“Really?” I questioned.
“Yep. Vivian has scheduled a bingo game today in place of the outside yoga in anticipation of the thunderstorm rolling through this afternoon.” He looked at me under knitted gray and bushy brows. “It appears that I’m going to have to cancel my afternoon appointment with Matlock.”
“You’re giving up Matlock for bingo?” I joked, pretending to be shocked because I knew he loved watching the MeTv channel.
“Heck yeah. I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to win a pair of swim earplugs since water aerobics will be starting up soon.” He folded his hand, creasing his paper in the middle and resting it in his lap.
“You do have to keep fit.” I winked and bent down to get his mail. “Looks like you got more reading to do.” I handed him his stack of magazines.
“Oh. I might have to miss bingo,” he teased and put the mail next to him. “No big news on the street?”
“Not a thing.” I shook my head.
“No crimes for us to snoop around in?” He had used his retired FBI credentials to help me once. It was fun and exhilarating.
“No, but I do have a new neighbor. Courtney Gaines, Florence Gaines’s niece.” Not that it was a crime, but it was news. “Did you know Zeke Grey is dating Florence?”
“He’s been looking for a woman.” He drew a long shuddering breath. “I told him he was too old for a woman and to play the field.”
“When did he tell you that?” I wondered since it was odd how Zeke had sent Harriette Pearl the scented thank-you note.
“It was during that whole wedding shower gig he gave a couple months ago. He said all the single women came out of the woodwork when he decided to host. Then he realized how much he missed female companionship.” Vince obviously didn’t approve, and it made me smile to think that men their age still wanted to have a companion around. “We were at our weekly poker game. He’d just won all the pretzel rods and thought he was on cloud nine.”
“You play for pretzel rods?” I laughed.
“Vivian is a stickler for gambling around here.” He rolled his eyes. “But I figured Zeke was hitting on Florence because they danced all night at the senior grab-a-date.”
“Senior, who, what?” My jaw dropped since this was the first I’d ever heard of such a thing.
“The Elks Club has what we call grab-a-dates. It’s announced the morning of, and we rush around asking anyone to come.” He leaned to the side to look at me. “Your parents never miss. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“They do so many things without telling me.” It was nice to hear they were getting out from behind the diner counter to have some fun. I always worried about them and socialization, not to mention keeping their minds alert. “Where is the dance?”
“It’s always at the community center. Zeke brought Florence, and boy, he brought it.” Vince shook the swing. “He must’ve dusted off his moves that day because he was wiggling and shaking, dancing all around Florence.”
“That’s so funny.” I couldn’t wait to go to the diner and ask my parents about the dance. “So Florence is Zeke’s choice, huh?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he played the field a little, but right now she’s got that money. He lost a lot in the stock market, so I’m wondering if he’s looking for a sugar mama in his old age.” Vince shook his hands in front of him in a shooing motion. “I’d say forget it. I wouldn’t want the headache.”
“Headache?” I asked.
“Yeah, of some woman telling me how to dress, what to eat, who I can see, and what I can do.” The more Vince talked, the more it sounded like Zeke and Florence had been an item for quite some time. “He’s been a changed man. She told him he couldn’t play pretzel poker no more because it wasn’t fittin’ in the Lord’s eye.”
“Oh.” I drew back, kind of shocked Zeke Grey would even compromise. He never seemed like the guy to do that. “That seems out of his character.”
“You’re telling me.” Vince crossed his arms. “Like I told you, he lost almost everything in the stock market over the last couple of years. Instead of aggressively playing when he was younger, he decided he’d try his own hand at it, taking his portfolio out of the hands of his broker, and started to do the online thing with his money. Even took out a second mortgage on his already-paid-off home. Now he owes the bank. Man is piss-poor broke.”
My eyes grew big, and my jaw dropped.
“What?” Vince questioned.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse.” I smiled and picked up the mailbag. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got mail to deliver.”
I didn’t tell him how he reminded me that Florence’s big scholarship winner was picked today. It was always nice to see a young person get the scholarship so they could afford to go to college. It was always a needy kid too. Most times Grady knew the family, and it was something for us to discuss. I needed something to discuss with him since I would be calling to feel him out about what Iris had said, even though Iris thought I should go straight to Julia with the bribery treats.
Vince and I said our goodbyes. I quickly went inside the main building to the mail room, where I did find a very eager Kate Pitts.
“I was ’bout to go out there and tell Vince Caldwell to shut up.” She had her fists planted on her thin hips. “It’s ’bout time for Willie to get up, and I’d be in a pickle if he caught me with another package.” She put her hand out.
“Here you go. It looks like a good one.” I took it out of the bag and handed it to her.
“It’s for a friend.” She wiggled her drawn-on eyebrows, which were lopsided. “Gonna be a wedding, but I can’t spill the beans.”
“I wouldn’t dare ask you to tell me who is getting married.” I put the key in the master lock and twisted it, popping all the silver mailbox doors open.
“If you insist, Bernadette.” Kate Pitts was dying to tell me. “My friend, Florence Gaines, I think she’s gonna tie the knot.” She winked. “I got her the perfect gift too. One of them Christmas ornaments with this year’s date on it so she and Zeke…” She curled her lips together and put her hand on her mouth. “Oh dear, I’ve said too much.”
I gulped, knowing if what she just let slip out of her mouth was true, the gossip would be hurling around like one of the seasonal tornadoes.
“Your secret is safe with me.” I busied myself with filling the mailboxes. There was no way I was going to say a word. Especially to the Front Porch Ladies. They’d all go into mourning since they all thought they had a shot of a relationship with Zeke Grey, when in reality, if they’d played their cards right, one of them might’ve been the new Mrs. Zeke Grey.
Chapter 4
The second loop was definitely going to be the most interesting of the day. Like the Front Porch Ladies had noted, Courtney Gaines was getting another round of packages which were stamped from various parts of the United States. Maybe somehow when I tried to help her with her mulch, I could slip in some questions about her mail.