“I think he’d be perfect.”
“I do, too. But I wonder if he’ll stay. Our first wave of guests will hit on July Fourth weekend. I’m going to need someone for the whole summer. Do you think Nolan will stay that long?”
“He needs to fix his boat. It’s much easier for him to work on it here than to move it up to Maine or into Boston,” Daniel reminded her. “I already told him I’m going to loan him some tools and put him together with Harry Reilly,” Daniel said, mentioning a friend who owned a boatyard. “Harry can help him get some materials for a good price. Nolan was happy to hear that.”
“I bet he was. I think I will offer him the job. But first I need to talk to Claire. Can I tell her why you won’t be working here this summer?”
“I don’t want to broadcast it yet. But sure, you can tell Claire. She already knows I was once a doctor, though I didn’t tell her why I gave it up.”
Knowing Claire, she had not pried or judged him, Liza thought. “Well, she’s going to be curious when I mention hiring Nolan. She’s the one who will have to work with him most closely, and even supervise him some of the time.”
“I doubt she’ll object. Nolan and Claire get along pretty well. He’s a physicist and she’s a housekeeper and cook . . . but I hear them talking about everything from gardening to quantum theory.”
Liza laughed. “I noticed that, too. They both have a very simple, straightforward way of looking at the world. I think that helps. They do disagree about spiritual matters, like the other night at the dinner table,” she reminded him. “But it’s not really arguing. I think they enjoy those debates, too.”
“Oh, I think they enjoy those conversations the most. I don’t think either of them will mind working together this summer at all.”
Liza thought that was true. She would tell Claire her idea tomorrow morning and, hopefully, offer Nolan the job tomorrow, too.
* * *
CLAIRE was much in favor of the idea of hiring Nolan. “I know we need an extra hand around here in the busy season. But doing repairs, too? What about Daniel? Is he going away for some big project again?”
Daniel had been up in Maine for most of the summer last year, helping to build a summerhouse for a friend of his. Liza wasn’t sure she should tell Claire about Daniel’s decision to return to medicine.
But it was hard not to confide in Claire, who had become one of her closest friends, practically—family—these past years. And she knew Claire loved Daniel, too, and would be excited for him.
“You know that Daniel used to be a doctor, before he came to live here,” Liza began.
Claire nodded. “Yes, I do. He told me a long time ago, before you came to the island.”
“Well, he’s decided that he wants to go back to medicine, and he found out what he needs to do. That’s why he went into the city yesterday. He had to visit the medical board and some other places.”
“He did? Oh, that’s wonderful news. I’m so happy for him . . . for both of you,” she added.
Liza offered a hopeful smile in return. “It’s not an easy road. He needs to take some heavy courses and study for the next month and a half. He’s going to take the summer off from work and give it his full attention . . . and he’d rather not let everyone know right now,” she added. “I think he needs to start the courses and see if it’s really going to work out for him.”
“I understand completely.” Claire nodded. “Thank you for confiding in me. But I won’t say a word about it.”
Liza trusted Claire to be discreet, though she could tell from her expression that Claire’s thoughts were already leaping ahead, wondering what this development meant for her and Daniel as a couple.
The truth was, Liza didn’t really know. Though deep inside, she felt something was changing, moving forward. Not just for Daniel, but for both of them.
Chapter Five
CLAIRE dropped Nolan off at Reilly’s Boatyard on Sunday morning on her way to church. “The service ends around eleven. I’ll come back and pick you up. Or you can walk up to the village green and wait for me there,” she suggested. “The park is shady and has a nice view.”
Claire had pointed out a few sights on their way, including the church and the green. Nolan had been with them almost a week and hadn’t seen much of Cape Light, except for the plumbing supply shop.
“I showed you the green, remember? Just backtrack along this street that runs along the water. You can’t miss it.”
“We’ll find each other, don’t worry.” Nolan smiled as he jumped out of the Jeep. “Thanks for the lift. See you later.”
He was a happy man this morning, Claire noted as she drove away. Quite a different man than the one they had pulled out of the sea last Monday.
He had been surprised by Liza’s job offer yesterday, but had accepted immediately. Liza and Claire had both wondered if he might think the position demeaning and a blow to his dignity. After all, he held advanced degrees in engineering and physics, and his usual job descriptions were college professor and inventor. He was clearly overqualified to unstuff the drains at the inn or tote luggage up and down the stairs.
But it didn’t appear that such an objection had crossed Nolan’s mind. He was eager to repair the Ariadne, and working at the inn gave him both the means and the perfect place to accomplish that. Daniel had put him in touch with a boatyard that could supply materials at bargain prices, so Nolan was the happiest man in town this morning, Claire guessed. He deserved a break or two. She’d been praying for him, and would continue to.
A short time later, she sat in a rear pew of the old stone church and listened to Reverend Ben’s sermon. He was talking about the same Scripture she had quoted to Nolan on his first night at the inn: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Quite a coincidence, Claire thought. Though the truth was, there were no coincidences, not really. The verses of Scripture offered a wonderful lesson, worth remembering every day, in every encounter.
