Page 90 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“Do I joke?” he asked.

“No.”

“And I’m not now. I’m going to make sure he knows not only are you taken, but I’ll bust more than his knees if he contacts you again.”

Ahhh, that was sweet in a protective kind of way.

Duke would say the same thing.

She wouldn’t admit that to her boyfriend though.

Then had to wonder why this was even sweet and sexy to her. There was something twisted in her. She knew it and had been told that more than once.

Frustrating because she tried to change so she wasn’t and it just didn’t happen. She had to be who she was and screw the people that didn’t like it.

“He’s shorter,” she said. “Maybe five foot six, thinning on top. He has a mustache. That should stand out more than anything. And a brown leather bag that he put over his shoulder.”

“What color shirt or jacket did he have on?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t pay attention. I remembered the bag because he showed me all the candy in it. You know, like a guy trying to get a kid off the corner.” When she heard growling on the other line, she knew she should have kept that joke to herself. “Are you going to let me know what happens?”

“You’ll be the first,” he said. “Good thing the ferry doesn’t leave until four and I’m only a few minutes away.”

“Do you know the chances of finding him? What if he’s in his car? Are you going to board the ferry to just walk around and check?”

“Let me figure that out. I’ll find him. Don’t you worry.”

He hung up on her and she put her head on her desk.

Just one more embarrassing thing to add to her life.

25

OFF LIMITS

Van pulled into Kelsey’s driveway at five on his motorcycle and got off the bike.

He saw the curtain push back in her front window and then the door open.

“I’ve been waiting to take a ride on this. What’s the occasion? I figured you’d be too annoyed with me.”

“Maybe that is why I brought it over. I’m going to need to clear my head some.”

It was bad enough he woke up this morning after dreaming about his mother and grandfather again.

It was getting more frequent than his mind could handle.

The same things said.

To keep an open mind.

To take a chance. Or give it a chance.

He was thinking it had more to do with his subconscious telling him to open another envelope. After the article on his mother’s obituary, he’d stopped.

He needed a break. Or thought he did.

“Come in and tell me how it went,” she said. “Did you find him?”

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