Chapter 5
Marlowe
The talk with her sister Sam had left Marlowe preoccupied.
Her brain fog was embarrassing. She’d had an appointment to show a couple a sweet four-bedroom house in Petoskey that had just gone on the market.
The white frame house was darling, with black shutters, a wrap-around porch and Victorian window boxes.
She knew her clients were going to love it.
But as they stood on the porch, she had trouble unlocking the door.
Got the code mixed up. Thank goodness she could peek at the front page of her daily planner where she kept that number.
“We just changed it,” she murmured to the couple as they stood there waiting.
“The old code was still up here in my head.”
The sad fact was that a million things were swirling in Marlowe’s mind right now.
Despite that, the showing went well. The couple would probably put in a bid.
But her brain fog didn’t lift. Her confusion had started when she met Brad for an early morning run.
She was waiting for him at the benches in front of the harbor, while he was in the hospital parking lot near the beach.
He texted her to ask if everything was okay. Marlowe admitted she’d gotten it wrong.
“No problem. I'll be right there,” he said before she could offer to drive in his direction.
When Brad came striding across Bridge Street, she decided not to offer any excuses. Shari one of her friends in Naples, had taught her that. “Don't ever get tied up in useless apologies. That's how they'll remember you. Move on.”
“Where did you park?” She smiled up at him.
“The hospital lot, not far away.”
They began an easy jog. Fall had come to Charlevoix. The trees were beginning to turn into rich yellows and dark reds. She followed Brad onto a side street that led toward the hospital.
“My sister started volunteering at the hospital,” she told Brad.
“That's great. Is she still going to have time to volunteer at Tall Oaks?”
“Of course. She has her business running like a top. Her staff is so competent.”
“There are a lot of opportunities for volunteers in Charlevoix.”
“She’s helping with the babies in the OB unit.” Marlowe still felt confused about that. “She’s quite smitten,” she said as they made their way to the walking path runners often used.
“So Sam likes kids?”
“I’m not sure. But I guess she’ll find out. She’s sure taken to Holly.” Marlowe loved the fact that she could talk about things that mattered with Brad.
When they came to the walking path, they were off. The breeze from the lake was cool and moist. She was glad that she’d layered. Brad was wearing shorts with a t-shirt. The man was so fit. Even though it was early morning, the water glittered under the rising sun.
“I think the hospital would be a good place to volunteer,” Brad said as they ran. “My sister delivered both Shaun and Sarah in that unit. She couldn't say enough good things about it.”
“That sounds positive. I think Sam is experimenting, trying to find a good fit. Her divorce is still so new. When you’re married, you often suit activities to each other.”
“Oh, you know that from experience.” He grinned at her.
“Not at all but my former brother-in-law probably wouldn’t have supported the idea of Sam volunteering in a hospital. He might be afraid that she wouldn’t give enough attention to their company.”
“I can’t imagine any man objecting to some volunteer work.”
“Yeah well, you never met Kurt.” From what Marlowe saw, Sam had been the one steering their agency. But enough of that. The sky was blue, the leaves were pretty and she was warming up. Deepening her breathing, Marlowe tried to clear her head.
Running with Brad was easy. They both had long legs and it was easy to pace together.
“Want to do a sprint?” he asked after a while, slowing a bit. She loved that challenge in his eyes.
“Sure.” He counted down and they were off.
Over the past few months they'd run a couple of local races together and to her surprise she'd won awards. Marlowe figured that was because she’d just entered a new age bracket. There weren’t as many runners in the forties bracket as there had been when she ran in her twenties.
That morning she’d pulled her long hair up into a ponytail and she felt it bob against her shoulders as she ran. No way was she going to fall behind. At the end of the sprint they were neck-in-neck. They stopped at one of the picnic tables.
“Wow.” Chest heaving, she bent over to catch her breath. To her satisfaction, the mental fog she been in the past few days had lifted. Maybe all that oxygen had cleared it. They sat down. No city streets. No pressing heat. Just trees and the lake. What could be better?
“Nice, isn’t it?” Brad was studying the lake.
“Beautiful. I can’t wait to see fall in Michigan.”
“You’ll love it.”
After they both recovered they set off again at a more measured pace. “So your sister likes babies, but she never had any children? They were married for quite a while, right?”
“Twenty-three years. Sam was a career woman and very successful at what she did.”
“Guess everyone has their own priorities” Brad seemed satisfied.
“What are yours?” The minute the question was out, Marlowe wished she could reel it back.
“What do you mean?” Stumbling a bit, Brad found his footing.
“I don't know. I'm just kind of sorting through things,” she admitted.
“Sam seemed perfectly happy before when she was married to Kurt. Starting their agency took a lot of hours and they both were good with that. I guess that was why they decided not to have children but after the divorce all that changed. Kurt married again. Someone younger and she was pregnant.”
“That's gotta be hard.”
“Yes, it is. Harder than I realized, I guess.” She told him about finding the baby's picture on Kurt’s Facebook page.
His pace had slowed a little bit. “Is that why she's volunteering at the hospital in the obstetrics unit?”
“I’m not sure.” Marlowe wiped her brow with one of her terry cuffs. “But seeing the babies the other day and dealing with that news about Kurt’s new baby, well, it's changed her.”
“I guess it might.” He picked up the pace again, with Marlowe behind him.
For a while they ran together and their footsteps were the only sound on the path.
How wonderful this was. When she thought back to her time in Naples, Florida, she remembered the heat shimmering off the sidewalks and streets.
She had to run very early in the morning or in the evening hours and even then the heat lingered.
“Your sister’s seeing Josh McCall, right?”
“Yes, but I don't know what the situation is. He’s a family man and his mother hangs around a lot.”
