Stolen Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #2)

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Heidi

H arold Shaw grumbled the entire way through Sunday lunch under his breath. After the third swipe at Heidi that she brought sub-standard roast potatoes the rest of the table started to giggle and then burst into fits of laughter each time he commented. It didn’t stop him eat four of her potatoes but she vowed to get the recipe from Jason when she saw him in a couple of hours.

They were sitting in their usual places. Freya’s grandparents, Freya’s parents and Freya down one side of the table. Opposite Freya was Heidi, because they needed to be within whispering distance of each other. Then her mum and dad, her grandmother and Keith’s empty seat. The time Luke came to lunch, her dad sat at the head of the table and her family shuffled up for Luke to sit at her side.

She was glad he wasn’t there for Sunday lunch, she needed to have a chat with Keith. Except he hadn’t shown up.

Heidi helped her mum wash up and then resorted the washing her dad had put in piles ready for the machine. It had been some time since her mother’s accident but he still couldn’t sort whites, lights and darks properly. Her mum still had trouble bending down so her dad was on washing duty. Heidi thought her mum was going to elongate the situation for as long as possible. Payback for decades of doing the washing.

Loading up the baskets ready for him to stuff in the drum, Heidi brushed her hands on her baggy jeans and stood up, bracing her hands on the base of her back to straighten her spine.

“Right mum, do you need anything else doing?” she hollered from the laundry room through to the kitchen.

“No, love, everything else is done,” her mum called back.

There was a side door to the laundry room, years ago it would’ve been a tack room or boot room. There was still the metal boot scraper outside the back door.

“I’m going to have a chat with Keith then I’ll be back up to say goodbye before I head off home later.”

Heidi dropped her head to listen to her mum’s reply. Freya has already left not wanting to interfere with Heidi’s mission. Her parents and grandparents lived down the road. Freya said she’d walk home so Heidi would have the buggy when she got back from her date.

“Going somewhere nice?”

“Not sure. Jason’s taking me out for the afternoon.”

Heidi could’ve moved into the kitchen to talk to her mum but if she moved out of the laundry room, away from Keith’s home, she feared she would bottle out of the confrontation.

“So, he’s on the island then?” her dad shouted from the living room. “He’s not on the mainland, or holed up in hospital?” he carried on. “He’s well enough to take my daughter out on a date but not capable of making roast bloody potatoes.”

Heidi clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter coming out. Her mum came to the internal door between the kitchen and laundry room and rolled her eyes. That didn’t help Heidi and her laughter. She didn’t want to encourage her father’s surliness that Jason wasn’t at Sunday lunch and nor were his potatoes. Her mum blew her a kiss and turned to go and placate her husband.

Still laughing at her dad’s lack of tact over her cooking, she trudged down the incline to Keith’s home. She banged on the door, then tried the handle.

It was open.

If the door was open, then she was allowed in. Even if Keith was home, if the door was locked no one was welcome and everyone respected that.

She pulled open the outer door and then the inner door and closed them both. Her brother was out on the veranda, slumped in a cushioned wicker chair with his feet up on the coffee table. A beer bottle dangled from his thumb and forefinger at his side. When she came nearer, he turned his head, looked at her expression and sat up, lifting his feet off the table. The bottle was put carefully on the floor next to the foot of the chair.

Heidi was glad he got the vibe she was giving off. It would make the conversation go a lot quicker.

“Hey,” she said. “You didn’t come for lunch.”

“Not in the mood for family games. You want a beer?” he said standing and then swiping up the empty bottle.

Heidi got the distinct impression he had two meanings to that word and it scared her a little.

She took a seat opposite him. Both chairs looked out to the ocean. “Sure,” she answered and settled into the seat.

He came back with two bottles, unscrewed one and handed it to her. He left his with the top on and put it on the coffee table.

“What’s on your mind?” he said, retaking his seat.