“The Gospel urges us to see one another the way that God sees us,” Reverend Ben explained. “Everyone we meet, kin, friend, and stranger, are of equal worth, equal value—regardless of their outward appearance. We are all God’s children, perfect in His sight. And everyone is deserving of respect, and of a helping hand if they were to appear, unexpected and uninvited, at our door . . .”
Someone had come in late and sat down right next to her. Claire was focused on the sermon and hardly noticed. But when she heard a polite throat-clearing, she turned her head.
Nolan met her glance and offered a small smile. Then he opened his bulletin and glanced at the pages with curiosity, as if he were visiting some distant, exotic culture—or making observations for an experiment.
As Reverend Ben concluded and left the pulpit, the choir began to sing the anthem. Claire leaned over to Nolan. “I thought you were going to wait in the park.”
“You seem quite devoted. It got me curious. Thought I’d see what goes on here,” he whispered back.
Claire noticed people looking at them; church friends she knew well. Had they overheard the conversation? Well, what if they had? She would have to field some questions—or avoid them.
Claire rarely came to church with anyone. Certainly not a friend like Nolan.
She felt her cheeks grow red, though she wasn’t sure why she felt so flustered. The big, lazy ceiling fan offered some breeze, but was not really up to the job of cooling the sanctuary on a hot summer day, and she fanned herself with her church bulletin.
Nolan sat attentively for the rest of the service, even rising to sing the hymns. He had a good voice, she noticed, deep and strong; though he did not recite the prayer responses, which Claire thought was perfectly appropriate, all things considered.
When the service was over, Claire assumed they would slip out the side door and avoid the congregants waiti
ng to chat with Reverend Ben. But Nolan had other ideas and steered her toward the line.
“I’d like to meet your minister. Is there some reason you would rather not introduce me?”
“Of course not. I didn’t think you’d be interested,” she replied honestly.
“I liked his sermon, what I heard of it. I haven’t been inside a church in years. Might as well get the full treatment, right?”
Claire didn’t know how to answer. His remark sounded a bit flip, but she didn’t think Nolan meant any offense. “If you like, we’ll wait to meet him.”
As they took a place in line, Vera Plante, an old friend of Claire’s, walked over to greet her. Vera was a retired schoolteacher who took in boarders at her big house in the village. Claire could tell she was curious about Nolan, and hoped she didn’t ask too many questions.
Claire wasn’t sure if Nolan would feel comfortable talking about his boating accident and being rescued by Daniel in the storm. In fact, she had a feeling he wouldn’t like that at all. There was no time to ask him, so she decided not to mention it.
“Morning, Claire. Have you brought a friend to church today?”
Claire forced a smile. She was going to be the talk of coffee hour whether she liked it or not. “This is Nolan Porter, Vera. He’s working at the inn this summer. He was interested in visiting our church.” He was interested in observing the activity from a scientific point of view would have been a more accurate report, but that would have sounded a little clinical, Claire decided.
Nolan politely extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, same here,” the older woman said with a smile. “Well, I hope you enjoyed the service and hope you two have a lovely day. Do something fun and enjoy this beautiful weather—a real treat after all the rain last week.”
Claire’s eyebrows jumped a notch, but she tried not to show much reaction. Vera made it sound as if they were out on a date and the church service was the first stop.
“It is perfect weather. But we’ll both be working at the inn. We have quite a few guests there this weekend.”
“Yes, very busy at the inn,” Nolan chimed in, though Claire could see that the way he said it made Vera think he was covering up something.
But before the conversation could be continued—and confused even further—it was time for Claire and Nolan to greet Reverend Ben.
“Good to see you, Claire.” Reverend Ben greeted her with a smile and a brief hug.
“This is Nolan Porter, Reverend. He’s just started working at the inn. He heard your sermon and wanted to meet you.”
Reverend Ben turned to Nolan with a pleased expression. “How do you do, Nolan? Thanks for coming this morning.”
“I was just curious,” Nolan admitted. “I’m not a churchgoer; never have been. But Claire seems to set a great store by her beliefs. I was interested to see what inspires her.”
“Really?” Reverend Ben seemed surprised by that reply. “Did you figure it out?”
“Haven’t had enough time to observe and consider the question, Reverend. But it is a fascinating one.”
“It certainly is. When you’ve figured it out, please let me know,” the reverend added in his typical offhand way.
“I will, sir. Nice to meet you.”
“It was very nice to meet you, Nolan. Come observe us again, anytime,” Reverend Ben replied sincerely. Then he met Claire’s gaze again with a small smile and nodded a silent good-bye.
Thank You, God, for blessing me with a minister with a good sense of humor. And one who isn’t so full of himself that he can’t appreciate the way Your hand has crafted us each with lovely eccentricities that make us all interesting and unique.
Nolan was certainly unique in the way he viewed the world and acted in it. Claire had to admit that at times her first impulse was to judge him. She wondered now if he had been delivered into her life as some sort of lesson in learning how to restrain judgment and simply enjoy and appreciate a personality and perspective so different from her own. He was refreshing company, even if he had embarrassed her a bit this morning. Though Vera’s curious looks and assumptions are really not his fault, she quickly reminded herself.
