CHAPTER FOUR

The sun is starting to set when I eventually come back through the door. Shaking my head I set my bag down on the dining table and the arm full of grocery bags on the bench. Jax's bike pulls into the drive a few minutes later and he comes through the door not long after, more of the bags from my truck in his hand.

I start putting the stuff away as he returns to the truck and brings in the last items, a box of beer for the fridge and a bag holding a new helmet. The battle over who paid for it was interesting and part of the reason I feel so frustrated now.

"I still don't get it." I say, putting the baking ingredients I'd had to get into a cupboard.

Jax sighs, "It's simple really, it's my bike so I paid for it."

"But it's for my head, so shouldn't I pay for it?" I reply. "After all, are you going to admit that you brought a purple helmet?"

Jax nods, "Fuck yes I will. That thing is awesome!" He sounds so enthusiastic about the black helmet we'd managed to find with a glowing purple phoenix on the side.

I can't help by smile, the tiny shop we'd found as we were going into Stockton was perfect. It stocked so much Harley gear that I could have stayed in there for hours just picking through the stuff.

"You do have to give me some credit though darlin', I did let you pay for the helmets you picked as presents." Jax mutters stubbornly as he settles the beer in the fridge.

"Only cause I paid for them before you noticed." I'd found gifts for most of the Sons while we were in the store, and the card with their web address on it is tucked in the front of my bag.

"Well, still don't know how you're gonna explain to everyone that you went shopping and brought new helmets for almost everyone." Jax says handing me one of the bags full of jars and tins.

"Umm, I can wait till Christmas and turn them into presents. Or I'll use them as 'thank you' presents for all the stuff that's been done to my house."

Jax grins from where he's sitting on the bench watching as I stretch to put a can of chopped tomatoes onto a shelf. "Please. None of us did the work expecting anything. In fact, with next week being the last week for the electricians the guys are going to be looking for work."

I putter around the kitchen slowly putting things away as we're talking. "Well, it's not the last week for the sparkies. I may have added another week of work if not longer."

Jax raises his eyebrow as I brush past him to get the final bag. "What'd ya add?"

"I'm getting the backyard connected to the sound system wiring, Gary has a digger coming in to dig some wiring trenches. I picked out the camouflage speakers for the yard and some other stuff to be put in while the work is done. And while I'm confessing I should let you know I paid him on Friday." I blink slowly at Jax while he processes the information I've just given him.

He eventually shrugs, "Well I guess it's your house and all."

I smile brightly stepping into the gap between his legs and resting my arms around his neck. "It is, and I do thank you for wanting to pay for it all for me. You need to let me know what the insulation and board has cost to and who paid for it so I can pay them back."

Jax smiles down at me, his hands coming up from his thighs to my shoulders. "I paid for it, and I'm not telling you how much it was. Consider it a gift."

I consider arguing for about 30 seconds by the thought is shoved out of my brain when Jax's doorbell rings. He sighs and jumps off the bench heading to the door while I fold all the emptied shopping bags and put them back in one, setting it by my bag to put back in the truck.

"Hey darlin', come here." Jax calls from the front of the house.

Walking slowly towards the front door I relax when the short figures in the living room start running around squealing. Kenny and Ellie obviously happy to be at Uncle Jax's for dinner.

Opie holds up a pile of pizza boxes and steps past Donna and Jax and into the kitchen.

I look at Jax and raise an eyebrow, "Should I give them theirs now?"

Jax nods, "Your choice."

Ducking back out to the garage I pick up the three of the boxes with the helmets I'd picked and take them back into the kitchen.

Handing 2 of the boxes to my two best friends I set the other on the kitchen bench before gather paper towels from the cupboard and drinks from the fridge. Donna has started ripping into the box the second I handed it to her but Opie is looking at it quietly, the outside not giving anything away, other than the fact I'd scrawled his name across the top of the box.

"Shit S, this is awesome." Donna says the black helmet with a purple flame design and lotus is sitting in her hands, the box on the ground in front of her.

"I know. You should see the one that I got." Donna looks up, waving for me to go get it, Jax sighs and heads into the garage where he's parked his bike next to my truck and returns with the shiny helmet I'd decided within seconds that I had to have.

Opie is still quietly looking at the box, but his kids coming in and tugging his legs get his attention fixed to them, he gathers a slice of pizza for each and sets them on one side of Jax's table before sitting down at the box again.

"Hey Ope." I say snapping him from whatever he was thinking. "It won't open itself."

Opie shoots a look at the box that's still sitting on the counter, "Who's that for?"

I smile, the corners of my mouth barely tugging upwards. "Well, that is my secret, the helmet I got before a certain biker noticed it." I hand the box to Jax with another smile.

He sets it on the counter, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his chest. "You are a sneaky one aren't you?"

I nod, leaning up and kissing him softly. "I am, but you knew that. Now, open the fu…ricken thing." I quickly stop myself mid word, catching sight of the twins at the table watching the whole exchange.

Jax carries the box over and sits down at the table, pulling his KA-bar from the sheath and cutting through the tape on the top of the box. Opening the lids the first thing that you can see is the intertwined greys and reds. Lifting the helmet from the box it's just a details as it was when I saw it sitting tucked on a shelf. The giant cross on the top with a skull right in the centre, another cross at the front and one on either side, above the ear grooves, the cobweb design under the cross only noticeable from this close.

Jax's eyes flick from the artfully decorated helmet in his hands to my face. I shrug, "Couldn't have everyone else getting a new one and not you now could I?"

Donna laughs which breaks the moment and we all turn to Opie, waiting for him to finally cut through the tape on the top of the box. "Come on bro, I'm hungry." Jax complains when we've been sitting there for another few seconds.

Opie cuts through the tape on the top of the box and lifts out the shiny helmet I'd brought him, the skulls decorating the top have a flame sort of mask appearance, the smoky background and the printed images look incredible on the gloss black background and Opie just looks at me. "Why?"

"Cause I wanted to" I say, grabbing a slice of pizza "and you brought dinner, so all's fair in helmets and hunger."

Donna laughs, tucking her new helmet back between the shredded layers of cardboard. "Ope, say thank you and eat your food."

"Thank you and eat your food." Opie obediently replies with a low chuckle.

"Smart ass. I married a smart ass." Donna says, rolling her eyes and reaching for her own slice of pizza.