Again, Rain nodded in agreement. “Sometimes. It seems like it happens when emotions are running high. I mean, unless these things are just coincidences.”
“I don’t believe they’re coincidences. Brandy always had a strong spirit. Whatever she’s trying to tell you, she’ll succeed, eventually. Just please, please be patient and give her a little more time.”
“Oh, we will. I’ve made everyone promise to come back for the end of July and beginning of August. I think she can do more when we’re all at the house together, but while I’m there alone I’ll try to be as receptive as possible.”
Claudia gave her an appreciative smile. “You’re very brave, Rain. And whatever it is she has to say, I pray we find out what happened to her. Not many things could be as bad as not knowing. You can’t even imagine some of the horrible scenarios my mind has come up with through the years.”
“I’m sure it’s been unbearable,” Rain replied sadly. “I’ll do my best, and you just concentrate on fighting the cancer.”
“I’m certainly trying. I can’t die without knowing what happened, and I think my body realizes that. And the peace of mind you have given me by organizing this reunion has been a godsend. But just in case, there is one thing I want you to know. My hope is that if we solve this mystery, we can somehow get her back here. I’ve already purchased two side-by-side plots in the graveyard where my parents are buried. My lawyer has all the details, and Brandy’s father is fine with it. He wrote her off a long time ago, it seems. Anyway, I’d like to have my daughter next to me. Do you think she would mind?”
Rain’s throat swelled with emotion. She shook her head solemnly. “I think it would make her happy. I’ll do everything I can to see that it happens.” She stood up to give Claudia a hug, silently praying that Brandy could somehow see them as she squeezed the frail woman goodbye.
It was almost 5:00 when Rain pulled into Holly’s driveway. She still had her key, of course, but since Holly’s car was there, she knocked politely on the door. Holly threw open the door and pulled Rain into a warm embrace, reminding her that as an honorary family member, she never had to knock. Rain laughed and held the flowers and chocolates away from their bodies as she tried to return Holly’s hug.
Holly kept her arm around Rain as they moved inside to the kitchen. The delicious smell of Mexican food wafted from the oven. Rain set her gifts on the counter and peered through the window in the oven door.
“I made enchiladas. Maybe not the best summer meal, but that’s what I was craving. I hope you’re hungry.”
Rain widened her blue eyes and nodded enthusiastically. “Very, very hungry. What can I do?”
“Absolutely nothing but relax. And tell me about your niece. And then tell me about the lake house.” Holly smiled, her warm brown eyes crinkling in her tanned face.
Rain melted onto a kitchen stool and began filling Holly in on her summer, leaving both the supernatural and personal parts out for now. She could see the older woman studying her face as she spoke, and she chose her words carefully.
Apparently Holly wasn’t fooled, because her first question was about the relationship dynamics in the house. “So, are there any romantic feelings popping up between anyone?”
Rain stood up and walked away in order to hide the telling flush that was certain to appear. “No, no, we’re all just great friends. Allie’s married, and Jason has a girlfriend. Hey, where’s Minxie?” she asked. “I miss her so much.” She filled a glass of water at the refrigerator and then peered around the corner, pretending to search for her cat.
“Hmm.” Holly watched Rain suspiciously, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes. “Something’s going on. Oh, and Minx is in your room. She’s claimed it as her own. Very domineering, that one.”
Seizing on the opportunity to escape, Rain hurried down the hall into the guest room. “I’ll be back in a few,” she called. She took a deep breath and settled on the bed, curling her tired body around her warm cat.
****
Rain set out for Silver Lake around 10:00 a.m., feeling well rested. She had fallen asleep for ten minutes before last night’s dinner, and when Holly had called her name, she’d sat up quickly on the bed, confused and groggy. They’d enjoyed a pleasant Mexican meal, and since Holly’s husband Tom had arrived home and joined them, Holly didn’t ask any more questions about romance.
She
had
asked Rain if she was making progress on her book. “It’s going great,” Rain lied. I’m on “G” for ghost, she thought to herself, suppressing a hysterical giggle at her pathetic private joke. She was very, very tired.
