Page 33 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
“Reid,” she began, “you fight fires and rescue people for a living.Boringis not a word I’d ever use to describe you.”More like brave, generous, kind, thoughtful. And so very, very hot.
“Did you always want to be a journalist?” he asked.
She considered the question. “I guess so. I started pretending to write books before I could even write.”
“Really?” He seemed impressed.
“Yeah. I made little books out of paper when I was a kid, and then I started writing ridiculous stories when I was around Piper’s age. I fell in love with reading and writing. And when I got tocollege, I was drawn to journalism because I love telling stories,” she explained, and he appeared fascinated. “How about you? Why firefighting?”
“It’s not a very interesting story.”
She rested her elbows on her knees and tilted her head in his direction.
He chuckled. “Fine, fine. I was part of an after-school program that was like a camp, and we spent some time working at the firehouse. I was a junior firefighter, and I loved it. I’ve always loved helping people. Once I figured that out, I knew what I wanted to do.”
“Wow. You’re pretty amazing,” she whispered. When she realized she’d said the words out loud, she longed to shove them back into her mouth. Embarrassment bloomed in her cheeks while she winced, waiting for his reaction.
He smiled. “So are you. And it’s obvious my daughter agrees.”
An amicable silence covered them once again, and she took a long drink from her glass.
“Do you think you’ll ever settle down?” he asked, gazing up toward the sky. “Have a home and a family?”
“Um...” She cleared her throat, stretching the time to prepare her answer. “I used to think I would, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Why not?”
“Sometimes,” she began and then stopped to gather her thoughts. “Sometimes I’m not sure where I belong.”
He considered this, and once again she wanted to yank back the words.
“I always believed that home is where the heart is.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “Corny, I know, but it’s true. I guess you need to figure out where your heart is.”
She nodded. “I think you’re right about that.”
Kaiah decided she had enough soul-baring talk for the evening and switched topics, sharing her and Becca’s plans for tomorrow.
Then Reid stood up. “I suppose I should get some sleep before my shift. Let me get that for you.” He held out his hand, and when she gave him her empty glass, her fingers brushed his, and an electrical current danced up her arm. “Have a good day tomorrow.”
“You too,” she said. “Be safe at work.”
“I will. Sleep well.”
As Kaiah climbed the stairs leading to the apartment, she imagined what it would feel like for Reid to hold her in his muscular arms, and her heartbeat tripled.
Chapter 8
Kaiah aimed her camera down the street and snapped a few photos of the lighthouse with the adorable stores in the forefront. “I just love this place,” she said, turning to Becca. “Tell me more about the town. Something you wish visitors knew.”
“Well,” Becca began spreading out her arms, “all of the shops are family-owned, and most of them have been here for decades.” She pointed to the Beachside Bakery down the street. “The Watson family has owned the bakery for as long as I can remember. My mom told me they inherited it from their parents.”
“They?” Kaiah asked.
“The Watson twins, Jenni and Jessica. They’re both married and have families, but they’re still ‘the Watson twins’ to everyone in town.”
“No kidding.” Kaiah jotted down some notes in her notebook. “What’s it like being a twin?”
Becca shrugged. “I’ve always been one, so I don’t know anything else. But it’s interesting. It’s hard to explain, but we get a feeling. I know when he’s upset or in pain or scared. He feels it for me too.”She paused, keeping her eyes trained on the bakery down the street. “Sometimes it seems like I can feel when Reid is in danger. Which is... a lot when your brother and your husband are both fighting dangerous fires.”
