Collecting Seashells, Stones, and Shiny things

[Skipper]

Burl nodded absently. "Yeah, I. . ." He scratched the back of his head, thinking through what he'd need to arrange. It took him a second to return to reality. ". . . Er, aye, coming." He tried a disarming smile. Didn't want Nikki suspecting anything. "An' don't worry about it," he said as he reached her side, adopting a more confidential tone, "Glad to help. Really."

((Yup. These two will pick up in the next thread.))