HH01 - A Humble Heart (7 page)

since the women behind him were taking pictures with their camera phones every thirty seconds or so. He really didn’t think he

was doing anything interesting. But then again maybe they were taking pictures of Cole. The kid was a natural flirt.

“Edward, can I peease have a cup of juice?” Cole asked as he gestured to a courtesy table for customers. Damn, for a

three and a half year old the boy was really intelligent. The same could definitely be said for Elizabeth.

“Sure, buddy,” he said as he rolled their carriage over to the table.

Cole sat patiently in the carriage as he waited for a woman to finish pouring juice for a little boy who looked to be around

eight years old. The little boy snatched the cup from the woman, took a sip and then promptly threw the cup to the ground.

“I don’t want fruit punch! I want soda! You promised me soda!” the little boy screamed. When the mother tried to calm the

boy down by promising to buy him soda the little boy pushed the juice dispenser to the ground.

Cole sat quietly with his brows arched up. Clearly the three year old was just as shocked as he was by the behavior. The

boy continued to scream and kick the broken dispenser as the mother apologized to the little boy, promising him a new video

game, soda and anything else the boy wanted.

A stock boy came over and without a word cleaned up the mess. Edward guessed this happened often. Edward and Cole

waited patiently to see if new juice was going to be put out.

The stock boy looked at the woman and screaming child and then at Edward. The kid shrugged. “Sorry, sir. The manager

won’t let us put any more out after….” He nodded towards the tantrum and spilled juice. “Sorry, it’s store policy.”

Edward nodded and looked at Cole, ready to see the kid finally melt down and cry over the juice he was being unfairly

denied. Cole simply shrugged.

“Do you want me to get you a soda?” Edward asked, not really sure what to do.

Cole’s face squished up. “Mommy will get mad. Elizabeth and me don’t drink soda.”

“Oh,” Edward mumbled. Kids didn’t drink soda? He couldn’t remember when his mother first let him drink soda.

“Can I have sum of the water, peease?” Cole asked in such a cute way that Edward couldn’t deny him. Not that he would.

Water was good for kids, right? It couldn't be bad, he decided as he poured a cup for the boy. “Elizabeth, too?” Cole asked.

“Sure.” He poured a second cup and handed it to Cole who hugged it fiercely to his little chest while he sipped from his

own cup. Edward grabbed a large cup and filled it with ice cold water before rejoining the women.

He sipped the water as they searched the next aisle. When he spotted Dana he bee lined for her and offered her a drink.

She accepted the offer with a "thank you." Clearly the kids learned their manors from her. As she sipped from the cup several

women offered her money for the rest of the water.

Dana looked genuinely surprised with the offers. Then she looked at Edward with an amused smile. “Wow, I never drank

five hundred dollars worth of water before.” She took another small sip. “I gotta tell you it's a little disappointing. Tastes just

like tap water,” she said teasingly as she handed the cup back to him.

He chuckled deeply as he accepted the water. She was definitely different from all the women he’d met before. Several of

the women he’d spent time with in the past would have ripped the cup from his hand and run it to the highest bidder. There

were others who would have thrown a fit worse than that eight year old at not having his full attention and of course there the

women who would bask in the glory of being seen with him. Dana was none of those women.

“Excuse me, Mr. Pierce?” a man said.

Edward looked over his shoulder to see a man wearing a starched white shirt and black tie waiting to speak with him. The

man shifted nervously. Edward’s eyes dropped to the gold name tag that declared this man the store manager.

“I wanted to apologize for the juice, Mr. Pierce.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t aware that your little boy was waiting

for some juice until Jonathan told me.” Edward looked past the manager to see the stock boy who cleaned up the juice shifting

nervously as he glanced at the women who looked ready to pounce.

“It’s fine,” Edward said, gesturing to the kids. “There was ice water available and the kids seem to be happy with it.”

“It was nummies,” Cole agreed with a firm nod.

The manager’s lips twitched and Edward could tell the man was fighting back a smile. Damn, this kid really was a

charmer.

“Well, I would like to make it up to you, Mr. Pierce.” He gestured to the stock boy and a young woman. The woman held

a metal bucket filled with ice, soda and juices and the stock boy held a tray of gourmet cookies.

“We’re fine, but thank you,” Edward said without thinking. The kids probably wanted some of it, but he made it a habit

years ago not to accept special treatment. It made him uncomfortable and reminded him that he wasn’t a normal guy. He hated

it. As far as he was concerned he was the same guy he was six years ago. The only difference was his bank account and doing a

job he loved.

“Oh." The manager’s face fell.

“It was really nice of you to offer, but the kids haven’t had their dinner yet,” Dana said with a gentle smile that made the

manager grin and blush. The woman was too damn tempting for her own good. Edward wondered if she was aware of the

affect that she had on men, probably not. She seemed too level headed. Most of the women who realized their worth milked it

for everything they could.

“No nummies before din din!” Cole repeated as if it was something he heard often. No doubt he had. His mother seemed

to be on top of things.

“Okay, it will be at the courtesy table if you change your mind,” the manager said, gesturing behind him. The two

employees immediately left to place the items on the table. The manager was about to turn away when he stopped and frowned

in Dana’s direction. He eyed her curiously.

“Excuse me, miss? You wouldn’t happen to be Dana Mathews, would you?”

It was Dana’s turn to blush. “Yes."

The man’s face lit up. Several of the women behind them gasped. He pulled out a pen and a pad of paper with shaky

hands.

“I really really really loved your books. Could I bother you for an autograph?” He licked his lips nervously.

Dana’s blush deepened as she took the pen. “Thank you. Who should I make this out to?”

The man put his hand over the pad. “Wait, would you autograph a copy of your book for me instead?”

