C
HAPTER
63
I
t was still dark outside when Piper, Remy, Birdie, and David pulled into Sailor's yard. “I hope you made coffee,” Piper said as she came into the kitchen.
“Of course,” Sailor replied, pouring five steaming cups. “I also had a box of Munchkins delivered,” she said, opening the box and pushing it across the island.
“I bet
you
did,” Piper said, grinning as she took out a chocolate-glazed doughnut hole.
“How come the turtle has to be released so early?” Sailor asked.
“Because it's still the holiday weekend and we want her to be safely offshore before the boat traffic picks up.”
Birdie looked around the neat cottage. “Where did Merry and Thatcher stay last night?”
“In a motel,” Sailor said regretfully. “There isn't enough room for everyone here. That's the one downside of having such a small place.”
“They could've stayed with us,” David offered, sipping his coffee. “We have plenty of room.”
“Or us . . . I mean,
me,
” Remy said, reaching into the box and taking a jelly-filled Munchkin, “if I didn't already have a house-full.”
“Or
us,
” Piper added. “I didn't know they were staying in a motel.”
“I didn't even know they were coming,” Sailor said. “Otherwise, I would've made arrangements with one of you.”
“I wish mine could've, too,” Remy mused. “At least Sam and Tess were able to stayâElliot and Maya are going to love this!”
“By the way,” Piper said, taking a cinnamon Munchkin and popping it in her mouth. “We
really
have to make time to get through the attic. It is
packed
and it won't be fair if something happens to all of us and Elias has to deal with it.”
“We will,” Birdie assured her. “In the fall, when it's cooler.”
“Okay,” Piper said, eyeing her skeptically. “I'm going to hold you to that.”
Remy cradled her mug in her hands. “Is that where you found the old photo and the album Elias was showing everyone last night?” she asked.
Piper nodded. “I found some other things, tooâletters Dad had written to Mom when he was in the navy . . . and the baseball cap Easton had on that night.”
They were all quiet, remembering.
Finally, Sailor broke the silence. “Actually, that's why I wanted you to stop by this morningâI wanted to show you guys something.” She smiled and motioned for them to follow her. She led the way down the short hall to her studio, turned on the light above her desk, and stepped back so they could see all the pictures.
“Oh my!” Birdie murmured while Remy just stood there, gazing in awe.
“What do
you
think?” Sailor asked softly, looking at David.
He blinked back tears and took a deep breath. “It's . . . stunning.”
“It
is
stunning,” Remy said softly.
Piper pointed to the newest addition Sailor had hung in the empty spot when she'd gotten home the night before. “Here's where it all began,” she said. “It wouldn't be complete without this one.”
They all looked at the old black-and-white photo of the five laughing Quinn children with their arms around each otherâa formidable crew!âand brushed back their tears.
C
HAPTER
64
“E
lias, can you pick up the other side?” Nat called, motioning for his son to lift one end of the specially designed tank they'd used to transport the big loggerhead to and from the aquarium.
Sam and Piper trotted over to help, too, and as they lifted it out of the back of the truck and carried it down the ramp, Elliot ran over and put his hands under the tank to help bear the weight, too.
Nat nodded in Elliot's direction. “That's how you used to be,” he said, smiling at Elias.
Elias grinned. “I still am.”
The sun was just peeking up above the horizon when they set the tank down on the sand near the water's edge.
“Wow,” Elliot exclaimed. “Look how big he is!”
“Actually,” Elias said, “
he
is a
she
.”
“It's a girl turtle?!”
“More like a lady turtle,” Piper said.
“How do you know it's a lady?” Elliot asked.
“Her tail,” Elias explained. “The male's tail is longer and thicker than the female's.”
Elliot nodded.
“She's beautiful,” Remy said, peering into the tank.
“She certainly is,” Birdie agreed.
Piper pulled out her phone and scrolled through her pictures. “This is what she looked like when we rescued her.” She tapped one of the photos showing the debris and lines tangled around her neck and flippers. She scrolled again. “And this was the buoy she was dragging.”
“Oh my, that's awful,” Remy said, shaking her head.
“It
is
awful,” Piper said. “We are constantly rescuing turtles that have become tangled up in garbage. Last summer we rescued a little Kemp's ridley that was so wrapped up in fishing line, you couldn't even tell he was a turtle.”
“I wish people would be more careful about leaving plastic bags and garbage around,” David said.
“I'm going to pick up all the plastic bags I see,” Elliot said, stroking the old turtle's scarred shell.
“Me too,” Maya said, reaching for her mother's hand. Tess could tell she wanted to touch the turtle's shell, too, but just didn't have the courage.
“She won't hurt you, Maya,” Elliot said.
Maya stepped forward and lightly traced her finger over the scarred shell while David took the lens cap off his camera and took several pictures of Elliot and Maya with the old turtle.
Finally, Nat looked at Piper. “Shall we?” he asked.
“Don't you mean â
shell
we'?” Piper teased.
“Cute,” Nat said as Elias rolled his eyes.
Piper laughed. “You know what? I think now is as good a time as any,” she said, feeling her heart starting to pound, “and since I've just stumbled across
exactly
the right words to say, I'm going to say them.”
Nat gave her a puzzled look and waited for her to continue, and Piper pressed her lips together. “I think, today . . . right now . . . while we're doing what we love . . . what we've loved doing all these years . . . with all the people we love most . . . is the perfect time to ask, especially since my sisters have always teased me when I've said I'm rescuing turtles with Nat.” She took a deep breath, searched the slate-blue eyes she knew so well, and smiled. “Shell we, my love . . . shell we get married?”
