Down By The Water Read Online Free Page A

The walls were the color of rust and gold, with floor-length curtains pulled open, allowing a view of the copse of trees that hid the bulk of the resort. The rain had tapered off but the sky was still an angry gray, a blanket of clouds shrouding the evening sun.
    “Is it just the three of us?” I asked.
    Ty sat down next to me and nodded at the place settings. “You think we set the table for our resident ghosts?”
    I glanced at the table. There were four place settings, not three.
    I felt the heat creep into my cheeks. “Oh.” I looked at him. “You have ghosts?”
    He shrugged. “A couple. They don't make themselves known too often.” His tone was light and I couldn't tell whether he was messing with me or not.
    I shivered a little. Ghosts creeped me out. Not that I'd ever had any experience with them, but just the thought of souls returning from the dead gave me goosebumps. Especially one. Because I wouldn't know what that one person would say, how that person would react to me.
    Ty's mom bustled in from the kitchen, a metal pan cradled in her hands. Her eyes met mine as she set the dish down in the middle of the table and she nodded in approval.
    “You look much better,” she said, smiling.
    It sounded like a compliment, not a jibe, and I smiled back. “Thank you—” I didn't finish because I realized I didn't know her name. Or Ty's last name. And I didn't think I should address her as Ty's Mother.
    “Sheila,” she told me. “You can call me Sheila. Mrs. Reilly doesn't work for me. Sounds like you're talking to my mother-in-law.”
    “Okay. Thank you, Sheila.”
    She nodded again, her hair slipping a little from her bun, and returned to the kitchen.
    There was the sound of footsteps in the hall and I turned my head toward the door, expecting to meet Mary, the girl whose clothes I was wearing. But a man dressed in jeans and a pressed, plaid shirt walked in, a man who looked like an older version of Ty. Same hair, same crooked smile as he looked at me and greeted me with a hello.
    “You must be the girl Ty rescued,” he said, his voice rich and deep. He slid into the chair at the head of the table.
    Ty rolled his eyes. “Didn't rescue her, Dad.”
    His father's smile deepened and I could make out the matching dimple in his cheek. “No? That's not what your mother told me.” He reached for the pitcher of ice water and poured himself a glass. “I'm Colin Reilly. Nice to meet you, Lily.”
    I nodded. “Thanks for having me here.”
    Sheila returned, carrying a crystal bowl filled with Jello and whipped cream. She set it down next to the casserole and took her place opposite of Ty's dad.
    She leaned back in her chair. “Dig in, everyone.”
    Ty scooped a big helping of taco casserole on my plate.
    “I don't need that much,” I protested.
    “It tastes better than it looks,” he said under his breath. “But avoid the Jello. She puts fruit cocktail in it.” He made a gagging sound.
    I bit back a smile.
    “So,” Colin said as he dropped spoonfuls of casserole and salad on to his plate. “Sheila tells me you were on your way to Madison. A job?”
    I swallowed a bite of casserole. It was good. “No,” I said. “School.”
    He raised his eyebrows. “School?”
    I poured a glass of water and took a sip. “The University of Wisconsin.”
    Ty stared at me. “So you just graduated high school?” His voice held a thread of doubt.
    “No.” I shook my head. “I did a couple years at the local junior college. I'm finishing my degree at the U.”
    He nodded and I swore I saw a flash of relief flit through his eyes. “Gotcha.”
    I realized then that I had no idea how old he was. At a glance, I pegged him close to my age, maybe a couple of years older. But, like his father's, his own face was youthful. His dad didn't look much older than thirty but that was impossible, considering his grown son was sitting next to me at the table.
    “How old are you?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
    Ty