Electric Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Daisy

D aisy Turner had been back on Copper Island for three months. In those few months, a day hadn’t passed without seeing her niece, Isobel. Now that autumn was approaching, Isobel would be in soft squishy onesies, perfect for cuddling. Archer, Daisy’s brother and his wife, Erica, had taken to parenthood like they were born to do it.

Daisy had been up since dawn, gone for a run, and returned to shower before she ate breakfast while working on Edward Hall accounts. She and her brothers had started their business mid-way through the financial year while she got work experience after her accountancy qualifications were achieved. It was their first full financial year running the business, and she was keen to make sure everything was in order. That meant she worked every day as it was just her running the money side of things.

Not that she minded.

The four of them had made a commitment to stay together on Copper Island and run the event business out of Edward Hall. It still surprised her that their aunt had signed it over. Daisy looked through every part of their accounts to make sure they owned every penny they made.

Looking at the clock on her laptop screen, she closed the lid and pushed back on the dining room chair, forgetting it didn’t have wheels like her office chair. Groaning, she turned to the side and stood up. Daisy hadn’t noticed, but the scents of her childhood had returned with her. Rusty metal and wood, wood smoke, the heat of the fire, and the aroma of sea air, until now.

Remembering that she was in her cottage, she smiled. It was her first home where she didn’t have to share a room, bathroom, kitchen, or thoughts unless she wanted to.

Living on Copper Island growing up, there was always someone watching. Then at college and university, she shared housing. When she eventually got onto the rigs, it was even more cramped and no place for solace. The only respite she had was when she and her siblings went travelling the world. Her three brothers shared a room, and she had the other, but she was still with company.

Daisy had always felt the loneliness of being the youngest Turner. They didn’t like her at school because of her surname and that she was ahead in her school years. She graduated early from High School. Daisy completed her college diploma in half the time and then passed her engineering degree with flying colours. She wanted to be on the rigs with her dad and brothers.

Working with her dad was short-lived. Two weeks after she arrived on the rigs, he died.

Brain aneurism, dead before he hit the floor. Devastation rippled through her siblings to varying degrees, hitting Luke the hardest as he was the medic on the rig and felt responsible.

Daisy had a secret weapon, but it didn’t fill the loneliness of no one accepting her. She was too bright, too feisty, too accomplished, too happy, and too much of a Turner. She seemed to repel everyone. At school, they mercilessly bullied her as the nerdy girl in a year with girls two years older than her. No one wanted to be her friend. Same for college and then university. It startled Daisy to find there were still men who thought women shouldn’t do engineering degrees. When she got to the rigs, it was full-throttle misogyny.

She gave up very early in life, making friends. She hadn’t made a single one in her thirty years.

Daisy swiped up her keys from the kitchen counter to her cottage but left her back door unlocked as she walked outside, letting the door close behind her. Her mission wouldn’t take long, so she didn’t bother locking up after herself. Luke had a habit of coming along to the cottages to make sure they were all locked. He suspected that Aunt Cynthia would come searching for the tin he had found in the warehouse.

She hurried along the dirt path that connected the five cottages. They stood in a row but had a decent amount of space between them. They had privacy.

Daisy had three cottages to her left and one to her right. Her section of the path to Luke and Freya’s place was less worn. Dried leaves and twigs crunched under her feet. The path was dirt, unpaved and uneven, like too many birds had dropped their cargo as they flew by.

The autumn leaves scattered over the section from Luke’s place to Jason and Heidi’s place, but still it was clearer. The nearer she got to Archer and Erica’s place, the more debris free and trenched the path became. It was early September, so they were yet to get the miserable mornings of horizontal rain that lashed at her face. She wasn’t looking forward to October in the least. Her memories of trudging to and from school leading up to half-term were dire.

In the distance, across the lawns, the ocean crashed against the rocks, the sound calling her to it. The path was rough and worn in places, lined with weeds and tall grass. Daisy hoped they kept the stretch rural. The path she hurried along ran parallel to the cottages. Their homes were on her left and the wide expanse of grass was to her right that led up to fencing and then a cliff. The beach was at the bottom of the sheer drop. The sand was white, and the water on a calm day was clear. With the autumnal weather, Daisy betted it wouldn’t be long until the waters were murky as the waves rushed to the shore.

