AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I became an editor.
The best part about it was that I didn’t need to leave the house to work. I could do everything I wanted right from the comfort of my home—not that there was much about being in that home that made me feel comfortable. Sure, it was large and luxurious, but I hated everything about it.
Suffice it to say that I’d stashed away a fair bit of money over the years just from working. That didn’t include the amount I’d managed to pocket whenever Patrick handed me a wad of cash to go shopping.
To keep up the guise of being a dutiful and happy housewife, I splurged on things I didn’t care about, but since Patrick never asked for any of the cash that I didn’t spend back, I deposited it.
Now that I was here and would still be able to continue my job working as an editor, there wasn’t any reason to believe I’d face any hardship when it came to not only paying the weekly rate for one of Hanna’s tiny homes, but also providing for myself.
“There’s not a chance I’ll get sick of having you here,” Hanna assured me. “I’ve had several people visit for a few days, but you’re my first long-term stay. I’m thrilled to have you here.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked, feeling curious.
She shook her head. “Not long. As of right now, I’ve only got the four homes available. I’ve been fortunate enough to snag the land and have those four homes built, but growing a business like this isn’t exactly something that happens overnight. Word of mouth is a huge help, though. So, if you love it here, I’d appreciate a review online. Plus, if you’ve got any friends or family coming to the area needing a place to stay, I’m their girl. With time, I’m sure I’ll get to where I want to be.”
“How many homes are you looking to have?” I wondered, ignoring the fact that I didn’t have any family or friends I could tell about Hanna’s business right now.
A look of longing washed over her face before she murmured, “My dream is to have at least a dozen, but I know that’s going to take a while. If I’m lucky, though, it’ll eventually happen.”
Something about the way she was speaking reminded me of myself from so many years ago. The determination mixed with the undeniable drive to have something special and meaningful in her life was very much the way I’d been right up until my dreams crumbled. I hoped Hanna had better luck than I did.
“I’m sure you’re going to get there,” I told her.
“I hope you’re right.”
For the next few minutes, I completed the paperwork Hanna had given me while she took care of charging my card. Once we both finished those tasks, Hanna spoke again.
“So, since you’re staying longer and I wanted you to be comfortable, I decided to put you in one of my larger homes,” she started. “At just over four hundred square feet, it can technically sleep up to five people.”
“Oh, Hanna, that’s incredibly sweet of you to do, but I really don’t mind taking one of the smaller homes, so you can accommodate more guests with the larger one.”
She shook her head and insisted, “No. No, I’ve still got one home that accommodates up to six guests, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. And the other two I have will still sleep up to four people. Most of the visitors I’ve had have been couples, so even my smaller homes are oversized for their experience. Plus, since you’ll be here for an undetermined amount of time, I figure you might eventually have some company over.”
At those words, I felt something squeeze in my chest.
There was nothing I wouldn’t have given to be able to invite my family here to stay with me. Sadly, that wasn’t an option.
Hanna didn’t seem to notice my despondency as she continued, “And I guess this is where I should give you just a quick rundown of how things work here. I don’t mind if you have company visiting, and I don’t mind if they spend a few nights. The rate for the home will not change, but I do ask that you don’t exceed the number of guests that the house can accommodate. If you need more space while you’re here, just let me know, and if my larger home is available, we can probably work something out. Or, I might be able to give you a discounted rate on one of the smaller homes for the extra guests. Aside from that, I have been trying to plan and host weekly game nights and movie nights, so my guests have something fun to do if they’re spending a night in. Of course, like I said before, this is still all new and I don’t have a ton of guests here, so I have many nights when the games are out or the popcorn is popped and nobody shows. Either way, here’s this week’s schedule, if you’re interested.”
“Thank you, Hanna. I’ll look it over,” I promised.
“Sure. Now, you’ll find that you have most of the basics in the home, but if there’s anything missing that you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m happy to help in any way I can. Based on your license, I’m guessing that you might not know the area that well, so if you need any recommendations for anything—restaurants, stores, or otherwise—just give me a shout. Just call the main number that’s on the website, and that’ll ring here. I live here, too, so I’m always around unless I’m out running an errand,” she shared.
“Oh, I’m glad you mentioned that. I’m probably going to head out to a grocery store today, so I can make sure I’m stocked up for a few days,” I revealed.
With a nod of understanding, Hanna returned, “There’s one that’s about a ten-minute drive away.”
She then gave me directions to get there. When she finished, she asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think so. Not yet.”
Hanna smiled and said, “Alright. Then, here are your keys. You’re in the Steel Hideaway house. There is a hand-crafted wooden sign right by the door with the name on it, but it’s the one with the grey siding, black front door, and white trim around the windows.”
The Steel Hideaway. Certainly an homage to the town we were in, but I couldn’t ignore how fitting it was that I wound up in the one called the hideaway. Maybe that was a good sign.
Taking the keys from Hanna, I returned, “I’m sure I’ll find it. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome, Ellery. Enjoy your stay.”
