Stolen Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #2)

Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Heidi

P acing the floor in her tiny living room, Heidi chewed on her thumb while looking at her phone. She had the number on display and all she needed to do was hit call .

More pacing and then she pressed the green button.

“Hey, Erica?”

Heidi laughed and then ploughed on. “Freya and I are going to The Anchor tonight. Would you want to come with us?”

Heidi chewed on her thumb some more and gasped.

“You will? That’s great. Get Archer to drop you off at my place at eight and eat before you come. We’re going to get drunk.”

Smiling through her giggle, Heidi was so happy Erica was whooping with delight, shouting to Archer that she was invited out with the girls.

Heidi hung up and sent Freya a text they were on for a night out.

Two hours later they were huddled in a corner at The Anchor. People stared and nodded their way while talking to their mates.

“They’re staring at us,” Heidi said. “Do you think they’re talking about me?”

“Not likely. The punch up was two weeks ago. So much gossip has happened since then.”

“Really, like what?”

“When will Erica Turner announce she’s pregnant,” Freya said, laughing into her pint of cider.

“No, really, they’re wondering that?”

“Yeah, you’re like royalty on this island marrying a Turner but you’re also a mega superstar, so they’re probably staring at you.”

Heidi was glad the heat was off her but she instantly felt guilty because she liked Erica.

“Maybe they’re looking at you to see who you will set your sights on,” Erica said.

“Do you think?” Freya asked looking around the pub.

In truth no one was looking their way now. The novelty of Hollywood superstar drinking in the local pub clearly wasn’t that interesting beyond thirty minutes.

As the night wore on, and more drinks were consumed, the questions got more candid.

“So, are you going to marry Jason Turner?” Freya asked.

Heidi, while two sheets to the wind wanted to avoid any Jason talk. They’d spent two weeks together either at her place or his. Each time him cooking, including Sunday where he brought enough roasties that would last for weeks. Keith wasn’t there. His place didn’t look like it had been lived in for months, let alone weeks when she last saw him. Heidi wanted to talk to him and hoped he would show up. She quizzed her parents, and they hadn’t seen him either but they reasoned it was a small island and he couldn’t be far.

Conversation moved away from the subject of Keith and onto other safer subjects. She didn’t want to talk about it on Sunday, and Freya would know because she was there and she didn’t want to talk about it now.

“Freya, did you know Erica has a Hemsworth phone number?” Heidi said with a nod, leaning back in her chair.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she swayed to the left and then righted herself. Maybe she was more drunk than she thought, but Freya’s eyes were on Erica and that was all she needed.

“Which one, Liam? Please say its Liam. Or whichever one isn’t married.”

Erica giggled, reaching down for her bag. She leaned over too far and fell off her chair, launching into louder laughter. That set off Heidi and then Freya was joining in. they thought it was hilarious and couldn’t catch their breathes. That should have been Heidi’s sign to head home, but instead, she yelled, “another round?” It was an exclamation rather than a question.

“Having fun, ladies?” a deep voice said behind them.

Heidi turned first and eyed the three Turner brothers. She was definitely team Jason but the three men together was a sight to be seen.

“Luke!” Freya squealed and rushed from her seat jumping into his arms. He caught her in time and she flung her arms around his neck.

For two people who proclaimed they are just friends that was some greeting. Heidi looked to Erica who was being helped up by Archer, his hands under her armpits to get her onto the seat, then her eyes swung to Jason who was smouldering with something akin to sinful.

“Are you drunk?” he asked, grinning.

She looked at her fingers, stretched her hand out to get some focus and then lifted her thumb and forefinger, parting them a half inch. “Maybe a little,” she said and widened the gap and closed it again.

He laughed and picked up her handbag, placing it on her lap. “We’re going,” he said good-naturedly.

“We were just about to order another round,” Heidi said pointing to the bar in case Jason had no idea where drinks came from in a pub.

“We have drinks up at the cottages, we can continue the party up there.”

“Hey, wait. Where’s Daisy?” Freya said after untangling herself from Luke.

“She’s up at the cottages stoking the fire pit.”

“Oh,” Freya said, frowning. “Why are you and Daisy here? Isn’t it term time?”

“Pow wow. We’re here for one night. Archer said you were all getting rat arsed and initiating Erica to girls night so we thought we’d come witness it. Looks like its two drinks too far for you to get yourselves up to the cottages,” Luke said.

“Is this to do with my brother?” Freya asked sobering by a few drinks.

“Runs deeper,” Archer said, now getting Erica to her feet.

Jason sauntered the few steps to where I was sitting and I grinned up at him. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” he answered, dropping his head and kissing her mouth. “How drunk are you?”

“Do you disapprove?”

