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.
