CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

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Our final days in Sturgis go exactly as I would have expected. Everyone spends the last hours of the rally saying goodbye to those people they'd met and became friends with, visiting the events which have almost finished, the stalls which are in the process of packing up and checking bikes for the return trip.

The Mexican dinner is perfect, the restaurant had one huge room which we'd been shown to and the whole night the margarita's had been flowing. At one point Jax and Opie had shared a long look before disappearing to see the manager, returning with matching smiles and informing the whole table that there were 2 taxi's booked for the women who had already passed the point of safely being pillion passengers.

Returning to the cabins via a bottle shop for a few dozen beers we'd burnt the last of the wood we'd collected, and the paper and cardboard rubbish that had been hanging around the area. The plastic and glass very carefully put in the recycling bins provided. The Old Ladies from San Bernadino and Indian Hills had told the rest of us that they would take care of the clean-up in the morning after one of them had unearthed the makings of S'mores and proceeded to make a huge mess of chocolate, marshmallow and biscuits.

The feeling around the camping ground in the morning is a little subdued, the owners of the place had come early to let us know that they'd be most happy for our bookings if we wanted to come back the next year. I'd started to shake my head but the nodding of almost everyone there had me sighing and telling them I'd get back to them.

The first leg of the ride back to California is almost 11 hours, which with stops has us arriving in Salt Lake just after 9pm, waving goodbyes to the people who lived in town the ones carrying on the ride had reached the hotel and just gone straight to bed, arranging to meet up at the I-Hop down the road at 8am the following morning for breakfast before the last part of the trip.

Pulling into our driveway at home at 8pm both Jax and I sigh hugely as he opens the garage and walks his bike quietly between the two 4x4's. The door opens into the house and Al peers out "I told Juice I heard a bike. We weren't expecting you till later."

I snort as Doj pushes his way past her, bounding to my side and shoving his nose under my hand "I'd make some comment about leaving again but the truth is I'm too fucken tired to."

Al laughs crossing to my side and grabbing the bag off my back, waiting while I stretch and roll my back, my spine popping in several places "How bout you come inside, have a drink and a bath. Juice and I can take off whenever you're ready."

Shaking his head tiredly Jax drops the stand on his bike and gets up "Bath yes, drink fuck yes. You guys can stay tonight as well but I don't wanna hear anything." Leaning over he starts to undo the straps of the saddlebag, groaning when his back bends.

Al lifts her eyebrow "Jax let Juice get that for ya okay. He's been drinking your beer this whole time so he owes you."

I almost giggle at the frown that crosses Jax's expression but as he runs his hand tiredly over his face he shrugs "As long as there's enough for me to have one or two I don't give a fuck right now."

Al steps back so we can walk through the door with a chuckle "There is enough for that do you want to eat anything? We got Chinese and there's heaps left."

I look over my shoulder and nod with a small smile "I'll come help. Can you get Juice to bring those saddle bags to the laundry?"

Al nods handing me the backpack and heading down the hall with Jax to the games room while I walk slowly through the house, Doj trailing behind me with dancing pawsteps. Dropping the bag on the washer I lean against it for a second to take my boots off, letting them fall to the floor with a clonking noise. Unzipping the top of the bag I shake my head, muttering to myself "Fuck it, I'll do it tomorrow."

Leaving the bag on the machine I follow the sound of the fridge being opened and things being set on the bench. Al sets down four different boxes before leaning in and pulling out a fifth laughing at my stunned look.

"We've been eating good most of the time you've been away. Those meals in the freezer were a god send." Al snickers, dishing noodles and rice onto two plates, topping them with chicken and beef by the looks of it, before tucking two wontons on the side of each plate and popping the first one in the microwave. "Before you ask, we stayed out of you room despite my wanting to try your bathtub I didn't submit. The lawn guys came but I think Jax already knew that?"

I nod silently, picking a loose piece of cold chicken out of the cashew chicken in front of me and dropping it in my mouth while Al pours me a glass of wine, walking round my kitchen like she's truly at home. "The garage is almost done to. Elliot came in day before yesterday to let us know that it'll be done Thursday, the door guys are due to come on Monday next week for the new doors for the other garage."

I hold up my hand smiling at her "Jax is sorting both those things and Elliot spoke to him before we left Sturgis."

Al nods, swapping the plates over and starting the microwave again "How was it?"

