The Road Back
By Mama4Dukes
Chapter 06:
Over the next several weeks, Jasper gave Bella’s words about using this time as an opportunity for profound change consideration. She was so insightful. Most likely because she recently had some hard choices to make herself. He was curious about this Riley fellow. Where had she met him? Why had she been in Boston when she had gone to school in Connecticut?
He also began hanging out with his friends again. Being alone was doing him no favors. He was, he admitted, lonely. Hanging out with his parents every night wasn’t the same as socializing with peers his age.
This evening, he was having dinner with Sam Uley at the bar and grill in Forks.
“How goes the job search?” Sam asked.
“Not so good. I started working for an online law firm for the nonce. It’s easy work, preparing basic legal documents, but at least I’m keeping my skills sharp and practicing law. It’s job experience I can put on my resume.”
“True. Have you thought of opening up your own practice?”
“I have, but I think I need to put in a few more years under a seasoned attorney. But, on the other hand, I wouldn’t want to sell any of my clients short with lack of experience.”
“At least you’re being honest, Jasper. Do you remember James Tracker from high school?”
“I do. He was on my baseball team. I believe he was a few years older than us, right?”
“Yes, James was a senior when we were freshmen. Anyway, he went to law school, graduated, passed the bar, and worked for some big wig attorney for a couple of years. He became frustrated that he wasn’t being promoted fast enough, so he opened up his own practice in Forks. He was disbarred within a year for gross incompetence.”
“Jesus! That’s awful. What does he do now?”
“He’s a lawyer. It took him a few years, but he was eventually reinstated and now works for an attorney in Sequim as a junior associate.”
“So, he’s back to ground zero?”
“Yeah, he is. He admitted that he wasn’t ready when he opened up his own practice. He was so overwhelmed that he didn’t know what to do.”
“Yeah, that’s rough.”
“How about you, Sam? How goes life as an orthopedic surgeon?”
“I do a lot of cortisone injections and hip replacements.” He laughed. “Many of our classmates’ parents come to see me for arthritic complaints now. I have not seen Chief Swan, though. That man is a god, but then again, he still keeps to his regimen of hitting the gym at six am, usually with your dad. Your father is another one that’s in top shape. If he hadn’t been in such good shape, his injuries from the accident would have been far worse.”
Jasper shook his head. “It’s funny. I didn’t find out he was injured until I came home.”
“Your parents didn’t want you to worry. They knew you were busy being a big city lawyer.”
“Yeah, but I would have flown home had I known.”
“Just like you would have come to my wedding?”
Jasper blew out a breath. “Yeah, and I’m still pissed off at Alice for that. What she did was unforgivable.”
“You ought to be. Your ex-girlfriend deliberately tried to sabotage your friendships.”
What Sam said was true. Jasper was now working on rebuilding his friendship with all of his childhood buddies. He wasn’t stupid enough to place the entirety of the blame on Alice, though. He knew he had dropped the ball himself by becoming dependent on his ex-girlfriend.
“Most of it was my fault. I shouldn’t have relied on Alice so much.”
“At least you’ve learned from your mistakes,” Sam ordered another round of beer for them. “So, Jasper, my wife wants to set you up on a date with her cousin.”
“If she means Emily Young, thanks, but no thanks.”
“Damn it, Jasper, why not?”
“She’s not my type. She’s very mother-like, and I prefer a bit more in the noggin. Don’t tell Leah I said that.”
“Emmett guessed you’d refuse. Apparently, Rosalie thinks Bella Swan would be better suited for you. Leah told her that ship had sailed. Jacob, on the other hand, loves the idea.”
Jasper liked Bella, it was true, but he needed a bit more ambition in a girl. For God’s sake, she worked for his father at the service station. Sure, she was an ace at repairing cars, but did he want to date a gas station mechanic?
Jasper held his hand up. “You can tell everyone that I’m not ready for a relationship yet. The last one was traumatic.”
Sam laughed. “Alright, buddy. I won’t pester you. For now.”
