Page 9 of Stolen Kiss

His surf board was in his old room and to get to his old room he had to go to Turner Hall. Going to Turner Hall meant seeing Cynthia Turner. There was no mistaking he would speak to her.She was surprisingly agile for someone in their eightieth year. He had to ask her about a piece of land anyway for Erica.

He didn’t know why exactly, but Cynthia wasn’t as mean to him as he was the others. When he was a kid, he’d asked her why and she immediately turned her mean side on him for months on end.

Pointing out she had a soft spot for someone wasn’t the way to Cynthia’s heart.

If she had one at all.

Still, years later, Cynthia gravitated to him more than the others and he hadn’t decided if he liked it. Before he started up in the kitchen for the day, he wanted to go out and surf. There was no way of telling how many days he’d get before Autumn really kicked in and the shores on Copper Island became too unsafe to surf.

At Turner Hall, he took the stairs, two at a time, and strode down the corridor to his old room. The door knob was always loose, and he had to rattle it to click the lock open.

“Why are you making all that noise?”

Jason dropped his head and pressed his forehead against the wooden door.

“I wasn’t that loud, Auntie,” he said.

She was baiting him. He could reciprocate.

“It’s Aunt Cynthia to you and your siblings,” she said in her haughty voice.

“Still holding a grudge, I see,” he muttered and turned to give her his best smile.

“What are you mumbling, Jason Turner?”

“Nothing, Aunt Cynthia. I’m picking up my surf board.”

“Haven’t you moved your belongings out yet?”

“Trying to oust me? Is my coming and going too noisy for you?”

“You’re all so quick to move into the cottages. I’m surprised to see any of you.”

“Why do you think we moved in there and not here?”

As soon as he asked the question, he felt guilty. She couldn’t help the way she was, but his aunt pressed his buttons.

She didn’t reply and turned away. Another notch on the guilt meter.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that you didn’t tell us about the wedding business and made Archer get married so we could return and earn a living. I don’t know why you make us jump through hoops?”

“I’m not making you do anything.”

“But if there is something we want you add heavy conditions.”

“No I do not.” Her indignant pose she’d mastered over the years came out. Straight-backed, chin up looking down her nose.

“Okay, I want to get a piece of land to build a small warehouse. Is there anything you can give me?”

It was a low move but if his aunt was so adamant she wasn’t mean he would exploit it. If the glare was anything to go by, she knew he was taking advantage.

“I’ll see what I can do. Bailey will let you know.”

“Thanks Auntie,” he said and grinned.

She gave him a pinched smile and walked away.

Jason sighed and went in search of his beloved surf board hoping it hadn’t ended up on the bonfire.

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