The Choice

351/571sneaked inside to change into shorts, tuckingthe leash in his back pocket. Now out back, with the leash secured tothe deck railing, Moby danced from side toside, trying and failing to avoid getting evenmore wet than he already was. “It’s only water, you big baby,” Travisscolded, although truthfully, he’d beenspraying Moby for almost five minutes. Asmuch as he loved animals, he didn’t want tostart shampooing until all the . . . debris hadbeen rinsed away. Dead fish parts weredisgusting. Moby whined and continued to dance,tugging backward on the leash. When he wasfinally ready, Travis set aside the hose andpoured a third of the bottle of shampoo onMoby’s back. He scrubbed for a few minutesand rinsed, then sniffed the dog and winced.They went through the process two moretimes, at which point Moby was despondent.He fixed his eyes on Travis with a mournful

352/571expression that seemed to say, Don’t yourealize I rolled in fish guts as my personalgift to you? Once Travis was satisfied, he broughtMoby to another part of the deck and se-cured him again. He’d learned that if allowedto roam immediately after a bath, Mobywould return to the scene of the crime asquickly as possible. His only hope was tokeep him secured so long that he forgotabout it. Moby shook away the excess waterand—realizing he was stuck—finally laydown on the deck with a grunt. Afterward, Travis mowed the lawn. Un-like most of his neighbors, who rode theirlawn mowers, Travis still used a pushmower. It took a little longer, but it was notonly decent exercise, he found the repetitiveback-and-forth nature of the activity relax-ing. As he mowed, he kept glancing reflex-ively toward Gabby’s house.

353/571 A few minutes earlier, he’d seen her leav-ing the garage and hop in her car. If she’dnoticed him, she hadn’t shown it. Instead,she’d simply backed out, then headed downthe road toward town. He’d never met any-one quite like her. And now she’d invitedhim to dinner. He didn’t know what to make of that, andhe’d been trying to figure it out ever sincedropping her off. Most likely he’d simplyworn her down. Lord knows he’d been oilingthat wheel ever since they’d met, but as hemowed, he found himself wishing that he’dbeen a bit more subtle about the whole thing.It would have made him feel better about herdinner invitation, knowing that it hadn’tbeen coerced somehow. Wondering about all of this was new tohim. But then again, he couldn’t rememberthe last time he’d enjoyed himself so thor-oughly with a woman. He’d laughed morewith Gabby than he had with Monica or

354/571Joelyn or Sarah or anyone else he’d dated inthe past. Finding a woman with a sense ofhumor had been the one piece of advice hisfather had given him when he’d first begunto get serious about dating, and he finallyunderstood why his dad had considered itimportant. If conversation was the lyrics,laughter was the music, making time spenttogether a melody that could be replayedover and over without getting stale. After finishing the lawn, he dragged themower back to the garage, noting that Gabbystill hadn’t returned. She’d left the garagedoor cracked open, and Molly wandered outinto the yard, then turned around andheaded back inside. Back in his kitchen, Travis downed aglass of iced tea in one long gulp. Knowingbetter but not caring, he let his thoughts driftto Gabby’s boyfriend. He wondered if Kevinwas someone he knew. He found it odd thatshe’d said so little about him and that it had

355/571taken her so long simply to tell him hisname. It would be easy to attribute it tosomething like guilt, except for the fact thatshe had shied away from the topic from thebeginning. He didn’t know what to make ofit, and he wondered what the guy was like orwhat he had done to make Gabby fall in lovewith him. In his mind’s eye, images floatedpast—athletic, bookish, somewhere inbetween—but none of them seemed exactlyright. Noting the time, he figured that he couldget the parasail boat back to the marina be-fore showering and getting ready. He re-trieved the boat key and headed out the backslider, untied Moby, and watched as Mobyraced past him down the steps. Stopping atthe edge of the dock, Travis motioned to theboat. “Yeah, go ahead. Get in.” Moby jumped into the boat, his tail dart-ing to and fro. Travis followed him in.

