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Time alone was rare since Josie entered her life, but she didn’t care. All that she was really worried about was Josie’s happiness now.
“Are you okay on your own, Josie?”
Josie wasn’t even paying attention to her and was walking around the studio looking at the pottery and paintings. “Can I do pottery sometime too?”
“Sure,” Laine said.
“Guess that means she’s fine,” Avery said. “You’ve got my number if you need anything. I’m going to run to the store and then get some dinner. I’ll be back at eight.”
She left and drove the mile or so to the grocery store. Nothing was that far away that she’d noticed.
There were two grocery stores on the island. One chain store and one supercenter. The chain grocery store was closer to her house even though it was further away than the supercenter from where she was now.
She parked her SUV and got out. It looked busy but not as busy as Saturday when she’d been here with Josie. She would have preferred first thing in the morning, but Josie slept in. Just like her mother needed to have some time to do things and not stress or worry about rushing back, she supposed she did too.
There wasn’t much she had to buy but found herself getting more than needed. The last thing she should have done was come here on an empty stomach.
She was reaching up to get the cereal that Josie liked. They hadn’t had it when they were here last week. Too bad it was out of her reach.
She was going to jump and try to get it, but she heard, “I’ll get it,” from behind her.
She turned and saw Carter Bond standing there. “Thanks,” she said.
He reached up and easily got it and handed it over. “Just one?”
“Yeah. Josie likes it, but it’s full of sugar. It will be a nice treat. I’m hoping there is a dentist on this island. I know there are doctors and I’ve got to get that squared away at some point.”
“There are dentists,” he said. “One of my cousins, Coy Bond, has his own practice.”
“The Bonds have about everything on this island, don’t they?” she asked.
“I guess,” he said.
He looked down at her cart which was overflowing. She caught him doing it and his gaze lingering some. “I shouldn’t have come here before I ate dinner. I want everything in sight.”
“The same,” he said. “I needed four things. I’m close to twenty.”
She saw his basket had a variety of snacks and fruit in it. Some meat and bread, deli meats too. “I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that does that.”
“Where’s Josie?” he asked. “Or is Betty babysitting her?”
“She’s getting art lessons with my friend Laine right now. I’ve got two hours to myself.” She looked at her watch. “Well, a little over ninety minutes now.”
“She draws well,” he said. “I can’t believe the picture of Dopey.”
“You saw it?” she asked.
“She gave it to me yesterday.”
“That was nice of her,” she said. “I hadn’t known she’d done that. She shows me what she draws. I told her we can put them in frames at the clinic.”
“She told me that last week,” he said.
She felt her face flush. Of course Josie did. She knew that because she saw them talking last week and Josie told her why she wanted the pictures of Dopey and Doc.
Avery couldn’t remember the last time she was scattered talking to a man, but this one in front of her seemed to bring it about.
From his dark hair and eyes to his slow movements. He didn’t talk a lot, but what he said got across the point he was trying to make.
