Page 26 of Stolen Kiss

“Okay, let me run up and get some dry clothes. Can you hang on?”

“Yes,” He said having no intention of letting her go.

Heidi’s eyes fluttered open when he sat carefully on her solid oak coffee table, with her on his lap. “Jason?” she said.

“Yeah, I’m here. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve drunk ten pints and the hangover has arrived.”

“That’s good. We need to get you out of these clothes,” Jason said.

Freya came thundering down the stairs armed with blankets and PJs.

“Can you stand, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” she said.

Jason stood and then dropped her carefully to her feet, holding on to her biceps from behind. He knew every inch of her body but wanted to keep out of her eyeline if Freya was going to strip her.

“I’ll take it from here, Jason,” Freya said.

“She needs to be watched all night.”

“I’m all right, Jason. I’m a nurse, I’d know if I had any bad effects,” Heidi muttered as Freya pulled off her hoodie and dropped it to the tiles by the fireplace. The clothing landed with a thump. Next came her t-shirt. Heidi let her be handled without much grumbling.

“You were unconscious in the water. Freezing cold water. Who knows how much water you swallowed? Then you fainted,” he said.

Jason was staring at the back of her head, willing her to look his way but all she did was drop her head.

“I’ll be fine, Jason.”

“Look at me,” Jason said.

Heidi took a moment while Freya was on her knees, dragging down Heidi’s wet leggings and then looked over her shoulder at him. There was a whole lot of emotion Jason couldn’t decipher.

“You need anything, you call me.”

She nodded and then dropped her head and closed her eyes.

He had no plans to leave her alone for long but he went out the front door to allow Heidi her privacy while Freya stripped her completely and clothed her like she was a child.

“Here,” a voice said to his right.

Archer handed him a holdall. “Change of clothes now, you must be soaked through and a change of clothes tomorrow as I imagine you’ll be on roast potato duty.”

Jason grinned. His brother knew him well, and he was grateful he was close to his siblings. “Thanks, Archer. I appreciate you going up and getting these.”

“Just take care of her. I want a happy ending,” Archer said.

“Lucy from the greengrocers said she delivered the potatoes yesterday and the family like four each plus Freya sneaks two when Heidi isn’t looking. You know, just in case you end up making them.”

“Did everyone hear Harold Shaw?”

“Yeah, everyone saw and heard it all.”

Jason smiled and shook his head. “Thanks for the info. Sometimes living on a small island helps a guy out.”

“See you tomorrow at some stage,” Archer said and patted his brother on the shoulder and walked away towards Turner Hall.

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