CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

Leaving the hospital in a hurry I'm only just unlocking my front door when I hear a vehicle pulling in the drive behind me, but the deep rumble immediately lets me know it's not a car but a bike. Turning and looking over my shoulder I push the door open and wait while Clay rolls to a stop by the truck in the drive.

Clay smiles as he crosses the lawn "How you doin' Pumpkin?"

I roll my eyes "I still don't know why you call me that."

Clay laughs "Your mom and dad always did and I guess I picked it up too. Gem said you'd gotten Jax to buy a car, didn't know it was going to be a monster like that."

The jacked up Ram is higher than my Nitro, sitting at least a foot higher than a standard one, making the running boards a definite necessity for me getting into it. I can't help but laugh "Jax would never have brought standard, normal, or boring."

Clay nods as he climbs the stairs, stopping beside me and leaning against the railing "That's very true. But you haven't answered. How are you?"

I twist my head and look at him, there's an uneasiness settled on his shoulders and before I can sort through my thoughts the question pops out "Why?"

Clay sighs and pulls a cigar from his kutte, lighting it in quick movements "Gem rang from the hospital."

I groan "I'm fine Uncle Clay. I just had a moment." I slide my arms around his waist and squeeze his mid-section. His arm settles around my shoulders and we stand there in silence for a few minutes while he smokes his cigar.

"Gem was worried about you being on your own. She said you blew up at her and Jax. Do I need to kick his ass?"

I laugh and shake my head against his chest perfectly content to stay where I am for a minute "Nah. I dealt with it, Abel was having some test and was crying his heart out and they wouldn't let me go beat the shit outta whoever it was that was hurting my baby."

Clay's hand tightens on my shoulder and it takes a second before I realise that he's just as upset about Abel crying as the rest of us were, it just seems I was the only one unable to keep my emotions in check. "He's okay though?"

I nod, my cheek brushing the Presidents patch on the front of Clays kutte "He's fine. He's outta the toaster."

Clay nods "I can tell you're still upset about it though."

I glance up "How?"

Clay laughs and turns towards the door, me still tucked under his arm "When you get upset you get this crease between your eyes and you clench your fists. You've always done it."

I relax my fingers, now that he's pointed it out I am instantly aware that my fingernails were digging into the palm of my hand. "Oops."

Clay's laugh continues as a van pulls into the drive. "Do you want me to stay?"

I nod silently "I'd like that."

Clay ruffles my hair "Then I'll stay."

The carpet layer is smiling from the second he gets out of his van with a clipboard and measuring tape. His low whistle as he climbs the steps is aimed at the size of the house he's looking at immediately has my radar going off in terms of the prospect of being ripped off, but the President of SAMCRO standing casually next to me reminds me that in Charming everyone knows not to rip off the Club, or anyone connected to it.

Introducing himself as Dale I show him into the house, Clay stays downstairs and heads towards the back yard calling over his shoulder that he'll be with Gary if I need anything. The carpet swatches are attached to the clipboard and we walk through the rooms as measurements are taken and dimensions of rooms are written down. When we come back downstairs we end up in the gym and he frowns when I tell him that I wanted it tiled for a gym space.

"What?" The question pops out as Clay appears in the doorway.

"Well, if you're putting gym equipment in here I wouldn't suggest tiles. As soon as you put a treadmill down they're gonna crack. And if you drop a weight, there's another cracked tile or two." Dale looks apologetic "I would suggest sticking with carpet, if you're stuck on the idea of black and white in here we can do a pattern like the tiles."

I shake my head "No, I wasn't really stuck on the black and white I just thought tiles might look better, but I don't want to be replacing them every 5 minutes. So I guess we'll go with the carpet in here as well."

Stepping through to the kitchen he whistles again "This will be one heck of a place to cook."

I smile as Clay laughs "Well, she's one heck of a cook."

Finishing in the dining room I'm amazed that the whole measure up only took 45 minutes, each room has been measured in several places from wall to wall to get the dimensions perfect.

Dale smiles as we stop by the front door "We have your phone number; it'll take us a couple of days to get the quote done, expect a call on Wednesday at the latest."

I nod "And if I okay the quote on that day how long till you'd be able to come in?"

"I don't know. You said you were getting the painting done first?" I nod "Well, if you ring us when you know the date the painting will be done we should be able to get you in pretty quick after that."

Thanking him he jogs down the stairs and over to his van, pulling out of the driveway and just missing Elliot and a pick up pulling in.

Elliot waves as he and his builder both get out of the cars and as he gets to the top of the stairs he smiles "You weren't kidding about this place being huge."

I shake my head "Nope, but gotta have lots of space."

Elliot and Clay give each other a polite hello but Clay grabs my arm before I can follow Elliot into the house "Gary wants to see you when you have a second but I have to go. See you at the Clubhouse."

I nod "I'll be there once I'm done here. And Clay, thank you."

"What for pumpkin?"

"Not asking."

Clay cocks his head to the side and the question I've been seeing in his eyes for a while fades a little "You really were worried I'd quiz you about money and how you were paying for this?"

I nod silently and he chuckles and pulls my to his chest hugging me "I knew exactly how much your parents were worth. I know what you are worth, it doesn't matter a shit to me. You're my niece and millionaire or pauper that's not going to change. Just make sure you don't go buying solid gold toilets, Gem might get ideas."

I'm struck completely speechless as he kisses me on the top of my head and gently closes my mouth "I'm not going to tell anyone what I know, that's your choice, I'm guessing that the number of people that know increased recently."

I nod silently and he smiles "My only advice would be make sure you trust someone with your life before you spill your financial secrets."

I poke my tongue out at him, finally regaining control over my facial muscles "I trust everyone with a Reaper with my life. And my friends just as much."

"Glad to hear it." Clay crosses the grass back to his bike, pausing as he puts his helmet on his head "And no more fucken ridiculously expensive booze!"

I laugh and nod "Jax already ordered that."

The barely muttered "Good" drifts to my ears as Clay starts his bike and pulls out of my drive.

Turning back to the house I find Elliot and his builder already looking over the staircase and the cupboard underneath it.

Elliot smiles "Good news and bad news."

I frown "Give me the bad news first."

"Bad news is we can't do it for at least another week, good news is there's no issue removing the walls, I would suggest doing something to stop Abel falling off the top step though." Elliot says as his builder continues running some odd looking box over the wall.

"You obviously have an idea Elliot, what is it?"

"Perspex." He states with a grin. "Before you screw your nose up, we can do a half-height wall of Perspex, which would be completely see through and run a banister the same as the stairs at the top. The other thing you need to think about is if you want the stairs completely rebuilt. We can work with what's there but it may look a little untidy."

I sigh "Here I was thinking this was going so well. If I went for a rebuild of the staircase how long will it take?"

"3 days give or take. That's to remove the old one, build a new one and install the Perspex." The builder sticks his head out of the cupboard long enough to answer my question before disappearing back in there.

I laugh at Elliot "Okay, so when can it be done?"

Elliot flicks through the diary he'd been carrying and frowns a little "Earliest we can do is Tuesday/Wednesday."

I smile and nod "That would be perfect. And you don't need to order anything?"

Elliot shakes his head "Nope, we can make it out of the same wood that the front deck is made of if you want."

I nod again, the smile still stuck on my face "That's perfect. I do have some other stuff to be done too while you're here though."

Elliot rolls his eyes "What else?"

"French doors and a whole kitchen?"

Waving his hand he mutters "Lead on."