Barefoot in Texas by Planetblue

Barefoot in Texas by Planetblue
I watch her jumping, prancing, her hands empty but taking pictures. Her feet bare on the hot Texas earth. Everything in my life that was planned to a T just whirled away in a ruffled skirt.

The brilliant @Cejsmom rec'd this to me, and I wanted something fluffy and quick and easy. By the summary, I thought that's what I'd get, but I was wrong. It was so much more than that. This fic has character growth and depth and is inspiring. Wait, what? I know. It inspired me to think about my life and what I'm doing and if I'm happy. Awesome, right? 

Edward is a buttoned-up Lawyer-to-be with a pretentious, political family that dictates his every move, including his love life. Bella is a hippie on the move, living out of a purple camper, living off of money she makes at bazaars and making friends in each town she passes through. They meet by chance again and again, and they get to know each other slowly. Yay, for slow! I love slow! 

Edward's inner monologues are as good as his spoken words. Planetblue has a great handle on dude thoughts. This Edward is a man. He thinks everything through and follows his heart, but he's also logical and realistic. Thank you for that, Planetblue. 

Edward and Bella's relationship takes them both by surprise because neither of them do this. Bella doesn't stay in one place, and Edward can't date girls that aren't deemed "appropriate" by his parents. So what do they do? How do they handle their predicament? And better yet, how do they deal with what they've learned from each other? 

A quick, sweet read with substance. You'll love it. 

Team Jacob safe. 
Medium smut level.

An excerpt to get you started . . .

Leaving the dim bar and into the bright sun, I shield my eyes and pause, letting them adjust to the light. Making my way to where I parked my car, I notice a dilapidated purple camper, much like I imagine Woodstock was full of, with a barefoot girl standing on the bumper looking under the hood. I take a moment to appreciate the way the movement of her arms and upper body are making her ass wiggle.

I could walk by, she wasn't the most polite, but she looks to be having an issue, and I'm nothing if not a gentleman.

As I get nearer, a string of profanity reaches me and I find myself smiling.

"Do you need some help?" I say as I peer into the engine next to her.

"This stupid thing won't start again. Lord knows I paid enough for this thing back in Ohio, the guy assured me it'd run for a while." She jumps down off the bumper, her ruffled skirt puffing up and then landing on her thighs, dangerously close to showing me too much, not enough. "If I don't get going I'm going to be late picking up Jasper."

"I can take a look if you want." I know nothing about cars and their machinery.

"Nah, it's ok. I'll walk." She closes the hood and starts heading down the street, her hair, twisted to look like dreadlocks, being pulled into a haphazard ponytail. She turns suddenly. "Walk with me?"

I should offer her a ride, she has no shoes. "I have somewhere to be."

"So do I." She's standing, waiting.

Right. Someone named Jasper she's going to be late for. "You don't have any shoes on." I forget about my car and walk mindlessly towards her.

"Shoes aren't important." She waves her hand in a dismissive gesture.

My eyes widen. "Yes they are!"

"No, they're really not." She looks down, lifting one dirty foot, then the other trying to determine why she should have them on. Looking at them doesn't change her mind, and she shrugs. "Are you coming?"

Inexplicably, I start moving, catching up to her as she turns the corner. She hooks her arm through mine, and I ask her name.

"What's your name?" She's looking up at me, excitement and mischief behind her smile. Her gaze hits me somewhere deep in my chest.

"Edward." I answer. I like the way she's got her left hand clasped with her right, tight around my arm. I also like the way her right breast is rubbing against my elbow.

"Well that's a solid name, isn't it?"

"It's an old family name. And yours is…?" I kind of don't want to know, I like thinking of her as Shutterbug.

"Depends. What's your favorite name?"

I'm confused. "My favorite name? A girl's name? I have no idea."

"Well I mean, everyone has names they like and don't like. Would you ever name your kid Bertha? Hell no! So right there, you know you don't like that name. Oh! You're not married to a Bertha or something are you? I tend to give my opinion without thinking sometimes." She's stopped our gait, looking up at me.

"I'm not married." Relief that I'm able to tell her that, confuses me.

She starts walking again, pulling me with her. "Oh phew, I hate to insult people I don't know."

"But you insult people you do know?" I chuckle and find my hand making it's way to lay on top of hers. We're walking like some 1920's promenade.

"Well I try not to but sometimes people need to hear the hard stuff. You know?"

No, I have no idea, this whole conversation has my head spinning. I'm jarred from my thoughts when she makes an abrupt stop and pulls me over to a street vendor selling what appears to be second hand clothes. The macramé sweaters and tie dyed shirts make the back of my neck itch.

"What do you think of those?" She's pointing at a pretty ratty looking pair of black cowboy boots, more gray with age than anything. "They just scream of life, don't they? I mean, who wore them? Where did they go? You don't get that worn out just walking around on carpet all day! They've lived!" She's gotten herself all worked up about a pair of someone else's hand me down shoes.

To my horror, she prances over and proceeds to put them on her feet. "You're not seriously going to put those on, are you?" I think barefoot on the sidewalk is safer at this point.

"Sure, why not?" The movement of her skirt as she twirls on the sidewalk momentarily distracts me and I realize she's given the vendor a hug and is handing him a five-dollar bill. Entirely too much in my opinion, he should pay her to take them off his hands.

We're on the move again and she's happily looking at her feet as she walks, the boots being maybe a size too big, causing them to make a shuffle plop sound as she steps.