Page 20 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

When he was ready.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “Maybe you can find some peace. Do you know about this island at all?”

He was humbled by her serious heartfelt words.

He felt bad that he might have judged who she was and realized there was more than met the eye.

“I know about the Bonds that founded it and built it. It’s all anyone ever talks about around here.”

“It makes for an interesting exchange at times,” she said. “We are used to it.”

“I also have been told about this silly lore and legend of love at first sight.”

“Don’t believe it,” she said. “I’ve lived here most my life and am thirty-four and still single.”

“I was led to believe it hits the Bond family more than anyone else,” he said sarcastically.

“Again,” she said. “I’m still single.”

He paused before he picked up another wing. “You’re last name is Bond?”

“No,” she said. “It’s Raymond. I’m from Patricia’s side of the family. Why? Is that a problem?”

“No,” he said softly. “Are you any relation to Kyle Raymond?”

“He’s my father,” she said.

Son of a freaking bitch. There was fate smacking him upside the head.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, laughing. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No ghost,” he said. “Just didn’t expect that. I suppose it makes sense why you want to meet people in person. You might worry they’d want to get to your family name and all.”

She waved her hand. “I’ve got radar for that shit. You’re good. You didn’t even know who I was, and unless you’ve been planning to secretly save my runaway pup, then it’s fine.”

“I don’t want anything from anyone,” he said. He didn’t even want what he was given, but to him it was a chance and maybe that was what he needed the most.

That and answers.

He needed the truth more than anything but wasn’t so sure how he was going to get it.

“I pegged you for that,” she said. “In summary so far, you’re from the land of Dorothy, you’ve been stabbed and seen the light, got saved, were left a house on an island and now have the pleasurable job of answering calls from hysterical women whose puppy might have found a hole to crawl into they shouldn’t.”

“That sounds about right,” he said.

“Cool,” she said. “What else do you want to talk about? Do you like sports? Got any hobbies other than running and sitting in a bar by yourself if you’re not channel surfing?”

“I haven’t had a lot of time in my life for hobbies,” he said. He was too busy working his adult life and keeping his mother company when he wasn’t out with friends as a kid.

His father wasn’t always around, and when he was, Adam Harlowe was often being a dick.

Van couldn’t imagine why his mother never left his father when she had a father with this kind of money.

He didn’t know if he’d ever find the answers, but he had to start somewhere.

“The same,” she said. “But I do like to sleep in on the weekends. Or I did before I got Frankie. Now it seems like I work or try to weed through dating sites that many tell me to get off of. It is kind of funny the people you find on there.”

“I’m sure,” he said. Which was why he stayed off of them.

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