Page 79 of Family Bonds: Carter & Avery

She started to laugh and he looked up at her and smiled.

“I’m happy you’re happy,” he said.

“Why don’t you let Carter in with the dogs,” Avery said.

Josie stepped back and then once Dopey and Doc were in the house, she turned her attention to them.

“It went well I see?” he asked.

“Better than well,” she said. “I’ll fill you in later.”

“I made you brownies again,” Josie said.

“You did?” he said. “They were really good last time.”

“I put peanut butter cups inside them this time. It’s too cold for ice cream, but if you warm up peanut butter it's all gooey and you can pour it over the top. Would you like that?”

“I would,” he said.

“Good because we had a lot of peanut butter cups from trick-or-treating,” Josie said. “Avery said this way I can eat them faster. She only lets me have two pieces a day, but I get more in the brownies.”

“Sounds like it’s a win to me,” he said.

“Chocolate is serious business in this house,” Avery said.

“And we are making burgers for dinner,” Josie said. “Because men like beef. I remember and you liked steak last time. We need to make you happy so that you keep coming back.”

Avery felt her face flush over that comment. She wasn’t sure what to say either. She knew it was a simple remark out of an eight-year-old, but she didn’t want Josie to think she had to bend over backward for people for them to be her friend.

“I’ll come back regardless of what you feed me,” Carter said. “Once someone is your friend, they don’t care about those things. They only care about you and how you make them feel.”

For a man that never said much in his life, he sure the hell knew what to say at the right time.

“My mom always said that too,” Josie said. “But sometimes in school, you have to say or do things to get people to like you.”

“Don’t,” he said. “Be you. Don’t say and do things for other people if you don’t want to. If you need to do that, then they aren’t your friends.”

“That’s right,” Avery said. “What Carter said is so true.”

And she wondered why he said it. Or if it’d happened to him.

Men didn’t normally seem to have the same petty issues that women did, but the truth was she didn’t know all that much about Carter and his past. It’s not like he talked about it.

“Adele told me that too. She said that Layla and Livi are mean and I shouldn’t do what they say to be their friends.”

“What is going on?” Avery asked.

“Nothing,” Josie said. “This was earlier when school started. That is how Adele and I became such good friends. She stuck up for me.”

“Were you being bullied?” she asked. This was all new to her.

“No,” Josie said. “I wanted to fit in, but I like being me. Life is easier that way.”

“Yes,” Carter said. “It is. Remember that. It takes adults years to figure out what you said now. Don’t forget it.”

More things for her to think about, but tonight wasn’t going to be the time to do it.

“How about we go get Betty and let her play with Dopey and Doc again?”

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