Sometimes I think about moving down south as well.”
“You can’t move, you live here,” Jason pointed out quickly, then silently wondered if that sounded as stupid out loud as it did in his head. He didn’t like the twist of panic that shot through him when she mentioned moving. He wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this topic of conversation, but at least Rain seemed distracted from the whole Brandy’s ghost nightmare. Her color had returned, and she looked at him now with one of her eyebrows raised.
“Yes, well, if I move , then I’ll live there ,” she said patiently, a grin on her face as she sipped her tea.
“What I meant was, your job is here. Your volunteer work is here. And your friends are here. We all just got back together again.” He was annoyed at his emotional response to the idea of her leaving the area. A year ago, he wouldn’t have cared if she moved to Siberia.
But then a year ago, a condescending inner voice reminded him, she was still with Rick. And now she’s not.
Rain gave a heavy sigh. “God, my life sounds pathetic. All I have here is a job, really. I don’t even have a home. I’m thrilled we’ve all reconnected, you know that, but I want what my sister has. A nice husband, and a family. Maybe I need a fresh start to find those things.”
“So you’re not completely opposed to the idea of marriage now?”
“Surprisingly, no.” Rain laughed at herself. “You must think I’m crazy, talking about marriage when I’ve just divorced an adulterer. I am enjoying my independence, don’t get me wrong. I could never have done this reunion if I was still married to Rick. Meanwhile, Brian is so supportive of Allie, he actually told her that she should come here as much as she wanted, so she could relax and unwind. I guess my point is that there are nice husbands out there, I just didn’t get one.”
“I’m glad you feel that way—that you’re not going to swear off marriage because of Rick. It’s very optimistic of you.”
“Yeah, that’s one word for it.” She smiled again and rubbed her eyes. “I must be a mess. No time to make yourself presentable when there’s a ghost in your room,” she commented as she ran a hand through her tousled hair.
Jason thought she looked adorable. He resisted the urge to circle around the kitchen island that separated them and put his arms around her again. Despite her brave front, he still didn’t like the idea of her alone in this house. He wished he could invite her to stay with him for a few days, but that was absurd. Even if they had the room, he knew Cara wouldn’t appreciate it, and he wouldn’t blame her. Not to mention that Cara would never let him hear the end of it if he tried to suggest that the lake house might be haunted. There was little he could do, and he didn’t like the helpless feeling that resulted from that fact.
“Maybe Allie could come back a little sooner?” He was grasping at straws, but he wasn’t ready to give up.
“How did we get back to this?” Rain asked, an exasperated smile playing across her lips. “Allie needs time with her family. I’ll be fine, seriously. Even if Brandy is…a ghost, she wouldn’t hurt me. I don’t think she’s even trying to scare me. She probably just wants to be with us.”
“Okay, that doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Rain pushed herself off the stool and carried her mug to the dishwasher. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I’m not a little freaked out. In fact, I don’t want to go back in my room right now. But I’m going to stick it out, for myself, for Brandy, and for Mrs. Pierce. Now, I need to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
With me, Jason thought silently, then mentally kicked himself. “Allie’s room?” he suggested.
“I think maybe A.J.’s room would be better. It’s on a different floor, and it has its own bathroom that’s nowhere near my room. You don’t think he’d mind, do you?”
Jason shook his head. “Of course
“You can’t move, you live here,” Jason pointed out quickly, then silently wondered if that sounded as stupid out loud as it did in his head. He didn’t like the twist of panic that shot through him when she mentioned moving. He wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this topic of conversation, but at least Rain seemed distracted from the whole Brandy’s ghost nightmare. Her color had returned, and she looked at him now with one of her eyebrows raised.
“Yes, well, if I move , then I’ll live there ,” she said patiently, a grin on her face as she sipped her tea.
“What I meant was, your job is here. Your volunteer work is here. And your friends are here. We all just got back together again.” He was annoyed at his emotional response to the idea of her leaving the area. A year ago, he wouldn’t have cared if she moved to Siberia.
But then a year ago, a condescending inner voice reminded him, she was still with Rick. And now she’s not.
Rain gave a heavy sigh. “God, my life sounds pathetic. All I have here is a job, really. I don’t even have a home. I’m thrilled we’ve all reconnected, you know that, but I want what my sister has. A nice husband, and a family. Maybe I need a fresh start to find those things.”
“So you’re not completely opposed to the idea of marriage now?”
“Surprisingly, no.” Rain laughed at herself. “You must think I’m crazy, talking about marriage when I’ve just divorced an adulterer. I am enjoying my independence, don’t get me wrong. I could never have done this reunion if I was still married to Rick. Meanwhile, Brian is so supportive of Allie, he actually told her that she should come here as much as she wanted, so she could relax and unwind. I guess my point is that there are nice husbands out there, I just didn’t get one.”
“I’m glad you feel that way—that you’re not going to swear off marriage because of Rick. It’s very optimistic of you.”
“Yeah, that’s one word for it.” She smiled again and rubbed her eyes. “I must be a mess. No time to make yourself presentable when there’s a ghost in your room,” she commented as she ran a hand through her tousled hair.
Jason thought she looked adorable. He resisted the urge to circle around the kitchen island that separated them and put his arms around her again. Despite her brave front, he still didn’t like the idea of her alone in this house. He wished he could invite her to stay with him for a few days, but that was absurd. Even if they had the room, he knew Cara wouldn’t appreciate it, and he wouldn’t blame her. Not to mention that Cara would never let him hear the end of it if he tried to suggest that the lake house might be haunted. There was little he could do, and he didn’t like the helpless feeling that resulted from that fact.
“Maybe Allie could come back a little sooner?” He was grasping at straws, but he wasn’t ready to give up.
“How did we get back to this?” Rain asked, an exasperated smile playing across her lips. “Allie needs time with her family. I’ll be fine, seriously. Even if Brandy is…a ghost, she wouldn’t hurt me. I don’t think she’s even trying to scare me. She probably just wants to be with us.”
“Okay, that doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Rain pushed herself off the stool and carried her mug to the dishwasher. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I’m not a little freaked out. In fact, I don’t want to go back in my room right now. But I’m going to stick it out, for myself, for Brandy, and for Mrs. Pierce. Now, I need to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
With me, Jason thought silently, then mentally kicked himself. “Allie’s room?” he suggested.
“I think maybe A.J.’s room would be better. It’s on a different floor, and it has its own bathroom that’s nowhere near my room. You don’t think he’d mind, do you?”
Jason shook his head. “Of course
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