Page 30 of Stolen Kiss

“I’m sure he has better things to do.”

Jason chuckled, and she looked at him more closely. He’d changed.

“Didn’t you have faded jeans and a t-shirt on half an hour ago?”

Jason was now in trouser a shirt and proper shoes. He still had his leather jacket, but he was still much smarter than he was an hour ago.

“I’m having Sunday lunch at your parents’ house. I thought I’d dress appropriately.”

“It’s not Turner Hall,” Heidi bounced back.

“And thank god for that. Shall we go?”

Freya got up and grabbed a coat off the rack and handed it to Heidi, then choose a pair of flats for her to put on. Heidi rolled her eyes knowing it was because she didn’t want her toppling over after getting hit by an oar. She indulged her friend and slipped her shoes on.

“You ready?” Heidi asked Freya.

“Yup, Jason said he’s driving,” Heidi said.

“And you’re carrying these,” Jason said to Heidi.

That earned him a scowl, thwarting no doubt Freya’s cunning plan to take her pick of the stash.

They pulled to a stop outside her family home and they piled out. Freya’s family were already in the living room arguing over nothing at all. Heidi’s dad was in the garden and her mum was in the kitchen stabbing at the joint of gammon.

“Oh Jason, you came,” she said.

She hobbled over to him and gave him a warm hug. She greeted him like a long-lost relative. Heidi’s dad came in and strode over shaking Jason’s hand.

“Where’s Keith?” Heidi asked.

“Here,” he said from the open doorway from the study. “It’s bedlam in the living room.”

Jason went over to Keith and stretched out his hand. It started awkward and then ended up as a man hug with back slapping. Still awkward but less formal.

“Okay, let’s eat,” Heidi’s mum said. And everyone got to position. Either at the table or helping to take in the dishes through to the dining room. When Heidi took a large dish of carrots through, she noticed the best crockery had been laid out. Sighing at the effort she plonked down the serving dish and went back to help.

Everyone dug in once everyone was settled and there was silence for a minute or so as they tasted their food.

“Oh my, you can come again,” Freya’s grandmother said.

“Absolutely. Why you two broke up is beyond me,” Freya’s mother said. “Look how many roast potatoes we could’ve had.”

Heidi looked to her brother and then so did Jason. Keith looked up no doubt aware eyes were on him.

“Why are you all looking at me? It had nothing to do with me, I was just the messenger.”

He slammed down his fork and pushed away from the table. He left the room and left the house, trudging down the garden. We all watched from our positions out the window. When he was out of sight, everyone around the table slowly started eating again.

“Should I go after him?” Jason asked.

“No, I’d leave it. He’s been in a bad mood of a decade. I think he’s set for life,” Harold said.

Heidi shook her head, disappointed that her brother had caused another scene. It wasn’t until he flounced out that she realised she wanted to give a good impression to Jason.

The rest of the meal was subdued and after more conversation, and dishes washed Freya said she would walk back, burn some calories to work off the spuds she’d eaten. Jason drove him and Heidi back to her house and they stayed in the buggy in silence.

“What’s wrong with your mum?”

---