“The opposite, I’ve never seen you drunk. Can you stand or shall I carry you?”

“Even if I couldn’t walk, you would not be carrying me out of this pub, Jason Turner,”

“Hmm,” he hummed over her lips. “You’re a feisty drunk. I like it.”

Heidi pushed at his chest but he didn’t move. Not only didn’t he move he laughed. “Come on, Daisy has the makings for s’mores.”

“Oh, fabulous.”

“Do you know what kind of cake you want yet?” Jason asked.

Heidi tilted her head at the subject change and frowned. She didn’t.

“No, is this an urgent matter?”

“Yes, hurry up and tell me.”

“Okay, bossy,” Heidi said and stood.

“This isn’t bossy, sweetheart,” he said bending and putting a shoulder to her stomach. “This is bossy.

Heidi had enough sobriety to keep hold of her bag but not much else. “Put me down,” she said although she was laughing hard.

“The more noise you make the more attention you attract.”

Heidi kept to giggling, while using his belt loops to look at the others. Freya was hugging Luke’s arm while they walked and Erica was oblivious as Archer kissed her.

It hit her that her circle of friends was growing and she kinda liked it. The pub was small enough that everyone saw her being carried out. If they weren’t talking about her before they were now. She gave a shy wave before Jason carried her out into the night, down the road and plonked her on the back seat of the Turner buggy. The back bench looked out the back the, front bench had the steering wheel and the passenger seat. The middle bench looked forward. Luke was driving so Freya slipped in next to him. Then Archer and Erica sat in the middle and then Jason joined Heidi on the back bench. He pulled her into his side, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Did you have a good night, Erica?” Freya shouted over her shoulder.

“I had the best time, thank you for including me.”

“If you give me that Hemsworth number, I’ll invite you again,” Freya replied.

“Who or what is a Hemsworth?” Luke asked.

He took the corner sharper than any of them expected and they hung onto the rails.

“You don’t know the Hemsworth brothers? Hollywood actors, hot as fuck,” Freya declared.

Luke didn’t say anything, and we all looked his way. “What?” he said. “I’m driving, need to concentrate.”

Jason grinned at Heidi like he knew something the rest of them were oblivious to.

They piled into Archer and Erica’s back patio area where Daisy greeted them warmly with hugs and the making for s’mores. She’d also made warm cider and had them waiting in heated mugs.

“Did you guys have a good time?” Daisy asked, toasting her skewer over the flames of the firepit.

“Yeah, you should’ve said you were here, you could’ve come along.”

“That’s okay. We only arrived an hour ago, catching the last flight of the day.”

“When are you going back?” Freya asked.

“Tomorrow evening, we’ll get the last flight of the day.”

“Oh that sucks,” Heidi said.

“It’s only a quick visit to get shit sorted out,” Luke said.

“I’m never getting married,” Daisy declared. “No matter what she says I am not getting married.”

“You might fall hopelessly in love,” Freya said. She was reclining on the arm of the chair, legs swung over one arm and the rest of her body slouched over the other.

“Doubt it. I know pretty much everyone on this island and there isn’t a single person I’d give the time of day to,” Daisy said.

“Well, there might be new blood next summer. We could go on the hunt together,” Freya said with a cackle.

“Oh god,” Archer groaned. “This does not sound like a plan I want to know about.”

“Plus,” Daisy rambled on. “I’m the fourth child, she has to get through another son before she sets her sight on me.”

All eyes turned to Luke. He briefly glanced to Freya and then at the firepit.

“Do you want to stay in the guest cottage or would you prefer me to drive you home?” Luke said, standing over her.

“There’s a guest cottage?” Freya said sitting up and squinting into the dark like she could see four cottages down when you couldn’t see Jason’s cottage next door.

“Yes, what do you want to do?” Luke asked, growing impatient.

“I’ll go home, even though I desperately want to see a Turner cottage. I prefer my own bed.”

“Come on then, let’s get going,” Luke said shooing her up from the seat.

Archer was laughing, Erica and Heidi shared glances and Jason was full on grinning.

Freya did a round of hugs and kisses and then sashayed into the darkness, letting Luke catch her up.

“I better get her home,” Luke muttered.

“Sure,” Archer said, elongating the word. “We’ll keep the fire going for your return.”

“Okay. I won’t be long.”

Luke swiped up the keys from the table and jogged after Freya who had deviated from the path and was stalking in the wrong direction across the lawns.

“They’re friends, right?” Erica asked.

“Yep, been friends for a long time. When he’s away, he writes to her, and she writes back, even though we’re in the 21 st century.”

“Ahh, that’s so cute. Have they never hooked up?” Erica asked.

“Nope, not ever,” Heidi said.

“It looks like Luke might have other ideas come the summer,” Archer commented.