“I remember sitting in this seat when you told me Jason didn’t want a relationship with me anymore. The words destroyed me. They destroyed me so much, I’m fuzzy on what reason you gave me.”

“It was a long time ago, Heidi. Why are you dragging this up now? You’re seeing him again, there’s never a good reason to drag up old memories. Not that I think it’s a good idea, he doesn’t appear to be hanging around for long.”

Heidi took a breath and paused at the news Jason wasn’t staying, but she had to keep on track.

“Tell me what Jason told you back then. Tell me what his reason was for breaking it off with me. Why did he use you and not directly tell me?”

She swigged at her beer, outwardly cool as anything but inside she was in turmoil. Her mind had obviously blanked out the reason because it traumatised her so much. Half of her reason for confronting him was to remember but the other half was to call his bluff.

“Who knows what he thought? I lost my best mate over the breakup it wasn’t just you who was in the middle of all this.”

He bit back, taking an angry swipe at his beer and downing a third of the contents.

“Why did you have to lose a friend? He broke up with me, not you.”

“Because it would’ve been too awkward with you two over.”

“Why would it have been awkward until he gave you the message to tell me, you didn’t know we were seeing each other? What reason did he give?”

She could see in the tightness of his jaw and the angry flare of his eyes that she was pushing Keith to his limit. The aggression pouring of him was palpable in the air. They were on the open air decking and it was still too stifling. She was corning her brother, and she didn’t seem to care. Heidi needed to know.

“I don’t remember.”

“You’re not senile and it was only a decade ago. It destroyed my heart and seemingly your life long friendship. You can’t possibly have forgotten why.”

“Just fucking leave it Heidi, just leave it alone.” Keith was yelling, spreading his arms wide, leaning forward and glaring so hard at her she didn’t recognise him. She felt his resentment but didn’t know why. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t just lose Jason back then, she lost her brother too.

“I won’t leave it alone. You’re hiding something. I’m going to see him now. I’ll ask him straight.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned. Keith’s voice had dropped low at almost a snarl.

Heidi ignored the threatening tone. He didn't scare her. She might have a chance with Jason if he was sticking around, and she wasn’t going to miss the chance to explore it.

“Well you’re not me.”

Heidi slammed her beer on the table, spilling suds and not caring.

“We’re not done,” she said pointing at him.

Keith didn’t answer her, instead he looked out to see, his face closed off. She circled the coffee table, jumped off the end of the veranda and hurried down the side path that led down to the beach. Jason had said to meet him by the dunes.

She needed the walk along the beach in the stiff wind to calm down. What the hell was her brother hiding?

Speed walking down the path that was hard earth, trodden on by hundreds of people and dried out by the sun, she eventually hit loose sand. Walking through like she was wading through quick sand in her deck shoes, she trudged until she got to firmer, semi-wet sand and took a deep breath in.

Heidi was glad she’d taken Jason’s advice to wear a jumper to meet him. The wind was whipping up loose sand grains that lashed at her face but she barely felt it. Her stomach twisted at the thought her brother had lied to her. But if he lied who was he protecting. Surely it wasn’t her?

After ten breaths she was calmer. Turning her back to the headwind, she had a rear assisted pace that had her half walking half trotting towards Jason. She could see him in the distance and she stopped still.

In each of his hands were the reins to horses. The one on his left was pure white and the one in his right hand was black as night. She grinned as she started running to where he was. She hadn’t been on a horse since the last time she was with him. He’d taken her horse riding on their first date. By the time she reached him, she was free of her anger to Keith, packing it away for another time.

Heidi stood right in his space, deep breathing to calm herself before she could speak. An amused smile played on Jason’s lips as she raised her finger, turned to the side and bent at the waist. Somehow this made her get her breath back faster. Making a mental note to take more walks at lunchtime and not surf social media, she swallowed hard and stood upright.

“I apologise for my lack of fitness, I blame the roast potatoes,” she said. “My father was not happy I rocked up with mine. My cooking was perfectly okay until he tasted your deliciousness.”

