“Oh, you can bet on that.”

Chapter 2

Emma stood at the bottom of the lighthouse circular staircase and looked up to the top. She was in good shape, especially considering her former job, but nothing had prepared her for this.

As she looked at Roger, the man tasked with training her on all things lighthouse related, she wondered how he’d drag his chubby frame up the steps. What if she had to do mouth-to-mouth on him at the top? That would certainly be a terrible introduction to her new job.

Roger took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his already sweaty forehead. It wasn’t that hot outside, but she was sure after their walk up the gazillion stairs, he was going to need a towel.

They started to walk up the stairs as Roger rattled on about the history of the structure. She knew she had to listen, but she was distracted by so many unrelated thoughts ping-ponging around her head. During her first night in the cottage, she’d gotten an unexpected phone call, and she was desperately trying not to think about it.

“The lighthouse was constructed in eighteen-hundred and twenty-seven, but it was renovated after the Civil War due to damage it suffered. Now, there was also some damage in eighteen-hundred and eighty-six after the Charleston earthquake…”

Did she need to know all of these details, she wondered. Were tourists really coming to learn dates and history or were they just wanting a good workout and a nice view at the top? A place to take a picture they could post on social media to pretend their lives were perfect so that a bunch of strangers would be jealous of them? She hoped the latter and feared the former.

“We’ve had our share of hurricanes over the years which required some minor repairs along the way…” he said as he struggled up the last of the stairs. She held up her hands for a moment, thinking he might fall backward and crush her. Roger had to be in his sixties, and maybe even older, but she had to give it to him. He knew his history and he made it to the top.

“Now, how much do you know about the lenses on lighthouses?” he asked, leaning against the wall for support.

She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. “Um… I watched a video on YouTube.”

He stared at her for a moment. “What’s YouTube?”

Again, she froze in place, unsure if he was joking or just sadly out of touch with modern life. Finally, he let out a big, hearty laugh and slapped her shoulder. “I’m just messing with you, Emma. I know what YouTube is. I even have a channel.”

“You have a channel?” she said, a little amazed.

“Sure! Doesn’t everybody? I like to talk about fishing in the lowcountry. I’ll give you the name of the channel in a minute so you can check it out.”

She was never going to check it out.