Harry chuckled. “Relax. It was nice to see. We’ve all been waiting a long time for Brooks to break out of his shell a little. He deserves it.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I held up the battered old plug from my bag. “Speaking of what he deserves, this thing needs replacing.”
Harry took one look and winced. “Good lord. That belongs in a museum. Come on.” He walked me a few steps down the aisle, pulled a small box off the shelf without hesitation, and handed it over. “Solid seal, proper weight, chain that won’t snap. Exactly what you need.”
Relief hit me harder than it should have. “Perfect. Thanks. He’s gonna be so happy.”
Harry smiled. “I hope so. Brooks has his quirks, you probably noticed. He gets set in his ways. He doesn’t do change very well.” He pointed to the old plug in my hand. “ExhibitA. Some things he refuses to change because consistency calms him. Some folks mistake it for fussiness, but it’s not. It’s how he steadies himself in a world that doesn’t always make sense.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m starting to see that.”
Harry’s smile deepened. “Don’t let it scare you off. Underneath all that, Brooks is loyal, kind-hearted, as dependable as they come. If you’ve got his trust, you’ve got something special. And if he’s letting you in—even in the smallest ways—don’t underestimate what that means.”
I pulled the new plug out of its box and ran a thumb over it. “Thanks. That… actually helps.”
“Good.” Harry gave a satisfied nod. “And despite the fact that change annoys him, I dare say that plug annoyed him even more.He’s gonna thank you for replacing it. Now go seal up that young man’s leaks. He’ll feel so much more relaxed.”
I smiled back. “I think so too.”
BROOKS
The Nook had been closedfor less than forty-eight hours, and already things were out of place. A copy ofSense and Sensibilityleaned three degrees off-center, a paperback thriller had migrated from Mystery into Biography, and the bell over the door wore a cobweb in the corner. None of it was catastrophic, but all of it was unacceptable.
I rolled up my sleeves without even thinking about it and went to work.Sense and Sensibilitywas straightened, the thriller returned, cobweb removed. Within ten minutes the shop looked like itself again. Twenty minutes later and I did too.
The bell chimed.
“Don’t panic,” Cody said, holding up a small brown paper bag. “Your knight in shining armor is here.”
“You got a new plug?”
“Not just any new plug.” He grinned, setting the bag on the counter. “Harry’s best. Solid seal, proper chain, no gargling sound effects.”
I lifted the plug from the bag. Rubber firm, chain weighty, ring properly crimped. “I suppose it will do,” I said.
He laughed jovially. “I’ll take that as a thank you. Now that we’ve solved the problems of the drainage world, what do yousay to a picnic lunch tomorrow? Down by the riverside. I’ll bring the blanket. You bring the bossy commentary.”
“Do you even know me? Surely you’ve figured out I don’t do picnics.”
“You do now.” He tapped the plug. “It’s a small price to pay for bath-time serenity, wouldn’t you say?”
“Fine,” I said, surprising both of us. “I’ll do it. But if I see a single ant, I’m not above screaming in public.”
The door chimed again and young Milton, the nerdy teenager, hovered in the doorway, glasses slipping down his nose. It was later in the day than I realized if school was out.
“Milton,” I said. “Come on in.”
He shuffled to the counter. “Hi, Mr. Beresford.” He glanced sideways at Cody, then dropped his eyes to the floor, his fingers fiddling with the strap of his backpack. “Do you… have anything else on dragons? I read the ones from last time. Twice. I think I’ve read almost everything now. Except the baby books. I don’t want to read any baby books about dragons. I want to read about real dragons. I mean, I know dragons aren’t really real. But you know what I mean.”
“I certainly do,” I said. “Wait here.”
I unlocked a display case. On the third shelf was an Edinburgh compendium, limited run, gilt edges, cloth spine, illustrations as rich as stained glass. It wasn’t new. But it was perfect.
I returned to the counter and set it down.
Milton caught his breath, his eyes wide in wonder.
“Gold edges?” Cody whispered, staying out of the boy’s sightline.
