The Spyglass Portal: A Lighthouse Novel by Stacey Coverstone Page A

my mom and I stayed in a little place on the southern end of the beach. Only the rich folks lived in the village in those days.”
    Samantha felt an invisible hand squeeze her throat. The south end was where she’d seen the face in the window of the shack. It was another coincidence that gave her pause. Afraid to ask him exactly where he and his mother had lived, she asked instead, “Where did you and your mother go when you left Pavee Cove?”
    His brows drew downward, and his gaze dropped to his lap. “We moved around quite a bit for several years. It’s hard to keep track, even now. Those times jumble together.” It must have been a touchy subject because he hopped up and clapped his hands, changing the topic abruptly. “Are you hungry? I’m starved. There’s some turkey and cheese in the fridge. I can make us a couple of sandwiches.”
    There was nothing for her to rush back to the lighthouse for, and she was enjoying Aidan’s company. Besides, her nerves had stopped jumping and her stomach grumbled, so she accepted.
    He invited her to follow him to the kitchen where he took sandwich fixings from the refrigerator and began creating works of art out of the meat and bread. Sam peered around, still looking for signs of a dog and found none in the kitchen either. Not wanting to upset the apple cart by bringing up the name Paddy again, she decided to let it go, too. Maybe that whole scene with him and the dog had been a dream. She stared at his broad back. Although she knew in her heart that it had actually taken place, she didn’t want to think about it right now. Her skin prickled with excitement in the company of this man, and that was all that mattered at the moment.
    He offered her a chair at the small table and set a paper plate in front of her. The sandwich was stacked so high it resembled a high-rise building.
    “I think my sandwich alone could feed an army,” she joked, trying to decide how she was going to wrap her mouth around it and still look lady-like. Femininity had not mattered much before, but today it did.
    “You could use a little more meat on your bones,” he said nonchalantly, before ripping off a hunk of sandwich with his perfect teeth.
    She couldn’t help but smile and attacked hers without another thought of how she’d be perceived. Bite after delicious bite, the food gave her a second wind. She’d have to eat regularly from now on, and strive to become more health conscious. Maybe a better diet, as well as no more pills would help her mental state. You are what you eat , Chad used to tease after she’d make a run to the nearest fast-food restaurant to grab a burger and a soft drink. She always believed he had more energy than her, and a more positive outlook on life in general—something she intended to change in herself.
    “I was hungrier than I thought,” she told Aidan, patting her stomach after devouring three-fourths of the sandwich. “That was good. I’m going to modify my eating and cooking habits to include more fresh fruit and vegetables, starting today. I’ve taken my health for granted for the past few years. It’s time I made some big changes.”
    “That sounds like a good plan.” He collected their plates and dropped them into the trash. “After all, you are what you eat.”
    Her jaw went slack, and the blood in her veins turned to ice.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    “This is just too weird.”
    “What is?”
    “Chad used to tell me the exact same thing. How bizarre is that?”
    “It’s not so bizarre. It’s a phrase that’s used a lot. Don’t read too much into it.”
    She did and couldn’t help it.
    “Great minds think alike,” Aidan said. “No disrespect intended,” he added quickly. “Since your friend is in a coma.”
    “None taken.” She released a small breath of air, thankful that he remembered that about Chad. Although the similarities between the two men were eerie, she was beginning to think of Aidan as his own man and not a clone