Safe Harbor (33 page)

She felt his arms around her body. He kissed her tenderly, and he felt so strong and warm, like someone who would never let her go. His lips kissed her mouth, her neck, and they whispered into her ear,

“I want to be your husband. I want to be their father.”

“‘Their'?”

“The girls'. We can adopt them, Dana.”

“Quinn and Allie,” she said.

“I want us to do it for Mark and Lily,” Sam said. “Do the best we can, give the girls everything they would have had.”

“I want that too,” Dana said, her eyes flooding.

“And a year from now,” he said, stroking her head, looking straight into her eyes, “I want us to come back here, to this exact house, with our baby.”

“Ours?”

“Yes. If you marry me now, we can do it. It can happen—we'll be teaching our baby to swim at Hubbard's Point next summer. Marry me, Dana. Say yes.”

And so she did. “Yes,” Dana said to Sam, sitting on the front porch of that little Vineyard cottage with the Atlantic breeze blowing through their hair. They rocked and kissed, holding each other for hours while the stars wheeled through the sky. She thought of love, and she thought of life, she dreamed of the children she and Lily had been, and the ones sleeping inside now, and she dreamed of the ones she and Sam would have.

If it were a painting, it wouldn't be a water column.

It would be a family, playing on a wide, sandy beach at the edge of a calm sea. The sun would be setting, and a full moon, like the one in the sky now, would be rising. Mermaids would have cast their nets, and the sea would be alive with silver fish. The people, all standing together, would be a family. The love on their faces would be as true as life, more real than wishes. It would be the love Dana had in her heart.

That would be her painting, and she knew, holding Sam that moonlit Vineyard night, that it would be her life.

They stayed awake all night. Partly because they didn't want to let go of each other, partly to keep up the delight they felt about what was to come. But mostly, Dana knew, as a way of keeping vigil with Lily. As a way to prepare for saying good-bye.

 

T
HE SEA WAS FLAT CALM.
The boat was small, a little lobster boat Sam had borrowed from an old retired oceanographer who lived on the island. Quinn and Allie wore their life jackets, standing on deck while Sam drove them from Edgartown Harbor all the way around the island to Gay Head.

The cliffs looked bright red and orange in the sunlight. They rose from the sea, and some of their clay had washed off, turning the near-shore water opaque. Quinn scanned the scene. She looked for the lighthouse, and from there she found their cottage, her superior sense of direction working again.

She thought about it now: how she had cut the window for Aunt Dana, how she had told Allie to keep them heading east to get to this island. Well, the window was working out fine. Mr. Nichols had shored up the old garage, building a skylight in the process. It was going to be Aunt Dana's official studio, a gift from Grandma.

And this trip to the island was working out too. Quinn held the brass can, but Allie didn't move too far away. The time had come to scatter their parents' ashes. The girls were finally ready, and what better place than the sea, just off the island where they had met?

“Tell me where,” Sam called from the wheelhouse.

“I will,” Quinn called back.

She and Allie glanced back at Sam and Aunt Dana. They were standing very close together, looking like a team. They kept smiling, as if they had a secret, and yawning, as if they hadn't slept all night. Quinn didn't have to read any diaries or eavesdrop at any doors to know they were getting married. She had a special sense for big things, and she could read it in their eyes.

“Where should we do it?” Allie asked.

“I don't know,” Quinn said, looking around. “Where do you think?”

“Up there,” Allie said, pointing at a patch of clear water where the sunlight looked like diamonds.

Quinn nodded. Just seeing the spot gave her a lump in her throat. She held the box tighter to her chest. Allie slipped her hand under Quinn's arm, touching the metal box. They stood locked together, the two sisters and their parents, just the four of them, alone for the last time.

“This is it,” Allie whispered.

“I know.”

“Do you have the flowers?”

Allie went to the place behind the wheelhouse where she had laid the bouquet—the last flowers from their mother's garden at Hubbard's Point, some white roses from the garden in Aquinnah.

“Right here,” Quinn said just as the boat reached the spot.

Sam cut the throttle. He and Aunt Dana came up front. Very gently, Aunt Dana tried to take the box. Quinn's hands stuck to it; she couldn't seem to let go. But then she saw Allie smiling, and she did.

Aunt Dana was looking at the box. Her blue eyes looked very gentle. She had a soft smile on her face, but tears were pooling in her eyes. She held the box as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Then, very carefully, she pried the lid off the top.

Quinn and Allie dipped their hands in, taking handfuls of their parents' ashes. They threw them overboard, letting the wind scatter them across the waves. They had died in the ocean, and Quinn knew it was the place they had loved best. She pictured her father at the helm of his boat, and she saw her mother standing beside him, smiling with love.

