Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
O ur town had never seen so many single women. In a rainbow of colorful dresses, skirts and blouses, they had descended upon our fair shores, chattering and giggling, bright-eyed and hopeful as the men of my town attempted to sweep them off their feet.
The sun shone brightly on the town green as I helped Aiden and Finn to set up for the picnic brunch. They’d spent the morning preparing an array of succulent sandwiches, crisp salads, and decadent desserts, and now we were arranging everything on long tables draped with cheerful gingham cloths.
“Pass me that fruit platter, would you, Riley?” Aiden called from the far end of the table.
I hefted the heavy tray and made my way over to him, trying not to dwell on the memory of last night.
The guys acted normal this morning, as if they hadn’t blown my mind with their declarations and gentle cheek kisses.
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed.
As I handed Aiden the platter, our fingers brushed, sending a jolt of electricity through me. His green eyes met mine, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Thanks, oeh’uru pahlke,” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.
I guess we weren’t pretending nothing had happened after all.
Before I could find the words to respond, Mayor Dorante bustled over, clipboard in hand and a determined gleam in her eye.
“Everything looks wonderful,” she said with a brisk nod, her silver bob shimmering with her movement. “But I need a favor from you three.”
Finn joined us, wiping his hands on a hand towel. “What can we do for you, Mayor?”
She consulted her clipboard. “We’re short a few people for the treasure hunt. Would you mind joining in? We need one more group of three to even out the numbers.”
I opened my mouth to decline, thoroughly uninterested in being the additional wheel on a singles weekend—but Aiden beat me to it.
“We’d be happy to help,” he said smoothly. “Right?”
To my surprise, Finn nodded. “This is all set up. Just needs to be unwrapped.”
“Excellent.” Mayor Dorante scribbled something on her clipboard. “You’ll be teaming up with Colleen and Warrick.”
Against my better judgement, I followed her over to the couple, nodding my greeting to Warrick.
I’d known Warrick since birth. He’d grown up a street over from me, and at just nine months older than myself, we’d spent many a day rambling through the countryside getting into all sorts of mischief.
A few years ago, he’d set up a tour company to guide people around the island, along with his business partner, Del Bellinger. They lived up in the mountains in a small cabin that backed onto the national park. While Warrick was social, Del rarely made it down the mountain, preferring to spend his time away from people.
I eyed him, hiding a smile. The normally wild-looking Warrick had managed to subdue his riot of auburn curls and groom his beard into some semblance of respectability. He’d traded his trademark scuffed jeans for a pair of fresh dark-washed jeans which he’d paired with a new black shirt.
He stood an inch or so shorter than my own nearly six-feet, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in breadth. His muscles earned through hard labor and thousands of hours of chopping wood.
“This is Colleen,” the mayor introduced. “She’s from the mainland. Colleen, meet Aiden, Finn, and Riley. They run our local pub and auto shop.”
We all exchanged greetings, and I couldn’t help but notice the way Colleen blushed at all the attention. Short, plump with a lovely head of tawny hair, she reminded me of Melissa McCarthy—gorgeous and cheerful, though a little shy.
“How are you liking our island?” Aiden asked Colleen, drawing her out of her shell.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, adjusting her grip on her cane. “I think I’m in love already.”
Warrick grinned, his teeth flashing against his beard. “Wait till you see the mountains. You’ll never want to leave.”
She glanced down at her walking cane. “Are there accessible trails?”
“Aye,” Warrick said with a nod. “But if not, I’ll carry you.”
Her cheeks flushed pink once more as I hid a grin.
“No Del today?” I asked him.
Warrick shook his head. “He’s finishing up a tour. Though you can never know if he’ll come to town or not.”
The mayor called attention, using a microphone and a small portable speaker.
“Welcome to Kink Island,” she said, inclining her head as the crowd applauded politely. “We’re excited to have you here as we host our first singles weekend.”
The applause included a touch more enthusiasm this time.
“I’d like to acknowledge our major sponsor for the weekend, Speedy Singles, for supporting the events.”
She held up a small sheet of paper. “Our first official event is a treasure hunt. You’ll receive a series of clues that will lead you to different places across the island. You’ll need to collect the hints, find items, and get back here by midday. Our event will start when the bell tolls.” She pointed at the clocktower in the distance which read twenty-to-ten. “And don’t try to follow someone else—each team has a different randomized course.” She gestured at the loaded table of good. “Now please, eat and mingle while you wait. You can collect your instructions and your first clue when the bell tolls. Good luck, everyone!”
We served ourselves as Colleen introduced herself.
“I live in Chars most of the year,” she explained, taking a seat at one of the picnic tables on the green. Seated, she fluffed her skirt out, leaning her cane against the bench.
Warrick handed her a loaded plate, taking the seat beside her as Aiden, Finn and I took a seat on a picnic blanket spread across the warm grass.
“What do you do for a living?” Aiden asked, spearing a piece of pasta with his bamboo fork.
“I’m a supply chain manager.” Colleen chuckled at our blank looks. “Basically, I get paid a lot of money to work from home managing temperamental vendors, suppliers and developers. I handle projects for companies all over the country, working to ensure that they have what they need when they need it.”
