Chapter 9
Becca steered her SUV into Reid’s driveway, and Kaiah unbuckled her seat belt. “Thanks for your help with the article and
for supper.”
“You’re welcome,” Becca said. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
Kaiah whipped around to see Piper and Astrid in the back seat. “Good night, guys.”
The two little girls waved and yawned in unison.
Kaiah gathered her backpack and purse before exiting the SUV and then jogging up the steps to the apartment. After setting
her bags on the sofa, she flopped down and examined the photos she’d taken since her arrival in Coral Cove. She smiled as
she scrolled past photos of colorful shops and the gorgeous beachfront.
When she came to the picture she’d taken of Reid at the lighthouse, her heart thumped hard in her chest. She sent it to Kam,
along with a message: Here’s Mr. TDH. Cute, right?
Then she hopped in the shower, tilting her face toward the warm water, letting it wash over her in waves.
She thought about the first draft of the article she’d write, what angle she’d take.
Maybe a description of the town, then featuring some of the store owners, a history of the lighthouse.
But something was missing. She just wasn’t sure what it was yet.
After her shower, Kaiah pulled on yoga pants and a loose-fitting pink T-shirt before styling her hair in a messy bun and moving
to the kitchen, where she brewed a cup of decaf lemon tea. Mug in hand, she made her way back to the living room and picked
up her phone, finding two unread texts. One was from Kam, a reply to her photo of Reid that simply said: Uh, YUM! Next time get him in his uniform.
Kaiah laughed and typed: I’ll try to get that for you—and for me too!
When she found that the second message was from Reid, her breath caught.
He’d been thinking of her too.
That thought sent a delicious tingle gliding down her spine as she opened his message and replied.
Reid: How did it go with Becks today?
Kaiah: Great! We visited lots of businesses, and I interviewed the owners. We also took a walk on the beach, and we brainstormed
my first article.
Reid: Any chance I can get the insider’s scoop?
Kaiah hesitated. She never shared an article before it was complete. Although she trusted Reid, she didn’t want him to comment
on her work when it was only half-baked.
Kaiah: Honestly, I don’t quite have the framing yet. Something’s missing, but I don’t know what it is. I’m going to sleep on it first. Hopefully the answer will hit me in the middle of the night.
She groaned after she sent the message. Now he knew for sure she was crazy. She needed to sleep on the framing of an article? Lame. Before she could berate herself too much, her phone buzzed again.
Reid: How about I take you out tomorrow? Maybe explore the town a bit more? You might uncover some inspiration.
Kaiah smiled as her heart rate spiked. I’d love that.
Reid: Great. I’ll be home around 7:30. What time do you want to go?
Kaiah: Don’t you need to sleep?
Reid: Hopefully I’ll get some here tonight.
Kaiah: But if you don’t?
Reid: I’ll be fine. What time would you like to go?
Kaiah: How about you come and get me when you’re ready?
Reid: What time is too early?
Kaiah: Honestly, as long as it’s not before 8:30, I’ll be ready to go. But you need to get some rest.
Reid: I promise I won’t knock on your door before 8:30.
Chuckling to herself, Kaiah replied: Good. I’ll hold you to that.
Reid: See you tomorrow, Ky. Good night.
A shot of adrenaline sped through Kaiah’s veins.
He called her by her nickname.
A goofy grin spread across her face as she texted: Good night, Reid.
A yawn overtook her, and she put down her phone. She couldn’t wait to spend more time with Reid. Surely the trip would inspire
her, and then she’d be ready to type up her article and send it to Libby.
Reid jogged up the stairs toward the apartment the following morning. He pushed his hands through his wet hair and then rubbed
them down his athletic shorts before checking his phone. It was eight twenty. He promised he wouldn’t knock before eight thirty,
but he was only ten minutes early. Ten minutes wasn’t so bad, right?
Truth was, he’d been looking for any excuse to hang out with Kaiah. That’s why he’d reached out to her last night. He would’ve read the dictionary to her if she’d
have asked him.
He hadn’t felt this way about anybody, especially since Brynn.
The past couple of years, his sister and mother had tried to set him up with women.
They’d invite him over for supper, only for Reid to discover a blind date sitting by his side.
Not surprisingly, nothing had come of the awkward meetings.
The women they’d chosen for him were nice, even pretty sometimes.
But he’d never felt a spark with any of them.
