“Thank you, ladies. I have to say, I really can’t take too much credit. Someone just designed me this way.” He smiled happily and shrugged, then glanced at Claire with a teasing light in his eye.
She smiled back and laughed. She knew who that someone was, too, and had just been thinking the same thing.
Nolan suddenly turned to his daughter, holding out the letter she had brought him. “Though I must say, while it feels good to be acknowledged for my inventions with a letter like this, it pales in comparison to the feeling of finding you here today, sweetheart. That’s the true joy that fills my heart to overflowing.” He stopped speaking for a moment, because his voice had become shaky. He took a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was firm and confident. “Knowing you’re back in my life, Fiona, that’s what makes me a truly happy man.”
“Oh, Dad, I love you, too.” Fiona looked as if she might cry as she leaned over and shared a heartfelt embrace with Nolan.
When they parted, Nolan looked a little teary-eyed but was laughing, too, Claire was glad to see. “We all have a lot to celebrate today,” she said happily. “I’m going to make a special dinner . . . and dessert. Any requests?”
Nolan leaned back and grinned. “My, my . . . what a question. I really have to think carefully about that.” He turned to Fiona. “Claire is the most wonderful cook in the world. Wait until you taste her cooking. You won’t believe it.”
“Oh, now, Nolan . . . I thought scientists never overstate the situation. You’re losing your objectivity,” she teased him.
“Maybe. But it’s hard to be objective when I feel so happy,” he said honestly. “Why, it seems a sign that I must stay for the wedding now and join in all that celebration.”
“Oh, a sign? I thought you didn’t believe in such things.” Claire couldn’t resist teasing him.
Nolan laughed at her again. “I only meant it as a figure of speech. Like saying ‘I’m so happy I could dance a jig.’” He suddenly stood up and took her hand, pulling her out of her chair, as he hummed a familiar, lighthearted tune. “Like this, you see. Because I am that happy now,” he stated between his music-making.
“Nolan . . . what are you doing?” Claire protested a bit, but really had no choice but to follow his steps, dancing around the kitchen. She felt a bit silly and self-conscious at first, holding on tight as Nolan swept her around the room, his hand at her waist and his other hand holding her own. Edison jumped up and followed them, barking and dancing along in his own way.
Nolan was a good dancer, easy to follow, his feet moving smoothly and lightly across the shiny pine plank floors. Just as she was getting used to their little jig, she felt herself flung out and spun around. Then Nolan was pulling her back again with flair, like a dance team on a TV show.
“Oh . . . my . . . You should have warned me about that,” she said, feeling both thrilled and a little shocked.
Fiona laughed, cheering them on. “You two make a good pair. It’s wonderful to see you dancing again, Dad.”
“It’s nice to be dancing. It’s good to be alive.” He smiled into Claire’s eyes and suddenly stopped. “I’ve learned something here. Come what may, every day, good or bad, every hour . . . is a great gift. Just as you told me, Claire.”
She smiled up at him, feeling breathless from the dancing and joyful from the fullness in her heart. She felt peaceful, too, thinking back to the morning Nolan had been rescued and how he had confessed that, at one point, he’d been resigned to going down and wasn’t even sure that would have been such a bad thing.
But now he knew how wrong that had been. He was a new man, finally able to look forward and live his life to the fullest, and with joy.
Epilogue
LIZA and Daniel could have reserved the best suite at the inn for their honeymoon night. Instead, they decided to leave that room for their relatives or friends who had traveled from a distance. “I think on that very special night, we should go camping,” Daniel had suggested a few days before the wedding.
Liza had just looked at him, wondering if he was totally serious. Did he really want to pitch a tent out on the beach on such a momentous night in their lives? Besides, it was getting cold out in the evenings.
But before she could gently present the reasons why camping might not be the best idea, Daniel added, “Up in our new apartment, I mean. I know it’s not the most comfortable spot in the world right now. But it would have lots of meaning, starting off our life together in our new home.”
Liza smiled instantly. “What a great idea . . . that’s perfect. Perfect for us,” she added, hugging him tight.
Their wedding ceremony, presided over by Reverend Ben, and their celebration, which had filled every room of the inn and lasted for hours, had all been perfect, too. The most beautiful and joyous day of her life, Liza was sure.
Liza didn’t know how she would have gotten through the final days and hours building up to the wedding without Claire, who had so calmly managed all the last-minute details of the wedding, helped her dress, and even walked her down the aisle as a surrogate mother, with Liza’s brother, Peter, on the other side.
Much to everyone’s delight, Edison had led the way as the official flower dog. Nolan had fastened a red satin bow tie to his collar and trained him to carry a basket of miniature roses.
Liza had been glad to see Claire and Nolan enjoying the evening together. Nolan was leaving bright and early tomorrow. He was heading back to Portland by train and coming back in a few weeks to pick up the Ariadne. The unexpected sale of his invention had changed his life dramatically; he was going back to tie up loose ends, as he put it. Liza was sure that he and Claire would keep in touch, and that this was hardly the last they would see of the eccentric inventor and his dog.
It had been a perfect day in every way. A day of pure, overwhelming happiness—and Liza knew its glow would last in her heart forever.
