Chapter 2: At the Book Nook
Abby spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly around Cherin Cove, antsy and unhappy without a book in hand. She watched the seagulls soar over the dock yard, poked her head into an antiques shop, sampled some salt water taffy at the town's confectionery, and sent off a telegram to her family to let them know that she'd arrived in safety. The locals she met were cordial to a one, but nobody asked any questions beyond how she was finding her stay so far, and she was grateful for that courtesy.
As she meandered down the street, pulling another piece of taffy out of her handbag and popping it into her mouth, her eyes were drawn to several strings of brightly-colored bunting hanging between the awnings of several shops. Intrigued, she followed the line of flags to what appeared to be the town square, a spacious area surrounded by shrubs and wooden benches with a bandstand at its center. The wooden structure was decked out in the same festive accouterments, and Abby found her curiosity growing as she circled the platform, looking for a plaque or a sign that would provide an explanation. The decorations showed no evidence of prolonged exposure to the elements, so they must have been put up rather recently, and there was something expectant-looking about them that made Abby think that they weren't simply left over from a previous celebration.
I'll have to ask Samantha about it, Abby thought. Chances are she knows.
Her old schoolmate, Samantha Taylor, was the sole reason that Abby knew Cherin Cove existed in the first place. The Taylors had roots in the town going back to its founding, and though Samantha and her sister had attended school in Manhattan, they'd since returned to Long Island to raise their own families. Samantha, knowing Abby's love of reading, had mentioned The Book Nook on more than one occasion as enticement for a visit, and Abby had finally given in, the grayness upon her spirit necessitating a change of scene from the too-familiar sights and sounds of home, and the relative seclusion of Cherin Cove promising the sort of anonymity that her weary heart craved. Samantha had insisted that they get together at least once during Abby's stay, but beyond securing the promise of a lunch date, she'd remained uncharacteristically (but mercifully) distant.
Leaving the bandstand and its curious decorations behind, Abby headed back to the main street, letting her footsteps continue to wander as she chewed her saltwater taffy.
If there really was some sort of town celebration taking place over the next few days, she'd better find out as much about it as possible so that she could do her best to avoid it. It was the rest of the world's right to celebrate as they pleased, of course, but at the moment, merriment was the last thing on her mind.
She was only here to do one thing: to immerse herself in as many books as possible, and to forget everything else.
The following morning, the door of The Book Nook stood open, and Abby made a beeline for the shelves, eager to accomplish her already-twice-delayed objective.
After browsing for nearly half an hour, she amassed a sizable stack of novels to peruse and found an overstuffed armchair near the back of the shop. Making herself comfortable, she eagerly cracked open the first novel in her stack, a nautical adventure by an author whose name she'd never run across before. The opening lines gripped her immediately, and she quickly became absorbed in the narrative, the sights and sounds of the bookstore fading out as the mise en scène of the high seas came rushing in.
Over an hour and a number of chapters later, her eyes began smarting, so she paused at the end of a chapter to give them a rest, letting her gaze drift from the page in front of her to the bookshelves. As she did so, she caught sight of a familiar newsboy cap moving on the other side of the aisle furthest from her, and recognized it as the one belonging to the young man she'd met just the day before.
Closing her book, Abby got to her feet and walked over to investigate. Sure enough, he was there, ambling slowly down the row as he scanned the books on the shelves. He was wearing a fishing bib and boots today, and would have looked exactly like a character out of the story she'd just been reading, had it not been for the slightly-lost expression on his face.
She walked up beside him. "You never told me your name."
The smile he gave her made it clear that her arrival hadn't surprised him in the slightest. "Well, good morning to you too, Miss Abby. I told you we'd meet again before long."
"What should I call you?" she asked, not to be dissuaded from her purpose. "It isn't fair that you know my name when I have no idea what yours is."
"My apologies. The name's Sherwin," he said, doffing his cap and giving her a little bow. "The folks around town call me 'Skip,' but that don't sound too dignified when I'm dealin' with out-of-town customers at the dock - or tryin' to make a good impression on sophisticated city girls."
He winked, and Abby felt her cheeks warm just slightly.
"Have you found The Locket and the Bridge?" she asked, trying to cover her embarrassment.
"I'm afraid not." Sherwin tugged his cap back over his dark hair. "I ain't real familiar with how bookstores are set up. Thad's busy right now helpin' a customer with a purchase, so I figured I'd look around myself, but so far I've come up short."
"I can help you." Abby led the way down the aisle, beckoning for him to follow her. "I passed the romance section earlier. The book should be there."
Locating the shelves in question, she quickly scanned the titles on hand, making her way down several rows until she found what she was looking for.
"Here you go." She pulled the book from the shelf and offered it to Sherwin. "The Locket and the Bridge, first edition."
"Much obliged." He took the novel in his hands, flipping it open, and Abby was impressed by how gently his fingers rifled through the pages.
"Do you read these kinds of books often yourself?" he asked, closing the book after a moment.
Abby shook her head. "I've read a few, but they're not my cup of tea. I prefer science fiction or adventure stories - I've always loved them, ever since I've been a little girl - but my oldest sister was a prolific reader of romance novels. That's how I recognized The Locket and the Bridge."