I whistled low. “Sounds impressive.”
She snorted prettily. “It’s not.”
I tilted my head to one side. “What brings you to this weekend?”
I saw her gaze dart toward Warrick before she answered.
“My friend signed me up. Said it would be a good opportunity to meet new people who want the same thing I do.”
“And that is?” Warrick asked gently.
“A family. A home. Friends and community.”
“Not love?” Aiden asked, raising one eyebrow.
Colleen shrugged. “Love would be nice, but mutual respect and attraction would be fine as well. Love can always grow.”
“You’d be willing to move to the island?” Finn asked, reaching for my empty plate. “It’s quite a way from most of the major cities.”
Colleen shrugged. “As long as there’s internet, I can work from anywhere.”
“Lucky,” I said, climbing to my feet and brushing off my butt.
The bells began to chime in the distance, heralding the start of the competition.
“I’ll get it!” Aiden sprang to his feet, sprinting across the green to take one of the sheets.
Finn chuckled, shaking his head. “Be warned, Aiden’s ruthlessly competitive. He might seem laid back but he’s not a good loser.”
We slowly made our way over to Aiden, who’d already ripped open the envelope and was poring over the contents.
“It’s a riddle,” he said, handing the clue to Warrick. “We’ll have to decipher it to work out our first destination.”
“’I have a head and a foot that are both the same size. Where I go depends on good fortune.’ What do you think?” Colleen asked, peering over Warrick’s shoulder.
“A coin,” Finn and I said in unison. We grinned at each other, and I felt a flutter in my stomach.
“Right.” Aiden rubbed his hands together, glancing between us. “We’re off to the bank. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” I interrupted, halting him with one hand. “The fortune is a clue. I think it’s the wishing well.”
Aiden slapped a palm to his head. “Of course it is.”
We set off across the grass and I found myself walking between Aiden and Finn, their shoulders and hands casually brushing mine as we walked.
Around us, groups flowed, laughing and chatting—the women in their finery, the men appearing shiny. I glanced down at my worn and faded jeans and white, flowing blouse with a wry smile. I’d dressed for function and comfort, with just a hint of professional noting that I was meant to be working for Aiden and Finn—not attracting a potential mate.
“So, Riley,” Colleen said, glancing back at me. “How long have you lived on the island?”
“All my life,” I replied. “Except for a few years away at college.”
“It must be nice to have such deep roots. I’ve moved around so much, I sometimes feel like I don’t belong anywhere.”
Before I could respond, Finn spoke up.
“Riley belongs here,” the warmth in his voice was echoed by his slow, lazy smile. “Kink wouldn’t be the same without her.”
Our gazes met and I felt my cheeks heat. “I don’t know about that.”
Aiden bumped his shoulder against mine. “He’s right, you know. You’re the heart of this place. It’s hard to imagine this town without you.”
I ducked my head, unsure of what to say in response.
For so long I’d wanted what I couldn’t have, hiding behind a mask of friendship that I struggled to free myself from the shackles of pining and flirt back.
We reached the wishing well, and sure enough, there was an envelope taped to the side with our team number on it. Aiden reached it first and eagerly tore it open.
“’What has keys but no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in?’” he read aloud.
“Fucked if I know,” Warrick said with a shrug. “Any guesses?”
Colleen danced from foot to foot. “It’s a keyboard, right? It has to be—space, enter, keys.”
“Brilliant,” Warrick beamed at her as if she’d performed brain surgery or flown to the moon. “It could be the library—there’s computer there.”
“Or,” I said, fighting to hide a grin at Warrick’s besotted look. “What about the organ at the church?”
“Yessss!” Aiden hissed, snapping his fingers. “Let’s fucking go!”
Laughing, we followed him, matching our pace to Colleen’s slower steps. As we made our way to the church, we pointed out different landmarks and places to Colleen, sharing stories and local legends.
“That’s an oech’snk rock,” I said, nodding toward the stone that sat in the middle of the library’s front garden.
“A what?”
I grinned at her confused expression. “A fairy rock. Though we call them the little people. Sprites and spirits live inside it. If you’ve a need for help, leave an offering on the rock.”
“That’s darling.” Colleen stopped, digging through her pockets to pull out a coin. “Let me make an offering.”
While Aiden danced from foot to foot impatiently, Colleen walked across to place a coin on the worn rock.
“Don’t want to add your own?” Finn asked, his breath warm against my ear.
I turned, smiling. “I don’t have a coin.”
He reached up, brushing his finger against my ear. With a flick of his wrist, a coin appeared between his fingers. “Now you do.”
Amused, I took the coin and walked across to the rock, standing next to Colleen as I placed it on the sun-warmed stone.
Silently, I bowed my head, asking for the one thing I wanted above all else.
Oech’snk, please guide me to my heart.
My palm tingled against the stone, and I swore I heard the whisper of a giggle as I raised my head.
Goosebumps raised the hairs on my arms as I stepped back.