If they talked this week on the phone—and Claire was almost certain Vera would call—she would have to straighten out any misconceptions.
“It is a beautiful day, even if we do have to spend the better part of it working,” Nolan said as they walked out of the church and onto the green.
“It doesn’t seem fair sometimes,” Claire admitted. “But you’ll have plenty of time off. Just not on Saturdays and Sundays, like everyone else. You’ll get used to it.”
“I’m happy to be on any schedule at all. I find it a little disorienting to have my time so unstructured I can’t even tell what day of the week it is. That’s the way I felt out on the boat,” he admitted. “A bit lost at sea. It’s good to be back on solid ground and have honest work for my hands to do. How long have you been at the inn, Claire? You mentioned once that you worked there even before Liza came?”
Claire was surprised that he remembered. She had told him that the first day, when he was still in bed recovering from the near-drowning.
“I worked for Liza’s aunt, Elizabeth Dunne,” Claire explained as she and Nolan got into her Jeep and she started back to the island. “Elizabeth and her husband, Clive, opened the inn, oh, let’s see . . . almost fifty years ago now. They were both artists who had come from the city to live on the island but also needed steady income. They did a fine job with the inn. But when Clive died and Elizabeth was running the place by herself, she needed some help. That’s when I came on. Later when she got sick . . . well, I helped keep things running and helped her, too.”
“You nursed her, you mean?”
Claire nodded. “She had a weak heart and caught pneumonia one winter. We thought she was getting better and brought her home from the hospital. But she could never quite shake it.”
It was a difficult subject to talk about; it brought back so many memories, most of them happy, but some painful. Claire tried to lighten the conversation. “Elizabeth was a good artist; watercolors, mostly. Artistic talent seems to run in that family. Liza was a graphic artist and worked for an advertising agency before she moved out here. She still has many of her aunt’s paintings hanging up in the rooms.”
“I’ve noticed a few. I’ve noticed the signature. ‘E. Dunne.’” Nolan nodded. “And what about you? Were you raised in New England?”
“Me? Whatever gives you that idea?” Claire asked innocently. When he laughed, she couldn’t help laughing, too. “Yes, in New England. Right here on the island.”
They had come to the land bridge. The gate was up, and they started to cross.
“Angel Island, really? That’s amazing. It must have been an unusual childhood, growing up out here.”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t have anything to compare it with. So it seemed very normal to me.”
Nolan laughed again. Claire was just being honest, but he seemed to enjoy her frankness.
“So you’ve never lived anywhere else? You’ve never traveled?”
“Oh, I’ve seen a bit of the world. I traveled through Europe in my twenties, and have been around many parts of the U.S. I lived in Boston for a year or two,” she added, “working at a settlement house. It was very gratifying. But when my father took sick, there was no one else to take care of him, so I came back home. And here I am, still,” she concluded. “What was it Henry Thoreau said? ‘I’ve traveled widely in Concord’? Well, I’ve traveled widely on Angel Island and in Cape Light. It’s fine for me, for now.”
“You seem satisfied with your life. That’s worth more than gold,” Nolan said as he gazed out the window.
The Jeep was skimming along the narrow road that connected the mainland with the island. Blue waves lapped at the
piles of rocks on either side of the road, and seabirds swooped and dipped overhead.
“It’s a beautiful place, as perfect as any on earth. I’m very blessed to live here. I give thanks every morning,” she replied honestly.
Nolan glanced at her. “Then you’re one of the few people I’ve ever met who are wise enough to know when they’re content, myself not included. But I’m trying to do better,” he added quietly.
“Tell me about yourself, Nolan. Were you raised in Maine?”
“Yes, up north, near Bar Harbor. I had a younger brother, but he died quite young. My mother never really recovered. She stayed at home and took care of me, was quite devoted . . . and protective, as you might imagine. My father was a science teacher. A great influence on me,” he added. “He taught me to observe and appreciate the natural world. He built a little cabin on a lake for the family, and I helped him. It wasn’t much, barely had indoor plumbing. But I loved our visits there. I could go out in the woods all day and collect insects and toads or lizards. I could fish, or just watch the fish. That water was so clear,” he added in a wistful tone. “I would watch an anthill or the clouds passing for hours,” he recalled. “While growing up, I spent a lot of time alone, I guess. But nature was my companion, and a very entertaining one.”
“That sounds like a perfect childhood,” Claire said. “Apart from being an only child, I mean. When did you decide that you wanted to be a scientist and an inventor?”
“Oh, I was always interested in how things worked. How a kite could stay up in the air or why you hear a sound if you put your ear to a seashell. I was always making little gadgets from odds and ends I’d find . . . or pilfer. Most of them didn’t work, but I had some good ideas. I once took the engine of my father’s car apart,” he recalled. “He was furious, of course. But I was able to put it back together, and it ran even better than before. Soon he started bragging to all his friends about my mechanical abilities,” Nolan said with a laugh. “My father was very proud of my accomplishments. Though I wish he’d lived to see me create some truly great invention.”
Harbor of the Heart Page 8