356/571Minutes later they were cruising down thecreek, the wake leaving a trail that pointedthem in the right direction. Passing Gabby’shouse, he stole a look at her windows, think-ing again about their upcoming dinner andwondering what would happen. He was, herealized for the first time in his dating life,nervous that he might do something wrong.Gabby made the short drive to the grocerystore and pulled into the crowded lot. It wasalways packed on Sundays, and she ended upparking in the far corner, making her wonderwhy she’d driven the car in the first place. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, shegot out of the car, located a cart, and enteredthe store. She’d spotted Travis mowing the lawnearlier, but she’d ignored him, needingsomehow to feel more in control than she ac-tually was. The nice, orderly little worldshe’d created had been thrown out of whack,

357/571and she desperately needed some time to re-gain her composure. Inside, Gabby made her way to the pro-duce section, where she collected some freshgreen beans and the makings for a salad.Moving quickly, she located a box of pastaand some croutons, then headed toward therear of the store. Knowing that Travis liked chicken, sheput a packet of breasts in the cart, thinkingthat a bottle of Chardonnay would go wellwith them. She wasn’t sure whether Travisliked wine—she somehow doubted it—but itsounded good to her, and she scanned thelimited selection for a winery that she recog-nized. There were two offerings from NapaValley, but she chose something from Aus-tralia, thinking it sounded a little moreexotic. The checkout lines were long and movingslowly, but at last she made it back to hercar. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she

358/571caught an image of herself and paused for amoment, staring at herself as if throughsomeone else’s eyes. How long had it been since someone be-sides Kevin had kissed her? As much as she’dtried to forget that little incident, she’d foundherself returning to it over and over, like aforbidden secret. She was drawn to Travis; she couldn’tdeny that. It wasn’t just that he was hand-some and that he made her feel desirable. Ithad something to do with his natural exuber-ance and the way he’d made her feel a part ofit; it was the fact that he had lived a life thatseemed so different from hers, yet they stillspoke the same language, a familiarity thatbelied the short period they had known eachother. She’d never met someone like him be-fore. Most people she’d known, and certainlyeveryone in her PA class, seemed to live theirlives as if marking off goals on a score sheet.Study hard, get a job, get married, buy a

359/571house, have kids—and until this weekend,she realized she’d been no different. Some-how, compared with the choices he’d madeand the places he’d traveled, her life seemedso . . . banal. But would she do it differently if shecould? She doubted it. Her experiencesgrowing up had formed her into the womanthat she’d become, just as his experienceshad formed him, and she didn’t regret them.And yet, as she turned the key and startedthe engine, she knew that wasn’t the ques-tion that mattered. As the car idled, she real-ized the choice before her was this: Where doI go from here? It is never too late to change things. Thethought frightened her even as it excited her.A few minutes later, she was heading towardMorehead City, feeling as if somehow she’dbeen given the chance to start over.

360/571The sun had drifted across the sky by thetime Gabby got home, and she spotted Mollylying in the marsh grass, her ears perked upand tail thumping. She trotted toward Gabbyas she opened the rear door, greeting herwith a couple of sloppy licks. “You seem almost back to normal,”Gabby said. “Your babies doing okay?” As if on cue, Molly began wandering thatway. Gabby reached for the bags and broughtthem inside, setting the groceries on thecounter. It had taken her longer than she’danticipated, but she still had enough time toget things started. She set a pot of water onthe stove and set the burner on high for thepasta. While it was heating, she chopped thetomatoes and cucumbers for the salad. Shecut up the lettuce and mixed the ingredientstogether with a bit of cheese and the olivesTravis had introduced her to the day before.

361/571 She added the pasta to the water with adash of salt, unwrapped the chicken, andbegan to sauté it in olive oil, wishing shecould have done something a bit fancier. Sheadded a bit of pepper and other seasonings,but by the end, it looked almost as boring asit had before she started. Never mind, itwould have to do. She set the oven to warm,added some broth to the bowl along with thechicken, and set it inside, hoping that wouldbe enough to keep it from drying out. Shedrained the pasta and put it in a bowl in thefridge, planning to add a little flavoring to itlater. In her bedroom, she laid out someclothes and headed into the shower. Thewarm water was luxurious. She shaved herlegs, forcing herself not to rush so shewouldn’t nick herself, washed and condi-tioned her hair, and finally stepped out anddried off.

362/571 On the bed were a new pair of jeans and abeaded, low-cut shirt. She’d chosen her outfitcarefully, not wanting to dress too formallyor casually, and these seemed just right. Shedressed and then slipped on a new pair ofsandals and a dangly pair of earrings. Step-ping in front of the floor mirror, she turnedfrom side to side, pleased with the way shelooked. With time running out, she set out somecandles throughout the house and wasadding the last of them to the table when sheheard Travis knocking. She stood straight,trying to compose herself, then made herway to the door. Molly had wandered up to Travis, and hewas scratching her behind the ears when thedoor opened. He found himself unable toturn away. Nor could he find his voice. In-stead, he stared wordlessly at Gabby, tryingto sort through the jumble of emotions thatbegan to crowd his heart.

