The Nook for Brooks (Mulligan's Mill Book 6), page 1
THE NOOK FOR BROOKS
MULLIGAN’S MILL
BOOK SIX
ROBIN KNIGHT
The Nook for Brooks © 2025 Robin Knight
Self-published in the USA Robin Knight 2025
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, situations and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Published by Robin Knight
Edited by Val Wolfe
Cover Design by Robin Knight
Proofread by SJ Buckley
“I write to escape.
If I want reality, I’ll step out the front door.”
—Robin Knight
CONTENTS
Who’s Who in Mulligan’s Mill (so far)
Playlist
Reading List
1. Brooks
2. Cody
3. Brooks
4. Cody
5. Brooks
6. Cody
7. Brooks
8. Cody
9. Brooks
10. Cody
11. Brooks
12. Cody
13. Brooks
14. Cody
15. Brooks
16. Cody
17. Brooks
18. Cody
19. Brooks
20. Cody
21. Brooks
22. Cody
23. Brooks
24. Cody
25. Brooks
MULLIGAN’S MILL
Follow Me Everywhere
About the Author
WHO’S WHO IN MULLIGAN’S MILL (SO FAR)
In Alphabetical Order
Aunt Bea: The proud owner of Aunt Bea’s Barnyard Bar, Aunt Bea loves sequins and soul music, is fiercely loyal to those she accepts as her found family, and refuses to suffer fools gladly… except for the one secret love who has unexpectedly captured her heart.
Bastian Cole: The ex-boyfriend of Benji Larson, Bastian seemed willing to live the dream with Benji. But before they had a chance to open their BnB together, Bastian suddenly broke up with Benji and took a high-paid job in Chicago, breaking Benji’s heart and leaving more questions than answers in his wake.
Benji Larson: The owner of Benji’s BnB, Benji has been nursing a broken heart ever since the love of his life, Bastian Cole, abandoned their dream of opening the BnB together, instead skipping town for a big-shot career in Chicago… but if Bastian ever returned, could Benji ever love him again?
Bo Harlow: Once a bully, always a bully. That’s the story of Bo’s life. A hot-headed, hotter-than-hell troublemaker who will forever be the bane of everyone’s existence… or can the bad boy of Mulligan’s Mill change his ways with a little help from someone who can heal his hurt and truly love him?
Brooks Beresford: The ultimate bookworm, Brooks is the owner of Brooks’ Book Nook, happily finding all his boyfriends in fiction because they always come to the rescue and are perfect to curl up with in bed at night… but will a real-life boyfriend sweep Brooks off his feet one day?
Bud Sanders: The best friend of Mitch ‘Wings’ Winton, Bud is as loyal and loving as a Labrador, but secretly he harbors dreams that sprout beyond working as a grease monkey at Mike’s Mechanics… if only he can find the inspiration to make his true calling blossom.
Clarry Pinkerton: The owner of Clarry’s Ice Cream Parlor and the creator of original sweet delights such as Swirly Twirly Choc-berry Blitz and Scrummy Honey Peachy Cream Passion, Clarry longs for someone to fall in love with more than just his ice cream flavors. But does he have a hope when the one person he adores happens to be the town’s hero?
Cody Cameron: A carefree Australian travel writer with a battered backpack and a lucky compass, Cody has a talent for toppling order wherever he goes. But when he lands in Mulligan’s Mill—and in Brooks Beresford’s perfectly neat world—Cody starts to wonder if he’s finally found a story worth staying for.
Connie Larson: The free-loving cousin of Benji Larson, Connie is a wild child who has no commitments and no boundaries, constantly invading Benji’s personal space. But is Connie the carefree spirit she pretends to be… or is she shielding her own heart from getting hurt again?
Dean Reeves: A rock star in the making, Dean was discovered on YouTube and swept off to L.A. at only nineteen. And while his music is everything to him, a small-town boy like Dean finds it hard to keep up with life in the fast lane. Fame and fortune might be his, but Dean’s heart forever belongs in Mulligan’s Mill… the place he calls home, as does his secret crush, Harry.
Doc Morgan: The only medical professional in town, Doc Morgan has been treating the people of Mulligan’s Mill for longer than anyone can remember. But there’s one person in town who can mend the Doc’s own long-suffering heartache… if only the pair of them could learn to forgive and forget.
Dynamite Dwight: The self-professed number one fan of matinee movie idol Mavis Morningstar, Dwight has finally mustered up the courage to meet his Goddess of Happiness who now runs the Ritz Movie Theater. But when the two get together, will things go off with a bang in more ways than one?
