Chapter 24
The sweet aroma of fresh funnel cakes mingled with popcorn and cotton candy as Kaiah walked past food vendors with Reid, Piper,
Becca, Cash, and Astrid on Thursday night. It was the last day of the festival, and a carnival was set up in the elementary
school’s parking lot. Happy music played from the carousel while bells and whistles rang out from nearby games and voices
of all ages shrieked as the roller coaster roared down the track.
The past few days had flown by while Kaiah had enjoyed the myriad activities she, Becca, and Reid had planned and the town had come together to create: a craft show, a town parade, a museum day filled with tours and historical booths, a fishing tournament, a talent show, and more live performances at the stage.
They’d also hosted the mini-marathon with more than a hundred participants.
Piper distributed the ribbons and trophies after the race, and Kaiah took photos of the winners.
Over the past few days, Kaiah had done her best to soak up every happy moment with Reid and Piper.
In between the flurry of activity, she’d also published another story about Coral Cove, though this one didn’t go quite as viral—not that she was complaining.
She still hadn’t responded to Anita Williams’s message, even though she’d spent each
night staring at the ceiling, making a mental pros and cons list for staying or for taking the job.
Reid had returned to being his warm self. Neither of them had mentioned their brief conversation when he’d asked her to stay.
But the last day of the festival had officially arrived, and a bubble of sadness had been expanding in her chest all day long.
How could it all be coming to an end?
Reid’s voice from Monday night echoed in her mind.
Stay, Kaiah. . . . 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.
“Can you keep a secret?” Becca asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Sure,” Kaiah said as Cash and Reid led the girls to a nearby vendor selling cotton candy.
“This hasn’t been made public yet, but we’ve already raised so much money that we can not only renovate the school—we can
upgrade the lighting in the lighthouse and refurbish the whole thing. Can you believe it, Ky? We’re going to make the lighthouse
beautiful again.” Becca’s dark eyes misted over. “The festival has been such a success, and it’s all because of your help.
If you hadn’t gotten the word out about our sleepy little town, we never could have done this. I can’t even begin to thank
you enough.”
Becca pulled her in for a hug, knocking Kaiah off-balance. She held on to her friend, and tears pressed against her eyes.
Keep it together, Ky! If you lose it now, you’re going to be a snotty waterfall for the next twelve hours.
“Everything okay?” Reid asked.
Kaiah wiped her eyes and smiled at Reid. His handsome face flashed with concern, and the warmth in his expression made her want to sob like an idiot. Why did this man have so much power over her emotions?
She laughed it off. “Just sharing a girl’s moment.”
He held out pink cotton candy to her. “Want some?”
“No, thanks.”
His eyebrows careened toward his hairline. “You don’t like cotton candy?”
“I’m more of a big pretzel fan.”
“Coming right up.” He sauntered toward a vendor selling pretzels and popcorn.
Kaiah started after him. “Wait, Reid. You don’t have to—” She stopped short when her phone rang in her pocket.
When she spotted Coral Cove Car Care on the screen, her hands trembled. She found a quieter corner near the far end of the parking lot. “Hello,” she answered.
“Ms. Ross, this is Bill at Coral Cove Car Care. I was just wrapping up for the day, but I wanted to tell you that your car
is ready.”
“Oh. Already?” she asked, and then she covered her face with her free hand. What a stupid thing to say when she was expecting
his call.
Bill chuckled. “I appreciate how patient you’ve been with us. We got the parts in yesterday, and we were able to fix it today.
The mechanic just got back from a test drive, and it’s running great.”
Her eyes pinged to Reid and Piper standing by a row of dunk tanks where teachers, Principal Roberts, and Superintendent Edwards
took turns sitting on the dunking platforms. The students were having a ball, literally—the line to dunk their superiors was
too much for dozens of them to resist.
Reid’s eyes met hers, and he waved.
Kaiah waved back, but her throat felt tight as the reality hit her: Her car was ready to drive, and the festival was coming to a close. She only had one last article to write about Coral Cove. Then it would be time for her to move on.
“Are you still there, Ms. Ross?” Bill asked over the line.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” she said as sadness rolled in like a heavy fog. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
“Perfect. We’ll see you then.”
Kaiah dropped her phone into the back pocket of her jean shorts and made her way over to Reid. Piper stood with Astrid, Becca,
and Cash while they watched a boy take a turn pitching a ball toward a dunk tank where Superintendent Edwards sat looking
nervous.
