Jack Beale 00 - Killer Run

place is gorgeous,” gushed Patti as they both looked around.
    “Come on. Let’s go check it out,” said Max while tugging on Patti’s hand.
    Patti started to turn back but Max continued to pull her along. “Come on! The guys will get everything. Let’s go.”
    It wasn’t until Jack and Dave took the last of the luggage out of the car that they realized that they had been abandoned. They looked toward the Inn and saw Max and Patti disappearing in the front door.
    “Hello, and welcome to The Quilt House.” Polly was the lone greeter. Earlier in the day, Malcom had received a call from an old friend who needed help with a barn restoration project. The two couples were the only ones booked in the Inn for the next few days, so Polly reluctantly agreed that Malcom could go and help his friend.
    “I’m Max and this is Patti,” Max said, holding out her hand.
    “I’m Polly. Unfortunately, my husband, Malcom, is away.”
    Before she could say anything else, Jack and Dave arrived with the luggage. Another round of introductions completed the formalities. Then Polly said, “Come. Let me show you to your rooms and give you a quick tour.”
    Each room was named for a quilt. Patti and Dave’s room was called The Patchwork, and Jack and Max were in The Calamanco. The couples spent the next hour unpacking, visiting each other’s rooms, and exploring the Inn. Then Polly gave them all a quick tour of the grounds. She gave Jack and Dave each maps of the trails, and they made plans for the next day’s run.

CHAPTER 34
    IN THE MORNING, THE COFFEE smelled divine as Jack came down into the kitchen. He was the first to arrive. Max would be down shortly, but he didn’t know how soon Patti and Dave would show up. Polly greeted him warmly. “Coffee?”
    “Please.”
    “Did you sleep well?” she asked as she poured him a cup.
    “I did. Thanks,”
    “Cream and sugar is on the sideboard.”
    While Jack turned to fix his coffee, he said, “This place is beautiful.”
    He thought she seemed to blush as she replied. “Thank you. It’s taken a while. How did you hear about us?”
    “Actually, I heard about it on the radio. You were being interviewed on public radio and I caught just enough to be intrigued.”
    Now he was certain that she blushed. “Oh, yes, my fifteen minutes of fame.”
    “Well, it worked. We’re here. Also, didn’t I hear that your husband is a runner?”
    “He is. Do you run?”
    “Both Dave and I do. That’s part of the reason we’re here. We’re running a trail race later this fall, and the chance to run in the woods while our ‘others’ shopped was too perfect.”
    “I wish Malcom was here. He’d love to go run with you. I think he’s doing some kind of a race like that later this fall.”
    “Do you know where?”
    “Not really, I’m embarrassed to say, but I think it’s down in Massachusetts.”
    Jack thought a moment, then, asked, “The Rockdog?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe. I really didn’t catch the name. Eggs or French toast?”
    “French toast. It’s a trail marathon. Dave and I are both running it. Maybe we’ll see your husband there, if it’s the same one.”
    She cracked some eggs in a bowl. “Sausage or bacon?” she asked as she began to whisk the eggs. Then suddenly she stopped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask if you wanted to wait for anyone else to join you.”
    Before he could answer, Dave walked into the room. “Good morning. Is that coffee I smell?”
    Polly answered first. “It is. Regular or decaf?”
    “Regular. Please.”
    As she handed him a cup, she said, “I was just about to start breakfast for Jack. He’s having French toast. I can do some for you if you like, or would you prefer eggs?”
    “French toast sounds great.”
    She looked at both of them and asked, “Sausage or bacon?”
    “Sausage,” they answered in unison.
    “Okay. Now, while I work on breakfast, why don’t you take your coffees out onto the back porch and relax. It’ll take me a few minutes to get breakfast cooked. It’s really nice out there this morning.”
    * * *
    Polly was right, and even though the porch was still shaded by the surrounding trees, and the crisp night air had not yet warmed, it was beautiful. The sun was just kissing the treetops, and where patches of sunlight touched the dew-covered grass, a thin layer of mist formed. The hairs on Jack’s arms stood up. He put his coffee down on the still wet porch railing and rubbed his arms vigorously.
    Picking up