CHAPTER EIGHTY

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. This is it till Wednesday, my time, at the very earliest. Enjoy.

You would have thought after as long as Donna had been organising the kids it would have been quick for them to get their shoes and coats on and into the car, but 20 minutes after Opie returned with shoes, jackets and his wife in tow Donna is still trying to get Kenny to put his shoes on.

Sighing I sit back down at the table and wait till Opie steps forward, puts one of his huge hands on his sons shoulder "If you don't put your shoes on right this second then you and I will stay here and have Mom's dry old crackers for dinner while everyone else goes out."

Kenny shoves his feet into his shoes so fast that he falls on his behind, looking up at his father with a startled expression Ellie starts giggling at him till he pushes her foot "Stop it Ellie. It's not funny."

Ellie nods "Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Enough!" Donna snaps, standing up and narrowing her eyes at her children "Kenneth, it was funny. Eleanor, stop laughing at your brother and put your jacket on."

Getting the kids into the car is easier than it was getting them into shoes and jackets. Abel's seat snaps into the base and the twins climb into their booster seats while Al, Cam, Happy and Juice join us from the other rooms "We ready?"

Donna nods, helping the kids with their belts "Yeah we are."

Cam darts to the passenger's door of the Viper with a grin "I call shotgun!"

Happy sighs and I thread my elbow through his; pressing the keys into his hand "I'll drive on the way back."

His dark eyes examine my face for a long second before nodding once and walking slowly across to the car.

Opie and Donna end up in their Dodge with their kids, Abel and me while Jax climbs into the passenger's seat of the Escalade which Juice is already behind the wheel of, Al happily playing with the radio controls from the back seat.

Pulling into the parking lot beside the brewery the first thing I can smell when we get out of the car is beer. Juice rubs his hands together, taking in a huge lung full of the malty smelling air "Smells good."

The smells under the almost overpowering scent of beer start registering to my brain, the barbecuing meat and rich spicy smells are more appetising then the alcohol that I can smell.

Donna appears at my side; shaking her head "The guys are already looking at the beer menu and planning which ones they want to try."

I roll my eyes at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the door "They can drink all they like, you and I aren't drinking."

Donna pulls me to an abrupt halt, looking between my eyes and my stomach "Are you…"

Laughing at her I shake my head "No, but remember I promised I'd do the sober stretch with you."

Shaking her head she pulls me back into motion "I don't expect you to though."

"I know. But I promised, so there."

Jax and Opie are already being led to a huge table in the middle of the room, as they sit down Donna snickers for a split second before the sound turns to a growl "What the fuck?"

"Huh?" Following her gaze I pat her hand lightly watching the waitress standing between Jax and Opie adjust her top again, casually undoing the top button while her eyes dart between the four kutte-clad men. "We get used to it remember D." Pushing my way past her and into the seat between Jax and Happy I lean over and kiss Jax on the cheek, dropping Abel into his lap "Besides D we all know that the only people these four are going home with are the same ones they arrived with. No 'side dishes' are needed."

"Or wanted." Al says narrowing her eyes at the waitress. "Come back in five minutes, we would have decided what we want to eat, but drinks to start…"

Cam bites her lip, her shoulders shaking with laughter as the poor waitress spins on her heel, taking her stunned expression back towards the kitchen.

Juice looks at Al "That was a bit harsh don't ya thing?"

Al leans back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest "You think that me telling some waitress from the middle of Iowa that her advances towards men who live over 1500 miles away are unwanted is harsh? She was looking at you like she wasn't sure if she wanted you for a starter or desert." Al pats Juice's hand in a patronising way "Honey, the sooner you realise I don't share, they better for you, cause if you want me to share then you have to too."

Juice's face twists into an unfamiliar expression that makes him look slightly constipated and I can't work out what he's trying to do till he barely opens his mouth to speak "Alice Lane you are not sharing yourself with anyone."

I snicker quietly when Al nods, leaning over and kissing Juice's cheek "Glad we agree on that. Now, what are we eating?"

When a different waitress arrives at the table a few minutes later the first thing she does is apologise and then sets the ordered drinks down, Al shrugs and gestures at the table "I know they're all hot, but the fact is that four guys came in with four women, and three kids and were looked at like they should be on the menu was a little irritating." Al shrugs looking down again "Anyway, I'd like to start with buffalo chicken bites, then I want the pork shanks and the German chocolate cake."

Juice barely glances at the menu "Lamb sliders, then blue cheese fillet, rare and the chocolate cake."

Happy looks at the waitress "I'll have the stuffed sausage, the rib eye, medium and then rocky road pie." Gesturing at Cam he says "She'll have the cheese bread, beef tip pasta and tiramisu."

Donna snickers at them and then gestures to Opie "Don't even think about ordering for me."

Opie laughs "Never would babe. You're far too fussy. I'll have the American fries, fish and chips and the rocky road pie."

Donna looks down "The kids will have an order of the lacey fries then the mac and cheese and the sorbet. They'll share them all. I'll have the dill pickles, the salmon and then the carrot cake thanks."

Jax looks over at me and I shake my head "Still thinking baby."

Looking up at the waitress he smirks "I'll have the house chips, the tenderloin and then the German chocolate cake."

I roll my eyes and smile at her "I'll have an antipasti plate with extra crackers. The hand carved chicken and then the tiramisu with a half scoop of sorbet on a separate dish."

The starters all arrive fairly quickly given the amount of them and the couple of crackers I drop in front of Abel are demolished, covering his face and hands with crumbs, Cam and I end up sharing the bread and the antipasti plate which I knew would happen when the bread covered in cheese was set in front of her and the plate covered in salami and cheeses were put in front of me.

The kids all enjoy everything ordered for them, including the tiny bit of sorbet that Abel is fed off a spoon. Watching his face screw up at the coldness makes us all giggle, but then he opens his mouth for more.