I grin at her "It was amazing, I mean I know that anyone who knows MC's would have recognised the details on the bikes leaving the Kuttes in Salt Lake was perfect. The guys got to have almost 2 whole weeks just being themselves, there was no MC bullshit. Ironically though, if they had worn their patches they wouldn't have been allowed in. Turns out Sturgis puts on a 'no gang patch' law during the rally to stop inter-club shit from firing up."

Al purses her lips "What'd you do?"

I shrug "We went to midget bowling, a roller derby, motordome, tattoo competitions, bikini competitions, live music, did some shopping; Jax ordered some ridiculous thing from Harley Davidson which should be arriving next week but he 'had to have it' and I wasn't gonna argue."

"What was it?" Al asks as the microwave stops for a second time and she grabs the plate, utensils and follows me towards the games room.

"Oh before I tell you that he had this brilliant idea that we should go to the Harley museum on the way back from New York." I shake my head slightly in wonder.

"That sounds like it'd be fun. Why'd you veto it?" Al asks, pushing the door open.

"The museum is in Wisconsin." I state "At least an extra 2 days driving."

"So we'll talk to Cam and see if we can use the plane to do a day trip over?" Al states, rolling her eyes. "We're going to be gone for ages and you know that Derek will never say no to Cam, unless he has to."

Jax looks over at me and grins "See I told you we'd find a way. Just get Hap to ask Cam and it'll be fine."

I roll my eyes, sitting down next to him with my plate while Al hands him the other one and both of us forks "I'll ask Cam to ask Derek if we can use the plane for a day trip once the trial is over."

Jax grins, shoving a forkful of noodles into his mouth, not realising how hot they are. Watching him choke them down and then half a bottle of beer makes me giggle a little till he turns his eyes on mine, the pouting look he gives me has me sighing and leaning forward to kiss him lightly "You okay baby?"

Jax nods, blowing on his next bite before putting it in his mouth and chewing slowly.

Al clears her throat "So he ordered something from Harley Davidson?"

Jax smiles, his cheeks full of food and a light in his eyes, nodding furiously I hold up my hand to stop him from talking "He ordered more than one thing. He ordered a piggy bank for Abel a shot glass display case for in here, along with a whole lot of shot glasses to fill it and salt and pepper shakers. But the outrageous thing he ordered was four bar stools for in here."

Jax swallows his mouthful "I also ordered a wine rack thing for you with glasses and a variety of pint glasses, and mugs and 10 bottle openers in 2 different styles to be mounted around the room."

I look over at him "I didn't know that."

Jax shrugs "You were looking at the travel mugs and shit when I saw it. The guy I ordered all the stuff from looked kinda impressed."

"Why?" I finally start eating my dinner now that the torrents of steam have stopped drifting towards my face.

"Cause I took a leaf from your book babe." Jax says with a grin, lifting his fork again "I didn't look at the prices, just picked what I wanted and signed the thing at the end."

My mouth drops open but the look on Juice's face is the one that makes me start snickering. "Congratulations baby, you finally learnt."

Jax pokes his tongue out at me, sticking his fork into the depleted pile of food on his plate while I turn back to my dinner, listening as Juice, Jax and Al talk quietly.

Once we're both finished eating Jax pulls me to my feet, waving over his shoulder as we leave the room, dropping the dirty dishes in the dishwasher he pushes me slowly up the stairs, understanding completely why it takes us almost a full 90 seconds to get to the top. Opening our bedroom door he kicks off his shoes and carefully places his kutte on the back of the rocking chair we'd ended up moving into the corner of our room.

Leading the way into the bathroom the first thing I do is turn on the taps over the tub, the water cascading into it. "That'll take at least 20 minutes to fill."

Jax nods, stripping his clothes off and dropping them into the hamper till he's standing in just his boxers "Does the shower work while the bath's filling?"

I shrug "I don't know baby, why?"

"Cause I'd rather wash the road grime off then soak in it." He says with a snicker as he turns around and adjusts the controls for the shower. The bath splutters a tiny bit as the added strain on the water comes through but nothing seems to go wrong and Jax ends up under the spray as the bath is reaching ΒΌ full.

While he washing the road dust and God only knows how many dead bugs off himself I add some bath salts to the tub and shed my own clothes, sliding in behind him.

Jax turns around, dropping his arms over my shoulders and leaning down to kiss me lightly "I'm glad we did this."

I nod, stepping between his feet and pressing close to his chest "Me too. But I'm glad to be home, and that Abel's coming home tomorrow."

Jax nods, his lips brushing my forehead "So one last night of peace?"

I giggle as he finishes washing his body "Yeah you could say that." I mutter as he opens the door and steps out, leaving me to wash the gritty feeling off my skin and out of my hair.