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“No. It helped that your mother came and got her early and said she needed a baking partner. She’ll be wired with sugar when she comes home and it feels as if you are being rewarded today. Your mother is making your favorite cookies and showing Josie how to do them.”
“Hey,” he said, his hand reaching over to hold hers in the truck. “Family sticks together. It’s what my mother does best. She bakes for her kids when she knows they are in trouble or might be in trouble.”
“I’ll remember that,” she said.
Avery was filled with such mixed emotions right now.
Front and center was fear though.
She knew legally Mike had no right to Josie. Not at all.
She’d talked to her attorney in Danbury and in Boston back when Mike called her.
Everything was in line and nothing for Mike to contest. Not without a lot of money and a big-time lawyer.
But that didn’t mean he might not come into her life and make trouble.
Sure, she could have restraining orders and everything drawn up, but she didn’t want to have to do those things and they took time.
She even contemplated buying Mike off to get him out of Josie’s life.
The money was there. It was still an option on the table, but she hadn’t told anyone she was thinking it.
This afternoon she kept running it through her head and even found time to call her mother and then Laine and briefly fill them in. Laine was the first to mention the money and she brushed it off.
It’s like her new closest friend could read her mind.
“Do what you think Colleen would do,” Laine had said. That was all she needed to hear and that was what she was damn well going to do.
Protect Josie the way Colleen would do.
Carter parked his truck and they got out. The wind was nuts today and it was below zero on top of it. She hoped to hell Mike suffered on the ferry ride over.
They walked into the lobby of the casino and over to the front desk. “Can I help you?” the woman said.
“They are here for me,” a man said, coming over in a suit that cost more than her monthly rent, she was positive. She saw him at Bode’s wedding but hadn’t met him formally.
“Hey, Griffin,” Carter said, putting his hand out. “Thanks for meeting us on such short notice. This is Avery Keegan.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “Thanks too.”
“I don’t think you mean that,” Griffin said, smirking.
“Oh, I’m thankful you found out what you’re going to tell me. Just not so thankful Carter did what he had.”
Griffin lifted an eyebrow. “Not surprised it’s that. Let’s go up to my private suite.”
They followed the big man with the military cut to a set of elevators where he swiped a badge, then put in a code, and they were riding up past the top floor to the penthouse.
The door opened and there was a hallway. One door in front and another to the left.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“My old apartment up here. Eli and his family live next door. This is where Eli comes when he’s in trouble with Bella now, but I figured we’d be more comfortable here.”
She looked at Carter and saw he seemed somewhat confused too, but didn’t say a word.
They walked in and it wasn’t like an office but a living quarters better than any home or apartment she’d ever been in.
