Harbor of the Heart

by Katherine Spencer

Nolan’s head tilted back and he grinned. “Why didn’t you tell me that before? That’s why everyone is so quiet.” His tone was very definite and satisfied, as if he had arrived at the solution to some scientific question or math equation.

  “Guess it will be a Scrabble tournament tonight,” he added, looking over at Claire. “I don’t want to retire early and miss this.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Claire replied.

  Liza and Daniel took a walk on the beach after dinner, just in time to catch the sunset. Needing some distraction from their long wait when they returned to the inn, they decided to sketch out plans for their new living quarters, which would be on the mostly vacant third floor.

  “I’ve been spoiling myself by keeping a room on the second floor all this time,” Liza admitted. “It’s one of the nicest rooms in the house, and I can certainly use an extra guest room during the season.”

  “Our new apartment will be great. I’m sure you won’t miss it,” Daniel promised as he began to sketch their living quarters on a piece of graph paper. “I may not be able to do all the work myself—if I get a job quickly. But I can probably get it started and leave the finishing work to someone else, like Sam Morgan.”

  “Of course. If you find a job you like, you might need to start right away.” Daniel hadn’t mentioned Dr. Mitchell’s clinic again, and neither had Liza. She was content with avoiding the topic tonight. Or forever, if she had her choice.

  “Have you been in touch with Matt at all about that opening in his office?” she asked.

  Daniel nodded, but didn’t look up at her as he positioned a straight edge on the paper. “I did speak to Matt. I ran into him in town last week. He went out of town for Labor Day and said he would call when he got back.”

  “Sounds good,” Liza said, trying to keep her tone light. “And you’ll know about the exam by then, too.”

  “Two hours, fifteen minutes, and . . . thirty seconds to go.” Daniel glanced at his watch again. He was going to have a sore arm tomorrow from checking the time so often.

  She forced a smile and kissed his cheek. “I’m not worried.” She looked back at his plans. “I would like a bigger bathroom, though. And can the bathtub have a view of the ocean?”

  He laughed. “Bathtub with ocean view.” He made a note on a sticky and put it on the corner of the drawing. “I hate these fussy clients,” he murmured. “So hard to please.”

  Liza laughed. “The customer is always right, dear,” she re-minded him.

  He smiled to himself as he continued drawing. “Yes, I know. And so is my future wife. What else should we include? How about some studio space for you? I think this western exposure would be good. You’d get a lot of light during the day.” He pointed to a turret room that had been left completely unfinished. Liza had been longing to make some time for her artwork, but was only able to do that during the winter. With her own studio, it would be much easier to paint or draw anytime.

  “That would be fantastic!” Liza gave him a quick, appreciative hug. “Ever since I moved in, I’ve been wanting to find someplace where I could do my artwork.” She squinted at him. “But I’m sure I didn’t mention it.”

  Daniel smiled. “I wanted to surprise you. I had a feeling it was something you’d like.”

  “What about you? You need some space for your work, a home office or something?”

  “Got it covered . . . right down here. It’s a funky little space with an eave ceiling, but I think it will work out fine. I was also thinking we should have our own kitchen and a room for entertaining. I know we have this entire inn . . . but this will give us some privacy.” He pointed out the area he had designated for that. “And we could have a really nice deck off that room, with a fantastic view.

  “And,” he went on, “if we put a wall here, our suite will be completely private, but we’ll still have Claire’s room and Nolan’s room down this hall. We’ll just have to build a storage shed out back for all that old furniture that’s been gathering cobwebs in the attic. You don’t mind that I’m taking over the attic?”

  “Are you kidding? Daniel, this looks beautiful! It’s like my dream house. Well, not a house, of course. But a perfect place for us to live together. And even more so, since you’re designing it for us.”

  She leaned over and kissed him. He put his arms around her and kissed her back. “Anyplace I live with you is my dream house, Liza,” he said quietly. “I can’t wait for us to be married and start our new life together.”

