Page 95 of Reckless Kiss

“Sure, I don’t want to be Mr Turner. What’s the thing?”

“Your aunt enlisted me to be the event organiser as I do all the events on Copper Island. She hired me when your grandfather passed away.”

“That makes sense. I remember you saying my auntpaid you per event rather than keeping you on salary. How many fees have you earned in the last six years?”

“Including your wedding?” Stan asked.

Archer was losing patience at Stan’s stalling.

“Yes, Stan, how many?”

“One, well, none as you haven’t paid me. You bought the business, so you are now responsible for paying my fee,” he muttered.

“No weddings?” Jason asked.

“She never called on me to arrange a wedding. Everything was in place, and advertising was happening. There is a website and email, but no weddings took place.”

“So there is no wedding business up here?” Daisy asked.

“Not since your grandfather left this earth. When he went, your aunt let everyone go who looked after Edward Hall as soon as the last event took place. She honoured the bookings already in place, but there weren’t many as old man Turner was in his nineties when he passed. Miss Turner didn’t take any interest in the hotel operations or the events.”

“And you’re only telling me this now?” Archer said.

“I figured now you own the business, and you’ll find out soon enough. I was under oath not to tell anyone what your aunt was doing. She ran the business into the ground. So there is no business,” Stan said.

Archer felt for the guy who looked like he wanted to run away.

“It makes sense why the kitchens were empty of anything useful,” Jason said.

“And why the chairs and tables needed to be sorted in storage. Thick layers of dust were all over them,” Daisy said.

“Thanks, Stan,” Archer said, dropping his head back, looking skyward. “Stay for the party, won’t you?”

Stan shook his head. “I need to get back into town. My wife needs to get to work, and I’ll take overlooking after the kids.”

“Okay. How many events do you organise for the island?”

“About forty a year, give or take.”

“That’s a lot for one man,” Luke said.

“I have an assistant. She is amazing. We do it together.”

“Do you pay her?”

“We take a fee from each event. My wife earns the main salary in the household.”

“We are going to resurrect the wedding business, Stan. Would you prefer to be on salary or paid by the event?”

“Can I still organise the events on the island?”

“If you can handle both, then yes.”

“I’ll take the salary,” Stan said without any hesitation.

“Let’s talk in a couple of weeks after I’ve come back from my honeymoon, and we can iron out the details.”

“Thanks,” Stan said, looking more relieved as the minutes ticked by. “Have a great honeymoon.”

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