363/571 Gabby smiled at his obvious discomfit-ure. “Come in,” she said. “I’ve just about goteverything ready.”Travis followed her inside, trying not to stareas she walked ahead of him. “I was just about to open a bottle of wine.Would you like a glass?” “Please.” In the kitchen, she reached for the bottleand opener as Travis stepped forward. “I can get that for you.” “I’m glad you said that. I have a tendencyto shred the cork, and I hate having piecesfloating in my glass.” As he opened the bottle, Travis watchedher retrieve two glasses from the cupboard.She set them on the counter, and Travisnoted the label, feigning more interest thanhe felt, trying to steady his nerves. “I’ve never had this kind before. Is it anygood?”

364/571 “I have no idea.” “Then I guess it’ll be new for the both ofus.” He poured and handed one glass to her,trying to read her expression. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted for din-ner,” she chatted on, “but I knew that youliked chicken. I have to warn you, though.I’ve never been the chef in my family.” “I’m sure whatever you made will be fine.I’m not that picky.” “As long as it’s plain, right?” “That goes without saying.” “Are you hungry?” She smiled. “It’ll onlytake a few minutes to heat this up. . . .” He debated for a moment before leaningagainst the counter. “Actually, could we waitfor a little while? I’d like to enjoy my glass ofwine first.” She nodded, and in the silence she stoodbefore him, wondering what she was sup-posed to do next. “Would you like to go sit outside?”

365/571 “Love to.” They took a seat in the rockers she’dplaced near the door. Gabby took a sip of herwine, glad for something to take the edge offher nerves. “I like your view,” Travis said gamely,rocking back and forth with energy. “It re-minds me of mine.” Gabby laughed, feeling a little burst of re-lief. “Unfortunately, I haven’t learned to en-joy it the way you do.” “Very few people do. It’s kind of a lost artthese days, even in the South. Watching thecreek flow by is a little like smelling theroses.” “Maybe it’s a small-town thing,” shespeculated. Travis eyed her with interest. “Tell mehonestly, are you enjoying life in Beaufort?”he asked. “It has its good points.” “I hear the neighbors are terrific.”

366/571 “I’ve only met one.” “And?” “He has a tendency to ask loadedquestions.” Travis grinned. He loved her sense ofplay. “But to answer your question,” she wenton, “yes, I do like it here. I like the fact that ittakes only a few minutes to get anywhere, it’sbeautiful, and for the most part, I think I’mlearning to love the slower pace of life.” “You make it sound like Savannah is ascosmopolitan as New York or Paris.” “It isn’t.” She looked over her glass athim. “But I will say that Savannah is defin-itely closer to New York than Beaufort. Haveyou ever been there?” “I spent a week there one night.” “Ha-ha. You know, if you’re going tomake a joke, you could try coming up withsomething original.” “That’s too much work.”

367/571 “And you’re averse to work, right?” “Can’t you tell?” He leaned back in hisrocker, the picture of ease. “Tell me thetruth, though. Do you think you’ll ever moveback?” She took a swallow of wine before an-swering. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Don’tget me wrong. I think it’s a great place, andit’s one of the most beautiful cities in theSouth. I love the way the city was laid out. Ithas the most beautiful squares—these lovelyparks scattered every few blocks—and someof the houses that front them are stunning.When I was a little girl, I used to imaginemyself living in one of them. For a long time,it was a dream of mine.” Travis stayed silent, waiting for her tocontinue. Gabby shrugged. “But as I grewolder, I began to realize that it was more mymom’s dream than my own. She alwayswanted to live in one of those homes, and Iremember the way she used to badger my

368/571dad to put in an offer whenever one was forsale. My dad did well, don’t get me wrong,but I could tell it always bothered him thathe couldn’t afford one of the really grandhouses, and after a while, it just rubbed methe wrong way.” She paused. “Anyway, Iguess I wanted something different. Whichled, of course, to college and PA school andKevin. And here I am.” From a distance, they heard Moby beginbarking frantically, the sound followed bythe faint rustling of claws on bark. Glancingat the large oak tree near the hedges, Traviswatched as a squirrel raced up the trunk.Though he couldn’t see him, he knew thatMoby was still circling the oak, thinking thatsomehow the critter would lose its grip. Noti-cing that Gabby had turned at the sound,Travis raised his glass in that direction. “My dog is crazy about chasing squirrels.He seems to regard it as his life’s purpose.” “Most dogs do.”

