Eventually the sun started to set, which meant it had to be after seven. I didn’t know where I’d lost four hours to, but I felt relaxed and peaceful as I stood. The sun finished its descent until just the halo remained, and then I turned back for the house. The temperature was cooling rapidly, and by the time I made it the half mile back up the beach, I was chilled. I remembered to grab my flip-flops from the edge of the sand, but I didn’t bother to put them on as I crossed the yard. The grass was cold but the ground still warm, and it felt good on my feet.
I climbed the steps up to the deck and then slipped inside through the sliding glass door. Vincent didn’t lock it until he went to bed in the late hours, and it was how most of us entered and exited the house.
The house had been buzzi
