Thyme For Magic (Book Three Of Sisters Of Mercy)

Food Served Curbside

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Chibs parked the van and turned off the engine, listening to it tick as it cooled down while he lit a cigarette and settled back in his seat. The neighborhood was quiet in the late evening, kids inside doing homework while their parents cooked dinner and complained to each other about their day.

Chibs' lips twisted at the thought of all the shit he'd taken earlier from Tig and Juice, but he couldn't be bothered to care. Yes, he knew that it was overkill to sit down the street from Evie's house, but he also knew that he wouldn't put it past Jessie to try to take an impromptu shopping trip for furniture or paint samples for the new store.

He couldn't define what he was feeling for the pint-size woman just yet, but he knew without a doubt that he wasn't going to sit back and watch her hurt herself before she was healed.

He'd taken care of the work at her house himself while she was in the hospital. Chibs was no stranger to blood being spilled, but his guts had twisted as he painted the walls, knowing that it was her blood splattered on them.

He was halfway through a pack of cigarettes when car lights flashed behind him. He grumbled to himself as the figure of David Hale walked beside the van to his driver's side window.

"Evening, Chibs."

Chibs nodded. "Hale."

David leaned on the door and looked inside the van. "Care to tell me why you're sitting on the side of the road like you're casing the street?"

Chibs sighed as he butted out his cigarette in the ashtray and lit another. "Ye know Jessie was shot." When Hale nodded, he continued. "She 'as a problem with stayin' put while she heals. Now, I'm no' her old man, so I cannae tell her wot to do, but I can sit here and make sure she stays put."

David thought about it for a moment before grinning and nodding. "I see. Well, I can understand that. My father used to have the same trouble with my mother." He sighed before nodding. "Alright. I won't roust you, but if anyone calls to complain, I'll have to ask you to move along."

Chibs nodded. "Aye."

David tapped the side of the door and walked back the way he'd come. Soon, he was pulling out from behind Chibs and giving his horn a short beep.

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Evie pushed open Jessie's bedroom door with a hip as she carried a plate and glass in each hand. "I brought you some dinner."

Jessie laid her laptop to the side and grinned as she took the steaming plate of lasagna from Evie. "I could have come downstairs for dinner."

Evie waved a hand as she set the glass of iced tea on the bedside table. "It wasn't any trouble. We all figure a couple more days in bed and you should be ready to move around. Not a lot, mind you, but some."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "By we, you mean Chibs."

Evie chuckled and nodded. "I just thought that was assumed."

Jessie shook her head. "That man. I don't know what to do about him. Oh, when you go back down, ask Opie to take a plate out to the pain in the ass. I'm sure he hasn't thought to eat dinner yet."

Evie looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"

Jessie grinned. "He's parked somewhere on the street. Also, have Opie inform him that he can go back to the clubhouse. I have no plans of breaking out tonight."

Evie just chuckled and shook her head before heading back downstairs. She found Opie in the kitchen with Rocky, Pru, Lucinda, and the five kids, all piled around the long table. She grinned at Opie as he pointed to the empty chair beside himself.

"When you're through eating, can you run a plate out to Chibs? Jessie said that he's staked out somewhere on the street. She also said to tell him that she doesn't plan on a jail break if he wants to call it a night."

Opie shook his head and chuckled along with everyone else. "I can do that, but how did she know? I only found out about ten minutes ago when Jax called."

Rocky shook her head. "She always knows shit before the rest of us. She knew Agnes was going to pass, she knew that I was injured. She just knows."

Lucinda frowned. "Yeah, but usually it's just us girls she knows stuff about."

Pru nodded in agreement. "Yep, that's weird."

Russ snorted. "What isn't weird about Aunt Jessie?" When Evie smacked him in the back of the head, he shrugged. "I love her, but she's strange."

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Chibs startled awake when the passenger side door of the van opened and Opie handed a plate to him before pulling himself inside.

"Jessie thought you might be hungry. She also said that you can go home. She isn't planning anything for the night."

Chibs shook his head and chuckled as he took a bite of the lasagna. He'd been thinking earlier that he should have stopped at the diner before coming there. It didn't surprise him that Jessie would know he needed something.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Opie spoke up again. "You know she won't be easy, man. You're gonna have to work for that one."

Chibs nodded. "Aye, but what fun would easy be?" He shrugged. "She 'as a soft spot for me, she just doesn' know what to do abou' it."

Opie chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right. So... Jessie's it?"

Chibs took a deep breath before nodding. He'd been mulling it over all evening, and time after time, came to the same conclusion. "Ayuh. She's the one. The only one."

Opie nodded before chuckling. "This should be fun to watch." He took the now empty plate from the Scot and nodded at the road. "Seriously though. You can head to bed. I'm staying the night. I got her."

Chibs nodded as he lit a cigarette. "Aye, I believe I will."

As Opie walked back to the house and Chibs pulled away, Jessie laid in bed and wondered what to do with the handsome Scotsman.