CHAPTER SEVEN

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

By 745 the yard is full of people, the two huge tables that Miles and Kip brought over from the lot have been set up and I ended up grabbing a couple of white sheets to cover them, the plastic plates Donna went to pick up are along the table with a whole outdoor picnic feel, the red and white checked napkins and plastic utensils and glasses make me giggle whenever I look at them, the only things on the table that aren't throw away are the salt and pepper grinders Gemma brought over when she came back with all the food and the salad bowl.

Jax appears at my side in the kitchen "Babe hope that food's almost done, the guys are threatening to eat your dog."

I narrow my eyes at him "I've got to finish this gravy and get everything put onto the platters then we're done. Go get everyone fresh beers and sitting down."

Jax nods and goes back into the yard, I silently wait for a couple of seconds, handing the whisk to Donna "Stir this, I'll be back."

Going through the laundry I pause on the top step, the only threats to Doj seem to be Happy and Tig; I'm more concerned about Tig's intentions. Whistling loudly everyone looks at me but Doj immediately starts trotting to my side.

"The first person who aims a knife, fork or cock at my dog will have to answer to me, that is once he's done filling you full of teeth marks." Having aimed my glare at Tig when emphasising cock he laughs and waves his hands in the air.

"I'm starvin' over here."

Rolling my eyes I take a half step backwards "Dinner will be out in about 3 minutes Tigger and if there's a hair off his head you'll miss out."

The chorus of teasing 'oooh' and 'you got told' that get aimed at him have him laughing and saluting me with his beer bottle "Only you and Gem get away with that short stack."

Poking my tongue out at him I retreat with a laugh when he gets up. Donna's just pouring the last of the gravy into one of the two gravy boats "We're done."

In the short time I've been outside issuing my threat Donna, Cam and Al had gotten all the potatoes onto a couple of the huge platters Gemma brought over. The meat's still sitting under the tin foil but the thin slices of roast beef are ready to be taken out, cooking it the way I did was perfect, meaning that the two ends came out well done for the kids and anyone else who doesn't like their meat red. The very centre is medium verging on rare for those of us with more bloody tastes.

The four of us carry out the trays with hot food on them, the salads and huge loaves of bread already on the table. There's a collective cheer when the food appears and I slide into my seat beside Jax, Abel's pushchair beside the table with him lying in it, a rattle in one hand and a bottle tucked between his feet.

The only fuck up during dinner happens when Chibs knocks over his beer, the bottle rolling across the table. Gemma and I both laugh and look at each other down the length of the table "Thank god almost everything is disposable."

Miles picks up a new beer from the bin behind him and passes it over the table.

Once we've all finished coffee and cupcakes I excuse myself from the room taking Abel down to his room and tucking him into his cot. Returning to the living room almost 30 minutes later I'm surprised to find the living room empty and relatively clean.

Jax, Opie, Juice and Happy are all sitting around the room; Jax jerks his head towards the kitchen "They're in there doing the dishes."

Cam's at the bench with the coffee cups in front of her while Donna and Al sit at the table at the far end, one of my notebooks in front of them. "What's up chickies?"

Al looks over and shrugs "We thought we could have a look round and see what Juice and I actually want in the way of furniture. Cam's leaving her bed and dresser and dining table for me, and all the electronics that were in her apartment cause they're so much better than mine. We can get rid of them once all the moving's done."

I nod and rest my hand on the table "Well the only thing we're taking from here other than all Abel's stuff is this set." The marbled table and four black chairs already have a corner in the kitchen to go into when all the cabinetry is installed.

Al's eyes widen "So we can have everything else?"

I nod "If you want it. Fridge, oven and microwave are all brand new, I brought new lounge suites for the living room, and furniture for the games room and the living room, the only other stuff we're taking from here is the towels. The new bed is a different size then the one here. I may have done that intentionally so we have to get new linen."

Al looks around "So all we basically have to do is move in and buy a few bits?"

"Yep. But you might wanna go through the cupboards and check the dishes and cooking utensils and that sort of stuff. Something I would suggest at some point is replace the dishwasher, that ancient thing has been on its last legs since I moved in." I pause "You know I just realised something."

Donna looks over the table at me and the frown that's appeared on my face "What?"

"Jax never actually asked me to move in with him." I say quietly "Clay told me I had to come here after your house got fucked up and I just never left."

Donna laughs and gestures towards my hand "I think you might have an uphill battle if you suddenly decide to move on your own Mrs Teller."

I shake my head "Nah that's not happening. I dunno, maybe I just wanted that whole fantasy situation of the person you love asking you to live with them, planning everything and all that crap." Laughing at myself "Never mind, we're doing all that with the new house. Jax is going back to work tomorrow and I've got so much stuff to get done."

Cam and Al both look over at me with arched eyebrows "What are we, chopped liver. We'll help with anything."

"First we should go through this place and see what we need." Al says picking the notebook up.

Sticking my head into the living room I let Jax know what we're up to and he just nods, right before I leave again I leave over the back of the couch "What are we doing about phone and power at the new place?"

Jax leans back and looks up at me "Ma rang and got them sorted to run for two weeks on both places before they'll cut it off here and transfer it all over. That does mean the electricity and phone'll both be in my name."

I poke my tongue out at him "Well ring tomorrow and get my name added to them."

With a mocking salute he turns his attention back to the beer in his hand and the shit they'd been talking.

