CHAPTER FIFTY

Picking up the office phone I dial the number for my insurance company and after a 15 minute conversation they let me know that an assessor will be out early the following week, I'm asked to take photos of the damage in case anything further happens due to weather. I laugh and shake my head but when I'm done I snap a few photos with the camera Donna always carries in her huge purse (having kid's means she's always prepared for a 'Kodak moment').

While I've been on the phone I've remembered that I still need to ring and sort out the final paperwork with Mandy for the house, the only thing that's still waiting is my signature on the final deed of sale and purchase.

Giving Mandy a ring I find out she's out and about and can stop into the clubhouse if it's easier, telling her that it would be amazing if she could do that I deliberately leave out the fact that if I had had to come to her it would have been with Gemma, Donna and at least one Son as an escort.

Helping Donna sort the filing makes the time pass and before I know it Mandy is standing in the door, her briefcase in one hand. Gemma moves to clear the side of her desk so we can work there but I halt her, "It's okay Gem, we'll do this outside so you don't have to stop."

Leading Mandy towards one of the picnic benches she smiles slyly at me, "You don't want her to know what you've paid for this place, do you?"

"Hell no I don't! My financial situation isn't her problem, so I don't see her needing to know anything about it. Besides that, I paid 50K less than the asking price so I don't think that's bad." I reply sitting at the table the furthest from the door, but closest to Mandy's car.

My signature on the paperwork only takes a few seconds, but going over the final list of things that the previous owners are leaving takes a little longer. I'm surprised that even though I've paid less than they wanted they're leaving both the ride on lawnmower and the shed full of garden equipment behind. When I ask about it Mandy smiles, "They've moved to an apartment building, they don't need any of the gear they've left."

I nod and a few minutes later with all the paperwork tucked in her briefcase she's climbing back in her car. "Provided there are no issues with the payment transfer to the lawyer the keys will be ready to be collected on Monday, then you'll be a home owner."

I grin at her, "Can't wait."

She pulls out of the lot and I wander slowly back to the clubhouse where the boxes of spirits are lined up on the bar. The first thing I do is unload the dishwasher; the glasses being pulled out are a lot cleaner than the spotted dusty things that I had loaded into it 45 minutes before. Loading the second lot in I restart the machine and take the cleaned ones back.

I briefly consider rearranging the shelves, but figure I'll have a lot of very angry bikers if I do that and they can't find the glasses they want easily. Loading the cleaned glasses on the shelves I spend the rest of the afternoon restocking the shelves and washing glasses.

Tig slams the door open, "Come on move ya ass. It's time to leave." I get up off the floor where I've been putting the last of the full spirit bottles into the cupboard and follow Tig through the door and over to the office where Donna and Gemma are locking up for the night.

I'm informed that we're all going to go in the Caddy to save driveway space and petrol and before I can agree Donna bounces down the step calling "Shotgun."

Laughing at her behaviour I trail behind them to the car and climb in the back, we make a short trip to the Winston's so that Donna and I can both grab clothes for the morning and it's not till I'm standing in the bedroom that I realise I'm still wearing the jeans and t-shirt I hijacked for cleaning.

Picking out clothes for the day tomorrow I shove them in a bag and end up back in the car, Doj trailing behind me just as Donna is locking the door.

We stop on the way to Gemma's to pick up dinner, she's decided that she can't be bothered cooking and no matter how many times I offer she waves me off. She picks up half a dozen pizza's I'm sure that it's an insane amount to get until we pull into her driveway and there's already 3 bikes sitting there, walking inside Clay, Juice and Chibs are already in the living room. Happy and Tig come in behind us, having been on escort duty tonight which suddenly makes me think that maybe the 6 pizza's Gemma brought won't be enough.

Once in the kitchen she spreads the boxes on the bench, flicks the lids up and pulls the garlic bread and salads out of the bag I've been carrying. The three of us get our food and head to the table, just as Donna and I sit down Gemma sticks her head into the lounge where the guys have all gathered and say, "Foods on the bench."

The thump of boots on the floor make me realise Gemma did a favour for us, if we'd waited we would have been trampled by the hungry bikers who have gone towards the kitchen shoving each other out of the way as they go.

