Nicholas Sparks - The Lucky One

"Because I walked from Colorado?"

"Don't forget your hair."

"I had a buzz cut for years."

"And then your clippers went on strike, right?"

"Something like that."

She smiled and reached for her glass. In the silence that followed, Thibault took in the view. Across the yard, a flock of starlings broke from the trees, moving in unison before settling again on the opposite side. Puffy clouds drifted past, changing shape as they moved in the afternoon breeze, and he could sense Elizabeth watching him.

"You don't feel the need to talk all the time, do you," she said.

He smiled. "No."

"Most people don't know how to appreciate silence. They can't help talking."

"I talk. I just want to have something to say first."

"You're going to have a tough time in Hampton. Most people around here either talk about their family, their neighbors, the weather, or the championship prospects of the high school football team."

"Yeah?"

"It gets boring."

He nodded. "I can see that." He took another drink, finishing his glass, "So how does the football team look this year?"

She laughed. "Exactly." She reached for his glass. "Would you like more?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you. Very refreshing."

She set his glass beside hers. "Homemade. Nana squeezed the lemons herself."

He nodded. "I noticed she has a forearm like Popeye."

She circled the rim of her glass with her finger, secretly admitting to herself that she liked his wit. "So I guess it'll be just you and me this weekend."

"What about Ben?"

"He's going to see his father tomorrow. He goes every other weekend."

"Yeah?"

She sighed. "But he doesn't want to go. He never wants to go."

Thibault nodded, studying Ben from a distance.

"Nothing to say?" she prodded.

"I'm not sure what I should say."

"But if you would have said something…"

"I would have said that Ben probably has a good reason."

"And I would have said you're right."

"You two don't get along?" Thibault asked carefully. "Actually, we get along okay. Not great, mind you. But okay. It's Ben and his dad who don't get along. My ex has problems with Ben," she said. "I think he wanted a different kind of kid."

"Why do you let Ben go, then?" His gaze focused on her with surprising intensity. "Because I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Not in this case there isn't." She leaned off to the side, plucking a marigold from beside the stairs. "The dad has joint custody, and if I tried to fight him on it, let's just say the courts would probably rule in his favor. If anything, Ben would probably have to go even more than he does now."

"That doesn't sound fair."

"It isn't. But for now, there's not much else I can do but tell Ben to try to make the best of it."

"I get the sense there's a lot more to the story." She laughed. "You have no idea." 'Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

Whatever urge Thibault might have had to press further was contained by the sight of Ben walking toward the porch. He was drenched in sweat, his face red. His glasses were slightly crooked. Zeus trailed behind, panting hard.

"Hey, Mom!"

"Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good time?" Zeus lapped at Thibault's hand before collapsing at his feet. "Zeus is great! Did you see us playing keep*away?"

"Of course," she said, drawing Ben close. She ran a hand through his hair. "You look hot. You should drink some water."

"I will. Are Thibault and Zeus staying for dinner?"

"We haven't talked about it."

Ben pushed his glasses up on his nose, oblivious to the fact that they were cockeyed. "We're having tacos," he announced to Thibault. "They're awesome. Mom makes her own salsa and everything."

I'm sure they are," Thibault said, his tone neutral.

"We'll talk about it, okay?" She brushed the grass from his shirt. "Now go on. Get some water. And don't forget to wash up."

"I want to play hide-and-go-seek with Zeus," Ben whined. "Thibault said I could."

"Like I said, we'll talk about it," Elizabeth said.

"Can Zeus come inside with me? He's thirsty, too."

"Let's leave him out here, okay? We'll get him some water. What happened to your glasses?"

Ignoring Ben's protests, she slid them off. "It'll only take a second." She bent the frame, examined her handiwork, and bent them once more before handing them back to him. "Try them now."

Ben's eyes darted toward Thibault as he put them on; Thibault pretended not to notice. Instead, he petted Zeus as the dog lay quietly next to him. Elizabeth leaned back to get a better view.

"Perfect," she said.

"Okay," Ben conceded. He headed up the steps, pulled open the screen door, and let it close with a loud bang. When he was gone, Elizabeth turned to Thibault.

"I embarrassed him."

"That's what mothers do."

"Thanks," she said, not hiding the sarcasm. "Now what's this about Zeus and hide-and-go-seek?"

"Oh, I told him about it when we were down at the creek. He was asking what Zeus could do and I mentioned it. But we don't have to do it tonight."

"No, that's fine," she said, reaching for her glass of lemonade. She rattled the ice cubes, debating, before finally turning toward him. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

He met her eyes. "Yeah," he said, "I'd like that very much."

"It's only tacos," she qualified.

"J heard. And thank you. Tacos sound like a treat." He smiled and stood. "But for now, let me get this guy some water. And he's probably hungry, too. Would you mind if" I got him some food from the kennel.?"

"Of course not. There's plenty. Someone just unloaded a bunch of bags yesterday."

"Who could that have been?"

"I don't know. Some long-haired drifter, I think."

"I thought he was a college-educated veteran."

"Same thing." Picking up the glasses, she rose as well. "I'm going to make sure Ben washed up. He tends to forget to do that. See you in a few minutes."

At the kennel, Thibault filled Zeus's bowls with water and food, then took a seat on one of the empty cages, waiting. Zeus took his time, drinking a bit, then nibbling at a few bites of his food, peering occasionally over at Thibault as if to ask, Why are you watching me? Thibault said nothing; he knew that any comment would slow Zeus down even more.

Instead, he checked the other kennels even though Elizabeth had said she'd already done so, making sure none of the other dogs were low on water. They weren't. Nor did they stir much. Good. He turned out the lights in the office and locked the door before returning to the house. Zeus trailed behind him, his nose to the ground.

At the door, he motioned for Zeus to lie down and stay, then pulled open the screen door. "Hello?"

"Come on in. I'm in the kitchen."

Thibault stepped inside and made his way to the kitchen. Elizabeth had put on an apron and was standing at the stove, browning ground beef. On the counter beside her was an open bottle of Michelob Light.

"Where's Ben?" Thibault asked.

"He's in the shower. He should be down in a couple of minutes." She added some packaged taco seasoning and water to the beef, then rinsed her hands. After drying them on the front of her apron, she reached for her beer. "Would you like one? I always have a beer on taco night."

I'd love one."

She pulled a beer from the refrigerator and handed it to him. "It's light. It's all I have."

"Thank you."

He leaned against the counter and took in the kitchen. In some ways, it reminded him of the one in the house he'd rented. Cabinets original with the house, stainless-steel sink, older appliances, and a small dining room set pushed beneath a window, but all in slightly better condition, with women's touches here and there. Flowers in a vase, a bowl of fruit, window treatments. Homey.