Page 18 of Second Chance in Charlevoix
“I heard about your parents. So sorry.”
“Thank you. I guess everyone in town remembers that holiday accident, even though it was long ago.”
“This town never forgets.” He eased his pace. “Does that make being here difficult?”
“Actually I feel closer to them here. My folks loved Charlevoix. It was a special place for them. How about you? Is your family here?”
“Yep. My dad was a postman and Mom cooked at the high school. Sometimes she drops off brownies and cupcakes at Tall Oaks.”
“And they’re not retiring to Florida?” Since arriving, Marlowe had heard of several couples who’d gone that route. They were now snowbirds in Florida.
“No, my parents love it here. My sister Nicole is a big draw. She has two kids with her husband.”
“I know the feeling. We love being around Izzy and her baby.”
“Yep. The kids keep my sister and my parents busy.”
The Howingtons sounded like a close family. Her heart warmed and then it stopped. Brad probably wanted a family himself. The thought dampened Marlowe’s spirits, which sank like wet sand. Had it turned cloudy? She glanced at the sky to make sure the sun was still shining. It was.
Marlowe brought her mind back to running and worked at pulling in some deep breaths. Why was her chest so tight? She was being foolish. Projecting. That’s what she was doing?Stop it. Stop it right now.
“Anything wrong?” Brad shot her a concerned glance. His face, arms and chest now held that sheen that makes male runners look super healthy. Healthy and, in his case, very attractive.
She dragged her eyes away. “Nope. All good.”Except that now I know I can’t marry you because you’ll want three kids and I don’t even know if I can have one. Besides that I’ll be way too old for night feedings and running after children when I’m in my late forties. When they’re in high school, I’ll be in my fifties. I don’t think I can handle that. Working the concession stand during football games would be too exhausting.
What was wrong with her? Her stream of consciousness was more tiring than the jogging. They were just running together and now she’d fallen behind. Her fortieth birthday was coming up. Thatwasn’t so bad, was it? Jogging along, she imagined all those eggs aging inside her. Those eggs and her thoughts about those eggs weighed her down.
Marlowe could almost hear her sisters roaring with laughter if she shared her thoughts. Still, it was common knowledge that women were especially fertile in their twenties. After that? Their chances of becoming pregnant dropped off dramatically.
Concentrate on your run. Once they'd gone past one of the mushroom houses with its woven thatched roof, Brad led her down some of the other streets. Passing the Ultimate Wildlife Taxidermy gave her a chuckle and distracted Marlowe from her waning fertility. “Are you a hunter?”
“Nope. Not my thing. But a lot of people do hunt in northern Michigan,” he said with a grin. “I try to keep an open mind.”
“I’m with you on that.”
Brad veered up to Sherman Street. His pace was measured and she appreciated that. For a while they ran side by side. Everything seemed so peaceful at this hour and she loved the empty streets. The morning birds called to each other in the trees. Soon the path Brad had taken wound up down near the Charlevoix beach. The short stretch of sand was relatively small compared to the broad expanses of the ocean beaches in Naples. But this beach had a different kind of charm. Smaller. More personal.
Obviously very familiar with this route, Brad took a lot of turns as they ran. Marlowe was glad she was using her running app. Still, she was in no hurry. After they came to the hospital and circled the parking lot, they headed back toward Garfield Avenue and neat frame houses with shutters and flower boxes. A gray-haired man had come out for the newspaper in his blue robe. When he waved, Brad waved back. “Morning, Mr. Nelson.”
“Morning, Brad.” Tucking the paper under one arm, Mr. Nelson turned to go back up his drive.
“His mother lived at Tall Oaks for quite a while,” Brad said.
“I suppose you know a lot of people here.”
“Many of the residents at Tall Oaks are people I knew when I was growing up.”
“That must be special for both of you.”
“Life has a way of coming full circle,” he said with a smile.
“Ah, a philosopher.”
He shrugged. “Nope. Not really.”
As she ran, Marlowe felt herself loosen up and eventually took the lead. Her burst of energy helped erase her earlier preoccupation. They finally reached Alice Street and she turned toward the harbor. The tension of the past few days with her new job and Izzy’s move lost its hold on her. Pickingup her speed, Marlowe raced her heart out until they reached the harbor.
What a gorgeous day. A day when she could stop planning her future and just enjoy the moment. But her side was starting to hurt. Gasping, she slowed until she finally stopped and bent over, her heart pounding. Brad’s footsteps came up behind her. Pushing her damp bangs aside she straightened.
