Chapter 27
Nearly thirty minutes later, Kaiah parked in Reid’s driveway next to his Suburban. She picked at her fingernail while she
mulled over what to say. Then she pushed open her door, slipped the package she’d purchased into her backpack purse, and hurried
up to the apartment to retrieve her dog.
“Hey, sweetie.” She hugged George and then led him down the stairs. “Let’s do this.”
George gave her a happy bark and wagged his tail before following her to the front porch.
Her pulse skittered as she knocked on the door. Then she jammed her hands into her pockets.
The door swung open, and Piper threw her arms around Kaiah.
“Miss Kaiah!” Then she dropped to her knees and hugged George. “Daddy! Miss Kaiah and George are here,” she called over her
shoulder before returning her attention to Kaiah and petting George. “I missed you. I was sad when I got home from school
and you weren’t here.”
“I missed you too,” Kaiah admitted.
Reid walked slowly to the doorway and leaned against it, and when his bottomless brown eyes met hers, her stomach dipped.
They stared at each other for a moment, and the speech she’d mentally prepared dissolved in her mind.
“Can we talk?” she finally asked.
Reid touched Piper’s head. “How about you take George out to the backyard to play so I can talk to Miss Kaiah alone?”
“Okay!” She took George’s leash. “Come on. Want to meet my cat?”
“No, no, no,” Reid said. “Take him outside. Don’t introduce him to the cat.”
Piper did as she was told and led George toward the back door.
Reid opened the door wide. “Come on in.”
She followed him into the den.
He scrubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin and sat on the arm of the sofa. “I didn’t expect to see you again. I thought
you left with Hayes.” His expression looked as if he’d eaten something sour.
“I have something for you.” She pulled the package out of her purse and handed it to him.
He studied the bag and then looked up at her. “What’s this?”
“Open it, Reid. Please.”
He pulled out the lighthouse suncatcher Kaiah had seen when she first came into town, and confusion clouded his features.
“Why are you giving me this?”
She stood across from him. “When I drove into Coral Cove, the first thing I noticed was the lighthouse. And when I walked into town, I saw this hanging in the window at a gift shop, and it reminded me of my mother.” She paused and pulled in a deep, trembling breath.
“She loved lighthouses. And the summer before she died, she bought a suncatcher in New England that looked just like this one.”
He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “You told me that.” He moved his fingers over the suncatcher and then held it out
to her. “You should keep this as a memento from your time here.”
“I don’t need a memento, because I don’t want to leave.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean?”
“I came here to tell you that I don’t want to go.”
“But you got that job offer in DC. Your dream job.”
She shook her head. “That’s not my dream anymore.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it. The only sound they could hear were Piper’s giggles and George’s happy barks from
beyond the sliding glass door.
His expression clouded with a frown. “What happened when you had breakfast with Hayes?” His question held a thread of caution.
She sighed. “He tried sweet-talking me, and I told him to cut it out. Then he offered me a job.” She explained how he had
been promoted to managing editor, and he offered her a high-paying job that would allow her to travel and write. “I asked
him to give me time to think about it. When I left there, I drove around, and I wound up at the lighthouse. That was when
I figured it all out.”
He leaned toward her. “Figured out what, Ky?”
“That I don’t need some fancy job or to travel the world to be happy.” Her hands trembled. “What I need is right here”—she
pointed to the floor—“in Coral Cove.”
“What are you saying?” His words were measured.
“What I’m saying is that I believe that the lighthouse was calling me home.
” Tears pooled in her eyes. “My mom passed away when I was eleven. Ever since then, I’ve been searching for a place where I felt like I belonged and also for a family of my own.
I think I finally found it here, Reid. This is my home. ” Her voice broke, and she sniffed.
Reid set the suncatcher on the sofa and stood, his eyes softening. “Ky . . .”
She held up her hands. “Wait. Please let me finish.” She pulled in a shuddering breath and then pointed to the suncatcher
on the sofa. “I gave you that suncatcher because it reminds me of my mom and my dream of having a family.”
Kaiah watched his mouth form a small round O as his deep chocolate eyes misted over.
She pulled in a deep breath through her nose. “I felt a connection with you the first time I met you. And the more I got to
know you, the more you and Piper and Coral Cove felt like home.” Her words shook, and she pointed toward his deck. “The night
we sat on your deck under the lights, you told me that I needed to figure out where my heart is.” She paused again and cleared
her throat. “Well, my heart is right here, Reid, because I fell in love with this place.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “And
I fell in love with you and Piper.”
He closed the distance between them and wiped away her tears with the tips of his fingers. “And we fell in love with you too.”
His voice was husky.
“Then why did you tell me to leave?”
He cupped his hand to her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. “I thought you deserved better than me. I thought you needed
a guy like Hayes, a guy who could give you adventure and a future.”
“I don’t want him, Reid. I want you.”
He gave her a weak smile. “I’m relieved to hear that. But I can’t offer you much.”
“All I want is your heart.”
“You’ve had that ever since you stole my coffee cup, Cayenne.”
She laughed, and he dipped his chin and brushed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and let all of her worries dissolve. All that existed was her and Reid, along with this perfect moment.
When he released her, she held on to him for balance. “I love you, Reid,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he said. “I didn’t think I could love again, but you’ve shown me how.” His fingers traced her lips and her
chin, making every cell in her body leap to life. His lips met hers again, and she tunneled her hands through his hair. When
he pulled away, they both worked to catch their breath.
He grinned at her. “I’m so relieved you’re staying. I guess that means we’re officially dating.”
“I thought you were already my boyfriend. I told the doctor you were.”
He threw back his head and laughed.
“I’ve already found a house I want to rent,” she said. “I can still freelance and maybe even get a job at the newspaper.”
“And we’ll be a family.” He took her hands in his. “Thank you for bringing me out of the dark and into the light again.”
“Thank you for doing the same. Now kiss me again, Mr. TDH.”
His grin was wolfish, sending a sizzle of electricity through her veins. “Gladly.”
Then he lowered his lips to hers.