Page 58 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“Don’t make me need to protect her from you,” Duke said behind her again.

That was twice now he’d done that.

She turned to look at his face and heard the low growl in her brother’s voice, then he turned and walked away after Van and Duke had a stare-down again.

“What was that about?” Van asked.

“That was his sign not to ditch you.”

“Growling and staring at me?” he asked, still eating his steak and unfazed by anything that happened with her brother.

“Yep,” she said cheerfully. “You didn’t flinch at his stare once nor blink at the growl. Just kept eating. If Duke can scare someone, they aren’t for me.”

“Because they can’t protect you or stand up to you?” he asked.

“Exactly that. You passed.”

“Didn’t know I needed to,” he said drily. “I figured it only mattered what you thought. At least from what your father said.”

Her face softened. “Ahhh, you had the father-boyfriend talk. Jell-O.”

Van shook his head and mumbled, “Mr. Franklin.”

She held her giggle in.

16

POLITE SOCIETY RULES

Van was trying to figure out why he had so little control of his freaking life right now.

He wasn’t sure if he was coming or going half the time and his interactions with the Raymond family only confused him more.

“Where is the bill?” he asked when Kelsey was almost done eating her cake. He had to admit it melted in his mouth too.

“No bill,” she said. “I don’t get charged. I just leave a nice big tip. The servers love having me for the night.”

“That’s not right,” he said. He didn’t want or need a free meal. He lifted his hand when the server walked by.

“Can I get you something else?” Margot asked.

“The bill,” he said.

“Oh,” Margot said, looking confused. She looked at Kelsey for clarification.

He jumped in. “She’s not the one paying, I am.”

“It’s fine, Margot. You can get it,” Kelsey said.

He saw Margot pull out her little tablet that she’d taken the order on and punch a few things in. He handed over his card. He didn’t need to see it. She could go ring it up and bring it back for him to sign.

“Do you normally give your dates free meals?” he asked.

“Usually,” she said. “They will leave the tip. I guess it’s a horrible game of mine to see what kind of tip they leave.”

“I’d hope to hell it’s a big one,” he said. “Unless they didn’t have cash on them and planned on paying with a card.”

He had both. He always did.

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