Page 18 of Summer with the Single Dad

CHAPTER FOUR

A cool and heavy fog hung low over the island when Justine rose early Monday morning for her daily run. Yesterday morning, when she went out, the sky was clear and the last few stars of night winked at her before disappearing. But today, she could barely see twenty feet in front of her.

It was ominous and eerie, but she refused to let it deter her from getting her adrenaline pumping and that much-needed rush of dopamine. Her parents left more voicemails and sent more texts yesterday which she ignored. She told them she was on vacation, but apparently that wasn’t good enough. What had they heard through the intricate hospital grapevine? Did they talk to Tad? What did he tell them?

Either way, she wasn’t ready to face them. To face her mother’s disapproval.

She was here on the island for some clarity, and until she found that, her parents would just have to deal with her lack of communication. With her headphones in and her favorite high-energy running mix playing, she set out through the quiet, misty cabin and pub grounds toward the laneway that led to the main road.

The island was safe. Everyone knew that.

There were no bears, wolves, cougars or wolverines lurking in the bushes licking their chops and eying her for their next meal. And the chances of getting thrown into someone’s trunk and sold at auction in some sleazy underground nightclub in Vegas were slim.

She wasn’t going to let the weather spook her. She was smarter than that.

Yesterday, she ran six miles—which was easy—but today she planned to run at least eight. She mapped out her route ahead of time and followed the arrow on her smart watch. Then, like she did every day, she just zoned out of the world around her, let the music pump in her ears, and her legs take her where she needed to go.

If she ran without music or with the music not loud enough, her thoughts took over and she started to go through Mr. O’Malley’s surgery in her head.

She did that enough already when she wasn’t running. So she made sure the music drowned out all coherent thoughts, then powered through.

The route was a loop, and she was over halfway back to the cabin when the vibration of the ground changed. She felt the presence of someone behind her. Someone coming up fast.

Oh crap.

Maybe she wasn’t as safe as everyone said.

And she stupidly left her pepper spray back in the cabin.

This was how she was going to die.

Spinning around, but not stopping, she squinted at the figure approaching through the mist.

It was a man.

He wore a gray Henley, black shorts over longer tight black pants, orange running shoes, and a headlamp set on dim.

His gait was easy, but confident.

She exhaled in relief.

It was just a fellow runner.

Just another exercise enthusiast out for that daily dose of dopamine before starting their day.

He was coming up on her fast and would probably pass her, so she slowed down a bit, faced forward and kept on.

The vibration of the ground trembled again—she’d always been very intuitive to shifts in energy around her and vibrations. It wasn’t something she ever mentioned to her parents or sisters because they’d all call her a weirdo, but despite her scientific upbringing and education, she did believe in certain ethereal energies and earthly vibrations. She was raised by atheists, so saying she believed in anything but cold hard scientific facts would have made her parents request a psych evaluation for her.

He grew even closer, but she didn’t look behind her. There was plenty of room for him to pass without her having to move over to the shoulder. She preferred running on even terrain like asphalt or concrete. She’d twisted an ankle too many times trail running that she just avoided gravel, trails, and anything loose or uneven at all costs.

“Well, good morning,” came a deep rumble through the loud Top 40 pop chanting in her ear.

He didn’t pass her, but rather kept pace with her.

She glanced up and nearly rolled her ankle.

Bennett caught her. “Careful. You okay?”

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