My mother! She'd come after all. She probably needed my moral support to step onto the island. I scurried onto the boat, calling, "Mom?"

But it wasn't my mother. When I entered the Jacquie II 's cabin, Chris stood in the center of the deck. In spite of everything, my heart soared. But I knew better than to have any expectations. He had plainly told me not to.

"I know it's a busy night for you," he said, "but I wanted to see you. To explain some things." He paused. "Sarah Halsey and I have been friends a long time."

My cheeks burned with embarra.s.sment. "You don't owe me any explanations," I managed to say. In fact, he'd already explained. He'd told me I misunderstood.

"I think I do." He moved so close I could smell him, that intoxicating scent of a man who's washed off the sweat, but who smells of hard, physical work. The scent of all the men who were truly important in my life.

"Sarah was alone when she came here. Pregnant. She worked at the T-shirt store on Main Street before she attended that birthing cla.s.s where she met Livvie. Before your dad gave her a job. I met her then and started watching out for her."

I wanted to protest again that he didn't need to tell me, mostly because I didn't want to hear.

"There was something between Sarah and me after Tyler was born, but it's been over for years. When I was involved with her, Tyler became important to me. He still is. My relationship with Sarah these days is all about him. Only about Tyler. His dad was a roaring drunk and I do whatever I can to take up some of the slack."

Chris took both of my hands and pulled me closer to him. "That's all it is, Julia. That's all it ever was. It's a small town. That's what I meant when I said people misunderstood. They misunderstood my relationship with Sarah." He paused and put a hand under my chin. "I think, also, some people misunderstand my relationship with you."

He pulled me to him. "You're the one I've wanted, all along." And then he kissed me, hard.

Recipes

Snowden Family Clam Chowder The Snowden Family Clambake Company serves traditional New England Clam Chowder by the gallon. This recipe has been adapted for home use by Bill Carito, but will be just as yummy.

pound thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 large onion (approximately pound), chopped

2 large potatoes (approximately 1 pound), cubed

2 bottles clam juice

Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 pint shucked and minced or chopped clams with their juices reserved (4 cans)

1 cups whole milk

1 cups half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Using medium heat, cook the bacon in the soup pot until crispy.

Add the onion and cook 5 minutes.

Add the potato cubes and cook 2 minutes.

Add the bottled clam juice, reserved juices from the clams, and thyme leaves, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1015 minutes until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are simmering, combine the milk and half and half and gently warm in a saucepan (or microwave) to just past lukewarm.

Add the milk, half and half, and the clams to the pot when the potatoes are tender. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Snowden Family Blueberry Grunt Most Maine families have multiple recipes for blueberry desserts-duffs, grunts, slumps, crunches, crisps, pies, and coffee cakes. Throughout New England and the eastern provinces of Canada, it's possible to get into a quite lively discussion about which is which. Whatever you call them, these desserts are delicious. Here's the one the Snowden family serves at the clambake. This recipe was adapted for home use by the late Maine author A. Carmen Clark.

cup water

1 quart blueberries

cup sugar

Topping 1 cups flour

2 Tablespoons b.u.t.ter

2 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon salt

cup sugar

cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a deep baking dish or ca.s.serole and into this put the berries, sugar, and water.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes while mixing the dough.

Blend the b.u.t.ter into the flour. Add other ingredients and mix in with a fork, making the dough.

Spoon the dough over the hot berries.

Bake for 20 additional minutes.

Livvie's Lobster Mac and Cheese Livvie is the real cook in the Snowden family and her lobster mac and cheese is delicious. The sharp taste of the cheese with the sweetness of the lobster meat, and the textures-springy noodles, toothsome lobster, and crunchy panko breadcrumbs-cannot be beat. Livvie uses local cheeses that can only be purchased in Maine, but simple subst.i.tutions are supplied.

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 Tablespoons b.u.t.ter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

teaspoon grated nutmeg