Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Maude was floating from her wonderful lunch with Ollie. They were officially official. It felt like high school all over again but without the peer pressure, soul-crushing angst, and acne.
Okay, there was a little angst. Just from her.
She was slightly worried that Ollie might catch some grief for getting involved with a woman so soon after his divorce, but it wasn’t like they’d just met.
They had history. Not to mention, Emily had cheated.
But maybe he didn’t want that getting out either, for the sake of the kids.
Of course, no one at the hospital would know she and Ollie had history, but it was easy enough for him to explain.
The last thing he needed was more grist for the gossip mill at work. Maybe she should talk to him about that, about making it clear that the two of them had known each other for four decades and had dated a lifetime ago.
She thought about texting him, but he was probably asleep. It wasn’t that late, but she knew he got up early, so she imagined he’d crash at a fairly adult hour. She planned on running some raids with her Nightforge enclave, the online RPG she’d been playing for years.
But not until she finally got around to eating that flan Essie had given her. She’d been waiting for the right moment when she could just sit and enjoy it. Which was what she was going to do right now.
She grabbed the container out of the fridge and a fork from the drawer and went out to her porch. It was a beautiful night. A few stars twinkled in the sky and the slight breeze held a hint of salt from the Gulf.
Essie was the sweetest. Maude really hoped everything worked out all right for her with that stepdaughter. She liked Frank, too, even though she’d only had a brief interaction with him.
Maude took a bite. The flan melted like caramel sunshine on her tongue. She closed her eyes, letting the evening settle around her. The Colony at night was its own kind of magic—distant waves brushing the shore, the soft hum of insects, porch lights glowing like friendly beacons.
And it was quiet. Most everyone was tucked away in their house. Here and there, a window showed the flickering blue light of a television, but some were already dark.
Because they were on the Gulf and too much light disrupted the sea turtles’ natural habitat, the streetlights were kept to a minimum and just provided a soft glow. She liked it.
She scooped up some more flan. Man, this stuff was good. Essie ought to open a flan shop. Or just make flan for everyone once a week. Then movement caught Maude’s eye.
Across the walking path, Ned Ripley came down from his porch and out onto his tiny back patio, his dog, Cookie, trotting beside him on matchstick legs, her pink sweater slightly askew. Ned carried a flashlight, though it didn’t seem necessary to Maude. But then, her eyes weren’t as old as Ned’s.
“Someone needed to pee before bedtime,” Maude murmured around another bite of flan.
Cookie sniffed the grass with great purpose. Maude smiled. Dogs were funny. Ned leaned down to encourage her and then his foot caught on something.
Maude sat up to see better but the stumble happened so fast she barely had time to gasp. Ned pitched forward with a startled grunt, flashlight clattering across the walkway.
“Oh, no! Ned!”
Maude shoved the flan aside and hurried down her porch steps, bare feet slapping softly against the wood. Cookie barked anxiously, circling him.
She ran across the path and knelt beside him, heart jumping. “Ned, can you hear me? Are you okay?”
He was on his side, one knee scraped raw, elbow bleeding in a thin line. “Dadgum paver,” he muttered, wincing. “I’m all right. Or I will be. I suppose I’m smarter than I look and yet not smart enough to watch my feet.”
“Hold still,” Maude said gently. “Let me help you sit up.”
As she braced him, her phone buzzed in the pocket of her shorts. She ignored it until Ned was upright on the grass, breathing slowly through the pain.
Only then did she glance at the screen. A text from Ollie.
Thinking about you. You still up?
Perfect timing.
She typed back quickly: If you’re home, can you come over? My neighbor Ned fell and scraped himself up pretty badly. I don’t think anything’s broken but if you could look at him?
His reply came almost instantly. On my way.
Maude exhaled with relief and tucked the phone away. Cookie crawled into Ned’s lap, trembling.
“It’s okay, girl.” Maude gave the dog a little scratch. “We’re going to take good care of your dad.” Then to Ned, “Help’s coming.” She kept her hand on Ned’s shoulder to steady him. “You’re in good hands tonight.”
Ned chuckled weakly. “Thank you, Maude. You’re a good friend. I always said this community was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Maude gave his hand a squeeze. “I feel the same way.”
