Page 14 of The Lighthouse Sisters
Finally, they reached the top of the lighthouse. Raelynn had to catch her breath, and Katrina came up behind her breathing heavily as well.
“Wow, when you walk straight up with no breaks, those steps are a killer!” she gasped.
“How many steps do you think are in here?” Raelynn asked.
“A million,” Katrina said, holding her side. “I bet you have to be in great shape to be a groundskeeper. But back to the subject at hand. What were you saying?”
“I know I’m probably being a little dramatic, marching up the stairs and leading you up here,” Raelynn said. “But I wanted you to see why this place is so worth it. Look at this view.” She gestured to the view of the beach from there. The waves crashed against the shore gently, and birds that Raelynn couldn’t identify flew low in the sky. The sky was now turning a slight orange as the sun was just starting to go down. Raelynn could easily imagine having a bonfire on the beach, overlooking the water.
She began to describe it out loud. “Can’t you picture it? Maybe a few tables up here for guests to eat while watching the sunset or sunrise? Oh, maybe we could even host a sunrise breakfast buffet on weekends. We could even add a few picnic tables down on the property right near the beach. Couples would love it. It would be so romantic. And we could do weekend wine tastings or even host bird-watching getaways. I’ve seen plenty of birds, and frankly, I can’t identify one, but there are so many bird watchers around the world that would probably, excuse the pun, flock here for the experience. My point is… this place is a jewel, Katrina. You were right. We can make this work. We just have to believe it.”
Raelynn finished her speech and turned to her friend, who was staring out at the beach. The roles were reversed, and now she was the one trying to convince her friend of the possibilities. She truly believed in everything she said. She knew she could make it happen with their help.
“It is beautiful…” Katrina said after a long pause. She reached out and squeezed Raelynn’s hand.
“And you know Hazel will love it here.”
Katrina nodded. “She won’t be a fan of all the birds, but she’ll get over it.”
“They can co-exist.” Raelynn chuckled. “It’s so peaceful, so tranquil here.”
Katrina’s phone began to ring at that very moment. “It’s Dave. I have to get this.”
Raelynn nodded and leaned up against the glass, looking at the sea below. It really was so peaceful. Even as a child, she remembered being calmed by the waves as they gently brushed against the beach. For the most part, Raelynn didn’t believe in luck, but for the moment, she felt as if she was one of the luckiest people in the world because she had the opportunity to witness a Tybee Island sunset from arguably the most advantageous viewpoint on the island.
A few minutes later, Katrina came back up the stairs. The defeated look was back on her face.
“Katrina, what’s wrong?”
To her shock, Katrina began to cry. Immediately, Raelynn rushed to console her as Katrina had consoled her dozens of times in the week before alone. It was her turn to return the favor.
When Katrina sniffled and pulled away, Raelynn tried again.
“Katrina, tell me what’s going on. It’s me, your best friend. You can tell me anything.”
Katrina just shook her head and said, “Let’s go. Let’s go home.” Raelynn knew the hard, stubborn look on Katrina’s face meant there would be no reasoning with her now.
Instead, she followed her down the stairs. Neither woman said a word. They were both lost in their own thoughts. Raelynn was wondering about the phone call from Dave. Was he the reason for the tears, or was it something else? She looked at her friend. Katrina’s expression was guarded. She didn’t know why, but that made her more concerned. Katrina, as far as Raelynn knew, was an open book. What was going on? After all, Raelynn mused, this whole trip was Katrina’s idea. The whole plan to restore and renovate the property into a top Tybee Island destination had been Katrina’s brainchild.
As they reached the bottom floor, Raelynn noticed something that she hadn’t noticed before. There were words scrawled against the wall near the door.
Transit umbra, lux permanet
She didn’t speak or read Latin. She had taken French in high school, but that didn’t do her much good now. She was pretty sure the inscription wasn’t in French.
She made a mental note to ask Laura about it. Or maybe even Nellie would know. Now she had two mysteries to solve, the odd inscription near the door and her friend’s sudden change of attitude.
Nothing was as it seemed.
NINE
Raelynn stared at Katrina as she finished off her second strawberry daiquiri. It even sported a little umbrella on the side. They were sitting at one of the little restaurants near the beach that Raelynn had discovered earlier.
They weren’t talking. They sat there in silence, which seemed to be Katrina’s preference all of a sudden.
She hadn’t said a word to Raelynn since they had left the lighthouse. Raelynn had thought at least during their short walk from the lighthouse to the boardwalk that Katrina would open up a little, but she hadn’t.
It was almost as if she had completely shut down. In fact, it was a side of Katrina that Raelynn had never seen before. She didn’t know how to address it, so she didn’t.