Daisy breathed in the salty sea air. It had a sharp tang to it, like the weather was on the turn. Growing up on Copper Island, she didn’t need the weather forecaster or the weather app on her phone. She just needed to smell the air. The cool autumn air was a welcome change from the heat of summer. Daisy would be glad to get back to her cottage.

Freya would be at school, and Heidi, Jason’s wife, would be at the surgery. Luke would be at Edward Hall along with Jason, no doubt eating his way through Jason’s stores of cupcakes. It did not surprise Daisy that no one was about in their homes. Just because it was Saturday didn’t mean they had the day off. Daisy wasn’t going into her office at Edward Hall to work, as she had a mission.

Daisy could already smell the rich aroma of fresh coffee that wafted from Archer and Erica’s place. The new parents were always up early, even before Daisy awoke.

“Yes,” Archer shouted as soon as he clocked her coming past the wall and onto their back patio. “The baby sitter has arrived.”

Archer yawned, then grinned, stood up and stretched tall with his arms above his head like he’d been snoozing. Daisy wouldn’t put it past him, as their three-month-old daughter was keeping them awake at night.

Two coffee mugs sat steaming on the squat table. She went straight for the nearest cup.

Archer was dressed casually in long shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He was still barefoot, with his trainers under the table. Another sign he was taking a quick nap.

“Where is Isobel?” Daisy demanded, craning her neck to look through the glass door that led into the kitchen.

Daisy shook her head, her smile widening with each second, excited to see her niece.

“No hello for your brother?” he asked, with fake misery etched across his face.

Daisy rolled her eyes, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Nope. You just called me the babysitter. I want baby cuddles.”

Archer sat down to put his trainers on and grinned. He nodded towards the door. “Erica is getting her ready. I’ve got her bag of stuff here,” he said, kicking the oversized bag at his feet by the sofa.

Daisy bent and gave him a hug and cupped his head to kiss it. Then she settled into the nearest armchair, sipping her coffee. She thought it would be a quick handover and regretted not wearing her long woolly cardigan. How Archer could cope with just a t-shirt was crazy. It was a chilly morning.

Smiling widely, she glanced at Archer when he’d finished tying his laces and sat back on the sofa. He slouched and looked in her direction. Her brother looked tired, but happy.

“You’re a Dad,” she said.

“It’s amazing. I can’t wait for us all to have kids.”

“It will be a while yet for me. I haven’t even seen anyone interesting on the island all summer.”

“That’s because you haven’t left your office all summer.”

Daisy winced at his words because he was not wrong. There was a lot of work to be done and now that she was fully qualified and had a few months’ experience with Warren Clark as her mentor, she was raring to go. She’d picked accounting practices up easily, much to the amusement of Warren, to the point she was giving him help with his client issues.

“Maybe when the tourists leave, I’ll be able to see who lives on the island full time. I don’t want to date someone who isn’t staying. This is my home now.”

Archer gave her a soft smile. “I’m glad you feel that way. I was worried you might not come back and work on Edward Hall accounts remotely.”

Daisy drained her coffee mug and placed it back on the table. “Nope. We made a deal, all four of us or none of us.”

Archer nodded and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back.

“I am so looking forward to looking after Isobel for the day. She sleeps a lot, right?”

Daisy, until now, had only spent an hour here and there with her niece, but today she had most of the day with her.

“Yeah, pretty much. She’s getting stronger every day and likes to grab at things, so you might want to take out your dangling earings.”

Daisy’s hands flew to her ears, and she pulled out the loops with blue beads threaded through, and put them in her skirt pocket. She had a few curious glances from her work colleagues when she was being mentored at the accountant’s firm. Daisy preferred colours and layers. Things that swished and moved. She was born in the wrong decade and could easily fit into the 1970s.

The back door opened, and Daisy and Archer sighed. She suspected for different reasons.

“Oh, here she is. Aunt Daisy is here to spread her sunshine all over you,” Erica cooed as she brought Isobel out into the shaded area of the patio.

Erica glowed with health in her plum, long-sleeved maxi dress and white plimsols.

