“Hi, Kate. How are you this fine morning?” Gene asked. “What’s new with you?”
“Oh, no. You three aren’t getting all up in my business again,” she said. “If I tell you anything, it will be all over New Bern by noon.”
“You sayin’ we gossip?” Walter asked.
“Like a bunch of old ladies at church on Sunday,” Kate said.
They all looked at Kate and then nodded. “Agreed,” Archie said. “We’re old and have nothing better to do than live vicariously through everyone else. What are you kids doing today?”
“Business,” Kate said, not getting pulled into their web. “You ready, Adam? I called in my order, so it’s probably ready. You wanna drive together or take separate cars?”
If they rode together, he’d have to bring Kate back to New Bern and then either turn around and drive right back to Jacksonville or spend the night up here again. Either would be a pain. Duke was already mad he’d been left alone so long with only the neighbor kid to let him out every once in a while. Driving together would be an inconvenience, but apparently, one he was willing to make.
“I’ll drive. Luna need to take care of business before we leave?”
“She’s fine,” Kate said with a snooty tone. She left to grab her order, and he returned to his conversation with the Three Amigos.
“So, did Frank find out his wife was cheating on him last week?” Adam asked.
“No, he’s still got his head in the sand. Damn it. Cost me five dollars,” Archie said.
“Five bucks?” Adam said. “Wow. High stakes. What’s your bet this week?”
They looked at each other nervously, but no one answered.
“What? Is it a secret?” Adam asked.
“Not sure we should tell you,” Walter said. “It would mess up the odds.”
“Wait, are you sayingI’mpart of this week’s bet? I just met you. What could you possibly be betting on?”
Walter made an exaggerated eye movement toward Kate, who was hunched over the baked goods display, mumbling to herself.
“The bet’s about Kate? Now you have to tell me. I want in.”
Gene pulled the other two in, and they proceeded to have a short huddle, after which Walter announced their decision.
“We’ve amended the rules a bit to accommodate telling you and letting you bet,” he said. “The bet is whether or not you and Kate get together. After seeing you two together last week, it…came up as a betting option. This bet goes longer than a week though. It’s sort of open-ended. We’ve just agreed to let you bet, and if you do, we can all adjust our bets accordingly.”
Adam pulled out his wallet and threw a ten on the table. “Put me down for hell, yes.”
Walter and Archie nodded as Gene made a grunting noise before picking up the money.
“All right, but you can’t tell her.”
“Duh,” Adam said. “It’ll be hard enough without her knowing.”
Kate came back holding a coffee and a pastry bag.
“Lose some kind of internal debate over that?” Adam nodded to the bag.
“Shut up,” she said to Adam and then turned to the men. “What are you guys betting on this week?”
“Nothing,” all three said in unison.
“All right.” Kate dragged out the words. “You ready?”
Once they were settled and had split the scone Kate purchased, they were off.