Austin Murray is fifty years old, owns a bookstore, and loves to walk on the beach at sun-up. He's a beachcomber, too, always in search of something unique to add to his collection. One such winter morning, an unkempt, sad-looking stranger roars into his life on a motorbike and his heart turns over for the first time, ever.<br><br>Murphy Vickers is world-weary, hurting, and unable to connect with anyone. He travels from place to place looking for work, but never stays anywhere very long. He's trying to outrun a painful event in his past that haunts him to this day. When he stops in a seaside town, he meets Austin, who offers him a job and a bed for however long he needs them.<br><br>Murphy is surly and reticent, But Austin won’t let that stop him from breaking through his barriers, and maybe getting a biker of his very own.

Happiness Is a Warm Bum

Rain fell throughout the day, and a light fog settled in on the coastline. Customers were few at the bookstore, but on the upside, I got a lot of paperwork done. By the time I returned home that night, the rain had stopped.


I found Murphy in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a meatloaf. “When you said you could cook, did you mean you’ve worked in a restaurant or something?”


“Yeah.” He set plates and cutlery on the table and I went to the sink to wash my hands.


“Beer?” he asked and I nodded. When everything was ready, we both got down to the business of eating.


One bite and I was in heaven. “This is really good, man.” He nodded as if to say, “Yeah, I know, so what?” I ate some more, then asked, “Where’d you work?”


“Doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago.” Geez.


I set aside my fork. “Look, Murphy. I’m not asking to be your best friend or anything. Just a bit of conversation. Is it so hard to share a little of yourself with another person?”


Chapter 6