Page 38 of N8
“Yeah. This was where people checked in when they came up here. Later, when it was a camp for kids, this is where they’d come eat. A kitchen was added at the rear of the building, but I’m told each of the cabins has a small kitchenette inside. There’s also a laundry room, and some kind of workshop.”
“I’d like to view one of those cabins,” P8 said.
“We can go look.” Biggs started toward the back door when F8 paused.
“Car’s coming.”
The man stopped. Everyone strained their ears. The sheriff shook his head. “I don’t hear anything.”
Chuckling, N8 held out a hand to stay him. “Believe it. Her hearing is extraordinary.”
The man gave a lopsided smile. N8 could tell the man was recalling what he’d witnessed earlier. “Well then, it must be the real estate agent. Let’s wait outside for him.”
They left the building and gathered in front where presently a car slowly advanced up the pitted road. It pulled up behind Cydney’s SUV, and a portly, older man with a gray moustache crawled out. Going around to the other side of his vehicle, he opened the door to snag a briefcase sitting on the passenger seat.
N8 saw the man’s eyes take in their appearance as he came toward them, before giving the sheriff a questioning look. Biggs brushed off the unspoken query and waved a hand at Cydney.
“Miss Huddleston, Morris Shiner. Morris, this is Miss Cydney Huddleston, your new lessee.”
Cydney held out her hand to the man, who accepted it. “Mr. Shiner, thank you for this opportunity.”
“No, thankyoufor taking this turkey off my hands.” He glanced at the building behind her, then cast her a doubtful look. “Now that you’ve gotten a brief glimpse of the place, are you sure you want to live here?”
N8 moved forward to extend his hand. “Hi. I’m N8. And, yes, we’re sure.”
They shook as the man’s gaze swept over them again. “You’re not planning on opening some kind of commune here, are you?”
“No,” Biggs firmly answered before they could. “No commune. They’re a group of displaced young adults looking to start a new life.”
“Displaced?”
“We’re homeless,” Cydney spoke up. “We’ve been in foster care all our lives, and now that we’re of legal age, we’re wanting to strike out on our own.”
“But we’re best of friends,” K8 added. “We didn’t want to split up. We’ve known each other since we were babies.”
“So you want to start a commune,” the real estate agent repeated.
Biggs stepped toward the man almost menacingly. “What of it? What do you care? You got these people here willing to lease this piece of property that’s been lying dormant for decades. So what if they want to turn it into a commune, which they’re not. But even if they decide to, what business is it of yours? Last I heard, this was a free country.”
Shiner appeared to back off. “You’re right, Anson. If they want to turn it into a dairy farm and raise chickens, that’s their prerogative. There’s no clause in the lease that prohibits them from doing so, since this place is outside the city limits.” The man cast Cydney an apologetic eye. “Shall we go inside?”
He pulled a ring of keys from the briefcase, and they followed him onto the porch where he unlocked the front door. Inside, he took the briefcase over to a nearby table, brushed the dust off its surface, and sat the case down, opening it to extract a sheaf of papers. “This won’t take long. Do you have your down payment with you?”
N8 nudged Cydney’s arm. “I’ll go get your purse.” At her nod, he hurried outside to retrieve the handbag from underneath the driver’s seat. Pausing, he took another long look around at the area surrounding them. The woods seemed to have a calming effect, with the gentle breeze making the leaves whisper hello. Birds chirped, and cawed, and whistled. The place smelled of pine, earth…
And hope.
The chance of a new life. No more testing. No more suffering.
It was almost too good to believe.
Sniffing, he wiped the tears rising in his eyes and hurried back inside the building, hoping he was in time to witness Cydney signing the lease.
20Pl8
Cabins 2,5, and 6 were intact enough to where they could use them to sleep in as they worked to restore the main lodge and the rest of the cabins. N8 and Cydney went back into town to get the power restored. With that done, they went to the store and purchased several blankets and pillows, as well as a few more toiletries. On their way back to their new home, he noticed how despondent she appeared. She was trying to hide it from him, but he could sense it flowing off of her in a thick, depressing wave.
Leaning over the center console, he lightly nudged her arm. “What’s bothering you?”
