“More like dabbling. I wouldn’t say that—”

Libby cut her off. “The whole time we were out of town, I could feel your energy, Harper. I could tell you were harnessing your inner musical goddess. It was the same vibe I used to get years ago when you were writing and composing.”

“That’s what she kept telling me,” Raz confirmed. “All sorts of Harper vibes. And weren’t you also seeing rocks and stones, plum?”

Libby’s gaze widened. “Yes.”

Charlotte perked up. “Libbs, you must have been remembering Harper’s Red Rocks dream.”

“Red Rocks like the amphitheater?” Landon asked.

“That’s right,” Penny answered, nodding. “Back in elementary school, Harper would ditch her schoolwork and draw pictures of red rocks. She’d take them home and tape them onto her wall to make it look like she was performing outdoors at the Red Rocks Amphitheater with those beautiful sandstone boulders framing the stage.”

Landon turned to her. “I didn’t know that was your dream.”

“Oh yeah, since she was five,” Charlotte answered. “It started after she wrote her first song in kindergarten for our teacher.”

“No, it wasn’t for our teacher,” Penny corrected, twisting a lock of her blonde hair. “It was for somebody in Miss Miliken’s family. Something like that.”

“I remember,” Charlotte trilled. “You sang it for the class. Miss Miliken recorded you. I’m so glad you’re following your heart.”

Feeling her cheeks heat, she waved off her friends. “It was a silly pipe dream.”

“No way, H. You’re incredibly talented,” Char added, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

“It’s great that you’re working on music again,” Libby offered.

Penny turned to Landon. “Have you heard her sing?”

“I have, and—”

“And the kids might be stuck in detention on the first day of school,” Rowen remarked, cutting off Landon and shifting the attention away from her.

But her relief was short-lived.

Rowen gestured toward where the kids should have been playing hopscotch.

Red-faced, the foursome appeared to be on the brink of a brawl.