Page 25 of Statler

More info. That’s what they needed.

“I’m sorry there’s no dishwasher, but each unit does have a stackable washer/dryer in the hall closet,” she told them. “And this,” she said, pointing as they walked down the hall, “is the only back door. There are no decks, because the front porches suffice for outdoor sitting time, but each cottage shares ten feet of grassed back yard before you hit the forest.”

Everyone took turns looking out toward the rear of the property, nodding.

“Is that one of the trails you mentioned?” Statler asked, indicating a tromped-down opening in the tree line.

“It is.” Eliza tried to maintain her nonchalant demeanor.

She hoped his sharp gaze wouldn’t find the path in back of the cabin next door, and it remained obscured. She’d tried to disguise it when cleaning up the yards, making the other two trail-heads in back of the properties more highly visible.

Ever since she’d lived in that cottage, the walk behind it had become her own, and she’d like to keep it that way.

Normally, the cottages remained empty, filled only when an employee had a lot of weekend company for which they paid her father an exorbitant rent, or if they had a small disaster at their own home like a broken pipe resulting in a flood.

Hence, they weren’t used all that much.

Until the concrete guys.

When she’d wanted to use her trail during their tenure, she’d simply parked at an obscure turn-out an eighth of a mile down the road, and approached the hike from a different direction. Not that she’d had any concerns that those slovenly jerks would actually want to take a brisk walk, but this crew? She could already tell they were a different story.

Turning quickly, but hopefully not suspiciously from the view of the yards, Eliza led them back up the short hall.

“Washer/dryer are here,” she said, tapping the closet to her right as they walked by. “The bathroom is to the left.”

Pushing that door fully open, she let each of them look in.

“Not exactly five-star facilities,” she semi-apologized, “but the water pressure is good, and there are very large tanks, so long showers are actually a thing.”

Eliza hoped they liked what they saw.

She’d attempted to brighten the completely white bathrooms with cherry-colored towels, bath mats, and curtains, complimenting those with steel gray accoutrements like tooth brush and soap holders.

There were appreciative murmurs as they peered in.

Eliza took that as a win as she continued down the hall.

“Two bedrooms of equal size,” she informed them. “One on the right, one on the left.”

She entered the front-most bedroom, where the early afternoon sun was streaming in the window, making it more welcoming than the dark one at the back.

Again, the surroundings weren’t colorful in and of themselves, but Eliza had done the best she could with the budget her father had set, getting bright bedding, throw rugs, curtains, and various odds and ends to decorate the walls. The framed pictures and interesting tin signs and hangings, had been compliments of Granny Edith, who’d let Eliza “shop” in her old barn, eschewing payment.

You spend enough with me on food, she’d chided humorously. And when your visitors are finished with the cottages, you can just haul all that stuff back here if you’re so inclined.

Eliza did buy all her food from Granny, not liking to travel out of town unless it was absolutely necessary.

At least until she bolted for good.

She would, however, reward Granny’s generosity somehow, some day. She just wasn’t sure how.

“And that’s the extent of it,” Eliza finally stated, looking around to see if she could glean anything on the faces surrounding her; either interest or distaste.

Luckily, what she noted all looked like approval.

“It’s great. Really,” Blue beamed.

Eliza’s shoulders lowered.