When she’d buried her mom, all hope for knowing her father had been buried with her, along with Samantha’s ability to trust in anyone. Her heart had been torn in half by the father who had apparently abandoned her, but the hole had grown bigger each time her mother refused to talk about the past.
The only defense to not becoming angry and bitter had been to build a bulwark against her emotions. Protect yourself had been her motto for as long as she could remember. Do not give your heart away. Do not get close to anyone. Take care of yourself and you won’t be let down. So far, it had worked pretty well.
As she fingered the necklace delicately, she realized that wearing it made her feel secure and happy, which was strange. Security and complete happiness had been lacking in her life and weren’t things she associated with Mom.
She leaned her head back and another mental picture rolled through her mind. In the same way the daydreams had worked before, she saw the scene as if it was happening right then.
Mama pulled her up the stairs by the arm. It didn’t hurt, but she was scared all the same. People were after them. The two of them crouched together making themselves very small. “Shhh.” Mama whispered. “Stay quiet, baby.” Mama touched her finger to her lips, kissed it, and then touched her finger to the gold cross hanging around her neck. She grasped Samantha’s small hand. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. Huddled next to her soft body, Sam felt Mama shake. When she gazed into Mama’s face, the most terrible feeling engulfed her. She didn’t understand what was happening, but it was something bad.
Samantha’s eyes popped open. Perspiration lined her brow. Her whole body quaked. She’d just seen what must have been a repressed memory from her childhood. But when she’d looked into her mother’s face in the vision, it hadn’t been Bev’s face at all. It was the angelic face of another woman who looked vaguely familiar.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jumping up from the chair, she paced around the room like a caged lion. Whose face had she just seen in her mind’s eye? The features had been hazy and unclear, but she felt with a certainty that the face did not belong to her mother. Bev’s dark hair had always been short. Her brown eyes, thick eyebrows and olive complexion had hinted of Mediterranean ancestry. As a child, Samantha had often wondered why they looked nothing alike, but she’d always figured she took after her mysterious, absent father.
She squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to recall the woman’s face once more. She was young with long, soft hair the color of wheat and expressive eyes that were the color of the sea during a storm. Full lips, long eyelashes, and a slender nose with a sprinkling of freckles dotted her ivory cheeks. All were characteristics of a physically lovely woman.
Who was she? And why was Sam with her in the vision? Could she be the aunt from the white cottage? A headache threatened like a storm cloud from behind her eyes.
How she wished she could talk to Aidan right now. He was the only person she trusted, and the only one who understood what she was going through. But there was no way she could go to him. Not while he was married.
Ever since the craziness had begun, he’d been the one constant who remained in her life, no matter which alternate reality she found herself in. Although it had seemed he recognized her earlier today, she couldn’t be sure. Probably the look on his face had more to do with him thinking she was a stranger prowling around his yard as opposed to the woman he’d made love to last night. To think he didn’t remember their first night spent together hurt her more than cutting off her own hand.
Calling Linda for clarity would do no good, because the complicated situation would be too hard to explain. Contacting Dr. Teagan would probably be useless as well, as she’d discovered before. The only other person who knew about the spyglass and its powers was Daniel Rehobeth, but she didn’t want to involve him further. Claire was her last option for help. The conversation with her and Jason tonight had been interesting, to say the least. Something hinted Claire hid secrets behind her neighborly smile.
But it was Aidan she longed to see and talk to. Her gaze flew to the kitchen cabinet where she’d stashed the spyglass. All it would take would be one look through it. She hadn’t been able to do it before, but a drastic situation called for an equally drastic action.
Secrets had controlled her entire life, which had led to the way she’d lived it. Coming to Pavee Cove had given her the opportunity to forgive herself for the role she felt she’d played in Chad’s accident. It had also made her look introspectively at the issues in her life that could no longer be denied.
Aidan had showed her it was possible for her to open her heart and trust. And with each change in reality, she’d learned something important about herself. Clues about her past and the reasons she behaved the way she did kept presenting themselves in ways that were impossible to ignore.
Before she talked herself out of her decision, she flung open the kitchen cabinet door and stuck her hand inside to withdraw the mahogany box. Jogging up the circular staircase with it under her arm, the same familiar feeling that she’d been on those steps before resurfaced. She knew without a doubt that the vision she’d had moments ago had been a true memory. A beautiful young woman had pulled her up this same winding staircase when Sam was a child. Although it seemed incredible and hard to believe, the thumping of her heart against her breastbone told her she was not mistaken.
Not wanting to blind herself by turning on the tower light, she fumbled her way to the small door that opened onto the observation deck. With the spyglass out of its case, she stepped onto the deck and placed it to her eye. Even in the dark, she could see the blue mist drift over the lens. With the breeze from the earlier storm softly blowing her hair around, she scanned the black horizon for several minutes and then stepped back inside the tower and carefully wound her way down the steps.
Dead tired, she placed the spyglass case on her dresser and stripped out of her clothes. When she collapsed into the bed sheets, her hand moved to the side of the bed where Aidan had lain last night.
“Please come back to me, Love,” she whispered before shutting her eyes.
