WindSwept Narrows: #15 Rose Maddock
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- Rose
- Maddock
- knew
- it
- was
- taking
- a
- great
- deal
- out
- of
- her
- friend
- to
- accept
- the
- guard
- that
- had
- been
- assigned
- to
- her.
- She
- dropped
- to
- her
- knees,
- barely
- breathing
- and
- waved
- the
- two
- of
- them
- past,
- ignoring
- the
- laughter
- from
- Daphne,
- continuing
- on
- when
- Rose
- weakly
- waved
- a
- couple
- palms
- at
- her.“You’re
- evil,
- woman!”
- Rose
- called
- loudly
- with
- the
- air
- her
- body
- was
- screaming
- to
- hold
- onto.“Yeah,
- yeah…Vlad
- tells
- me
- that
- all
- the
- time,”
- she
- chuckled
- as
- she
- kept
- running.Her
- behind
- rested
- on
- her
- heels,
- her
- head
- hanging
- as
- her
- body
- tried
- finding
- the
- air
- her
- mind
- swore
- to
- her
- was
- out
- there.
- Somewhere.“Insane
- people
- run
- and
- enjoy
- it,”
- Rose
- breathed
- through
- a
- low
- growl.“I’ve
- heard
- that.”Rose
- lifted
- her
- head,
- reluctantly,
- one
- eye
- opening
- with
- even
- more
- reluctance.
- The
- voice
- was
- smooth
- and
- soft
- with
- a
- lilt
- to
- it
- that
- made
- her
- think
- of
- St.
- Patrick’s
- day
- coming
- up
- in
- a
- few
- days.
- He
- was
- perched
- on
- his
- heels
- in
- front
- of
- her,
- hands
- dangling
- between
- his
- knees
- and
- head
- tilted
- to
- the
- side.
- He
- wore
- a
- good
- pair
- of
- running
- shoes
- and
- simple,
- grey
- sweats,
- the
- sleeves
- on
- the
- hooded
- shirt
- shoved
- to
- his
- elbows.
- Nothing
- glittering,
- she
- noticed
- except
- the
- brightest
- pair
- of
- blue
- eyes
- she’d
- seen
- on
- a
- guy.
- Ever.“Water?”Rose
- stared
- at
- the
- half
- full
- bottle
- he
- pulled
- from
- behind
- him,
- offering
- it
- to
- her
- easily,
- one
- midnight
- colored
- brow
- arched
- patiently.“I…no…probably…”
- Rose
- slowly
- forced
- her
- muscles
- to
- wake
- up,
- her
- abdomen
- protesting
- as
- she
- straightened,
- pulling
- a
- soft
- moan
- from
- her
- lips.“I’m
- not
- concerned
- with
- germs,”
- he
- teased,
- flipping
- the
- lid
- up
- and
- offering
- the
- frosted
- bottle
- once
- more.
- Full
- lips
- parted
- when
- the
- grin
- slashed
- his
- face.Rose
- took
- the
- bottle
- and
- gratefully
- drained
- half
- the
- contents.“Thank
- you…really…”“I
- think
- you
- might
- live,”
- he
- teased,
- accepting
- the
- bottle
- back.“It
- was
- a
- lunatic
- idea
- to
- begin
- with…some
- insane
- distant
- nut
- memory
- of
- running
- when
- I
- was
- a
- kid…”
- she
- shook
- her
- head
- ruefully.
- “And
- Daphne…and
- you…you
- make
- it
- look
- so
- flippin’
- easy,
- it’s…just
- wrong…barely
- survived
- two
- laps…”“I
- should
- apologize,”
- he
- murmured,
- humor
- in
- his
- tone
- that
- had
- her
- eyes
- narrowing
- in
- her
- appraisal.
- “I’ve
- been
- running
- for
- a
- good
- many
- years.
- You?”“Some
- idiot
- notion
- I
- had
- this
- morning,”
- she
- mumbled
- testily.
- “I
- think
- it’s
- passing.
- Just
- because
- you
- got
- these
- long
- legs,
- people
- think
- you
- should
- be
- able
- to
- gallop
- around
- like
- a…a
- pony
- on
- a
- track…”“They
- should
- be
- horse
- whipped,”
- he
- agreed
- in
- the
- break.“It’s
- my
- own
- fault,”
- she
- sighed.
- “Daphne
- isn’t
- keen
- on
- having
- a
- guard…so
- I
- thought
- if
- we
- were
- together,
- maybe
- the
- guard
- could
- take
- the
- morning
- hour
- break…but
- probably
- not…Vlad
- would
- have
- both
- our
- hides
- if
- something
- happened
- to
- her,”
- she
- stretched
- toward
- the
- grey
- skies
- above
- them
- when
- he
- stood
- up
- and
- extended
- his
- palm.
- “Thank
- you.”“The
- blonde
- running
- at
- a
- very
- fast
- clip?”
- He
- nodded
- toward
- the
- distance.“Daphne
- Paddington…except
- she
- was
- married
- recently…no
- matter…I
- hope
- her
- guard
- survives,”
- she
- chuckled,
- turning
- toward
- the
- back
- entrance
- to
- the
- lockers
- and
- indoor
- gym.
- “I’m
- sorry
- if
- I
- interrupted
- your
- run.”“I
- had
- just
- about
- finished,”
- he
- lied
- smoothly,
- leaving
- off
- the
- curiosity
- that
- had
- him
- ending
- his
- morning
- ritual
- a
- little
- sooner.
- “Why
- does
- your
- friend
- require
- a
- guard?”Rose
- sighed,
- one
- palm
- up
- and
- rubbing
- over
- her
- neck.“Escaped
- stalker
- who
- didn’t
- like
- being
- rejected,”
- she
- said
- quietly.
- “It’s
- been
- a
- long
- month…I
- know
- it’s
- bothering
- her.
- She
- runs
- more
- when
- she’s
- stressed.
- Vlad,
- her
- husband,
- he’s
- not
- a
- runner
- at
- all.
- Me,
- I’m
- sticking
- to
- pools,
- rowing,
- weights
- and
- racquet
- ball.”“Are
- you
- visiting
- the
- resort
- long?”
- He
- found
- himself
- asking
- as
- they
- entered
- the building.