Gemma raises an eyebrow and I grin, "Okay, so maybe you didn't over-buy as much as I thought."

"Oh baby girl I always buy too much, but men and the amount of food they eat is something I have had years of experience with, especially those men in particular."

We eat our dinner round the table, I go into my own thoughts and only occasional things filter through into my brain. Doj is sitting at the end of the table, watching all of us eat, every now and then I see a bit of crust being thrown at him and I make mental notes that he'll need a really long walk the following day, the last thing my giant dog needs is to be carrying any extra weight.

"Tacoma is arriving tomorrow, should be arriving mid-morning." Tig's voice cracks through the haze in my brain.

"Tara's gone; we escorted her out of Charming today." Chibs tells Clay, Juice nodding along.

"Next week is the last week, then they start playgroup." Donna's telling Gemma talking about the twins who are happily chewing on pizza crusts between them.

"Fresno is due mid-next week, we have a charity run to Indian Hills, but Fresno is going to do it from here." Clay informs Happy and Tig who are nodding.

It's not even Juice's voice that gets my attention, but a single word. "...Craig since Wednesday."

My head snaps in his direction, "What was that?"

Juice looks over at Clay who nods, "We haven't seen or heard from Craig since Wednesday, when he was seen on surveillance."

I grimace, "Unfortunately I don't think that means much. It's unlikely that he's gone, as much as I'd like him to be."

Chibs studies me for a minute, "Don't worry lass, Jackie Boy is on it, and we're not going to let him get near you."

I smile half-heartedly, "I know Chibs, but it doesn't stop me worrying. It's built into my DNA."

Donna nods furiously, "It is, she's worried about shit that she can't change since the day I met her."

I poke my tongue out at her, "Love you too D."

"It's true though, your first week before we even spoke to each other I could tell you were worrying about something."

I roll my eyes, "Course I was, my parents had just died and I'd been sent to the middle of nowhere to live with family I didn't know. The only good thing was I already knew Uncle Clay, even though I didn't find out till later this was where he lived."

Looking down the table at Clay I give him a smile, "Yeah, and you should have been sent to us, not that stuck up family of yours."

"I know that, let's just be grateful that it all worked out with you being in the same city as them, I think I would have either ended up on your doorstep or gone insane without you all." I reach over and squeeze Gemma's hand, she'd been just as much a god-send to me as Clay had been and she'd certainly helped me get over the guilt I felt when both my parents died on a trip I was meant to be on with them, but the relief that I hadn't been on the plane.

Once we've all finished Gemma clears the kitchen, I set up my laptop and e-mail the photos of the car to the insurance company and save a copy to my hard drive as well, replying to the e-mails from my friends in New York takes a while and by the time I hit send on the final e-mail I'm ready to go to bed.

Walking back into the living room I take note that Chibs and Happy have gone. Walking over to Gemma, "Where is everyone sleeping?"

"Donna and the kids are in the kids room, Tig's in the spare room, Juice's got the couch." She says, Donna has already taken the kids and put them to bed and the way she's yawning from the chair I don't think she'll be up much longer.

"And me?" I ask, a suspicion creeping into my brain.

"I've put you in Jax's room." a wide grin appears on her face.

Heading down the hall I open the door to Jax's room and get hit with the smell that always follows him around, the leather, oil and spice smell that clings to his skin like a cloud surrounds me the second I step through the door.

"Oh boy, this could be an interesting night." I sigh.

Closing the door behind me I drop my bag on the bed, unzipping it I quickly realise the one thing I've forgotten is something to sleep in so I fish through Jax's draw and pull out one of his blue SAMCRO shirts.

Slipping into Jax's childhood bed I start thinking about Jax and where he is, the realisation that he's probably really enjoying Las Vegas's entertainment being provided by the charter there.

Shaking my head I whisper, "You have no claim to him, forget about it." Remembering the club rule of 'what happens on a run stays on a run' makes my mind calm and I realise how exhausted I am as I start to fall asleep quickly, visions of show girls and tassels in my brain.