"Well, there's somethin' we have in common," Sherwin smiled.
"It sounds like you were close to your sister," Abby said, noticing the wistfulness in his voice. "Was it just the two of you?"
He nodded. "Yep. Our parents weren't really in the picture, so we ended up havin' to fend for ourselves. June was always lookin' out for me, even when we had to split up and find jobs."
"What did she do for a living?"
"She worked in a paint factory. The hours were long and the chemicals she was constantly breathin' ended up makin' her sick down the road, but we didn't know any better back then. Wish I could go back in time to warn her, but it's too late for that now."
"Did you get exposed to the chemicals, too?"
Sherwin shook his head. "I didn't work at the factory, so I was spared. Sittin' still in one place didn't suit me, so I got a job sellin' papes and had a good long run as a newsboy, hawkin' headlines with the rest of my bunkmates and then eventually takin' over the lodgin' house once our leader moved on. I still miss him and all the fellas, even if the work was downright back breakin' at times, and the pay was hit and miss."
Abby nodded. "My brother-in-law was a newsie, too. He sold in Lower Manhattan."
"Did he?" Sherwin's expression brightened, and she was relieved to see a little smile appear on his face. "I guess that's somethin' else we have in common. I only made it over to Manhattan a few times myself, but it was always excitin' to cross the Bridge."
"How did you go from selling papers to…doing what you're doing?" Abby asked, gesturing at his fishing bib and boots.
"Well, when June first came down sick, I left my position at the newsboy lodgin' house so I could be closer by. We pooled our money and rented a little place in Canarsie, and I got a job with a fella who worked down by the docks. He taught me how to repair boats and do different odd jobs to help the fishermen, and that brought in decent money. June did some sewing and mending jobs and whatever else she could find that wouldn't tax her health too much. We had a nice situation for ourselves for several years, and then she took a turn for the worst and passed away a few months later. After that, it just felt kinda sad to stick around, and most of my pals from Brooklyn had moved away, so I packed my things and headed east. I ended up here in Cherin Cove, found out they needed some help at the dock yard, and that was that. Now I split my time between repairin' boats and goin' out with the fishermen if they need an extra hand. It's a quiet sort of life, but I got no family anymore, and the folks here have been good to me."
"It does seem like a nice place," Abby agreed.
"It ain't the big city, but it's got its charms," Sherwin grinned. "Speakin' of which, I'd sure like to hear your story. I gotta get back to the dock yard soon, but how 'bout we take a rain check and finish this conversation over lunch tomorrow so you can tell me how you ended up here?"
"It's not very interesting," Abby said, finding herself a little flustered at the sudden invitation.
"A sophisticated city girl like yourself endin' up in a sleepy little town like Cherin Cove?" he chuckled. "I ain't believin' for a second that there's no tale behind that. Besides…" he held up The Locket and the Bridge, "I owe you for helpin' me find June's book. Treatin' you to a good meal's the least I can do."
When Abby remained conflicted about her answer, he held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "If you ain't inclined, I respect that, I really do - but the Rudder and Relish just a block south of here has first-rate seafood and the best carrot cake in all of New York. You oughta try it sometime, even if it ain't with me."
"I do like carrot cake," Abby confessed.
Sherwin smiled. "I thought you might."
The satisfaction in his voice was difficult to resist, and Abby found herself saying, "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then."
He touched his cap, his smile growing into a grin. "Tomorrow it is, Miss Abby. Half past twelve at the Rudder and Relish?"
Abby nodded. "I'll be there."
After bidding each other goodbye, they parted ways, Sherwin heading to the front of the store to pay for his book and Abby returning to her stack of novels, a little bemused as to how she'd gotten up to simply greet a new acquaintance and had sat down not a quarter of an hour later having secured a date (albeit a casual one) with the very same man.
Everyone would be thrilled, she thought wryly. Judith would be asking a dozen probing questions, Lilly would be smiling, and Sadie would be clapping her hands and squealing like a little girl. Mama would want to know as much as possible about his family and background, and Papa…
She curtailed the thought, cracking open her book with more force than necessary and sinking back into the overstuffed armchair, letting the words of the narrative surge in and drown out everything else.
She planned to spend the remaining daylight hours lost in her books, sequestered away from the world and, at least momentarily, from the grayness that was always there, threatening to settle upon her soul. It couldn't alight so long as she kept her thoughts moving, and this she intended to do for as long as she could. There was nothing else on her agenda today besides reading to her heart's content…
…and, of course, figuring out what she was going to wear for tomorrow's lunch date.
A/N: Thanks for reading this second installment! I'd love to hear your reactions to it!
Chapter notes for Something Worth Winning readers (if you're interested in reading this as part of the SWW universe rather than as a standalone):
If, for whatever reason, you suspected that Sherwin has shown up in the SWW universe prior to this story...you'd be right! He has made a few appearances before, though this is the first time he has appeared under this name (which, incidentally, means "fast runner" - a little clue to his identity, if you feel like investigating further). More clues will be forthcoming! :)