placed on chocolate slabs sandwiched between graham crackers. With Shelby’s first bite, chocolate and gooey marshmallow oozed down her chin.
“Oh, my,” Iris said, reaching for the stack of napkins and handing them around.
Shelby quickly used hers. "These are delicious."
The boys echoed her response.
Gabe ate several more, but Shelby was content. The sky was fading to black and soon it would be time to walk out on the pier alone with Logan.
Iris stood and stretched. “It’s getting late. You two better head down to the dock. According to news, the big moonrise should start soon.”
"Can I go?" Gabe said.
Shelby watched Logan frown. "No, this is just for Shelby and me.”
"Oh, right," Gabe said, turning around.
Iris put her arm around Gabe. "Come on, we'll go in and do some fun stuff together."
"But I want to see the moon," he said.
Iris handed Gabe the empty platter to carry and nodded for him to follow her back to the house. "We can see it from the deck."
Gabe attempted one more pleading look toward Logan but, with no response, turned, muttering, "All right."
Logan took Shelby’s hand. "Come on, it’s time. Make sure you grab your sweatshirt on the chair."
They walked the stone path that wove onto a T-shaped wooden dock. At the end where it was built over the water, Logan had placed some fluffy towels for them to sit on and rolled up others to use as pillows. "It's best if you lie down," he said. “You can see better.”
He certainly had thought this out. There was even a folded blanket. He waited for Shelby to pick a side and then he lay down next to her only inches away. She propped up a towel under her head and looked up into the clearest sky she had ever seen.
“There must be a million stars out there,” she said.
“Actually, there are billions,” Logan replied. “The exact amount, of course, is unknown, but…”
Shelby turned and gave him a look. “So literal.”
He broke into a dimpled smile. “I’m used to being in science classes and spouting out answers.”
“Figures,” she said and they both broke out laughing.
Logan propped up on his elbows and pointed to a grouping of stars. “That’s Orion’s Belt. See the straight row of stars? If you follow them, they point to the North Star.”
“I see it,” Shelby said.
When he lay back down, their arms touched. Sparks flew between them, like tiny stars shooting across the sky. Neither of them moved or said a word. A lone howl echoed in the distance.
The sound was clearly distinguishable, but trying to hide her grin, Shelby said, “Do you know what species that is?”
He started to answer and then mock frowned at her.
“Caught ya!” she said.
Logan shrugged. “What can I say. You know me too well.”
Shelby liked the sound of that.
“It’s so different at night,” Logan said. “Peaceful. We can watch for shooting stars.”
Shelby remembered her grandfather teaching her to make wishes when a star streaked across the evening sky. Right now, she had almost everything she could wish for.
A cool breeze blew up from the water and goosebumps covered her arms. She zipped her jacket all the way up.
He turned to face her. “Are you cold?”
“A little.”
“Do you want to leave?”
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to miss the full moon.” She sat up and wrapped her arms around herself.
Logan put his arm around her and pulled her to him. “Okay?” he said, looking into her eyes.
She could barely breathe. Her body tingled. Shelby rested her head on his shoulder and let her eyes drift shut. If she stayed real still, the night might never end. She could hear the water lapping over the legs of the dock.
A hooting owl cried out, as if announcing the moon’s arrival over the hills. “Look,” Logan said. “Wow.”
Eyes open, Shelby watched as an orange-tinged moon drifted up into the sky. Long rays of light streamed across the water, reaching toward them on the dock. A fishing boat moved lazily across the golden reflection.
“It’s enormous,” she said.
“It appears that way this time of year,” Logan said. “The light is amazing. I can see why the original Native Americans here had a legend about it.”
Shelby tore her eyes from the water’s surface and faced Logan. “You mentioned that.”
He spoke softly. “They say, and I quote, ‘Countless years ago, legend said a lover’s kiss as the full moon reflects across the lake will connect two souls forever.’”
The moon’s glow shone on Logan’s face, making his eyes glisten like gold stars. Logan’s soft fingers