Rosemary Run Box Set

by Kelly Utt

  “So,” Cheryl continued, moving right along. She seemed determined to get her side of the story out now that she had started. “There was a guy… a handsome devil… who was making eyes at Audrey. He was in his late twenties or early thirties. He had rich brown hair combed loosely off of his ears. He was muscular. And his smile... Man, oh, man. He had a smile that would surely make any woman melt. Kind of like Bradley Cooper.”

  Cheryl was infatuated with Bradley Cooper. She had seen every one of his movies. Some several times. Her favorite was Silver Linings Playbook, a point she took pride in because most people seemed to prefer The Hangover. Cheryl claimed to appreciate Bradley’s more complicated and emotional side. Heaven knows what she’d do if she ever came face to face with him in person.

  “Bradley Cooper?” Meg asked sarcastically. “Don’t you say that about everyone?”

  “Only the guys who actually look like Bradley Cooper,” Cheryl replied. She stuck her tongue out at Meg, teasing.

  “I’d do Bradley Cooper,” Hana blurted.

  “Same. Or any man who looks like him,” Cheryl added.

  The two of them clasped hands in a knowing high five as they smiled at each other.

  “Right,” Penelope confirmed. She really wished Hana would focus. And stop acting like such an ass.

  “And?” Meg asked.

  “And nothing,” Cheryl replied. “That’s about all I’ve got. I don’t know if Cooper Clone ever approached Audrey. Or if they hooked up.”

  “You assume they hooked up?” Penelope asked.

  “You assume they didn’t?” Cheryl quickly replied. “That is what people do at these parties, Pen.”

  Penelope bristled. Her friends were not only more beautiful than she was, but also more comfortable with their sexuality. It wasn’t that Penelope was uncomfortable, exactly. More like she’d had to be serious and hadn’t had time for their type of antics. It had been that way for as long as she could remember.

  As young kids, Penelope wasn’t carefree like Cheryl because she’d had to watch over Jean. Being saddled with a mother like Jean had been a burden. Emotionally, Penelope had been the adult who cared for her mother when her dad was away. Felix knew Jean had issues, but Penelope often wondered if he’d realized the extent of them and the effect they’d had on her as a child. After Zach was born, Penelope had watched over him, too.

  Cheryl’s family was normal by comparison.

  When Hana and Meg came into the picture during high school, Penelope had been hard at work figuring out how she would make it on her own in the world. She’d had no choice. While Hana, Meg, and Cheryl were out with boys and sleeping in late, Penelope was working two restaurant jobs to put gas in her old, beaten-up car and food in her belly. Not to mention, she was trying to keep up with her studies so she could get a scholarship for college. She didn’t have parents who could pay tuition like the others did.

  That’s not to say that Penelope hadn’t dated or become sexually experienced. She had. But everything she had done was in a more serious light. Boyfriends had been chosen carefully. Sex had been handled responsibly, almost always as part of a long-term relationship.

  Sometimes, Penelope couldn’t put her finger on what she was missing, or missing out on. But she felt it. The differences between Penelope and her friends remained palpable, just under the surface. There was an invisible barrier between them that Penelope knew she’d never be able to cross. Maybe she didn’t want to.

  What Penelope did want, was to one day lay down all the extra responsibility and breathe more easily. Maybe it was no wonder that she held her breath when she lied. The invisible, emotional weight she carried was heavy, literally taking her breath away. Maybe it was no wonder that she sought to hold on to that breath, carefully rationing it when she felt like she had to lie. She’d never really wanted to lie in the first place. She wanted to be seen as the good person she knew deep down that she was, even though her mother had made her think otherwise. Even as a grown woman, the battle raged inside of her.

  “I know,” Penelope replied to Cheryl. “Of course, I know.”

  “Sure you do,” Hana jabbed. “Penelope Cline, the sex goddess…”

  Meg chuckled.

  “Come on, now,” Cheryl said. “Let it be, Hana... Easy.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say she’s easy…” Hana continued, oblivious to Penelope’s hurt feelings. “I’m afraid she’s the opposite. I hear those legs are like Fort Knox. Maybe we should start calling her coochie The Vault.”

