Earl scratched his head under his faded Marine Corps cap. Cora had no idea what his name was, or if he even had one. He’d just always beenEarl, as far as she knew. “Well, that explains why you’ve been losing all morning,” he said.
Mr. Peterson leaned back in his chair, letting out a raspy laugh. “You two wouldn’t know how to play checkers if the instructions were tattooed on your foreheads.”
Mr. Jenkins looked up as they walked over, a toothy grinspreading across his weathered face. “Well, if it isn’t little Cora Lockwood.”
“Hi, Mr. Jenkins,” Cora said with a genuine smile.
“Long time no see, girl,” Earl chimed in. “We thought maybe you’d forgotten about us.”
“Never,” she replied, warmth blooming in her chest. Even in New York, moments like this were what she missed the most—the friendly faces, the easy banter, and the way people still remembered you even if you hadn’t been around in a while.
“And who’s your boyfriend?” Mr. Peterson asked with a sly wink, his grin as crooked as the bait shop sign that swung above his head.
Cora’s cheeks heated as she stammered, “Oh, he’s not...This is Jack. Jack Harlow.”
At that, the men sat up a little straighter.
“Well, I’ll be,” Mr. Jenkins said, tapping a checker against the table. “Jack Harlow. Haven’t seen you since you put that snake in the library book drop.”
Earl cackled. “Or the time you got caught skinny-dipping in the reservoir—with the vice-principal’s daughter, no less. That PTA meeting was legendary.”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Allegedly.” A faint flush crept up his cheeks, and he suddenly found the porch floor very interesting.
“Well, the next time you see your granddaddy, you tell him he still owes me a socket wrench. Loaned it to him in ’98. I figure it’s either a family heirloom now or rusted to dust in his garage.”
Jack relaxed a little. “I’ll remind him, but don’t hold your breath.”
“Gentlemen,” Cora said, seizing the moment, “we were just debating if you three are a better source of information than the bridge club ladies.”
The men exchanged amused glances, and Mr. Jenkinspuffed out his chest. “We could teach those hens a thing or two about getting the scoop. We’ve got ears everywhere, young lady. We don’t miss a thing.”
Jack chuckled, clearly entertained by the old man’s confidence. “I never would’ve guessed.”
Earl winked at Jack, adjusting his cap. “Stick around, son, and you’ll learn the real art of gossip. We know who’s having coffee with who, who’s feuding with who, and who got caught sneaking back into their house at two in the morning.” He shot Cora a knowing look, the same one he used to wear when he caught her tiptoeing home after curfew.
Cora lifted her chin. “For the record, I was at the library. Studying for my earth science final.”
Earl let out a bark of laughter. “In the middle of the night?”
“The rock cycle wasn’t going to memorize itself.”
Jack leaned in, grinning. “Rebel.”
Cora shot him a look. “Some of us didn’t have a standing date in detention, thank you very much.”
“Only on Wednesdays,” Jack replied with a wink.
Cora rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. The old men exchanged a few amused glances, clearly enjoying the show.
Cora took a breath and shifted the conversation back to what they’d come for. “I’m trying to learn a bit more about Lolly’s history, and I thought it might be good to start with the group that was half in love with her.” She gave them her sweetest smile. “After all, she always brought you guys coffee and muffins in the morning.” She dropped the paper bag she’d been carrying onto the table. “Brought you a dozen glazed for old times’ sake.”
The men’s faces lit up as they eyed the bag.
Mr. Jenkins let out a low whistle. “So, what kind of information are you looking for?”
“I’ve been thinking about Lolly a lot lately,” Cora saidsoftly. “I miss her—her stories, her advice. I was hoping you’d tell me more about her, especially from back in the day.”
Mr. Jenkins wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned back, clearly pleased by the request. “Lolly was somethin’ else, that’s for sure. Back in her teenage years, she was the heartthrob of this town. Every fella had his eye on her.”
