They started to walk up the stairs as Roger rattled on about the history of the structure. She knew she had to listen, but she was distracted by so many unrelated thoughts ping-ponging around her head. During her first night in the cottage, she’d gotten an unexpected phone call, and she was desperately trying not to think about it.
“The lighthouse was constructed in eighteen-hundred and twenty-seven, but it was renovated after the Civil War due to damage it suffered. Now, there was also some damage in eighteen-hundred and eighty-six after the Charleston earthquake…”
Did she need to know all of these details, she wondered. Were tourists really coming to learn dates and history or were they just wanting a good workout and a nice view at the top? A place to take a picture they could post on social media to pretend their lives were perfect so that a bunch of strangers would be jealous of them? She hoped the latter and feared the former.
“We’ve had our share of hurricanes over the years which required some minor repairs along the way…” he said as he struggled up the last of the stairs. She held up her hands for a moment, thinking he might fall backward and crush her. Roger had to be in his sixties, and maybe even older, but she had to give it to him. He knew his history and he made it to the top.
“Now, how much do you know about the lenses on lighthouses?” he asked, leaning against the wall for support.
She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. “Um… I watched a video on YouTube.”
He stared at her for a moment. “What’s YouTube?”
Again, she froze in place, unsure if he was joking or just sadly out of touch with modern life. Finally, he let out a big, hearty laugh and slapped her shoulder. “I’m just messing with you, Emma. I know what YouTube is. I even have a channel.”
“You have a channel?” she said, a little amazed.
“Sure! Doesn’t everybody? I like to talk about fishing in the lowcountry. I’ll give you the name of the channel in a minute so you can check it out.”
She was never going to check it out.
“This here is what you call a Fresnel lens. The way that it’s cut allows light…”
As he continued talking, she got the very smart idea of recording him on her phone so she could study it later. Plus, she didn’t have to pay attention right now while her mind was wandering around like a highly-caffeinated squirrel.
When her estranged boyfriend had called her last night, it had been very unexpected. After all, he was one of the things she was running away from. Not that he was abusive or anything, but he was a part of her old life that she was desperate to leave behind. Nobody understood, but she knew what was best for her, and she was determined to start over. What better place to do that than an isolated lowcountry island?
“Our marshes have over two-hundred species of birds…”
What on Earth was he talking about now? Birds? How was that related to the lighthouse? She’d definitely have to re-watch the video she was taking to understand the correlation there. Right now, she wanted to stand at the top of the lighthouse and stare out over the water while she pondered how her life had gone off the rails.
Just a few months ago, she was where she thought she should be. Working in her chosen career field and operating at the top of her game. Or so she thought. Until that day. The one day that would change everything. How she wished she could go back and change things. But sometimes things rip through your life in a way that can never be stitched back together.
“What are you watching?” Tucker asked as he walked up behind Colleen. She was sitting at her desk, supposedly working on plans for the next holiday season, but her mind needed a break. Thankfully, she and Tucker were alone in the office, so she could take a few minutes to unwind if she wanted.
“What do you think?” she asked with a laugh. It had become well known to Tucker that Colleen was obsessed with true crime and mystery videos. She watched them all the time, and she loved trying to solve them. Sometimes, she wondered if she should’ve been a detective or something.
“How do you watch that stuff so much?” He leaned over and kissed her cheek before handing her a bottle of water. Tucker was always bugging her to drink more water.
“I love trying to solve mysteries.”
“Well, maybe you can solve this one,” he said, holding up a file folder.
“What?”
“Where’d the drawings go for the robot dog I was working on?”
Colleen laughed. “I transferred them to the tablet. Honestly, Tucker, I don’t know anyone our age who still uses paper to sketch things. You have this expensive program you’re supposed to be using.” She held up the tablet.
Tucker shook his head. “I like the feel of paper when I draw.”
Colleen got up and hugged him. “I know, honey. You’re an old man trapped in a young body. But, you’re my old man.”
“Yuck, stop all that lovey-dovey stuff,” Meg said as she walked into the office with Vivi on her hip. She handed her to Colleen like she was a bomb about to go off. “Here, take your niece. She’s being a handful today!”
Colleen laughed. “No, that can’t be right. My Vivi is a perfect angel.” She pressed a big kiss onto Vivi’s cheek as her niece kicked and bucked like a wild mule.
“She wants to run around all over the place, so holding her is impossible right now,” Meg said, falling into one of the rolling office chairs nearby. “I saw y’all through the window and decided