Apologizing for her exhaustion, she went to bed early, her cat purring contentedly and kneading the covers near her chest. She had stroked the smooth black fur and fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The first thing she noticed as she pulled into the lake house’s driveway was that her flower pot had been replaced. Someone had bought a new—plastic—container and replanted her arrangement of cascading petunias and vinca vines. Her heart swelled with the simple gesture. Thankfully there had been enough rain to sustain them, but she took the time to deadhead the spent blooms before locating the key and cautiously unlocking the door.
All was quiet and decidedly normal. As she began unpacking, she remembered Jason’s request. He had asked her to text him when she landed in White Plains, which she had. But his reply had insisted she text him again when she arrived safely at the lake house. She smiled to herself as she moved toward the front of the house to send her message.
The date on the screen of her phone jogged something in her memory, however. She realized that today was Tuesday, the date of Cara’s father’s funeral and burial. Probably Jason had his phone turned off or set to vibrate, but what if he didn’t? Family members might need to talk to coordinate plans. There was no way she was going to bother him and his girlfriend’s grieving family today.
She left her phone on the island and got busy making lunch and cleaning out the fridge. After an hour on the beach and a long walk and shower, she actually sat down and spread her book notes around her on the table. She wasn’t feeling particularly creative, so she settled on getting organized instead, making manila folders for each letter chapter and filing ideas written on scraps of paper or cut from articles in their place. By the time she finished dinner and clean up, she was satisfied that she had accomplished something.
Her phone never rang, so she never bothered to check it throughout the day. When she moved it to wipe down the island, the screen lit up with the news that she had seven texts and a voice mail. Damn her crappy reception! Her palms were sweating with panic as she rushed out the front door to check the caller information.
All Jason. Her heart slowed a bit when she saw that none of the calls were from Mia or her parents. She scrolled to the last text. “Where r u? Call immediately or I’m driving up.” The time stamp was less than 30 minutes ago. She prayed he hadn’t decided to leave Cara alone to come check on her. Why hadn’t she just texted him as he had requested? No one else was this worried about her. But then no one else, except maybe Allie, knew the extent of the strange and spooky events going on at the lake house.
She sat on the steps next to the new flower pot and pressed the button to call his cell phone. Silently pleading that she wouldn’t interrupt anything important or solemn, she wrapped her left arm around herself against the cool evening air.
He picked up quickly, his voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?” he demanded.
“I’m fine,” she replied guiltily.
Jason let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Is there a reason you didn’t call to let me know you arrived safely? Or answer any of my texts, for that matter?”
She detected a hint of anger in his words and she bit her lip as she tried to frame her explanation. She hadn’t wanted to intrude on such an emotional and serious day, and instead her choice had made him worry about her for hours.
“I’m so sorry, Jay. I screwed up. It’s just that I’m not really used to having anyone worry about me. And I started to text you, I honestly did, and then I saw the date on my phone. I knew that Cara’s father was being buried today, but I didn’t know what time. I just really didn’t want to disrupt anything. I thought I was being respectful,” she trailed off, hoping he understood.
“All my texts didn’t clue you in to the fact that I was concerned when I didn’t hear from you?”
“I just didn’t see them. I got involved in my book, and then dinner, and my phone never rang. You know my phone doesn’t work very well out here. I forgot to check it. I’m really sorry. ‘S’ for sorry,” she finished lamely.
He sighed again, but this time it sounded more like exasperation with a hint of amusement at her pathetic joke. “Okay. I’m just glad that you’re safe and nothing bad happened. I do worry about you, Rain. I don’t like you being in that house alone. In fact, I’m pretty sure you agreed
not
to stay there alone.”
She ignored the last sentence, hoping he wouldn’t press the point. “I promise I will check my phone regularly from now on. But I’ll be fine, I’m confident that Brandy wouldn’t hurt me. If she’s even able to show up when I’m here alone and something weird happens, I’ll call you. Deal?”
“Deal,” he conceded grudgingly. “But after all you put me through today, I expect something special when I get there.”
Her stomach flipped as her mind conjured up the kiss they had shared. Her eyes widened with shock even as a pleasant warmth spread through her body.
