Page 36 of Stolen Kiss

“Wow. Progress. Did you talk about why you guys broke up? Did he tell you why he dumped you?”

“No, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to break the spell we had.”

“I get that, babe, but you’re going to have to ask him if you have any chance of a relationship now.”

“What if he’s not staying and is only here to set up the wedding business and then goes off who knows where again? I don’t think my heart will take it twice.”

“You need to talk to him and soon. The sooner you get it out in the open the better so you don’t fall for him again.”

“It may be a little too late for that. I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Talk to him. If he says its casual and short term, let me know. I’ll kick his arse and make you a martini.”

Heidi smiled and grabbed her best friend’s hand.

“I think I’ll need a few if he’s looking for casual.”

Freya didn’t say the words again. She kept hold of Heidi’s hand and kept on drinking her coffee. After a while when the mug was empty, she put it down on the table and looked towards the coffee pot.

“I can wait if you want. I can mark books while you perform miracles,” Freya said.

“Help yourself. The doctor had just arrived.”

“Go, do good things. I’ll wait.”

Heidi got up and kissed her friend on the top of her head and went to the delivery room at the end of the corridor.

Chapter Thirteen

Jason

“This is more morbid than when we buried him,” Archer said.

“That’s because we’re sober,” Luke muttered at the end of the row.

Archer stood holding Erica’s hand, next to Jason, Luke and Daisy. They looked at the gravestone of their father, Frederick Turner. He’d died on that day seven years ago.

“Open the rum,” Archer said.

Jason had brought one of the bottles he’d been using to make rum and raisin ice cream and it was sitting at his feet. He bent down and swiped it up, then pulled out the corked stopper. He took a swig and passed it to Erica who shook her head. “Can’t drink anything dark, gives me a wicked hangover.”

Erica passed it to Archer who took a sip and then it went down the line to Luke and then Daisy. Daisy hung onto it by the neck and pointed to the grave next to their father. Archibald Turner. Their grandfather and who Archer was named after.

“He was a mean old bastard,” she said.

“Different era. I don’t remember him ever being nice,” Luke said.

“They spent so much time in that study plotting the island’s future,” Daisy said. “Worse than gossiping women.”

They were all dressed in black with three ironed shirts for the men, ironed by Maggie and all of them had shiny shoes. Even Erica and Daisy. They stood alone toasting their father.

“I’m not surprised dad wanted to get the hell out of it,” Archer said. “It’s boring as fuck running this island.”

“At least the wedding business will be more exciting than sitting on council meetings,” Daisy said.

“I am not looking forward to that responsibility,” Archer said.

“You’ll be waiting a long time. Enjoy it while you can, I bet Aunt Cynthia will outlive us all,” Daisy said chuckling.

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