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“I knew you were smart,” she said, squinting at him. “She did do it all. Or she tried to. I was the only person she wasn’t afraid to ask for help from.”
“Then don’t feel that way about me,” he said, giving her a quick kiss, picking up the box and turning to go to Josie’s room.
“There is no place for that that she needed to clean,” she said. “It’s on wheels and moves around.”
“I see that,” he said.
“Unless she is cleaning out a spot to store it. She’s pretty neat, but she had Adele here yesterday for a few hours and they made a little bit more of a mess than normal. Not horrible and she was supposed to clean it all up today.”
“You can get started on cookies then,” he said. “Because I like sugar cookies too.”
She laughed at him and went into the kitchen and he continued upstairs to put Josie’s projector together for her.
Thirty minutes later, he came back downstairs with the box broken down to go into the recycling.
“What’s she doing?” Avery asked. There were ingredients on the counter, not only for cookies but what he assumed was going to be sauce and meatballs for dinner today.
“Drawing the picture first. I showed her how to turn it on and off. I’m sure she’ll be up there for a bit. Is there anything I can help you with? Lots of cooking for eleven in the morning.”
“The sauce takes time. I’m mixing the meatballs to drop in there now and they will slow cook. Then I’ll make the dough for the cookies and chill that before I roll and cut them. You can relax,” she said.
He pulled a chair out to watch her cook. He figured Josie was busy and they could chat. Might be a good time to bring up the holiday next week and see what was going on. He wasn’t one to do much or think of it, but his mother had asked him three times already.
With Christmas being on a Sunday, he thought for sure Avery would go home again for a long weekend, but she hadn’t said anything about it.
“What are you doing for Christmas next week?”
“Not much,” she said. “I decided not to go home again. It upset my grandmother’s routine having us there and though Josie had fun with her friends the one day, she was bored the rest of the time. I should have realized that. Not to mention, I think she needs to get used to spending the holidays here. And I didn’t want to bring all her gifts on the ferry or let her open them early.”
“That’s a mouthful,” he said.
“I know. And I did give her one gift early. But that is the long version of me saying I’m staying on the island and chilling. What are you doing?”
“Not much,” he said. “I go to my mother’s on Christmas Day. If you’re going to be here, I’d like you and Josie to come with me. Or maybe you and I can spend it together?”
He’d already gotten gifts for Josie and her.
“I’d like that a lot,” she said. “Josie would too. She’s never really been part of a big family holiday before. Me neither. It could do us both good. And if you don’t have plans on Christmas Eve, being a Saturday and all, I’m sure Josie will want movie night again.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he said and meant it.
That was easier to plan than he thought it would be. He got up to get a bottle of water while Avery started to mix the meatballs and form them.
Her phone rang that was on the counter. “Crap. I can’t answer it with my hands a mess. Hold it up to my face and swipe it and put it on speaker if you can.”
He looked at the number and didn’t see a name. It looked to be a West Virginia number, but he knew that didn’t make much difference where people actually lived now. She was on call all the time like he was.
“Here,” he said, swiping it and then hitting the button.
“Hello,” Avery said before he set it down.
“Is this Avery Keegan?” he heard a male voice say.
“Yes, it is. It’s Dr. Keegan. How may I help you?”
“I want my daughter,” the man said.
Carter turned his head sharply to look at Avery. Her face had paled and her hands stopped rolling the meatball, it dropping back into the bowl. “Who is this?” she asked.
