Page 68 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
“Really? That’s great news!” Kaiah pointed to the tray. “Seriously, I’ve got to have a couple of those cupcakes before they sell out.” She pulled out her wallet. “How much are they?”
The twins shared another look and smiled.
“Free for you two since you’re working so hard to get this festival off the ground,” Jenni said.
“Absolutely,” Jessica chimed in. “It’s going to be great for our little town.”
“Well, I’m not going to fight you too hard on that.” Kaiah bumped her shoulder against Reid’s arm. “Pick one.”
“Okay.” He chose a lighthouse cupcake while Kaiah took one sporting a life preserver. He took a bite and closed his eyes, savoring the light, fluffy cake. It reminded him of the birthday cakes his mom made him growing up.
When he opened his eyes, Kaiah asked, “Well, what do you think?”
“Definitely better than our cookies,” he quipped, and they all cracked up again. He turned to Jenni and Jessica. “You guys have outdone yourselves. These are going to be ahit. Could I buy some to take home to Piper?”
Reid purchased one of each design, and Jenni packaged up the cupcakes before he and Kaiah headed back out to the street.
“Itoldyou the cupcakes were good,” Kaiah said.
“You weren’t kidding.” He unlocked his Suburban and stored the box in the back seat. When he turned around, he caught Kaiah snapping photos of Main Street. He leaned against the SUV and enjoyed seeing her expertise in action. She’d line up a photo and push the shutter button, her face clouded with concentration. Somehow she seemed even more attractive while he watched her work.
She pivoted to face him. “I wanted to get a few shots of Main Street with the banners stretched across and the lighthouse in thebackground. Talk about Americana. It’s going to look adorable in the next article.” She cocked her head to the side. “Are you staring at me?”
He grinned at her. “Who, me? Nope. Nuh-uh. No way.”
Her eyebrow flew up, and she placed a sassy hand on her hip. “You’re staring at me, Reid. How come?”
“No reason.” He pushed off the Suburban. “You know what we haven’t done yet?”
She hung her camera around her neck and adjusted the straps on her backpack purse. “What’s that?”
“Booked musical groups for the stage.”
She studied him, and an amused expression flickered over her face. “I can’t say I know any musical groups around here. That’s the locals’ job. So doyouknow any musicians around here?”
“Actually I do.” He lifted his chin. “I went to high school with a group of brothers who formed a country band. The Sandy Boots Brothers.”
She giggled. “I love it. Are they still around?”
“They sure are.” He joined her on the sidewalk. “They own the pet store a couple of blocks over. Let’s go talk to them.”
Kaiah snapped a few photos while they made their way to the Best Friends Pet Shop. Reid found flyers advertising the festival on the door, and when they walked inside, Kaiah rushed over to a young woman with a black cocker spaniel.
“Ohhh,” she gushed, bending down to meet the dog. “What’s your puppy’s name?”
The young woman beamed. “This is Patrick.”
“How are you, buddy?” Kaiah held out her hand. “Is it okay...?”
The woman nodded. “You can pet him. He loves attention. He’s a sweetie.”
Kaiah stroked the dog’s head and asked Patrick’s owner all abouthim. Every time she glanced down at the spaniel, her face radiated her affection for animals. Reid yearned to capture the moment. He pulled out his phone and took a few photos while she was completely unaware.
After a minute, Kaiah stood. “Thank you for letting me meet Patrick.”
The woman chuckled. “No problem. You made our day.”
Kaiah sighed and looped her arm through Reid’s. “I miss my dog so much.” When she rested her head on his arm, he melted into her touch. “I hope Georgie is healthy and happy.”