In a remarkably short amount of time, lights flicked across the path as Ollie hurried toward them, medical bag in hand, his expression calm but concerned. “Hi, Ned. I’m Dr. Keen, but you can call me Ollie.”
Ned glanced at Maude. “How did you get a doctor to show up that fast?”
Maude grinned. “I know people.”
Ned laughed, a sound like music to Maude’s ears.
Ollie smiled. “It just so happens that I’m sweet on her and I’m trying to impress her.”
“That so?” Ned said. “Well, you’ve got my blessing.”
Ollie got out a small flashlight. “What happened here, my friend?” he asked, voice cool and gentle.
“Gravity got the better of me,” Ned grumbled. Cookie growled protectively from his lap, her four pounds of fury not impressing anyone but herself.
Ollie smiled softly. “Mind if I take a look? I promise not to steal your dog.”
Cookie sniffed his hand, decided he was acceptable, and settled down.
Maude exhaled. Cookie could be a biter. Maybe she sensed Ollie was a dog lover.
Ollie’s hands moved with practiced kindness as he checked Ned’s elbow, then his knee. “A couple of scrapes. No deep cuts, so that’s good.” He pressed lightly around the knee joint. “Does this hurt here?”
Ned winced. “Only in my pride.”
Ollie chuckled. “Well, the good news is you didn’t break anything. The bad news is I’m going to insist on cleaning these up.”
“Bossy man,” Ned muttered.
“Medical training,” Ollie countered. “I’ll take a look inside where the lighting’s better.”
Maude slipped her arm under Ned’s to help him stand while Ollie supported his other side.
Cookie trotted along beside them, making tiny Chihuahua sounds that might have been complaints.
They got Ned to the porch, then inside his cozy living room.
It smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and old books, which made sense, as there were shelves of the latter lining the walls.
Ollie guided Ned onto the couch, set Cookie beside him, and opened his bag. In a matter of minutes, Ned’s elbow and knee were cleaned, dabbed with antiseptic, and covered with bandages that looked almost too neat for something done at home, but obviously Ollie was a professional.
“There,” Ollie said, closing his bag. “Tomorrow, you’ll be stiff, but you’ll live to complain another day.”
Ned gave a slow nod. “I can manage stiff. I appreciate your help, son. Yours, too, Maude.”
Maude patted his shoulder. “Call if you need anything. And keep an eye on Cookie—she’s liable to sue on your behalf.”
Cookie sneezed, which everyone agreed meant yes.
They said goodnight, then Ollie walked Maude back across the path, their steps unhurried. When they reached her porch, he turned to her, his expression gentle.
“You okay?” he asked.
Maude nodded. “Yeah. Just…rattled. I like Ned a lot. I don’t even mind Cookie. I worry about him.”
“You handled it beautifully,” he said, voice low. “You’re better in tough situations than you give yourself credit for.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks, ridiculous but impossible to stop. “Thanks. And thanks for coming so fast.”
“Always,” he said. “You call and I’m going to be there.”
She smiled. How else could she respond to a promise like that?
He didn’t make a move to leave right away. He just stood there beside her, the night warm around them. It struck Maude how comforting Ollie’s presence was, how effortlessly he filled the quiet with steadiness.
“You want to come in?”
“Yes, but I should go. Work comes early.”
She nodded. “Thanks again. That was really good of you.”
Ollie touched her elbow lightly and moved closer. She didn’t move as he pressed his mouth to hers. Just a short, soft, simple kiss.
A flurry of emotions erupted in her. She breathed in and took hold of the railing in case her knees gave out.
When she opened her eyes, he was smiling. “You taste like sugar.”
She gave a soft laugh. “I was just eating flan.”
He shook his head, amused. “See you soon, Maudie.”
“Night, Ollie.”
He gave a little wave as he walked back to the sidewalk and disappeared into the soft glow of the Colony’s pathway lights.
Maude stood there a moment more, letting the night go quiet again, feeling unexpectedly grateful for scraped knees, skittish dogs, and a doctor who came running when she asked.
She touched her mouth, the feel of Ollie’s kiss lingering. She smiled. That flan was going to taste even sweeter now.