Page 31 of Second Chance in Charlevoix
“So that part's working out.” Her sister looked as if she wanted to say more but the front door opened witha bang. Brad Howington stood there, peering into the night.
“I was afraid you had left,” he said.
Although he was talking to both of them, his eyes were on Marlowe. Izzy knew that they'd been running together. Was there more to it?
“Heck no, we haven't left,” Marlowe said, jumping up from the rocker and heading for the door. “Just taking a break.”
The rest of the evening went well. By eight thirty, they were finished. They tidied up the bingo supplies and were heading for the door when Brad appeared again. Since his eyes went right to Marlowe, Izzy decided to make herself scarce.
“I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
“Fine, okay.”
But Izzy hesitated long enough to hear Brad say, “How about running tomorrow?”
Her heart lifted. Scribbling a note, she tucked it under one of Marlowe’s windshield wipers. Although she would have loved to get the lowdown about Brad, she was anxious to get home.
Chapter 15
Marlowe
Jogging along the path that edged Lake Michigan, Marlowe felt distracted. Her breathing had become labored. Not so with her running partner. Ahead of her, Brad Howington cut quite a figure. Long and lean, he jogged with casual confidence.
Hot and sweaty, she hoped Brad would stop soon. She enjoyed running with him, since these paths were new to her. When they started out, he wove in and out of streets. They’d even passed Coffee and Cupcakes. Then he’d headed out to the lake. The man knew a lot of running paths and she was grateful. The one they were on this morning gave a great view of the lake. The sun was still low and the air felt cool. She wanted to stop and draw in all that beauty.
But not Brad. He’d probably been seeing gorgeous vistas his entire life.
“Am I wearing you out?” he threw out over his shoulder.
Somehow she gathered enough breath to call out, “No way.” They’d decided on a three-mile run up and then back, but this sure felt like more. This brisk morning air was a relief. The hot, airless streets of Naples hadn’t allowed much shade, and Marlowe was glad she was here. This path led them into stretches where tall pine trees protected them. She tried to pick up her speed.
Jogging within view of the lake helped lighten her mood. In the early morning the lake was placid. The waves were mere ripples making their way into shore. No gray tinting to those clouds and no sign of rain. Too bad because they needed it.
Relief loosened her stride when she saw the rest stop up ahead. Slowing his pace, Brad pointed to a picnic table. She’d noticed that the trail had rest stops as it went north. They both collapsed onto a weathered picnic table. Marlowe swiped at her forehead with her wrist band. Her heart seemed to be beating overtime. Reaching down, Brad grabbed a blue quilted cooler tucked under the table.
“Someone must have left that here,” she gasped between breaths.
“I did early this morning. Electrolytes.” Brad’s chest heaved as he took out two frosty bottles.
Taking the infused water, Marlowe was impressed. “You are a man who plans ahead. What if someone else had grabbed it?”
That’s when she saw the warning note taped to the top. His name and then “Please Leave This Alone. Howington.”
“No one would take it. This is Michigan. But I had to make sure.” Grinning he opened his bottle and took a deep gulp. She did the same.
The cold water felt so good. “Thank goodness I have you as a guide.”
“The trails can be tricky. But you’re obviously a seasoned runner.”
“High school…and college,” she panted between sips. “And some in Naples, but not like this.” Taking off her sunglasses she squinted at the sandy shoreline stretching in either direction. “Do people ever picnic here?”
He glanced at the beach as if he’d never seen it before. “I guess.”
“Maybe you’re too busy with your work?” She gave him a teasing smile.
“Not always. I run a lot. We have a great marathon here in June. Draws people from all over the country. This is the trail,or part of it.”
“Interesting.” Even though she was new here, the idea of competing was appealing. Still, it had been a long time since she completed a marathon. “I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I like to work up to things.”
