CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. 5 reviews gets next chapter early.
The morning proves to be an interesting one, Jax's alarm goes off at 6am and he's out of bed within minutes and into the shower, but once he's showered he doesn't seem worried about getting dressed. He's perfectly happy to walk round the house in just his boxers, which doesn't bother me in the slightest, but the second that he hears the door to Abel's room open he heads down the hall to get dressed.
Happy comes into the kitchen and sits at the table, "I didn't ask you last night what the ovens like cupcake."
I grin at him as I pour some coffee into the cup I've just placed in front of him, the sugar and milk are not far from his hand, topping up Jax's cup while I'm there I go back to the bench and bring back the plate of scrambled eggs and bacon I'd kept for him. "It's shit. It looks like it's about 4 thousand years old."
Jax comes in as I say that and he ruffles my hair as he sits down, "Don't be like that."
"Okay, so you're happy to not have any baking while I'm here?" I ask, smirking at him.
"Now now, let's not make rash decisions." Jax says hurriedly, "Maybe it is time for a new oven?"
I nod and Happy pipes up with, "The sooner the better, right cupcake?" I realise that he's referring to me as cupcake, shrugging I resign myself to the new nickname.
"Well, I can't cook in that thing over there, so until it's replaced it's going to be stove top everything." I say. "No cupcakes, no cakes, no muffins, no roasts..." I trail off when I see Jax look at me.
"Alright alright, I guess I have no choice but to replace it." Jax says sounding less than thrilled.
"While you're at it, you could probably do with a new fridge and maybe a microwave as well." I tell him.
"Why?" He looks genuinely confused and for a second I feel sorry for him.
"Well, you're going to have a baby here soon, right?" He nods, "So you'll need a microwave to sterilise bottles, unless you're going to go the old boil them way. And you can pre-make them and put them in the fridge."
The confused look hasn't left his face and I grin at him, "Boy, you have a lot to learn before that son of yours comes home."
"Tell me about it." He sounds kinda depressed for a second, but it doesn't take long before his expression lightens considerably, the fact he's just noticed his coffee cup is full again may have something to do with that.
I leave the pair of them to talk about whatever it is that they talk about while I go collect Jax's laundry hamper from his room and head into the laundry. "Is anything going to bite me from in here?" I call over my shoulder as I walk past the pair.
"Don't think so, but don't blame me if it does." Jax replies.
I feel so domesticated as I put Jax's clothes in the machine, but it's not till I hear them stand up that I realise something.
Walking back into the kitchen I look at them both, popping a hand on my hip I know I look like I'm about to tell them off. "How am I getting to the garage?"
"My bike." Jax says like it should be obvious. Happy starts shaking his head the second Jax opens his mouth.
"Don't worry about it cupcake, I called Clay this morning and Gemma's going to pick you up on her way."
"Thanks Hap." I say, stepping past and picking up the empty coffee cups. "Do you have anything to wash?"
"Just his mind." Jax snaps, and I glance over my shoulder and find them both staring at my ass, Jax I get but it takes a second for me to realise why has Happy so interested before I remember the cupcake on the ass of the shorts I pulled on that morning.
I laugh which breaks both of their attention long enough for Happy to nod and head down the hall. Returning a couple of minutes later with his clothes I toss them in the machine and start it.
I've just finished brushing my teeth when we both hear a couple of bikes pull up and a car horn honk. Grabbing my laptop bag and purse we all go outside and I climb back in Gemma's Caddy. The towel from yesterday is still there so I position it on the leather again.
"You okay baby?" Gemma asks as she backs out of the drive.
"Yep, just a bit sore." I tell her as I rummage through my bag to check I have my wallet and the cream for my leg. "Though I did make progress with Jax and the state of his house this morning." I say as I close the zip.
"Really, what's that?" Gemma asks, and I silently wish that it could be progress about something else I was reporting but giving myself a mental slap and a reminder that I said I'd wait I let her know about the agreement to get a new oven. I don't mention that I plan on paying for it, or that I plan on getting him a new fridge/freezer and a microwave at the same time, I know she'd react badly to that, and start quizzing me on the state of my bank balance.
"He agreed to replace his oven, the one he's got there is absolute shit. I spent 45 minutes this morning trying to heat it so I could make muffins and it never got hot enough." I know I sound like a grumpy kid, but the oven in my apartment in New York had been amazing. The best feature of it had been the 'self-cleaning' mode.
"Thank god for that. I've been bugging that boy for months to replace that old thing." Gemma says, "Do you want to go shopping today?"
"Well, I thought I'd just order it online, I know it's a standard width and that way Clay doesn't have to organise another babysitting duty for me and the guys might actually get some work done." I really would like to be able to tell Clay not to worry and I'll be fine, but I know none of them will listen, Jax's revelation about the club reactions to my leaving made me feel guilty all over again.
"Oh baby girl you leave Clay to me." Gemma says with a smile as we pull into the lot. "Don't get comfortable in the office; we'll be going again soon."
"Really Gem, I'm not dressed for shopping." I look down at the shorts and t-shirt I'm wearing, it definitely doesn't scream 'I'm a responsible adult'.
"And who cares? As long as you can pay for what you get doesn't matter what you look like." She tells me as she climbs out of her car.
I shake my head and watch as she walks over to Clay where he's just gotten off his bike. He looks at Jax, shakes his head and says something that makes everyone there laugh and Jax look over at the car, shrug his shoulders and walk into the garage.
When Gemma comes back to the car I see Happy and Kip get back on their bikes and motion us to leave. Starting the car again Gemma pulls out of the lot and says with a grin, "Stockton here we come."
I look at her and she shakes her head, "Can't find shit here in the way of decent appliances. We have them for 3 hours, no more I was told. So 1 hour each way and an hour to figure out what you want."
I nod, it shouldn't take me more than about 30 minutes to sort out what needs to be ordered, but I might be able to do some shopping for my own appliances while we're there.
During the drive Gemma and I talk about my time in New York, glossing over everything to do with Craig. I fill her in on the Culinary Institute that I attended, and the courses that I did. She lets me know about all the things I missed most of them Donna told me about but I let her tell me anyway.
By the time we pull into the Home Depot in Stockton she's filled me in on everything, I think I've finally managed to apologise enough for leaving and suggesting I leave again, and I've heard more about how Jax was when I left and how much Wendy's sudden arrival threw the clubhouse into chaos.
We're getting out of the car, still in mid-conversation about the clubhouse issue, "I bet it was a shock to the gashed groupies that suddenly the favoured cock was off the market."
Gemma just about trips over she's laughing so hard. "Oh, I missed you Sarah." She says as we step into the giant store.
AN: Normally I wouldn't reply to just a single review but in this case I wanted to reply to arowley: Have you ever loved someone so much that you would turn your entire life upside down for them? Sarah did this for Jax (well she thought she did) when she left Charming. Jax isn't the most intelligent person when it comes to stuff like this.