faustinaimonmon

Nora Calder swore she’d never return to Cutler Cove, the coastal town where she left her heart—and Elias Hart—ten years ago. But when the lighthouse that holds their teenage pact faces demolition, she’s back, armed with grit and a secret that drove her away: her father’s ruinous debts. At 34, she’s got one shot to save the tower—and maybe herself—before the council tears it down.
Elias, now a rugged contractor engaged to sweet, steady Leah, didn’t expect Nora’s return to crack his world open. Their pact—if single at 35, they’d marry atop the lighthouse—haunts him as she fights for the crumbling landmark he’s hired to destroy. Old initials carved in the railing and stolen glances reignite a fire he thought was ash, but loyalty and love pull him in two.
As storms batter the coast and the town splits over the lighthouse’s fate, Nora and Elias clash, then cling—unearthing her past, shattering his future, and rebuilding more than stone. From desperate kisses in the lantern room to a festival that could save it all, they face a deadline that’s more than a vote: six months to prove the tower’s worth, and theirs. In a tangle of sweat, salt, and second chances, The Lighthouse Pact is a raw, steamy romance about love that won’t stay buried—and a promise that might just hold.

The Lighthouse Pact

Nora stood at the cottage window, watching the sky turn black, a wall of clouds rolling in from the sea. The weather radio crackled on the counter: Gale warning, Cutler Cove. Winds 50 knots, waves 15 feet. Seek shelter. Her stomach knotted. The lighthouse was still standing, but those cracks—Elias's warnings about the foundation—echoed in her head. She couldn't lose it now, not after everything.

Her phone buzzed—Elias. At the tower. Checking it. You coming? She hesitated, the wind already howling outside, but typed back: On my way. She grabbed her raincoat, a flashlight, and bolted out, the storm biting at her heels.

The drive was a blur, wipers useless against the rain, the Subaru skidding on the slick road. She pulled into the lighthouse lot, Elias's truck parked crooked, its lights cutting through the downpour. He was at the door, wrestling it open, his jacket plastered to his back. "Nora!" he shouted over the wind. "Get in!"

She ran, the rain stinging her face, and ducked inside as he slammed the door shut. The tower groaned, the storm's roar muffled but relentless. "You shouldn't be here," he said, shaking water off his cap. "It's bad out there."

"Neither should you," she shot back, flicking on her flashlight. "But here we are."

He grunted, leading her up the stairs. The air was thick, damp, the walls trembling with each gust. "Wanted to brace the east wall," he said. "If it goes, the whole thing's done."

They reached the main level, the cracks stark in the beam of his light—wider now, water seeping through. "Shit," he muttered, dropping his bag. "Too late for braces. We're stuck 'til it passes."

"Stuck?" She turned, heart racing. "You mean—"

"Yeah," he said, meeting her eyes. "Can't drive in this. Tower's safer than the road."

The wind screamed, a shutter banging loose somewhere above, and she nodded, swallowing panic. They climbed to the lantern room, the glass rattling in its frame, waves crashing below like thunder. Elias rigged a tarp over a leak, his hands steady despite the chaos. She watched him, the way he moved—sure, strong—and felt the pull she'd been fighting since she came back.

"Elias," she said, voice cutting through the noise. "About last night—"

"Not now," he said, tying off the tarp. "Let's survive this first."

But she couldn't stop. "No. Now. I need you to know—I didn't leave because I stopped loving you. I left because I loved you too much."

He froze, rope slipping from his hands. The lantern room shook, rain hammering the glass, but his eyes locked on hers. "What're you saying?"

"I'm saying I messed up," she said, stepping closer, her voice breaking. "And I've regretted it every day since."

He stared, water dripping from his hair, and then he was moving—fast, crashing into her, his hands cupping her face. His lips hit hers, hard and desperate, tasting of rain and salt. She kissed him back, clutching his shirt, the storm fading as heat flared between them. His hands slid down her back, pulling her tight, and she pressed into him, needing more—

A crack split the air, not thunder but stone. The floor jolted, and they broke apart, stumbling. "The wall!" Elias yelled, grabbing her arm. They ran down, the east side buckling, water pouring in. He shoved a beam against it, muscles straining, and she helped, pushing with everything she had. It held—barely.

They sank against it, panting, the storm raging on. "You okay?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"Yeah," she said, breathless. "You?"

He nodded, but his eyes were dark, conflicted. "Nora, I can't—I can't do this to Leah. Or you. Not yet."

She nodded, tears mixing with the rain on her face. "I know."

He pulled away, checking the wall, and they stayed there, silent, the storm battering the tower—and them—until dawn.

Chapter 14: The Storm Hits