Love at the Lighthouse Read online

  Love at the Lighthouse

  Kay Correll

  Rose Quartz Press

  Copyright © 2017 Kay Correll

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any matter without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental

  * * *

  Published by Rose Quartz Press

  061917

  This book is dedicated to my father, a man lost and locked in the frightening world of Alzheimer’s. If I could make a wish on Lighthouse Point, my fervent wish would be that they find the cure for this horrible disease.

  Contents

  Kay’s Books

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Also by Kay Correll

  About the Author

  Kay’s Books

  Find more information on all my books at my website.

  * * *

  COMFORT CROSSING ~ THE SERIES

  The Shop on Main - Book One

  The Memory Box - Book Two

  The Christmas Cottage - A Holiday Novella (Book 2.5)

  The Letter - Book Three

  The Christmas Scarf - A Holiday Novella (Book 3.5)

  The Magnolia Cafe - Book Four

  The Unexpected Wedding - Book Five

  * * *

  The Wedding in the Grove - (a crossover short story between series - with Josephine and Paul from The Letter.)

  * * *

  LIGHTHOUSE POINT ~ THE SERIES

  Wish Upon a Shell - Book One

  Wedding on the Beach - Book Two

  Love at the Lighthouse - Book Three

  Click here to learn more about the series.

  * * *

  INDIGO BAY ~ A multi-author sweet romance series

  Sweet Sunrise - Book Three

  * * *

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  Chapter 1

  Susan Hall sat at the desk in the office of Belle Island Inn. She stared at the screen, wanting to swat the computer monitor, as if that would help anything. Why did this software program insist on always having to prove its superiority over her?

  She rolled her shoulders forwards and back, trying to release the tension. It’s not like she was going to be able to make the program say they had more money than they really did. The negative number blinked wickedly at her from the screen, then as if to mock her, the computer shut down without so much as a goodbye.

  “Seriously?” Susan smacked her hands on the desk in exasperation, jumped up from the desk, and stalked over to the window. She tugged the window open and let a fresh ocean breeze cool the room and toss her short curls around her face, which just reminded her she needed to get a haircut soon. Great, she’d put it on the ever-growing to-do list.

  She was not going to bother her son, Jamie. He and Cindy had just gotten back from their honeymoon, and he didn’t need any extra responsibility right now. He should be basking in his newly-wedded bliss.

  She sighed a long whoosh of breath that carried her frustration and defeat across the room. Maybe she’d go take a long beach walk and see if the computer would cooperate when she returned. Or maybe she’d just chuck the thing in the trash.

  You know, if they could afford to throw the outdated machine away.

  She spun around and strode out into the lobby. Dorothy looked up from where she was working the reception desk. “You okay?”

  Susan grimaced. “Let’s just say the computer won this round.”

  “Want me to see if I can find Jamie? He can charm any computer into submission.”

  “Find me for what?” Her son came walking into the lobby. His eyes sparkled with happiness. Susan loved to see him in such good spirits these days. Cindy had been the best thing to happen to this family in a long time.

  She wouldn’t be the one to bring down his mood. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s something, I can tell from looking at you.”

  “I don’t want to bother you. Just computer problems. I’ll work on it some more this afternoon.”

  “I’ll take a look at it. That computer seems to shut down more than stay on. We really need to replace it.”

  “Put it on the list.” Susan bit her lip, unwilling to go down the pity-party path again.

  “I’ll go coax it back to life.” Jamie winked.

  “Thanks, you do seem to have the special touch when it comes to that cranky machine.” So much for a walk. She wasn’t going to send him in there to fight the good fight while she strolled along the beach. Though even if he got it working again, she was pretty certain it wasn’t going to give her the answer she wanted. The answer that said they had money in the bank and everything was going to be all right.

  * * *

  Adam Lyons sat at his modern, polished, mahogany desk in the high-rise office in downtown Atlanta. He flipped open his laptop and quickly logged in. His laptop was the newest, top-of-the-line machine. His boss spared no expense with his company. Adam knew he’d been lucky to land this job.

  Now he just needed to prove himself.

  He wanted to review the files and all the information he had before he left on his business trip. He was determined to make this deal go through—a hefty bonus was riding on the outcome. Heck, maybe even his job was riding on it. He wasn’t going to let his boss down. Or himself, or anyone. He was done with that. His boss was absolutely driven about acquiring this property, and Adam was just the man to close the deal.

