"This sucks." The red head stated, falling onto the floor.
"That's because the guys aren't here to help." Donna sighed, sitting next to her on the floor.
Candice sighed and sat the brush in the pan. Jax and Ope had to leave for a three day run and so she thought it's be nice if they could get all of the work done for Jax. He'd been so helpful since she got here and she wanted to do something for him. They finished painting the house last night and were just doing the touch ups before the shampoo guy got there for the floor. Piney and Chibs had gotten what they could find out of Gemma's storage and with the help of Juice were bringing Jax's bed and a couch this afternoon. Gemma was on store duty. She bought linens, towels, necessities, and food.
"Hey girls, the shampoo guy's here."
The girl's got up and Juice helped them move the paint stuff to the patio so the guys could do their work. They all went into the front yard to wait. Candice sat on the porch, happy to finally have all the touch ups done watching as the guys were getting everything ready to unload. Donna sat next to her and hugged her to her. "He's gonna freak when they get home, sweetie. Ope told me that he's taken care of Jax. He really wants to prove himself to you."
Candice sighed. "I know. He told me he was going to try. I told him not to worry so much."
Donna laughed. "He really likes you, Candy."
"I really like him too."
The girls watched as the shampoo guys finished and left, telling them to wait an hour before putting furniture in the house. The guys nodded and so the girls went to get everyone food while they waited. They went into the diner and sat down. They all talked about small things while waiting on the hamburgers. They laughed about stories Donna told about some of things that happened while in school. Candice appreciated it as it was helping with her nerves. She really liked Jax and after their declaration last week, she really hoped they could make it.
He had kissed her only about two times and she knew it was because he was nervous about her retreating a bit. She couldn't blame him, but man could he kiss. It was all she thought about it. He left her insides goo and she hoped she did the same to him. He hadn't tried anything, which she was alright with. With her still getting a handle on what happened, she didn't want any setbacks with him. She wanted him to try though and was hoping they could figure it out when he got back tomorrow night. They walked outside, heading back to meet up with Chibs, Piney, and Juice at Jax's. When they got there, Gemma was already there and working on unloading things and putting them in the respective place.
"Hey, need help?" Candice asked, walking into the kitchen.
Gemma smiled and looked at the table. "I have to wash the dishes and pans if you wanna stick a load in the dishwasher."
Candice smiled and went to the table, opening up the pans. "Paula Deen, wow...does he even know how to cook?"
Gemma laughed, helping her take the pans out. "Nope, but that's what you're for. I'm sure you like them anyway."
Candice looked at her. "I don't live here."
Gemma sat down and motioned for the girl to sit. When Candice was in a chair, Gemma leaned on the table. "You don't live here, but you may be here a lot. Not for anything other then to hang out with my son. My husband and I really wanted to help you both and figured if you had your own space, you'd be more comfortable."
Candice smiled, "Thanks, Gemma. That means a lot, but I don't know if he'd even want me to cook for him."
"Oh, baby, a man wants his girl to cook for him. Maybe not right away since y'all are still figuring it out, but soon."
Candice just nodded and then they got back up to finish the kitchen while Donna put away the linens and bath things and the guys put the furniture in Jax room and the couch in the living room.
Jax was ready to get home. It had been a long three days and he just wanted to see the red head that was waiting on him. Candice told him to just meet at the park instead of the shop, which he was fine with. They weren't having church will in the morning anyway. He'd been staying with his mom and Clay till he had some time to fix up the house so the girls wouldn't tempt him into bed. He was slowly falling more for the girl at home and was excited to see her.
Opie and him talked a lot and Jax was happy that his friend was really alright with his new relationship with his sister. He pulled up to the park to see her already sitting in a bench. He just stared at her for a moment before she turned to look at him. He was in awe as the moonlight hit her just right, making her look like an angel. He walked up to her and she stood to greet him. "Oh I missed you." He whispered, taking her face in his hand.
She smiled, "I missed you too."
He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "What you wanna do?"
She smiled and looked up at him. "Can we go to your house? I just wanna be with you."
He nodded, "Sure, but it's a piece. I'm going to start working on it this weekend."
He saw something pass over her face as she smiled. "I don't care. I just wanna be with you."
He nodded and just took her hand. They decided to just walk so they could talk about what they did while he was gone. The ride to Reno was easy and she was glad nothing happened. Jax told her about his uncle that was in the war with His dad and Piney. She loved the stories he told her and stopped as they approached the drive way of his home. Jax looked up to see the lawn mowed and the front of the house was painted a blue gray color. He looked at his girl to see her smiling up at him.
