Page 31 of Family Bonds: Alana & Brennan
“It makes it hard to go outside and do things then. I grew up just outside of Boston so had more space. My parents have a home on the island. Actually, I’m living in it now.”
“I learned that housing wasn’t easy to come by and I didn’t want to raise Becca in an apartment. She had that in Boston. Iwanted her to have a place to run around. She gets it in the back. Even when it’s colder, I let her dash around kicking a ball. She’ll be happy next summer to be so close to a beach.”
“You can bring her to my place,” she said. “One of those memories I’ve got as a kid here is there were always these big family gatherings in the summer with cousins. More here than Boston unless it was a holiday. I miss those things. It’d be nice to have it again. Even just having a kid around.”
Already he liked what he was hearing.
She had memories of things he wanted in his life and never had. She said she missed it too.
“Are you on the beach?” Damn. Then he had to remember that she was part of the Bond family. Her house could have been in the family for generations.
“We are. Not a huge house. This was a summer home for us. My mother was a teacher. Well, when my brother and I were in school. She was home with us full time until then. But once we were out for the summer, she didn’t want to sit around, so we were here. My father worked from here when he could. Now it’s easier with technology than it was back then.”
“What does your father do?” he asked. “Sorry, I’ve got no manners. Come in and sit. Can I get you something to drink?”
He felt like an idiot standing in his foyer just chatting.
“I’m good,” she said. “You know I’m from the Bond family, right? I mean I’m positive you do, but I don’t hide those things. I learned the hard way that it can bite you in the butt.”
“I know you’re related to Kelsey. I assumed it was from the Bond side and not Karen’s side.”
“Our great-grandmothers were twin sisters.” She closed her eyes for a second. “I’m trying to think of the easiest way to say this. How much do you know about the Bond family?”
“I grew up in Boston. I know the basics. Five siblings, founded the island, two really wealthy sides. Blah, blah.”
He didn’t pay too much attention to it. It hadn’t mattered to him and he’d never crossed paths with any of them.
“Okay. Good. Kelsey and I are from Patricia’s side of the family. Not the billionaire side, but no one is complaining about what they have.”
He laughed. “Got it.”
“You know of Atlantic Rise hotel, right?”
“I do,” he said. The tallest hotel on the island.
“Penelope and Emily Rauch, before they were married, they own it. Their mother and my father are siblings.”
“More tourism,” he said.
“That’s what a lot of our family has. My immediate family doesn’t own any businesses. I think we are the odd ones right now.” She waved her hand. “My father is the VP of Finance for Bond Enterprise. Owned by Mitchell Bond.”
“The billionaire side,” he said, laughing.
“Yes. So though we are not related closer, our families are close. Mason Rauch works for Mitchell also. Lots of crossover. I won’t bore you with more. Prior to coming here, I worked at one of Mitchell’s businesses as a finance director.”
“I wondered why you were only a senior accountant. Not that I know your age, but I don’t think you’re right out of college.”
“I’m thirty-two and, for my age, behind the ball in my position for this field. I came in at that position, but it’s a big change from what I was doing.”
“Why the change? Why the move?” She seemed to weigh her words. “Sorry if I’m being nosy.”
This was getting to know people better in his mind.
“It’s fine. It’s not a secret. I was engaged. Had been with Jonathan for seven years total. One year engaged. We never set a wedding date. Thank God for that.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Nope. I found out he’d been cheating on me for eight months. Right under my nose and I had no clue. He also worked at a Bond business. In operations, not finance. We met at a retreat for several of Bond businesses and he worked his way up. Once he found out who my father was, he was spending a lot of time getting his name out there.”