It was Saturday night, and his parents were having The Swans over for dinner-Charlie and Renee Swan, that is. Bella was out-of-town.
“Jasper, have you found any work other than that online gig?” Charlie asked.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve submitted over fifty resumes, but they’re looking for someone with more experience or less experience. Apparently, more-or-less isn’t good enough for them.”
“Ha-ha! Well, at least you have the right attitude. Now, all we need to do is find you a real job-after you drive your dad and me to the Mariner’s game next Friday.” Charlie held up three tickets. “How about it, kid? They’re box seats.”
“Are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t offer them to you if I wasn’t serious.”
Driving is not a problem, but what about the service station, Dad?” Jasper asked.
“Don’t worry about that. Bella said she’ll watch the station.” Somehow that didn’t sit well with Jasper. He didn’t like the idea of her laboring away while he relaxed at a baseball game. “Come on, son. You haven’t been to a game with us in almost ten years,” Peter added.
“Do I have to break your arm?” Charlie questioned.
“Isn’t the phrase twist your arm?”
“Nah, not when I’m involved.” The police chief crooked an eyebrow at him. “So, are you driving us old fogies to the game?”
“Definitely. Thanks, Chief Swan.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jasper was invited to a cookout at Lauren and Tyler’s house on Wednesday night. A sudden, impromptu decision was made on the same day when summer-like temperatures and the sun decided to make an appearance for the day. His entire group of friends gathered together. Even Bella showed up for once.
“Gee whiz, Bella! Get a spray tan before you wear shorts, for God’s sake,” Edward suggested jokingly. “You look like a damn vampire!”
“Oh, stop! You know I can’t help it. I take after my father. One minute in the sun, and we’re both as red as lobsters. As it is, I had to slather on tons of sunscreen just so I could wear shorts.” Bella placed a big bowl in the middle of the table. “I made potato salad.”
“Hell, yes! Now we’ve got a side dish. Everyone showed up with either burgers or hot dogs,” Tyler explained. “Except for Jasper. Jasper brought dessert.”
“My mom sent over everything that she won’t be able to sell tomorrow.”
“I swear your mother is a queen,” Lauren declared. “I have no idea how she wakes up at three am every morning just to bake. But, then, she has everything ready to go at six am.”
“I have to agree with you there,” Jasper said. “I’ve woken up with her a couple of times, but I was dead on my feet by the time the store opened. I have no idea how Mom stays cheerful.”
“She has a positive outlook on life,” Bella pointed out. “It goes a long way.”
They broke out into a discussion about having a positive mindset, which somehow evolved into a discussion about yoga and meditation. Jacob and Edward, apparently, were big into Bikram Yoga, a type of hot yoga.
“I don’t know how the two of you can stand it,” Rosalie stated. “It’s simply too hot in the yoga studio.”
“Mrs. Swan and Mrs. Whitlock are regulars in the class. They claim it reduces their hot flashes.”
“That’s it! If my mother is doing it, I refuse. Anyway, I’m going to the driving range on Saturday. Does anyone want to join me?” Bella asked the group in general.
The driving range? As in golf? Did Bella pick up golf somewhere along the way? Jasper raised his hand. “I’ll go with you.”
Sam and Emmett also looked like they wanted to tag along, but Rosalie abruptly smacked both of their arms. “I’m sorry, there was a mosquito.”
“A mosquito? This early in the season?” Emmett questioned.
“Uh, yeah. It flew from you to Sam.” Rosalie glared at her husband, insisting there was one, which got Bella freaking out about not applying insect repellent.
Bella approached Jasper after a few minutes. “Are you looking forward to the game on Friday? I heard you’re the designated driver.”
“Is that why I was invited?”
“Of course. Why do you think our dads always have three tickets? It’s so they can chug beer at the game. Everyone here has done their part. Now it’s your turn to put in some time.”
“I’m actually excited about the game.”
“Of course, you are. You’ve always been a baseball nut.”
“I heard you’re running the gas station that day.”
