5

Chapter 471 Change Plans

"

Sack was waiting for them when they returned to Scarlett's shop.

"Prospect, get lost for fifteen minutes," Jax said.

"OK, right away," Sack replied.

He unlocked the back door with his key and then locked it behind him.

Jax led Scarlett back into the store into one of the sofas Scarlett had for sale and they sat down.

"I've got some bad news," Jax began.

"I knew it. That Mexican food was all a ploy and you staying late at the clubhouse for a couple of nights didn't seem bad enough."

"Hey," Jax said grabbing her hand and squeezing it, "sometimes I do nice things just because."

"Uh-huh."

"I can't get away for the weekend. Everyone in the MC needs to stay close in case something happens with Esai. It's going to be that way until we're finished with him."

Scarlett pulled her hand free and gently stroked his cheek.

"I figured that out. I've already cancelled my therapy appointments for the next two weeks and rescheduled them since I figured I was going to need to stay close to town too."

Jax took her hand and tenderly kissed the palm.

"Am I ever going to get ahead of you?" he asked his voice husky.

"I've got some kind of bad news too," Scarlett confessed. "My father is going to be staying until at least Monday. He's looking at houses on Saturday and maybe Sunday. He wants to make a decision on a house this weekend and there aren't a lot of houses for sale here."

"No alone time?"

"Afraid not."

"After we get Esai, I'll take a couple of days off from TM and we can go to the lake house."

Scarlett gently tugged Jax's chin hair to pull his face closer to hers so she could kiss him.

"I really want to be with you," she whispered.

Jax took her hand again and squeezed it.

"You have no idea how much I want to be with you," Jax said, his voice taking on that husky tone again. "We've waited so long; we can manage a few more days."

Scarlett thought about telling Jax her realization that when she was facing Esai and thought about what she would regret most about dying was that they had never made love. Not now, she decided. She would tell him when they could actually be together.

Now that she was finally ready to have sex with Jax, it seemed fate, the MC and her father were preventing that from happening. Like Jax said, a few more days wouldn't matter.

"I know. Thank you for being so patient."

"You shouldn't sleep with a guy until you're ready even if that guy's me," Jax said with a grin.

"That's what my dad tells me."

They sat together, Scarlett leaning her head against Jax, her hand in his. She enjoyed being close to him. It was the small moments that she had learned to savor. Being with the man she loved and in a great place in their relationship was as good as it gets.

When Sack returned, Jax and Scarlett got to their feet.

"You be a good girl," Jax said with mock sternness.

"I'm only a bad girl for you," she whispered in his ear.

He grinned and kissed her on the cheek before heading back to TM. Scarlett locked the door behind him. Before she could tell Sack of the change in plans for the day, her cell phone rang. It was a sergeant from the county. He and his partner were at Charming PD working on the investigation into Kohn's death. They wanted to interview her about Kohn's shooting. She agreed to come down to the station and answer some questions. It felt like a lifetime ago when Tara shot Kohn.

"Change of plans. I have to go to the police station to answer questions about Kohn's shooting. After that, we'll go back to the condo so I can make a grocery list, then we'll go to the grocery store and get supplies. We're going to do a big cook with my father. Part of that will be making dinner for the guys tomorrow night. I was thinking the guys might like a home cooked meal."

"That's a good idea. We eat a lot of sandwiches and pizza."

"How does this sound? Meat loaf, twice baked cheese potatoes, Southern style green beans with bacon and onions, a salad and rolls with honey orange butter and for dessert coconut cream pie and lemon meringue pie?"

"I'd love to eat that. It's real nice that you're making the guys a home cooked meal."

"The guys are kind of in town because of me and as Jax's old lady; it seems like the right thing to do. Let's go. I'll drive."

"Do you want me to go in with you?"

"Probably not," Scarlett said. "I don't want anyone to know I have a bodyguard. I should be safe enough there."

Scarlett's interview took less than thirty minutes. They made her go through her story several times and tried to trip her up. She answered the questions easily because she was essentially telling the truth. She just left out the first few minutes of her visit to Tara's house that night.

Before she could leave, Hale stopped her and asked to have a word with her in his office.

"Am I in trouble?" Scarlett asked.

"No, I just wanted to ask you if you saw anything yesterday when there was a motor vehicle versus pedestrian accident."

"No, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary yesterday."

"Someone said they thought they saw the guy in the car that hit the old guy rattling the door of your store."

"I may have been in the bathroom. It's in the back of the store and with the fan on, I really can't hear much."

"OK," Hale said easily.

Scarlett wasn't sure if he believed her, but she hadn't done anything illegal. She had a concealed weapons permit and her handgun was legal. She didn't tell him the truth because that would involve the MC.

"Is there any news on Louise?"

"No. We're doing a big search with FindThem. It's a non-profit that does searches for missing people. You want to help out?"

"I'd love to, but I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing. My father is here and he's looking for a place to live. I might have to go with him and supervise. Can I let you know later?"

"Sure."

"I'm sure you know I met with the deputies doing the Kohn investigation. Do you know when they're going to wrap it up?

"Soon. I'm hoping by the end of this week, but don't mention that to Tara. I don't want to get her hopes up."

"OK. I won't say anything other than I met with the investigators."

Scarlett left and returned to her condo to make out her grocery list. Her father had returned from his meeting with a realtor and he helped Scarlett with the grocery list. Decker and Scarlett with Sack along as protection went to the grocery store.

Scarlett's motive for making a home cooked meal for the visiting Sons was rooted partly in her desire to be a good old lady to Jax. He was vice-president. She felt it was her duty to help out by giving the guys a nice meal.

Partly though, she knew that making a nice home cooked meal would outshine Gemma and make her mad as hell. She would be the one schooling Gemma on how to be an old lady.