But Kaiah was different. He couldn’t wait to spend time with her, to ask her questions, to get to know her better. Even though
their friendship—relationship?—was destined to be short-lived, he planned to cherish every moment with her.
After raking his hands through his hair one more time, he knocked on the door and then rocked back on his heels.
“Coming!” she called from inside the apartment.
After a few moments, the door opened with a whoosh. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee washed over him, along with something flowery—perfume, perhaps?
“You’re early.” Kaiah touched her hair, which was pulled back in a thick braid. She was effortlessly beautiful, clad in a
pair of jeans and a light blue top that complemented her eyes. “I need a few minutes.”
“No rush,” he said.
She pointed to the kitchen. “There’s some coffee in the pot. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
He pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured a cup before leaning against the counter. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he
scrolled through social media while he waited. He heard a ding and spotted a phone sitting on the end of the counter. He considered picking it up, but he didn’t want to snoop.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Kaiah called from the bedroom.
He grinned. “No worries.”
Footsteps sounded before the door opened and closed.
“Ugh!” she exclaimed. “I can’t find my phone. I’m positive I left it in here, but I can’t see it.”
The phone dinged again.
“It’s out here,” he called.
“Oh!”
He picked up the phone so he could hand it to her as the screen lit with a text.
Kam: How’s Mr. TDH today?
Reid lifted an eyebrow, wondering what the message meant. Who was Mr. TDH? Surely it was some sister code. Curious, but definitely
none of his business.
Kaiah appeared in front of him and reached for the phone. “Thanks. I thought I’d brought it with me to the bathroom, but when
I couldn’t find it, I was sure I was losing my mind.” She looked down at the screen, and her eyes widened for a fraction of
a second before she quickly locked the phone. A flush tinged her cheeks, and his heartbeat thumped as she shouldered her backpack
and shoved her phone into her back pocket. “Um, I’m ready.”
He grinned and rubbed his hands together. “All right then. Let’s go.”
“How was work yesterday?” she asked while they drove out of the neighborhood.
“Not too busy,” he said. “We had a couple of medical calls and one minor car accident.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad. What kind of calls do you see most often?”
“Medical. We get calls for people having chest pains or things like that. We help stabilize them, and then they’re transported to the hospital. I’d guess the second most common is car accidents.”
She nodded and studied his profile as she remembered recalling the text Kam had sent earlier. She hoped Reid hadn’t seen it,
but she was pretty sure he had. Embarrassment swamped her once again. She’d had to tell Kam to cool it with those messages
including “Mr. TDH.”
Reid lifted a dark eyebrow. “Something on your mind?”
Oh no!
He’d caught her staring. She was certain her face was as red as a ripe tomato. She sat up straight. “Uh, I was just thinking
about the festival. I have an idea for an event.”
“Great,” he said. “What is it?”
“Well, you already know I love photography, and I’m obsessed with the lighthouse. It hit me that we need to have a photo contest.
We could charge an entry fee, and folks can submit their best photos of the lighthouse in different seasons or times of day.
Then we’ll use the winning photo in promotional materials for the festival. We can call it ‘the Shining Light Photo Contest.’
What do you think?”
His expression warmed her from the inside out. “I think you’re brilliant.”
She beamed at him. “Thank you.”
“I talked to Becks, and she’s going to arrange for a town meeting tonight to talk about the festival. She said she was going
to call the mayor’s office first thing. That’s when we can talk about your idea for the photo contest and how people can submit
photos for judging.”
“Right. We’ll have to set up a website for the event and take submissions. And maybe we can have people vote on the best photo online and then use it for the promotional materials. I should probably talk to the managing editor of the local paper too.”
“How about we get some breakfast at Pancake Palace and make a list of everything we need to do and then go to the newspaper?
Sound like a good plan?”
She grinned at him. “I can’t wait to get started.”
“Those were some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had,” Kaiah said as she and Reid stepped out onto the sidewalk. Then her eyes
widened, and she held up her hand. “But not as good as the ones you and Piper made for me.”
Reid chuckled at her adorable expression. “This restaurant is known for its fabulous breakfast, so you can be honest.”
“That reminds me.” Kaiah snapped her fingers. “Those lighthouse-shaped calzones were so fun and delicious. I was thinking:
We should have a themed food event where vendors sell lighthouse-themed décor and food. We can call it a Light Snack. We’ll
sell tickets, and the proceeds can go to the fundraising goal. What do you think?” She clasped her hands together, and her