“I am. It’ll be fun.”
Jasper simply nodded his head. There were a few things on his mind about Bella. Why did a Yale-educated woman continue to work at his father’s service station? He hoped to resuscitate her ambition. She could do so much more than she was doing now, but he didn’t want to overstep and bring up the topic with her. Their friendship was making strides, and he didn’t want to ruin it. He had to mull over the idea of talking to her a little more.
“Jasper, you drive like an old lady. Let me take the wheel,” Peter insisted. He pulled over to the side of the road and quickly switched off with his father, letting Charlie ride shotgun. Jasper took the back seat. He didn’t mind letting his father drive. After all, he’d have to do all of the driving on the way home from the game.
“Alright, but when we get to Seattle, I’ll drive. You can’t drive in the city, Pete.”
“You just want to drive this slick car.”
“Hell, yeah. I don’t know anyone in Forks who owns a German car.”
“I’ve seen people driving VW’s, and Edward drives a Volvo.”
“That’s only because Jacob can repair it. I’m telling you, if Jake and Rose didn’t own their repair shop, he wouldn’t be able to afford to keep that car. It’s forever breaking down with one engine problem or another.”
“Wait a sec, Jake and Rose own a repair shop?” Jasper questioned. “I thought they worked for you?”
“Son, I couldn’t afford to keep them on as employees. They took over Old Man Rudy’s shop in Port Angeles after college. They got their degrees in mechanical engineering to appease their parents and then went to tech school to become certified auto mechanics. They now restore antique vehicles and do standard repairs. They’ve taught me a thing or two. I can tell you that much.”
“Oh, I thought that they worked for you because…”
“Because they were helping out when I was injured?” Peter finished for him.
“Well, yeah.”
“Jasper, they helped keep my shop open out of the goodness of their hearts, and they still help out when I’m overwhelmed. They’re just good people.”.
“That was really nice of them.” Yet again, Jasper had made assumptions about his friends. He assumed they still worked for his father, which was ridiculous, considering he had known they went to UDub for Engineering. Jacob and Rose had always been nuts about cars so, in hindsight, it didn’t surprise him that they opened up their own shop.
“You and Bella have a nice group of friends,” Charlie said. “I’ve always thought so, at least.”
“But then again, Dad and you plus Dr. Cullen and Chief Black have been friends forever, too.”
“Ever since high school. We still fish and hunt together, too. By the way, we need to take you fishing again. You’re a bit rusty; the last haul you had was abysmal. You should come with us tomorrow.”
“I wish I could, but I promised Bella I’d go to the driving range with her.”
“Really? You like golfing, too, huh? I just can’t get into it. Why did you pick up golf?”
“I kind of had to. You’re often invited to golf by your boss, other lawyers, and clients as a lawyer. I simply couldn’t keep saying no, so I learned and realized I enjoyed it. When I was a summer intern, I was frequently asked to caddy. I had no idea what I was doing the first few times. Finally, I sucked it up and took lessons.”
“Is that why they all golf in the prosecutor’s office?” Charlie asked.
“I’d say so. They probably realized it would be better for their careers if they learned at some point. It’s what happened to me.”
“Interesting. Bella says she likes golfing because the woosh sound when she swings is cathartic.”
“She used to the same thing about baseball. She loves the sound of the ball connecting with the bat,” Jasper reminded him.
“Very true.”
The game ended at eight pm with a Mariner’s win. Peter took everyone out for steaks at El Gaucho, where Jasper dove into his filet mignon. “I don’t care if I offend all of Texas. This place has the best steaks in the world, Dad.”
“I’ve always thought so. When I asked your mom to marry me, I did it here over fancy steaks. I wasn’t a Neanderthal-like Charlie. He asked Renee to marry him at the diner.”
“Hey, the diner has decent steaks,” Charlie returned.
Jasper laughed. “You know, the day I got fired from my job, I had an engagement ring for Alice ready in my pocket and a reservation at the best steak house in Dallas all set to go. Fortunately, I was able to return the ring and get a full refund that day.”
