Aubrey Daniels owns the newest business in Charming. Candy Roses is a small boutique bakery that just opened and has residents like Gemma Teller-Morrow singing the owner's praises. When Gemma talks Aubrey into having a booth at Taste Of Charming, A...
Rey sighed as she opened her trunk and took out the box with all of the bags for the guys. She was originally only making bags for Happy, Bobby, and Chibs, but then felt bad for the others so she made them all a little something. She knew that there would be plenty of drinking and women on this run, just like all the others, but she thought something from home might be appreciated.
Truth be told, she was a little lonelier when they went on runs because she didn't have Happy and Bobby constantly checking on her, but she also felt a little more free, as if she answered to nobody, which in all reality she didn't. Even when they were around, there seemed to be a line that didn't get crossed. Sure, Bobby would give his opinion of something like the day before with where she lived, but she knew he really wouldn't push it.
She saw Half Sack coming out of the clubhouse and yelled his name, giving him a grin and a wave. He came jogging over to Rey's car with a crooked smile on his face.
"Hey, Rey. Need help with that box?"
She nodded and pointed inside. "Yeah, thanks. If you could hand these out to everyone? Their names are on the bags. Thanks again."
She reached up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek and he walked away blushing but grinning from ear to ear. She shook her head and chuckled as she shut her car door. She turned and saw Gemma standing in the door of the office, grinning. She motioned for Rey to come that way and she did, following Gemma into the office. She watched as Gemma chuckled and shook her head while looking through some papers laying on her desk.
"You know you're going to make that boy fall in love with you if you keep that up. Not that the others aren't already halfway there. Some closer than others." She seemed to find what she was looking for and handed Rey a stack of papers. Upon closer inspection, Rey found them to be realty listings. Gemma pointed as the first sheet. "These houses are what Bobby can afford, the second sheet is what he could afford with the club's help, and the third sheet are the ones off the first two that are either close to mine and Clay's house or the shop." She lit a cigarette and smirked at the shocked look on Rey's face. "I would prefer you pick something from the third sheet and we can go from there. We like family to be close in case something happens, not all the way across town."
Rey took a calming breath and shook her head as she laid the papers back on Gemma's desk and stood there with her arms folded across her chest. Gemma just sighed and sat back, secretly smiling because she saw that stubborn look all the time in her own mirror.
"I've only known Bobby a month, the rest of the club less than that. I appreciate the concern, I really do, but Gemma, I don't need Bobby or the club to buy me a house. That feels a lot like being a kept woman, and frankly, I don't see Bobby that way. He's like a brother to me."
Gemma grinned, thinking to herself that it was a good thing she didn't see him romantically since someone else wanted that position with her. "Look darlin, this has nothing to do with being kept or any shit like that. It's about the fact that Bobby and Happy see you as family and they both want you safe. This would make them both feel a lot better about taking runs like this if they knew you were protected while they were gone."
Rey grinned and leaned up against the doorframe. "I get it, I really do, and I wish that I could take them up on it, but I can't. When I came here, I was determined to start over and do it all by myself, and that is exactly what I plan on doing." Rey shrugged as Gemma stood up and walked around her desk toward the door. "I will concede that my neighborhood isn't the best, and I will look for something better, but I will do it by myself."
Gemma just shook her head and slung an arm around Rey's shoulders as they walked out into the morning sunshine. They guys were all outside getting ready to leave, checking their bikes for last minute adjustments as the two women joined some of the other old ladies to see their guys off. Gemma introduced Rey to the women and she found out that the shorter brunette was with Jax and the tall, willowy blond was with Opie. She smiled pleasantly as she watched Chibs out of the corner of her eye while half-heartedly listening to the conversation going on around her.
There was just something about the sexy Scot that kept drawing her in whenever he was around. Even when he wasn't, she found her mind going to him, wondering where he was. She didn't know if it was the scars on his face that gave him an air of mystery, or if it was the streaks of gray and white in his hair and beard that spoke of maturity. She knew for a fact that his accent melted her into a puddle of want whenever he spoke to her, but she had been pretty good at hiding that fact. The Lord knew all it took to make her stutter was for him to say her name.
She was drawn back into the conversation as Lyla laid a hand on her arm. "So, you'll come with us?"
Rey looked at her in confusion. "Huh? Where are we going?"
Tara chuckled. "Girls night out. We usually go to Lodi, but the guys don't like for us to when they're out of town, so The Hairy Dog in Charming will have to do tonight."
Rey thinks about it for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Sounds like fun."
