16th July 2022 NEW AN: Sorry I am trying to get this reposted but life keeps getting in the way. In the last month I've changed jobs, one of my closest friends got told her husband wanted a divorce, my daughter has announced she's moving out (she's 20 so this one isn't such a surprise but still not sure how to cope), my husband resigned from his job, then retracted it. I'll try and get back on the at least once chapter re-post per week.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As we pull out of the lot and travel down the road I can see the occasional slight frowns that Jax's bike gets as we ride down the main street, but the majority of the looks are accompanied with a wave or a smile.

We're on the very edge of Main Street when I catch sight of an empty shop front out of the corner of my eye. Tapping Jax lightly on the chest to gain his attention, "Pull over a second?" I call over the growl of the engine.

Jax pulls over to the side of the road, backing his bike into an empty space in front of the dusty window that I'd spotted as we were travelling down the road.

I don't move from the back of the bike, my arms still wrapped around Jax's middle, but he cuts the engine so we can talk without having to raise our voices.

"What'd ya see?" Jax asks looking around the street.

"That." I point at the dirty window below the faded sign for the ice cream shop that Donna and I had spent many hours in when we were in high school, I'd worked there 2 days a week for a few hours an afternoon to keep busy.

Jax looks over at the building; the 'Scoops and Sweets' sign is barely legible on the background after years of rain, wind, sun. "That place went under about a year ago."

I rest my head on Jax's shoulder thinking. "I want it."

"The building?" Jax asks.

I nod, "Yes. I want to reopen it. The kids in this town needs that ice cream store. Without it god only knows what is being done and where it's happening."

Jax nods "Okay, we'll talk to Simon whenever you want."

"Tomorrow?" I say hopefully, while I am aware that I will be paying for the business I need to know that Jax is fully behind me investing money into the town we grew up in.

He nods and starts his bike again, the rest of the ride to the hospital is silent between us, there's no noise but the sound of the engine rumbling and the wind when it ripples through the gap between my ears and the helmet. I'm lost in thoughts about what I can do with the store.

We park a fair distance from the door and walk towards them slowly, Jax's arm wrapped around my neck holding me as close to his body as he can. "If you want it we'll get it for you."

I smile at him; linking my fingers through his hanging hand I wrap my other arm around his waist, tucking my fingers into his belt. "We need to talk about money at some stage to Jax."

Jax sighs and slows slightly, letting the couple that was in front of us get a few metres in front, and out of ear shot. "What about it?"

"I didn't mean now. Tonight? After D and Ope come over?" I ask, tugging lightly on his fingers.

He nods as we walk through the doors into the hospital. His footsteps speeding up as we head towards the elevators, in an obvious hurry to get to his son.

The elevator is open when we get to it and as the doors close Jax turns to me and rests his hands on either side of my face. "I love you, I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe, happy and with me for the rest of my life."

I smile at him "I love you to Jax. I'm not going anywhere. I will tell you that every day till I die, or you send me away."

"Good." He leans down and kisses my lips, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth and stroking my tongue a single time before he pulls away. "I'm not going to send you away."

I feel heat flood my cheeks, the contact of his lips with mine enough to set my blood on fire with desire for him, I lean up to kiss him again as the doors slide open.

Jax strides down the hallway towards the neonatal ward towing me behind him. The walk through the ward is the same as it was when Gemma pointed out the obvious attraction of the nurses to my outlaw, though he wasn't my outlaw then.

We stop at the side of Abel's room to wash our hands before moving to the side of the incubator. We're only in the room for a few minutes before Anne walks in behind us. "I'll get your baby out."

We both smile at Abel as he's lifted from the plastic incubator, Anne wraps him in a blanket before turning to us "Who gets first hold?"

Jax looks at me, holding my gaze, "Let Mommy hold him first."

A single tear slides down my face as I smile at him while Abel is nestled in my arms; Anne leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later with a warmed bottle. I look over at Jax. "I can't, you should get the first feed."

Jax crosses the room, crouching beside the chair he lays a hand on Abel's head "No. Mommy should do the first feeding."

I lean over and kiss him softly on the lips, my eyes blurry with unshed tears. "Okay."

Abel happily sucks on the bottle emptying it quicker than I expected. Anne walks me through how to burp him, passing me a cloth in case he spills.

Jax grins when Abel lets out a huge burp "Just like daddy."

"Yeah, but daddies bottles are normally full of beer, not milk." I reply, handing Abel over to Jax.

The father and son spend a while cuddling, Jax whispering things into his infants ear that I can't hear, I wish that I had my camera in my hands when Jax leans down and kisses Abel on the head his eyes glinting with unshed tears. "Love you little man. Me and your mommy both love you. Get strong so you can come home."

Anne comes back in a few minutes later and gathers Abel into her arms, settling him into the incubator before turning to us. "He's doing really good. Hope you're all ready for him to come home."

Jax blinks a couple of times, "I'm not sure."

I smile at Anne, "He's completely ready for Abel to come home, nursery is all set up. I'll be there, he also has a nanny organised for 3 days a week. The only thing that's missing is the baby."

Anne looks at Jax, "She's a good one, you keep her."

Jax nods at Anne, "Oh I plan on it."

Jax and I leave the hospital not long later, after making a quick stop at the market on the way so that I can pick up something for dinner and we're back at his house by 530.