Reid handed Kaiah a large pretzel, and she thanked him. His dark eyes studied her. “Your phone call seemed kinda intense.
Everything all right?”
“Yeah.” She found her smile again and ate a piece of the pretzel before handing him one. “It was just my sister checking in.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” She pointed to the dunk tank. “Look! That kid actually dunked the superintendent.” She forced a laugh while
the boy traded high fives with a group of kids.
Reid’s warm hand was on her shoulder. “Kaiah. Do you want to talk?”
“I’m fine, Reid.” She craned her neck, and her eyes met his. “Why?”
“You seem . . . distracted.”
Her eyes slid across the parking lot. “Let’s ride the roller coaster.”
“What? Why?”
“Are you a chicken?” she asked, challenging him.
“Are you seriously calling a firefighter a chicken?” A captivating smile spread on his face.
She handed the remaining pieces of her pretzel to a befuddled-looking Becca before grinning at Reid. “Then prove you’re not a chicken, Lieutenant Turner,” she ordered before taking off.
“I’ll show you!” Reid called after her.
She dashed toward the ride, but just as she reached the line, strong arms grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up in
the air. She shrieked and giggled as Reid held her close.
“I’m not a chicken,” he whispered in her ear, and his deep voice sent a riot of shivers cascading over her skin. “I accept
your challenge.” He set her back on her feet, tilted her chin up toward his mouth, and then lowered his lips to hers.
She held on to his shoulders and lost herself in the moment, not caring there were crowds of people around them. When he released
her, she trailed her finger over his chiseled jaw and enjoyed the feel of his five o’clock shadow. She wanted to memorize
every detail of Reid’s handsome face, every muscle of his body, even the sound of his voice.
“There you go again,” he said with a chuckle. “You keep zoning out on me, Ky. What’s up?”
“Nothing.” She pulled him toward the ride. “Come on, Lieutenant Turner. I’m still not convinced you’re not a chicken.”
He laughed and shook his head while they took their place in line. Kaiah scanned the large crowd moving around the carnival.
When they reached the front of the line, Kaiah hopped into the seat and fastened her safety harness while Reid climbed in
beside her.
A teenage girl made her way down the line, checking all the harnesses and then giving a thumbs-up to a young man sitting in
a booth.
“All right,” the guy’s voice called over the intercom. “Who’s ready to scream?”
The roller coaster jerked to life and then started its journey forward, going up, up, up, up on the bright red track. Kaiah’s stomach dipped before tying itself into a knot. She grinned over at Reid.
“Hold my hand,” he said.
Gladly. Kaiah reached out and wove her fingers with his, imprinting the warmth of his skin and the feel of his calloused hand against
hers.
The roller coaster came to the top of the hill, hesitated for a second, and then started its plummet. Kaiah sucked in a breath,
opened her mouth, and screamed.
The roller coaster kept going down, down, down, twisting and turning and zooming away. She screamed again as the roller coaster
took them upside down—still twisting and turning as it accelerated through more turns.
The roller coaster made another dip, and Kaiah gripped Reid’s hand as she screamed with delight. After a few more dips, twists,
and turns, the roller coaster slowed down and came back to the station. When the train came to stop, Kaiah released his hand.
“What’d you think?” she asked as they climbed down the stairs toward the souvenir stand.
Reid grinned. “Now that was fun.”
“Should we go again?” she asked. “Or are you afraid?”
“I suppose I can do it once more.”
“Yay!” She dragged him back to the line. “I guess you’re not a chicken after all.”
Piper sang softly to herself in the back seat of the Suburban, her hands moving the teddy bear Reid had won for her up and down to the beat of the song. Kaiah smiled at the little girl, and her heart felt heavy at the thought of saying goodbye.
The line of homes that had become familiar to her whizzed past the window. After riding the roller coaster two more times,
she and Reid had met up with Becca, Cash, and the girls, and they rode the carousel, bumper cars, Tilt-A-Whirl, and other
rides before playing games until the carnival finally closed.
Kaiah had enjoyed each moment with Reid and his family, but as the evening wore on, guilt nagged the edges of her conscience.
She’d lied to him about the phone call. Reid had been nothing but kind, supportive, and generous ever since he’d picked her
up at the mechanic’s shop the day her car broke down, and he deserved better.