  All three of them laughed. They couldn’t seem to help themselves. Tears formed in Penelope’s eye as she turned her back to her friends, the waters of the bay providing her comfort. She wondered if she should even call them friends, really. She hated feeling misunderstood.

  “Don’t turn away, Pen,” Cheryl said. “Hana is just playing around. She doesn’t mean anything by it.”

  Penelope held firm, wiping tears that rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t want them to see her cry. That would only add to the humiliation. Silence fell over the dock as the moment became awkward and no one knew quite what to do. Birds continued their songs and the water continued to lap gently, but no one spoke.

  Suddenly, Penelope felt two delicate hands on her shoulders. She could tell instantly that it was Hana.

  “You’re being such a downer, you might as well go lower. Into the water with you!” Hana said.

  With a strong push and a kick, Hana sent Penelope toppling into Sweet Balm Bay.

  The disbelief kept Penelope from fully realizing what was happening until she hit the cold water, her dress probably ruined. As the icy sensation shot through her, she wasn’t sure whether the pains in her body were from embarrassment and emotional hurt or the temperature of the water itself. Either way, she convulsed in agony. But she didn’t make a sound.

  Penelope had learned long ago to keep her suffering quiet. She could still hear Jean’s voice in her ear saying that no one liked a negative nelly.

  3

  “Hana!” Marshall exclaimed. Penelope couldn’t see him, but she could hear his deep, booming voice coming down over the hill. “What are you doing? That was uncalled for. The water is chilly. It’s colder than it looks.”

  At least someone was defending Penelope. Because she sure felt like she was being bullied by her so-called friends. Maybe they weren’t really friends at all.

  Marshall's footsteps quickened as he ran towards the dock and the bay. He moved fast. The last thing he wanted was another incident on his hands. But it was about more than that. Unlike Hana, Marshall cared for Penelope. He never would have pushed her into the water like that. Not without her permission. What Hana did had been plain mean.

  “What?” Hana asked. “I was just playing around.”

  Penelope gulped as she treaded water and endeavored to keep her head above the surface. She was a strong swimmer, but these waters were deep. And the cold continued to overwhelm her. As she caught a glimpse of Hana on the dock above, Penelope thought she saw the woman smile. Hana looked like an evil villain. She appeared pleased with Penelope’s struggle.

  “Marshall!” Penelope managed, shifting her attention away from Hana and lifting one arm out of the water to signal him. “Help! I’m not doing well here.”

  Penelope could still talk. She wasn’t drowning. But she was humiliated. She hoped her friends would leave and get out of her sight. She no longer cared to discuss what they had seen at the party.

  “Hang on,” Marshall said. “I’m coming.”

  Marshall was unusually tall at 6’5”, and he was strong. He lifted weights and kept himself in tip-top physical condition. Plus, he was brave and selfless. He had been a volunteer firefighter in Rosemary Run before he married Reggie and moved into this mansion on the bay. Penelope was certain he’d help her.

  “Get me,” she pleaded. “It’s cold. And I’m embarrassed.”

  Just as Penelope had expected, Marshall slung his shoes off and bounded into the water, then swam towards her.
He was still wearing his tux from the party the night before, minus the coat and tie. He reached Penelope after a few long, smooth strokes. He positioned himself behind her and wrapped one muscular arm around her trim waist.

  Marshall seemed forlorn. He was probably stressed about Audrey’s disappearance. Penelope reevaluated her situation and thought she might have better luck talking to Marshall privately, without involvement from Cheryl, Hana, or Meg. He seemed to share Penelope’s level of concern. She was grateful that somebody did.

  Penelope let her body relax and Marshall toted her to shore. It felt good to be up against him. He felt familiar.

  “Thanks for this, my dear,” Penelope whispered in Marshall’s ear as he placed her on solid ground.

  “I’ll always save you,” he replied, quietly so the others didn’t hear.

