Chapter 10
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Philip
THE FOUR OF US spent a pleasant afternoon on the beach, alternately swimming and lying in the sun. By seven, Charles had set up a grill on the deck and was overseeing the steaks. Lydia had bought baking potatoes, which had been in the oven for some time, and she’d taken charge in the kitchen. Harry and I tried to make ourselves useful but finally wound up in deck chairs making small talk with Charles while he tended the grill.
By the time we were at the table attacking the steaks, we’d all managed to consume two or three drinks apiece and were beginning to feel them. That, coming after an afternoon of sun and surf and generally getting acquainted, had dissolved the tension that had been almost palpable before and during lunch. All of which might a
