Page 80 of Stolen Kiss

Jason was expecting this. If he hadn’t wanted a chat with him, he would have thought less of Heidi’s dad. He handed the roasties to Mrs Shaw, then kissed Heidi’s temple before bringing himself to his full height. “Do I look okay?” Jason asked. He’d worn a shirt ironed by Maggie and shoes shined by Bailey.

Heidi laughed outright and Mrs Shaw grinned before turning away to the kitchen.

“Be nice, dad,” Heidi called out and went to join her mother.

Ducking his head, he moved into the TV room and waited to be asked to sit. Mr Shaw turned to him, then turned back to the TV. Picking up the remote control he hit the mute button. A quiz show was on and the question was on the screen.

“Anne Boleyn,” Jason said once he’d read the question and before the three possible answers came up.

“It’s Anne of Cleves, son. Take a seat.”

Jason was pretty sure Henry VIII’s second wife was Anne Boleyn, but he wasn’t going to argue the point. He chose the armchair across from Mr Shaw and waited for the opener. Mr Shaw was in corduroys, an open-neck shirt and a cardigan. Allmatching shades of blue. He was a man who was well dressed even in retirement. His greying hair was thick and wavy. Past his ears and touching his collar. Harold Shaw didn’t strike Jason like a man who liked going to the barbers, but went because his wife nagged him. Jason hoped he would have the chance for Heidi to nag him to get a haircut.

“You punched my son and broke my daughter’s heart. Your aunt lied to Keith to suit her own needs,” Mr Shaw said.

For an opening, it cut to the bone, but Mr Shaw hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. He’d also lowered his voice.

“I’m sorry, Mr Shaw.”

“By the sounds of it Keith was out of line. I’m not sure punching him was the right way to go but the way he spoke about Heidi, it certainly got my blood pressure far too high for my wife’s liking.”

Jason kept his mouth shut. There was nothing to say to that. Then Mr Shaw knocked the wind out of him.

“He disrespected his family by talking about his sister in such a crude way. I never knew you two were together that summer but I remember she was the happiest I’d ever seen her. Come the Autumn I had a daughter’s whose shine had grown dull and a bad tempered son. I see the shine back in her eyes. I have a feeling it’s you that has done that.”

Jason still kept quiet, his heart beat wildly at the thought he was going to get Heidi’s dad’s approval.

“What do you have to say?” He clipped out.

“I want to marry your daughter.”

Mr Shaw was getting straight to it and so would Jason.

“If you keep that smile on her face and the expression she has when she sees you, then I have no problem with that.”

“Thank you Mr Shaw.”

“But if you hit any of my family again, I’ll come after you with my shotgun. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Don’t break my daughter’s heart. I never want to hear her cry like she did eleven years ago.”

That twisted his gut, but at the time he wasn’t faring any better.

“I will spend every day of my life making her smile.”

“She hasn’t said yes, yet. I don’t think she likes your aunt. You may have your work cut out there.”

“I’m not sure anyone does, Mr Shaw,” Jason replied.

“You and Keith going to make up?”

“I’m going to talk to him after we’ve eaten. He said he’d come to Sunday lunch.”

“Good work, that’ll make Colleen very happy.”

Mr Shaw rose out of his chair and clapped Jason on the back pushing him forward out of the TV room. They entered the kitchen to see Freya and Heidi cackling holding cups of tea. He glanced to the dining room where the grandparents and Freya’s parents had already sat down and outside, he could see through the open doorway was Mrs Shaw looking down the garden and in the distance Keith was walking up. All heads turned that way as he neared his mother. Jason watched as he spoke quietly to his mother and then stepped into her embrace.

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