Oh, this was Mr. Volkov's nephew. Mr. Volkov drove the elementary school bus and raised and showed very fancy champion Borzoi dogs. I suddenly had to stifle a giggle. The old saying about how a person grows to look like their dog might actually be true. Both Mr. Volkov and Boris had long hair and Borzoi faces, even to the long noses.
Uncle Mike gave me a curious look, but I shook my head. I'd tell him later. Aunt Ruby would have scolded me for such an unkind observation, but my uncle would think it was pretty funny.
Of course, Uncle Mike was also the same man who'd once told me he didn't want to brag, but he'd put a puzzle together in less than an hour that said two-to-four years right there on the box.
I'm ashamed to admit it took me a minute before I got it and cracked up.
"No! Not hippos.Heppos." Boris rolled his eyes. "Like the privacy laws about your health information, not like the big animals."
"Big animals like moose?" Lorraine asked sweetly. "Boris, do you ever want to … get the moose?"
Uncle Mike barked out a laugh, but I had no idea why. Boris also looked confused, so I helped the poor man out.
"I think he means HIPAA laws, Lorraine. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Actof 1996, meant to protect patient privacy," I said.
All three of them looked at me.
"I'm sorry. I read stuff, and I remember things," I muttered. "Find me a pawnshop owner who isn't a trivia star. I dare you."
"Yes, I'll have the special," Uncle Mike said, rescuing all of us. "My cholesterol is much better, leaving all hippos and moose out of it."
He chuckled. "Get moose."
When I tilted my head, he read the question in my eyes and shook his head. "I'll tell you later."
It was going to be an interesting car ride back to the shop.
We ate our fish and chips, poked at the slaw, and slathered butter and salt on the corn before devouring that, too. I was too full for cobbler, so Uncle Mike ate mine and his both. I tried not to think of what Aunt Ruby would have to say, but he was a grown man, and there were hippo laws, after all, so I stayed silent on the subject.
We talked about all sorts of things, from my impressions of Atlantis to how the shop was doing to the upcoming fireworks. It was lovely to relax back into the warm relationship we'd always had, especially since I hadn't realized how much I'd missed him in the chaos of the past year and a half.
"My treat," I said, when Lorraine dropped the check at the table, but Uncle Mike snatched the ticket before I could and gave me a warning glance.
"Don't make me ground you," he said, wagging a finger at me.
"I'm all grown up now," I told him for the hundredth time. "I can pay for our lunch."
"Not in this lifetime. You may be grown up, but you'll always be my little girl, Tess." His smile was warm and a little wistful, and I suddenly had to swallow past a lump in my throat.
"Speaking of little girls, where is Shelley?"
"She's at Zane's. Ruby wanted to ground her for the events of yesterday, but I talked her out of it. Better to get the girl the teaching she needs than to punish her just for being herself.Ruby's afraid Shelley will hurt herself before she can control the magic."
"I think?—"
But the sounds of shouting and the front door slamming open cut off whatever I'd been about to say, and we whipped around to see that Cletus McKee and Skeeter Hatfield were face-to-red face, yelling at each other.
The two men were a study in contrasts: Cletus in his college-preppy dark jeans and polo shirt and Skeeter in a threadbare flannel shirt and overalls. But the fury on their faces was identical.
"I ought to kick your McKee butt for you!" Skeeter shouted.
"Just try it!" Cletus returned, leaning even closer to the other man.
Uncle Mike sighed and pushed back his chair, as did several other people, including me, and we went to break it up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lorraine going for the baseball bat she kept behind the counter.
"I ran the fireworks in Dead End forforty years, you snake! You had no right to horn in on my business!" Skeeter shouted.
"I got that contract fair and square!" Cletus yelled. "You should talk to the mayor if you have a problem with it."
