Page 127 of Fierce-Zander

She wanted to make the two most important men in her life breakfast and share the time with them before Kellen got on the road to drive back home.

Tomorrow would be spent with Zander’s family and she was looking forward to it.

“Roast beef,” she said.

“With mashed potatoes, carrots and cornbread. Probably lemon cake too. I don’t even like lemon,” Kellen said.

She laughed. “I asked her to make roast beef.”

“Why?” Kellen asked. “I didn’t know you liked it that much.”’

“I could give or take it, but I wanted to show Zander some of what I’ve been trying to explain. I’m not being mean or anything, just sometimes seeing is the last stone that needs to be overturned.”

Maybe she still worried that Zander thought she could be cold and calculating or unemotional. If he saw some of the weird things she and Kellen had, it might make more sense.

“Did Lori serve that same meal last week?”

It was the wide eyes her brother was giving her. “She did. I told him if I knew it was roast beef I could have predicted the whole meal. I’m surprised he doesn’t think I’m messed up from our family. Sometimes I wonder if he thinks I’m like them and a little unemotional. I think if he sees what we see or our confusion over it all, he might understand why after all these years I still doubt things about myself.”

“I’m the only one messed up,” Kellen said.

“No,” she said. “You’re not and stop thinking you are. They are the weird ones. At least I keep saying that as a reminder. I can’t beat myself up anymore or have these doubts and you shouldn’t either. I forgot to tell you that Lori is now buying Dad the same whiskey that she did Scott.”

“Dad is drinking whiskey?” her brother asked. “Since when?”

“No clue, but he had a glass with Zander and Lori explained why Dad was drinking it.”

“She didn’t want to waste it? She pinches pennies more than Dad does.”

“Yep. But you know, they are having a romantic cheese tour in the middle of a snowstorm right now. Good for them.”

“Hey,” Kellen said. “Whatever works.”

“As Zander said, maybe they are compromising and I’m just not seeing it. Or I’m being cynical and shouldn’t be. It makes me think I’m cold again and I don’t want to be.”

“You’re not cold at all,” Kellen said “Never think that. You’re reserved because your job calls for it. You have to be open-minded. Sometimes it’s just harder for you to shut off the reserved part of your brain, but I can see you do it with Zander and I’m happy for that.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I appreciate you saying that. So I’m not odd thinking that Dad drinking the whiskey her ex did and Lori making the cake and meal that Mom always did for him is weird.”

“Eww,” Kellen said. “When you say it like that it’s more than icky.”

She pointed her finger. “I thought so too. See, both messed up.”

She turned when the door opened and Zander walked in. “Thought what?”

“That what my father and Lori said last week was creepy. The meal and the whiskey. Kellen agrees.”

Zander shrugged. “That’s your family dynamics,” he said. “My family has their own quirks. Do I have time to shower before we leave?”

“You do,” she said. “Roast beef for dinner.”

“What?” he asked. “Your mother told you?”

Kellen laughed. “My mother makes a great roast beef. You’re in for a treat.”

Zander shook his head and climbed the stairs to shower.

“How are things going with work? Do you regret moving?”

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