Chapter 1 #3
mixed with coconut sunblock, and for a moment she considered wandering out to the boardwalk, if there was one.
She turned just as Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome exited the coffee shop. He held the door open for two young women who both
eyed him appreciatively. A phone started to ring, and he yanked his cell from the pocket of his shorts before holding it to
his ear and grinning. He sauntered over to a black SUV and opened the door. And when his dark eyes met Kaiah’s, he grinned
and nodded before climbing in.
A smile tugged the corners of her mouth as she let out a sigh. Goodbye, Mr. TDH. It’s a shame I never learned your name.
She shook off the thought and turned her attention to the stores lining the street.
She wandered over to a gift shop, and in the window she spied a suncatcher featuring a black-and-white lighthouse, similar to the one she’d seen as she rolled into town.
Instantly she found herself gripped by a memory of her mother.
Mom had purchased a similar suncatcher during their last visit to Maine, the summer before she died.
Back in New York, Mom had hung the suncatcher in the dining room window.
It had remained there, sparkling in the sunlight, until Dad sold the house and moved to Arizona with his new wife.
Kaiah tilted her head and wondered what could have happened to the trinket. Had one of her sisters snagged it when they were
packing up the house? She rested her hand on the window as more memories of her mother flowed through her mind—her mother’s
bright smile, quirky sense of humor, contagious laugh, warm hugs.
I miss you, Mom.
She hugged her arms to her middle and turned toward the majestic lighthouse standing against the bright blue sky. As if it
were a beacon drawing her in, Kaiah started to walk toward it, thankful she’d worn her comfortable sandals.
She traveled three blocks and finally arrived at the lighthouse. Disappointment swirled in her chest when she found a chain-link
fence surrounding the structure, the ancient-looking lightkeeper’s quarters off to the right. Standing there took her back
a couple of decades, when she was surrounded by her family and gazing up at a similar lighthouse in Maine. That, too, was
a beautiful old structure that filled her with awe. And it was the moment she’d realized she wanted to tell other people about
amazing things she’d seen on her travels. She wanted to journey to all the corners of the world, sharing stories about people
and their lives in exotic places. Kaiah was still sure this was what she’d been born to do.
She fished her camera from her backpack and began shooting photos of the lighthouse through the fence.
The wind blew strands of blonde hair away from her face while she captured photos of the coastal blue water sparkling in the sunlight.
Boats with colorful sails moved out in the cove while seagulls sang in the cool April air.
Glancing around, Kaiah searched for a plaque detailing the history of the structure but couldn’t find one. She yearned to
know the gorgeous lighthouse’s history. Why was it locked behind a fence instead of open for locals and visitors to enjoy?
Her phone dinged with a text message from an unknown number, and she opened it and read the message:
Ms. Ross, This is Bill at Coral Cove Car Care. Please come by the shop. We have an estimate for you.
Finally! Maybe she’d be out of this place soon.
She responded with: On my way.
Kaiah hurried up the four blocks to the shop, pushed open the door, and approached the counter, where Bill set a computer
printout in front of her.
“My mechanic took a look at your SUV,” Bill began, “and a few pieces in your coolant system cracked and need to be replaced.”
“Okay,” she said. Sounded simple enough.
“I’ve checked around, but I haven’t found the parts to fix it.”
She swallowed. “What does that mean?”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday, and nothing is open, including our shop,” he said. “My suggestion is to leave the car here, and I’ll let
you know how fast I can get the parts to fix it.”
“Do you think you can get them by Monday?” she asked.
He shook his head.
So much for not rearranging her plans. “When do you think you can get them?”
“I’ll make some calls and then give you an update sometime on Monday.”
Her hope deflated like a balloon. She was stuck in Nowheresville until at least Tuesday. She gazed down at the estimate and her stomach bottomed out. It would cost thousands—thousands!—to fix her precious Daisy.
This day had quickly gone from bad to worse.
Now she had to find a place to stay—which meant a hotel bill, since the magazine didn’t cover travel expenses anymore—as well
as figure out how to pay this repair bill. Her head started to throb. Her entire travel piece, which she had pitched to her
editor, was now in the toilet. And instead of making money, she was losing it, hand over fist!
Her sister’s offer of money echoed in her mind, but she didn’t want to have to lean on Kam. Kaiah would find a way out of
this debacle herself.
She pulled in a deep breath through her nose. Kam would tell her to calm down and think this through, and that was exactly
what she was going to do.
“Do you want to fix the car?” Bill’s question pulled her from her worry.
“Yes,” she said, meeting his curious gaze. “I don’t have a choice.”
He nodded. “I’ll do my best to get the parts as quickly as possible.”
“Could you recommend a place to stay?”
He rubbed his chin. “There’s the Sunshine Inn and the Rosewood Inn. Would you like their numbers?”
“Yes, please.”
He typed on his computer and wrote on a notepad, then handed her the piece of paper. “These places are a bit far to walk.
Can I get you an Uber?” he asked.
“That’s more than generous,” she said.
“It’s the least I could do for an out-of-towner.” He typed on his phone. “A ride is on the way.”
“Thank you so much.” She spotted a sign for the restrooms beyond the counter and hurried toward it. She needed a moment alone to gather herself.
After using the facilities and washing her hands, she rested her hands on the sink and studied her reflection. She looked
as messy as her life felt. She pushed her long, wavy blonde hair behind her ears, stood up straight, and lifted her chin.
She was going to get through this, no matter what.
When she reentered the shop, she spotted Bill leaning on the counter talking to someone. She couldn’t see the man, but his
deep, smooth voice seemed so familiar. If only she could place it.
“I bet Piper’s getting big, huh?” Bill asked.
“Yup. Growing like a weed.” The man chuckled, and what a great laugh it was. “She’s six going on eighteen.”
Bill turned around and smiled at her. “Ms. Ross, your ride is here.” He made a sweeping gesture toward the man. “Kaiah Ross,
meet Reid Turner.”
Kaiah crossed to the counter and found herself face-to-face with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome once again.
Maybe this day wasn’t so bad after all.