Gage Channing: Once captain of the school hockey team, Gage’s life has been turned upside-down by hardship. Now the sole carer of his niece, Ginny, Gage has given up all his dreams but one… to once again fall in love with his secret school crush, Mitch ‘Wings’ Winton.
Ginny Channing: The eleven-year-old niece of Gage Channing, Ginny is the sole survivor of a car accident that claimed the lives of her parents and left her with a disability… but a wheelchair is no match for Ginny’s snarky wit and fearless determination to live out her dreams and conquer the ice of Lassiter’s Lake.
Great Nan: The Great Nan of Benji and Connie—and the grandmother of Lonnie Larson—is so old that the Larson family constantly needs to check if she’s actually still alive. But for this woman who has no filters and says it like it is, death can just back the fuck up.
‘Handy Andy’ Reeves: The best friend of Harry and dad to Dean, Handy Andy is a lovable and simple small-town guy. And although he may not understand what life is like for Dean out in L.A., he’ll always do his best to be there for his son. But when he learns that his best friend and his son have both shared a secret crush for each other, Andy’s happy-go-lucky personality might finally break.
Harry Dalton: The owner of Harry’s Hardware, Harry is a burly, beefy, bear of a man with a heart as big as his muscles… if only he could admit to himself and the world who it is he truly loves, Harry might finally find the happiness he deserves.
Lonnie & Ronnie Larson: While Benji’s parents sometimes frustrate the heck out of him, there’s no denying that every cheery, dorky gesture is filled with love for their son. In fact, life for the Larsons would be downright perfect… if only Benji and Bastian would get back together again.
Madeline Montgomery: Having recently arrived in town, Madeline is the school’s new math teacher who starts an instant friendship with Handy Andy and his best friend Harry. Easy-going and effortlessly likeable, Madeline is the type of person who could easily become so much more than friends. But whose heart does she have in her sights?
Maggie Winton: The big sister of Mitch ‘Wings’ Winton, the endearingly nicknamed Maggie-Pie is a big-hearted, fun-loving rebel who has developed a hoarding complex that brings Mitch back to Mulligan’s Mill… but how do you mend a broken heart as big as Maggie’s?
Mavis Morningstar: A once-famous star of the silver screen, matinee movie idol Mavis now runs the Ritz Movie Theater with the flamboyant flare and razzle dazzle of yesteryear’s Hollywood. But as her beloved theater begins to fade, Mavis may have no choice but to face the music and dance.
Mitch ‘Wings’ Winton: After being rejected by his secret high school sweetheart Gage Channing, and failing epically at his chance to win gold in figure skating, Mitch fled Mulligan’s Mill, only to return years later to help his sister Maggie… and perhaps find a second chance at love.
Mrs. Roper: The cantankerous old neighbor of Maggie Winton, Mrs. Roper is the opinionated town gossip who doesn’t mind telling the townspeople of Mulligan’s Mill exactly what she thinks of them, making her the nosiest nuisance in town.
Old Man Raven: Owner of Raven’s General Store and father to the town’s returning war hero River, Old Man Raven has raised his son as best he could, despite River’s rejection of his cultural heritage and refusal to lend a hand with the family business. Nevertheless, Old Man Raven believes the universe has a plan for his wayward son’s happiness.
Pascal Dupont: A new arrival in town, this grumpy French pastry chef has no interest in making friends, until the moment he lays eyes on Bud, the owner of the flower shop next door... but what secret is Pascal hiding, and what hidden treasure lured him to Mulligan’s Mill in the first place?
River R
Sterling Waterford: The boyfriend of Bastian in Chicago, Sterling was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Unfortunately, Sterling is about to learn that while money can buy just about anything in life, the one thing it can’t buy is love.
Walt Bucket: As ancient as the hills but by no means as wise, smart-mouthed Walt works at Harry’s Hardware, stacking shelves and sorting nails… but what is the decades-old secret that sarcastic old Walt hides, a secret that nobody in Mulligan’s Mill would ever suspect?
PLAYLIST
Clair de Lune by Johann Debussy
Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
Reach Out, I’ll Be There by The Four Tops
The Tracks of my Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes
Singin’ in the Rain by Gene Kelly
It’s Raining Men by the Weather Girls
Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel
READING LIST
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Middlemarch by George Eliot
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm
Brooks’ All-Time Favorite Book (it’s a surprise!)
THE NOOK FOR BROOKS
MULLIGAN’S MILL
BOOK SIX
ROBIN KNIGHT
BROOKS
Once upon a time, in a town small enough to fit inside a snow globe, there was a tower. Not the ivy-clad, maiden-hair-down-to-the-ground kind. This tower had fewer songbirds and more squeaky steps, as well as a window that got stuck on humid afternoons. There was also an issue with the plug in the bathtub, but that’s for another story.