369/571 “Does Molly?” “No. Her owner has a bit more controlover her, and she nipped that little problemin the bud before it got out of hand.” “I see,” Travis said with mockseriousness. Over the water, the first brilliant act ofthe sun’s descent was beginning. In anotherhour the creek would turn golden, but fornow there was something dark and mysteri-ous about its brackish color. Beyond thecypress trees lining the bank, Travis couldsee an osprey floating on updrafts andwatched as a small motorboat loaded withfishing gear puttered past. It was captainedby someone old enough to be Travis’s grand-father, and the gentleman waved. Travis re-turned the greeting, then took another drink. “With all you said, I’m curious as towhether you can imagine yourself staying inBeaufort.”

370/571 She thought about her answer, sensingthere was more to the question than itappeared. “I suppose that depends,” she finallyhedged. “It’s not exactly exciting, but on theother hand, it’s not a bad place to raise afamily.” “And that’s important?” She turned toward him with a faint air ofchallenge. “Is there anything moreimportant?” “No,” he agreed evenly, “there isn’t. I’mevidence of that belief because I lived it.Beaufort is the kind of place where LittleLeague baseball generates more conversa-tion than the Super Bowl, and I like thinkingthat I can raise my kids where the little worldthey live in is all they know. Growing up, Iused to think that this was the most boringplace in the world, but when I think back, Irealize that the corollary to that was thatanything exciting meant that much more to

371/571me. I never grew jaded, the way so many citykids do.” He paused. “I remember going fish-ing with my dad every Saturday morning,and even though my dad was just about theworst fisherman who ever baited a hook, Ifound it thrilling. Now I understand that formy dad, at least, it was all about spendingtime with me, and I can’t tell you how grate-ful I am for that. I like thinking that I cangive my kids the same kinds of experiencessomeday.” “It’s nice to hear you say something likethat,” Gabby said. “A lot of people don’tthink that way.” “I love this town.” “Not that,” she said, smiling. “I was talk-ing about the way you wanted to raise yourkids. It seems like you’ve given it a lot ofthought.” “I have,” he conceded. “You always have a way of surprising me,don’t you.”

372/571 “I don’t know. Do I?” “A little. The more I’ve gotten to knowyou, the more you’ve come to strike me asimpossibly well-adjusted.” “I could say the same about you,” he re-sponded. “Maybe that’s why we get along sowell.” She stared at him, feeling the crackle oftension between them. “You ready for dinneryet?” He swallowed, hoping she couldn’t sensehis feelings for her. “That sounds great,” heforced out. Taking their wineglasses, they returnedto the kitchen. Gabby motioned for Travis tosit at the table while she got things ready,and as he watched her move around the kit-chen, he felt a sense of contentment settleupon him. At dinner, he ate two pieces of chicken,enjoyed the green beans and the pasta, andcomplimented Gabby extravagantly on her

373/571cooking, until she giggled, begging him tostop. He asked her repeatedly about herchildhood in Savannah, and she finally relen-ted, regaling him with a couple of girlhoodstories that made them both chuckle. Intime, the sky turned gray and blue and fi-nally black. The candles burned lower, andthey poured the last of the wine into theirglasses, both aware that they were sittingacross from a person who just might changethe course of their lives forever if they wer-en’t careful.After dinner was over and Travis helpedGabby clean up, they retreated to the couch,nursing their wine and sharing stories fromtheir pasts. Gabby tried to imagine Travis asa young boy, wondering also what she wouldhave thought about him had they met duringher high school or college years. As the evening wore on, Travis inchedcloser, casually slipping his arm around her.

374/571Gabby leaned into him, feeling snug againsthim, content to watch the play of silvermoonlight as it filtered through the clouds. “What are you thinking about?” Travisasked at one point, breaking a particularlylong yet comfortable silence. “I was thinking how natural this wholeweekend has seemed.” Gabby looked at him.“Like we’ve known each other forever.” “I guess that means a couple of my storieswere boring, huh?” “Don’t underestimate yourself,” sheteased. “Lots of your stories were boring.” He laughed, pulling her tighter. “Themore I get to know you, the more you sur-prise me. I like that.” “What are neighbors for?” “Is that still all I am to you? Just aneighbor?” She glanced away without responding,and Travis went on. “I know it makes youuncomfortable, but I can’t leave tonight

