“Yes.”
“Do you think I could hitch a ride as far as Doctors Hospital?”
He just stared at her for a minute.
“I’ve got an appointment with my old adviser. No promises.”
“Get a helmet.”
She shrugged into the backpack, reached in the hard case for the extra helmet, and climbed on behind him. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. Hold on.” He revved the engine and they sped away. Doc “Harley” and his ragtag band of merry do-gooders. And one hitchhiker trying to find her way home.
Acknowledgments
The writing of this story was a road trip in itself—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Much appreciation to the historical and restoration societies and preservationists up and down the coast, beginning with the Absecon Lighthouse folks in Atlantic City who were the first stop on this journey.
As always, many thanks to Kevan Lyon and Tessa Woodward, Elle Keck, and my whole William Morrow team. They’re the best.
Gail Freeman, who always seems to know that one elusive fact that I need but can’t quite put my finger on … and Google has never heard of.
To my Girls’ Weekend Away friends, Nancy, Yvonne, and Irene, who when I say, “I wonder if there’s a … ,” they say, “Get in the car, we’ll go see.” Thanks for your help turning thought into action.
There’s a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but life experience can certainly create chapters worthy of discovery.
Reading Group Guide
Why do you think Lillo decided to attend Jess’s wedding when it would have been easier and safer to stay home? Why was it so important to Jess that she come?
Are Lillo, Allie, and Diana the catalyst Jess needed to make the break that would finally let her find herself? Or was she just using them because she wasn’t strong enough to do it on her own? Did it work? Will Jess continue to grow? What do you think about depending on others to help you? Will she ever be able to reconcile with her family? Should she even want to?
And what about Lillo? Do you think she would be able to straighten out her life without Jess, Allie, and Diana? Or would the “specialness” of Lighthouse Beach alone eventually help her find her way?
Do you think Lillo is punishing herself for what she sees as her own shortcomings? Is it guilt that prevents her from going back? Why do you think she let her perception of what others thought about her, whether true or not, drive her away from a profession she loves?
What about Diana and Ian? Do they have a chance together? Why would two people apparently so different be drawn to each other?
Ian says he’s a broken soul who can’t be fixed. Do you believe that some people can’t be “fixed,” not because they’re violent or greedy but because their life beliefs have been so damaged? Is Ian one of those cases of the higher they fly, the harder they fall? Can Ian be fixed?
Allie and Mac seem to bond in this short time. They are both bound as well as nurtured by “place”—Allie to the vineyard and her family, Mac to the lighthouse and her way of life. Are these kinds of ties good or restrictive? What have these two women learned from their unexpected encounter?
Why do you think Ned Hartley (Doc) takes such an interest in Lillo? Is he just the buttinsky know-it-all she sometimes accuses him of being? Or is it something deeper?
Lighthouse Beach, like so many small towns, seems to be limping along, tied to the past and uncertain about its future (like many people). Do you think the townspeople of Lighthouse Beach will survive? What are the different ways they are responding to this situation? What about the next generation?
The sign to Lighthouse Beach says welcome to lighthouse beach, life will never be the same. Do you think certain places and communities can actually change a person’s life? Are those places really “special” or “magical,” or are they just ordinary places that are perceived differently by different people?
About the Author
SHELLEY NOBLE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Whisper Beach and Beach Colors. Other titles include Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Forever Beach—a story of foster adoption in New Jersey—and four spin-off novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, she lives on the Jersey shore and loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels. Shelley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Also by Shelley Noble
Lighthouse Beach
Christmas at Whisper Beach (novella)
Beach at Painter’s Cove
Forever Beach
Whisper Beach
A Newport Christmas Wedding (novella)
Breakwater Bay
Stargazey Night (novella)
Stargazey Point
Holidays at Crescent Cove
Beach Colors
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
lighthouse beach. Copyright © 2018 by Shelley Freydont. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
first edition
Cover photograph © BlueOrange Studio / Shutterstock
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
Digital Edition MAY 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-267597-2
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-267596-5
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