The second was a dog rescue, which made sense, since Oliver and Emily had a golden retriever. Could be that’s where the dog had come from. Curious, Maude clicked through to the rescue’s website and then again through to their Events page.
She found the most recent event, a black-tie gala. She scrolled through the photos, which were both staged in front of the rescue’s step and repeat backdrop, and candid, most likely taken by attendees.
She found Emily in a red satin one-shoulder gown with crystal embellishments at the waist and shoulder. Very pageanty but Maude was admittedly biased.
She took a break to refill her Stanley and grab the remaining brownies. She ate them while scrolling through the many, many pictures from the gala.
One caught her eye and made her take a closer look. It was the red dress that did it. Emily wasn’t front and center but she was in the background of the photo. Maude zoomed in. Emily had a big smile on her face and her hand on the arm of a young man she was standing close to.
A young man who looked very much like Derek.
Maude sat back, stretched her arms over her head, and wondered if she should make coffee. The night was just getting interesting.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Fifteen minutes into talking with Jonas and Cece knew she’d misjudged him. A lot. Possibly as much as one person could misjudge another. “You’re really an attorney?” she asked a second time.
“Was,” he said. “I retired two years ago and moved to the Colony. The life I was living, being an attorney, was…” He shook his head as he picked up a French fry. “It was turning me into someone I didn’t want to be. Someone I didn’t like.” He sighed as though remembering how those days had weighed on him.
“You don’t look like any retired attorney I’ve ever met.” And not just because he was handsome, something she was glad she hadn’t imagined. There were a lot of good-looking attorneys out there. He was just so…laid-back. He was also pretty well-dressed compared to how he’d looked on the beach. Tonight, he looked like he’d walked off the pages of a Tommy Bahama catalog.
Beautiful, tropical silk shirt, pressed khaki shorts, matching woven tan leather belt and loafers. His hair was neatly combed, and he was clean shaven. The water-hued blues of his shirt made his blue eyes impossible to ignore. He also smelled good enough to?—
She distracted herself by snagging a fried shrimp and dipping it in the mango salsa. For a bowling alley, the food was shockingly good. It would have been good anywhere, actually.
Jonas leaned in, a twinkle in his eyes. “Would it help if I were fat and balding?”
She nodded. “Tremendously.” She smiled halfway through the word, unable to keep a straight face. “I thought you were…never mind.”
“Come on, now, tell the truth.”
“I’m not under oath.”
He laughed. “No, but I know how people see me. They usually think I’m a beach bum looking for a handout.”
She slowly moved her finger to the tip of her nose. “Got it in one.”
Still grinning, he shook his head. “So you agreed to go bowling with a beach bum?” His eyes narrowed. “Good to know the bar’s set so low.”
“I agreed because—” she sighed. “I have to be honest. I’d had a little too much wine last night.”
“You did mention that, but thanks for confirming it. So you’re saying you’re sitting here because of poor judgment.” He clutched at his heart. “I’m wounded. I thought my charm and charisma had overwhelmed you.”
She smirked. Joe, as he preferred to be called, was quite a character. She was glad she hadn’t canceled. Nothing would come of this, of course, but it would be an entertaining evening. Something to tell the Queen Bees about at the next book club meeting. “I’m glad I said yes now that I know you’re not a psychopath.”
He gestured at her with a French fry. “The night’s young. I still could be.”
She nodded and ate another shrimp. “True. But would a psychopath really have given me that beautiful shell?”
He smiled. “Very astute observation.” He picked up his fried grouper sandwich. “How’s your food?”
“Kind of astonishing for a bowling alley. The mango salsa is delicious. And there’s nothing like fresh-cut fries with the skins still on. This was a good choice.”
“Good, I’m glad.”
“What do you do with yourself now that you’re retired?”
“You’re going to laugh, but that’s okay.” He ate a fry. “I’m pursuing my lifelong dream of being a working musician.”