“Mommy, Daddy,” Quinn whispered so no one else, not even Allie, could hear.

She heard Allie whispering the same thing. Then Aunt Dana reached in, and when she let the ashes blow from her hand, Quinn remembered what her mother had said about sisters:
Love your sister, Quinn, the way I love mine.
So while Aunt Dana was scattering the ashes of her sister, Lily, Quinn took the hand of her sister, Allie.

“You too, Sam,” Quinn said.

“Oh, that's okay,” he said. “I don't belong—”

“Yes, you do,” Quinn said insistently. “You're part of our family. We wouldn't have this boat if it weren't for you. Go ahead.”

“Please,” Allie said.

And so Sam took his turn, while Aunt Dana slipped her arm around his waist, hiding her face in his shoulder so no one would see her crying. Then Allie stepped forward with the white flowers, and she threw them in.

Allie's flowers, Quinn's gifts. They were taken every time. Every single time, Quinn thought now.

She had to turn her face away, because she was crying too. This was really good-bye. Her parents were in the sea for good. She watched the sunlight sparkle, taking their ashes and the flowers farther away. She thought of the full moon last night, and wondered whether some of its silver light was left on the waves, whether mermaids were swimming just beneath the surface to take her parents to a better place.

“Good-bye, Mommy,” Quinn whispered, tears shining on her cheeks as the sunlight gleamed on the bright blue waves.

Good-bye, my love, good-bye, Aquinnah Jane. . . . I know you are safe, I know you are loved. . . .

Quinn heard the words in the wind, and when she turned to look over her sister's shoulder, she saw a clear wave breaking on the shoal, its transparent curl filled with tiny bright fish and a shining green tail. And Quinn could swear that although the sun was still up, she saw a mermaid's silver net, filled with love and sea fire and an armload of white flowers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L
UANNE
R
ICE
is the author of
True Blue, Safe Harbor,
Summer Light, Firefly Beach, Dream Country, Follow the Stars Home
—a recent Hallmark Hall of Fame feature—
Cloud Nine, Home Fires, Secrets of Paris, Stone Heart, Angels All Over Town, Crazy in Love,
which has been made into a TNT Network feature movie, and
Blue Moon,
which has been made into a CBS television movie. She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut.

also by Luanne Rice

True Blue

Summer Light

Firefly Beach

Dream Country

Follow the Stars Home

Cloud Nine

Home Fires

Blue Moon

Secrets of Paris

Stone Heart

Crazy in Love

Angels All Over Town

PRAISE FOR THE LUMINOUS NOVELS OF
LUANNE RICE

SAFE HARBOR

“Luanne Rice has a talent for navigating the emotions that range through familial bonds, from love and respect to anger. . . . A beautiful blend of love and humor, with a little bit of magic thrown in,
Safe Harbor
is Rice's best work to date.” —
The Denver Post

“Irresistible . . . fast-paced . . . moving . . . Through Rice's vivid storytelling, readers can almost smell the sea air. Rice has a gift for creating realistic characters and the pages fly by as those characters explore the bonds of family while unraveling the mystery.” —
The Orlando Sentinel

“Heartwarming and convincing . . . a meditation on the importance of family ties . . . buoyed by Rice's evocative prose and her ability to craft intelligent, three-dimensional characters.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This paean to sisterhood and the joy of sailing is an excellent escape . . . and readers who enjoyed
Firefly Beach
will happily reunite with some old friends.”
—Booklist

“Luanne Rice's exploration of the difficult emotional balance between professional success, personal fulfillment and family ties is pure gold. Evocative descriptions add interest to an already compelling tale. Equal parts romance, mystery, and character study . . . Readers beware: don't start this book at bedtime; you may not sleep at all!”
—Library Journal

“A story for romantics who have never forgotten their first love.” —
The State
(Columbia, SC)

“Rice is a deft scene-setter and sketcher of character.” —
Kirkus Reviews

“A story you will remember for years to come.” —
The Facts

TRUE BLUE

“With its graceful prose, full-bodied characters and atmospheric setting, this uplifting and enchanting tale is likely to become a beachside staple.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Rice, as always, provides her readers with a delightful love story filled with the subtle nuances of the human heart.”
—Booklist

FIREFLY BEACH

“A beautifully textured summertime read.” —
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Rice does a masterful job of telling this powerful story of love and reconciliation.” —
Booklist

SUMMER LIGHT

“Few . . . authors are able to portray the complex and contradictory emotions that bind family members as effortlessly as Rice. . . . This poignant tale of love, loss, and reconciliation will have readers hitting the bookstores.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Rice's fans will enjoy this well-spun yarn.” —
The Orlando Sentinel