  Penelope and Marshall had a history. If Reggie hadn’t come into the picture when he did, it might have been Penelope married to Marshall right now. It was a sore topic between the two of them. They both had regrets.

  “My hero,” Penelope added as she found her footing on the sand at the edge of the yard. Both shoes had toppled off into the bay. That fact pissed her off, but not as much as it should have.

  “Too bad we couldn’t save your shoes,” Marshall added. “Were they expensive?”

  “Not terribly,” Penelope replied. “They weren’t Jimmy Choos or anything.”

  Out of the corner of Penelope’s eye, she could see Cheryl and Meg climbing down from the deck and heading towards her.

  “Don’t!” Penelope shouted. “Just go. Please.”

  “But we didn’t…” Meg began.

  Penelope put a palm up to stop her. “Leave it.”

  “Pen?” Cheryl tried, making her eyes like a puppy dog’s. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”

  Penelope shook her head in disbelief. It was too little, too late.

  “I’ve got her,” Marshall inserted. “Do as she asks and go. We’ll call you later.”

  Penelope liked knowing that Marshall would look after her.

  He was quite a catch. Dark hair, brooding blue eyes, and a kindness matched only by his physical strength. He sometimes reminded Penelope of her father. But there was more to it. She could actually see herself ending up with someone like Marshall.

  Scratch that.

  Penelope could see herself ending up with Marshall. Truth be told, she resented Reggie and the fancy lifestyle that had apparently drawn Marshall in. Penelope wanted a simple life. A kid or two. Maybe a couple of dogs. A little house with a big yard. She didn’t need a mansion on the bay, and she knew Marshall could be happy without one. If only things could be different.

  “Okay, we’ll go,” Cheryl said, backing away slowly.

  “Call us, please,” Meg added.

  “At some point, sure,” Penelope replied.

  Hana was nowhere to be seen. She had apparently already made her exit.

  Once the ladies were gone, Marshall and Penelope climbed onto the dock and took their seats in the Adirondack chairs. Penelope spread her dress out as far as it would go on either side, hoping the sun would help it dry out before she had to drive home. She didn’t want her car soaking wet too.

  “That wasn’t how I expected to spend my morning,” Penelope said, wiping her wet hair back away from her face. Her braid was gnarled and falling apart now.

  “Me neither,” Marshall added, rolling his pant legs up and wringing water out one section at a time. “Those bitches aren’t good to you, Pen. Why do you keep hanging out with them?”

  Penelope leaned her head against the wooden slats of the chair, soaking up the sun. “They’re not all bad.”

  “Let me guess,” Marshall tried. “You’re going to tell me they’re just misunderstood.”

  Penelope smiled. She was already in a much better mood. “I might have said something along those lines before. Maybe you’ve heard?”

  Marshall smiled, too. There was an ease between them. “Once or twice.”

  He stretched one arm out, palm up, on the arm of his chair. It was an invitation. Penelope knew exactly what the gesture meant. The two of them had been through the same routine a million times. She met his hand, lacing her fingers through his.

  “Oh, my dear, Marshall,” she began. “Why is it that everything seems easier when we’re together?”

  He chuckled. “Huh. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms. But you’re right.” He used one thumb to stroke the top of her hand. “Loving you is easy.”

  “Too bad you had to go and marry someone else,” Penelope added, smiling coyly.

  “Why? Would we have ended up together if I hadn’t?”

  Penelope knew the answer to that. Yes, they would have ended up together. Marshall had expressed his interest in her long before he’d even met Reggie. Penelope had been too insecure to reciprocate. Deep down, she didn’t believe she deserved true love, so she had pushed it away. Again and again.

  She hesitated before answering.

  Even now, as she sat on the property Reggie owned, Penelope wanted nothing more than to profess her love for Marshall and ask him to leave his husband. In her dream world, Marshall would get his marriage annulled and tell Reggie he never really loved him. Not like he loved Penelope, anyway. Then the true lovebirds could settle down in Rosemary Run together.

