Page 10 of The Lighthouse Sisters
Feeling attacked, Raelynn sighed. “I did what he wanted. The jury’s still out on whether or not agreeing to the divorce was in my best interest.”
“I just don’t understand. Instead of running off to Tybee, you should be staying, fighting for your marriage.”
She understood that he was hurting and confused, but so was she. She reminded him of that, saying, “This wasn’t my doing, son.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just…anyway, I didn’t just ask you to meet me to talk about that.” He laughed bitterly. “This is lousy timing, but I wanted you to be the first to know.”
Raelynn looked at him curiously, not knowing what it could possibly be. “What did you want me to know?”
Dylan smiled. “I asked Claire to marry me, and she said yes.”
Raelynn couldn’t help her reaction. “You did what?” She knew her voice was thick with disapproval.
But I can’t let him make the same mistake I did, she thought, panicking.
“I asked Claire…”
“I heard you,” she said, cutting him off. She leaned across the table and placed a hand on his forearm. “Dylan, you barely know this girl. It’s much too soon.”
“I know enough about her to know I love her.” He sounded defiant. She’d seen the same look from him over the years whenever she stood in the way of something he really wanted. But he wasn’t a child anymore, enamored by a shiny new toy. He was an adult being manipulated to do something she knew he would regret.
“You don’t love Claire. You barely know her.”
“Please stop. You don’t know anything about our relationship.”
“That’s because ever since you started dating her, you shut me out.”
“Are you kidding me right now? Are you seriously jealous of Claire?” He looked at her as if she had just grown another head.
“No!” Raelynn said a little too forcefully. A few patrons turned to look in their direction. She lowered her voice and told herself to stay calm. “I’m just saying that maybe you two should give each other some time to get to know each other better, make sure you’re truly compatible, and want the same things out of life.” She paused and looked at him with pain in her eyes. “I just don’t want you to make a mistake.”
“You mean the same mistake you did?” He stood up and threw money on the table. “Well, if I do, hopefully, it won’t take me 23 years to figure it out.”
With that, he walked away from the table. She ran after him. “Dylan, wait! Just wait!”
He stopped at the door. “It really hurts that you, of all people, can’t support my decision.”
“Dylan, I’ve always supported you. I’m not telling you to cancel your plans with Claire. I’m just saying give yourself some time.”
“You’re unbelievable. Have fun in Tybee, Mom.”
He walked away from her, not bothering to look back. Feeling as if her legs would barely hold her, Raelynn made her way back to her car.
She placed her head on the steering wheel and cried. She cried for the life that was stolen from her. She cried for the son who didn’t want anything to do with her and for the decisions she felt she had to make. Her phone buzzing made her look up, and she reached for it, hoping it was Dylan. It wasn’t. It was Katrina. She was waiting for her on the island. Raelynn wiped away her tears and stiffened her spine.
Devastated or not, she wasn’t going to give up. She couldn’t control Dylan’s choices. She only hoped he knew how much she loved him and just wanted the best for him. She just wished with all her heart that he wouldn’t make the same mistake she had. With that thought in mind, she pushed aside thoughts of Dylan and Claire’s upcoming nuptials and drove the car toward a new future. She hoped it would bring happiness and joy instead of sadness and regret that made her feel desperately alone.
SEVEN
“Finally!” Katrina said as she practically pulled Raelynn out from behind the wheel of her car.
“What? I thought I made good time,” Raelynn said, not accustomed to being manhandled by Katrina. Normally, it was Hazel who dragged them around excited about one thing or another.
“You did. You did make good time,” she said, not bothering to conceal her excitement. She was practically bouncing as she took in the scene around her. Raelynn didn’t blame her. The coastal town was exactly how she remembered it. The pier, the beach, the smell, everything within her eyesight brought back pleasant memories. For the first time that day, she finally felt like she was making progress. She was taking a step in the right direction.
“Should we view the property first or check out the town?”
“Are you kidding me?” Raelynn said. “We should definitely check out the property first.”