375/571without telling you that just being neighborsisn’t enough for me.” “Travis . . .” “Let me finish, okay?” he said. “Earliertoday, when we talked, you told me howmuch you’d missed having friends around,and I’ve been thinking about that ever since,but not in the way that you probably ima-gine. It made me realize that even though Ihave friends, I’ve been missing somethingthat all my friends do have. Laird and Allis-on, Joe and Megan, Matt and Liz, all haveeach other. I don’t have that in my life, anduntil you came along, I wasn’t sure I evenwanted it. But now . . .” She picked at the beadwork on her shirt,resisting his words and yet welcoming them,too. “I don’t want to lose you, Gabby. I can’timagine seeing you walk to your car in themorning and pretending that none of thisever happened. I can’t imagine not sitting

376/571here with you on the couch, like we’re doingnow.” He swallowed. “And right now, I can’timagine being in love with any otherwoman.” Gabby wasn’t sure she’d heard him right,but when she saw the way he was staring ather, she knew he meant it. And with that, shefelt the last of her defenses falling away andknew she had fallen in love with him as well. The grandfather clock chimed in thebackground. Candlelight flickered on thewalls, casting shadows around the room.Travis could sense the gentle rise and fall ofher chest as she breathed, and they contin-ued to stare at each other, neither one ofthem able to speak. The phone rang, shattering her thoughts,and Travis turned away. Gabby leaned for-ward and reached for the portable phone.She answered, her voice betraying nothing.

377/571 “Oh, hey, how are you? . . . Not much . . .Uh-huh . . . I was running some errands. . . .What’s been going on there?” As she listened to Kevin’s voice, a rush ofguilt washed over her. Yet she found herselfreaching over and placing a hand on Travis’sleg. He hadn’t moved or made a sound, andshe could feel the muscles tense beneath hisjeans as she ran her hand along his thigh. “Oh, that’s great. Congratulations. I’mglad you won . . . sounds like you had fun. . . .Oh, me? Nothing too exciting.” Hearing Kevin’s voice while being soclose to Travis was pulling her in two direc-tions. She tried to concentrate and listen toKevin, while sorting through what had justhappened with Travis. The situation was toosurreal to absorb. “I’m sorry to hear that. . . . I know, I getsunburned, too. . . . Uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . .Yes, I’ve thought about the trip to Miami, but

378/571I don’t get any vacation days until the end ofthe year. . . . Maybe, I don’t know. . . .” She released Travis’s leg and leaned backagainst the couch, trying to keep her voicesteady, wishing she hadn’t answered, wish-ing he hadn’t called. Knowing she was onlybecoming more confused. “We’ll see, okay?We’ll talk about it when you get back. . . . No,nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired, I guess. . . .No, nothing to worry about. It’s been a longweekend. . . .” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth,either, and she knew it, which made her feeleven worse. Travis was staring downward,listening but pretending not to. “I will,” she went on. “Yeah, you, too . . .Uh-huh . . . yeah, I should be around. . . .Okay . . . I do, too. And have fun tomorrow.Bye.” Hanging up the phone, she seemed pre-occupied for a moment before leaning

379/571forward and putting the handset on thetable. Travis knew enough not to sayanything. “That was Kevin,” she finally said. “I figured,” Travis said, unable to readher expression. “He won the best ball tournament today.” “Good for him.” Again, a silence descended betweenthem. “I think I need some fresh air,” she finallysaid, rising from the couch. She made herway to the sliding glass door and steppedoutside. Travis watched her go, wondering if heshould join her or whether she needed to bealone. From his spot on the couch, her imageagainst the railing was shadowed. He couldimagine heading out to join her, only to hearher suggest that it might be best if he left,and though the thought frightened him, heneeded to be with her, now more than ever.

380/571 He made his way out the door and joinedher against the rail. In the moonlight, herskin was pearly, her eyes darkly luminous. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Don’t be. There’s nothing for you to besorry for.” She forced a smile. “It’s my fault,not yours. I knew what I was getting into.” Gabby could sense that he wanted totouch her, but she was torn about whethershe wanted him to. She knew she should endthis, that she shouldn’t let the evening pro-gress any further, but she couldn’t break thespell that Travis’s declaration had cast overher. It didn’t make sense. It took time to fallin love, more time than a single weekend, yetsomehow, despite her feelings for Kevin, ithad happened. She sensed Travis’s nervous-ness as he stood beside her, and she watchedhim fortify himself with a last sip of wine. “Did you mean what you said earlier?”she asked. “About wanting a family?” “Yes, I did.”

