Page 28 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
Reid and Kaiah sat at a table overlooking Coral Cove Bay in Frank’s Seafood Grill. She folded her hands on the table, her gorgeous blue eyes focused on him. “I’m listening,” she said.
He licked his lips as he gathered his thoughts. “I’ve mentioned how much the spring festival means to our community. It’s been a tradition here for more than a hundred years, and for the most part, it’s always been a revenue generator for our little town. This year we were counting on the festival to raise money for renovations on Coral Cove Elementary School after the fire.”
She took a sip from her glass of water. “You mentioned that.”
“The festival is only weeks away, and now the committee wants to cancel it. Attendance has been pretty low for the past few years, and we don’t have the marketing budget to promote it the way weneed to.” He rested his fingers on the table. “Here’s my proposal: You can stay in the apartment above my garage for free for as long as you need to. And in return, I was hoping you’d help us promote the festival. Maybe write a few articles to generate some interest.”
She was silent for a moment, and Reid held his breath.
“Let me get this straight,” she began. “You want me to write a few articles about Coral Cove and the festival. And you’re not going to charge me adimefor staying in your house? For as long as I need to be there?”
“Exactly,” he said. “It’s a win-win, Kaiah. You can save a few bucks on lodging while helping us breathe some life into Coral Cove—not to mention help some schoolkids. Who can say no to helping the kids?”
She nodded slowly.
He gestured around the restaurant “Think of it this way: This is just the next installment in the Hidden Gems series, right? I think our coastal town fits with the theme.”
That earned him a lopsided grin. “It sure does.”
“So what do you say, Kaiah?”
She took another drink of water, and then the corners of her mouth tugged up. “All right then. Let’s get started.”
“Hi, Libby!”
Later that afternoon, Kaiah’s voice rang through Reid’s garage apartment as she sat on the sofa with her phone, folding her legs and tucking them under a throw blanket. After lunch, she and Reid had returned to his house so she could pitch the new articles to Libby, her editor.
“Are you on your way to Edisto Beach?” Libby asked.
“Not exactly, but I have exciting news.” Kaiah took a deep breath. “I’m still in Coral Cove, and I’m going to be here a bit.” She explained how the parts for her car were delayed. “But you know what’s crazy about all this? I think my car led me to my next hidden gem. Seriously! This little town is in the middle of nowhere, and it’s so charming, Libby. It has an adorable Main Street, local inns, tons of cute shops and mom-and-pop restaurants, even a lighthouse! There are practically zero chains here. I mean, it’s like the town is on the set of a Hallmark movie.”
“Uh-huh,” Libby said, her tone distracted.
Kaiah knew her editor might be scrolling on her phone and decided to take a new tactic. “Plus, every spring they have a festival that celebrates the lighthouse and town founding, and it’s coming up in a couple weeks. I’d like to write a couple features about the town and help promote the festival. I know our readers will gocrazyfor it. We could feature Coral Cove in all kinds of content—new road trip destinations, listicles about perfect long weekends, spots for a girls’ trip. People need to know about this placeandthis festival.”
At the end of her pitch, Kaiah swore she could’ve heard a pin drop on the other end of the line.Oh no. She’s not going to go for it.
“Huh. Well, tell me this: Is Coral Cove going to be as interesting as Edisto Beach?”
“Oh, it definitely is,” she promised. “Trust me, the photos of the lighthouse alone will sell the place, not to mention the history that goes along with it.” She explained how the structure helped sailors lost in a storm. “I’ll make sure to highlight it all in my stories.”
Libby paused. “Well, get me your first article, and then we’ll see if you can write some more.”
Kaiah beamed. “Thanks, Libby! I’ll have it to you in the next couple of days,” she said before disconnecting the call.
She sank back on the sofa and peered around the apartment. This place was going to be her home for the next few weeks, and the realization settled a warm feeling over her. She could get comfortable here—and also get to know Reid and Piper a bit more. A ripple of happiness fluttered in her stomach just as her phone chimed with a text.
Kam: How’s Daisy?
Kaiah knew the answer was loaded enough to warrant a call. She dialed her sister’s number, and Kam answered immediately.
“Not good, huh?” Kam said when she answered.
Kaiah hugged one of the sofa pillows against her chest. “Um, I might be stuck here for three more weeks.”
“Stuck?” Laughter erupted over the phone line. “Did you sabotage your own car so that you have more time with Mr. TDH?”
“Believe it or not, that plan never entered my mind,” Kaiah said. “But Daisy took care of it for me. Actually, I have a new story to follow while I’m here. I can continue working on my Hidden Gems series before I get to South Carolina. I’m going to do some write-ups on Coral Cove first.”
