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HERE THEY COME

“—or I proo back to Paterson!” the wo as it pulled up beside me She had her head turned towards the backseat, where I could see three kids, two boys and a girl, staring back at her A vein in her neck was bulging, looking not unlike the interstate, thick and uner seat beside her “I am serious I have had it”

The kids didn’t say anything After aat thelasses with bedazzled fraed with lipstick, was parked between her legs

“Welcome to the beach,” I said to her, in my best Colby Realty employee voice “May I—”

“The directions on your Web site are garbage,” she infor-punch another, who eotten lost three ti off the interstate”

“I’ive et you on the way to your rental”

“Webster,” she told me

I turned, reaching into the small rattan bin that held all the envelopes for that day’s check-ins Miller, Tubman, Simone, WallaceWebster

“Heron’s Call,” I read off the envelope, before opening it to reat property”

In reply, she stuck out her hand I gave the envelope to her, along with her co full of all the free stuff—Colby Realty pen, giveaway postcard, area guide, and cheap drink cooler—that I knew the cleaning creould reat week,” I told her “Enjoy the beach!”

Now she gave h it was hard to tell if she was truly thankful or just felt sorry for lorified sandbox in thelot, with three cars lined up behind her, most likely full of people in the exact same kind ofthe second to last is no picnic

Not that I had tinal already blinking for their turn onto the main road It was three ten, and the next car, a blue sedan with one of those carriers on top, aiting I kicked what sand I could out of my shoes and took a deep breath

“Welcome to the beach,” I said, as they pulled up beside me “Name, please?”