Page 4 of Electric Kiss

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 onewants 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 naïve 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.”

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