She felt her blush at her words. Thinking dirty thoughts of the last time they were together.

Jason chuckled and gave her his trademark kiss with the corner of his mouth touching the corner of hers.

“You were full of energy the last time we were together.”

She sighed, she hadn’t gotten away with the comment.

“Ah,” she said, trying to will away the flush on her cheeks knowing what he was referring to. “I was able to lie down doing that.”

Another chuckle from Jason had her relaxing.

“Let’s try hello again, shall we?” Jason said.

He looped the reins through his arms and stepped up against Heidi’s body. She swooned at his closeness. He held her tight, arms around her back and then he dipped his head and kissed her properly. She opened immediately and relished the feel on his tongue inside her mouth. Heidi broke away first then pressed her lips to his mouth once. She stepped out of his hold and looked up at him.

“Where did you get the horses?”

“Apparently we have stables,” Jason said. “I didn’t know this until I was chatting with my aunt.”

“Cynthia?”

“Yeah. I only have one aunt, sweetheart.”

He was giving her a dazzling, warm smile and she wanted to look away but couldn’t.

“You said chatting. I can’t imagine the lady ever chatting. She seems too impatient to entertain the pastime.”

“That’s true enough, but she seems to want to chat to me. Daisy and Luke avoid her at all costs and Archer tolerates her because he’s the oldest and now has to learn how the estate works. But their conversations are mainly business.”

“Sounds riveting.”

“It is not, trust me. Anyway, when I asked her where I could get two horses she casually dropped that there were horses stabled on the estate.”

Jason lifted the reins to the white horse, “this is Petal, and she’s yours for this afternoon. My horse is Pluto. I don’t know why they have these names, I didn’t ask.”

Heidi took a step to Petal and stoked down her nose with the flat of her palm. Heidi cooed quiet words, lulling the animal to her whim. While she was looking her horse in the eye, she missed Jason get up into the saddle. She found the ability to put one foot in the stirrup and then up and over the sexiest action. A man riding at speed was her second favourite.

“Come on, get up and we can go for a ride along the water. The tide is right out.”

Petal nodded her head up and down like she was agreeing. Heidi lifted the reins over Petal’s head, grabbed the saddle and hitched up her jeans at her thigh. Then lifting her leg, she thrust her foot into the stirrup and accidentally prodded Petal. She moved to the side, making Heidi hop about.

“Easy girl, sorry for poking you,” she said, then she swung up and settled in the saddle.

She took hold of the reins loving the feel of sitting on a powerful animal. Once her other foot was in the other stirrup, she looked at Jason. He was giving her his heated gaze, and she was entranced. He’d never looked at her so blatantly when they were together before. It was like his eyes were wide open really looking at her.

“That was hot,” he said, giving her a wink. “You ready?”

Not waiting for her to answer he made a clicking noise at the back of his throat, kicked his heels into the horse and rode away. Heidi sighed and tried to calm her raging desire to ditch the horse riding and take him back to her place. He was a hell of a sexy man. Far more confident than he was a decade ago. Maturity suited him. And so did riding a horse.

She kicked her heels and raced after him, the wind in her hair as she ducked her head and followed his trail into the shallow water. The sensation of freedom overwhelmed her. They had ridden a lot the summer they had got together as a couple and it was true what they said about getting back in the saddle. Her muscle memory was strong.

They rode to the end of the beach and then slowed to take the narrow trail around the side of the island in single file. Heidi was grateful for the time so she could form the questions she needed to ask once they were again side by side. A little further on, there was a grass area with trees strewn like they had all been hit by lightning. Splits appeared in every tree, trunks lying around in the thick grass all around apart from a circle in the middle. Jason jumped down from his horse and loosely tied the reins over a dead tree branch. He came to her side and reached up to her waist. Heidi swung her leg over and he helped her down from Petal, making sure she felt every single one of his muscles in his upper body. He tied up her horse and took her hand.

