Page 6 of Lipstick Kiss

“You all right, Kenny?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Mr Turner.”

“It’s Luke. You better get inside to do your paper round. Does your dad know about what’s going on here?”

Kenny shook his head and looked like he didn’t want Luke to tell Ralph about this incident.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut, but if I see it happening again, I’ll go with you to tell him.”

Kenny’s shoulders sagged like it was inevitable that would happen. Luke nodded for him to get to his job. He walked down the high street and lifted his duffle to make the journey home.

Home.

Luke didn’t think he would ever consider Turner Hall his home. Still, there he was, fresh out of college with his qualification in pencil-pushing for event organising. He didn’t want the job, but there wasn’t much call for medicshosting weddings, so he’d chosen to organise the conference and banqueting business for Edward Hall. Stan Meyers and his daughter, Opaline, were still responsible for weddings. They dealt with the lead-up with the mother of the bride issues. Stan and Opaline looked after the sales side and then handed over the reins once everything was booked.

“Kill me now,” he muttered as he trudged up the gravel path towards the Turner estate.

Walking along the path, he looked over the other side of the harbour to see if Freya’s house was visible. There was a point on the trail where he could see right up her street. He stared when he reached that point, but there was no life on the quiet road. It was probably too early on a Saturday morning to be up. Unless you were bullies who wanted to terrorise a young kid. Luke made a mental note to ask Freya if she had taught them, especially the one leading the motley crew.

Strolling along the path in front of his sibling’s cottages, he was surprised to see Jason and Heidi on the doorstep, letting themselves in.

“Hey,” Luke called out and turned left to walk up their path.

“Dude, you’re home. I thought you’d be in later,” Jason said, striding down the path to meet him and wrapping him in a hug.

Heidi came too and gave him a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek.

“You’ve just missed Freya,” Heidi said.

“What is she doing here so early, or did she stay over?” Luke asked as he followed them up the path and into their cottage.

He dropped his duffle just inside the door and toed off his shoes. Heidi had made the place so cosy he didn’t wantto mark anything with his dirty shoes from walking up from the harbour.

“She came to see our new guests. Once they headed to the sea to do their, well, whatever they needed to do,” she said, waving her hand as she walked, “she declared it was time for a nap.”

“It’s half seven in the morning,” Luke said.

“I know, but I made her come for six, or she would miss them,” Heidi replied, heading to their kitchen. “You want some coffee?”

“Yeah, love one,” Luke said, sitting at the kitchen island. “Who are the new guests at Edward Hall?”

“Some elite team, here for endurance training in the sea. We’re not allowed to know anything about them. They’ve paid for everything upfront, and they’re not doing anything illegal here, so we signed the NDA,” Jason said, sitting next to him.

“Sounds intriguing,” Luke said.

“They have bodies to die for,” Heidi said with a sigh.

“Hey, I’m just here,” Jason said, pressing his abs.

“Obviously, if you’re into a rock-hard body. I like a little more softness,” Heidi said.

“I don’t know if I should be appeased or aggrieved,” Jason muttered, still prodding his flat.

Heidi swept over and gave him a long kiss, and Luke had to look away. She was teasing Jason to get a reaction, and it was sweet how they got over what could have made other couples get pissed off.

“Is Freya going back to her place?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, not that she’s happy about that, with my place empty. She’s still grumpy I’ve moved into the cottage with Jason.”

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