Read Online Blaze of Winter: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance by Elisabeth Barrett - Free Book Online Page B

it?”
    “You have a point. Why not throw away the broken things and keep the others? And you know my policy: six months and then tough luck.”
    “It’s probably safe to throw this away, then,” Avery said, holding a purple bikini bottom between her thumb and forefinger.
    Kate looked at the offending garment with distaste. “Ugh, yes.”
    “Okay. I have a plan. Don’t worry about this stuff. I’ll take care of it, Aunt Kate.”
    “Thank you, dear.” Kate smiled and walked back into the kitchen.
    Avery sorted through the rest of the items. Twenty minutes later, the box was organized—clothing on one side, odds and ends on the other. She put the box back under the reception desk and walked to the kitchen, where she found Kate talking to Buster Quigley. He was wearing a thick jacket and had his baseball cap in his hands, and when he saw her, his eyes widened.
    “Hi, Buster,” Avery said, giving him a little wave. “Good to see you again.”
    Buster gave her a short nod, but didn’t speak.
    “How are things at the LMK this morning?”
    “Fine,” he said.
    “Buster was just delivering the pastries,” Kate interjected.
    “Yep,” was the man’s only comment.
    Avery tried not to smile. She hadn’t quite realized how quiet Buster was.
    “Good seeing you, Kate,” Buster said gruffly. “I’ve got to get back.” He settled his cap on his head and slipped out the back door.
    Avery waited until he was out of earshot. “What was that about?” she asked.
    Kate waved her hands dismissively. “Oh, nothing,” she said, placing the pastries into the refrigerator. “Just catching up. So is the lost-and-found box organized?”
    “Yes. I threw away a bunch of stuff.”
    “Good, dear. Very good. Well,” she said, “I have some things to do at the house. I’ll be back later.”
    “All right.” Her aunt threw on a coat and headed out the door. Just then, Avery’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and picked it up. “Hello?
    “Hi, Avery.” Emma’s soft, clear voice came through the line. “I’m calling to ask if you’d like to join me and James for dinner tonight.”
    “That’d be great, Emma. I’d love to. Want me to ask Aunt Kate?”
    “I already called her. She told me she just wants to rest this evening.”
    “Okay,” she said. Goodness knew Kate needed to rest, but she always shot down the suggestion when Avery made it. “But I’ll be there. Can we make it early? I got roped into something later on this evening. I’ll tell you about it tonight.”
    “Sure. Come on by around six. Can’t wait to see you.”
    “Great. ’Bye.” Avery clicked the phone off. She hoped Kate made the most of her night off. Her aunt was so insistent that she was well that Avery sometimes forgot what an ordeal Kate had experienced. She couldn’t even imagine having her body poked and prodded like that, not tomention having poison pumped through her veins. Chemo was brutal, yet Kate had taken it like a champ.
    Avery sighed. Why couldn’t she be more like Kate? Brave. Stoic. Calm. She hadn’t even been able to make it through that last horrific meeting with Mia’s family without breaking down and sobbing. Of course, there was the issue of Mia’s child.
    The whole reason Mia had been at the Back Bay Recovery Center was that she’d been ordered to complete the three-month recovery program by the Department of Family Services to be eligible to regain custody of her five-year-old daughter, Faith. At first, Mia hadn’t wanted to be there at all, and she’d resented Avery and the other staff members, blaming them for keeping her from her kid. But over time, she’d grown to trust Avery, opening up to her. Avery had really felt as though she’d gotten through to Mia, who was on track to successfully complete the program. She had even written up a draft recommendation for the court suggesting that Mia be awarded custody. But with five days to go in the program, Mia had been found dead in Center