  He glanced at his watch, then back to the screen. He looked up the history of the property and owners. He poured over what public records he could find, then did a quick search on the internet.

  From what he could tell, this should be a no-brainer deal. Get in, make an offer—as low as possible—and get out. Hopefully, it would all go just that quickly so he could get right back home. He didn’t want to be away for long. He’d already seen what happened when he left for any length of time and it wasn’t going to happen again.

  * * *

  Adam crossed the wooden floor of the lobby of Belle Island Inn. He could see signs of wear, both inside and out. But the place looked clean, and the parking lot was partially filled, even during this off-season. As he’d walked inside, he’d noted the front porch could use a fresh coat of paint, even if the windows were sparkly clean.

  A young man looked up from the desk and smiled. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m checking in. Adam Lyons.”

  “Welcome, Mr. Lyons. Glad to have you.”

  The young man punched the keys on the keyboard. Adam noted it was an old, thicker monitor, and the man seemed to be clicking around a lot to get the computer to give him what he wanted.

  “Ah, there you are. It doesn’t say how long
you’re staying?”

  “About three days if all goes well.”

  “Business or pleasure?”

  “Ah, pleasure.” Adam had a momentary twinge of remorse for the lie, but didn’t want to tip anyone off about why he was here. He couldn’t imagine a lot of people came to the island on business.

  “Okay.” The man punched in some more information, frowned, and clicked more keys. He looked up and smiled. “Having a bit of a problem with the computer today. No worries. I’ve got it now.”

  Adam took in the ancient printer sitting on a ledge behind the man. It looked like they weren’t investing much in technology here.

  “Okay, here’s your key.” The man handed him a regular key with a plastic diamond-shaped key fob. “I’m Jamie, by the way. Let me know if I can do anything for you. Oh, and sorry, but the elevator isn’t working today. You’ll need to take the stairs to the third floor. Or, if that’s a problem I could move you to the first floor.”

  “No, the third floor is fine.”

  Adam took the key and turned from the desk. Jamie. That was one of the owners of the inn. Seemed pretty young to be running it. Maybe that was part of the reason the inn was failing, but that was fine as far as Adam was concerned. A young owner might be more willing to take the money offered and run with it.

  Things were looking good so far.

  Adam smiled as he climbed the three flights of stairs up to his room. He unlocked the door and pushed inside. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but the room was large, meticulously appointed, clean, and comfortable looking. It was exactly the type of place he’d like to stay if he were actually vacationing. As if he ever vacationed. He couldn’t imagine how he’d ever pull off one again. There were just too many responsibilities.

  He crossed over and opened the French doors to the balcony. A wide expanse of white sand and turquoise water stretched before him. It was a fabulous view. No wonder his boss was so interested in the property. There were no luxury resorts on the island, and with this purchase and the other properties they’d already acquired next door and across the street, they’d have something that could really work.

  He just needed to close the deal on purchasing the inn.

  Chapter 2

  The next morning Adam walked out the front door of the inn and headed in the direction the woman at the reception desk had pointed him. He wanted to see the town, and the friendly lady at the desk had suggested he try a place called The Sweet Shoppe for his breakfast.

  The warm morning weather was a perfect companion for his mood, hopeful, determined, and pretty sure of himself, if he did say so himself.

  He stopped at the end of the road and looked both ways, trying to remember which way he was supposed to go.

  “Are you lost?” A woman with a quick smile and golden red curls walked up to him.

  He smiled back at her. “I am. Just a bit. I’m trying to find The Sweet Shoppe.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. I’m headed there now. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

  “That would be great, thanks.” He fell into step with the woman.

  “Julie, the owner of the shop, is the best baker on the island. She always has something scrumptious for breakfast. I’m hoping for peach muffins today. I highly recommend them.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “She’s a friend of mine. I’m meeting her and another friend for coffee.”

  “So you live here?”

  “Moved here a few years back. I’ve visited for years though. My brother used to live here.”

  Before he had a chance to ask about her brother, the woman moved on to another question. “So are you vacationing here?”

  Once again he felt a twinge for his white lie. Well, outright lie, but it’s not like he could say he was here for business, because what if someone asked what business? “Ah, yes. A brief break for a bit.” He changed the subject to avoid his guilty conscience. “It’s a nice island. I didn’t know the ocean was such a deep shade of turquoise here, different shades of it as the sun bounces across it.” The last time he’d been to the ocean—and it had been years ago—he’d gone to the Outer Banks. The waves had been wild, and the sea and sand a darker color than here.

