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“You need to go out there right now and assure her you’re not going to bother her,” Van advised. “Just walk out like you’re going to the shed. Wave and look surprised she’s here and then promise to be a super quiet neighbor and hey, if she needs something, let us know. Otherwise we both look like creepy stalkers who keep staring at her.”
That was some sound advice right there. He grabbed a jacket off the hooks by the door and zipped it up as he walked out.
He was not good at acting. He was well aware he was probably awkward as hell as he walked on the porch and held up a hand. “Hey, Marie, Elisa. How are you doing?”
Elisa bit her bottom lip as she obviously decided how she was going to handle things. “Well, I’m thinking about renting this cabin for a while.”
“She’s already signed a lease,” Marie assured him. “I made sure to get that signature on the line before I brought her out here.”
“Why would you…” Elisa began. “You knew I wouldn’t…would think about it if I knew they were across the street. That seems pretty rude.”
“Or smart. The guy who owns this place gave me a bonus for a longer-term rental.” Marie looked wholly satisfied with herself as she moved back to her truck. “And honestly, this is the best open cabin in the area. I could have put you in the old Klein place, but it’s falling apart, or the one on River Bend that’s haunted. I could still get you in there. Some people think it’s a bunch of chipmunks living in the walls.”
“I think that might be worse,” Elisa replied.
“Then you’ve never been in a real haunted house. Let me tell you those chipmunks have nothing on an angry poltergeist,” Marie said with surety. “I’ve recently gotten really into paranormal investigations. If you hear anything weird in there, let me know. There’s a woman who comes in for Woo Woo Fest who can clean it right out. You all have fun. Rent’s due the first of the month.”
And Marie was off.
Elisa made her way down the steps and toward the road.
“What is Woo Woo Fest? And is she serious?”
At least she wasn’t running away. “It’s actually called the Festival of Spiritual Renewal, and it’s held in the fall. We have a lot of festivals and big town parties. And what part was she being serious about? The lack of good rentals or the paranormal stuff?”
Elisa frowned before answering. “Both?”
“Most of the cabins get rented this time of year by skiers who don’t want to stay in one of the lodges,” he explained. “They rent out early in the year so even if a cabin was open for a week or two, it wouldn’t be available for long-term rental. The cabin you’re in is owned by Van’s brother. He only takes long-term rentals, and never during the summer. He doesn’t want people partying in his sacred space or something. I don’t know. He fishes a lot. Look, I don’t want you to freak out. I’m not going to bug you. I was surprised to find out you were here. That’s why I was staring. And we’ll be moving in a couple of months anyway.”
“You’re going with Van?” She asked the question with a gasp.
Oh, she didn’t like the idea of him leaving. Maybe it wasn’t going as poorly as he thought. “No. I’m pretty sure I’m staying. I should be finished with the reno on this one in about six weeks, and then we’ll stay in the cabin the sheriff and his family own while I’m working on it. It’s a pretty big job. We’re adding an extra room and bathroom and redoing the primary bath. It’s cool because I get to learn how to properly chink a cabin from a master, and this is probably not all that cool to you.”
Her shoulders had relaxed, and she seemed much more comfortable. She looked gorgeous in her cuddly coat, the snow falling around her. “I think it’s interesting. You like learning new things. I do, too. And I’m not upset about you being across the street. I was surprised, and I think that Marie person knew exactly what she was doing. However, I desperately need to get out of the Movie Motel. It’s fun for a while, but I’m pretty sure all my clothes smell like popcorn, and I’ve seen Elf five times in the last week. I hear the phrase ‘you sit on a throne of lies’ in my dreams now. It’s disconcerting.”
He loved how funny she was. “Well, you will not hear Will Ferrell out here, but you may hear a wolf pack. They come down off the mountain this time of year. Do you have a shotgun? Not that you should shoot the wolves. You should stay out of their way, but if you need to defend yourself, you should probably have a shotgun at hand.”
