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

Elias woke to Nora pacing the cottage, her phone pressed to her ear, voice sharp. "No, we've got receipts—tours, rentals. It's working." She hung up, tossing it onto the couch, and sank beside him, her head in her hands.

"Council?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"Yeah," she said, voice muffled. "Tom's petition's got legs—fifty signatures. They're calling a hearing. Next week."

He cursed under his breath, pulling her against him. "We've got time. What's the plan?"

She straightened, eyes hard. "Big event. End of summer—August. Festival, lights, the works. Prove it's worth it."

He nodded, the idea sparking. "I'll get the crew—stage, booths. You handle the town."

They split the day—him at the lighthouse, rigging a platform with Jimmy, her at the café, rallying Meg and anyone who'd listen. By dusk, they had a skeleton: Lighthouse Days, August 15th, food, music, tours all night. It was a gamble—weather, turnout, cash—but it was theirs.

Weeks raced by, the tower a hive of prep. Elias built a stage by the cliff, sweat soaking his shirt, while Nora booked a band, vendors, a fire juggler for the kids. They slept little, ate less, crashing together at the cottage or the tower, hands finding each other in the dark. It wasn't like the lantern room—wild, raw—but soft, steady, a lifeline through the grind.

The night before the festival, they stood in the lantern room, the new glass gleaming, a string of lights draped outside. "Think it'll work?" she asked, her voice small.

"Yeah," he said, pulling her close. "It's us."

She kissed him, deep and slow, her hands sliding under his shirt. He groaned, backing her against the wall, the heat flaring fast. "Nora," he murmured, lifting her, her legs wrapping around him. It could've gone there—clothes off, bodies colliding—but a horn blared below, Jimmy dropping off chairs.

"Later," she said, breathless, sliding down. He laughed, kissing her forehead, and they went back to work, the promise simmering.

August 15th dawned clear, the sea glinting under a rare blue sky. The festival kicked off at noon—booths lining the lot, the band thumping, kids chasing the juggler's flames. Nora ran tours, her voice hoarse by the third, while Elias manned the grill, flipping burgers, his grin easy. The crowd grew—hundreds, more than they'd dreamed—locals, tourists, even Tom skulking by the pier.

By night, the tower glowed, lights strung from base to top, the lantern room a beacon. They counted the take—$5,000, plus promises from vendors for next year. Nora found Elias by the stage, the band winding down, and pulled him into a hug. "We did it," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah," he said, holding her tight. "We did."

The hearing loomed, but tonight, they'd won—crowd, cash, a shot. They kissed under the lights, the town cheering, and for once, the wave didn't break them.

Chapter 23: The Breaking Wave