Bradley Teague waits at the front counter inside Mountain’s Bounty, a General Store nestled in downtown Healing Springs. He rings the bell on the counter.
“Be right with you,” a voice echoes from the storeroom in the back. Bradley smiles to himself, thumbing the bag of Fungo Squares on the counter. After a short while, a stocky man with antique-looking spectacles struts down an aisle leading from the storeroom. “Ah!” he says the moment his eyes settle on Bradley. “Mr. Teague! What a wonderful surprise.”
“Just Brad, Horace.”
“That’s Mr. Carrigan to you,” Horace says, unable to contain his radiant smile as he shifts behind the counter.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bradley says with a grin.
Horace grabs the bag of Fungos and runs them under the scanner. “This’ll be it?”
“That’s all. Just stopping in for a quick snack.”
“Then this one’s on the house.”
“Horace,” Bradley’s face turns dour. “You can’t keep doing this.”
“No, no, I insist. Everyone’s grateful for what you do in this town. It’s comforting to know someone with…,” Horace looks in either direction as though he’s afraid someone will overhear him, “… the Gift lives round these parts.”
Bradley takes his bag of chips, excepting defeat. “Well, thank you… Mr. Carrigan. Just know, there’s no good deed that goes unpunished.”
Horace’s smile returns, stretching so wide his eyes nearly close shut. “Have a good day, Mr. Teague. Tell Warren I said hi.”
Bradley nods and steps out onto Main Street.