When he stopped the SUV at a red light, Kaiah took a quivering breath and then faced him. “Reid, I have to tell you something.”
“Okay . . .” He rested his arm on the steering wheel.
“I lied to you.”
His face pinched with confusion.
“My sister didn’t call earlier,” she said. “It was Bill at Coral Cove Car Care. He said my car is fixed.”
“Oh.”
Whatever the picture was in the dictionary for the word crestfallen, that’s what Reid’s face looked like.
“I’m sorry, Reid.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I-I didn’t know how to tell you.”
He nodded slowly while something unreadable slid over his face.
A horn beeped behind them, and Reid’s eyes flicked to the green traffic light. As he motored through the intersection, his
posture became rigid, and the muscles in his shoulders tightened.
“That’s—that’s great,” he said, but his words were barely audible, and his eyes were laser focused on the traffic ahead.
A tense silence filled the vehicle, and Kaiah kept her gaze trained on the passenger window. When they moved past the little
pink house, the Flamingo’s Nest, she studied the For Rent sign and wondered if she should sublet her apartment.
Kaiah glanced over at Reid as he steered the SUV onto the street leading to his house. His jaw was set, and his brow was rumpled.
She searched for something to say to break the painful silence between them.
“Daddy, whose car is that?”
“I don’t know, pumpkin,” Reid responded to his daughter.
A silver Porsche Cayenne sat in front of the detached garage.
“Is that a friend of yours?” Kaiah asked Reid.
Reid shook his head. “I don’t recognize that car.”
Reid parked next to the Porsche, and Kaiah climbed out of the Suburban. When she found Hayes sitting on the top step while
holding George’s leash, her insides turned and dropped.
“What—how?” she began, confusion stifling her words.
Hayes’s curly, light brown hair needed a trim, and his blue eyes sparkled in the evening light. Without a word, he released
the leash, and her sweet golden retriever bounded toward her with his tongue lolling from his mouth.
George.
George is here.
Kaiah fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her best buddy, holding him close while he licked her face. Tears overtook
her eyes as she kissed the top of her sweet puppy’s head over and over again.
“A doggie!” Piper appeared behind her. “Is this George? Can I pet him?”
Kaiah smiled through tears at the little girl. “Yes,” she croaked.
“Hi, George. I’m Piper.” She rubbed his ear, and when George began licking her, she squealed and giggled. “You’re a nice doggie.”
As she absentmindedly stroked George’s soft fur, Kaiah shifted her focus to her ex-boyfriend, who had descended the steps
and watched them all with curiosity. With the two men in close proximity, Kaiah couldn’t help but compare Hayes with Reid.
Hayes stood a few inches shorter than Reid. And Reid had definitely spent more time in the gym than Hayes. His bulging biceps
and legs roped with muscle could attest to that.
When George returned to licking Kaiah, Piper eyed the strange man. “I’m Piper. You must be the friend who stole Miss Kaiah’s
dog.” She glared at him. “Why did you take her dog and make her cry? That was soooo mean.”
You go, girl! Kaiah bit back a snort.
Hayes seemed . . . embarrassed. Interesting. He hadn’t seemed to care when he’d taken her dog and broken up with her via text. He hadn’t even had the guts to tell her to her face.
Hayes touched his chest. “I’m Hayes, and you’re right. I was mean when I took Kaiah’s dog. I’m here to apologize.”
Anger boiled in Kaiah’s chest. “How dare you,” she said, seething through gritted teeth.
Reid stood beside her, stone-faced, while he stared at her ex.
Hayes closed the distance between her and Reid, then sized up his competition. “Hayes Walker.” He held out his hand to Reid,
but Reid only scrutinized it with his stony eyes.
“Reid Turner,” he grumbled before addressing his daughter. “Piper, we need to go inside.”
Kaiah could feel tension coming off him in waves.
Piper giggled while George showered her with more affection. “But Daddy, he’s so sweet.” She managed to move away from the kisses. “Come meet him.”
“Now, Piper.” Reid’s voice held an edge of warning, but it seemed to be aimed at Hayes, which was where he kept his eyes focused.
“You need to get your bath.”
“Oooookay.” Piper’s grim expression was dramatic as she patted the dog’s head. “I’ll see you later, George.”
Kaiah’s heart began to break while Reid took Piper’s hand and steered her toward the front door.
Once they were gone, Kaiah fixed Hayes with a look. “Care to tell me why on earth you’re here?”