Daisy sprang up, her bracelets jangled as she made her way over to them, grinning at Archer, who continually made fun of her copious amounts of bracelets that made so much noise everyone could hear her coming.

“Isobel likes the noise they make,” Daisy said to Archer and poked her tongue out.

“I’ll take these down,” Archer said.

He stood and lifted the carry cot and bag of tricks.

“Great, the back door is open. We’re camping out in the living room,” Daisy called out to his back.

Archer lifted a hand in acknowledgement and trudged down the path like a pack horse.

Erica cradled Isobel in her arms, wrapping her in a blanket like the tiny princess she was. Her dark eyes stared up at her mother, watching every expression. She was such a serious and curious baby. The pink blanket kept her snug. Daisy dipped down and kissed Isobel on the cheek, inhaling her baby smells like an addiction.

Erica was fragrant with jasmine, making Daisy feel heady and yearning for another trip to Morocco.

“I’m so grateful you’re doing this today,” Erica said .

The tip of Isobel’s nose was so small, so adorable. That precious pout of hers, not quite a frown, but more a scowl.

Daisy took Isobel and kissed her tiny nose. “It’s not a hardship, Erica. I love looking after Isobel. You two deserve a day off and relax. Do you have any plans?”

“Archer has borrowed a boat from Keith, and he’s taking me to a cove he knows the tourists don’t.”

“Sounds perfect. Don’t worry about what time you get back. I have plenty of formula and the bottles you made up for me. We’ll be fine, and I can lull her to sleep with accountant facts about Edward Hall.”

Erica laughed and gave Daisy a hug, with Isobel squished between them.

“It’s the first time I’ll be away from her all day,” Erica said, stroking her daughter’s cheek. “I have to get used to being away from her, but it’s like I blink, and she develops a little bit more.”

Erica was practising her detachment issues before she started her next project.

“When does the movie start?” Daisy asked while she swayed and cooed at Isobel.

Erica sighed long and hard. “Not for another month, but it will be long days.”

“At least you won’t have to go far,” Daisy said, nodding to Edward Hall. “I bet we’ll know they’re here with all the noise a movie set creates.”

“Yeah, it can be a noisy place, but the grounds are big enough. We hope it swallows up any inconvenience it will cause.”

“A minor inconvenience is nothing compared to what it will do for Edward Hall’s bottom line. The cottages are far enough away. We won’t hear much. There are only a couple of night shoots, so it should all be fine. Don’t forget, we all worked on an oil rig. There is no quiet place on one of those.”

Erica chuckled. “I am excited to do my first historical film, and on my doorstep. No other locations have I been on have been so near to the set. The morning calls are going to be bliss in comparison.”

“Have you convinced Archer to dress like Mr Darcy yet?”

“No, she hasn’t, and it won’t happen. I’m staying well away from the camera,” Archer said, coming into view.

“Spoilsport,” Erica said and tilted her cheek for a kiss.

Archer approached and ignored his wife to kiss his daughter’s head in Daisy’s arms.

Erica pouted, and he relented. He pressed a kiss to her neck and took her hand.

“Come on, honey, we have some relaxing to do,” Archer said, tugging on his wife’s hand. Then he turned to Daisy as they backed out of the patio. “We’ll come and get Isobel later on.”

“Don’t hurry back on my account. We’ll be fine,” Daisy said, swaying the baby from side to side. She lifted Isobel’s hand to wave goodbye and held her tight.

Erica and Archer walked away hand in hand across the lawn and only looked back once. When they were out of sight, Daisy took a stroll out of the back patio area and wondered if she should go left or right.

“Let’s go for a wander before we see Nanny,” Daisy whispered against the soft hair on her head.

Daisy wandered back to her cottage and placed Isobel in her carry cot. She then clipped the carry cot onto the pushchair frame and they set off for a walk around the lawn in front of the cottages. It took forty minutes to stroll around and point out wildlife, flowers, and trees. It mesmerised Isobel as Daisy narrated everything she could see. The little girl gurgled as they progressed around the grounds and were sound asleep by the time Daisy reached her back door. Pushing Isobel inside, Daisy settled her, still in her carry cot, on the chair next to where she sat at the dining table.

