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Chapter 613 Dreaming and Scheming
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Tara got to Annie's Diner early so she could get a table with a view of the street. She wanted to see the guys ride out. Back in high school, she remembered the thrill she got from watching the bikes roar past with Jax trailing in his role as prospect.
Now, he'd be riding near the front as befits the VP of the MC. Strange after all these years, the idea of him being VP and one day President of SAMCRO still filled her with pride. They used to talk about how one day he'd be the president and she'd be his old lady.
When she left Charming, she'd put those dreams aside and moved on. She tried to find love and only found imitations. She'd moved on from Jax. If only she hadn't come back to Charming and started hanging out at the clubhouse, she never would have fallen in love with him again.
She hadn't gotten out much since she returned to Charming after the attempt on her life. A few people offered her words of support and encouragement, some had been outright hostile and others ignored her like she didn't exist. She knew it was going to be difficult, but she had no idea it would be this rough. She thought she might face some dislike, but now she was the most hated woman in Charming.
If she were Jax Teller's old lady, no one would dare say a word to her. Only in Charming could an outlaw biker's old lady have more power, respect and social standing than a neonatal surgeon. She was probably destined to be an ex-neonatal surgeon soon. There was no way St. Thomas' neonatal unit would survive the baby parts selling scandal. Most of the department employees were on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and the department was shut down. The employees in the department, even if they were cleared by an investigation, would always have this black cloud hanging over their careers.
When she returned from medical leave, there would probably be no place for her to return to. She'd accepted that as the price to expose a moral and legal wrong and she could always work as a family practitioner. She was fully qualified and she was confident there were enough honorable people who believe selling baby parts is wrong to support her new practice.
She didn't want to be with Jax because it would help her lose her social pariah image though. She wanted to be with him because she loved him. The status associated with being his old lady was just a bonus. It was a bonus that Scarlett didn't understand although Tara had no doubt it helped her store be a success.
The bikes roared down the street and she experience that rush of pleasure and pride she used to feel back when she was in high school. Jax in his cut and his sunglasses looked sexy and mysterious. He was a mystery to her now too. She wanted to know his new harder well-muscled body and feel what he'd learned sexually since they had been apart.
After the last of the bikes passed her, she ordered pancakes, sausage and bacon. She had a lot of thinking to do and she needed carbs, protein and fat. Annie's had the best perfectly fluffy pancakes and she got the homemade blueberry compote and whipped cream to top them.
As she dug into the pancakes, she thought about Scarlett. She considered her a friend actually she was her best friend in Charming. She'd trusted her with her hospital information and she'd called Hale after the attempt on her life. She may have been a good friend, but she wasn't that good of a friend. Scarlett had practically forced her to kill Kohn when all she wanted to do was call Jax to come to her house and get his opinion. Now, she had blood on her hands and had to go through the humiliation of a public investigation. She may have been cleared, but it had been a stressful nightmare that could have been avoided if Scarlett had just called Jax.
When she almost died, it changed her. She'd had time to think of her biggest regret and it was simple she wanted a romantic relationship. Books and movies popularize the idea that a person should move heaven and earth for love. She wasn't going to go to that extreme.
As she savored the greasy smoky bacon, a plan was beginning to form. It was underhanded and horrible. She'd always hated the kind of woman who would backstab and do terrible things to get a guy. She still felt that way, but this was different. Jax wasn't some guy that caught her eye that she was crushing on. Jax was the love of her life. He was her soul mate. That entitled her to do whatever it takes to get him back.
It wasn't like she was talking about murder or setting up Scarlett for a crime she didn't committ. She was just going to fight for her man and employ some dirty tricks to break up the lovebirds.
Jax was better off without Scarlett. She didn't understand MC life the way she did. She and Jax had a shared past. The only thing Scarlett had going for her was her looks. She was smarter, she made more money and she understood Jax on a deeper level. Scarlett was beautiful and had a superficial charm that would help her quickly move on from Jax. She and Jax getting back together was the best solution for everyone.
She poured a little maple syrup over her fat breakfast sausages. These were another specialty of Annie's. The sausage was spicy, salty and paired with the syrup for sweetness, it was the perfect bite. As she took a last bite, the idea for her plan hit her. It would take a little work, but it would succeed.
She just wasn't sure if she had the guts to put the plan in motion. And then she thought about almost losing her life and her life's biggest regret. This was her chance for love. No, she wasn't going to let anyone or anything pesky like morals get in her way.
Soon, Jax was going to be hers.
NEXT UP: BLOOD AND MAYHEM ON THE HIGHWAY
