Awakening (Lily Dale #1)(52)

It’s her.

The woman she saw here before, and that day in the cemetery in Florida.

Her hand is outstretched. She’s holding something out toward Calla.

Mesmerized, Calla walks closer, forgetting to be startled or afraid.

On the woman’s palm is something small and silvery. She lifts it directly under her face so that the item is clearly visible.

It’s a charm—the kind you attach to a bracelet. It’s etched with the outline of a rugged landscape and some words Calla can’t quite read.

She leans closer until she can.

Rock House.

That means nothing to her. Nothing at all. Should it? Rock House. She squeezes her eyes closed to think about it, feeling as though she’s forgetting something, and comes up blank.

When she opens her eyes again a moment later, the woman is gone.

Was she even here at all? Or am I losing my mind?

Calla exhales shakily and looks up at the wispy clouds floating across the pale blue sky, as if she can possibly find an answer there. Nope. You’re losing your mind.

She lowers her head again, and something catches her eye on the ground at her feet.

Bending over, she retrieves the silver charm.

So she really was here. It wasn’t Calla’s imagination.

Rock House.

“Oh my God,” Calla says breathlessly, remembering.

That night at the message circle,Walter said the same thing when he read Elaine Riggs. He saw a rock . . . and a house.

At the time, Calla thought he was seeing two separate images, and maybe he was.

But on this souvenir charm, they’re put together: one phrase. The name of a place.

But where is it? And what does it have to do with Kaitlyn Riggs?

“Calla? Is that you?” Odelia calls when Calla walks in the door, as if she’s been waiting for her.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Still clutching the strange silver charm, she heads toward the stairs. She isn’t in the mood to talk to her grandmother. She really needs to pull herself together before her coffee date with Blue later. That, or cancel it.

“Wait.” Odelia appears in the doorway, wearing a red T-shirt, lavender Bermuda shorts, and flip-flops with a fist-sized plastic flower above the thong. “I have to tell you something.”

Calla stops short. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. But you missed a phone call, and it was some good news for you.”

“Dad’s letting me stay?” she blurts. Oops. Of course that’s not it. How can it be? She’s never even brought that up.

“You want to stay?” Odelia asks slowly, looking stunned. “Here in Lily Dale? With me?”

Calla opens her mouth to tell her she doesn’t, but somehow, she can’t bring herself to say that. Because it isn’t true. She does want to stay. At least for a while.

“I . . . I don’t know. Maybe.” She can’t look her grandmother in the eye.

Odelia walks over to her and hugs her. Hard. “Well, I would really love that. Having you here has been . . . I don’t want to get all mushy on you, so I’ll just say it’s been good.”

Calla nods. No way is she going to get mushy if Odelia’s not. “It has been good.”

“Listen,” Odelia says, “you can stay as long as you want. Forever and a day.”

“I was thinking maybe just until November. There’s a beach house Dad found, and it isn’t available till then, so . . . I was thinking I could start school here, then transfer.”

“Would you really want to do that?”

Calla shrugs. “Why not? I’m already changing schools from Tampa, anyway. It’s not like I’m going to have this great senior year no matter where I am.”

“You never know. Here, especially. The high school is small, but it’s good. Your mother loved it, back then.” Odelia is wearing a wistful, faraway smile.

Calla opens her mouth, wanting to ask about Darrin. But, no, she shouldn’t. Not yet.

“So you asked your father about staying?” Odelia asks.

Calla shakes her head. “Can you ask him for me?”

“Me? I don’t know if that’s—”

“Coming from you, he’ll take it more seriously,” Calla tells her. “You can tell him that I’ve been doing well here, and that the school is good, and all that stuff.”

“Oh, hell, why not? I’ll talk to him if you want me to. The sooner the better, if you’re serious about staying. I’ll have to get you registered at school, and get supplies. . . .” She sounds so enthusiastic, it sounds like a done deal.

Dad will never let me, Calla thinks. Then again, he isn’t used to being the decision maker in her life, and Odelia can be very take-charge and persuasive . . . just like Mom was.

“Wait a second.” Calla remembers something. “You said I missed a phone call, good news. What is it?”

“Oh! I almost forgot. Your friend Lisa called. She said she’s coming to visit.”

“What? When?”

“Her brother is driving her here—they’re leaving first thing in the morning. She’ll be here Friday, fly home Monday.”

“Are you serious? Lisa’s coming here?” With Kevin?

“She asked me if it was all right with me, and of course I told her it is. I just hope it’s all right with you.”