going to say anything at all. Finally, she spoke, more haltingly than Rain was accustomed to hear from her normally decisive mother. âThereâs one more ⦠thing. You mentioned ⦠Well, yesterday, you saidâ¦â
Iris paused again. Rain couldnât imagine what her mom was getting at. What did I say yesterday?
Alonso rescued his wife. âYour mom and I talked it over, and if youâd still like to move into âBastianâs old room, we think itâs okay.â
Iris more or less found her voice. âItâs bigger, and itâs not on the guest floor, which is probably a good thing. Youâd definitely have more privacy, which is probably a very good thing. So ⦠do you still want to change rooms?â
Rain had completely forgotten that on impulse she had asked for âBastianâs room. The very moment it had come out of her mouth, it had seemed wildly disrespectful to his memory. Of course, that was before she knew Papa âBastian would be hanging around as a ghost. She wondered whether or not heâd approveâthen decided heâd prefer to have the room go to her than to an unending chain of tourists. Besides, âBastian was stuck with the armband, and the armband was sticking with Rain, so this was more or less a way for him to keep his room. Tentatively, she said, âI think I do. If itâs okay with you.â
Iris nodded. Even smiled a little. âIt is. I think heâd like that.â
Iâll double-check at sundown, Rain thought.
Alonso was already moving on to logistics. âWe donât want the move to cause a lot of disruption for the guests. Mrs. Sawyerâs checking out Wednesday morning, and thatâll just leave Ms. Vendaval and the Kims. Weâve got another couple checking in Thursday afternoon, the Bernstein-Shores. So that really makes Wednesday after school the best time for the move.â
âO-okay,â Rain said. This is happening fast.
âSo I want you to have your stuff packed up and ready to move before then.â
âRight. Got it.â She was beginning to get a little excited about it.
âHi,â Charlie said, entering through the swinging door from the dining room. âItâs almost sunset.â
While Iris and Alonso thought about the seeming non sequitur, Rain whipped around in her seat to look at Charlie, then whipped back to look out the window at the fading light of the day. Then she shoved another huge forkful of pasta into her mouthâshe was, after all, her fatherâs daughterâswallowed hard, and leapt to her feet.
She grabbed Charlieâs hand, saying, âLetâs go to my room.â
Charlie inhaled sharply, feeling that wonderful, horrible electric rush. Though his mouth was pasta-free, he swallowed hard too and glanced, terrified, at Rainâs parents.
In fact, Alonso and Iris were not blind to Charlieâs crush on their daughter. They gave each other a silent look that spoke volumes. These kids are getting older. When do the new rules start?
Rain remained oblivious, asking to be excused without waiting for an answer and tugging Charlie toward the Innâs back stairs.
Iris said, âRain, wait. Maybe Charlie would like to sit down? Have some pasta? Or dessert?â
Charlie appeared on the verge of accepting the latter invitation. âWhat do you haveââBut Rain caught his eye and nodded toward her armband. âUm, never mind, Mrs. Cacique. I already ate.â
With that, the two teens raced upstairs.
CHAPTER NINE
GHOST RULES
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Rain didnât release Charlieâs hand until they were standing in front of her door and she was pulling out her room key. She slipped it into the lock, but what they were about to do seemed clandestine enough that she found herself looking back over her shoulder toward the guest room across the hallâthe room Callahan had stayed in, as if the big Aussie
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