Page 42 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
“If we all pull togeth—” Becca started, but another voice interrupted her.
“And who can take off aweekto work a festival?” a woman yelled.
“What about the kids?” someone called. “They have school!”
A burly man stood up in the back of the room. “What guarantees do we have that anyone will come at all?” he demanded. “What if we put our heart and soul into this—not to mention our dollars—and then no one bothers to come?”
“And who’s going to pay for all of this?” a woman hollered. “I heard that the historical society blew through their budget and there’s nothing left for the festival. How about you explainthat?”
Becca cleared her throat. “The historical society’s budget and the town’s recreation budget were both cut after the poor turnout for the last few festivals. But this event will be different.”
“How?” a man yelled.
“So nowwehave to pay for it?” a woman asked. “How’s that even fair?”
A chorus of complaints sounded, and Becca’s posture wilted.
Kaiah’s stomach pitched as she turned to Reid. “We need to help her.”
“My thoughts exactly.” He stood and held his hand out to Kaiah. She linked her fingers with his, and he steered her toward the podium.
“Excuse me,” the mayor called out from her seat, her voice straining to be heard without a microphone to amplify it. “Everyone needs to hold it down. We need to be respectful. All of your questions will be answered, but there’s no need for yelling.”
But the crowd continued talking, their voices becoming louder.
Reid approached her. “Mayor Whittington,” he began, “could we please have a chance to speak?”
A stoic expression creased the mayor’s face. “Good luck.”
Reid took his place behind the podium and gave his twin’s shoulder a squeeze as she stepped aside, then tapped the microphone. When the crowd continued their ranting, he tapped it louder and it whistled.
The conversations stopped immediately, and a hush rushed over the town hall.
“Thank you,” he grumbled. “I’m Reid Turner, and I’m a lieutenant with the Coral Cove Fire Department.” His dark eyes scrutinized the crowd. “How many of you have lived in Coral Cove your entire life?” he asked.
Nearly two-thirds of the audience members raised their hands.
“My sister and I have too.” He rested his glorious arms on the podium. “I love this town, and when I was a kid, I knew I wanted to stay here the rest of my life. I wanted to get married here. Raise a family here. My daughter Piper is six, and she’s a student at Coral Cove Elementary School, the same school my twin sister and I attended. You all know how a fire ravaged the east wing. I want the students to have the school they deserve, the one Becca and I had when we were growing up, and the one I suspect y’all had too. That’s why we need to find a way to raise the funds for the school. We want to give our kids the best, the way our parents and grandparents did for us.”
Reid paused and eyed the onlookers once again. “I’m proud of this town, but I also believe that sometimes traditions need to change. The festival we’ve had every year since before I was born is one of the traditions we can not only change but improve for the better. Right now, all I’m asking you is to keep an open mind. Sometimes change is necessary, and sometimes it isn’t easy. We know it’s not been the same festival the past few years. Can we agree on that?”
A murmur of agreement spread throughout the crowd.
“Good.” He nodded toward Becca. “Rebecca is my sister, and I don’t appreciate how she was treated while she was trying to talk to you.” He jammed his finger on the podium. “She deserves your attention, and I ask you to remain respectful while we finish explaining our proposal. And when we’re done, we’ll answer all your questions.” He held up his hand. “In an orderly fashion. Is that understood?” he asked.
A few people responded, “Yes, Lieutenant.”
Kaiah placed her hand over her mouth to cover her grin. She didn’t think Reid could be any more attractive. But the way he defended his sister and politely chastised the crowd was possibly the hottest thing she’d ever seen a guy do in person.Mr. TDH? Maybe we need to start calling him Mr. Smooth.
“Good.” Reid licked his lips and held out his hand to Kaiah. “I’d like to introduce a new friend of mine. This is Kaiah Ross, and she’s a journalist withThe Traveler, a popular travel magazine. She’s working on a story about Coral Cove. Kaiah proposed many new ideas for our festival this year. Trust me, having Kaiah write about Coral Cove is not only a great way to raise awareness about the festival and money for our school; it’s also an excellent opportunity to highlight what a hidden gem our town is and invite folks from all over to come and experience it for themselves. I’m sure you all wouldn’t say no to a fewmore tourist dollars flowing into your businesses, right? So I know you’ll be respectful while Kaiah shares her ideas.”
Reid stepped to the side and motioned for Kaiah to join him. “Everyone give it up for Kaiah Ross,” he said, and a few people clapped.
Kaiah took a trembling breath, and her hands began to shake while she pulled her notepad from the bottom of her large bag. “Hi, everyone. I’ve been working on a series called Hidden Gems, highlighting charming small towns across the East Coast. I was visiting places between Maryland and Florida when I accidentally found Coral Cove and was captivated by your stunning lighthouse.” She toggled her gaze toward Reid, who watched her with an intense expression that sent a tingling chill through her, despite the warm room. “Lieutenant Turner shared the story about the sailors who were saved by the lighthouse.” Kaiah faced the crowd again. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve found that the lighthouse is the spirit of Coral Cove. I see it in the artwork that adorns your walls, in the treats lining your bakery cases. And I see the bright light in each of you. Every person I’ve met in this town has been so kind to me, a stranger who came to you all in need. It seems like kindness is the guiding light of this place.” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “So I believe we should celebrate that light. I recommend renaming the festival ‘Light the Dark.’ The festival marks the transition from the dark of winter to the warm light of spring. It also reminds everyone that the lighthouse saved other strangers—the sailors—one early spring day long ago.”
She scanned her list of events. “We’ll begin Friday night by illuminating the lighthouse to symbolize the transition from winter to spring. Then we’ll spend the next six days celebrating Coral Cove with live music, a market with vendors, tours of the lighthouse, and other events and activities for visitors of all ages.” She summarizedtheir ideas for events, including the Shining Light Photo Contest and Light Snack before she covered the mic with her hand and addressed Reid. “I think we can take questions now.”
Reid joined her at the podium, and he rested his hand on her lower back. “Now we’re ready for questions.”
