Page 44 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“Afraid so!” Caroline rolled her eyes. “On that note, I’m going to say goodnight.”
Brad stopped himself from trying to tempt her to stay as Caroline said goodnight and walked off the way they’d come with Tanith and Tanner.
“Clover, can you get us each a refreshment, please,” Brad heard Harriet ask Clover as he watched Caroline disappear through the curtain of the night.
He stood staring in the direction she’d gone and barely heard Clover leave.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Harriet hissed, startling Brad as she appeared in front of him.
“What?” Brad looked at her, confused.
“No!” Harriet shook her head and wiggled her index finger in front of his nose. “Don’t you dare.” Her eyes narrowed warningly.
“Dare what?” Brad’s brows knit tighter together.
“Fall for Caroline!” Harriet said through gritted teeth. “This assignment is too important to us for you to mess it up by falling for the author of the series.”
“Then we have a problem,” Brad told Harriet honestly, his eyes meeting hers. “Because I fell for her six weeks ago.”
A lone figure stood listening to the interaction between Brad and Harriet. Hearing Brad’s confession drew a soft gasp from them before they turned and silently walked away.
CHAPTER 11
The night was wrapped in a tapestry of darkness, with the headlights of Caroline’s car illuminating the way as she navigated the winding road that hugged the cliffside. The tires of her vehicle hummed against the smooth tar of the road. The moon hung high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape, revealing glimpses of the sea below. The gentle waves sparkled in response to the moon’s tender caress with splashes of white as they crested and hit the shoreline.
But Caroline hardly noticed the fine display Mother Nature put on as frustration lingered in Caroline’s chest like an unwelcome guest. Each twist and turn of the road seemed to echo the turmoil within her. She replayed the dinner with Brad, the beach walk, and the party in her mind, a reel of regret that played against the backdrop of the night.
The cool, salty coastal breeze swept through the open car window, tousling her hair as if nature sought to untangle the knots of her conflicting emotions. She couldn’t shake theannoyance at herself for allowing Brad to weave his way back into her life, disrupting the carefully constructed boundaries she had set.
The familiar scent of sea salt and pine greeted her as she turned onto the long driveway leading to Cobble Cove Lighthouse and Cottage—her home. Shadows danced beneath the trees, playing a nocturnal symphony as the long line of bushes and trees guarding the driveway parted to reveal her house.
As she stepped out of the car, the distant crash of waves against the cliffs provided a soothing background melody. Caroline noticed a solitary light flickering in an upstairs window.
“Liam must’ve left that on,” Caroline muttered to herself, closing the car door and heading for the back door of her house. She turned her head to the right, tilting it back to look up at the ghostly shadow of the dark lighthouse. Caroline’s gaze lingered on the once vibrant sentinel that stood in the process of repair and modernization, a necessary evolution that left it silent and lonely.
A nostalgic smile played across her lips as memories of the lighthouse’s former glory tugged at her heart. Once, its light had cut through the night, a steadfast guardian guiding ships safely home. Now, a more efficient technology had taken over, casting the lighthouse into obsolescence—a poignant relic of a bygone era.
Caroline sighed as the ghosts of past moments with Jules, like the first stirrings of a childhood crush, flashed through her mind. It was a stark reminder that nothing ever stayed the same; time, relentless and unforgiving, pressed forward, reshaping the landscape of memories into a mournfully beautiful tapestry of change.
Entering the kitchen, Caroline braced herself for the usual cacophony of greetings from her furry companions. Sandy, BlueBeard, and Melton – a trio of companions who usually filled the house with chaos and warmth – were conspicuously absent. A frown etched across her face.
“Oh, no, I hope Liam didn’t lock them out the front!” Concern nagged at her as she closed and locked the back door.
Her first thought was of the potential hazard the currently off-limits boardwalk was for her adventurous pets. Wanting to find her pets, Caroline quickly closed and locked the back door as Jules was staying at Lila’s. She hung up her keys and was about to rush to the front door when she froze at the sound of footsteps creaking along the floorboards upstairs.
Panic knotted Caroline’s stomach as she stood for a few seconds. Her senses heightened as she listened, and the steps moved towards the stairs. There was definitely someone in her house!
Her eyes widened with fear as her heart started to hammer in her chest. Caroline’s eyes darted around the kitchen, settling on a skillet she lunged for. Gripping the handle of the makeshift weapon with both hands, Caroline moved slowly and cautiously into the dark living room.
She was about to round the corner that split into the hallway when the figure materialized before her, and two screams reverberated through the house. Caroline’s instincts kicked in. She swung the skillet, which vibrated through her hands as it hit its target, accompanied by a thump and a yelp of pain.
“Did you just hit me with a skillet?” the familiar voice hissed indignantly.
Caroline reached out and flipped the light switch, which flooded the room in light to reveal Jennifer nursing her bruised hip.
“Jenny?” Caroline spluttered, relief flooding her before wrapping her arms around her best friend. “Thank goodness it’s you. I thought there was an intruder in the house.”
“Clearly!” Jennifer pointed at her hip where the skillet had whacked her. “Do you have ice?”
