Nicholas Sparks - The Lucky One

Nana called that night to say that she needed to be picked up the following Friday, and in her absence, Logan joined Beth and Ben for dinner every night. Most of the time, Ben was the one who pleaded with Logan to stay, but by Wednesday, it had become obvious to Beth that Logan was not only pleased to spend time with them, but more than happy to let Ben continue to orchestrate things. Perhaps, she found herself wondering occasionally, Logan was as inexperienced at intimacy as she was.

After dinner, they usually went for a walk. Ben and Zeus would race ahead on the path that led to the creek, while she and Logan followed; once, they headed toward town to visit the banks of the South River, where they sat beneath the bridge that spanned it. Sometimes they talked around the edges of things-whether anything interesting had happened at work or Logan's progress in reorganizing the files; at other times it seemed he was content to walk beside her without saying much. Because Logan was so comfortable with silence, she felt surprisingly comfortable as well.

But something was happening between them, and she knew it. She was drawn to him. At school, with her class of second graders milling around her, she'd occasionally find herself wondering what he was doing at that very minute. She gradually acknowledged that she looked forward to coming home because it meant that she would see him.

On Thursday evening, they all piled into Nana's truck and drove into town for pizza. Zeus rode in the truck bed, head hanging over the side and his ears blown back. Odd as it seemed, Beth had the strange feeling that this was almost a date, albeit one with a ten-year-old chaperone.

Luigi's Pizza was located on one of the quiet cross streets downtown, sandwiched between an antiques store and a law firm. With scuffed brick floors, picnic tables, and paneled walls, the place had a cozy familiarity, partly because Luigi hadn't updated the decor since Beth was a little girl. In the rear of the restaurant, the video games Luigi offered dated from the early 1980s: Ms. Pac-Man, Millipede, and Asteroids. The games were as popular now as they'd been back then, probably owing to the lack of any video arcades in town.

Beth loved this place. Luigi and his wife, Maria, both in their sixties, not only worked seven days a week, but lived in an apartment above the restaurant. With no children of their own, they were surrogate parents to pretty much every teenager in town, and they embraced everyone with a kind of unconditional acceptance that kept the place packed.

Tonight, it was crowded with the usual mix of people: families with children, a couple of men who were dressed like they'd just finished work at the law office next door, a few elderly couples, and clusters of teenagers here and there. Maria beamed when she saw Beth and Ben enter. She was short and round, with dark hair and a genuinely warm smile. She walked toward them, reaching for menus on the way.

"Hello, Beth. Hello, Ben." As she passed the kitchen, she ducked her head in for an instant. "Luigi! Come out here. Beth and Ben are here!"

It was something she did every time Beth visited, and though Beth was sure she welcomed everyone with equal warmth, it still made her feel special.

Luigi bustled out of the kitchen. As usual, the apron he wore was coated in flour and was stretched tight across his ample girth. Since he still made the pizzas and the restaurant was always busy, he didn't have time to do much more than wave. "It's good to see you!" he cried. "Thank you for coming!"

Maria laid an affectionate hand on Ben's shoulder. "You're getting so tall, Ben! You're a young man now. And you're as lovely as springtime, Beth."

"Thanks, Maria," Beth said. "How are you?"

"The same. Always busy. And you? You're still teaching, yes?"

"Still teaching," she confirmed. A moment later, Maria's expression turned serious, and Beth could predict her next question. In small towns, nothing was secret.

"And how is Nana?"

"Getting better. She's up and around now."

"Yes, I heard she's visiting her sister."

"How did you know that?" Beth couldn't hide her surprise,

"Who knows." She shrugged. "People talk, I hear." For the first time, Maria seemed to notice Logan. "And who is this?"

"This is my friend Logan Thibault," Beth said, willing herself not to blush.

"You are new? I haven't seen you before." Maria's eyes swept him up and down in frank curiosity. "I just moved to town."

"Well, you're with two of my favorite customers." She waved them forward. "Come. I'll get you a place in one of the booths."

Maria led the way and set the menus on the table as they slid into their seats. "Sweet teas all around?"

"That would be great, Maria," Beth agreed. As soon as Maria hurried toward the kitchen, she faced Logan. "She makes the best sweet tea around. I hope you don't mind."

"Sounds good to me."

"Can I have some quarters?" Ben asked. "I want to play some videogames."

"I figured you would," Beth said, reaching into her handbag. "I grabbed some from the change jar before we left. Have fun," she said. "And don't leave with any strangers."

"I'm ten years old," he said, sounding exasperated. "Not five."

She watched Ben head toward the games, amused at his response. Sometimes he sounded as if he were in high school.

"This place has lots of character," Logan commented.

"The food is fantastic, too. They do Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas that are out of this world. What do you like on your pizza?

He scratched his chin. "Mmm… lots of garlic, extra anchovies." Her nose wrinkled. "Really?"

"Just kidding. Get whatever you order normally. I'm not particular."

"Ben likes pepperoni."

"Then make it pepperoni."

She eyed him playfully. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're pretty easygoing?"

"Not lately," he said. "But then again, I didn't have many people to talk to while I was walking."

"Did you get lonely?"

"Not with Zeus. He's a good listener."

"But he can't contribute to the conversation."

"No. But he didn't whine about the walk, either. Most people would have."

"I wouldn't have whined." Beth tossed a length of hair over her shoulder. Logan said nothing.

"I'm serious," she protested. "I easily could have walked across the country." Logan said nothing.

"Okay, you're right. I might have whined once or twice."

He laughed before surveying the restaurant. "How many people do you know in here?"

Glancing around, she considered it. "I've seen most of them around town over the years, but those I actually know? Maybe thirty people."

He estimated it to be well more than half the patrons. "What's that like?"

"You mean where everyone knows everything? I guess it depends on how many big mistakes you make, since that's what most people end up talking about. Affairs, lost jobs, drug or alcohol abuse, auto accidents. But if you're like me, on the other hand, someone as pure as the wind-driven snow, it's not so hard."

He grinned. "It must be nice being you."

"Oh, it is. Trust me. Let's just say you're lucky to be sitting at my table."

"Of that," he said, "I have no doubt."

Maria dropped off the drinks. As she was leaving, she raised her eyebrows just enough to let Beth know she liked Logan's appearance and expected to find out later what, if anything, was going on between them.

Beth took a gulp of her tea, as did Logan.

"What do you think?"

"It's definitely sweet," Logan said. "But it's tasty."

Beth nodded before wiping the condensation from the outside of her glass with a paper napkin. She crumpled it and set it aside. "How long are you going to stay in Hampton?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not from here, you have a college degree, you're working in a job that most people would hate, and getting paid very little for it. I think my question is fair."