The four of us walk past the spare room which is already empty. In the master bedroom she claims the dressing table; she's already aware that nothing is staying from Abel's room and peering through the living room she laughs and says everything can stay. I can already see her completely rearranging the room.

Sitting back down at the kitchen table Al pulls my notebook over to her "So what do I actually have to buy?"

I shrug "Depends, you need to look through the cupboards here and think about what came with you from New York."

Al sighs "We have all that shit to sort too."

Refilling the coffee cups I nod "Yep. We could do that next week if you want. Your shit can come here and go into the garage; mine can go to the new house into wherever it goes and Cam's, well what's happening with the rest of your stuff chicky?"

Cam rolls her eyes "I told you. All my clothes are already gone. The furniture you guys can do what you want. I'm back at home for the time being till I work out what's happening. I was thinking about going to San Francisco but I got offered a job doing a movie in LA."

"That's great, why didn't you tell us?" Al asks, dropping the notebook on the table.

"I'm not sure if I want to do it or not, it's a 6 month contract to start with." Cam says with a sigh "I'd like to do it but it means I can't leave if I don't like LA."

Donna's the one that laughs "Well couldn't you live somewhere out of LA and drive in?"

Cam giggles "I didn't think of that."

Jumping back to my feet I head down the hall and retrieve my laptop "So let's have a look, what company is it."

Cam blushes faintly "Paramount Pictures."

I stare at her for a solid minute, my mouth opening and closing randomly "And you weren't going to tell your best friends? I sure as fuck hope you're no thinking of saying no."

Cam bows her head and looks down at the table "I don't know. Daddy just got married and all."

Al narrows her eyes "Camryn Jane Franklin don't you dare try and use your father as an excuse. Derek would want you to take it. He didn't have a problem with you moving to Charming, or San Francisco so why would he have issues with going to LA, especially if you end up on the outskirts."

Cam stutters a few broken words before leaning her head on her arms "Daddy told me to take it."

"So why aren't you?" Donna's the sole voice of quiet reason.

Cam sighs deeply "Daddy already gave me a list of acceptable places to live when I got the offer. He's already talked to a real estate agent about a minimum 6 month lease."

Donna nods and Cam speaks quietly "I guess I'm resisting it cause it seems like he's trying to control it. I understand him telling me where he wants me to live cause he would have researched to find a safe suburb but already talking to an agent there seems like he's pushing a bit hard."

Donna reaches over and pats her hand "Tell him then. From what I saw if he knew how much this was bothering you he'd pull back."

Cam sighs again, her shoulders heaving before she looks up "I will." Pulling out her phone she opens her emails "Let's look at these suburbs he gave me."

We work through the list of over a dozen suburbs that Derek had deemed 'safe' for his little girl to live in. Cam ends up narrowing it down to several on the outskirts before she asks me to pull up the real estate website.

Donna looks surprised at the speed that things are moving and says so. Cam clears her throat uncomfortably "I have to give the studio an answer by Thursday. The movie starts shooting in 4 months and if I take it I have to relocate and hire a whole bunch of other people, they put me in charge of all hair and makeup."

Al squeaks lightly "This is huge! Cam you're nuts for even having to think about it."

Donna nods and I pull up a couple of real estate websites punching in all the information I know about Cam and what sort of place she'd like to live in. Running the search I look over at her with a slight frown "I only found a few places that are really small that are in the areas that Derek listed."

Cam leans over my shoulder "I'll make a list of the ones I want to see and go down to see them sometime this week I guess."

Al bounces in her chair "Road trip."

I grimace and shake my head "I can't leave Abel this soon after coming home. It's going to be hard enough going for the trial and Sturgis, and to pick up the car."

Cam shrugs "So bring him. D, you should bring Ellie and Kenny too. The four of us with the kids, I'm sure we'll manage."

Shaking my head again "I can't Cammy. I've got too much to do around here with the move, and getting D's house sorted, and furnished, getting Al and Juice moved in here and sorting out the businesses."

Cam nods "Okay, so Ali and I will make a trip sometime around going to Bakersfield on Wednesday. You'll come won't you Ali-bean?"

Al nods her head "Hell yeah I'll come. I think S should to, but she's right, there's shitloads of stuff to do around here."

"Sarah should do what?" Jax leans around the corner "The guys are ready to go babe."

Cam laughs "I'll come over tomorrow morning and we'll look at those houses so I can make a shortlist." Turning to Jax "What I said S should do is come with me to LA when I look at houses. She refused on the grounds that she's got too much shit to round here."

Jax looks over at me "You can go if you want."

Getting to my feet I shake my head "Like I said, I'm not going with so much to do round here, and I'd miss you regardless of how long I was away for. And you can't take any more time off at the moment."

Walking the six of them out the door I lean against Jax's side as everyone leaves, the three bikes all heading in the same direction down the street, Kenny and Ellie having gone home earlier with Gemma and Clay.

Jax wraps his arms around me shoulders when I push the door closed "You can go with them if you want babe."

I shake my head again, turning in his arms I lean up and kiss him lightly "I don't want to. I love my girls, I really do, but I've just spent a few days with them and now I want to be with you and Abel."

Jax grins down at me "I know just how you feel Darlin', I have to go back to work tomorrow and I'm lookin' forward to coming home every night to my wife and son."

I laugh "And a home cooked meal."

Jax nods, scooping me up and throwing me over his shoulder "That too babe, now it's almost 11 and I have to be at work at 8."