Love & Serenity

Chapter 23

Jax glanced at Lillian next to him in the passenger's seat as he drove away from Mindy's later that evening. Lillian had her head slightly out the window resting on her hand as the wind blew against her face softly.

"Want to go somewhere?"

Lillian looked at him and smiled.
"Where?"

"It's a place you love."

Lillian's smile widened.
"Ok."

Jax smiled and headed for his place instead of hers.

Lillian stepped out of Jax's truck a moment later while Otto barked as they headed inside. Otto was right at the door as Jax pushed it open.

"Hey there buddy." Lillian smiled as she bent to scratch the spot behind his ears. "You like that, don't you? Yes, you do." Lillian kissed the top of Otto's head as the dog wagged its tail happily.

Jax stood there and just watched with a smile. He scratched Otto's back and headed for the kitchen to hang his keys. He took out Ott's meal and poured some in his bowl before he went back to join her.

"You ready?" Jax asked when he turned to Lillian who was getting up.

She nodded.

"C'mon." Jax said and they headed out the other door facing the ocean and out into the patio.

The cool breeze immediately came at them as they stepped out. Lillian sighed into the cool night air.

"I could live here forever." Lillian whispered.

Jax smiled.
"Do you want to stay here or go down there?"

Lillian looked at him.
"Down there."

"Then let's go."

Lillian smiled and that made Jax happy. Lillian took off her sandal while Jax took of his shows and grabbed a cloth spread from one of the chairs outside on the patio before they headed down the stairs towards the ocean.

Stopping a few feet away from where the water reached, Jax spread the cloth on the sand before sitting. The moon reflected in the ocean looking like a perfect painting by nature.

Lillian sighed.
"It's absolutely beautiful out here." She said, "Nothing beats nature."

"One of the reasons I chose my place." Jax said, "It's away from everything and everyone."

Lillian smiled as she remembered the story Jax told her about how everyone had pitched in to help him rebuild the place.
"That didn't keep people away though."

Jax laughed.
"No, it didn't."

"I would choose this a million times over New York's craziness."

"Nashville has this same peace and quiet if you know where to look."

Lillian glanced at Jax.
"Nashville uhn?"

Jax sighed and smiled. Without even asking questions, Lillian always got him talking about his life before Burlington and he wasn't as bothered as he would have been.

"Why did you leave then?"

"I moved around a lot until I decided it wasn't for me anymore."

Lillian nodded.
"I can understand that. Wanting to find one place to call your home. A place that gives you everything it is you're searching for."

Family.
Lillian thought.

Redemption.
Jax thought.

"Exactly." Jax said.

"Have you found it?"

"I'm getting there." He said, "You?"

Lillian smiled.
"I think so."

They made small talk for hours until Lillian started yawning between her words, her eyes started to get droopy. Jax noticed but said nothing and just went on with their conversation.

"Do you want me to take you back to your place?" Jax asked when Lillian just stared at the ocean and said nothing for longer than she had since they sat there.

"No. I want to stay just a little longer." She yawned again.

Jax studied her side profile as the wind blew her hair away from her face, her lashes falling and lifting more frequently and suddenly she turned her head and looked at him. The soft beautiful smile she gave him tugged at something in him and she leaned closer and placed her head in the crook of his shoulder right underneath his jaw and when he inhaled, he got the slightest whiff of Lily.

"You're a good person, Jackson."

Jax clenched his jaw and turned away from her hair. If she only knew what he'd done, he was certain she wouldn't feel the same way.

"You're an incredible person, Lillian."

All he got back was a sigh from her before her breathing changed.

Jax heard the crash of waves closer than usual before he saw it. He smiled when he saw the sun was starting to rise. He turned to Lillian, she couldn't miss this, and she was sleeping peacefully against his chest, her hair covering most of her face.

Jax held his breath and wasn't sure which sight was more beautiful, the woman who was currently sleeping against him or the sunrise.

"Lily." Jax said as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

Lillian's chest expanded as she took in a deep breath that smelled of the ocean.

"Lily." Jax called again.

Lillian opened her eyes when she heard her name and she woke up to the bluest eyes staring down at her with a smile. She closed her eyes and smiled back stretching before opening them again.

"I think I slept off."

"I think we slept off."

"Sorry."

Jax smiled at how adorable she looked.
"Look." Jax gestured to the sunrise.

Lillian looked away from his blue eyes to the sun rising in front of them as the ocean waves crashed.
"Oh. My." Lillian said in complete astonishment. "It's breathtaking."

"It is." Jax hadn't taken his gaze off her.

Lillian smiled and inhaled the ocean breeze.

"Coffee?" Jax asked.

"Yes please."

"C'mon."

Jax got up and Lillian followed suit. Lillian picked the cloth Jax spread on the sand the night before.

"It's ok, I've got it." Lillian said when he reached for it.

They walked to his place, up the stairs and inside where Otto awaited them happily.

Jax let her use his guest bathroom while he used his and then headed to the kitchen. Got started on the coffee and poured Otto's meal when Lillian stepped out of the bathroom.

"He seems to be back to his old self."

Jax looked at her and nodded.
"He's getting there."

Jax made the coffee just how she liked it, they sat quietly at the patio and enjoyed the sunrise with a cup of coffee.

"Thank you, Jax," Lillian said when Jax dropped her off later. "I had a good time."

"So did I." Jax smiled.

Lillian smiled and hopped off his truck.
"See you later."

"See you later."

Lillian turned around and headed to the cabin. She glanced back and saw he was still there waiting for her to head inside. She smiled and shook her head mentally.

She heard his truck leave when she shut the door behind her. She fell back against the door and stared at the cabin with a sigh.

"Oh, Jackson."