381/571 “I’m glad,” she said. “Because I thinkyou’d be a great father. I didn’t tell you be-fore, but that’s what I thought when I sawyou with the kids yesterday. You seemed sonatural with them.” “I’ve had a lot of experience withpuppies.” Despite the tension, she laughed. Shetook a small step closer to him, and when heturned to face her, she slipped her armsaround his neck. She could hear the littlevoice inside warning her to stop, telling herthat it still wasn’t too late to end this. But an-other urge had taken hold of her, and sheknew it was pointless to deny it. “Maybe so, but I thought it was sexy,” shewhispered. Travis pulled her tight against him, noti-cing how her body seemed to fit against his.He could smell a trace of jasmine perfume onher, and as they stood holding each other, hissenses seemed to come alive. He felt as if

382/571he’d reached the end of a long journey, un-aware until this moment that Gabby hadbeen his destination all along. When hewhispered, “I love you, Gabby Holland,”against her ear, he’d never felt more sureabout anything. Gabby sank into him. “I love you, too, Travis Parker,” shewhispered, and as they stood in each other’sarms, Gabby couldn’t imagine wanting any-thing more than what was happening now,all regrets and reservations swept aside. He kissed her, then kissed her again andagain, leisurely exploring her neck and col-larbone before rising to meet her lips oncemore. She ran her hands over his chest andshoulders, feeling the strength in the armsthat held her, and when he buried his fingersin her hair, she shivered, knowing that thiswas what the weekend had been building to-ward all along.

383/571 They kissed on the deck for a long time.Finally she pulled back, and took his hand tolead him inside, past the living room and to-ward the bedroom. She motioned toward thebed, and as Travis lay down, she pulled alighter from the drawer and proceeded tolight the candles she’d set out earlier. Herbedroom, dark at first, gave way to a flicker-ing glow that bathed her in liquid gold. With shadows accentuating her everymovement, Travis watched as Gabby crossedher arms, reaching for the hem of her shirt.With a single movement, she pulled the shirtover her head. Her breasts pressed againstthe satin outline of her bra, and her handsdrifted slowly downward to the snap on herjeans. A moment later, she stepped out of thecrumpled pile at her feet. Travis was mesmerized as she moved to-ward the bed and playfully pushed him ontohis back. She began to undo the buttons onhis shirt and pulled it over his shoulders. As

384/571he wiggled his arms free, she undid the snapon his jeans, and a moment later, he felt theheat from her belly as it slid against his own. His mouth met hers with controlled pas-sion. Her body felt right against his, moreright than anything she’d ever known, likemissing pieces in a puzzle finally comingtogether. Afterward, he lay beside her and said thewords that had been echoing inside his headall night. “I love you, Gabby,” he whispered. “Youare the best thing that’s ever happened tome.” He felt her reach out for him. “I love you, too, Travis,” she whispered,and upon hearing her words, he knew thatthe solitary journey he’d been on for yearshad somehow reached its end.With the moon still high in the sky and thesilver light illuminating the bedroom, Travis

385/571rolled over, knowing instantly that Gabbywas gone. It was almost four in the morning,and after noting that she wasn’t in the bath-room, he got up and slipped on his jeans. Hewalked down the hall and peeked into theguest bedroom before poking his head intothe kitchen. All the lights were off, and hehesitated for a moment before noticing thatthe sliding glass door was cracked open. He stepped out onto the small deck,catching sight of a shadowed figure leaningagainst the deck railing off to the side of thehouse. He took a hesitant step toward her,unsure if she wanted to be alone. “Hey,” he heard a voice call out in thedarkness. Travis saw she was wearing thebathrobe that had been hanging in thebathroom. “Hey there,” he answered quietly. “Youokay?”

386/571 “I’m fine. I woke up and tossed andturned for a while, but I didn’t want to wakeyou.” Stopping just short of her, he leanedagainst the rail as well, neither of themspeaking. Instead, they simply watched thesky. Nothing seemed to be stirring; even thecrickets and frogs were silent. “It’s so lovely out here,” she finally said. “Yes, it is,” he answered. “I love nights like this.” When she said nothing else, he movedcloser and reached for her hand. “Are youupset by what happened?” “Not at all,” she said, her voice clear. “Idon’t regret any of it.” He smiled. “What are you thinkingabout?” “I was thinking about my dad,” shemused, leaning into him. “In a lot of ways, hereminds me of you. You’d like him.”