  Liza couldn’t wait, either. And knew that went without saying.

  By eleven thirty they had ended up in the porch swing, with Liza’s notebook computer balanced on Daniel’s lap. Liza tried to stay awake, but even though it wasn’t all that late, the porch swing’s gentle rocking, the hard work of Labor Day, and the stress of waiting all caught up with her. She realized that she must have drifted off with her head on Daniel’s shoulder when his voice suddenly roused her.

  “Liza . . . wake up, honey. I got the results from the test.”

  Her head popped up at those words, and she turned to him.

  She couldn’t tell a thing from his expression. It was neither happy nor sad. He looked shocked.

  “Yes . . . ? So? What is it? Did you pass?”

  Finally, he nodded and pointed to the screen. “I did. I just can’t believe it,” he confessed. “I did a lot better than I expected—top five percent of my class . . . I’m so relieved. It’s hard to really take in. I got my certification back, Liza. I’m really a doctor again.”

  Daniel had put the computer aside, luckily, or she would have knocked it over as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and felt as if she was doing a little of both.

  They had somehow come to their feet, and Daniel’s embrace nearly lifted her off her feet.

  “I knew you would do it. I knew it,” she said as he hugged her back.

  “Then you knew something I didn’t,” he murmured back. “I said it before—my future wife is always right.”

  “I wouldn’t say always . . . but I’m glad I was this time.” When it really counted, she silently added.

  Thank You, God. Thank You for helping Daniel get through this. We are both so very grateful for Your help and love.

  Claire and Nolan came out to the porch. They had been waiting, too, and had obviously heard the good news through the open windows of the front parlor.

  Claire clapped her hands together. “Congratulations, Daniel! We knew you could do it.”

  “Good work, young man.” Nolan patted his shoulder. “You prevailed with flying colors. And you’ll make a fine doctor, too. I’ve no doubt about it.”

  “Thank you, Claire. Thank you, Nolan.” Daniel stood with his arm around Liza, looking breathless and elated, as if he had just run a marathon. His eyes were bright and his expression was so much lighter than it had been the last few weeks. Liza had thought he had just been tired from all his studying and stress. But now he looked as if a heavy load had been lifted. Something vital had been restored to him, she understood. Something that had been broken in him was finally whole.

  “Now I can really dig in with the job search,” Daniel said, taking Liza’s hand. “Maybe I’ll even have something by the time we get married.”

  Before Liza could respond, Claire did. “Oh, don’t you worry, Daniel. God has a plan for you. Put your trust in Him and it will come together for you.”

  Daniel smiled at her and nodded. Liza smiled, too. Though she didn’t always share Claire’s all-abiding faith, she knew that was true. God had a plan for Daniel. For both of them. And she was so grateful for the many blessings He had showered on them so far.

  * * *

  CAPE Light Founder’s Day, a holiday unique to the village, fell on a Saturday, September fourteenth, about two weeks after Labor Day. Claire noticed on Monday that
the upcoming holiday, combined with a forecast for summerlike weather, had inspired a few last-minute reservations. The inn was expecting another wave of guests on Thursday night and into the weekend.

  Nolan had just come inside with a bushel of vegetables he’d picked in the garden when she told him about it. Tomatoes, green beans, squash, and kale were ripening fast and furiously. Claire could hardly keep up with the bounty and had started to freeze and preserve some of the extras.

  “Founder’s Day? Who found what and what are they celebrating?” he asked in his typical style.

  “The founding of Cape Light village,” she explained. “There are a few enactments in period costume. Colonists arrive by boat and land near the green. Members of the Wampanoag tribe, I believe it is, come out to meet them. That’s followed by a big parade down Main Street, which is closed for the day with lots of vendors and food stalls. The first and second houses built in the town are open for tours, and there are demonstrations of traditional local crafts—pottery and glassblowing, shearing and spinning. We have a lot of history around here,” she noted. “And the town does love a celebration.”

