CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The party was winding down around ten o’clock. My dad was over the moon at my present. The band was closing down the evening with a series of Journey tunes. I took a break from the crowd and walked to the beach. I picked my way down the pebble path and found my favorite fallen oak tree near the shore and took a seat. I loved sitting down here and listening to the sound of the water lapping at the rocks. In the distance, the hoot of a horned owl sounded from the tree-lined shore. The warm September breeze nudged a wisp of hair loose from my chignon.
“ Is this seat taken?” Clint took a seat next to me. We sat quietly together for a few minutes while savoring the beautiful evening. The music drifted on the night air, and I could hear the band singing Faithfully . Clin