“I know you’ve just had dinner with your family, so I didn’t pack a picnic but I do have some fresh blackberries.”

She let him lead her further into the zapped trees and saw the blanket and small picnic basket. Smiling wide, Heidi dropped to her knees and then onto her back on the thick red and white tartan blanket. It wasn’t a small one that had her feet over the end like a towel on the beach. It was enormous that could fit four people with space to move about. Large stones anchored each corner with the small basket at the top. Linking her fingers over her stomach, she half closed her eyes and looked up to the trees shielding the sun from their bodies. Those trees were alive, the smaller branches swaying in the breeze, no leaves left. Inland the wind was nowhere near as fierce as the beach. Something soft nudge at her lips and she opened to her eyes fully to look at Jason.

“Open your mouth,” he whispered.

She did and poked her tongue out to see what he’d put there. Feeling the blackberry she opened wider, and he dropped it into her mouth.

“Wow, that’s so sweet.”

“Prime time for blackberries. I saw Ralph and his kid picking them on my way to the horses, so I stopped and picked a punnet for us.”

“And you happened to be carrying a picnic basket just in case.”

“No, in there are some bubbles. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to drink and ride.”

“I’ll risk a glass, when do you do you have to be back?”

“Not for a couple of hours,” he replied scooting down and lying next to her. “Plenty of time to kill.”

He kissed her, while pulling her close to his body. Then he turned them so she was on her back and he half rested on her body. His hand found her bare skin about her belt and he brushed his knuckles along her stomach, inching up under the jumper.

“You have the softest skin,” he said, peppering her mouth with soft kisses. “So soft, warm and smooth.”

She responded to his kiss more eagerly, wrapping her fingers around his neck and urging him to cover her body. He came willingly pressing his thigh between her legs. It wasn’t close enough for her. Now that she knew what he could do with his body, she wanted more. The first time she was bereft and needed the closeness and to feel after the heartbreak of losing her first birth. That was a couple of weeks ago and now she wanted him for the satisfaction of Sunday afternoon sex.

The summer they were together was spent with heavy groping and constant kissing. It was only at the very end of the summer that she asked him to be her first, ashamed that she’d reached her early twenties and was still a virgin but she didn’t want to hand it to just anyone. And she’d chosen Jason Turner.

His hand went up further and cradled her breast as he kissed her deeper and harder. His thumber grazing back and forth over her nipple through the material of her bra. In more smooth move he pulled off her jumper and t-shirt, leaving her in just her bra and jeans.

“What if someone discovers us?” she asked against his lips, eyes closed, making no effort to cover her torso.

“This is Turner land, no one will come here.”

“Isn’t it all Turner land on Copper Island?”

“But this is the private land of the Turners. No one will come.”

“No one?” she said in a teasing voice.

“Well,” he said and then stretched his mouth over hers and at the same time undoing her belt. As soon as the button on her jeans was undone and the zipped pulled down, she wiggled out and helped Jason with removing his clothing, all the while not stopping kissing him.

There was something other than bubbles in the basket and she didn’t stop to think he was presuming a lot when he asked her for an afternoon date. Once he’d finished sliding inside her and her heart rate calmed, he pulled a second blanket over them. She snuggled in close and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Keith says you’re not sticking around.”

Jason stiffened next to her. “I never said that to him.”

“But you said it to someone?”

“I did, sweetheart. I said it to my brother. If you and I are not going to happen long term, then I can’t stay on this island. It would be too hard, even if I stayed on the estate in my cottage.”

Heidi sank back and Jason relaxed next to her. That was a lot to explore. On to the next topic she wanted to air.

“Do you remember our summer together?” she asked him, keeping her voice low half wishing he hadn’t heard.

“It’s never far from my mind.”

Jason was stroking her cheek with his thumb. Back and forth and she spoke.

“It was the best summer of my life,” she whispered.

