P32

 Let's break down the difficult words and phrases from the text you provided.

Difficult Words & Phrases

• "They watched the sun go down and ate together under the stars." 🌇 This is an evocative and romantic phrase. It means they were together at sunset and then continued their meal into the night as the stars became visible. It suggests a feeling of intimacy and a sense of timelessness, as if the moment was so special they didn't want it to end.

• "the beacon that had summoned her from Raleigh." 🏡 A beacon is a strong, guiding light or a signal. In this context, the house is not literally a lighthouse, but it's acting as a symbolic beacon. It represents a powerful pull or call that drew her from Raleigh (a city) all the way back to this specific place. The word summoned reinforces this idea of a compelling, almost irresistible call.

• "vanish into the scenery." This is a figurative phrase. It doesn't mean he literally disappeared. It suggests that from a distance, the light behind him created a silhouette that made him blend in so perfectly with his surroundings that he almost seemed to become a part of the landscape. It emphasizes the distance and the softness of the light, making him seem a little otherworldly or like a memory.

• "engine sputtered to a halt." The word sputtered describes a series of weak, irregular noises. It's a vivid way of describing an old or tired engine's final gasp before it completely shuts off. It adds a bit of realism to the scene, implying the car might be older or that the engine is a little rough.

• "stopped cold." This is an idiom that means to stop suddenly and completely. The word cold intensifies the suddenness of the stop. He wasn't just slowing down; he came to a sudden, abrupt halt as soon as he saw her.

• "Allison Nelson, twenty-nine years old and engaged, a socialite, searching for answers she needed to know."

  • Engaged: This simply means she's committed to be married.

  • Socialite: A socialite is a person prominent in fashionable society. This word suggests she's from a wealthy, privileged background and spends a lot of time at social gatherings and events.

  • Searching for answers she needed to know: This phrase sets up the central conflict of the story. It implies she's not just there for a casual visit. She's on a quest for knowledge, clarity, or resolution about something significant in her life.

• "Noah Calhoun, the dreamer, thirty-one, visited by the ghost that had come to dominate his life."

  • The dreamer: This describes his character. He's not focused on practical things like money or status, but on his hopes, memories, and perhaps a more idealized view of the world.

  • Visited by the ghost that had come to dominate his life: This is a powerful metaphor. The "ghost" isn't a literal spirit. It's a metaphor for Allison, or more specifically, the memory of her and their past relationship. The word dominate shows that this memory isn't just a faint thought; it's a constant, powerful presence that has controlled or defined a large part of his life since they were apart. It's a heavy, emotional burden he's been carrying.