5

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 238 Daddy Dearest

Scarlett didn't like large gatherings of people. They brought out her shy awkward side. She'd learned over the years how to hide her uneasiness and appear like she was having a good time even when she was miserable.

Jax warned her that Tara might be at the picnic since she and Donna were good friends. She'd shrugged off this information.

She hated the dating shows where a group of women fight for a man of questionable value. Here's a man. He's a prize because TV producers are saying he's a prize. Compete, back stab each other and cat fight for him. To her, it made the women look desperate.

Scarlett drove to the park. The MC guys were going to make a big entrance on their bikes. She thought it was a little silly, but wisely kept her opinion to herself.

She had dressed simply in a pair of dark wash jeans and a V-neck bright grass green shirt that almost matched the color of her eyes. Her hair was drawn back into a messy ponytail. She added an usual bracelet to complete her look.

Despite being at the park early, Gemma was there with about thirty people, a mix of men, women and children. Scarlett debated offering her help to Gemma. A week of physio hadn't given her any physical improvement. Walking was still slow and painful. She decided not to volunteer her help since there was little help she could give. Gemma had a dozen women helping her and a couple of men were tending two park grills.

According to Jax, the MC had two big celebrations every year, one at Christmas and one in the summer. Opie's release from prison was perfectly timed for the annual picnic.

Most of the kids were playing on the park's playground except one little blonde headed girl who looked to be about seven sitting at a picnic table alone. Scarlett walked over to her.

This was something her mother taught her to do—to go over and talk to the people who were alone especially kids at a social gathering. Her mother would always find the one kid that was being left out and make the child feel better.

"Hi," she said. "My name's Scarlett. What's yours?"

"Ellie."

"Are you going to the picnic?"

Ellie nodded.

"My dad is in SAMCRO. He got out of prison yesterday."

"His name's Opie," Scarlett said, smiling at the girl.

"How did you know?"

"Jax Teller told me. How is it having your dad back?"

Ellie took a few moments to reply.

"It's good."

Scarlett nodded.

"My parents got divorced when I was little. I lived with my dad and sometimes I wouldn't see my mother for months. It was hard each time I saw her because she felt like a stranger, but she was my mother. Do you feel like that with your dad being back?"

"Yeah. He doesn't feel like my dad."

"You just need to get used to him being back. It will take some time. That's how it was for me and my mom.

"How long did it take you?"

"It depended on how long she'd been away. The longer she'd been away, the longer it took for me to get to know her again."

Ellie thought that over for a moment before nodding her head.

"Are you Jax's girlfriend?"

"I don't know."

Ellie giggled.

"Girls are always chasing after Jax."

"I'm not chasing after him. He's chasing after me."

Ellie giggled again.

"I've never seen him chase after a girl before."

"The only reason I'm letting him catch me is because I hurt my back and I can't run."

Ellie and Scarlett both laughed. She was glad she'd gone over and talked to the little girl.

"Do you think when I'm old enough I might have a chance with him?"

Scarlett shook her head quickly.

"No, absolutely not. By the time you are old enough for Jax, he'll be old, bald and fat. He'll lose all his muscles."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I never thought about what he would look like if I was old enough for him. I didn't think about him getting old while I was growing up. You really think he'll be bald?"

"I'm afraid so. It won't be good looking bald either."

Ellie asked about Scarlett's unusual bracelet. Scarlett had just finished explaining her unique bracelet when they heard the sound of motorcycles in the distance.

"They're coming," Ellie squealed with excitement.

She led Scarlett to the curb where all the bikes would ride past.

"Scarlett, this is my mom and my brother Kenny."

"I'm Donna, Opie's wife."

"I'm here with Jax," Scarlett said. "I don't know anyone and Ellie has been so nice to me. She's really a great kid."

Ellie beamed with pride at hearing Scarlett's praise.

There were about sixty people waiting for the bikers to make their entrance. They zoomed past while the crowd cheered and clapped. It was like the men of SAMCRO were rock stars and Jax was the lead singer.

She watched how the women looked at him like they were hungry and they wanted to devour him. She knew of his reputation, of course, but this was the first time she had seen his effect on women firsthand. It definitely explained his swagger.

After the men parked their bikes, they came over to all the well wishers. Opie hugged Donna and his kids. Jax surprised her by hugging her. All the women stared daggers at her. Their jealousy felt good to Scarlett.

There were three tables set up in addition to the picnic tables already in the park. A card table held paper plates, forks, napkins, hot dogs the men had been grilling along with squeeze bottles of mustard and ketchup. The other two tables had typical picnic food potato salad, cole slaw, pasta salad and macaroni salad.

Scarlett sat at a table with Jax, Opie, Donna, Kenny and Ellie. Jax and Opie told stories about the days when they were prospects together. Scarlett could see that Kenny and Ellie were proud of their father despite his having been in prison. Scarlett would later learn that going to prison was a badge of honor.

After everyone finished eating, Gemma and her army of Crow-eaters gathered up all the trash and began putting away all the salads before they spoiled in the hot sun.

Suddenly, Scarlett found herself alone. Jax and Opie had been sent to Gemma's to pick up the ice cream sundae cups in boxes in Gemma's freezer and Donna had taken the kids off to the playground.

Clay wasted no time in taking advantage of this chance to spend some quality alone time with his daughter.