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We snag our shoes, and the three of us walk up the road to my property.
It’s a pretty fall day with the leaves turning yellow and orange on the trees and the heavy scent of the ocean in the air. It rained all last week, so having a couple of days of sunshine is a welcome break from the gloomy weather.
“I wonder what has Rose all stirred up,” I muse aloud as we come around the bend and see the lighthouse, my home, and the barn. And just as we start to walk across the grass that leads to the soon-to-be B&B, the roof caves in on the front right-side corner of the building.
We stop in our tracks, stunned. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
“What in the actual fuck?” Wolfe says as I immediately reach for June’s hand.
“You know for sure that everyone’s out of there?” I demand.
“Yeah.” She swallows hard, her green eyes wide and gaze stuck on the barn. “Yeah, they all left. Holy shit.”
“Stay here,” Wolfe instructs before jogging over. From the big doorway, he peers inside.
“I was working right in that exact spot,” June says, shaking her head in disbelief as she pulls her cap off and pushes her hand through her red hair. “My God, Luna, I thought Rose was just being a drama queen, trying to get attention. But she saved me. She freaking saved my crew.”
“I figured it had to be something. I’ve never known Rose to freak out like that,” I say, feeling my stomach roil at the possibility of what could have happened in there. “She slams a door here and there, sure, but nothing like you explained.”
“Now we know that when Rose has a meltdown, we should listen.”
A light breeze blows over us, and I suddenly smell roses in the air.
“Thanks, Rose,” I whisper. “How far back do you think this will put us?” I ask June.
Her mouth opens and closes, and I feel like a big jerk.
“Don’t answer that.” I lean my head on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, that was an asshole thing to say. The important thing is that everyone is okay. There hasn’t been an inn here for over a hundred years. A few extra weeks or even months won’t matter. Just ignore me.”
“You’re not an asshole,” she whispers and rests her cheek on the top of my head. “I think this is the first time in my life that I’ve been happy about a ghost.”
“Me, too.”
Wolfe is shaking his head and rubbing his fingertips against his forehead as he walks back to us.
“It’s definitely not safe in there,” he says and huffs out a breath. “Looks like a ceiling beam gave out.”
“We haven’t replaced them yet,” June says. “I didn’t think the old ones were so rotten they’d give way. They were just…old. Shit, I’m sorry, Luna. I’ll cover the cost of this.”
“Hey, this isn’t your fault,” I insist. “I’m just so relieved that you’re safe. We’ll figure the rest out.”
“Look,” Wolfe says, pointing to the upper window of the barn on the left, where the roof is still intact.
“I see her,” I whisper.
A woman looks down at us through the window. She looks sad. She’s in an old-fashioned dress and has her dark hair pulled back from her face.
“Whoa,” June breathes. “We’ve never seen her before.”
“Not like that. Um, June? Is there even a floor right there?”
“Nope.”
“So, she’s a floating ghost,” Wolfe says with a nod. “Good to know.”
“I think they can go wherever they want,” I say.
“How do you know?” June demands.
All I can do is shrug, and then Rose drifts away, leaving the window empty.
“I need liquor,” June decides. “And food. But first, alcohol. I think I’ll go meet the others at Lighthouse Pizza. Do you guys want to join us?”
“I could eat,” Wolfe says, surprising me. I thought for sure he’d decline and take me back to the garage to finish what we started earlier.
But June’s upset, and he knows she needs us.
And if that doesn’t make a girl fall in love, I don’t know what would.
“I’ll call Sarah,” I announce and reach for my phone. “Let’s get the whole gang there and blow off some steam.”
“Thanks,” June says with a sigh. “Thank you.”
“You never have to thank me when pizza is involved,” I reply.
With June settled in at home, happily drunk and ready to go to sleep, I’m in my living room, kneeling next to Rose’s trunk. Wolfe’s still out with Apollo, Tanner, and Zeke. Sarah and I took June home, and then Sarah wanted to go back to her apartment to paint, so I headed to the lighthouse alone.
It was the perfect time for me to come and spend some time with Rose. She’s been on my mind so much since the barn caved in this afternoon.
She saved my best friend’s life.