“Mine too.” Jason answered straight away making her lose her breath for a second.

“Then why did it end?”

“I’m not really sure. I’ve never understood it.”

She was up on her elbow, looking down on him, his eyes fixed on her face. There was no blissed out gaze that was there five minutes ago after he’d given her an orgasm to file in the records of history.

“You ended it,” she said.

“I didn’t.”

His reply was like a punch in the stomach. Her eyes grew wide. His eyes were brimming with honesty, they were shining.

“But Keith said-”

“What exactly did he say?”

She didn’t answer his question, Heidi wanted to hear the denial again. “You didn’t end it?”

“What did he say?”

Jason wasn’t in the mood to answer her questions either.

“I don’t understand?” she whispered, falling to her back. He was on her, elbows to her arms, pinning them to her side. His hips were between her widened legs but his weight was carried by his upper body. Jason dipped his face closer so all she could see was him.

“What did he fucking say Heidi,” he said.

“He told me you wanted nothing more to do with me. I can’t remember the exact words or reason. Keith seems to be suffering from amnesia when I asked him earlier.”

Jason’s lips thinned and his jaw tightened.

“I need to speak to your brother,” he clipped.

“You didn’t end it?”

Heidi thought her heart was going to burst from the ache.

“No.”

Jason was moving off her, rolling to the side and then sitting up. If she was in her right mind, she would’ve stopped to admire the muscles in his back more.

“Then why did he tell me you did?”

“I don’t know but I’m sure as fuck going to find out.”

Jason grabbed Heidi’s bra and waited for her to put it on then he slid her knickers up her legs and kissed her mouth hard. Next he dressed himself while Heidi pulled up her jeans and shrugged into her t-shirt and jumper.

“Ten years, Jason,” Heidi said.

“Eleven. Eleven years of me thinking you didn’t want me.”

Jason dropped the blanket he was folding and grabbed her by her biceps pulling her close and bending his knees so his eyes were level. “I wanted you, I fucking wanted you. I wanted you to be forever. This goddamned island…”

Jason didn’t say anymore. He stuffed the blankets away and grabbed her hand. They retraced their steps to the horses, climbed on and they made their way back to the beach. They were side by side and he reached for her hand as the horses walked, heading for the foot of the path where it led up to the Shaw residence. They both dismounted at the same time. The silence stretched between them but Heidi felt like they were on the same side. Securing the horses, he then took her hand again, and they trudged up the path until they reached Keith’s home.

It was locked up.

So locked up that Heidi felt Keith had abandoned the place.

They skirted around the outside and walked up the slope to the main house. Heidi walked in first and called out to see who was home.

“Is that boy with you?” her dad called out.

“He’s an adult, dad. And he has a name.”

“Is Jason Turner with you,” he dad called out.

Heidi smiled, and the forced manners he had used.

“Yes, dad,” she said.

Jason squeezed her hand and gave her a smile.

“I like your dad,” he whispered.

“I think you’re in for a conversation about roast potatoes. Do not give in or he’ll have you up here every day.”

“Send him in,” her dad yelled.

“Where’s mum?”

“I was having a nap,” she said in the doorway of the kitchen. “But my child and my husband seem to want to hold a conversation in different rooms.”

“Sorry, mum,” Heidi said with a grimace. “Is Keith here?”

“No, I haven’t seen him all day. He’s probably at The Anchor.”

“Ah, okay.”

“I better go and see your dad,” Jason said as he kissed her temple. Then he turned to Heidi’s mum. “I’m sorry we woke you.”

“That’s okay. I shouldn’t sleep too long or I won’t get to sleep tonight.”

Jason went through the side door in the direction of her dad’s voice and Heidi slumped against the kitchen island.

“Oh my, darling. He is a good-looking man. You’ll make beautiful babies,” she said.

“Mum, we’ve been on three dates.”

“I see the way he looks at you,” she said.

“Mum,” Heidi said.