* * * *
The chirp of Samantha’s cell phone woke her the next morning. Before answering it, she opened her eyes hoping to see Aidan next to her. But that side of the bed had not been slept in. On the fourth ring of the phone, she grabbed it and said hello.
“Is this Samantha?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Dr. Teagan. It sounds like I woke you up. Am I calling too early?”
Sam flipped onto her side and gazed at the bedside clock through blurry eyes. It was after nine. Scooting up against the headboard, she couldn’t believe it was really Dr. Teagan calling! And she knew her, too. The doctor’s voice sounded more chipper than usual. Maybe she was a morning person. Samantha had always had her appointments in the afternoon.
“I’m up, Dr. Teagan. Thank you for calling. How are you?”
“I’m fine. My question is how are you doing? I haven’t heard from you since you left Portland. I wanted to make sure you arrived at Pavee Cove safely and are enjoying your stay.”
Plowing a hand through her tangled hair, Sam wasn’t sure how to respond. So much had happened since she’d arrived, including Dr. Teagan not knowing her the one time she did contact her. She’d really think she’d gone off the deep end if she tried to explain. She settled on saying, “I’ve made peace with what happened in Portland. I’m also examining my life and trying to get some things figured out about my future.”
“Good! I’m so glad to hear it. How long do you plan on staying?”
“I’m in no rush to get back. Pavee Cove is a beautiful place.”
“And the lighthouse? Are you comfortable there?”
Samantha noted the slightest hesitation in Dr. Teagan’s voice. Did she know her friend had passed away? If so, why hadn’t she mentioned it before? Phrasing the question in the past tense would let her know one way or the other if Dr. Teagan knew her friend was dea
d, without coming right out and giving her the news.
“Did you know Haven O’Neill well?” she asked.
After a long pause that had her wondering if their cell phone connection had been broken, Dr. Teagan said, “Yes. I knew her well. Haven was my mother.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
That news hit Sam in the center of her chest like a brick. “Your mother? I had no idea. You didn’t tell me.”
“I know.” Dr. Teagan paused again. “I should have mentioned our connection to you. The truth is my mother and I had been estranged for many years. I didn’t even get to attend her funeral.”
“That’s a shame.” Samantha wondered why the public records Daniel had found stated that Haven O’Neill had no heirs when clearly she had a daughter. But she didn’t want to be rude and bring it up. Perhaps there had been a typographical error in the records. They had also said that Miss O’Neill had been a spinster, never married. Simple explanation for that, she reasoned. Women had borne children out of wedlock for centuries. Dr. Teagan may have been the product of a love affair gone wrong. Sam had often wondered if that had been the case with her own parents. Or, perhaps Haven O’Neill really was a spinster in a parallel universe, and Dr. Teagan had never been born! It was too early in the morning to contemplate all the possibilities.
Whether it had been written down or not, Dr. Teagan was obviously the owner of the lighthouse at that moment in time, which made her the rightful owner of the spyglass. But how could Samantha begin to tell her about its strange powers? As a well-educated woman, Dr. Teagan would no doubt be hard-pressed to believe in the supernatural.
“So you grew up in Pavee Cove?” Sam inquired.
“I wasn’t raised there, no. We arrived one week before I turned sixteen.”
Arrived. That was an unusual way to put it. Most people would have said they moved there from such and such place. She wanted to ask the doctor where she and her mother had resided before Pavee Cove, and what had been the circumstances that eventually had her leaving the cove. But it didn’t feel right prying into her psychiatrist’s business.
“If you’re wondering if I lived in the lighthouse at the time,” Dr. Teagan continued, “the answer is no. My mother apparently bought the landmark in 2006. I’m sorry she didn’t have a lot of time in which to enjoy it. She died in 2009.”
That’s what Samantha recalled from Daniel’s report. “I take it your mother’s lawyers handled the legal work regarding her estate after she passed and sent you the key to the lighthouse.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but basically, yes.”
She could sense Dr. Teagan was uncomfortable talking about herself, but she had to ask one more question. “Do you rent the lighthouse out often?”
“You’re the first person to stay there. I didn’t think my mother would mind.”
“It was so kind of you to offer it to me. You must have had someone buy furniture and tidy up the place before I got here. It’s very clean and the furnishings look fairly new.”
“I did. Have you met the woman who owns the market in town?”
“You mean Claire Murphy?”
“Yes. She handled everything for me.”
Sam’s skin prickled. The coincidences never ended.”Dr. Teagan, have you ever heard the name Eamon McBride?”
“Can’t say that I have. Is he someone you met in the village?”
“No. He was an Irish sea captain whose ship wrecked here in the 1800s. He may have had a connection to the lighthouse. I met a gentleman at one of the antique shops in town who told me McBride’s story. It’s quite interesting. Most of the captain’s crew had been Irishmen. Some of them were called travelers. A handful decided to settle here and gave Pavee Cove its name.”
“Fascinating. Well, it’s been pleasant chatting with you, Samantha. I have an appointment, so I’m afraid I must go.”