"While you were gone, your mom, Juice, Chibs, my dad, Donna, and I did this."
He pulled her to him and hugged her. "Thank you."
She nodded and breathed in his scent. She looked up at him, "You should see the inside."
"You did the inside too?" He asked in awe of the woman in front of him.
She nodded and took his hand in hers, leading him into his home.
Jax walked in and just stopped. The walls were pained a blood red with white trim in the living room and the carpet had been cleaned. He saw a white couch sitting against the wall with a TV and everything. He walked into the Kitchen, which was painted a white and had Coke things all over. He knew they had tried not to decorate the way a girl would and he was grateful for it. He turned and grabbed her hand as he led them down the hall, which had pics from his childhood hanging on the walls. He knew his mom must have put them here because a lot of them had Thomas and JT in them. He opened the door to his room and just stopped. He had a bed and a dresser and the walls were painted a green that almost matched the color of Candice's eyes.
"You told me green for your favorite. Your mom picked out all the things for the house since she knew you best. Donna and I spent two days painting while the guys helped your mom with furniture and stuff like that."
He turned and looked at her after taking it all in, pulling her to him. "Thank you."
She pulled back and looked up at him. "You've done so much for me, to help me. I wanted to do something for you."
He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You already did when you gave me a chance. This is great though. You did a good job."
She smiled, "Thanks. Gemma also bought extra linens, towel, dishes, and food, so you're all set."
He nodded and led her back to the living room. "Where did y'all find it all?"
She sat on the couch and motioned for him to join. He did and she snuggled into him. "You mom had the bed frame and the couch. They found most of it at a good will in Lodi, I think. The TV is from a pawn shop, but Juice made sure it worked before they bought it. Donna and I found some DVDs that she remembered everyone liking when you watched movies together. Most are older ones I think, but we threw in some new ones too."
He was in awe at what they did for them. He looked down at her to see her looking at him and smiled. He leaned in and put his mouth on hers. She linked her hands on the back of his neck and pushed into him a bit and he groaned. They hadn't pushed limits yet since it was new, but he thought he'd try. He licked her bottom lip and smiled when she let him enter her mouth. She moaned as his tongued grazed her and it just spurred him on. He found his fingers in her hair and pulling her closer to him. She heard him groan and pushed herself closer to him. When air was needed, he pulled back and placed his forehead on hers. He opened his eyes to see her looking at him. He smiled and gave her a light kiss. "Oh I really missed you,babe."
"I really missed you too, Jax." She stated as he pulled back.
"Wanna watch a movie?"
She nodded, "Don't you need your bike first though?"
He sighed, "I forgot it was at the park. Wait here?"
She nodded and watched him leave. She sat back, happy to have him home. She put her hand to her lips and could still feel what the kiss did to her. She got up to get a drink when she had an idea. She opened his cabinet and took out the things for spaghetti, knowing he was missing out on the welcome from the club.
Jax reached his bike to see a girl leaning on it. "Excuse me..."
She turned to look at him and he recognized her as one of the croweaters from the shop. She walked over to him and leaned in close. "I wondered where you went, Jax."
He stepped back and went over to his bike, "Sorry, darlin'. I'm busy."
She watched as he got onto the bike and rode off in some direction. She turned to see a couple of bikers standing behind her. "He just left. Didn't even give me a chance to touch him."
Opie smiled as Tig gave him a $50. "I told you. He didn't do anything in Reno and would have jumped the girl and put her on his bike if he didn't really want my sister."
Tig smiled. "I just didn't think he'd change that quick."
Opie turned to him. "It wasn't quick. He never cut himself off till they decided to see what was happening. They both have talked to me about it. Jax knows things you don't yet and he was worried about hurting her. He's not going to, but he needed the reassurance. He was never one to stay with the croweaters for enjoyment anyway."
Tig nodded, "I know, I just didn't think one girl could change him."
Opie looked at Tig, "Tara was the one that changed him when she left. Candice just showed him how to be himself again."
Jax rode and pulled up into his driveway. He got off and put his helmet on the bars before heading into his house. He still couldn't get over the fact that his family had done this for him in the three days he had been gone. He opened the door and smelled what was only garlic bread. He smiled as he went into the kitchen to see Candice bending over to pull something out of the oven. He just leaned the archway, taking in the view. He smiled, thinking about how much he liked her in his kitchen. He knew it was much to soon for that, but he really did.
