‘Morning, Jack,’ he said, when the little bell above the door announced my entrance. ‘Hot enough for you?’
‘Another day in paradise.’
‘What can I do for you today?’
‘I need a new showerhead.’
‘I can help with that.’ He put down the little handheld fan he had been holding up to his face and came out from behind the counter and headed off down one of the aisles. I followed him carefully. There was a reason people in town said you could get everything you need from The Coastal Craftsman, and that was because the store stocked anything and everything that any tradesman or self-respecting do-it-yourselfer could ever possibly need. It was dangerously overstocked, with boxes piled high in the aisles and shelves loaded to the max. Even though it went against a man’s natural instincts to ask for directions in finding something, you asked in Jasper’s store, because you might just get lost if you went looking yourself.
‘Here we are,’ he announced. ‘What sort of showerhead are you after?’
‘A normal one?’
‘Normal.’ He moved a couple of boxes to one side. ‘We’ve got fixed, handheld, dual, and rain, to name a few. I’m afraid you’ll have to be a bit more specific than justnormal.’
My curiosity was piqued. ‘Rain?’
He picked up a large square showerhead. ‘It mimics gentle rainfall, so you feel like you’re standing out in the rain.’
‘And people like that?’
‘Apparently. It’s one of my bestsellers.’
‘I’ve never heard of it before.’
‘Then you clearly don’t stay in many five-star hotels. They’re quite common in those establishments, I believe.’
‘Clearly not.’
‘We’ve also got high-flow, low-flow, filtered showerheads, rail showerheads, outdoor showerheads.’
‘I think I just want a plain, normal showerhead if they still make such a thing.’
He picked up the box that saidfixed head. ‘Youthinkthat’s what you want?’
‘Well, it’s not actually for me.’
Jasper straightened up, immediately sensing gossip. ‘I see. For a lady friend, perhaps?’
‘Well, she is a lady, and she is a friend, so yes.’
‘Someone I know?’
‘Yeah, I reckon you do.’
His eyes lit up, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. The town seemed convinced that there was something going on between Hannah and me. After all, she was the whole reason I had come here in the first place.
‘She’s about… this high.’ I demonstrated with one hand. ‘And about… ooh, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say around eighty, give or take.’
He looked confused. ‘Pounds?’
‘Years.’
‘I don’t think we’re talking about the same person.’
‘No.’ I took the box from him. ‘I don’t think we are.’
I was still chuckling to myself about it when Irene opened her front door. She was petite and silver-haired and the epitome of a sweet, little old lady.