It wasn’t quite midnight when she found herself alone with Daniel—and very thankful for that fact—as he led her up to the construction-in-progress space that would soon be their new bedroom.
Daniel had carefully set up everything, telling Liza not to peek. Some walls had been torn down, and more would be soon, so there wasn’t any electricity in that part of the house. But when he allowed her to open her eyes again, Liza found a cozy, inviting space lit by camping lanterns and candles and decorated with vases full of flowers swiped from their wedding reception, and even a midnight snack on a silver tray. There was a large, soft mattress on the floor, covered by a beautiful quilt and piles of pillows that he must have found in storage somewhere. With Claire’s help, no doubt.
Liza stood in the doorway and took it all in. “Oh my goodness . . . you’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” She turned to him with a surprised laugh.
He smiled at her lovingly. “I got a kit from the camping store. The package said, ‘Just add bride.’ And here you are,” he added. Before Liza could protest, he swept her up and carried her over the threshold.
When he put her down again, they kissed and held each other tight. Liza pressed her cheek to Daniel’s chest and gazed out the new glass door, which would soon lead to a private deck. The moon was bright and the night sky was sprinkled with a thousand stars, the blue-black sea shimmering and mysterious. The light in their room was so low, she could see it all quite clearly.
“I’m so happy tonight, it feels like a dream to me,” she confessed.
“I feel the same. At least I did when I watched you walking down the aisle toward me. You were the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. And celebrating with everyone we love, it was the most wonderful day of my life, too. By far.” He was quiet a moment, softly stroking her hair. “But I know that tomorrow is going to be even better. Because it’s not a dream, Liza. Tomorrow is the first day of our new life together. After all this time . . . after all we’ve been through together, it’s finally here.
I feel as if we’ve run some marathon but . . . we made it,” he added with a small, deep laugh.
Liza smiled. “It got a little scary there,” she admitted. “But love pulled us through. Our prayers were answered . . . in a way I’d never imagined, with the most perfect solution. I’m still so amazed and thankful, I can’t believe it’s true.”
“So am I, sweetheart. So am I,” Daniel said quietly. “I know there will be other challenges for us somewhere down the road. But I know now that we both learned something—how to stick together no matter what life throws at us.”
He leaned his head down and kissed her, and she knew it was true. They had both learned an important lesson the last few weeks; one she would never forget.
No matter where they went, or what obstacles rose up in their path, they would always find some solution, some new direction that would lead them out of their dilemma, even where there didn’t seem to be any. As long as they remembered to believe in their deep love for each other . . . and in help from heaven above.
Claire North’s Rustic Peach Tart
Claire loves to make this tart at the height of the summer, when peaches are ripe and sweet. When the mood strikes, she tosses in 1/2 cup blueberries or raspberries to make the tart more colorful. But pure peach filling is perfect on its own. Served with vanilla ice cream, the dessert makes a memorable treat on a warm summer night.
You can use any recipe for pie dough. Claire’s own is below. Or use premade pie dough or puff pastry sheets.
Ingredients
Claire’s Dependable Pie Dough (recipe follows)
Or: 11/2 sheets premade pie dough or puff pastry
4–6 ripe peaches (about 3 or 4 cups, sliced)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon flour, plus extra for rolling dough
4 tablespoons butter
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon white sugar
Equipment
Rolling pin
Pizza wheel
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet—rimless is best
Pastry brush
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare Claire North’s pie crust recipe as directed below. (Or use 11/2 sheets premade pie dough or puff pastry. Flatten sheets and lay side by side, slightly overlapping in order to stick together to make one large sheet.)
Roll out dough, large, flat, and square. Using a large pot cover (10–12 inches wide) as your guide, cut out the largest disc possible with a pizza wheel. Loosely roll it up on the floured rolling pin and unroll onto the center of parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill in refrigerator while you make the filling.
Peel and slice peaches 1/4-inch thin into a large bowl. Add lemon juice, zest, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and one tablespoon of flour. Mix thoroughly but gently, so that peach slices don’t break.
Pile peaches in the center of dough circle, leaving a 3-inch border. Pull up edges of dough toward the center of the circle, draping and folding. The center of the tart will be open.
Dot uncovered peaches at center of tart with bits of butter.
If desired, cover dough with egg wash: In a small bowl, beat together egg and water. Brush mixture on dough with pastry brush and sprinkle lightly with a teaspoon of white sugar.
Bake for 25–35 minutes, until the peaches are tender and the crust is golden.
Claire’s Dependable Pie Crust
Ingredients
21/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
2 tablespoons shortening, chilled
1⁄3 cup ice water
Directions
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl or a food processor. Mix through by hand with a fork or wire whisk. (Or pulse to mix.) Add butter and shortening.
Mix by hand with pastry tool, or fork, until butter is in small bits—you should still see pieces about raisin-size. (Or pulse to mix.) Do not overmix. Better to be lumpy and undermixed.
Add water and continue to mix until dough just begins to make a ball. Pour out on floured board and shape into a ball. Chill for one hour in refrigerator.
Harbor of the Heart Page 26