Chapter 19
“I’m an old man,” Gordon said to Oliver. “But I’m not as old as your grandfather.”
Oliver laughed as Gordon picked on his grandfather while he swung his golf club up in the air. The older men had been nonstop all day, teasing each other as the three men played golf.
“Gorgeous,” Gordon said as Max’s ball soared into the air.
And just like that, they went back to being serious.
“So your grandfather tells me you were at the top of your class in medical school,” Gordon said.
“Mm-hmm.” Oliver pulled out his driver, not surprised by the comment. That was usually the first thing his grandfather told people when introducing his grandson.
“Do you mind me asking what made you leave medicine?” Gordon asked. “We need all the good doctors we can get.”
“Then you should keep looking.” Oliver said with a smile as he set up his ball.
Gordon’s forehead wrinkled at the comment, then he glanced over at Max, who shook his head.
Oliver swung his driver hard, letting his frustrations out on the head of that ball, and it soared through the sky.
“Whoa,” Gordon said. “Looks like we’ve got a golfer on our hands.”
“I’m five yards behind him,” Max said.
“Well, I saw how you swing, and it was pure luck that the ball got as far as it did,” Gordon said.
Max laughed at that one. Clearly, the two men enjoyed each other’s company.
“You know who’s a real good golfer,” Gordon said.
Muriel.
“Muriel,” Gordon confirmed. “We lived near the country club, and I’d take the kids out with me on the green. It was some of the best times of my life.”
Oliver smiled at Muriel’s grandfather, wondering if he knew how in love he was with his granddaughter. Could he ask about her?
“How is she?” Oliver tried to sound nonchalant, like he seemed interested but in a catch-up conversation kind of way.
“She’s great!” Gordon said. “She’s been looking for a house in the Concord area with her fiancé.”
“She’s not going to try to go to Portsmouth?” That disappointed Oliver. Muriel had talked about living in the seaside city.
“Looks like he’s got a job in Concord, so that’s where they’re house hunting,” Gordon said.
Oliver decided not to ask any more questions. He didn’t want to hear about her wonderful life with terrible Zack. He thought time would help heal his wounded heart, but as each day passed, he felt the same way. Miserable.
Even the quiet contentment of Blueberry Bay seemed too quiet and began to irritate him. He had no one to really talk to, just a lot of small talk with everyone. And for some reason they all asked him about Muriel, when she’d be back or how long she’d be gone for.
“Too bad your granddaughter didn’t want to teach here in the area,” Max said to Gordon.
“Why’s that?” Oliver asked his grandfather.
“I heard a position opened up in the village school,” Max said. “The school’s going to have a heck of a time finding anyone this late in the summer.”
Oliver turned to Gordon. “Do you think Muriel and her fiancé would want to live here?”
Gordon frowned at this. “I think she’s sticking in Concord.”
“That’s what I figured,” Max said.
The men continued through the course, talking about growing up on the East Coast. Gordon turned out to be pretty funny and easy to talk to. By the end of the game, with Gordon in the lead, they agreed to play again soon.
When they got back to the clubhouse, his grandfather went to use the restroom, leaving Gordon and Oliver alone.
“The first time I lost a patient, I thought I’d never be able to practice medicine again,” Gordon said as they sat down at a table in the golf course’s dining hall. “I fell apart. Stayed out of work for weeks. Planned on leaving the profession entirely, but then my father said to me, ‘Gordon, one day people will thank you for not giving up.’”
Oliver wanted to come back with a negative comment, but the thought of Muriel stopped him.
“And do you know what happened next?” Gordon asked. “I decided to leave the big city and go work in a rural area where nothing really happens. Go figure the boat accident with Jacob O’Neill would happen after that.”
“I enjoyed medicine, but I love teaching,” Oliver said, hoping Gordon would get it. “It’s what I want to do. Be a teacher.”
Gordon nodded. “A fine profession, teaching.”
As they sat through lunch, Oliver couldn’t help but think about what his life might be like if he continued with medicine. He never felt happy in medical school.
But he was happy now. He could spend this time with his grandfather. He felt like he was part of a community for the first time in his adult life. He had friends and some neighbors who’d do anything for him. In just a year’s time, he had found what he was looking for.
“I really love what I do,” he said out loud.
“Then you’ll have many students thanking you for not giving up,” Gordon said, smiling at him.
After that, his grandfather and him headed back to the house, but Oliver dropped Max off and headed right back out.
“Where you headed off to this time?” Janet asked, scrubbing the kitchen counter.
“I’m headed to the school. There’s an opening in the lower grades,” he said.
She looked confused and then it hit her. “Well, you should find out if they’re looking for anyone.”
Oliver took off and didn’t waste any time looking for the principal. He jumped out of his truck and practically ran into the main office.
“Hello, Marianna,” he said to the front secretary. “Is Bill around?”
She shook her head. “He’s on vacation for the week, but I can let him know if you need anything.”
Oliver shook his head. “No, I just wanted to ask about the position that’s opened up at the elementary level.”
She nodded. “Yes, we just posted the position. A second-grade teacher.”
“There’s someone who I think would be perfect for the position,” he said. What was he doing bothering with this? She was “happy” with Zack. But something inside him told him to keep pushing, not let go of something he cared about this much. “I could give you her information.”
Marianna wrote down her name and number, then placed the note on her computer. “I’ll email Bill the info right now.”
“Thanks, Marianna,” then added, she’s the one that helped me with my science club.”
The club had been a huge success, especially after the barbeque. He had parents volunteering, other families asking to join. Sadie’s uncle Colby even took a group of them out on the water and caught lobsters. It had gone exactly the way he had hoped. The only thing missing had been Muriel.
He couldn’t let her go. He just couldn’t.
“Wait,” he said to Marianna. “I’ll talk to Bill myself. Don’t worry about it.”
He wouldn’t pressure her. If Muriel wanted something with him or even felt anything, she wouldn’t have left. She was in love with Zack, and no job or science club would convince her to leave the man she wanted to marry.
He’d been there before.
“You sure?” Marianna looked as confused as his heart.
His shoulders dropped. “Yes.”