Harmony laughed at this particular assertion but enjoyed his story all the same.

“It was great fun. We made weapons out of sticks and chased each other around all day, then at night, just before the sun went down, our dads sent us to find driftwood along the shore. We, of course, had a competition to see who could collect the most. I was so proud when I realized I’d won, but what was even better was the massive bonfire that we built after. We sat on the sand watching the flames stretch to the sky, and then we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and had ourselves a right feast. I fell asleep staring into that fire and begged to make another every year that followed.”

Harmony closed her eyes and pictured the scene as Nolan had described it. Even though he’d tried to be secretive, words like driftwood and shore gave his location away all the same. “Did you?” she asked, imagining the tall pyre reaching for the sky.

He chuckled sadly and shook his head. “No, apparently, our parents had unknowingly broken the law and were slapped with a heavy fine. I’m still grateful for the one bonfire we managed, though. To me, it was priceless.”

“That’s a beautiful memory, but you know you sound like a MasterCard commercial, right?” Harmony reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.

And he brought up his hand to rest on top of hers, almost as if he were keeping it captive, as if he never wanted her to let go. “Fair enough. And if you were paying attention, then you already know where we’re going.”

Sure enough, they arrived about twenty minutes later with both dogs in tow. The beach had never looked quite so beautiful to Harmony as it did that day.

Chapter 28

Harmony

Harmony and Nolan took off their shoes, rolled up their pants, and strolled through the chilly surf. Seeing as most folks were still at the church potluck or else waiting for a warmer day to visit the beach, they mostly had the place to themselves.

Well, them and the two wildly happy dogs who ran big, looping circles around them as they progressed along the shoreline.

“You’re right about it being peaceful,” Harmony said. Even the shock of the cold ocean water between her toes felt like an important part of the experience. All they needed now was a bit of moonlight for the perfect romantic moment. Only… she’d taken romance completely off the table, and despite occasional moments of longing like the one she was facing now, Harmony knew she’d been right to do so.

Nolan remained thoughtful as their heels pressed down into the wet sand, leaving uneven tracks behind them.

“Thank you for sharing your memory about the bonfire. It’s almost like I was right there with you.”

“It would have been a very different kind of memory had you been there,” he answered with a nostalgic grin. “Probably even better.”