387/571 “I’m sure I would,” he said, uncertainwhere the conversation was going. “I was thinking about the way he musthave felt when he met my mom for the firsttime. What was going through his mindwhen he saw her, whether he was nervous,what he said when he approached her.” Travis stared at her. “And?” “I have no idea.” When he laughed, she looped her armthrough his. “Is the hot tub at your place stillwarm?” she asked. “Should be. I haven’t checked it, but I’msure it’s okay.” “Do you want to go for a dip?” “I’d have to get my suit, but that soundsgreat.” She squeezed him tight against her, thenleaned toward his ear. “Who said you neededa suit?” Travis said nothing as they crossed theyard to his hot tub. As he lifted off the cover,

388/571he saw her bathrobe slip from her shouldersand glimpsed her naked body, knowing howmuch he loved her and that these last coupleof days were somehow going to mark his lifeforever.

Fourteen Though they both returned to workon Monday, over the next two days Travisand Gabby spent every free moment togeth-er. They made love on Monday morning be-fore work, had lunch together at a small,family-owned café in Morehead City, andthat evening, with Molly feeling better, theytook both dogs for a walk on the beach nearFort Macon. As they walked, holding hands,Moby and Molly wandered the beach aheadlike two old friends who’d grown used totheir differences. When Moby chased ternsand charged toward flocks of seagulls, Molly

390/571would hold her course, acting as if shewanted no part of it. After a while, Mobywould realize that Molly was no longeralongside him and would bound back to her,and the two would trot happily together untilMoby went nuts again and the whole thingrepeated itself. “That’s kind of like the way we are, huh?”Gabby remarked as she squeezed Travis’shand. “One always chasing excitement, theother holding back?” “Which one am I?” She laughed and leaned into him, restingher head on his shoulder. Stopping, he tookher in his arms, amazed and terrified by thestrength of his feelings. But when she liftedher face to kiss him, he felt his fears begin tomelt away, replaced by a growing sense ofcompletion. He wondered whether love feltlike this for everyone. Afterward, they stopped at the grocerystore. Neither of them was very hungry, so

391/571Travis picked up the makings for a chickenCaesar salad. In the kitchen, he grilled thechicken and watched Gabby rinse the lettuceleaves at the sink. Curled up on the couchafter dinner, Gabby told Travis more abouther family, arousing a mixture of sympathyfor Gabby and anger at her mother for failingto recognize what an incredible womanGabby had become. That night, they lay in-tertwined in each other’s arms until longafter midnight. On Tuesday morning, Travis was at herside just as she was beginning to stir. Shecracked open an eye. “Is it time to get up?” “I guess so,” he mumbled. They lay facing each other without mov-ing before Travis went on. “You know whatsounds good? Fresh coffee and a cinnamonroll.” “Yum,” she said. “Too bad we don’t havetime. I’ve got to be at the office at eight. You

392/571shouldn’t have kept me awake so long lastnight.” “Just close your eyes and wish real hard,and maybe your wish will come true.” Too tired to do anything else, she didwhat he suggested, longing for just anothercouple of minutes in bed. “And there it is!” she heard him say. “What?” she mumbled. “Your coffee. And a cinnamon roll.” “Don’t tease me. I’m starved.” “It’s right there. Roll over and see foryourself.” She struggled to sit up and saw twosteaming cups of coffee and a mouthwater-ing cinnamon roll on a plate on thenightstand. “When did you . . . I mean, why did you . .. ?” “A few minutes ago.” He grinned. “I wasawake anyway, so I raced downtown.”

393/571 She reached for both the coffees andhanded one to him, smiling. “I’d kiss youright now, but this smells great and I’mstarved. I’ll kiss you later.” “In the shower, maybe?” “There’s always a catch with you, isn’tthere?” “Be nice. I just brought you breakfast inbed.” “I know,” she said with a wink. Shereached for her roll. “And I’m going to enjoyit.”On Tuesday evening, Travis took Gabby outon the boat, where they watched the sun godown from the waters off Beaufort. Gabbyhad been quiet ever since she’d returnedhome from work, which was why he’d sug-gested it; it was his way of trying to put offthe conversation he knew was coming.