“Hangs around?” His forehead wrinkled.
“Guess that sounds terrible. But she seems to be a presence. Sam doesn’t seem to have a lot of private time with Josh. You know, dating time.” This was hard to explain and she ran ahead for a while to escape the conversation. She didn’t want to overanalyze her sister’s relationship.
Before too long Brad caught up. “You’d think Josh would make time.”
“Maybe he’s just not ready. At least, that’s what Sam’s beginning to think. They dated in high school when she was up here at the lake. But they lost touch in college. Now he’s a widower with two children.”
“Josh probably wouldn't mind having more children. Is that Sam’s concern? I mean, he's a doctor. I would think that he would be happy about that, if that's what your sister wants.”
She had to get off this topic. “I really don't know what she wants. That’s her private business.”
But wasn’t that why they’d relocated to Charlevoix…
to support each other? They’d all been living separate lives.
As they got older, family became more important.
A few holiday calls didn’t do it. So here they were.
Maybe Marlowe would have a conversation with Sam about this.
Granted, Sam had always been the older girl, the one with authority.
But now they were both adult women. They jogged in silence for awhile.
Brad eventually broke the silence. “I suppose when people date at this age they really should have that question answered, right? It’s important,” he said very thoughtfully.
“So where do you stand with that?” She was amazed by her boldness. But Marlowe liked to get things out on the table.
Brad didn’t say anything and her side was beginning to hurt.
This conversation was really heavy. What was wrong with her, asking him that?
She kicked up the speed and dashed ahead.
But Brad was competitive and he was right behind her.
“Coffee?” he asked when they reached the cars and they'd both rehydrated with their water bottles.
“Sure.” They headed to Harwood Gold in Brad’s Jeep.
Although they could have stopped at Izzy’s bakery, Marlowe didn’t like to go into the coffee shop when she'd been running.
The older ladies might be appalled. So they each grabbed a coffee from Harwood Gold and then headed back to the park along the harbor.
Sitting in the sun on one of the benches felt so good. And so did the coffee.
Since she met Brad months ago, she'd been keeping him at a distance. Calling him her running buddy seemed to help when her family questioned her. Her dating history was nothing special. The fast pace of her career in Florida may have kept her dates from becoming prospective husbands. And here she was with a nice guy and she couldn’t control her mouth. “You never answered my question.”
Leaning back on the bench, he sipped his coffee.
Toned and muscular, Brad was a handsome guy.
From the things he’d mention about his family, he’d been raised with good values.
He had a lot of selling points, as she said in her real estate world.
But here she was, pinning him to the wall like he was a butterfly she’d caught for science class.
Was he blushing? “Is that too personal? I’m sorry, if it is.”
“I've just never been asked this question before.” When Brad turned and made eye contact with her, Marlowe squirmed. “Sure, I guess I want children. I love my sister's kids. I like to babysit for her once in a while.”
“That makes sense.” They had run into Nicole and her kids after one of the races.
Like her brother, Nicole was attractive and her husband Trace seemed like a good father.
He definitely didn't leave all the responsibilities up to Nicole. While they stood there talking. Trace had one kid hanging on his back and the other balancing on his hip while Nicole wiped off the little girl’s face.
They seemed to be partners in many ways.
“How about you? Certainly you've considered having children.”
Marlowe should have expected that. Turnaround was fair play.
She dropped her eyes and took another sip of coffee, which was growing cold.
“Izzy’s little girl Holly is darling. And like you, I love to babysit.
But Izzy is still young. In her thirties.
And I’m not.” She’d better get the age thing out there now. She knew Brad was younger.
“Is there an age limit for parenthood?” He seemed genuinely curious.
“For the woman yes. I've just passed forty.”
“You’re not so old and you’re in great shape.” His comment didn’t make her feel more comfortable. “You never gave me a piece of your birthday cake last summer.” She’d avoided mentioning that birthday to him on purpose.
“It was a small get together, Brad.” She wasn't going to admit that her sisters had horrified her by putting a huge candle shaped in the number forty in the center of her favorite carrot cake.
“So what are we doing here?” Brad pursed his lips together after he'd taken another sip of coffee. “Every time we get together, you make sure it's not a date. You won't let me take you out for dinner and you haven't invited me to any family outings.”
What he was saying was embarrassing and true. There had been some family and friend gatherings and her family had asked her why Brad wasn’t there. “Let’s be practical. There is an age difference here.”
“A small one and I wish you'd forget about that.” Getting up he walked to the trash can and tossed in the cup. When he turned, he threw her a questioning smile. She held her breath as he sat back down. “Marlowe, I really like you.” He said her name with appreciation, like no other man she’d ever known.
“I think we enjoy being together. But our relationship isn’t going anywhere. At least, that’s how I feel.”
Here it came. The breakup part. She should have known. “Look, I understand. No problem, Brad. I can run alone.”
“What?” His head jerked back. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“It isn’t?” Her brain felt foggy. When she stood up, he jumped up too.
Eyes a little sad, Brad put a hand on her shoulder. “Let's not make this complicated, okay? Can’t we just see where this goes?”
Marlowe felt her shoulder loosen. Was she being stupid? She would really miss him if they broke this off. The realization surprised her. “Sure. Let's do it. See where it goes, I mean.” Did she have to be so blunt?
But Brad was grinning. “That is, unless you want to kick me to the curb.”
“No!” Her yelp came out so fast, they both laughed. “I definitely do not want to do that.”
He drew in a breath. “So dinner Saturday night? I know a good place over in Horton's Bay.”
“Sure. Right.” They began the walk back to the parking lot.
All the way home, Marlowe asked herself why she always made relationship stuff hard for herself. And what should she wear for this date?