8

Chapter 552 Winding Up Scars

"

After Jax and Decker were satisfied the construction crew knew what they were doing removing the cabinets from the kitchen walls, tearing out all the flooring and knocking out a wall at the back of the house and covering the open area with heavy plastic, they drove by the house Decker was buying to flip.

Decker showed him his budget for the property, the improvements and what he expected to make. Jax asked to get in on the deal and bring in the MC. They had the chunk of money they got from the sale of their land the burned down warehouse was on that was sitting around not earning them any money. Decker agreed to allow Jax in on the deal and to bring the MC in with the understanding that they were supplying the money but he was the one making decisions regarding the renovations. Decker, the MC and Jax would each put up one third of the costs and Decker would get half the profits since he was doing the work and the remaining profit divided between the MC and Jax.

At Friday's church, Jax was going to bring the deal to the MC along with Decker's project analysis. If they could find houses to flip, they could make a nice income stream that wouldn't expose them to danger or prison. That meant that Clay would be immediately opposed to it.

Jax found Clay short-sighted. It was important to him that the MC look at different ways to earn money that didn't rely on uncertain supply lines. So far, Alvarez had been a reliable source for guns, but that could disappear just like the Irish pipeline and then they would be scrambling to reboot guns and trying to find ways to earn.

Just as Jax was about to return to TM, Decker looked at Jax with a twinkle in his eye that reminded him of how Scarlett looked when she was up to something.

"There's a decorating choice Scarlett hates more than subway tiles," Decker said.

"How is that even possible?" Jax asked skeptically. Scarlett was pretty passionate in her hatred of subway tiles.

"When she was little we stayed overnight with my grandmother, her great-grandmother in her old farmhouse. She had a bad experience with a claw foot bathtub. Mention you want one and brace for her reaction."

"Really? That good, huh?" Jax asked thinking it over. "What happened?"

"You have to hear her tell it. Also mention open shelving and a farm house sink for the kitchen. That farm house experience left her with a permanent hatred of farm house anything."

"Good thing I don't live in a farm house."

"You are right about that. I can't really blame her. The place was this old ramshackle place, but my grandmother loved it."

"Did you visit often?"

"I did as a kid but only that once with Scarlett before gran broke her hip and had to go to a nursing home. She was feisty. She had this old cellar just inside the back door. When I was seven, she asked me to get a jar of pickles from the cellar. It was old the stairs were rickety and it was dark even with the light. When I was fourteen or fifteen, she asked me to get a bucket. I just got down the stairs and started to look for the bucket when the lights went out," Decker said.

"What happened?"

"It was pitch black. I didn't know the layout and I kept thinking of every horror movie I'd ever seen when they go into the cellar and there's either a serial killer hiding or some evil entity is haunting the place. I was scared shitless. After a couple of minutes, the light goes on and my grandmother appears at the top of the stairs and asks me if I was scared. Me being a big man tells her no. She shuts the lights off and closes the door."

Jax and Decker laughed. Decker was right about his feisty grandmother.

"I started screaming to turn the lights on. She made me admit I was scared and then she told me that's what happens to mouthy teenagers who back talk their grandmothers. I was a little angel from them on."

"Did you deserve it?"

"Yeah. She taught me a lesson and I learned."

That evening Jax took Decker and Scarlett out to their favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Scarlett talked about finally having a soft opening for her store next Monday and a grand opening the following Saturday. She'd hired a couple of part time employees in addition to Sack who would help out with deliveries.

Jax and Decker discussed their prospective house flipping. Decker was closing escrow in two weeks whether the MC and Jax partnered with him or not. He was also in the process of getting his real estate license to maximize the amount of profit on his flips.

After they had finished dinner and were munching on the remains of a basket of tortilla chips, Jax mentioned he'd had some decorating ideas.

"You've had some decorating ideas," Scarlett said. "Other than subway tiles, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of kind of an industrial look with no cabinets and just all open shelving everywhere. I hate opening cupboard doors."

"No. Just no. I have no idea what idiot decided they looked good, but they are horrible. Dust and grease gets on the dishes and everything on the shelves has to look neat and perfect or everything looks messy."

"I don't mind messy," Jax insisted.