Her mum came closer, wrapped in a long cardy that passed her knees. Her slacks she’d worn to lunch were replaced with velour lounge wear. Heidi smiled at the memory of when her mother discovered lounge wear. She’d thought she’d died and gone to heaven. And this was a lady who was an adult through the nineteen-seventies.

Then her mum cupped her cheeks. She meant business.

“Look, I’m not pushing you into anything but he’s serious about you. I can feel it, I can see and I can hear it in his voice when he talks to you. I don’t know what happened all those years ago but whatever it was not only changed you but it changed Keith. I’m just glad that you’re smiling. I don’t think Keith knows how to smile as all he does is scowl. Let’s get you happy and then I can try to coax a smile out of my son.”

“I thought it was simple, but it seems so complicated. Keith is suffering from amnesia and Jason has a different view point on what happened.”

Heidi was confessing, her mum was always understanding and rarely put her agenda out there. That was Freya’s job.

“You’ll figure it out, I know you will. Trust your heart, darling.”

Heidi’s mum brought her into a cuddle and she was in danger of bursting into tears. She so desperately wanted a chance with Jason again but didn’t know what the truth was. She’d hated how they’d broken up, hated Jason for so long, but as soon as she saw him on the quayside it was like no time had passed.

Jason came back into the room and Heidi plastered on a smile.

“I comprised the best I could,” Jason said with a lopsided grin.

“Every other day?” Heidi said.

“Every Sunday. Apparently if I don’t come, then you’re not welcome either,” Jason said to Heidi. His smile was soft as was his eyes.

“What did the bidding start at?” Heidi’s mum asked.

“He wanted me here every morning.”

“You did well, Jason. Well done,” she said patting his arm and nodding sagely.

“Mum,” Heidi said, knowing her voice was almost at a whine.

“He makes good potatoes. And you dad knows how to manipulate you to get them made. He played you via him,” her mother said thumbing Jason.

Heidi heard a cackle from the living room that she knew wasn’t from what he was watching on the TV.

“Come on, we better go and rescue the horses,” Heidi said.

“I’ll take them back, you stay here with your folks.”

“Won’t you stay for a cup of tea, Jason?” Her mum asked.

“Better get the horses back. I don’t want to keep them out too long and its getting dark. The stable guys will want to get home for their dinners.”

“Well, feel free to ignore my husband. I’m sure you’re really busy getting ready to launch the business and the last thing you need is to placate his need for potatoes.”

“It’s not a problem for me. I love cooking and it’s much better when the recipients are happy.”

“I’ll walk you to the path,” Heidi said.

Jason said his goodbyes to her parents and took her hand as soon as they were outside.

“I want to speak to my brother,” Heidi said.

“Me too.”

“Should we do it together?”

“I’d like to have a chat with him on my own first. Then the three of us can have a sit down.”

“Okay.”

Jason squeezed her hand as a thank you and once they were a couple of paces down the path and out of sight from the house, he kissed her senseless. She could get used to him being in charge and taking what he wanted. It had been a long time since she was cherished.

When she reached the kitchen again, a mug of tea was waiting on the counter. To others they would’ve thought it was rude her mother hadn’t taken both mugs into the living room but Colleen Shaw still wasn’t confident with her balance.

“Oh, I was about to get that for you,” he dad said coming into the kitchen.

“I’m not speaking to you.”

“What? Grumpy because you’ve been out-potato’d?”

“You were fine with my cooking up until now.”

“That’s true, but now things are different.”

She could never stay mad at her dad for long. She picked up her tea and followed her dad into the living room and settled in, hoping she would catch her brother coming home.

It was after ten when she finally gave up and sent a text to Freya that she was on her way home if she wanted a cuppa. It killed two birds with one stone. Grateful she still had the buggy, because it saved her thighs that had a thorough workout. Freya text back she was up. Heidi pulled up and knocked on her best friend’s door to give her the latest. She could voice her concerns to her best friend to get her sage knowledge.