  “Sounds interesting. I’d like to go to town and observe for a while, if you can spare me from my duties?” he asked with a smile.

  “I’m sure you can take some time. There won’t be all that many guests. And most will be down in town all day. I probably won’t have to worry about serving them lunch or dinner.”

  “Most likely,” Nolan agreed. “What happens after that? I mean the rest of September. It seems pretty quiet around here already. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  Claire was not surprised at his question. She knew that the repairs on Nolan’s boat were almost complete. She had peeked in the barn yesterday to check his progress. The Ariadne looked better than ever, with a glossy white hull and gleaming wood within. Nolan even had a new set of sails and had ordered new cushions for the cabin, which would soon arrive.

  Was he that eager to leave them? From his question, she guessed he was too proud and independent to take a “handout,” and as he had said, he didn’t want to take advantage of Liza’s generosity.

  The question was really Liza’s to answer. But Claire couldn’t help offering her thoughts.

  “We still have guests into October. Just on the weekends, but we get the leaf-peepers roaming around New England.”

  “Is that so? There aren’t many trees turning out here to see,” he observed in his practical way.

  Claire shrugged, lifting a handful of green beans into a colander. “I guess they like the ocean and the leaves.” She glanced at him. “Are you eager to leave? Is that why you’re asking? I thought you would stay for the wedding. It’s only three weeks from now.” Claire tried to keep her tone light. The truth was, she knew he had never really said one way or the other.

  She hoped he would stay. She couldn’t imagine the celebration now without him. He had been witness to the happy steps leading up to the big day, and all the wedding plans.

  Being totally honest with herself, when she imagined the day, she automatically saw herself celebrating with Nolan. She had become so accustomed to his company, she would feel very lonely there without him.

  “I’d like to, but . . . guess I’ll just see how it goes,” he answered vaguely. He was quiet a moment. “I can’t stay here forever,” he said finally, “. . . though it would be very pleasant.”

  Claire nodded. She knew that. The inn had been a good place for him to rest and get his bearings, but they all knew he had to move on sooner or later. A part of her did want him to stay. A selfish part, she knew.

  But another part wanted to see him go forward with his life and find some peace and satisfaction in his work again.

  “Where will you go?” Claire asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Have you made any plans yet?”

  “Not really. I might try to get another teaching position somewhere, even part-time. Or a job as an engineer. I still have some contacts in that world. I might find some part-time work as a troubleshooter, consultant type.”

  “I think you have a real gift for that,” she said quickly. “And you seem to enjoy it—figuring out a better way to do something.”

  “Pays pretty well, too,” he added with a laugh. “If you solve the problem. A job like that would give me time to work on my own ideas. I wouldn’t be pinned down to a nine-to-five schedule.”

  Claire was pleased to see that he was looking to the future, figuring out how to get back to work, back to doing what he loved best. She wondered what he thought of the lawsuit now. They had agreed not to talk about it, but she was curious.

  She brought a bowl of beans over to the table and started to snap the ends off. Nolan reached over and began helping her, without a word passing between them.

  “I know we agreed not to talk about a certain subject,” she began quietly. “But I was wondering how things sit now with . . . with a certain matter,” she said cautiously.

  Nolan glanced at her. His expression was serious, but in his eyes, she saw a glimmer of amusement.

  “Still on it, Claire, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve filed another complaint with the patent office, to counter what those new attorneys claim. I’m waiting to hear back. If the patent people still back up my complaint, it will help the negotiation.”

  “And if they don’t?” she dared to ask.

  Nolan frowned, his jaw jutting out in that expression she had come to know too well by now. “Then they don’t. It won’t persuade me to throw in the towel,” he insisted. “It shouldn’t, anyway. Though I will admit, if I find a new job somewhere, I’ll have to put this on a back burner.”

