24
“The lifeguard shack? How’d you manage that?” God, it was just like old times. How many hours had he spent with Julie in or near this tower? It was essentially a one-room lookout post on stilts, almost like a tree fort.
With a big grin, Julie led the way up the ladder-like steps and unlocked the padlock. They ducked through the entrance and into the cozy nest. It smelled like ocean air and tar, with a trace of coconut suntan lotion. That smell brought so many hot memories rushing back.
Julie lit a hurricane lantern and hung it from a hook in the ceiling. Its dancing flame revealed a pile of blankets nested on the floor. The wind blowing off Stargazer Beach whistled through the gaps in the plywood boards. The ocean was likely a froth of whitecaps by now. Pretty soon storm clouds would