Nonetheless it was still a tower, inside which lived a boy who very much appreciated that his pinnacle afforded him the luxury of keeping the town at bay when he wanted to be alone, which was pretty much most of the time.
Not only did the boy like his seclusion, he also liked to keep his life neat and well arranged.
He preferred things that could be stacked, filed, or alphabetized. He liked shelves that stayed level and chairs with four precisely even legs. He wore pressed shirts because pressed shirts behave. He wore bow ties because someone has to carry the banner for whimsy. He boiled water, poured tea, and set the cup down exactly where the saucer waited. It was not a dramatic life, but it suited him perfectly.
He never asked nor expected anything of anyone… and he wanted nothing but the same in return.
Oh, there was one other thing he liked—books.
Yes, how he loved books. All sorts of books. Books that smelled like rain in a forest, and books that smelled like they’d been hiding in a cedar chest for half a century. Paperbacks with crisp covers that still held their corners, and hardbacks so solid they felt like they might outlive him. Slim novels you could read in one sitting and still think about for years, and enormous epics you had to commit to like a relationship. He loved the clean snap of a page turning, the soft slide of a bookmark settling into place, that pause of respect as you finish a book you weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to, and characters who would live rent free in your head forever. He loved leather bindings that whispered under your fingertips, gilt edges that caught the light, and dust jackets that fit so perfectly they could have been tailored. He loved books that made him laugh out loud and books that made him set them gently in his lap just to recover. He never cracked a spine, never let a cover curl, never left a book face down as if it were napping on the job.
To him, each one was a perfect, self-contained world—silent and steady, holding its breath in the dark, until the moment you opened it again and let the light spill out.
Yes, the boy would read book after book after book in the safety of his tower. Only when his eyes needed a rest would he look out from his high window, from which he could see the entire kingdom—or at least the parts worth watching.
The town was nestled within a handful of streets, with its quaint houses and colorful shopfronts. Through it meandered a river, lazy and cool in the warm days of late summer, and the park in the middle of the village offered a shady spot for birdwatching or avoiding one’s neighbors.
At the center of the park, a ring of stone circled an opening in the ground.
Some would call it a well. The boy had another name. He called it “the Chasm of Lost Wishes.” A well suggested flower-haired maidens carrying buckets of fresh water as weary travelers quenched their thirst. A chasm suggested exactly what it was—a black hole which did not grant wishes but instead swallowed them whole.
He liked watching the chasm, not because he enjoyed seeing other people pining for their dreams to come true, but because the way a person approaches an edge tells you exactly what you need to know about them.
Some leaned in so far that the soles of their shoes almost left the ground, confident to the point of being reckless. Some tossed coins from a distance, the gesture of someone who is careful what they wish for. Some simply hovered, hands in pockets, refusing to throw their dreams to the wind with such abandon. The boy respected the hoverers. They were his people.
Of course, as with any structure of fortitude, his tower came with rules.
He had drafted them himself and posted them where he alone could see.
Rule one: tea first.
Rule two: paperbacks do not belong face down on any surface, ever.
Rule three: leave the tower only when absolutely necessary, such as in the unlikely event of a fire, earthquake, or when the smell of Pascal’s freshly baked croissants wafted over the river and in through the window, beckoning the boy to partake of their buttery bounty.
The boy followed the rules. The rules rewarded him with an unremarkable peace that he guarded the way other people guard wealth. He had built a small, precise life and found it almost enough.
And sometimes “almost enough” was good enough.
That was until the day he arrived.
It was a hot afternoon toward the end of summer, when the cicadas were playing their one song on repeat and the sun blazed high above.
Suddenly a handsome prince entered the square.
He came dressed for travel rather than ceremony. His boots were scuffed and well worn. His tunic had many pockets, no doubt filled with the accessories of a traveler. And on a silver chain around his neck hung a compass, winking in the sunlight.
He had the kind of walk that suggested he was in no hurry to get where he was going, and the swagger of a man who enjoys the journey as much as he looks forward to the destination.
For a short time, he circled the town square the way newcomers often do. His smile was pleasing, his face handsome, yet there was also a glint of curiosity in his eye that the boy found somewhat intriguing.
Then the prince spotted the chasm in the middle of the park.
He went straight to it as if drawn by a spell and set his palms on the warm rim of stone. He looked down into the dark then drew a coin from one of his many pockets. He balanced it on his index finger and turned it once. Twice. The boy could almost feel the wish brewing, the way the air gathers before a storm.
