Page 132 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“I have no idea,” he said. “I’m going to see if I can find any activity in the last few days around the house.”

He didn’t have far to go to see a familiar face show up on his front porch and then move back before it could trip the fact someone was there on his phone.

“Who is that?” Mac asked.

“My father,” he said.

37

LIKE A CHAMP

“Why is your father here?” Kelsey asked. She knew Adam Harlowe had reached out over a month ago. Maybe close to two at this point and that Van didn’t reply back. She’d just lost track of time.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said.

“Have you had any communication with your father?” Mac asked. “Any reason he’d be here and walk on your porch and not even ring the bell or knock?”

“No to it all,” he said. “But I’ll find out.”

“Are you going to call him now?” she asked. It was seven at this point and they’d had a long day. They were all still dressed from the wedding because Van hadn’t let her leave his sight.

“No,” he said. “I’ll call tomorrow. If it’s him I’m not giving him the satisfaction of knowing I know he was here. Didn’t you say you can track the dock cameras?”

“We can,” Mac said. “But that won’t stop him from leaving.”

“Something in my gut says he wouldn’t come in and look around and leave. Again, the alarms were shut off, meaning the intruder had the code. And a key had to be used. He’d have none of that. It’s not him that was in the house.”

“Are you sure?” Kelsey asked. She couldn’t imagine any of this happening in her family. Someone coming over and not bothering to let them know.

But her family wasn’t Van’s either. As he got a bird’s eye view of today.

She’d warned him they’d be swarmed and they were. He handled it like a champ though.

“Positive. There is another reason he’s here and right now I can’t deal with him and this. I’ve got to focus on who was in my house. We aren’t staying though. Let’s change and go back to your house tonight.”

“Probably smart,” Jarrett said. “Let us know if you think of anything else.”

“I will,” he said.

Her cousins left and she and Van changed out of their formal wear and packed up to go to her house with Frankie.

“You’re not worried about leaving your house unattended?”

“No,” he said. “It’s only things. Nothing more. My laptop is locked in a drawer, not that I worry anything is on it of importance.”

“They are things that have meaning here,” she said.

“Not really,” he said. “Only a few pieces in the house. The rest are all new. Things that my grandfatherthoughtI’d like. No meaning there.”

Other than Barry actually thought of his grandson and tried.

No reason to add that when Van most likely knew at this point.

She drove her SUV back home and Van followed in his truck. She wouldn’t leave until he did. It was only a few minutes to get to her house and she pulled into the garage, Van leaving his truck on the other side of her driveway.

They got in the house and she set Frankie down and then brought her dress and bag to her room, Van following.

“You can start leaving things here if you want. It’s up to you. We switch back and forth so much.”

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