Page 29 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“I can carry him if you want,” he said. “Or we can go back to the docks to get the next ferry.”

“You want to wear my floral bag and carry my puppy for me?” she said all sappy.

Another one of those snorts. “I said carry it, not wear it.”

“Mr. Franklin,” she said softly. “You’re a keeper, Van.”

He laughed and rewarded her with a smile that actually reached his eyes. There was a touch of sadness there and it made her want to swear again, but she wouldn’t.

“No one ever said that before,” he said.

“Good thing for me they didn’t want to keep you,” she said. She stood up and put her hand out for his, then yanked him up.

No way she could pull him, but he let her. Even sweeter in her mind.

“We’ll see if you feel that way soon,” he said quietly.

She didn’t know what he meant by that and wouldn’t ask.

He probably wouldn’t tell her right now anyway.

But she’d get it out of him at some point.

She knew because, son of a bitch...Amore Island might have just hit her.

She’d keep it to herself for now.

9

HOLDING ONTO A SECRET

It’d been six days since he’d seen Kelsey.

They ended their date with a scorching kiss telling him that he wouldn’t be able to see her again until he let her father know who he was and that he was on the island.

There was so much going through his mind and things he wanted to know.

Did his grandfather’s business partner know what an asshole the old man was that he’d wiped his daughter from his life and let her fend for herself with a dickhead husband?

What man doesn’t go to his own daughter’s funeral, but then leaves millions to his only grandson? That was cash and investments alone. Not even his assets. Thirty-six years of his life and he’d never met the man once.

None of this made sense to him.

He had Kyle’s information from his attorney and thought it was odd the guy never reached out to him.

He’d emailed last night and wasn’t surprised to receive a reply this morning that they could meet today and Kyle was looking forward to it.

The guy sounded friendly enough.

Listening to Kelsey talk about her parents and their businesses made him feel like he was holding onto a secret and it hadn’t sat well.

And though he hadn’t seen Kelsey in days, they did text back and forth and talked once.

He was keeping in contact just enough so she didn’t think she was being blown off.

Once she found out who he was, she might be the one blowing him off and he’d have to accept that.

He finished his run realizing that he’d pushed himself harder and faster than normal. Had to be the thoughts in his brain stressing him out when he hadn’t felt much stress in the past few months living here.

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