Wednesday's Word: Swung. An excerpt from Whispers Over Wildrose Road

   Welcome to #WednesdayWords where I share a snippet of a story using yesterday's word from the New York game, WORDLE. Yesterday's WORDLE was SWUNG. 

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Madeline stood to hug Lizzy goodbye and shake Ashton’s hand. After they disappeared from the plaza, she sat back down to her now-tepid soup. After a couple more spoonfuls, she pushed the tray away, stood, and made her way to the car.

She glimpsed her reflection in a shop’s window. She didn’t look like herself, and it made her uncomfortable. Moments later, she was following the GPS directions down Kuffel Canyon Road.

Everything seemed brighter—the sun warmer, the sky bluer, the air cleaner—as she pulled out of the woods and onto the Rim of the World Highway. She had never expected to inherit anything from Brian, a successful accountant. She hadn’t even collected alimony, even though her lawyer had encouraged her to do so; this warehouse was an unexpected windfall.

Of course, she’d sell it as soon as possible and put the money in a trust fund for Nicole and Harrison—or maybe their children.

“IN TWO HUNDRED YARDS, TURN LEFT ON PRIVATE ROAD,” the GPS instructed.

A dirt path angled off into the trees.

“TURN LEFT,” the GPS demanded.

No. This couldn’t be right, could it? The sunlight, so bright on the Rim of the World Highway, faded to shadows in the trees. The Audi’s tires crunched over fallen pinecones and twigs.

Oh, Brian, what in the world had you been up to?

“YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION,” the GPS announced.

Really? Madeline parked the car beside a rotting stump, grabbed her sweater, and climbed out. A sharp breeze whistled through the woods. Birds flitted in the air, and squirrels chattered. The noises that accompanied civilization had fallen still. Madeline shivered, remembered she had an emergency blanket in the back of the Audi, and popped the trunk.

She shook out the blanket. It still had sand in it from the time she’d gone to a beach bonfire for Harrison’s twenty-third birthday. She smiled at the memory of being with her son, his friends, Nicole, and a pretty blonde who may or may not be Harrison’s girlfriend. (She didn’t want to pry, but she was dying to know.) Madeline wrapped the quilt around her shoulders like a super hero’s cape.

The green building made of corrugated tin blended into the landscape. Its dark windows stared back at her. The fading sun glinted off the silvery steel rooftop. Madeline marched up to the mammoth doors to inspect the lock and chain wrapped around the handle. She fumbled in her purse for the key.

“Well, hello,” a male voice called out.

Madeline started and glanced around.

A rugged-looking man in jeans, a soft navy T-shirt, and a black leather jacket came sauntering toward her. A giant Rottweiler trotted alongside him. The man was handsome in a Paul Bunyan sort of way that Madeline had never found appealing. She liked thin, sophisticated men. A college roommate had once joked that Madeline liked men the same way she liked dogs—not so big that they couldn’t be tied on a leash and led around.

That dog probably outweighed her. Despite Madeline’s self-defense training and hours at the gym, she wouldn’t be a match for either of them. After her attack, she’d spent hours at the rifle range learning how to shoot, but she’d never gotten around to registering for a gun. Had that been a mistake?

Madeline’s gaze cast about for a vehicle, but she couldn’t spot one. Where had this duo come from? As the man drew closer, she took in his enormous size, the beard, his jeans tucked into his steel-toed boots. The dog could have easily been replaced by a big blue ox.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Madeline hoped she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.

He tucked his hands into his pockets and ran his gaze over her. It lingered on the scarf tied around her hair. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’m Madeline Clark, the new owner.” She caught herself. “Co-owner.”

“Huxley Grant.”

Which didn’t at all explain what he was doing there.

“I live over there.” He tipped his head at the trees beyond the warehouse. “Thor and I were out on a walk.” Huxley glanced around. “You alone?”

“A broker should be here any minute.” She glanced at her watch and noted she had about twenty minutes until the broker should arrive. A lot could happen in twenty minutes.

A car engine rumbled in the distance. Huxley’s gaze followed the sound before returning to her eyes. “Well, it’s always nice to meet the new neighbors.”

Madeline watched Huxley and Thor disappear into the woods. As soon as they were gone, she scouted around for a big stick and found one beneath a cedar tree. She hefted it and tried to ignore the dirt clinging to the bark. Now armed, but still a bit apprehensive, she unlocked the padlock on the big doors.

Where had Brian died? What had prompted his heart attack? Had it been as random as Chad’s? Chad had been sitting in a chair, filling a child’s tooth. His sudden death must have been terrifying to the child.

But what about Brian?

And why had his cell phone never been found? What if he hadn’t been alone? What if he had met someone here? And they’d argued. Brian had collapsed, and whoever he’d been with had walked away and let him die.

But why take his phone?

Why not? Knowing Brian, he’d probably had the latest, most expensive model.

Just like the female models he preferred.

Madeline chided herself for her dark thoughts. Still, the skin-pricking sensation of being watched tickled the back of her neck and followed her into the shadowy warehouse. Madeline stood in the doorway, swung her impromptu weapon, and prayed the broker would show up soon.