"How can you be so sure? If their spirits are still here and-"

"It won't happen," Holiday said with more certainty this time.

And that's when Kylie understood. "They came to you?"

She nodded. "I'm helping them cross over." Then Holiday gave Kylie a feel-better hug. Its soothing effects did wonders.

"Now, let's go back to you," Holiday said. "Are you okay?"

"Not completely okay," Kylie said, and then admitted a piece of truth that Holiday deserved to hear. "You were right. I feel a little better after seeing my dad. I didn't let him off the hook, either. I'm still furious at him, but ... I know he loves me. And I love him and sooner or later, I'm sure we'll be back to something that is almost normal."

Holiday leaned back on Kylie's pillow. "Normal is overrated, anyway."

"I'm beginning to wonder if I'd even recognize normal now." Kylie raised her thumb to her mouth and nipped at the corner of her nail.

"Well, if you did recognize it, you probably wouldn't like it anymore," Holiday teased.

"I just want to figure out this whole mystery with the ghost, if someone really needs me or doesn't need me. Do these ghosts have a clue what they put us through?"

"I don't think so." Holiday touched Kylie's arm again. "But I really believe everything is going to be okay."

For the next few minutes, only silence filled the room. Kylie looked down at Holiday resting on the bed. "Can I ask you something?"

Holiday cocked an eyebrow at her. "It doesn't involve Burnett, does it?"

"No," Kylie said. "But it's about boys."

"Okay, shoot." Holiday sat up.

"Is it ... normal if you really like one guy to still be infatuated with another?"

"The whole Derek and Lucas issue, huh?"

"Yeah." Kylie frowned. "But I liked it better when I didn't name them."

"Okay, no names. Two guys." She held out one finger. "First, we can't always control our attractions to other people. Take my aunt Stella, for example. She's been married to my uncle for fifty years, but the woman is goo-goo over Tom Selleck. Owns every movie and TV show he ever made, she spends hours every week watching him strut across her fifty-twoinch flat screen." Holiday gave Kylie a soft look as if she realized the whole Tom Selleck talk wasn't working. "I think I've said this to you before.

You are too young to worry about things like this."

"You're wrong," Kylie said. "Why wouldn't I worry? Just because a person is young doesn't mean that being loyal to someone isn't important.

And it still hurts if someone isn't loyal to you. It hurt like hell when Trey hooked up with another girl. It hurt Perry when Miranda kissed another guy, and they weren't even going out yet. Okay, I admit that at this age, it might not bring about the same disastrous outcome as ... as my dad cheating on my mom, but it still hurts. So I have to worry, because I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Wow." Holiday frowned and sat back up. "When you put it like that, you are so right, and I am so wrong. I'm sorry."

Kylie stared at the camp leader for a moment. "I appreciate your admitting you were wrong," Kylie said. Adults don't always do that.

"Is it okay if I try again to offer some advice?" Holiday asked. Kylie nodded.

Holiday paused in thought for a second. "Can I guess that this is all about the dream you had with Lucas?"

"You could guess," Kylie said. "But I won't confirm or deny it."

Holiday smiled. "Kylie, you didn't intentionally seek out the dream. You didn't even know you could do it. So you really aren't to blame.

And the fact that you find yourself attracted to more than one guy is completely normal. I've got three guys right now that all I have to do is think about and I start tingling all over."

Kylie gave Holiday's words serious thought. "But did you feel that when you thought you really cared about someone else?"

"Yeah. Even when I was engaged, I still could appreciate a goodlooking guy." She paused. "Being committed or loyal to someone doesn't mean you won't ever be attracted to someone else. It means you won't physically act upon the attraction." She grinned. "My aunt Stella, she used to tell my uncle he'd better pray Tom Selleck didn't show up on her doorstep asking her to run away with him. But the truth is, I know she'd turn Tom down flat. She loves my uncle Harry."

Holiday made a face. "Don't ask me why, though-he's bald, has a gut, and snores." She chuckled. "That said, I'll bet that woman has had some really hot fantasies about Tom."

Kylie laughed and then they both reclined back on the bed. The twinsize mattress offered just enough room for them both to stretch out with their shoulders pressed against each other. For a second they didn't talk.

Kylie stared at the ceiling and finally posed another question. "Is Burnett one of the guys who makes you tingle all over?"

"No Burnett questions, remember?"

"Okay," Kylie said. "But if I was older, he'd make me tingle."

Holiday laughed. "You and half the world. Including Selynn." The humor in her voice faded.

Silence reigned again. Maybe it was thinking about Selynn and Burnett that brought on Kylie's next question. "Lucas told me in his letters that he was trying to get permission to come back to the camp. Do you know if he's coming back?"