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indication that no, she hadn’t considered that option at all.
    â€œWell,” she sniffed. “It just seems mighty odd to me, that’s all I’m saying. I wonder where he’s coming from. You think he’s a big fancy doc from the north? A lot of them like coming down here for the golf. Not that we have a golf course on the island, but there is one in Chiefland.”
    â€œHe’s coming from St. Augustine,” I blurted. When I get annoyed, I have a tendency to just blurt things out.
    Dora and Raylene both stared at me.
    â€œAnd how do you know that, Miss Josie?” Raylene questioned.
    Damn. I hadn’t intended to share my possible news with anyone just yet. Especially since it looked like it wasn’t going to work out for me anyway.
    â€œThe coconut pipeline,” was all I said. Everybody on the island referred to the vehicle for gossip as the coconut pipeline.
    â€œHmm.” Raylene pointed a finger at each of us in turn. “See, why would he leave St. Augustine to come here?”
    Dora shook her head and laughed. “Why wouldn’t he? Raylene, I think you’re reading too much into this. Remember the movie company from last year? You let your imagination run away with you.”
    I felt a smile cross my face. Raylene and her husband, Carl, had been convinced that a film company was coming to Cedar Key to use the town as the setting for a movie. She was determined to get a walk-on part. Raylene had been correct about a crew coming to the island to do some filming. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a Hollywood film producer. It was a few fellows from the university who came to do a short documentary on Cedar Key as a fishing village.
    Raylene tossed her chin and headed for the door. “Well, mark my words. He just might be up to no good,” she said without even a good-bye.
    Dora and I burst out laughing.
    â€œGood Lord,” Dora said, still chuckling. “I wonder if every small town has a Raylene Samuels.”
    â€œProbably,” I replied, and returned to emptying a box of scrumptious baby alpaca when my cell phone rang.
    I fished the phone out of my handbag to hear Mallory’s voice.
    â€œHey, working girl. How about meeting me for lunch at the Pickled Pelican?”
    I glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw it was just before noon.
    â€œSure,” I said. “How about in an hour?”
    â€œThat’ll work for me,” she said. “See you at the Pelican.”
    Â 
    Mallory had already secured an outside table on the deck and was sipping sweet tea when I arrived. She got up to give me a hug.
    â€œI like you working right here on the island,” she said. “This beats Gainesville, doesn’t it?”
    Being able to have lunch with my BFF on a weekday was definitely a plus. “It does,” I said, sitting down across from her.
    â€œSo what’s up?” she asked. “Any word yet from Mystery Doc?”
    I had confided in my best friend a few nights before I realized that my possible job offer was unlikely to materialize.
    I waited for the waitress to take our order before I replied.
    â€œNope. Nothing. Not a word. He probably changed his mind.”
    â€œNow, now,” she said, reaching over to pat my hand. “Think positive. He’s probably pretty busy trying to get everything organized. Oh, did you hear he bought the house on the corner of Twenty-fourth and D Streets?”
    Sometimes that coconut pipeline got a glitch, leaving me on the slower end of receiving news.
    â€œYeah. Raylene just came into the yarn shop to tell us. That’s a good spot for a doctor’s office. Right downtown and convenient for people to get to. By the way,” I said, wanting to change the subject. “Did your mother mention anything to you about CC dating a younger man?”
    Mallory laughed. “She told me last night. CC called her to share her news. Hey, good for her is what I