Page 97 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
“Thank y’all,” Brad said. “We’re The Sandy Boots Brothers, and we’re locals here.”
More whistles sounded.
“We’re so happy that you’ve joined us for this Light the Dark Festival. Now we’re going to play one of our favorites.” Brad motioned to the crowd. “If y’all know it, y’all sing it with us.” He addressed his brothers. “One, two, three,” he said before they began playing another song.
Reid recognized it immediately as one of his mother’s favorites—Shenandoah’s “Next to You, Next to Me.” He reached for Kaiah’s hand and towed her to him. Once again, Kaiah wrapped her arms around his neck, and Reid held her close while they swayed to the music.
When she rested her cheek against his collarbone, Reid thought he might just float away. Kaiah fit into his arms as if she were made just for him. As he held her, for a moment he imagined what life could be like if she decided to stay in Coral Cove. They could do this at every community concert, swaying to the music, just the two of them. They could go to the festival every year. They could make a donation and smile, sharing that they’d raised their family in Coral Cove. At that moment, he wanted nothing more.
The song ended, and Kaiah held on to Reid’s hand and steered him toward the food vendors. “How about some nachos?”
“I never say no to nachos.”
He purchased a plate of nachos and two sodas, and they sat ona bench facing the lighthouse. They ate their snack while visitors moved in and out of the historic structure.
Kaiah looked up at the sky, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh.
“What was that for?” he asked before bumping his arm gently against her.
“It’s the perfect day. The sun is sparkling on the water. The sky is blue. The seagulls are singing. And we’re here together.” She glanced around before her focus rested on him. “I love it here.”
“Then stay.”
The words slipped out of his mouth before he could think about them. But when he heard himself say it, he didn’t care. It was now or never.
Her eyes grew wide as saucers.
“Stay, Kaiah. I mean it.” His heart began to pound while she remained quiet. “You can work anywhere, right? Why not make this your home base? You could travel all you want, write any story you want, and then come home to me and Piper.”
“I...” Kaiah’s hands fiddled with a napkin while she kept her eyes trained on the water, staring at the boats with colorful sails passing by as if part of a parade. “Just let me think about it, okay?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
He nodded at her, but heat began to climb up his neck.
Who was he kidding? Kaiah was an accomplished journalist. She lived in New York and flew all over the country, chasing her work. Why would she ever consider moving to a small town in the middle of nowhere?
He finished his drink, then tossed the cup and empty plate into a trash can. “We’d better get back to our posts.” He pointed toward the lighthouse. “The line for the tours is getting pretty long.” He started toward the lighthouse.
“Reid!” She hurried after him and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Her blue eyes searched his. “Look, I don’t mean to hurt you. I really care about you and Piper. I do. But I... I just need time.” She paused, staring down at the ground for a beat before tilting her chin back up. “I got an offer from a bigger magazine. It was completely unexpected.”
“Really?” He tried to keep his voice from betraying the shock currently rocking him at the core. He gave her a weak smile.
“Yeah. I was going to tell you, but I was waiting for the right time.”
“That’s... that’s so exciting, Ky. Which magazine?”
“It’s calledUS Road Trip. It’s pretty well-known in my circle.”
“I’ve heard of it.” He nodded as disappointment and dread doused any shred of hope that she’d stay with him.
He was going to lose Kaiah. He had no idea how his heart—or Piper’s—would ever recover.
“That’s a big deal,” he managed to croak out.
“Yeah, it is.”
They stared at each other, and he tilted his head. “How long have you known?”
