Emma smiled. “All day, every day. Have you seen it yet?”

“No. I have to go to stupid school all day. But mom said that we can go soon.”

Julie looked at him. “Don’t say stupid. That’s not nice. And when he finishes his science project, his reward will be going up in the lighthouse. I told him that my new friend, Emma, might tell him a super secret fact about the lighthouse that nobody else knows.”

Emma chuckled. “Well, I guess Emma should start finding out some new facts before then, huh?”

She was surprised at how easy it was to blend in with a family she had only just met. As Lucy brought the food in and everybody made their plates, the conversation was easy. She felt like she had known them forever, and that was a testament to just how kind and welcoming they were. How she wished that she had her own family like that with a handsome, sweet husband, and a perky little boy to keep her on her toes. It was what she had always wanted, a stable and happy family. Unfortunately, she had never really experienced that. Although she’d adored her mother, they didn’t get to have a picture perfect postcard life. It had been a financial struggle, and her mom had worked a lot when she was a kid.

“So, how are you liking Seagrove so far?” Julie asked.

“Honestly, I haven’t been anywhere past the lighthouse yet. I’ve been so busy trying to get everything ready that I haven’t even gone into town.”

Julie put her fork down, her eyes wide. “You haven’t gone to town? Well, that’s it. You must come to the bookstore. And my mom’s bakery. We can make sure that you go when she’s not working,” she said with a laugh.

“I would love to come to town. I promised Janine that I’d come take one of her yoga classes.”

“That would be great for you. I’m sure you need to unwind from all the stress of starting a new job in a whole new place. I totally understand what that feels like.”

“You do? So you’re not from here originally?”

“Oh, no. My story in a nutshell is that my husband of twenty-one years decided that he needed a younger model. We were supposed to be buying a beach house somewhere else and he came home from a business trip and dropped a bombshell that he was in love with someone else and had a son.”

“Are you serious? He had a kid you didn’t even know about?”

“Yes, it was quite a shock. I needed a new fresh start and I was alone, so I picked the cottage where Janine now lives, site unseen, and moved here. It was quite a whirlwind, and I’m not sure it’s something I would ever have the bravery to do again, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.” She looked at Dawson, reached over and squeezed his hand. Then she looked in the other direction and squeezed Dylan’s hand.