  Claire nodded and turned her attention back to the green beans. While Nolan’s passion for justice hadn’t dampened, she did detect a tiny crack in his stone wall of determination.

  Maybe a few words of reason from their argument had gotten through to him? Maybe a few of her prayers, too? Even though she had promised Nolan not to talk about the lawsuit with him, she had continued to talk about it with God, asking Him to help Nolan with this quest, and help her dear friend see the right path out of this stalemate, so that he wouldn’t end up wasting any more of his days and valuable energy—and so he might one day reconnect with his daughter.

  Perhaps a few of those prayers had been answered, Claire thought. If that was the cost of Nolan leaving the inn and the island, well then . . . she could live with that. She could even be thankful for it.

  * * *

  “SO . . . what do you think? Did it go well?” Liza didn’t mean to pounce on Daniel as soon as he came through the door. But it was hard not to. His visit to talk with Matt Harding about the opening at Matt’s practice had been canceled once, but had finally taken place on Friday, the day before Founder’s Day.

  Liza was glad that all of the guests had gone to town and she and Daniel had some privacy. She was watering the planters on the porch, and Daniel sat down on a wicker chair, quickly loosening his tie.

  “It went very well. I haven’t been in that office since Dr. Elliot practiced there. Everything’s been remodeled and updated. I didn’t even recognize the place.”

  “Nor does Dr. Elliot, whenever he goes there.” Liza laughed.

  “My aunt always took me to Dr. Elliot if I got sick while visiting over the summer. Even back then, I felt as if I were stepping into a Dickens novel. And Dr. Elliot looked like a perfect character for one of those stories.”

  Matt had taken the practice over from Dr. Ezra Elliot, who had been the reigning physician in Cape Light for decades. Dr. Elliot was still alive and lived with his wife, Lillian Warwick Elliot, in town. The senior physician had become very good friends with Dr. Harding, whom he thoroughly approved of as his successor.

  There was a pitcher of iced tea on the end table, and Daniel poured himself a glass. “It’s all changed now. Matt’s got state-of-the-art
exam rooms, an X-ray machine, and a lab right there. And everything is computerized.”

  Liza rarely got sick, and when she did, she visited a doctor in Newburyport. But she truly felt Daniel would be happy there, at least for a start.

  “It sounds great, honey. I’ve only heard good things about Matt’s practice. Everyone in town seems to love him.”

  “Yes, he has a lot of patients—a lot of family medicine and preventive medicine for children. Which I’m very interested in now,” Daniel said. “He offered me the job, and we even talked salary.”

  “Well . . . that’s fast. But good, right?”

  Daniel took another sip of tea. “It’s all good,” he agreed. “I can start after the wedding. The doctor I would be replacing isn’t leaving until late October, so we’d even have time for a honeymoon trip.”

  “You do realize we haven’t even discussed a honeymoon?” Liza reminded him with a grin. “And I’m not sure I’m ready to. It’s hard enough pulling the wedding together. Still, Matt’s job offer sounds like perfect timing for us.” Liza set down the watering can and pulled a few yellow leaves off the geraniums.

  “Matt didn’t press me for an answer, which is fine. I guess it would be good to think about it a little.”

  Liza glanced at him. She didn’t see that there was much more to consider. It sounded like the perfect spot for Daniel to get his feet wet again. Busy enough, but not a caseload of life-or-death emergencies. And a boss who was already a good friend. But this was Daniel’s decision, and she didn’t want to start off their marriage sounding like a know-it-all, bossy wife.

  “You should think about it,” she agreed finally. “Have you sent your résumé anywhere else yet?”

  “Two other places. There’s a job up in Newburyport, and one in Salem. I haven’t heard back from either yet. It would be nice to know before the wedding,” he added. “So that’s another count in Matt’s favor.”

  “Did Matt say he wanted an answer by any special date?”

  “Not really. I think the job is mine if I want it. But I don’t want to hold him up if he needs to look for someone else.”