“Bazaar business,” Alex argues. His tone suggests that he has his own answer to the question of my integrity, and that it isn’t good.

“You’re confirming the booth rentals today with Mr. Sampson, correct?” Valerie asks.

“Mom, no. I’m supposed to—” Alex begins, but he is quickly cut off. I’m beginning to wonder if anyone ever finishes a complete sentence around here.

“I will call Mr. Sampson and check on the rentals,” Valerie says. “And I will hear nothing more on the subject. Don’t make me put you on my bad list alongside Mr. Endsley.”

“But I’ve just been taken off the bad list,” Alex mutters, and I watch as his face transforms from handsome college student to chagrined five-year-old.

Against my will, I am dreadfully amused.

“Come on,” Alex says. “I’ll take you to Nolan. Wally! Come!”

Wally is busy surreptitiously licking a wooden box of matches that sits on the fireplace seat.

“Walter,” Alex shouts. “Come on!”

And this is the story of how I ended up in a rusted brown pickup truck with the best friend of N. E. Endsley and N. E. Endsley’s stupid, no good, very bad dog.

We don’t talk much during the drive. The diesel engine is so loud that even the shortest of conversations would strain the vocal cords. Wally is supposed to be sitting in the truck bed, but after he pushes his huge head through the open rear window to lick my hair once or twice, he decides he might as well come all the way in and make himself comfortable. He sits between Alex and me on the bench, panting with delight, his front paws atop my left knee.

“Nolan’s fault,” Alex yells over the engine. “He never bothered to train him.”

He sounds at once chastening and indulgent of Endsley, reminding me with a sharp pang of Jenna.

She’s not here. It’s like a sneaking fog, the sudden jolting realization that, a few days ago, would have greeted me right when I woke. But today is different. Today I woke up in a bookstore after meeting N. E. Endsley and ate breakfast in the same bookstore and am being shuttled to his presence by none other than his best friend and keeper, and I have only just now remembered why I ran away from home in the first place.