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“He’s not that I’m aware of,” Laine said. “So what else has happened?”

“Nothing,” she said. “I’m all over the place in my life. I explained briefly how I got Josie. That was the first night I met him. He thought Josie was my daughter and Josie said her mom died.”

“Bet Carter was all embarrassed in an awkward way he gets.”

Avery grinned and took another sip of her wine. It was hitting the spot.

“He was. He almost flushed and I found it adorable. What do you know about him?”

“Not a lot. I mean he owns his own garage. It’s expanded since I’ve been here.”

“How?” she asked. “I know it was his father’s before and then his grandfather’s before that.”

“He told you that?” Laine asked.

“Yes. But someone at the office mentioned it too. He asked me how I ended up being a vet. If I always wanted to.”

“And you asked him about the garage. Sounds like date conversations to me,” Laine said.

She’d thought so too, but then they went on their way and nothing more had happened.

“Just conversation,” she said.

“I know what line of the Bond family he comes from,” Laine said. “Not the wealthy one.”

“I don’t care about those things,” she said.

“I know you don’t. But people will say that. More so if anyone saw you two eating out. It’s a small island when any Bond is involved in anything. And you’re the new talk of the town.”

She frowned and had more wine. “I hate being talked about.”

“Me too,” Laine said. “But I’m the carefree hippie in the eyes of most people on the island.”

She laughed. Laine was beautiful. Light blonde hair, long and flowing. Her clothing matched that image with the floral dress that was hitting the floor and looked very comfy.

Laine almost belonged in the sixties in her eyes.

“You love it,” she said. “You always loved the attention.”

Laine grinned. “Anything to sell the art. So, Carter,” Laine said. “Doesn’t seem like your type or style.”

“Because he’s blue collared?” she asked. “I tried the suit and tie type. It didn’t work out.”

Kurt was almost pretty in his attire. He worked in sales and was always kissing people’s ass. She didn’t care so much as she didn’t deal with him in a work capacity.

She wished she’d seen through him more rather than spend years with him and have him leave her when she needed someone. It reminded her once again to not rely on anyone. To do everything herself.

What stung the most was not seeing him for what he was.

“Not the job or career he has,” Laine said. “He’s quiet. I’ve been to his garage before. Most on the island have at some point. He says what he needs to say and that’s it. You’re upbeat and friendly. He’s nice and all, just not upbeat if that makes sense.”

“He’s been friendly to me,” she said. She wasn’t going to tell Laine about how Carter was with Josie. Maybe that was a button she needed pushed in her life. To see how a guy could be with a kid that wasn’t his but she was going to raise. Like a package deal of sorts.

It didn’t seem to matter to Carter. But for all she knew, it could have been him being nice to a new person on the island and a child that lost their only parent.

“Then you should reach out to him,” Laine said. “Try it again when Josie is with me for a lesson. It can’t hurt.”

“I don’t need to make a fool out of myself right now,” she said. “I’ll see him again. He brings his dogs to my clinic.”

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