“One more question,” Sam said, sensing Dr. Teagan was anxious to end the conversation. “Do you recall a girl by the name of Remy when you lived here? It’s an unusual name, one I thought you might remember.”
The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening.
“Dr. Teagan?”
When the doctor spoke again, her voice quivered. “I apologize, Samantha, but I really must say goodbye now. I’m glad you’ve found some peace there. That gives me a great deal of joy. If luck is with us, we’ll meet again soon.”
The phone clicked and went dead.
Sam stared at her cell phone, dumbfounded. What had Dr. Teagan meant, if luck was with them, they’d meet again soon? This was the first time her voice had cracked and sounded worried. Her demeanor had always been highly professional, coming across like nothing ever disturbed her. Did Dr. Teagan know Captain McBride’s odd story? Or had Remy’s name triggered her response to abruptly end the conversation?
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Samantha took a quick shower then dried her hair and applied mascara to her lashes with Aidan on her mind. As she slipped on shorts, a tank top, and re-clasped the cross necklace around her neck, she wondered if Remy and Dylan were gone.
Thinking about them being erased from Aidan’s world left her with a trace of regret. Seeing him hurt was the last thing she’d ever want. But if the magic worked in the same way each time, and he’d been flung into Sam’s alternate reality, he wouldn’t remember Remy and Dylan. That’s how it had been with Paddy. One day Paddy had been Aidan’s best buddy and the next, Aidan had sworn he’d never had a dog.
What would Aidan remember about the past couple of days, now that Samantha had looked in the spyglass again last night? Wishing for the best, she popped a bagel in the toaster, lathered it with margarine and jam, and ate it on the run as she hopped into her car and started the engine. She couldn’t wait to see Aidan. But first, she was off to visit Murphy’s Market and interrogate Claire about her relationship with Dr. Teagan.
As she put the car in reverse, the irrefutable clomp of a flat tire had her shifting the gear into park. Moaning, Sam climbed out and assessed the situation. Luckily, she knew how to change a flat, and she always kept a jack and spare tire in the trunk.
As she jacked up the car and tried not to get her clothes dirty, a vehicle rolled up behind her and parked. Her stomach twisted in a knot when glancing sideways, and she glimpsed muscular legs encased in jeans exiting a familiar pickup.
“Need some help, Love?”
Her breath caught in her throat at hearing Aidan’s deep voice. Love? Could it be possible?
He strode toward her with purposeful steps. She fully turned her head and he gave her a hand up from her crouched position. His mouth was hot and feverish when their lips met.
“Mornin’, sweetheart,” he said, holding her at arm’s length.
“Good morning!” she grinned. Yes! It was more than possible. Her prayers had been answered. Aidan was back in her arms, literally!
He whisked her into a warm embrace. She melted into his broad chest like soft butter and then wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight.
“I’ve missed you,” she breathed.
“I’ve only been gone a half hour,” he chuckled. When she finally broke her hold and they stepped apart, he held up a white paper sack that she hadn’t noticed in his hand. “I ran to the bakery for warm cinnamon donuts. Didn’t want to wake you.”
He’d only been gone thirty minutes!
His eyebrows wiggled. “I mean, I almost did nudge you awake in case you were interested in going for another round, but I decided not to push my luck. I don’t yet know if you’re a morning person.” The sly grin filling his handsome, whiskered face made her realize he was talking about two nights ago when they’d made love. But for him, this was the next morning! Which meant the past day hadn’t even existed for him. It also meant nothing had changed between them. And he was no longer married with a child. They really could take up where they’d left off.
It felt like someone had flipped a switch on inside her and turned on the
brightest, most beautiful light. “Those donuts smell delicious,” she said, smiling like a fool.
“Can the tire wait?” he asked, eyeing the deflated rubber.
“It sure can.”
“Good. I’m hungry and these are still warm.” Aidan took her hand and squeezed as they walked to the lighthouse together. “Where were you headed anyway?”
“To find you.”
“Oh. I should have left a note. I’m sorry. Thought I’d get back before you crawled out of bed.”
“It’s all right. It was very sweet of you to get us breakfast.” They stepped through the door and he kissed her again.
“I missed you, too,” he said.
She could hardly believe he was back and they were together again. A tingle danced across her shoulders and made a beeline straight to her bursting heart. “I haven’t made any coffee, but how about some orange juice?”
“I’d love some.”
She poured two glasses. “Would you like me to fry some bacon or fix some eggs to go with the donuts?”
“No. This is good. There’ll be plenty of time for you to show me your domestic side. Sit beside me and have a couple of these while they’re still warm.” He slid onto a bar stool at the counter and patted the stool next to him.
She liked how he put that. He was thinking in terms of a future together, or at least another meal.
“Who taught you how to change a flat tire?” he asked between bites.
“I figured it out on my own. I didn’t have a dad to teach me things like that.”
“Right. You mentioned having grown up with a single mom.”
“Yes. But she wasn’t much of a handy man. I learned how to stop a leak, change a fuse, caulk a window, unclog a toilet, and handle a drill before I was out of junior high.”
The Spyglass Portal: A Lighthouse Novel Page 19