  Penelope had enough cash stashed away for a down payment on a little house in the country. And she had their lives together all planned out, right down to the paint colors and the breed of puppies they’d get. For the record, the exterior of the house would be a color called Honest Blue by Sherwin-Williams. It would pair well with smooth white hydrangeas in the flower beds out front and a wooden front door. The puppies would be medium-size mutts rescued from the local pound. Hopefully, at least one of the pups would be some sort of shepherd mix that would keep the kids rounded up when it was time.

  “I’d like to think so,” she said tentatively.

  “What?” Marshall said, sitting up straight in his chair, a look of shock on his face. “Are you serious? You and me? Together?”

  Penelope tightened her grip on his hand, tucking her lean fingers into his. She was tall for a woman at 5’11”. No man had ever seemed like such a perfect fit. She could imagine their kids.

  “What are you thinking about?” Marshall asked when she didn’t respond. “I can see the wheels turning in that pretty head of yours.”

  “It’s silly.”

  “Whatever. You can tell me.”

  She sighed, not sure what she was even doing. “Um, thinking about our kids. They’d be tall.”

  “Our kids?!” Marshall asked in disbelief.

  He had the look of someone completely exasperated. The look of someone who once envisioned the same thing, but had moved on. The look of someone reevaluating his entire life.

  “Basketball players,” Penelope added. “They’d have to be. Everyone who met them would instantly think basketball. It would be a shame if they didn’t play. A waste, even.”

  “Okay, yeah,” Marshall agreed. “They’d be tall, alright. But Pen, where is this coming from? I thought…”

  Something about the situation with Audrey was making Penelope feel like she had nothing to lose. Women went missing all the time. Their lives ended all the time. Every hour of every day, it was happening somewhere. Not to mention, the things that she was doing… With her friends, for Reggie… At these parties… It wasn’t her. Not really. Instead, she should be at home in the little blue house with Marshall. They didn’t need all of this.

  Penelope scolded herself for letting her life get this far out of hand.

  “You thought wrong,” she said simply. “You thought… Wrong.”

  Marshall lowered his brow as a look of confusion spread across his face. “Pen…”

  “I know,” she said. Then she threw caution to the wind, hoisted herself across the arms of the chairs, and kissed him on the lips.

  Marshall’s eyes nearly popped out
of his head. Penelope could see his expression clearly, since they were joined at the lips and her eyes were still open as well. She didn’t back away. After an awkward few seconds passed, Marshall relaxed into her, meeting her affection with his own.

  4

  “What was that for?” Marshall asked when Penelope finally pulled away.

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “I just wanted to do it, so I did.”

  Marshall shoved a hand through his thick hair as he tried to comprehend. In the seat beside him, Penelope smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free.

  “Hey,” Marshall said, pulling his hand away. “What do you say we get back in the water? We’re already wet.”

  “Really?” Penelope asked with a grin. “It’s cold.”

  “I know. Just think of it as invigorating.”

  “Okay… Invigorating?”

  “Come on,” Marshall prompted. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s a beautiful morning. Birds are singing, the sun is sparkling on the bay, and we’re here. Together. We might as well enjoy ourselves with a little swim.”

  “Why don’t we go up to the pool then?” Penelope asked.

  “Because we’re too dirty for that. The pool guy would curse us. And Reggie wouldn’t be pleased.”

  “Fine. The lake it is,” Penelope agreed. “But you might have to haul me out again.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Marshall said, his mouth turned up in a smile as he stood. “Now get ready, because I’m pushing you off this dock in 3… 2…”

  “Would you do such a thing? After Hana… ?”

  “Indeed, I would. This time will be fun. You’ll see.”

  Marshall continued his countdown, then wrapped his arms around Penelope’s waist as both of them went tumbling back into the water. Their heads dipped underwater, but soon breached the surface again, giggles and laughter filling the air.

  As she treaded water, Penelope felt as if she was in a weird time warp. Things had changed so fast. Last night, she had been going through the motions at the party. Then there had been Audrey and a glimpse into a far more sinister world. Then her friends and their resistance. And now Marshall. She wished she could skip over everything else that would follow and stay with him.