Cora watched Justin walk away, then kept going toward her house. She was a block behind Alice and the boys. They were stopped as one of the boys looked to be trying to get a rock or something out of his shoe. She thought about catching up, but didn’t. Alice and she had been friends in high school, but when Cora went to college, Alice had stayed here and met her husband, Tyson Burke.

Cora had reached out a few times to Alice, but they’d just been at different points in their lives. Alice was juggling kids and a family and Cora was still trying to find her match.

Cora turned into the library parking lot and cut across toward the back doors of the building.

Ashley’s face lit up when she saw Cora push open the door. Cora was younger than Ashley, but she’d been adopted by the Walkers first. When Ashley came into their home, Cora had been a bit like a puppy, always trying to get Ashley to play with her. Ashley hadn’t been remotely interested in having a sister. It took time, but now, the sisters were probably closer than they would have been if they’d been biological siblings.

“Hey,” Ashley said, leaning on the circulation desk. “You headed home?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I have to get dressed.” She grinned. “As it turns out, I have a date tonight.”

“Nice! Not Lice Man?”

“No. I think he was embarrassed. He blocked me on MatchMeUp and hasn’t called.”

Ashley frowned. “No big loss. You’ll find someone better.”

“Ethan Knight asked me out.”

Ashley’s brows rose. “Wow, talk about taking the plunge. Going right for the bad boy, huh?”

Cora laughed. “I don’t really remember him from back then, but I do remember the legend that trailed him at school. He was infamous.”

Ashley frowned. “You do get that he was more than just a trouble maker? I mean, I got into trouble, but he took things a hell of a lot further than me.”

Cora squirmed. “Well, like, what? What kind of stuff was he into? Drugs and stuff?”

Ashley shook her head, a slow movement that showed she was thinking. “I don’t know about drugs, but he drank and I know he and Derrick Ayers stole a car more than once to race it. I think he was into gambling and stuff.”

“Well, he must have gotten past all that. He moved home to take care of his dad, and look at you. If we judged you by what you were like in high school…”

She didn’t finish the sentence because Ashley had raised her hands up, palms to Cora. “Hey, I wasn’t saying he isn’t a great guy now. You know me. I think everyone deserves a shot.”

Cora hesitated.

Ashley reached out to touch her sister’s arm. “Hey, really, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come down on him. I’m sure he’s a great guy now.”

“I met him at his dad’s house. Ron Knight has been really sick lately and I’ve been taking muffins and lunch to him sometimes.”

Ashley nodded. “I know. Haddie mentioned it. He’s the one who says Caufield’s Furniture company poisoned his well, right?”

Haddie was Ashley’s best friend and co-troublemaker. She was some forty or fifty years older than Ashley, but the two were as close as if they’d been born on the same day and raised together.

“Yes. I don’t know all the details of his illness, but he said there’s no treatment for it.”

“I heard his case is very weak, but I’m not sure if that’s just what people want to believe or if it’s true. It has to do with trying to prove the chemicals got into the well because of Caufield instead of in some other way.”

Cora shook her head. “I have no idea what the case will involve, but I can tell you, he’s really sick. He’s getting weaker by the day.”

Ashley made a show of putting on a smile. “Okay, enough of that. It’s sad. Tell me about your date with his son.”

Cora grinned. “Dinner tonight. We’re going to a Japanese place.”

“You hate Japanese.”

“No I don’t. I hate sushi. I’m sure there’s something I’ll like that doesn’t involve raw fish and seaweed.”

“Is he hot?”

Cora tilted her head. “I’m not sure I’d say hot. He’s cute. Good looking.”

“Why don’t I know him? I know everyone in town.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not true.” Cora said it, but she might be wrong. If anyone could get close to claiming to know everyone in town, it was Ashley. She was the town librarian but she was also a busybody who made it her business to know everyone else’s business.

“He just moved back to town to help his dad. He had to close his business to do it, but I think Mr. Knight is really glad he did. I mean, he griped about it, but it’s got to be good to have family nearby when you’re that sick.”

“Oh,” Ashley tilted her head. “That’s sweet. Ethan gets points for moving home.”

“I know, right?”

“What are you gonna wear?”

Cora sighed. “I have no idea. Julia and I are officially saving up for a makeover weekend in Austin over the fourth, but until then, I have to make do with what’s in my closet.”

“Does any of it not scream elementary school teacher?”

“Maybe.”

Ashley gave her a look.

“Okay, probably not.” Cora waved a hand. “I’ll dig around in the back of my closet. There must be something there.”

Ashley waved at a group of women walking in the front door of the library. “I have to run. The coupon clippers are here.”

The library hosted what seemed like an endless stream of meetings in its back rooms. One of the most faithful was the coupon clippers. Each week, they got together and clipped coupons and compared their savings from the week before.

Ashley leaned over the desk and hugged Cora. “I want all the details when you get home.”

Cora walked away, doing her best not to skip and jump like a kid. She just hoped there were good details to tell Ashley later.