Page 10 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“Yes, please,” she said.

Duke walked away and went into the cooler, then came back with blueberries and strawberries. One to go in the batter, one to be on top.

“Are you going to the office right from here?” her brother asked.

“I am,” she said. “I’ll eat at my desk.”

“Mom in?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Then you can bring her one too or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She smiled. “Mom will appreciate it. It will save her from yelling at me that I made you prepare me breakfast.”

“You never make me do it,” Duke said. “I’ll have some too. Maybe I expected to see you this morning and held off eating.”

It was true in her eyes that twins knew what the other was thinking and feeling most times.

Not with everything, which was good. The last thing she wanted was to know what her brother felt when he was with a woman or thinking about a woman.

Nor did she want him to ever feel her frustration over her crappy dating situation.

Having her pup do what he did was just another embarrassing moment in her life piled on many more.

She had a good sense of humor about it all and kept the family entertained.

“Then load me up,” she said. “You know it might be the only meal I eat today.”

Which was another lecture she got. She didn’t care. She ate when she was hungry. One big breakfast from her brother was better than three small processed ones or fast food.

Twenty minutes later she was walking into her mother’s office with three containers of food and Frankie was on his bed under her desk already sleeping.

Her mother sighed. “You didn’t make Duke cook for you.”

“Of course I didn’t. He offered,” she said. “And he made one for you too. We can eat together like mother and daughter and talk work while we do it.”

Her mother pursed her lips. Karen Raymond was just as sarcastic and funny as her daughter. Kelsey knew she inherited her personality from the woman in this room.

“What did Duke make?”

“Blueberry pancakes with strawberry topping. There is bacon and toast and containers of syrup and homemade whipped cream in the other container.”

Her mother opened her desk drawer and pulled out two forks. “Your brother knows how to fatten me up.”

“You’re as trim as you always are,” she said. “I get my wonderful genes from you.”

“A nice backhanded compliment,” her mother said, slicing into the pancakes at the same time as her. They both groaned in pleasure together.

“Be honest,” she said. “You love it when he cooks like this just as much as me.”

“I’d be stupid not to,” her mother said. “This is just way too much to eat. I’ll put some away. Your father would have normally finished this off for me. Maybe I’ll call him to come get it.”

“I’m eating it all,” she said. “I don’t share. I’ll just unbutton my pants at my desk for a few hours.”

“Kelsey!” her mother said. “That’s not professional or ladylike.”

“It’s not like I’m entertaining in there. I’m just working. I’ll button them up if anyone comes into the office. This is the bulk of my calories today. You know how it works.”

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