Page 1 of Stolen Kiss

Chapter One

Jason

“Come on, we’re starting,” Daisy Turner shouted out as she ran through the kitchens of Edward Hall.

“Five minutes. I’ll meet you down there,” Jason called over his shoulder, frowning at why his sister was running through his kitchen.

After she ran through the open side door, he turned back to what he was doing. Jason was adding the finishing touches to a three-layer chocolate cake for Ralph’s kid. Ralph was a third-generation gardener for the Turner Estate. He took care of the grounds and seemed to spend most of his time at the Turner Hall, making sure everything was immaculate for Cynthia Turner’s exacting standards. Archer, his brother, had hired him for Edward Hall to keep the gardens in perfect condition for our wedding business. That meant Ralph spent more hours working for the Turners than he spent at home. Something they weren’t happy with. Archer had told him to hire an assistant, who they would pay for, or Archer would give Ralph the sack. Archer didn’t actually intend to fire Ralph, but it was effective enough toget the point across. But like anything on Copper Island. Things took time.

The least Jason could do was bake Ralph’s son a birthday cake.

It was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, covered in chocolate flakes, which was the kid’s favourite. Pressing the last round of chocolate into the icing, Jason stepped back and admired his work. He hoped the kid had some friends to help him to eat the damn thing.

Once he’d transferred the cake to the walk-in refrigerator, Jason washed up, changed his clothes, locked up, and took off down to the lake on the far side of the cottages.

It was the last day when all of them would be together before Luke and Daisy headed off to college to take their courses to help with the business. Daisy couldn’t wait, but Luke was less keen and still scowled at Archer whenever the word college was mentioned.

Each of them got a role similar to what they were doing on the oil rigs. Luke did not. He was a trained medic and landed the job of events manager. Jason knew he’d rock it, but the stomping and tutting Luke did, said it did not impress him. However, there was little need for a medic in a wedding and hotel business, so he had to suck it up.

Jason could hear his brothers and sister before he reached the lakeside. It was a favourite spot for them as kids, when the sea was too turbulent on stormy days. Ralph’s grandfather, at some stage, built a giant table in the middle of the lake with a dozen wooden high-backed chairs. Archer was next to his wife, Erica, and Daisy was next to Luke. Wading into the lake, Jason swam the last three metres to join them. Hauling himself up onto the chair at the head of the table, he stared at the giant deck of cards. When they were kids, Daisy could barely hold them up to shield them away from her cheating brothers. Now she waswiser and stronger. Daisy twisted at the waist and angled her body so it was only she who could see her cards, keeping them from Luke.

Even though it was mid-September, the sun shone hard, and they were all in their swimmers. Daisy and Erica were in one-piece suits, and Luke, Archer, and Jason were in long board shorts. All the colours they wore clashed badly.

“Is the cake finished?” Erica asked, passing him a bottle of beer from the ice bucket next to her.

“Yes, tucked away in the walk-in fridge. None of you lot goes near it.”

“Why can’t we have some?” Luke said as a protest, reaching for a beer and turning his finished one upside down in the bucket.

“It’s not for you, Luke,” Daisy said like she was a mother hen.

“I’m sure Ralph’s son won’t mind,” Luke reasoned, raising his eyebrows to his hairline and grinning widely.

“He’ll know if there is a massive wedge taken out of it,” Jason replied, then took a long swig from the beer bottle.

Erica laughed at the conversation and sat back in her chair, giving us all a megawatt smile.

“Fine. I’ll just invite myself along to his party,” Luke huffed.

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” Archer said around the neck of her beer bottle.

They all burst out laughing at the comment and Luke’s sweet tooth.

“There might be boxes of treats on your bed to take to college in the morning,” Jason said. He reached for the cards and dealt them out.

Daisy practically melted into her seat, and Luke gave him a shy smile. “Thanks, dude,” he muttered.

Everyone took their cards. Erica shifted up a seat away from her husband and placed her feet on the chair she had justvacated. Archer let out a whine and slumped in his seat. “Daisy has warned me about your cheating ways, Archer Turner.

“Damn sisterhood,” Archer grumbled and gave Daisy a wink.

“Okay, what are we playing for?” Luke asked, putting his cards face down on the table and rubbing his hands.

“If Jason loses, he has to come to the gig racing tomorrow night,” Archer said.

“What’s so special about the gig racing?” Erica asked.

“The entire island turns out for the last races. There is a race for amateurs, which is tomorrow, and then at the end of September is the semi-profession races. In March, the serious gig racers come and take over the island for a long weekend. World class rowers withfinelegs swarm the place,” Daisy said.

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