Page 120 of The Bookshop of Memories

Callum tried to keep a straight face. Her nephew did have a point. ‘You know, I’ve seen some bookshops with places where people can sit and read, as well as browse the bookshelves. They even provide tea and coffee, which makes it a bit of a community hub.’

He could tell by the look on her face that she liked his thinking. Thea turned around and looked at all the cluttered bookshelves. ‘You know, that’s not a bad idea. Perhaps when you’re done teaching Toby, you could help me out with organising this place?’

She quickly backtracked. ‘Sorry, that was a bit forward of me. You’re probably here on a well-earned break from filming and have much better things to do than—’

‘No, not at all. I’d love to help out.’ He tried to brush the guilty thought aside that in fact he wasn’t helping her out; she was helping him. He knew he still had to get to the bottom of what was really going on here regarding how they had a key and why they thought they had every right to be there. But just then he was just over the moon to have an invitation, and an excuse, to spend more time in her company.

But what happens when she finds out who you really are – the owner of the bookshop?Callum did not, and would not, think about that right now.

‘The thing is, I shall expect lunch every day. You can’t expect me to work for nothing,’ Callum joked.

She laughed.

He liked that she got his sense of humour.

A loud meow followed by a doggy yelp interrupted his thoughts. Winston had been sitting on the sofa, his muzzle sniffing along the back of the sofa, when a paw had appeared from behind the sofa and connected with his nose. Winston flew off the sofa and ran over to Callum, hiding behind his legs.

Thea looked at her nephew. ‘I thought you put that cat out this morning, like I asked. We both know it’s not going to take kindly to Winston around.’

‘I did. But it got back in.’ Toby looked at Callum.

Callum shrugged. ‘Must have been me when I opened the shop door,’ he said innocently, knowing very well it was him who had let Dickens in.

Thea said to Callum, ‘I had no choice but to bring their dog. He’s quite young, and I couldn’t leave him home alone all day.’ Thea’s gaze shifted to the sofa. ‘I have no idea why the cat keeps turning up here. I don’t think he’s a stray. He looks well-fed.’

Callum glanced around the room, feigning ignorance.

Thea sighed. ‘Well, we’d better put him out again.’ She looked at her nephew. ‘He seems to be your best friend, so do you mind?’

Callum helped Toby shift the sofa so they could get at the cat hiding. He warned, ‘Careful – he scratches, and bites!’

Toby frowned. ‘How do you know?’

Callum said, ‘Er, well … he’s a cat.’

‘It’s all right. He doesn’t scratch me.’

‘Really?’ Callum raised his eyebrows.

Toby crawled behind the sofa, while Callum winced, and reappeared holding Dickens, who actually purred.

As Toby passed by, heading for the front door, Dickens’ paw came out swiping at Callum.

Callum glared at him thinking,How was I to know they had a dog?

‘Say, about those DVDs,’ said Callum, watching Toby put the cat out. ‘Your niece wouldn’t mind lending them to me – would she?’

‘Would she ever?’ blurted Toby. ‘Oh, my god, when she finds out who my new friend is, she is going to … well I don’t know what she’s going to do.’

Callum smiled.

‘Toby,’ warned Thea, ‘remember, she doesn’t know we’re here, and that goes for Callum too.’

‘Oh, okay, yeah … I forgot.’

Thea turned to Callum. ‘It’s fine, I’ll sort it out. You want to watch your show?’

‘Oh, god, no. That’s the last thing I want to do. Um, the thing is I know two very sweet old ladies who would love to watch it. Mabel and Marjorie in the charity shop across the yard. I met them yesterday.’ Callum avoided letting Thea in on exactly how he had come to meet them. ‘They asked me if I could get hold of the DVD’s. I said of course, but—’I haven’t got the money to go ordering all eight seasons on DVD.Callum didn’t add that part.

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