The Wedding Promise (34 page)

“I feel like I’ve come through something. That staying here, I’ve finally worked something out. But I can’t see myself going back to my old life in Boston. That wouldn’t work anymore. Maybe I’ve finally learned that I can’t keep pretending the past didn’t happen. Sooner or later, you have to own up to everything. You have to face it and accept it. And trust someone else to see and accept the whole picture, too. You showed me that, Liza.”

“By being so relentless about it?” she asked with a smile.

“Not exactly,” he admitted. “But men do need to be nudged. We have thick heads. Believe me, I know this. I’m a doctor,” he said, making her laugh. “I finally got the message that you really cared about me—enough to know everything, even if it wasn’t entirely good news.” He paused and turned to her. “As hard as it was to tell you the truth, part of me wanted you to know. Wanted you to know all of me. I haven’t let myself get this close to anyone in a long time. I haven’t wanted to. I thought, what the heck, I can leave here and start over someplace new, no problem. Then I realized I could leave the island, but I couldn’t get away from my own feelings. I’m falling in love with you, Liza. That would stay with me, wherever I ended up.”

Liza was speechless. She wondered for a moment if she was just imagining this conversation. She’d imagined it so often in her daydreams.

She didn’t exactly know what to say. But her surprised reaction had clearly pleased him.

Daniel pulled her close, his strong arms holding her tight. She could tell he was going to kiss her and finally, he did. A long, sweet, soulful kiss, expressing his love as no words ever could.

When she finally lifted her head away, she felt dazed and overwhelmed. “I love you, too,” she said quietly. “I think I have for a long time.”

Then words didn’t seem necessary. She felt so close to Daniel now. All the curtains had been lifted, the barriers between them swept aside. Their hearts were open to each other now, and anything was possible.

Finally, they decided it was time to return. They walked back along the shore, their arms twined around each other. Liza stared out at the blue sea and sheltering sky. “There is something special about this place,” she said quietly. “Something mysterious, even.”

Daniel pressed his lips to her hair. “It brought us together. That’s special enough for me.”

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

Rinse berries. Let drain and/or pat dry. They’ll give off a lot of juice as they bake, so you don’t want to add extra moisture in this step. Place the berries in a large bowl. Gently toss with lemon juice and zest.

In a small bowl, combine the white and brown sugars and the flour. Sprinkle over the fruit and toss gently to combine. If your fruit seems extra juicy, add a little bit more flour. Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish and set aside.

Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add to the butter. Using your dampened hands, blend until crumbs form. The butter will be stiff at first, but will warm up slightly as you work it with your hands. When all the dry ingredients are incorporated, add the nuts. (If you have family members and/or guests with nut allergies, old-fashioned rolled oats are a good substitution here.)

Sprinkle crumb mixture over the top of the fruit, squeezing the crumbs together to form clumps as large as you like.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crumb topping is crisp and golden and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.