“The prolific Rice skillfully blends romance with magic.” —
Booklist

“As can be expected from Rice, a touching story that will be hard to forget. Keep those tissues close at hand.” —
The Facts

“Luanne Rice awakens in the reader the excitement of summer and love at first sight in this enjoyable novel.” —
Abilene Reporter-News
(Texas)

DREAM COUNTRY

“A moving story of love and reunion . . . an absolute joy to read . . . I finally put
Dream Country
down at 2 a.m. and almost called in sick the next day to finish it.” —
The Denver Post

“Superb . . . Stunning.” —
Houston Chronicle

“Captivating . . .
Dream Country
will cast a spell on readers.” —
The Orlando Sentinel

“A transcendent story about the power of hope and family love . . . a compelling plot and nuanced character portrayals contribute to the emotional impact. . . . Rice creates believable dramatic tension.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Engaging . . . a taut thriller . . . Rice's descriptive gifts are impressive.” —
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis)

“A story so real it will be deeply etched into the hearts of its readers . . . Rice once again delivers a wonderfully complex and full-bodied romance.” —
Booklist

“Highly readable . . . moving . . . a well-paced plot . . . Rice pulls off some clever surprises.” —
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Poignant.” —
The Midwest Book Review

FOLLOW THE STARS HOME

“Addictive . . . irresistible.” —
People

“Involving, moving . . . stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.” —
The Denver Post

“Uplifting . . . The novel's theme—love's miraculous ability to heal—has the ingredients to warm readers' hearts.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Rice has once again created a tender story of a new family unit, where love and loyalty are more important than biology and where learning to trust again opens the door to happiness.” —
Library Journal

“A novel by Luanne Rice is the best thing . . . for times when a reader needs a lump in the throat and a teardrop on the page.” —
The Sunday Oklahoman

“A moving romance that also illuminates the tangled resentments, ties and allegiances of family life . . . Rice spins a web of three families intertwined by affection and conflict. . . . [She] is a gifted storyteller with a keen sense of both the possibilities and contingencies of life.” —
Times Record
(Brunswick, Maine)

“Powerhouse author Luanne Rice returns with a novel guaranteed to wrench your emotional heartstrings. Deeply moving and rich with emotion,
Follow the Stars Home
is another of Ms. Rice's classics.” —
Romantic Times

“Beautiful, touching . . . Emotions run deep in this heartwarming tale. . . . This unforgettable journey will stay with you long after you've read the last chapter.” —
Rendezvous

“Rice's story of love and redemption will please fans of her tender and poignant style.” —
Booklist

“Heartwarming . . . This is a novel that will touch readers' hearts.” —
The Sunday Oklahoman

CLOUD NINE

“A tightly paced story that is hard to put down . . . Rice's message remains a powerful one: the strength of precious family ties can ultimately set things right.” —
Publishers Weekly

“One of those rare reading experiences that we always hope for when cracking the cover of a book . . . A joy.” —
Library Journal

“Elegant . . . Rice hooks the reader on the first page.” —
The Hartford Courant

“Warm, sweet, and deeply touching . . . a novel filled with poignant emotion and the fine, soft twist of elegant storytelling . . . a heartfelt look inside the workings of ordinary yet extraordinary lives.” —Deborah Smith, author of
When Venus Fell

“A celebration of family and the healing power of love. Poignant and powerful . . . One of those rare books which refreshes and renews the landscape of women's fiction for a new generation of readers.” —Jayne Ann Krentz, author of
Sharp Edges

HOME FIRES

“Exciting, emotional, terrific. What more could you want from a late-summer read?” —
The New York Times Book Review

“Compelling . . . poignant . . . riveting.” —
The Hartford Advocate

“Rice makes us believe that healing is possible.” —
Chicago Tribune

“Good domestic drama is Rice's chosen field, and she knows every acre of it. . . . Rice's home fires burn brighter than most, and leave more than a few smoldering moments to remember.” —
Kirkus Reviews

BLUE MOON

“Brilliant.” —
Entertainment Weekly

“A rare combination of realism and romance.” —
The New York Times Book Review

“Eloquent . . . A moving and complete tale of the complicated phenomenon we call family.” —
People

More critical acclaim for

LUANNE RICE

“What a lovely writer Luanne Rice is.” —Dominick Dunne

“Ms. Rice shares Anne Tyler's ability to portray offbeat, fey characters winningly.” —
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Luanne Rice handles with marvelous insight and sensitivity the complex chemistry of a family that might be the one next door.” —Eileen Goudge

“Miss Rice writes as naturally as she breathes.” —Brendan Gill