Second Time Around...

✨Chapter 41✨

Avery and Jax stood on the porch of their home and watched as the social worker pulled away from the curb. Once she was gone, Avery finally let out the breath that she had been holding pretty much the whole visit and immediately felt herself relaxing. 

"How do you think that went?" asked Jax as he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Good, but I can't shake the feeling that someone pushed for this to happen." said Avery, voicing her concerns about the visit. It wasn't that she was a paranoid person, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with her more so than Jax and Abel.

"What do you mean?" asked Jax. "I thought this type of thing is normal given the circumstances."

"They are. But my gut tells me that someone pushed for this. And pushed hard." said Avery as she turned in Jax's arms so that she could look him in the eyes.

"And you think this has something to do with me and the club? Am I right?" asked Jax, anger lacing his voice.

Reaching up, Avery placed her hands on each side of his face and looked him in the eyes, willing him to calm down, before speaking. "I'm hurt that you think I would automatically assume that this has something to do with you, the club, or your past. I shouldn't have to tell you this but no, I don't think this has anything to do with you or the club. This felt targeted towards me for some reason. Why else would they have contacted me first and then asked me to contact you?"

"So, the question is, who have you pissed off since you've been back? Asked Jax.

"Seriously? I'm sure there's hearts broken all over town knowing that you are off the market. Would only make sense that this was someone who's a little salty because they won't get the chance to sleep with you." said Avery smiling up at Jax playfully. "But in all seriousness, the only person that could be remotely pissed off at me would be Wendy."

Avery watched Jax's facial expression change at her suspicion. Talking about Jax's ex wife was not on the list of her favorite topics but this one needed to be discussed. Wendy was the only person that Avery could think of that would be so conniving and call social services and put the heat on her and Jax. She was the logical conclusion.

"I'm going to have a little chat with her." said Jax as he stepped around Avery and towards his bike. Chasing after him, Avery caught up with him just as he was strapping his helmet on.

"Wait, we don't know if this was her or not babe. If you go in there threatening her, this could get a whole lot worse. Let's just keep our heads low and act as if we're unbothered. If it is her, the fact that we act like she isn't affecting us will cause her to get more desperate, cause her to slip up. But if she sees the two of us happy and unbothered and it wasn't her, it will show her that any hope she had of driving a wedge between us -splitting us up so she can swoop in and take my place- will be ineffective." said Avery.

"No one is driving a wedge between us Vee. No one." said Jax as he climbed off his bike and pulled Avery into his arms.

"Good, cause I'm kind of attached." said Avery. She could feel Jax calming down. The tension that had filled his body upon her suspicion of Wendy being involved slowly leaving him.

"Let's go see our son." whispered Jax as held Avery tight.

"I would love nothing more than to go see Abel but I can't. Or at least not until after work. I have a client meeting me at the office in..." said Avery as she gleaned down at her watch. "... 20 minutes."

"So after work then?" asked Jax.

"You got a date, handsome." said Avery smiling at Jax before standing on her tiptoes and placing a kiss on his lips.

"Pick you up at 5:00?" asked Jax.

"I'll be waiting." said Avery as she turned to walk to her car.

******

As promised, Jax pulled his bike up to the curve of the law firm at exactly 5:00. Avery was just finishing up with a client that walked in off the street needing help with getting out of a DUI when the front door of the office opened.
Glancing up, she saw Jax strutting into the office, oozing that bad-boy swagger that she loved so much about him. Just seeing him walking in so confidently had her lady bits anxious to get him home and in her bed so that she would have her way with him.
Knowing that she needed to get her mind out of the gutter and off the walking sex on legs, she returned her focus back to the client sitting in front of her.

"Okay Ms. Holtzclaw, I will work on this and get back to you. We have court in roughly 3 weeks. I'll see you then if you do not have any other questions." said Avery.

"No questions ma'am. I'll see you in 3 weeks." said the client before grabbing her purse and standing up from the chair she had been sitting in.

Avery watched as she turned in the chair and knew the moment that she laid eyes on Jax.
And then the handsome devil had to smile at her.
The woman practically tripped over her own feet when Jax gave her his best smile. Avery felt for the woman. She knew all too well how that smile could short-circuit someone's brain. God knows she had been helpless to it from the age of 15.
Shaking her head, she walked the client towards the door and told her goodbye before locking the door. Turning slowly, she leaned against the door jam and smiled up at Jax.

"You know, it's rather unfair how sexy you are and how you affect women. That poor woman didn't stand a chance when you put on that devil-may-care smile of yours." said Avery.

"Is that so? And how does that smile affect you? That's all I really care about." said Jax, giving her his best smile as he finished his sentence.

"Oh, I think you know damn well how it affects me." said Avery.

"I do have an idea. But, let's discuss it later. Right now, I wanna go see Abel, get some food, and head home." said Jax.

"Sounds like a plan." said Avery.