Page 13 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

She was laughing even harder and he couldn’t figure out the reason. “Like a parent does when they mean business.”

“Your dog doesn’t seem to know or care that much though,” he said, his hand reaching out to pet the little thing. He got more licks in the process.

He’d never owned a dog before, but the affection he was getting now was a nice feeling.

Not enough to override having to chase one down the street with no shoes on though.

“He thinks he’s the king of the house given his breed and all, but he’ll learn fast enough I was the queen of the castle first. Anyway, thanks for the good catch. I’ve got to get my escapee back home and get ready for work. I’ll let you finish your run so you can do the same.”

“I’m off today,” he found himself saying.

“And you’re up this early running?” she asked, her tone almost comical. “Are you mad? Maybe a little loco?”

Considering the two situations she’d been in with her dog this week alone, he’d keep the loco comment to himself.

“I’m a creature of habit,” he said. “I actually overslept.”

“Sleep,” she said. “I don’t know what that is now. I used to get it more on the weekends, but someone needs to go out very early. I read it’s good to get them in a routine too. Guess this is what being a single parent is about.”

“I wouldn’t know,” he said.

“Are you single?” she asked him quickly. “I’ve never seen you around before, but that doesn’t mean anything. Since you’re close to my house, I’m going to assume you don’t live that far away.”

“Less than two miles,” he said.

No reason to add much more. If he said he was on the water, she’d know he had to have some money somewhere and it wouldn’t add up with his career.

“You didn’t say if you were single? On the island, my choices of meeting people are normally online and I’m sick of being pen pals with people.”

“Pen pals?” he asked lifting an eyebrow.

She snorted. “Long story. If you’re single and want to get a drink sometime, maybe the old-fashioned way of meeting someone will work out better. I can fill you in on my comment then. Otherwise, no worries. Don’t need to waste my breath or your time.”

He liked her and wasn’t sure why that was.

There were parts of her he couldn’t piece together.

She looked high maintenance and was stunning but yet didn’t think much about running down the street barefoot or trying to get under her deck to get her dog. She laughed about stepping in dog crap on top of it.

Her potty mouth told him she was pretty free with her speech and didn’t care too much about being polite, yet she wasn’t rude.

She was obviously outgoing since she’d just asked him out.

He couldn’t remember the last time a woman asked him out. Most times he was meeting someone at a bar with the guys one night. Those women didn’t tend to lean toward long-term relationships.

But there was something in Kelsey’s eyes that reminded him of his mother.

A twinkle of humor and a hint of adventure. Not that his mother ever got to venture out much that he remembered, but she always urged him to do it.

He needed both in his life desperately and found himself saying, “I’m single.”

“Look at that,” she said. “We’ve got that in common. Don’t suppose you’ve got your phone on you? I ran out the door without mine.”

“I do,” he said, looking at his arm where it was strapped. He’d been listening to music in his earbuds while he ran.

“Oops, silly me,” she said. “I was distracted by other things, but you’ve got some nice arms there too.”

He smirked. There was no way not to. She was all over the place, but he found it enchanting in a way.

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