"Everyone, this is Meg Walsh," Luke announced as they rejoined the circle. "Margo's granddaughter."
A chorus of warm greetings followed, peppered with comments of recognition.
"Margo's granddaughter!"
"Tyler's sister, right?"
"Haven't seen you around in ages!"
Luke handed her a bottle of water and gestured toward an empty spot on one of the logs. As Meg sat, a man across the fire raised his beer in greeting.
"Mike Reynolds," he introduced himself. "You probably don't remember me, but?—"
"Lifeguard stand three," Meg said, surprising herself with the memory. "You gave me my first parking ticket when I was seventeen."
Mike laughed. "Good memory! I'm fire department now, but yeah, that was me."
The conversation flowed easily after that, with various people sharing connections to Margo, the Beach Shack, or Meg's high school days. Meg found herself relaxing incrementally as the night progressed,the rhythmic sound of waves accompanying the stories and laughter around the fire.
"So, what brings you back to Laguna?" asked a woman who'd introduced herself as Cassie, apparently the owner of a local bookstore. "Tyler mentioned you were in San Francisco."
"Just helping out while Tyler's away," Meg explained. "Temporary arrangement."
"The Beach Shack is lucky to have you," Cassie said.
"It is," agreed an older man named Harold, who Meg learned had been surfing the local breaks for over fifty years. "Your grandfather knew what he was doing when he set it up. Perfect spot, perfect concept."
"He and Margo built something special there," Harold continued. "Place where everyone feels welcome, where kids can get their first job, where locals can count on good food and friendly faces. That's not as common as it should be."
No one mentioned Margo’s health tonight, Meg noticed. Maybe they hadn’t seen it… or maybe they were used to seeing just enough to worry, and not enough to say anything.
The conversation shifted to reminiscences about how the beach had changed over the decades, stories about local businesses that had come and gone, appreciation for the ones that had endured. Meg found herself genuinely interested in these glimpses of her hometown's evolution.
For the next half hour, Meg fielded questions about her life in the city, her marketing career, and how longshe planned to stay in Laguna. She answered honestly, enjoying the easy warmth of people who remembered her as a teenager but were interested in who she'd become as an adult.
As the evening progressed, the group gradually thinned, people departing in twos and threes with promises to meet again soon. Meg checked her watch, surprised to find it was nearly ten o'clock. She'd stayed far longer than she'd intended.
"I should head back," she said, standing and brushing sand from her jeans. "Early start tomorrow."
"I'll walk you to your car," Luke offered.
They said their goodbyes to the remaining group, several people extracting promises from Meg to visit their shops or join them for coffee before she left town.
"Natalie still asks about you sometimes," Cassie mentioned as Meg was leaving. "You two were inseparable in high school, right?"
Meg felt a pang of guilt. Another connection she'd let fade away.
"We were," she acknowledged. "Is she still local?"
"Teaching at the high school now. English department." Cassie smiled. "She'd probably love to hear from you."
Meg nodded, making a non-committal sound that wasn't quite agreement. Another loose end from the life she'd left behind, another relationship she'd allowed to fade away.
As they walked up the beach path toward the parking area, Luke was unusually quiet. The air hadcooled considerably, and Meg was grateful for Anna's sweatshirt.
"Your friends are nice," she offered, breaking the silence.
"They're good people," Luke agreed. "Most have known each other forever. That's Laguna for you."
