Awakening (Lily Dale #1)(35)

Thank goodness she took the time to change out of the sloppy sweats she’d worn all morning. The cutoffs, T-shirt, and sandals she has on now aren’t exactly her best outfit, but they’re more flattering than baggy cotton fleece. She’s not wearing makeup, but at least her long hair is down, and recently brushed, if a little damp from the rain.

“Hey, are you following me around, or what?” Blue asks Calla good-naturedly.

“I got here first, so it’s more like the other way around, don’t you think?” She takes a demure lick of her ice cream cone, wondering how she’s managing to come across as so laid-back when her heart is beating wildly at the sight of him.

“You caught me,” Blue returns easily. He barely flicks a glance in the direction of the other two girls as he says, “Hey, Evangeline. Hi, Lena.”

“What’s up, Blue?” Evangeline asks as Calla pays for their two cones. “Is your dad around? My aunt needed to talk to him about something.”

“Nah, he’s in L. A. till next week. I’ll take a large coffee,” he tells Lena, without missing a beat. “Black. Two sugars.”

Then, to Calla, “What have you been doing with yourself since you got here?”

Trying to figure out how to get out of here, mostly, she thinks heavily. To Blue, she says only, “Just hanging out. You know.”

“Yeah. Not much else to do around here.” He shrugs. “You still want to hook up sometime?”

“Sure.”

“Good.” He nods.

When? Calla wants to ask, but doesn’t.

And he doesn’t say anything else, other than to tell her he’ll see her around.

As he strolls away with his coffee, Calla and Evangeline slip into seats at a table with their ice cream.

The moment Blue is out of earshot, Evangeline says, “I knew it. I told you he liked you.”

“It’s not like he asked me out.”

“He said he’s going to.”

Calla shrugs and licks her cone, trying to act as though she doesn’t care either way. “He’d better hurry up,” she says, “because it’s not like I’m here forever.”

“Want me to nudge him?”

“No!”

Evangeline laughs. “Okay, okay, I won’t say anything. I’m sure he’ll get around to it on his own. I just wish Jacy would look at me the way Blue just looked at you,” she adds wistfully.

“Maybe you should make the first move,” Calla suggests. “You said he’s shy, right?”

“Yeah. Really shy. You’ll see. I really can’t believe you haven’t met him yet. This is as small as small towns get.”

“Yeah. I’m starting to figure that out,” Calla murmurs, again feeling guilty for not having told Evangeline she and Jacy have already been introduced.

“You’ll get used to it.”

I don’t think I’ll have time, Calla thinks, but she doesn’t say that to Evangeline. She hasn’t given up the idea of leaving Lily Dale as soon as possible. She just hasn’t come up with a plan yet.

In the middle of the afternoon, her father calls.

“What are you doing?” he asks, and Calla wonders fleetingly if she should tell him the truth: that she was just lying on Odelia’s couch, reading a book about the origins of spiritualism.

“Reading,” she says briefly, and waits for him to ask what she was reading. That will open the door to a conversation about Lily Dale, and put the wheels in motion to get her out of here.

That’s what she wants, right?

Right. Definitely. It’s what I want.

But her father doesn’t ask what she is reading, and for some reason, Calla finds herself changing the subject.

“Guess what? I went out for ice cream today with a girl who lives here. She’s my age.”

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. I’ve been thinking you must be lonely with just your grandmother for company. I was even wondering if you’d be able to stick it out there for the whole three weeks, so . . . I’m glad you found a friend. What’s her name?”

“Evangeline Taggart,” Calla murmurs, wishing he hadn’t just said all that. He’s obviously relieved, thinking he doesn’t have to worry about her for the time being.

How can she ask him to get her out of here on the heels of this conversation?

You can’t. You’ll just have to stick it out, like he said.

“Evangeline, huh? That’s an odd name.”

Speaking of odd, Dad, she’s a medium. And so is Odelia. And everyone else in town.

“She lives right there in Lily Dale?” he’s asking.

“Right next door.” With her aunt. Also a medium.

“Well, that’s convenient.”

“Yeah.” She clears her throat. “What have you been doing, Dad?”

“Apartment hunting. Familiarizing myself with the campus. Getting organized for the semester. Going to meetings.” There’s a pause. “Missing you. And . . . Mom.”

The last word is spoken so softly Calla has to strain to hear it.

“I miss her, too, Dad. So much. And I miss you.” Her voice breaks, and she swipes at tears in her eyes.

“Well, it won’t be long before you’re here in California with me,” he says hoarsely.