Page 61 of Winter Solstice
Masha nods in awe, like he’s just told her he designed the space station, but then Eddie gets an idea.
“As a matter of fact, Masha, Benton designed the outdoor space at the house on Medouie Creek Road.”
“You did?” Masha says.
“Yes, I did,” Benton says, growing even more animated than he already was. “Are you thinking of buying that house? Ilovethat house. I think that outdoor space is one of my favorites on the entire island. Maybe even my favorite.”
Thank you, Benton Coe,Eddie thinks.
“Except for Eddie and Grace’s old house. That was… well, that’s my number one favorite, but my second-favorite is Medouie Creek Road.”
“Really?” Masha says.
“The Medouie Creek Road house doesn’t have a garden shed, though,” Benton says. “Tell you what, if you end up buying that house, call me and I’ll build you a garden shed just like the one Eddie and Grace used to have.”
“You woulddothat?” Masha says. She’s acting like a twelve-year-old meeting Justin Bieber. Eddie would actually be ecstatic about this—score one for Raja and the Medouie Creek Road house!—if he didn’t have the horrifying memory of catching Grace and Benton locked inside the very garden shed of which he’s speaking!
If the Christys do buy the house, Eddie will tell Raja:Absolutely no shed! In fact, hire a different landscaper altogether.
“Well, good to see you, Benton,” Eddie says. “We have to be on our way.”
“Great to meet you,” Benton says, hoisting his cup. “Good luck in the hunt!”
They part ways, and Eddie leads the Christys across Centre and up Liberty.
“Wow,” Masha says. “He was handsome.”
“Masha,” Raja says.
Masha swats Eddie’s arm. “He thinks I’m bad,” she says. “You should have heard him carrying on about that lady Rachel from the last time we were here.”
“She made cookies,” Raja says.
Oh dear,thinks Eddie.
As they cross the threshold from the street to the front walk of the inn, Eddie’s phone pings. Quickly he checks it. There’s a text from Glenn that says:Full-price offer just came in on the WSI.
From who?Eddie asks. Then he thinks,Whom?
Some guy just called the office offering full market,Glenn says.I guess he used to stay there.
“Is something wrong?” Masha asks.
“Not… not, no,” Eddie says. “Not exactly. I just received word that the inn already has a full-price offer. It just came in.”
Raja smiles.
“But we can still look at it, right?” Masha says. “And if we like it, we can go higher than full price.”
Eddie ushers Masha forward. It sounds sketchy, doesn’t it? Some “guy” calling in and offering the full price because he used to stay there? Could be a crank, although Glenn is the best in the business at sniffing people out.
He has asked Mitzi not to be present in the house while he’s showing it—and yet before Eddie can reach for the knob, she is swinging the front door open, exclaiming, “Welcome!”
“Mitzi Quinn!” Eddie says. “I didn’t expect to find you at home.” His voice holds a touch of reprimand, but obviously not enough because Mitzi seems unfazed.
“Come in, come in,” Mitzi says. “I’m the owner, Mitzi Quinn.” She reaches out to hug—HUG!—Masha Christy, a woman she has never met. Masha, being Masha, thinks she has found her soul mate. Their embrace is one of long-lost friends reunited after a war.
“I’m Masha,” she says. “And this is my husband, Raja. Thank you for inviting us into your beautiful home.”
