Chapter 16, Port of Call Summary

Labor Day weekend marked the end of the summer season. All the summer residents packed up and left town, so that only the year-round locals were left behind in a quiet, empty town. Joan and her husband had finally decided to move back in together, and to celebrate his retirement, Joan had invited a handful of her friends to join them in a surprise party at a bar. Before the party, Joan lounged on her porch in a towel, enjoying her last few hours as a single woman. Although she did not mind having her husband come live in her cottage, Joan kept aside one room just for herself, to be alone in.

When he arrived at the party, Joan's husband was pleased at the effort she had shown, and he was touched that she used her...