"I don't mind messy as long as I don't have to look at it and it's hidden behind cupboard doors," Scarlett said.

"OK, I guess you know best," Jax said meekly. "I do like to take a bath every now and then. I think I'd like one of those big old fashioned bathtubs maybe with big claw feet."

Scarlett's green eyes narrowed as she looked at her father and at Jax frowning.

"No bathtubs with claw feet," she said biting the words off.

"I've got to put my claw feet down on this. I really want one of those big old bathtubs with claw feet. I bet I could find a cheap used one maybe from a farm house."

"You told him," Scarlett said accusingly as she looked at her father.

"I may have mentioned it."

"Tell me why you hate them," Jax asked.

"When I was little and we were staying at my great-gran's, I was using the bathroom when I saw something run under the bathtub. I thought I was seeing things because I'd never seen something like that before. I finish and I'm washing my hands when something runs out from under the tub and across my foot. I started screaming uncontrollably and I'm so scared I can't even move." Both Jax and Decker chuckled.

"I saw a mouse run out from under the door as I was running to the bathroom. I flung open the door and Scarlett was shaking. I can still picture her face."

"All I could say was daddy pick me up. It was the last time that I can remember demanding he pick me up."

"I guess that means you wouldn't approve of a farm house sink?" Jax asked.

"OK, I've had about enough of the two of you conspiring against me. You think it's cute? It isn't. There are consequences to actions. You," Scarlett said turning to Jax, "are sleeping in the guest room tonight alone unless my father wants to join you."

"Not me," Decker said getting to his feet. "I'll be right back," he said heading for the bathrooms.

"Come on, Scars," Jax said, "you really don't want me to sleep in the guest room, do you?"

"Oh, yes I do. I won't have you and my father ganging up on me. Without meaningful punishment, you'll do it again."

"How about this? You can hurt me tonight when we're all alone in your bedroom." Jax gave her a slow sexy smile.

"Ummm . . ." Scarlett said looking at Jax carefully, "tempting. I'll think about it."

"Did you two work things out?" Decker asked returning to the table and sitting down.

"Yes, but now I have to deal with you ganging up with Jax against me. I won't put up with that from you," she said pointing her finger at her father.

"Did I ever tell you, Jax, that when I met Scarlett's mother, I didn't want kids. I was willing to put up with her having a kid because I loved her so much and then Scarlett was born and the nurse put that little bundle of baby in my arms. I looked at that beautiful little face and she was fussing. She opened her eyes—they were deep green even then—and she quit fussing. In that moment, I felt the most intense rush of love in my life. She's had my heart ever since."

"Uh huh," Scarlett said tartly pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. "That story worked the first five times you told it. It won't save you now. There will be consequences. Great-gran taught me a few things about how to deal with you."

"You never told me that."

"Didn't need to until now," Scarlett said with a grin. "No more ganging up on me or there will be hell to pay for both of you."

Decker and Jax agreed thoroughly chastised.

"You know I was thinking about your bathtub," Scarlett said, "and doing an oversized jetted tub."

"We would still be well within budget," Decker said. "The estimate I gave you Jax was the top end of the scale on everything. By just painting the fireplace over and using quartz instead of granite, we'll easily have enough money. If you want to do that, decide in the next week or two so I can modify the plans."

Jax imagined coming home from a long day and slipping into a jetted bathtub with a beer and relaxing maybe with Scarlett along for company. It sounded perfect.

"I definitely want to do that. Do any of these jetted tubs come with claw feet?"

"You're a dead man when we get home," Scarlett said darkly.

Jax could hardly wait. He wouldn't mind at all if Scarlett wanted to give him a whipping.

"

Author's Note: Last chapter until the New Year. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday or a great couple of weeks.

I should finally finish Taming Ava in the next two months or so and then I can devote my time to this story because I feel like I've neglected it a bit. It started out as a rom com and then morphed into a rom com with a lot of SOA elements in the back third that I added. Originally it was going to end without the SOA elements but I felt the addition would enrich the story. That's added almost a year onto the time I needed to finish it, but it's finishing the story the right way that's important to me not how long it takes me to do it.

If you're looking for a Christmas story, check out my Happy Christmas story Twisted Christmas. It's kind of Happy's origin story.