Page 17 of The Lighthouse Sisters
Yikes,she thought to herself.I feel like a teenager again. All hormones and random words.
“Are you part of Tybee Island’s historical society?”
Raelynn laughed. “Oh no, I’m actually from Savannah. I just got here the other day.”
He seemed surprised. “I thought, based on your knowledge and passion for it, that you were from here.”
She shook her head. “No. I just find the history of the island fascinating.”
He nodded. “So do I.”
“My friend just inherited the lighthouse. She plans to renovate it, and I’m here to help. It’s one of the oldest in the nation. In fact, it’s Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Raelynn smiled. Now she was in her comfort zone. She loved to share her knowledge with others. “Did you know that the word Tybee comes from the Native American Euchee word for salt?”
He shook his head. “You’re a wealth of knowledge.”
She shrugged. “Like I said, I love history and…”
“Coffee,” he finished for her, and they both laughed.
“I am sorry, though. I would offer to pay for your dry-cleaning bill, but I don’t know if there’s a dry cleaner on the island.”
“There isn’t, regretfully,” he said. “But I’ll make do. It was nice to meet you, Raelynn… spilled coffee and all.”
His smile was contagious, and she found herself smiling back. She loved the way he said her name. His accent made her run-of-the-mill Southern name sound exotic to her ears. Or she was being ridiculous. She couldn’t figure out which one.
“Maybe I’ll see you around. It’s a small world on the island, after all.”
Was he flirting with her? Raelynn couldn’t tell. It had been so long since a man had even spoken to her for more than two minutes that she couldn’t tell if one was actually flirting with her, especially one that looked like Michael.
Feeling bold in the moment, she opened her mouth to invite him on a tour of the lighthouse when a young woman in her early 30s, came out from behind her and kissed Michael on the cheek.
She carried two coffees in her hands and ignored Raelynn completely. Raelynn instantly felt like an old maid. Did this woman think she was invisible? She wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
“It was nice meeting you, Michael,” Raelynn said as she turned to leave. It was only then that the woman noticed her.
“Hey, can you do me a favor?” The woman handed Raelynn her phone before she could say anything. “This spot is perfect.” She wrapped her arms around Michael. “Would you mind taking a picture of me and my boyfriend?”
TWELVE
Boyfriend? Ouch.
“Rachel,” Michael said, sending Raelynn an apologetic look. “I’m sure Raelynn has places to be.”
“Raelynn?” Rachel said with a chuckle. “Oh my gosh, that’s so cute. So Southern, don’t you think, sweetie? I love it. I love old-fashioned lady names.”
Raelynn could feel her face burning red. What a backhanded compliment! She wasn’t prepared for the cattiness. Besides snarkiness from other moms ten years ago, she was woefully inexperienced in the frenemy zone.
So, Michael had a girlfriend. Of course, he did. She wasn’t surprised. She would have been surprised if he didn’t have one. A guy as good-looking and smooth talking as Michael didn’t just pop up into the life of someone like her. Even she knew that most of the handsome, smart, and kind men were either married or taken.
Awkwardly, she took the picture as fast as she could. She didn’t care if it turned out to be just a picture of their heads. She wanted to get away from Rachel as fast as possible. Her kind and the Rachels of the world just didn’t mix. She was a newly divorced mom of an adult child. Rachel looked like her only responsibility in the world was learning the newest social media makeup trend. Raelynn knew she was outside her element.
Moreover, she noticed that Michael looked uncomfortable the whole time. She didn’t feel sorry for him. He apparently had chosen Rachel, so clearly, that was who he wanted to be with.
But given the looks of her, Raelynn didn’t think he would be interested in letting her go anytime soon. She was beautiful with her long dark hair, full lips, and light blue eyes. She was the opposite of Raelynn with her straight blonde hair and warm brown eyes. And while Rachel didn’t have an extra ounce of fat on her body, Raelynn was a little self-conscious about her not-so-flat tummy.
