“It’s true, Essie. I watched that girl all day. Full of herself, talking about others, laughing behind people’s backs. What has she done now?”
“She…” Essie sighed. “Let’s just say she doesn’t like me much. And she definitely doesn’t approve of me having married her father. Thinks I’m trying to take her mother’s place, which I’m not, I assure you.”
“The problem is her father’s attention is on you now. Not her. She’s jealous.”
Essie blinked. “I never thought of it that way. What do I do?”
“Nothing,” he said nonchalantly. She could picture him shrugging in that way of his. “Jealousy comes to its own end. You’ll see.”
Chapter Nine
Maude had spent the afternoon floating on a cloud of memories and disbelief. Ollie Keen was not only alive and well, he washere. Living in the Colony.
And in the broadest sense of the word, they were neighbors.
Unfortunately, they’d only had a few minutes to talk when his phone had gone off again, and he’d had to leave.
Not only did Ollie live in the Colony, but he was a doctor, a cardiologist. Sadly, he was on call today and had to rush off to an emergency, but he’d promised they’d get together soon and talk about everything. He’d kissed her on the cheek as he’d said goodbye.
Ollie Keen. The boy she’d spent her teenage years thinking about in terms of the future. The boy who’d caused her to be furious at her parents for moving her to the middle of nowhere. The boy her brother had teased her about relentlessly.
The boy she’d always considered the one who got away.
What strange twist of fate had put them both in the Colony at the same time? Was this her life coming full circle? Was Ollie meant to be hers?
There was no end to her questions, but the truth was, she knew very little about who he was in this moment in time. When she’d first seen him, he’d been talking on the phone to a young woman who’d called him Dad.
So was he married?
Maude cringed. That would throw a wrench in things.
She finished up the website changes one of her clients, a bakery in Beechwood, had requested, then published them and sent the owner an email to have a look. She had a new client email to respond to, then she’d probably do some yoga, take a shower, and get ready for this new book club thing.
She sent her standard new client email, outlining what she could do, attached a list of her fees and capabilities, then pushed away from her desk and stretched.
If Ollie was married, why wasn’t his wife on the beach with him? She had to live here, too, right? Probably working.
Maude sat back down and ran a search on Oliver Keen.
Lots of threads showed up. She clicked on the first one and it took her to a page on the Health First Regional Hospital at Beechwood website. His photo and bio were the first listed under Cardiology.
A native Floridian, Dr. Oliver Keen is a board-certified cardiologist dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive heart care to the Beechwood community. With more than fifteen years of experience, he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and preventive cardiology.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Keen completed his residency in internal medicine at Emory University Hospital and his fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and remains active inthe latest advances in cardiac imaging and minimally invasive procedures.
Dr. Keen believes that the best care begins with listening. He takes time to understand each patient’s unique needs, empowering them to take an active role in improving and maintaining their heart health.
Outside the hospital, Dr. Keen enjoys swimming in the Gulf, the occasional game of golf, and spending time with his wife, Emily, their daughter, Harper, their son, Nolan, and their golden retriever, Milo.
Maude slouched in defeat. Hewasmarried. All the crazy ideas she’d had about the universe bringing them back together because they were meant to be deflated like a punctured balloon.
She was happy for him, she supposed. He must have a great life. Two kids. A golden retriever.
What did she have? A fish. She glanced over at Pixel, who was currently building a bubble nest in the corner of his tank.
Her eyes narrowed. Wait a minute. If Ollie lived in the Colony, what floor plan held a wife, two kidsanda golden retriever? Unless the kids were in college. Or grown. The girl Maude had caught a glimpse of could have easily been college age or older. That must be it.
He and his wife had become empty nesters and decided to downsize. Because that’s what most cardiologists did, wasn’t it?
