Page 98 of The Lighthouse at the Cove
“Since this morning.” She shifted her weight on her feet. “I checked my email when I went upstairs to get ready, and I found a message from a managing editor there.” Frowning, she folded her arms over her middle.
“You knew this morning,” he repeated.
She nodded, and another pang of disappointment and hurt radiated through him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
“I-I didn’t know how.” She looked out toward the lighthouse and then back at him. “I guess I didn’t want to hurt you.” She cleared her throat. “My Coral Cove articles have been going viral,and an editor was impressed with my work, so she reached out and said she wanted to talk to me, and she included her phone number, but I...” Her voice trailed off, and she continued to avoid his gaze. He waited for her to continue, but she remained silent.
“Did you call her?”
“Not yet. I need time to think about it. I would have to move to Washington, DC.” She rubbed a spot on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Reid. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for years. It’s just a lot to think about. I haven’t fully processed it.”
He rested his hands on her forearms. “Ky, stop apologizing. I’m so proud of you. You’ve worked hard, and you’ve earned this.”
She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
He tried to return the gesture, but his attempt at a grin felt like a grimace. “Listen, I get it.” He kissed her forehead. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” she whispered again.
But as they walked toward the lighthouse, he was certain he’d felt a crack start to fracture his heart.
The last thing he wanted to do was hold Kaiah back. No matter how much it hurt him to let her go.
That evening, Reid handed Kaiah the keys to the Suburban so she could drive them home.
“I had a blast working at arts and crafts today,” Kaiah said, making a turn toward Reid’s neighborhood. “Piper and Astrid were great helpers when your mom brought them by.” She peered in the back seat where Piper softly snored, and she smiled. “Piper is all tuckered out.”
When Reid didn’t answer, she studied him. He was staring straight out the windshield, seeming to be lost in thought.
“Reid?” She touched his arm, and his eyes snapped to hers. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
“Sorry.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She thought back to earlier in the day, how his demeanor changed when she told him about the job offer right on the heels of him asking her to say. Guilt burrowed deep in her gut. The job offer haunted her thoughts while she weighed whether to stay in Coral Cove or move to DC. The magazine would be a huge step forward in her career, but she was falling for Reid and loved his family. She felt stuck at a crossroads.
When she stopped at a red light, she spotted a cute pink bungalow with aFor Rentsign in the front yard. A sign readingFlamingo’s Nestgraced the front of the house, along with a pink flamingo, of course. She took in the little front yard, small porch, and one-car garage.
This is perfect for me.
The thought startled her. But she decided to play along for a moment. If she were to take up Reid on his offer, she could rent a little house like that one and make Coral Cove her home. She could continue the hustle of her freelance career and maybe have the loving family she’d always dreamed of. But if she took the job withUS Road Trip, she’d have the job she’d always longed for, with the resources and freedom to write about what she wanted. But she’d have to move to Washington, DC.
Was she ready to give up her career dreams and settle down? And what if it didn’t work out with Reid? Or what if her freelance jobs dried up? How would she support herself?
Was there a way that she could have both—the fulfilling life of a journalist along with a family that included Reid and Piper?
Reid continued to sit quietly in the passenger seat, and the chasm expanding between them was breaking her heart. When sheparked in the driveway, she took his hand in hers. He stared down at their entwined hands. His eyes finally met hers, and the pain she found there nearly sliced her in two.
“Reid, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you,” she said softy, careful not to wake Piper and worry her. She sniffed as her eyes stung. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet. But no matter what, I need you to know that I care about you and Piper.”
He gave her a melancholy smile. “I understand, Ky. It’s a big decision, and I support whatever you decide.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Do you?”
“Of course.” He cupped his hand to her cheek, and she sucked in a breath, waiting for him to kiss her. Instead, he dropped his hand and pushed open his door.
They climbed out of the SUV, and he picked up his sleeping daughter. Piper rested her head on his shoulder and continued to snore softly.
