taped to the back of their front door.  She approached it slowly and laughed.

Dear Nessie,

Please meet me at our special spot near the bluffs.  I can’t wait to see you. Our first date!  Sorry it’s taken so long to get here. Please hurry...I miss you so much.  ♡

Love, Your Jacob

P.S. - I remembered to write a note this time...aren't you impressed?

Renesmee nodded quickly and willed herself not to cry.  She had spent too much time on her makeup to cry it all off now.  She rushed out the door with her keys in hand, but stopped when she found Seth at the bottom of the steps.  “Wow…” he gasped. “You look...wow.”

She blushed. “Seth, it’s just a dress,” she insisted as she began to descend the porch steps.

Seth held out his hand to assist her when he noticed her high strappy heels and how she wobbled just a bit. “Please don’t trip and fall...Jake will kill me if you don’t arrive to your date in one piece.”

“So...you’re on security detail now?”

Seth shrugged.  “I guess so...is that what we’re calling it now?

“Embry and Quil did. I guess it’s your turn now.”  Renesmee dangled her keys in front of her face and handed them to Seth.  “If you’re gonna follow me to my date, then you might as well drive me.”

Seth nodded and smiled as he moved to the passenger door and held it open for her.  He kept staring at her when she sat, his smile wide and bright.  “Let’s go, Seth!  And stop staring at me…” Nessie replied with a playful smile.

……….

“You look nervous,” Seth observed.

“I’m fine,” she said quietly as she stared out over the ocean.  They were almost there.

Seth reached over and held her hand.  “I know I’ve been a crappy best friend.  I’ve been so wrapped up in Ava and all that…”

Renesmee squeezed his hand and smiled.  “You have nothing to feel bad about.  I’ve been just as wrapped up in Jake lately.”

“You guys have waited a long time for tonight…”

She nodded quickly.  “We’ve waited a lifetime it seems.”

Seth pulled her car up and put it in park.  “You should go to him.”

Nessie smiled as she climbed out of the car.  “Thanks for the ride...oh wait.  How will you get home?”

“I’ll just wolf it home,” he retorted and she laughed.  He walked around to give her the keys to her car.  “Have fun tonight.”

“I will...go see Ava.  I bet she misses you,” Ness gushed as she hugged him.

Seth chuckled as he hugged her back.  “Goodnight, Ness.”

Renesmee waved to Seth as she made her way to their favorite spot.  She stopped to slip her heels off, wishing she had known this would be an outdoor event.  She had imagined a dinner out and maybe dancing, but Jake was too romantic and original for that.  Of course he would choose their special spot.

When Renesmee saw Jacob standing near the rocky edge of the cliff, she smiled.  He whirled around quickly to face her, his eyes full of wonder, his mouth slightly parted.  “There’s my baby,” he breathed as she closed the distance.

Renesmee beamed as Jacob’s eyes poured over her.  All of his attention embarrassed her.  “I take it you like my dress?” she asked, doing a small twirl for him.

Jacob swallowed thickly and nodded.  “You look amazing...you always look amazing, but oh my...Ness.  You are so gorgeous.”

“You…” she paused to lick her lips, “You look really hot.”

Jacob chuckled as she slid his jacket off his shoulders, revealing a button down black dress shirt, stretched tightly over his muscular frame.  He even wore a skinny red tie hanging loosely around his collar with his top three buttons undone.

“I look like a bum compared to you,” he observed.

“No way!” she argued playfully.  “Let me show you something.”

Jacob watched as she pulled her cell phone from her purse and turned on the camera.  She backed up to him and held the phone up, revealing both of them in the frame.  He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her tightly against his chest.  He lowered his face to hers, pressing his cheek to hers and looked at their faces in the phone.

“We look perfect together,” she gushed.  Renesmee snapped a few pictures, some of them kissing, one of Jacob staring down at her lovingly.  “So if you’re a bum, then I must be in love with a bum,” she joked.

Jacob watched as she slipped her phone back into her purse and he reached for her hand and led her to the edge of the bluff.  “Remember when I brought you here when you were younger?  I promised to sit you down one day and tell you all my secrets, didn’t I?”

Renesmee nodded.  “Of course I remember.  You never let me sit on the edge, because you constantly worried I would fall off. And you said we could watch the sunset together, but we had to wait until I was older because sunsets are romantic.”

Jacob beamed.  “Do you remember everything I ever told you?”

“Pretty much,” she admitted shyly. “And right on cue,” she paused to turn and look out over the water, “there’s the sunset...almost as if you ordered it yourself.”

Renesmee sighed at how beautiful the sky looked.  All the gorgeous pinks and oranges melting against the crystal blue water.  Totally breathtaking.  Suddenly she wished she had her sketchbook, although she doubted she could capture it’s immense beauty.

When she turned to look for Jacob, she found him on the ground, on one knee, with a ring between his fingers.  “There’s something I wanted to ask you…”