Beach Girls (33 page)

But then one day—seemingly out of the blue—Stevie had been ready to take it down. She couldn't have rushed that action one bit—not by one day, not by one minute.

“Do you know about tulips?” she asked.

“They're pretty flowers,” Nell said.

“Yes, they are. And they grow from bulbs.”

“I know. I helped my mother plant them in our garden.”

“Then you know that you plant them in the fall,” Stevie said. “You dig deep holes in the ground, put the bulbs in, and press dirt down tight. They're down in the earth, dormant through the whole winter. Snow falls, and the ground is frozen, covered with fallen leaves. The migratory birds have all gone south.”

“The hummingbirds . . .”

“The hummingbirds are far away, where it's warm, and the sun is shining. But that garden, where you've planted the bulbs, is ice cold. The sky is gray, and it seems as if the snow, or cold rain, will never stop falling.”

“Winter lasts forever,” Nell whispered.

“But that's where we forget,” Stevie said. “Winter only seems to last forever. Because just when we've forgotten where we've planted the bulbs, one day the first shoots come up. Right through the dirt, that just a few weeks ago might have been frozen solid.”

Nell nodded, listening.

“That's what it's like with your father and aunt,” Stevie said.

But even with Bach getting louder, and Doreen and Aida about to go inside the church, Stevie felt her stomach flip. What if she was wrong? What if Jack's anger had been too deep, or Madeleine's hurt too profound?

And just then, Stevie saw them come around the corner, hurrying down Spring Street. As they reached the foot of the stairs, the bridal party entered the church.

Madeleine kissed Nell's head, threw Stevie a brilliant smile, and put Jack's hand into hers.

“From one beach girl to another—take care of my brother,” she said, running up the steps.

Stevie stood there with Jack. Nell hovered on the step above them, dancing with excitement. Jack stared into Stevie's eyes—she couldn't look away. That's the thing about faith, she thought. It's so hard to have it when the bulbs are in the ground, when a person hasn't yet come around the corner, when a small hand-painted sign is keeping all visitors at bay.

“Come on, we're going to miss the wedding!” Nell said.

“We wouldn't want to do that,” Stevie said.

“Okay, then,” Jack said.

They started up the steps. Stevie felt the breeze at her back, coming off Newport harbor, blowing with it swirls of wind from Hubbard's Point, St. Simons beach, and the Orkney Islands. Everything was connected. She knew Emma was right there with Nell, and always had been. Her heart seized with a promise:
I'll take care of them and love them, Emma. . . .
The words were clear as the church bells ringing.

And so was Emma's response.

“Look!” Nell gasped.

Right there, at the trumpet vine of beautiful, plentiful red flowers, each a trumpet blasting out its own mysterious song, were a pair of hummingbirds. They darted in and out of the flowers, drinking the nectar.

Stevie knew they were just birds—they had always been just birds, in spite of all the human traits she gave them in her books. But what did “just birds” mean, except for the heart to stay together, to fly thousands of miles year after year, to keep coming back, to inspire Stevie to go on? A trumpet vine that had grown up around the base of the stone angel on her mother's grave, attracting hummingbirds to keep her company. Stevie remembered Emma telling her to write about it.

“Thank you,” Stevie whispered.

“Why are you thanking them?” Nell asked.

Stevie glanced up at Jack. He was smiling, as if he already knew.

“I'll tell you after the wedding,” Stevie said.

They took hands—all three of them. Nell was in the middle, gripping as hard as she could, as if she could hold them together for the rest of their lives. Jack gave Stevie a look over the top of Nell's head as he pulled open the heavy door.

And the three of them walked inside.

About the Author

LUANNE RICE is the author of
Beach Girls, Dance with Me, The Perfect Summer, The Secret Hour, True Blue, Safe Harbor, Summer Light, Firefly Beach, Dream Country, Follow the Stars Home
, a
Hallmark Hall of Fame
feature,
Cloud Nine, Home Fires, Secrets of Paris, Stone Heart, Angels All Over Town, Crazy in Love
, which was made into a TNT Network feature movie, and
Blue Moon
, which was made into a CBS television movie. She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut. Visit the author's official website at
www.luannerice.com
.