“All my favorites,” he continued. “Specifically, the banana bread.”
He was talking about food. She hung her head in shame at the treacherous path her thoughts had taken. She really needed to get a hold of herself. They had survived the awkwardness of her pitiful, drunken advances that first weekend and even the aftermath of their reckless make-out session on the beach the second. At least
he
had started that one, she thought thankfully. Maybe that made them even. She finally had her friend back after all these years. She didn’t want to do anything further to mess that up.
“Rain? Are you still there?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about all the food I’m going to make you in order to earn my absolution.”
“Awesome. I can’t wait.”
She laughed with pleasure. “I’ll try not to disappoint. All the cooking will help keep me busy. Oh, and I have so much to tell you about my visit with Mrs. Pierce yesterday.”
“I definitely want to hear about it, Rainy, but I should really get going for now.”
Guilt stabbed through her chest as she remembered what was going on in his world. “Oh, of course, I shouldn’t be keeping you on the phone,” she said hurriedly.
“It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay,” he reiterated. “Do not hesitate to call me for even one second if you need me. And answer your texts, please, because I’m sure we’ll all be checking up on you.”
She promised she would as she searched for the appropriate words of condolence. “Please tell Cara that I’m…I’m sorry for her loss,” she managed.
“Sure,” he agreed, his voice somber. “Have a good night and be careful.”
Chapter 21
There were no ghostly signs for the next few days, aside from a random door or cabinet being found open when Rain was absolutely certain she had closed it. Even Rain’s dreams were uneventful; they seemed to revolve around her infatuation with Jason rather than clues to her missing friend’s whereabouts. She cursed her traitorous subconscious and tried to keep busy.
She shopped, baked, and cooked. She exercised and cleaned. At the library, she spent hours online or perusing the stacks. She finished three novels and worked on her book. She spoke on the phone with everyone in her immediate circle of family and friends, with the exception of Jason. Even he texted her several times a day, checking on her.
By Sunday, she was officially bored out of her mind. Sitting on the beach, she decided she absolutely had to do something different. She discarded the novel she was trying to immerse herself in and eyed the rowboat overturned in the sand.
She had promised not to go out alone, but she told herself she’d wear a lifejacket the entire time she was anywhere near the water. Gathering her beach things and stuffing them in her bag, Rain decided they would forgive her for breaking her promise if they knew how bored she was. Using a combination of shoving and pulling, she righted the rowboat and moved it down to the water’s edge.
The ugly orange lifejacket smelled awful and featured spots of mold, but she dutifully put it over her head and buckled it snugly. She stowed her bag in the bow and examined the oars. There were U-shaped oarlocks on each side, but an oar could slide right out and float away if she wasn’t careful. For now, they would be safe inside the boat until they were needed.
Cold water made her rise to her tiptoes as she ventured in; her body’s automatic response to stay as dry as possible. Goose bumps rose on her skin, and she fought the urge to give up on her voyage in favor of sitting back out on the hot beach. Setting her jaw in determination, she reminded herself that she needed an adventure. Launching the boat directly from the shore was going to cause her to get a little wet, but the sun was bright and she would dry off quickly. She waded out far enough for the boat to be buoyant and hauled herself in awkwardly, scraping her knee in the process.
Once she was securely seated, she glanced around to make sure no one had witnessed her ungraceful entry. Satisfied, she slipped the oars into the oarlocks and braced her feet. She was already winded. By the time this excursion was over, she was going to have had a hell of a workout.
She peered over her shoulder and began rowing. It was difficult at first, but soon she settled into a rhythm and moved along at a faster pace. One thing she
was
worried about was finding her way back to the house, so she studied the landmarks carefully as she propelled the boat smoothly through the water.
She was so focused on keeping her bearings that she almost missed the secluded little crescent of beach surrounded by the encroaching trees on three sides. It was their beach, she was almost positive. When they were teenagers, they had used a rowboat and a canoe to get away from A.J.’s family and have some time to themselves. Memories flooded back as she drew the boat closer to the shoreline.