“Boy, you sure dodged a bullet with that one! I would have been hard-pressed to be happy with a girl like that for a daughter-in-law. We all heard her bitching about your friends and your family. She, especially, didn’t like Bella and Rose. Probably because they’re both beautiful and intelligent. That Alice girl wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed,” Peter said.
“No, she wasn’t. I met her when I tutored her in US History. She truly thought Canada and Mexico were part of the United States.”
“You’re joking? Listen, I didn’t go to college like you and Charlie did, but even I know that Canada and Mexico are independent nations. You made a big mistake with that one.”
“I know. I don’t even miss Alice-not one bit.”
“Yeah, neither do I. The few times I met here were enough for me.”
“Are you kidding me? I met her once, and that was my limit,” Charlie said. “Now, let’s talk about you, Jasper. Are you still adamant about working for a private law firm, or are you willing to expand your horizons?”
“At this point, I’m open to anything.”
“Good, good, because a little birdy has told me that the prosecutor’s office will begin hiring in about two weeks. One attorney is leaving for greener pastures, one is retiring, and they’ve budgeted for one more. That’s three open positions, and priority is given to Clallam County residents, so might I suggest you change your driver’s license and car registration over to Washington State? I’ll expect you on Monday to take care of that. Besides, you’re bound to get pulled over one day for having out-of-state plates. Heck, Lieutenant Marshall wanted to pull you over just for the fun of it the other day, but he decided it would be a cruel prank.”
Jasper was utterly blown away by the inside scoop Chief Swan had given him. It was precisely the kind of opportunity he was looking for. A job in the prosecutor’s office may not pay as well as working for a private firm, but it would give him the necessary experience to move ahead with his career.
“I’ll switch everything over on Monday.”
“Excellent idea, and have Lauren give you a haircut. You’re looking sloppy there.”
It was true. He had not cut his hair since leaving Texas. It was getting pretty moppy.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea, too. Thanks, Chief Swan.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Jasper and Bella were in Port Angeles practicing their swings at the driving range. He was pleasantly surprised to see Bella was a skilled golfer. It was nice to have a golfing buddy he could talk to. In Texas, Jasper used to golf alone. Alice despised golf, and he really didn’t have any friends in Texas-at least not any true friends. He had co-workers but no real friends.
“Thanks for coming with me. Usually, Emmett or Sam come with me, but apparently, they have errands to run with their wives.
“It’s not a problem, Bella. I love to golf.”
“I’m not surprised. Lawyers generally golf. It’s an unwritten rule.”
“This is true. It’s why I learned. I’m not surprised you like to golf either. You like swinging things that come into contact with the ball like baseball, softball, and now golf.”
“So true, so true. Did you have fun at the game yesterday?”
“I did. Your father gave me a great lead for some upcoming job openings at the prosecutor’s office in Forks.”
“Oh, good. I hope you get one of the positions. I know you’ve been job-hunting for several months now. I know it isn’t easy, but you have to jump at an opportunity when it presents itself.”
“That’s good advice. Thanks.” Jasper decided to bring up what was really on his mind: the issue of Bella continuing to work at the gas station. He knew she was meant for the better. “I have to ask you something.”
“Yeah?”
“You graduated from Yale, right?”
“I did.”
“What was your major?”
“I actually graduated with degrees in English and History and a minor in theatre.”
“Ah, I bet those degrees are not really marketable, are they?”
“Perhaps. Why?”
“I was just curious why a Yale-educated woman continues to work at my father’s service station.”
Bella took a swing and then tilted her head towards him with an odd expression on her face. She smiled as if telling herself an internal joke and said, “Your father is a good man, Jasper. I don’t mind helping him out.”
Jasper decided to end his line of questioning right there. If it made her happy to work at his father’s service station, then she should do it. Perhaps she wasn’t entirely over the death of her fiancé yet and needed more time. The conversation he had planned on having with her could wait.
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