Janine chuckled under her breath. “Henrietta is an acquired taste. She has become best friends with my mom who, as you know, is also an acquired taste.”

“She’s definitely something else.”

“Oh, honey, it’s okay if you call it like it is. My mother is a bit of a difficult person, but she tries. Or, I should say sometimes she tries.”

“Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”

Janine was surprised that she was inviting her in given how much she probably had on her plate for the big opening. She also didn’t want to be rude, but if she was being honest with herself, a little adult company would be welcome. Spending time with Vivi was fun, but she didn’t really have any friends on the island to hang out with that weren’t directly related to her.

“Sure. I mean I don’t want to impose since I know you’re busy.”

Emma shook her head. “Pretty much everything that I need to get done for tomorrow has already been done. I mean, there’s not a whole lot you have to do when it comes to a lighthouse. All of the heavy lifting of remodeling it has been done, and I’ve memorized my script. Now it’s just a waiting game, and honestly I could use the company to distract myself.”

“Great. I’d love to have coffee,” Janine said as Emma turned and started walking toward the cottage. Janine followed her, excited that she was getting to make a new friend. Maybe she and Emma wouldn’t hit it off, but if they did then she would be happy to have someone to hang out with from time to time.

Of course, she loved being with William, but women needed friends. They needed to vent about their lives to another person who could understand. After all, a woman’s journey was very different from a man’s.

Chapter 5

As they walked into the house, Emma immediately second-guessed herself. What on earth was she thinking inviting Janine in? What if she started asking questions that Emma didn’t want to answer? What if she said something that revealed her past?

“Excuse the mess. I’m still trying to get this place set up. I need to do a little shopping for home decor,” Emma said.

“Oh please, your place is cleaner than mine. It seems like I’m never home these days. I’m either with my boyfriend or my sister or at work. Tonight I even did some babysitting for my niece.”

“Sounds wonderful to have all of those people around you,” Emma said as she poured water in the coffee pot. She pointed for Janine to have a seat at the kitchen table.

“It’s great. I spent so many years traveling around by myself, teaching yoga in just about every corner of the world. It’s nice to have roots again.”

“So you did a lot of traveling? That sounds really fun. I’ve pretty much stayed on this side of the United States for my whole life. I’d like to see some other places eventually.”