If she ate with her family, it was around their tables, so she had set up her work station with monitors and laptop in her dining room. Daisy tapped away at her laptop with Isobel sleeping, conducting Edward Hall’s accounting business.

There was a message waiting for her from Warren Clark, the accountant who trained her while she was on work experience. Erica had set it up as Warren worked for the accountant’s firm, where she held her personal accounts. There were certain perks to working with an entertainment accountant. One of them was many premiere show openings. She spent six months learning all she could from Warren, and her evenings were at events the accountant’s firm was attending.

Most of the senior staff had families to go home to, but she was in the city on her own for months, so she grabbed all the tickets. Her wardrobe was filled with dresses, bags, and shoes for every type of event. She would need to create celebrations on Copper Island to get to wear the dresses again. She went alone for half of the events she attended, and for the other half, she went with Warren. He lived in a flat share with three other guys who were seriously into serial dating. Warren told her he was looking for one woman and he’d know her when he saw her.

So he was her platonic date for the events.

Daisy had been back on Copper Island full-time for three months and hadn’t seen Warren in person for that time. She missed his company, his easy nature, and his sly wit. Warren’s running commentary at the art shows, and movie premiers had her in fits of giggles.

Warren: The office feels empty without you here, filling it with your happy energy. You left me with all the stuffed shirts.

Daisy: They are the same stuffed shirts that were there before I came for job experience.

Daisy smiled. She could see he was answering and sat back, glancing at Isobel to check she was still okay.

Warren: Not really job experience. You showed me a thing or two. Anyway, now you’ve shown me the colours, I can now only see dull greys.

Daisy: Very poetic. It’s gorgeously sunny over here, but autumn is in the air.

Warren: It’s raining. Again. It feels like it’s been raining for weeks. We’re still in summer, and it’s miserable.

Daisy: Aww. Copper Island doesn’t see full autumn much later than the mainland. We’ll have glorious sunshine until mid-October.

Warren: Show off.

Daisy: You should come over. Surely you can wangle a reason to check up on your tutoring? I bet it will be an expense. Surely Erica needs you to go over her accounts…

Warren: Hmm… maybe. I’ll see if it will work.

Daisy: Great. I gotta go. I’m babysitting my niece and crunching numbers before she wakes up.

Warren: All right. Will drop a message when I know I can get over and see what you’ve been going on about with Copper Island. I’d never heard of it until I met you.

Daisy: It’s one of a kind. Speak later. Bye.

Daisy closed the messaging app and worked for another couple of hours. She took care of Isobel, and then it was time for her weekly call .

It was the highlight of her week.

Isobel was awake and alert, meaning Daisy could hold her to the camera.

After making a cup of tea and piling a few biscuits on to a plate, she settled into the armchair in her living room and pulled the table near with her laptop. She then bent to her side, lifted Isobel out of her carry cot, and cradled her in her arms for a cuddle. Daisy was cooing nonsense when her screen came to life.

“Is that my granddaughter?” the woman’s voice said.

Daisy grinned at her mum and willed the tears welling to go away.

“Hi, Mum. Yeah. I’m on babysitting duty today.”

A sob echoed through the speakers. Daisy looked up and laughed, watching her mother sob into a hanky while she gazed at Isobel.

“She’s so tiny,” Imelda said, peering closer to her screen.

Daisy lifted the baby up and closer to the camera for Imelda to take a closer look.

“You could hold her if you came to Copper Island,” Daisy suggested.

Imelda half laughed, half scoffed at what Daisy said. She did a full roll of her eyes. “I know Cynthia wouldn’t let me step one foot on copper Island land. I bet that witch has the ground electrified just for me.”

Daisy chuckled, and then Isobel gurgled, showing her gums and blowing bubbles as she moved.

“Oh, she is a darling,” Imelda said.

“She is. She’s making me broody,” Daisy said, kissing Isobel’s head and taking a sniff of her baby fragrance.

“Find a husband, and you can have your own.”

“Slim pickings on Copper Island when you are persona non grata. I hadn’t realised how lonely it is when no one wants to spend any time with me. If it wasn’t for the boys’ partners, I’d have no female company.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Yeah. Cynthia really has done a number on this island. Everyone hates her. Most of the residents only tolerate us Turners because we give them business. Archer is making headway and Erica helps with her being a superstar actress, but she isn’t na?ve to think they like her past her being able to get access to stardom.”

