CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. Little time jump here, but it's really only a day or two. I'm sorry but updates are going to be really sporadic at the moment. A family member died last week overseas and I'm trying to sort leave to go up for the funeral, as well as money for air fares, hotel, rental car and food. Hopefully I'll be settled back to normal soon…It would be much easier to sort if I had the disposable income my characters have! I wish.

Having arranged to stay a single night in Detroit before the cars were ready to pick up Cam, Happy, Al and Juice get tasked with driving Cam's Escalade, complete with most of the luggage had left New York at 9am on Tuesday morning, Derek had lent the plane to the rest of us for the kids and we had left the airport at 4pm, all of us arriving at the only pre-booked hotel at 7pm.

The following morning we'd all be up early, mainly due to the wakeup call at 8am that Donna had to confess to asking for in her eagerness to pick a car. The Escalade and two taxis had carried us all to the car sales yard on the edge of town where I'd always picked up my cars from.

Opie had stood back and let Donna look at the various 7 seater cars that the Dodge dealership had on stock, ranging from a minivan that she had immediately shaken her head at with a giggle to a shining white Jeep with an extra row of seats in the back while Cam leans against her Escalade and I wait tapping my foot impatiently for my car to arrive from the warehouse it had been in storage in for the past 48 hours.

Donna and Opie end up taking the Jeep for a test drive, and one other car, a Dodge Durango while the rest of us sit inside the showroom drinking free coffee and talking about nothing in particular. When they return she and Opie stand outside talking and waving between the two before coming inside, Donna smiling and Opie following behind. Donna comes straight to the group of us and announces she wants the Dodge. Opie nods with a grin at her, turning the spec sheet to Jax and pointing to one particular line on the sheet that makes him chuckle. "As long as you get the one with the Hemi motor. Do you have any of them here?"

He aims his question towards the sales man who distractedly nods and gestures towards the corner where a line of the SUV's are "The one you took for a test drive, the grey one, white one and red one all have the Hemi's in them. If you want another colour you'll have at least a 2 week wait." He then turns his full attention back to the computer in front of him.

Donna looks over and shakes her head "I want the blue one we took out."

Jax leans towards my ear "Guess they got a good pay out for their house."

I can't hold back the giggle that comes out only pausing in my throat when the guy looks out the window and frowns "What on earth is Henry doing?"

Looking through the huge glass windows I grin hugely, Henry had been collecting my car, the phone call as we'd been coming into Detroit obviously enough time for him to go to the warehouse and return with the shiny grey car that's now cruising down the drive.

It's funny watching everyone's reactions when they realise I'm on my feet and out the door, the guy behind the wheel of the car getting out with a huge grin on his face and already talking as the door slides closed behind me.

"Hey Sarah. Thought the Challenger and the Nitro were it?" He says with a grin, handing me the keys.

"They would have been." I reply with a sigh "If my Challenger hadn't been written off."

"What'd you do?"

Poking my tongue out at him I shake my head "It's a really long, very messy story but short story, I did nothing. But my short brunette friend inside wants the blue Durango."

He nods, plasters his car salesman smile on for a split second and rubs his hands together with a chuckle "Great lobster tonight."

Jamming my elbow into his side he steps sideways "No need for the abuse! I was kidding. Let's go inside and run some numbers for them. You're good to go as soon as we sign some papers."

I nod and follow him in, gesturing for Jax, Opie and Donna to follow me into his office. The papers for the Viper take all of 5 minutes to go through, signing the ownership form, and double, then triple, checking with my insurance company that the car is now covered before Jax and I head out to the showroom where Kenny and Ellie are starting to look like they're going to be up to no good.

It only takes Ope and Donna 15 minutes to do all the paperwork, including the 2 minutes that Donna has in front of the office computer sorting out the transfer of funds, followed by her phone ringing and her laughing and nodding. When Donna comes back out with a huge grin on her face and the keys to her brand new car hanging from her fingers she almost throttles me with a hug.

"Apparently you spend way too much money here." I lift an eyebrow and she laughs "We got a whole lot of extras thrown in cause of our connection to you."

I nod and slide my arm through her elbow pulling her outside and whispering quietly "It probably also has to do with the 150 thousand dollar car I just picked up."

Donna rolls her eyes, having been there when I ordered it. "Who cares about that? I want to go now so I can take my car for a drive."

Walking towards the Escalade and my Viper Kenny runs up and wraps his arms around his mom's leg "Mommy, I wanna sit in the very back. Can I? Please?"

Donna nods "Sure you can baby, but you'll have to be good."

"I will Mommy. I promise." Kenny says, with a smile at his Mom. Running towards the car and picking up both his booster seat and the handle of the backpack full of his and Ellie's books and toys. Rearranging the seating in the cars and the bags takes us about 20 minutes. Abel's car seat is put in the middle row of seats in the Dodge and Jax tells me quietly that he'll go with Donna for the trip so that they don't have all the kids.

Opie overhears him and rolls his eyes "Bro you're passing up a trip in that" he points to the shiny grey car "to come with three kids? You're nuts. Besides, Abel's fine in the car with us."

Jax and Opie walk back towards the Dodge, talking quietly but I can see that the decision has been made when Donna rolls her eyes and points her finger dramatically towards me.

Jax manages to hide the huge smile on his face till he's half way back across the lot when the grin splits across his face. Hearing a sigh from behind me I turn around and cock my head to the side.

Happy takes a step backwards "I was gonna come with ya for company."

I giggle and give him a very quick hug "It's okay Hap. You'll get a trip in it before we get home, I promise."

Happy squeezes my arm once and then starts back to the Escalade "I'll hold you to that Cupcake."

Snickering as Jax finally reaches my side he tugs my hair lightly "What's up babe?"

"I thought about a plate for the Viper." He lifts his eyebrow waiting "Cupcake or something that makes it read like that."

Jax nods "Sure, works as a tax deductible business expense too, advertising the bakery, but what about the plate that was on the Challenger."

I shrug "Good point. That one on this and then Cupcake for the Nitro."

Jax laughs "Sure whatever you want Darlin'. Now, hand over those keys."