“Are there other customs here that aren’t on the mainland?” Colleen asked as we rejoined the group.
“A few,” I said, trying to shake off my strange feeling. “You already know about the polygamous marriages.”
“Yes, it’s fascinating. But I suppose it was necessary.”
“Very,” Warrick agreed, falling into step beside her. “Women are revered here—they are the creators, the guides, the home. Our society is a matriarchal one, our women are the keepers of the hearth.”
She tipped her head to one side, a little frown marring her brow. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“The hearth was how we survived the winters,” I explained, picking my way down the sidewalk. “Winters here are beautiful and brutal, filled with ice and snow and darkness. The heath is light and heat and survival. It is a symbol of hope that after the darkest day, the sun will return.”
“So the women stayed home to tend the hearth and men did what?”
We all chuckled.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Women on our island were warriors, hunters, gamekeepers. They owned boats and
We left behind the rock and walked down the long street toward the church. A stone and wood building, it was one of the oldest buildings in the town.
Once upon a time, the ivy-covered building had been the township’s bunk house, providing shelter for the first inhabitants. Over the centuries it had been many things—a hall, an emergency shelter, a storage barn. It was only in the early 1800s that the church had purchased the land and it had become a place of religion.
Father Donovan lived in the cottage at the rear of the church. He’d presided over every birth, death and marriage for the last nearly forty years. Well into his sixties now, the spritely man regularly, and cheerfully ministered to his way-ward flock.
Aiden shoved open the ornate, heavy wooden doors, stepping into the quiet church.
Making our way down the long aisle, we began to search the organ pit, looking for an envelope.
The organ was one of the oldest and largest in all of Astipia. The town regularly had historians and musicians travelling through to view and play the gorgeous instrument.
No one was quite sure what had prompted the first Reverend Father to build something so unnecessary on Kink, but here it sat and here it would remain.
“I’ll take this side,” Aiden said, dropping to his knees. “Spread out. We need to find the clue.”
Finn bent beside me, his shoulder brushing my own as we sorted through music books and under dusty sheets of paper.
“Can you work tonight?”
I glanced over at Finn. “Of course. If you need me.”
His gaze met mine, his lips tilted up in a slight grin. “We always need you, Riley.”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “You can’t keep saying things like that. Not if you don’t want me to get the wrong idea.”
He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “I think you’re just starting to get the right one.”
“Found it!” Aiden triumphantly held an envelope aloft.
This clue led us on a merry chase around the town, from the lighthouse to the library and down to the docks. With each solved puzzle, Aiden’s competitiveness grew, and I found myself laughing more than I had in months at his enthusiastic aggression.
“’I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?’” Colleen read out our final clue.
We all looked at each other, stumped.
“A phone?” Aiden asked, scratching his head.
“Which one?” Warrick asked.
Aiden shrugged. “Good point.”
“What about a playground?” I asked, trying to solve it.
“what’s the cities?”
I shrugged. “No clue.”
Colleen giggled. “It has to be something obvious. Maybe we could work backwards? Where’s somewhere on the island we haven’t visited?”
“There’s the police station,” I said, frowning. “But I doubt they[‘ll want us there.”
“Shit.” Finn snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it . It’s a map.”
“Oh, fuck yes. Which means it’s the old survey map in Town Hall.” Aiden practically vibrated with enthusiasm. “That has to be it.”
We hurried down toward the hall, dodging other teams as they darted to and fro, searching for their next clues. As we burst through the heavy wooden doors, we saw another team already there, searching the walls.
“There!” I pointed to the framed map hanging in a corner. The old parchment was worn and aged, yellowed by time and exposure.
Aiden lifted me without hesitation so I could reach the envelope taped to the top of the frame.
I ripped it open, quickly scanning the contents.
“The mayor’s in her office. First team with all the clues wins.”
Giggling like kids, we rushed down the hall toward the mayor’s office and skidded inside. She sat at her desk, working on some papers.
“Ah, my first group.” She grinned, leaning back in her seat. “Did you find all the clues?”
We handed her the envelopes, and she sorted through them, tallying our score.
“Well done.” She reached under her desk and pulled a small cup-shaped trophy from the floor. “Here’s your prize.”
Colleen lifted the small trophy, plucking the slip of paper from its base.
“Two free drinks each at the pub.” She glanced up. “Isn’t that your establishment?”
Aiden’s face fell. “It is.”
The mayor snorted delicately. “You weren’t meant to win.”
“How about you take the trophy,” I said, taking it from Colleen and handing it to Aiden. “And Colleen and Warrick can have the vouchers.”
Aiden perked back up. “Works for me.”
“And on that note, we should be getting back.” Finn glanced meaningfully at his watch. “We’ve still got prep to finish before tonight.” He flashed me a glance. “You’re still helping, right?”
I nodded.
They left but Aiden ducked back in to press a kiss to my cheek.
“See you tonight,” he murmured with a grin before leaving once more.
I pressed a hand to my cheek, staring at the door to the office.
“Well,” the mayor said, sounding smug. “I see the weekend is already off to an excellent start.”