Free The Temple of Indra’s Jewel: by Rachael Stapleton

Sophia, the girl from Sainte Marguerite Island.”
    It was the man I’d seen smoking on the front balcony when we’d first arrived. He was impressively built, especially for an older guy.
    “Pleased to meet you, Mr. O’Kelley. Cullen was just talking about you.”
    “’Tis good to see you lookin’ so well. This fella here has done nothin’ but worry about ya, and that’s a fact.”
    “Thank you. I’m just sorry to have caused so much trouble.”
    “Well, now, nothin’ to be done about that. So what was my boy here sayin’? Bad mouthin’ me, I bet.”
    “Don’t worry, Da. I was just tellin’ her how you invested brilliantly with Grandda’s help and owned two major cable networks by the ripe old age of forty.”
    “Yep, and he’s long since turned his good fortune into big business. I tell the truth,” a woman’s voice shouted from the kitchen.
    I glanced at John’s itsy-bitsy swim trunks and smiled. I had to agree—it was clear that John was very big business.
    Lucille, snickering, walked out behind him in a beautiful navy sundress and handed him a towel, which he quickly wrapped around his waist. Her red hair was swept up in a neat French twist that showed off her long neck and single bare shoulder to perfection. I wondered how old she was. She seemed young to have two full-grown men as sons.
    “It’s dinnertime, ya old fool. There’s no sun.” She kissed his shoulder and then directed her gaze at me. “Sorry for invadin’ yer privacy, dear.”
    “Yes, and I apologize I’m not in better shape,” John added. “I’m just not in the habit of finding other women in the house.”
    “And let’s be keepin’ it that way.”
    I laughed at the two of them. “I appreciate the hospitality. Please don’t mind me.”
    “Why don’t the two of you join us for a drink?” Cullen said. “We’ve already cracked your favourite wine.”
    “Perfect,” Lucille said, darting into the house. The sound of cabinet doors and rattling glassware soon followed.
    I moved out of the lounger and took a seat at the table, with my back to the house, allowing me to admire the beautiful shrubs and flowers.
    She returned, smiling, and set her glass on the table. She filled it and then topped up my glass before she dropped into a seat on the bench next to her husband.
    “To you, Sophia.” She lifted her glass, and I turned to Cullen, who grinned.
    “No, to Cullen,” I said, and I toasted him and then her.
    Cullen’s grin deepened, and he raised his glass. “ Slainte. Oh, that reminds me. We’ll be in need of some silverware shortly, won’t we?”
    Lucille looked down at the tablet screen on the table.
    “Going home so soon?”
    “Yes. I love it here, but I need to get back.”
    “I’ll drink to that. We’ve been down here wanderin’ for a month. Cullen and Liam just joined us last week, but we’re all heading home shortly. Cullen’s off on one of his business trips, and the rest of us are heading back to Dublin.”
    “Is Liam going back too? I thought he was accompanying Morai somewhere?” Cullen asked, lifting the grill lid and letting the mouth-watering smells out to further tease my appetite.
    “Oh, well, maybe it’ll just be the two of us then,” Lucille said, looking up lovingly into her husband’s face.
    “I can deal with that, to be sure.”
    “Awe, Jackie.” She pecked him on the cheek.
    Cullen set a plate full of steak and shrimp in front of me. “Sorry, folks, but we’ve run out of meat. I didn’t know you were joining us. You want me to throw a couple more on?”
    “No, we had dinner with Aunt Shay, remember?”
    “This smells delicious,” I said.
    “Tastes good too,” said Cullen, stuffing one of the shrimps into his mouth before taking his seat.
    “Cullen, you’ll get indigestion,” chided his mother.
    “Oh, Lucy, he’s all grown up. Leave him be.”
    “That’s a great idea,” Lucille said, standing. “My wine is empty anyway. John, wasn’t there that thing you