Page 10 of Stolen Kiss

He didn’t waste any time wandering down memory lane in his old room. He seemed to come into the room every few days over the last few months to pick up bits and pieces, but never staying long.

With his board tucked under his arm, he left Turner Hall, marched past Edward Hall and made his way to the back ofArcher’s cottage. Archer was on his own, lounging in the shade on the sofas.

“I’m going to have a chat with Keith, see if he’ll tell me why he cut ties,” Jason said, leaning his board against the low wall by the patio area.

“Are you going to hit him with that board or ride it?” Archer replied.

“Funny. I thought going for a surf might break the ice a bit.”

“Good luck. Do you want me to come with you?”

“Nah, whatever his beef is, it’s best if he tells me directly.”

“Well, don’t punch him. Aunt Cynthia will have a fit.”

“I’ll try my best,” Jason said. “Oh, she’s going to find a piece of land for Erica. Bailey will let us know where it is.”

“Wow, you really are her favourite. Thanks, brother.”

“We haven’t got it yet and we’ll have to make sure it isn’t quick sand.”

Archer laughed as Jason chuckled when he moved away and headed to Little Lagoon, which Keith’s surf shack was located.

Jason left for the rigs when he was twenty-two, but before that he went to college to study at nineteen. Every chance he got, he came back to the island while he studied and so did Heidi. But it wasn’t until he graduated he met Heidi at The Anchor. He was smitten immediately.

They spent hours in the water. Heidi preferred gig racing where Jason preferred to surf. Keith never knew. No one knew.

Heidi was older than Jason but not by much, two years, but the way the birthdays fell, she was only in a year above him at school. Still, it would be enough of a scandal for his aunt. Aunt Cynthia maintained he should be older in the relationship, but then she was old-fashioned. So he didn’t tell her.

He didn’t know what kind of reception he’d get from Keith. The night at the quay he was frosty and snippy. They were in thesame class throughout school until he left for college. Jason and Heidi were careful to keep their PDA out of Keith’s sight.

The lagoon wasn’t far from the cottages and it seemed to speed by as he walked, reaching the faded blue shack at the summit of the dunes. Someone had wedged the door open. Jason dropped his board heavily into the sand vertically and once it had stayed put, he strode up the bank to the shed.

He rapped on the outside of the shack in warning he was coming to the door and then poked his head inside.

Keith was tapping at a laptop on a wooden bench at the far end of the shack. Racks of wetsuits were hanging up on hooks protruding from the walls. Along the floor were rows of booties to protect the feet on the sharp rocks.

“I won’t be a second,” Keith called out over his shoulder without looking.

“That’s okay mate, it’s been a decade. Five more minutes won’t hurt,” Jason said, hoping for humour.

Keith spun in his seat on wheels and stared at him for a few beats. His mouth stayed in a straight line, but there was a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. It was something. At least Keith would not punch him. Yet.

“I wondered when you’d come by,” he said.

“You got time for a surf?”

“Always have time for a surf. Let me lock up and we can head out,” Keith said.

Things was improving by the second. It begged the question why there was hostility on the quay but more than that. Why did he cut him off all those years ago?

Jason wandered outside and wrapped an arm around his board, looking out to the water. It was a choppy day with decent swells. He heard Keith move a rock and slam the door to the hut and crunch over loose stone to him.

“Let’s take a walk around the bend. There’s a great spot we can wait for waves.”

Keith didn’t wait for an answer and trudged up the hill with his board. Jason followed and caught up with him.

“How’s business?” Jason asked.

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