  “It is a pretty island. I admit, I love living here.” Her eyes lit up when she said it.

  It was obvious she meant every word. Her smile spread across her entire face and her sky-blue eyes charmed him. It had been a while since he’d really even noticed a woman. Maybe this island was his lucky charm. Maybe his life would turn around. If he got the bonus and could get things settled in Atlanta, maybe he’d even start dating when he returned to Georgia. Maybe.

  “I can see why you like living here.” He could see why someone would enjoy it. The town had a picturesque quality to it, one his boss surely would use to his advantage. He’d have to take some more photos of the town and the island to include with his report. It would be a good idea to get a head start on marketing ideas, too.

  “Where are you from?” The woman interrupted his thoughts.

  Good, he could answer that truthfully. “I’m from Atlanta.”

  “Ah, I lived there for a while. It’s a nice city. Big, though. Do you like living there?”

  “I guess so.” He hadn’t really thought about it. It was just where he had ended up. And now he stayed there because… well, because he had to. He held back a sigh and put all the complications of his life out of his mind. Or tried to.

  “Here we are.” The woman stopped at the door of the bakery.

  He opened the door for her, and his senses were immediately assaulted with the delicious aroma of cinnamon and all sorts of delectable scents.

  “Thanks for the guided tour.” He smiled at her.

  “You’re more than welcome. Enjoy your stay.”

  She went over to join two women at a table by the window, and he took a table in the corner, pulling out a notebook and jotting down some quick thoughts while he waited for his peach muffin.

  * * *

  “So, who was that?” Tally asked as Susan slipped into the chair beside her.

  “I don’t know. A lost visitor looking for The Sweet Shoppe, so I walked with him here.”

  “He’s good looking.” Her friend Julie eyed the man.

  “Aren’t you engaged?” Susan poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot on the table.

  “I am. But… I meant for you.” Julie grinned.

  “Not much reason to fall for someone here for a quick visit.”

  “You mean like I did for Reed?” Julie laughed. “And here he is staying on the island with me.”

  “That worked out well, now didn’t?” Tally asked. “Did you set a wedding date yet?”

  “No, not yet. But I’m about ready. I think.”

  “You’re just letting that poor man sit and wait and wait.” Tally shook her head. “You love him. He loves you. He’s proven that by moving here instead of heading back to Seattle.”

  “I know… I just… I don’t know why I haven’t set a date.” Julie shrugged.

  “Look at Jamie and Cindy. They got engaged, planned a wedding, and were married within a month.” Susan cocked an eyebrow.

  “How are they doing?” Tally took a quick bite of the almond danish on her plate.

  “They’re doing great. I’ve never seen Jamie this happy. Cindy is all smiles these days, too. I do feel badly that we’re all crowded into the cottage though. But we don’t really have the funds now to get another place. Cindy and Jamie want to make it on their own without accepting any help from her father, so our income is just from the inn and Cindy’s job.” Susan sipped her coffee. “I offered to move into a room of the inn for a while—especially since it’s off season—to give them some space, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Maybe I should offer again. We do have that one room that we haven’t renovated yet, so we rarely have anyone stay in it. I could move in there.”

  Just like that, her mind was made up. When she got back she was go
ing to insist she move into the inn for a bit and let the newlyweds have some privacy. She could even paint the room while she was staying in it and refinish the floors. It was a plan. She enjoyed that kind of work and she’d have time while they were so slow.

  “I can see by the set of your shoulders and the look in your eyes that you’ve decided.” Tally tossed a small smile.

  “I have. I’m going to move into that room this afternoon.”

  With that, Susan turned her attention to the plate of baked goods on the table. Time to make a decision on which delicious, calorie-laden, guilt-inducing goodie she’d have this morning. Afterwards she could pretend the walk back to the inn would burn off all the calories.

  * * *

  Susan pulled the door to her room at the inn closed and locked it. She refused to listen to Jamie and insisted on moving some of her things into the room in the inn. Jamie in turn had insisted she take the night off, and she’d decided he was right. She could use a break.

  With a sudden swath of light, the door opened across from her room. The man from the walk to The Sweet Shoppe stood in the doorway.

  He smiled at her. “So we meet again.”

  “It’s you.” Susan smiled at him.

  “It is me.” His friendly smile still lingered on his face. He paused for the slightest moment, she could see his hesitation, then he spoke again. “I was just going to eat dinner. Would you care to join me?”