She turned and smiled at him. "Like the view?"
He smirked and walked up to her. "Oh, baby, you have no fucking clue how much."
She leaned against the counter. "Oh really?"
He just smiled and kissed her. "Yes, best view in town. You didn't have to cook for me."
"I know. It's just you're missing out on the dinner party thing at the shop so I thought I would make you dinner."
He leaned his forehead to hers. "Thank you, smells great."
She smiled and turned to hand him a plate. They walked into the Living room where he put in "Constantine" before sitting down with Candice. They ate their food with the help of the coffee table and then he leaned back against the arm of the couch. He pulled on her hand and she turned to him.
"Come here."
She smiled and crawled over to him, sitting between his legs and laying on his chest to watch the movie.
Jax woke up to the sun in his face and moved a bit, noticing he couldn't. He looked down to see red hair and smiled, they had fallen asleep watching the movie. He smiled at how relaxed she was laying on him. It meant a lot that she felt that safe with him to sleep the whole night. He laid is head back against the back of the couch and sighed. Last night, just being with her made him feel like himself. He hadn't really felt like "Jax" since Tara had left, and this girl was bringing him back. He smiled back down at her when he noticed she was waking up. She jumped a bit and he knew it was because she didn't' know where she was yet. He kept still as she figured out where she was and who she was laying one.
She turned her head to look at him. "Morning..."
He smiled and kissed her head. "Morning, baby."
He smiled when she laid her head back on his chest and twisted so she could wrap him in her arms. He took her hair tie out of her hair and ran his fingers out of it. They laid there in silence, just happy to be with the other. She moved to get up a few moments later and looked at him. "Don't you have church?"
He sat up and ran a hand down his face. "Yeah, I for..."
"KNOCK KNOCK."
Gemma had walked in to see the two on the couch. She smiled. "Thought you'd still be here. Clay asked me to check on you."
Jax nodded. "We just woke up. I'm going to hop in the shower. Thanks for the house, ma."
She smiled and gave him a hug, "You're welcome, baby. Welcome home."
The women watched as Jax walked down to his room, looking in the hall closet for a towel on his way.
Gemma made her way over to the couch and sat with Candice. "How'd it go last night?"
Candice smiled, stacking the plates. "Good, he was really surprised and happy that we did this for him. He left his bike at the park and we walked, so when he went to go get it I made dinner since he missed the party."
Gemma helped her take the things to the kitchen and watched as the teenager started the dishwasher.
"Told you."
Candice turned and looked at her. "Told me what?"
Gemma sat at the kitchen table. "That you'd use the pans."
Candice smiled and rolled her eyes. "Whatever Gemma."
They turned when Jax came down the hall with no shirt and barefoot. He shrugged on his button up and then sat down to put on his socks and sneakers. "What are you ladies doing today?"
Candice shrugged, sitting next to him. "I don't know. Why?"
He looked up and smiled, "Just curious. I got a car to work on since I've been gone for three days."
He saw her face fall a bit and leaned into her. "We could always spar with I'm done for the day, though."
She smiled. "Ok, I haven't really worked out in three days. I've spent it working on your house."
He kissed her and got up to pull on his cut. "See you at the shop later, babe."
"Kay." She stated, watching as he kissed his mom's cheek and looked at her, smiling, once more before heading out.
Jax had spent all afternoon under this damn car and all he wanted to do was spar with Candice. He heard a tapping on the metal and he rolled out from under the car to see a beautiful red head looking down at him. He let his eyes roam over her, noticing the black sports bra and blue cotton shorts.
"Hey, Teller. Ready to help me work out?"
She saw the color of his eyes darken and smiled down at him, holding out her hand. He smiled and grabbed it, letting her help him up. "Oh darlin', you have no idea just how ready I am."
It was his turn to smile at seeing her eyes turn even a darker shade of green. He took her hand and brought it up to him, kissing them. She blushed when she heard the whistles of the other bikers. Jax just smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Lets go, babe."
They walked off and headed over to the ring to spar.
Alright and so an update for today! Again thank you to primesgirl4, shantigal, MUWD'Bellegirl, legolas'girl31, BigTimeGleekBtr, Cappiesgirl23, Nikki9235, awprncss4386, and Mandy-chick00 for the reviews. I really love getting them. Please continue to leave me comments. Until next time-Brianna