Page 23 of Statler

This place, however? She had very fond memories of it, and had even shed a few tears while getting it back into order over the previous few weeks.

But now was not the time to wallow in melancholia. She squared her shoulders.

The crew who had followed her, got out of their trucks, one by one.

Statler approached her, first.

“Nice. These will work,” he told her with a smile, clearly assessing the structures with a professional eye. “Nineteen twenties?” he asked.

“Exactly,” she marveled at his knowledgeable guess. “Built by the grandfather of Mr. Flazer.”

She’d been careful not to reveal her connection to the family this time. It wouldn’t take long for Statler and his crew to find out the truth about her parentage, but she’d keep things anonymous for as long as she could.

As the rest of the crew emerged into the sunlight, their smiles let her know that they, too, approved of where they’d be living.

“Dibs on the one at the end,” Hazard called out quickly.

“Hold on,” Statler cautioned with a shake of his head. “First we have to figure out who’s rooming with who.”

“Already taken care of, boss,” Blue chirped. “I’m solo, as are you and Tonk. Diz is with Pipes, and Haze is with Sherb.”

Eliza liked the shortened versions of everyone’s names. She’d have to ask if she could use them. Not that she was planning to see very much of the group, since, if she knew her father, Statler alone would be the one reporting to him. But inevitably there’d be a meeting she’d have to attend, or they’d run into each other at the one convenience store or gas station in town.

“I like the end unit,” Sherbert agreed with his roommate. “If it has two bedrooms, and internet capabilities,” he qualified.

“They all have two bedrooms,” Eliza confirmed. “And we have a dish that will give you connectivity.”

“Excellent.” He looked relieved, like one of those people who got anxious if cut off from his technology.

“Let me show you inside,” she offered, pointing to the cottage in front of which she stood. “You’ll know what you’re dealing with, since they’re all set up the same.”

Statler stepped forward and…

Yikes. Had he almost taken her elbow?

Swoon city.

Eliza hadn’t had a man touch her in over a year. It was a jolt to realize she wouldn’t have minded, but Statler must have thought better of it, because at the last minute he’d pulled back.

“You have the keys?” he asked gruffly, instead.

“They’re inside, sitting on your respective kitchen counters,” she told him, daring to look Statler square in the face.

Glory be.

In focus, he was even better than she’d remembered.

“I was, um, out here earlier to open the cottages up and air them out,” she explained, probably unnecessarily.

Before she could get lost in Statler’s eyes, Eliza spun on her heel and hurried up the porch stairs with as much decorum as she could muster.

Why was this man capable of flustering her so badly?

“I like the porch swings,” Blue commented as she and the crew trailed Eliza.

Eliza simply nodded, not daring to speak.

Holden had made those swings when they’d lived here, back before things with him had started going sour. They’d spent many a lovely evening on the one at the house to the right, which had been theirs.