Page 89 of Family Bonds: Carter & Avery

Now she got it. She didn’t have time to do it and she’d have a better selection here than on the island.

The three of them watched cartoons for forty-five minutes and she couldn’t take another minute of it and decided to leave now for the five-minute drive for pizza. She didn’t care if she was waiting there longer, it would be nice to get out of the house.

She parked and walked in. The place was packed, names on the board of those orders that were done. Hers wasn’t up there so no reason to get in line yet.

“Avery Keegan?”

She turned when she heard her name. “Yes,” she said. She didn’t know who this woman was and felt horrible because she was normally good with the faces of her patients’ owners.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t.”

“Officer Denson. I came to see you at the clinic the day that Colleen had her accident.”

“Oh,” she said. The woman wasn’t in uniform. “I don’t remember much from that day. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure,” Officer Denson said. “Colleen was a wonderful woman. She was very helpful if you went up and had any questions about payroll or benefits. How is Josie doing? You don’t live around here anymore, right?”

“I don’t,” she said. “Josie is doing well. We came home for the holiday to see my mother.”

“That’s nice. Do you have a minute?” Officer Denson said, looking around. As if she wanted to make sure no one was listening in.

“Sure,” she said. “Just waiting for my dinner like everyone else.”

The two of them moved off to the side. “A guy showed up at Colleen’s old office a few weeks ago. He was causing a scene and I and another officer had to go up and see what was going on.”

“Okay,” she said, not sure what this had to do with her.

“He said he was Josie’s father. And he was trying to find his daughter. That he’d heard Colleen died and he wanted his kid.”

She felt her face pale. “Did he leave his name?”

“Mike something,” Officer Denson said. “I’d have to go back and look at the report.”

“Shit,” she said.

“Is that the name of Josie’s father?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Mike Coffey.” It seemed the day to have men from the past come into her life. Or at least knowledge of them.

“That’s it,” Officer Denson said. “I remember thinking I needed one. A coffee. When he left.”

“I’m not sure how he found out about Colleen’s death,” she said. Last she knew Colleen hadn’t had any communication with Mike since he signed over his rights before Josie was born.

Officer Denson shrugged. “No clue, but since I saw you here, I figured I’d mention it.”

“Did you get any of his information? Where he’s living or a number or anything?” she asked.

“It’s in the report,” Officer Denson said. “If you want to stop into the department tomorrow, I’ll get it for you. I’m working. We all loved Colleen.”

Avery wasn’t sure if she should get this information or not and the way Officer Denson all but whispered it let her wonder even more.

“I’ll be there,” she said. It was best to know going in and prepare. Though she wasn’t so sure what she could be prepared for.

29

Taking What He Could

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