And he hadn’t really spent a whole lot of time alone with Marissa so far that summer vacation, and she was leaving for Girl Guides camp soon. If she wasn’t in a hurry to get back in front of her computer, Wes would take advantage of it.

“Sure, that sounds fun,” he said, collecting his gear and heading toward the parking lot, where he put everything in the bed of the truck. Then they headed down the path to the boardwalk on the south beach. It was rockier here than the north beach near the B&B and the waves were bigger—a hot spot for expert surfers, but not kid-friendly for swimming. But it was the hipper, trendier part of Blue Moon Bay with great shops and expensive restaurants with outdoor patios.

Nothing had the same calming effect as the sights, sounds, and smells of the coast. Here in Blue Moon Bay, the pace was slower. No one was in a hurry, no one was demanding anything or expecting anything, and walking along the boardwalk, Wes tried to let all the stress he was under fall away as well. At least temporarily. “What do you want to do first?” he asked Marissa.

“Ice cream, and then how about a sandcastle-building competition on the beach like we used to?” she said.

When Kelly was still alive, family sandcastle competitions were a weekly event in the summer months. Marissa and Kelly would team up and beat him every time. His builds were always structurally sound, but they won on points for creativity with their unique additions like moats and gargoyle statues. “Deal, but I’ll warn you—I’ve been brushing up on my castle-building skills.”

She smiled, but then she was quiet as they headed toward the ice cream shop.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She paused. “I know it sounds weird, but I can feel Mom here. More so than anywhere else. This was her favorite place to go during the summer.” She hesitated. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

Wes thought before responding. “I believe that people have a unique energy that ties them to everything around them and that it exists even once a person is gone. Does that make sense?”

Marissa nodded. “Energy, yeah, I like that. I feel Mom’s energy here.”

“Well, she had a lot of it.” Kelly had been one of the most vibrant, magnetic people Wes had ever known. He’d been drawn to her like everyone else who met her. She was kind and compassionate and had a way of making others feel good just being around her.