Elias looked up in surprise and Nat shook his head in disbelief and laughed. “You're crazy, you know that?” he said, and then walked around the tank and lifted her off the ground. “We shell,” he whispered, smiling.
“Well, that took a turtle's lifetime,” Sailor said, laughing.
“Now that that's finally shettled,” Elias said, grinning, “What about this poor turtle?”
“Oh yes! The turtle!” Nat said. He put Piper down and turned to help Elias lift the gate. The big loggerhead sea turtle, smelling the salty water and hearing the waves, made her way slowly toward the surf, and when she reached the water's edge and felt the wet sand under her belly, she paused and turned to look back at them with solemn eyes. Then, feeling the cold ocean water washing under her shell, she trudged resolutely into the surf until the tide washed over her and picked her up and carried her out to sea.
“What a beautiful grand old lady,” Piper whispered, misty-eyed.
“She truly is,” Sailor said, wiping a tear.
“Just like us,” Remy added, smiling.
“
And
like us, she has learned,” Birdie said, her eyes glistening, “that surrendering in order to be freed from what entangles us has a lovely, exquisite peace all its own.”
Smiling and teary-eyed, they stood on the beach and watched the old sea turtle plunge through the waves.
“I can't believe you're finally getting married,” Sailor said, kissing Piper's cheek. Just as she did, David called them and they turned, realized he was taking their picture, and pulled each other close, laughing and happy to be free.
W
ITH
H
EARTFELT
T
HANKS
. . .
To Esi Sogah, my editor, and Deirdre Mullane, my agent, who are always ready with insightful suggestions and positive feedback; to everyone on the Kensington team who has worked to put together another wonderful book package; to my husband, Bruce, and our boys, Cole and Noah, whose love and support are beyond measure; and to my dear dad, who wasn't able to read
Firefly Summer,
but who was always interested in its progress. “How's it coming?” he'd ask. “It's coming,” I'd reply. “You always say that.” One week after I told him I'd finished, my beloved dad was in hospice care, and a week after that, he passed away, but his ready smile and unwavering faith will always inspire me, and for that I'm truly grateful.
Keep reading for recipes
for some of the delicious dishes
in
Firefly Summer.
R
HUBARB
P
IE
Ingredients
Â
4 cups fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange rind (zest)
¼ teaspoon (or less) salt
2½ tablespoons quick tapioca
2 tablespoons butter
Â
Directions
Â
Combine first five ingredients. Fold in rhubarb and mix well. Spoon into 9-inch prepared pie shell. Dot fruit with pieces of butter. Lay on lattice topâI cut the rolled-out dough into strips with a pizza cutterâand carefully weave the strips; fold under and make a decorative edge. With finger, lightly wipe a little milk onto the stripsâwill give it a shiny golden glaze.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then at 400 degrees F for ½ hour, and check; cover the outer crust with a ring of foil if it's getting too brown, and continue baking for another 20â30 minutes. I also put a sheet of foil on the rack below to catch the overflow of juice.
Note: 1 cup sliced strawberries can also be folded in with the rhubarb.
Â
Ingredients for Piecrust
Â
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening (12 tablespoons)
5â6 tablespoons cold water
Â
Directions
Â
In medium-size bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with cold water, a couple tablespoons at a time. Continue blending with a fork until pastry starts to hold together. Shape pastry into two balls and roll out into circles on floured surface. Roll onto rolling pin and lay over 9-inch pie plate. Press down and shape to dish.
R
ICE
P
UDDING
Ingredients
Â
4 cups milk
Scant ½ cup regular long-grain white rice
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup raisins (optional)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Â
Directions
Â
Heat milk, rice, sugar, and salt to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour until rice is very tender, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, beat eggs lightly and stir in a small amount of hot rice mixture. Slowly pour egg mixture into rice mixture, stirring rapidly to prevent lumping. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Do not boil, or mixture will curdle. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add raisins, if you'd like, and transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate or serve warm. Yum!
A READING GROUP GUIDE
FIREFLY
SUMMER
Â
Â
Nan Rossiter
Â
Â
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Â
The suggested questions are included to enhance your group's reading of Nan Rossiter's
Firefly Summer.
Discussion Questions
1.
The author introduces readers to Birdie, Remy, Sailor, and Piper over the course of the first four chapters. How are the sisters different? What issues do they each seem to have?
2.
As the story progresses, do you find yourself drawn to one sister over the others? Do you look forward to the next chapter focusing on this sister? Is there an attribute or concern you share with her that draws you to her?
3.
Is there a sister you don't like? If so, why?
4.
Each of the sisters has rescued or protected some kind of wildlife. Why do you think they're drawn to help wildlife in need?
5.
Why do you think Piper never married Nat? Why doesn't Elias tell his friends they aren't married?
6.
From what we know of Sailor's marriage, why do you think it failed? Do you think there's more depth to their problems than Frank's cheating?
7.
Remy truly believes that she doesn't dwell on the life she and Jim would've shared if he had lived, yet she constantly thinks of him. Is she fooling herself? Why does she have a hard time letting go of her memories?
8.
Birdie doesn't think she has a drinking problem. What events shake her world and her senses, and how does she change? What role does John Sanders play in her life?
9.
The Quinn family has never talked about the tragedy of losing Easton. How, if at all, has each of them dealt with his loss? Has not facing his loss affected each of them in any way?
10.
What events cause the sisters to finally face the past? What role do their children and grandchildren play? In what ways do the sisters change? How is the release of the sea turtle symbolic?