Imelda’s face turned serious, her smile falling away. “Are you doing okay?”

Daisy sighed and hugged Isobel tighter. “Yeah, keeping busy.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know. Stupid things have been triggering me since Luke had the row with Jennifer in the middle of the lawn. If I see something, hear something or experience something, I freeze and can’t shake off the fear. Like an hour ago, I saw this toy, and I went cold all over and spaced out.”

“What toy, honey?” Imelda said softly.

Daisy jostled an alert Isobel to reach into her carry cot for the soft toy that had seen better days. She held it up to the camera. Imelda held her hand over her mouth, but Daisy heard the gasp.

“I bought that for you. It used to be in the playroom you all shared,” Imelda said.

“I don’t remember it and I don’t know why. We found it with boxes of toys in the warehouse the boys were clearing out for Erica’s venture.”

“The bunny’s ears have faded a bit, but Freddie said you and that rabbit were inseparable for years.”

Daisy gave it a closer look, jostling it from side to side to make Isobel’s eyes light up. She turned to look back at her mum.

“That must be it, but why would I be so fearful at seeing it?”

“I don’t know, honey. I’d gone by that stage.”

They fell into a silence. Daisy hated talking about anything that made her mother remember she lost out on so many years with her children.

“You could come back… come and stay in the spare cottage and we could be a family again.”

“You know I can’t do that, honey, while Cynthia is still alive. I’m not sure Archer, Jason and Luke would welcome me with open arms either. They think I abandoned them.”

“Well, I know the truth and if I have to, I will make the old cow admit what she did in front of them so you can come back.”

“That’s kind of you, but it would make me feel better if you weren’t within a hundred feet of that woman.”

“I try not to be. I go to the kitchens because Maggie and Bailey are good people, but as for her. I don’t wish to see her again.”

“Tell me how Warren is. Do you get to see him since you’re back on the island?”

Daisy let her change the subject, but not without warning in her voice.

“Mum…”

“What? He’s a nice guy.”

Imelda tried to look innocent, but it wasn’t working.

“He’s just a friend.”

“He looks like you’re the best meal he’ll ever have.”

“Mum!”

It always shocked her when her mum showed any interest in who liked her, forgetting that she must be lonely too after a decade of being a widow.

“I’m not that old, honey. I know what lust and admiration look like. I’m still in my sixties.”

“You don’t look it. You look far younger.”

“Thank you, darling. Now, I’m going to let you go because your old mother needs a disco nap before she heads out to dinner with some friends.”

“All right, mum. I’ll speak to you next week. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.”

Daisy ended the session and cuddled Isobel closer, thinking back to why she was scared to see an old toy of hers. She didn’t truly understand why she wouldn’t go beyond the kitchens of Turner Hall, either. If it wasn’t for Maggie and Bailey, she wouldn’t go near the place.

“Shall we go to see if Jason’s home? Maybe your aunty can blag a dinner and escape making dinner for one again.”

Isobel gurgled her reply, and Daisy nodded at her affirmation. She bundled up the little girl, and they took a stroll to her brother’s place. Luke and Freya were in the kitchen with Heidi around the kitchen island when she tapped on the glass door. Heidi’s eyes lit up when she saw Isobel.

“Oh, come in,” Heidi said, with her hands outstretched for Isobel.

“You’re only happy to see me because I have this bundle of joy,” Daisy said with a grin.

“And you’re only here so you don’t have to cook,” Jason said from the stove.

“That is true,” Daisy said and laughed.

“Pull up a chair. We’re wondering how long Archer and Erica can stay away until they buckle and want to see their child. ”

“I’m shocked I didn’t get a visit already,” Daisy said, accepting the glass of wine Heidi passed to her.

Jason continued to prepare dinner while Daisy, Freya, and Heidi fussed over the little one. Luke stood hip to counter with a beer in his hand, chatting to Jason as he chopped and diced the ingredients. Ten minutes later, Archer and Erica approached the back door and pushed the door open looking fresh faced and happy. Their eyes moved immediately to Isobel.

Luke looked at his watch. “I win, pay up,” Luke said to Jason.