Hand in hand, they strolled down the boardwalk for a few blocks. The shops and amusement piers were closed and the tourists had long returned to their hotels, but Tara and Delaney weren’t the only ones out at such a late hour. There were bicyclists and skateboarders using the concrete tramcar tracks and ramps, and quite a few police officers patrolling the area. Delaney kept them close to the ocean side, away from everyone else. Tara could almost believe they were alone.
At some point Delaney took the steps down to the beach below, tugging Tara’s hand to guide her. When they reached the sand, she stopped and kicked off her shoes, then tugged off her socks. Tara stopped and did the same. The sand felt hot beneath her feet, and she wiggled her toes, letting them sink further into the warm g