Also by Luanne Rice

Dance with Me

The Perfect Summer

The Secret Hour

True Blue

Safe Harbor

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

“Rice's trademarks are fine writing, a good eye for small detail, and an uncanny way of conveying the mysterious glue that holds families together.”
—
Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE TRANSCENDENT NOVELS
OF LUANNE RICE

DANCE WITH ME

“A return to what the author does best: heartfelt family drama, gracefully written and poignant.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Once again, Rice captures the wonder of life, warts and all, and puts in a bid for hope.
Dance with Me
is a stellar example of why Rice continues to gain popularity.”
—Booklist

“Heartbreak gives way to love and reconciliation in this poignant tale. Rice's sympathetic protagonists and impressive secondary characters keep her readers engaged.”
—Publishers Weekly

THE PERFECT SUMMER

“A beautifully crafted novel . . . Rice's ability to evoke the lyricism of the seaside lifestyle without over-sentimentalizing contemporary issues like adultery, anorexia or white-collar crime is just one of the many gifts that make this a perfect summer read.”
—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“A loving look at family and the issues that must be faced when a crisis threatens its cohesion.”
—Booklist

“Rice has done it again.
The Perfect Summer
is hard to put down until the last page is turned.”
—Sunday Oklahoman

“If you're into stories that explore human emotions, that delve into different psyches and extol those who manage to triumph over some of life's tragedies, then you'll enjoy
The Perfect Summer
.”
—Detroit News & Free Press

THE SECRET HOUR

“Familiar Rice themes of sisterhood, loss and the healing power of love are spotlighted, but Rice's interest in the human psyche has its dark side as well. . . . The shore scenes, including a cinematic climax . . . [are] among the novel's strongest. Rice's heartfelt personal tone and the novel's cunningly deranged villain make this a smooth-flowing and fast-paced effort, with justice served all around at the satisfying . . . conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Salt-of-the-earth characters form the life-breathing force in this emotionally charged novel. . . . Suspenseful . . . possibly Rice's best work to date.”
—Romantic Times

“Rice's lyrical style humanizes the dilemma of justice by the book versus justice for victims.”
—Booklist

“Luanne Rice is one of the most mesmerizing storytellers. Her books are always deeply emotional, [with] wonderful characters.”
—Somerset (PA) Daily American

“A beautiful book . . . the reader is drawn in from the first word. It's a tense, driven, sometimes harsh and sometimes very gentle love story.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette

“Engrossing . . . captures the reader from the first page. Heartbreaking drama and chilling suspense combine to create an engaging novel of family and new beginnings. Ms. Rice captivates the reader with her detailed and evocative narrative and the multilayered facets of her characters. Beautifully written . . . highly recommended.” —America Online Romance Fiction Forum

“Intense and emotional,
The Secret Hour
has everything [readers] have come to expect and enjoy in novels by Luanne Rice . . . infinitely appealing characters . . . a sense of family that is rich and satisfying. Beyond these familiar elements is the underlying current of the unsolved mystery—the suspense is spine-tingling and well developed. This added dimension in
The Secret Hour
elevates the novel to more than just a deep, meaningful novel of family relationships, and makes it one of Ms. Rice's best yet—A Perfect Ten.”
—Romance Reviews Today

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

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.”
—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.”
—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

“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.”
—Columbia (SC) State

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

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

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

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.”
—Denver Post

“Superb . . . stunning.”
—Houston Chronicle

“Captivating . . .
Dream Country
will cast a spell on readers.”
—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.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“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

FOLLOW THE STARS HOME

“Addictive . . . irresistible.”
—People

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

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

“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.”
—Brunswick (ME) Times Record

“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

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.”
—Hartford Courant

“A celebration of family and the healing power of love. Poignant and powerful . . . One of those rare books that refresh and renew 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?”
—New York Times Book Review

“Compelling . . . poignant . . . riveting.”
—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.”
—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.”
—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

“Luanne Rice proves herself a nimble virtuoso.”
—Washington Post Book World

“Rice has an elegant style, a sharp eye, and a real warmth. In her hands families, and their values . . . seem worth cherishing.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Rice's great strength is in creating realistic characters readers care about.”
—Denver Post

“Luanne Rice touches the deepest, most tender corners of the heart.” —Tami Hoag, author of
Kill the Messenger

“Pure gold.”
—Library Journal