394/571 An hour later, seated on Travis’s deckwith Molly and Moby lying at their feet,Travis finally gave in to the inevitable. “What’s going to happen next?” he asked. Gabby rotated the water glass in herhands. “I’m not sure,” she said in a low voice. “Do you want me to talk to him?” “It’s not that simple.” She shook herhead. “I’ve been trying all day to figure it out,and I’m still not sure what I’m going to do, oreven what I’m going to say to him.” “You’re going to tell him about us, aren’tyou?” “I don’t know,” she said. “I really don’t.”She turned to Travis, her eyes filled withtears. “Don’t get mad at me. Please don’t. Be-lieve me when I say that I know how thismakes you feel, because it makes me feel thesame way. In the last few days, you’ve mademe feel . . . alive. You make me feel beautifuland intelligent and wanted, and no matterhow hard I try, I’ll never be able to tell you

395/571how much that’s meant to me. But as intenseas all this has been, as much as I care aboutyou, we’re not the same people, and you’renot facing the same kind of decision that Iam. For you, it’s easy—we love each other, sowe should be together. But Kevin is import-ant to me, too.” “What about all those things you said?”Travis asked, trying not to sound as scared ashe felt. “He’s not perfect, Travis. I know that.And no, things aren’t great between us rightnow. But I can’t help thinking that it’s partlymy fault. Can’t you see that? With him, Ihave all these expectations, but with you . . . Idon’t have any. And if you reversed the equa-tion, would any of this have even happened?What if I had expected you to marry me, butwith him, I just allowed myself to enjoy be-ing in the moment? You wouldn’t have givenme the time of day, and most likely Iwouldn’t have wanted you to.”

396/571 “Don’t say that.” “But it’s true, isn’t it?” Her smile waspained. “That’s what I was thinking abouttoday, even though it hurts me to say it. Ilove you, Travis, I really do. If I thought ofthis as a weekend fling, I’d put it behind menow and then go back to imagining a futurewith Kevin. But it’s not going to be that easy.I have to make a choice between the two ofyou. With Kevin, I know what to expect. Orat least until you came along, I thought I did.But now . . .” She paused, and Travis could see her hairmoving slightly in the breeze. She huggedher arms tightly to her body. “We’ve only known each other for a fewdays, and while we were on the boat, I foundmyself wondering how many other womenyou’d taken out like that. Not because I wasjealous, but because I kept asking myselfwhat brought those relationships to an end.And then I started wondering whether you

397/571would feel the same way about me in the fu-ture as you do right now, or whether this willjust end up like all your previous relation-ships. As much as we think we know eachother, we don’t. Or at least, I don’t. All Iknow is that I fell in love with you, and I’venever been more frightened about anythingin my entire life.” She stopped. Travis stayed silent, lettingher words penetrate before saying anything. “You’re right,” he admitted. “Your choiceis different from mine. But you’re wrong ifyou think this was just a fling for me. I mighthave started out thinking along those lines,but . . .” He reached for her hand. “That’s nothow it ended up. Spending time with youshowed me what I’ve been missing in my life.The more time we spent together, the more Icould imagine it lasting in the future. That’snever happened to me before, and I’m notsure it’ll ever happen again. I’ve never beenin love with anyone before you came

398/571along—not real love, anyway. Not like this,and I’d be a fool if I let you slip away withouta fight.” He ran a hand through his hair, drained. “I don’t know what else I can tell you,other than that I can imagine spending therest of my life with you. I know that soundscrazy. I know we’re just getting to know eachother, and even admitting what I just didmight make you think I’m nuts, but I’ve nev-er been more sure about anything. And if yougive me a chance—if you give us achance—I’m going to live the rest of my lifeproving to you that you made the right de-cision. I love you, Gabby. And not just for theperson you are, but for the way you make methink that we can be.” For a long moment, neither of them saidanything. In the darkness, Gabby could hearthe crickets calling from the foliage. Hermind was whirling—she wanted to run away,and she wanted to stay here forever, her

399/571warring instincts a reflection of the im-possible bind she’d gotten herself into. “I like you, Travis,” she said earnestly.Then, realizing how it sounded, shestruggled on. “And I love you, too, of course,but hopefully you already know that. I wasjust trying to tell you that I like the way youtalk to me. I like the fact that when you saysomething, I know that you really mean it. Ilike the fact that I can tell when you’re teas-ing or telling the truth and when you’re not.It’s one of your more endearing qualities.”She patted his knee. “Now will you dosomething for me?” “Of course,” he said. “No matter what I ask?” He hesitated. “Yeah . . . I guess.” “Will you make love to me? And not thinkit might be the last time it ever happens?” “That’s two things.” She didn’t dignify his answer with a re-sponse. Instead, she held out her hand to

400/571him. As they moved toward the bedroom,she broke into the tiniest of smiles, finallyknowing what she had to do.