Page 59 of Rebuilding Friendship Inn

She gave the date and time, and everyone put the party in their calendars. Eloise would try to make it, but if she couldn’t, she’d send the girls with a gift. Both Billie and Grace loved Asher, and Billie had offered to babysit for AJ whenever she needed it.

“I’m afraid of living at Friendship Inn,” Lena blurted out.

Eloise swung her attention to the young woman seated beside her mother—who also hadn’t said anything.

“Lena,” Clara said, her voice almost a chastisement. “You’ll be fine there.”

“It’s dark,” Lena said.

“It’s dark in the lighthouse too,” Jean said. “Remember how dark it gets underground, Lena?” She locked eyes with her niece. “And you do okay there.”

“Yeah,” Lena said. “I do okay there.”

Silence settled in the shade again, and Eloise found herself looking at Clara. Everyone was, and finally, Kristen said, “It’s your turn, dear.”

Clara shook her head. “No, I don’t have anything.”

“At least update us on the inn,” Robin said.

A wild look entered Clara’s eyes, and she surveyed the group. “I…” she started, but it was like she couldn’t get her voice to work. Her throat worked; her mouth opened and then closed again.

Eloise felt sorry for her, and she wanted to get up and say it was all okay. She didn’t have to say anything at all.

“I honestly don’t know if the inn will ever open,” Clara finally managed to push out of her throat. “It’s so hard to say that, but there it is.”

“I thought it was going okay,” Jean said. “You got all the linens donated.”

Clara had put that on the group text, and Eloise nodded with several others.

“There’s just so much,” Clara said. “Scott’s started to look for other jobs. We need a way to pay our bills.” She looked down helplessly at her hands. “So I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“You still go out there every day, don’t you?” Robin asked.

Clara nodded, but when she looked up, only misery sat in her eyes. “Yes, because what else do I have to do?” She sounded absolutely pathetic, and Eloise got up and went to hug her. No one should have to feel so alone and so helpless, and Eloise couldn’t stand the thought of Clara shouldering all of this by herself.

If she could carry some of it, she would.

“Thank you, Eloise,” Clara whispered.

“I should’ve hired you to be my daytime manager,” Eloise whispered back. Regret lanced through her. “I didn’t know you needed a job.” She pulled away and looked into Clara’s watery eyes. “I swear, I didn’t. I thought it was going well.”

Clara shook her head. “Not your fault. We’ll find something.”

Kristen came over, then Alice, and Robin, and Laurel, and before Eloise knew it, she found herself pressed into the middle of a big group hug. Plenty of people sniffled, Eloise included, and she realized just how included she was.

She belonged with these women, and they belonged with her. Not just with her, buttoher. Because she felt it so strongly, she said, “You guys belong to me, and I’m so glad.”

“Me too,” Robin murmured.

“And me,” Alice said.

“I feel the same,” Laurel said. “I’m going to need so much help once the baby comes.” She wiped her face and took a big breath. “Promise me I won’t have to do this myself.”

“You won’t,” Kelli said.

“Not for a second,” Jean added.

“I’ll help you, Laurel,” AJ said.

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