“Sure-“

“Jonathan!” the manager yelled to the stock boy, making the kid jump. “Run to aisle ten and get me a copy of Miss.

Mathews book, please.”

The boy nodded eagerly as he set off. Several of the women gasped before they abandoned their carriages and ran off

after the boy, leaving Dana with a look of utter shock.

Edward couldn’t help smiling at her. She was so adorable at the moment. The children watched with wide eyes as the

stock boy came running back, clutching two books against his chest with several women chasing after him, trying to grab the

books out of his arms.

“Help!” the boy cried as a woman tried to rip a book out of his hands. She only managed to tear his shirt.

Dana shifted in front of Elizabeth as Edward automatically did the same for Cole, both of them suddenly afraid for the

kids’ safety.

“I only needed one book,” the manager said as he pulled the boy in front of him and away from the women.

Edward noted several of the women were clutching magazines to their chests as they formed a line. Wow, they were

organized.

The boy held a book to his chest while he was gasping for air. “I….want….an….auto….graph too…..my…mother…..,”

he sucked in a deep breath, “would kill me if I didn’t get her one.”

The manager winced and nodded. “Yeah, Cindy probably would.”

“Can we have your autograph?” the women cried out to no one in particular.

Edward looked at Dana who was watching the women cautiously. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head. “It’s fine I guess. We don’t have anything cold, but I do need to get the kids home soon for dinner.”

“You heard the woman,” the manager yelled out. “Everyone who wants an autograph from Miss. Mathews form one line

here. For Mr. Pierce form a line over here. If you want an autograph you need to hurry so she can get the kids home for dinner!”

Edward bit back a smile at the manager’s handling. The man was in the wrong line of work. He could have used someone

like this man countless times in the past.

For the next half hour they signed autographs and greeted fans. Between fans they both talked to the kids, making sure they

were fine. Before the last autograph was signed Cole was fast asleep and Elizabeth was close behind. An hour later they were

done shopping and personally checked out by the manager and Jonathan. Normally Edward would have told them no thanks, but

the kids were really tired. He had a feeling Dana was the same way, but made an exception this time as well.

While they were being checked out he held Cole in his arms. The little boy’s head lay against his shoulder. Edward gently

swayed the boy, delighted with the little snores. He’d never held a child like this before, but he had to admit it felt….almost

natural. It felt good. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head as he soothed his back.

“You’re really good with him,” Dana whispered as she adjusted Elizabeth in her arms.

“Thank you,” he murmured, not really knowing what to say. He watched as she leaned over to kiss the top of Elizabeth’s

head. Edward wondered what it would be like to watch her kiss his children goodnight. That thought came out of nowhere

nearly making him stumble back.

Damn…….

Chapter 4

“You’re not going to work today are you?” Deana asked.

“Yup, they film six, sometimes seven days a week. I told you last week I would need you to cover for me.”

Deana growled. “Dana, I can only watch the kids until eleven. I didn’t know you needed me all day.”

Dana rubbed her forehead. “Crap. Okay, drop the kids off on the set with me. I’ll watch them while I work.”

“You were up all night with Cole and Elizabeth, you look like hell,” Deana said. Dana knew that was a lie, she looked

like her normal sleep deprived self. She was actually curious what she would look like if she ever got a decent night’s sleep.

“I have to get going.”

“It’s five in the morning!” Deana complained.

“I know, but I didn't get to run so I’m going to the set early. I’m going for a run before they start shooting at six-thirty. I

should be able to get in a shower before seven.” She picked up her bag. “They’re asleep now. Call me if you need anything.”

“We’ll be fine. They should sleep most of the morning. I’ll make sure they’re well rested before I drop them off.”

“Thank you, Deana. I’ll see you later,” she said as she made her way out of the house. She saw Deana curl up on the couch

with a pillow and blanket before she closed the door.

Twenty minutes later she parked her car. Security, assistants and janitors were the only ones at the studio at the moment.

After dropping off her computer and duffle bag in the trailer she strapped her iPod to her arm and jogged down the street. She

had an hour before she had to come back and take a shower.

************

Edward groaned. “Tired.”

“You should have gone to bed earlier last night,” she scolded.

He scoffed. “How? I had to go three different promotional obligations for the studio last night. How exactly could I get to

bed early when I didn’t get out of the last one until three in the morning? I didn’t get home until four, I fell asleep for a half hour

before your well rested ass woke me up.”

“Cranky,” she noted as she parked the car. “Look, it’s six o’clock, you can get another hour of sleep before you’re needed

in make-up. Go sleep, become less cranky.” She shooed him.

“I will.” He headed towards Dana’s trailer.

“Where are you going?” Amy asked.

“My trailer has a lumpy twin. I’m going where there’s a comfy queen size bed and a proper air conditioner. Where the

hell do you think I’m going?” He unlocked the trailer and went straight to the bedroom in the back. He pulled his shirt and pants

off and dropped on the bed only looking up long enough to turn the air conditioner on with the remote. Within minutes he was

out cold.

*********

her bag and headed into the bedroom. The shades were drawn shut, making it hard to see. She loosened the towel and sat on the

edge of the bed while she applied lotion to her body.

A small groan behind her caught her attention. She grabbed the towel and held it in front of her as she jumped to her feet

and whirled around to see Edward sitting up. He put his hands out in an attempt to calm her down. “Whoa, relax!”

Dana hugged the loose towel to her front. “What are you doing in here?”

He stood up and Dana’s eyes dropped down and then widened. “That better be a reaction to sleeping.”

“What?” he mumbled distractedly and looked down to see he was making an impressive tent in his boxers. His hands

moved to cover it. “Of course it is! I didn’t see anything.” That was a lie of course, but he really didn’t want to get bitch