Nicholas Sparks - Safe Haven

He trailed off, feeling the weight of her scrutiny.

“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”

He turned toward her. “Both of us know that if I’d asked if you wanted the bicycle, you would have said no. So, like Joyce did with me, I just went ahead and did it because it was the right thing to do. Because I learned that it’s okay to accept some help every now and then.” He nodded toward the bike. “Take it,” he said. “I have no use for it, and you have to admit that it would make getting to and from work a whole lot easier.”

It took a few seconds before he saw her shoulders relax and she turned to him with a wry smile. “Did you practice that speech?”

“Of course.” He tried to look sheepish. “But you’ll take it?”

She hesitated. “A bike might be nice,” she finally admitted. “Thank you.”

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. As he stared at her profile, he noted again how pretty she was, though he had the sense that she didn’t think so. Which only made her even more appealing.

“You’re welcome,” he said.

“But no more freebies, okay? You’ve done more than enough for me already.”

“Fair enough.” He nodded toward the bike. “Did it ride okay? With the baskets, I mean?”

“It was fine. Why?”

“Because Kristen and Josh helped me put them on yesterday. One of those rainy-day projects, you know? Kristen picked them out. Just so you know, she also thought you needed sparkly handlebar grips, too, but I drew the line at that.”

“I wouldn’t have minded sparkly handlebar grips.”

He laughed. “I’ll let her know.”

She hesitated. “You’re doing a good job, you know. With your kids, I mean.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it. And I know it hasn’t been easy.”

“That’s the thing about life. A lot of the time, it isn’t easy at all. We just have to try to make the best of it. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I think I do.”

The door to the store opened, and as Alex leaned forward he saw Josh scanning the parking lot, Kristen close behind him. With brown hair and brown eyes, Josh resembled his mom. His hair was a riotous mess, and Alex knew he’d just crawled out of bed.

“Over here, guys.”

Josh scratched his head as he shuffled toward them. Kristen beamed, waving at Katie.

“Hey, Dad?” Josh asked.

“Yeah?”

“We wanted to ask if we’re still going to the beach today. You promised to take us.”

“That was the plan.”

“With a barbecue?”

“Of course.”

“Okay,” he said. He rubbed his nose. “Hi, Miss Katie.”

Katie waved at Josh and Kristen.

“Do you like the bike?” Kristen chirped.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“I had to help my dad fix it,” Josh informed her. “He’s not too good with tools.”

Katie glanced at Alex with a smirk. “He didn’t mention that.”

“It’s okay. I knew what to do. But he had to help me with the new inner tube.”

Kristen fixed her gaze on Katie. “Are you going to come to the beach, too?”

Katie sat up straighter. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Kristen asked.

“She’s probably working,” Alex said.

“Actually, I’m not,” she said. “I have a couple of things to do around the house.”

“Then you have to come,” Kristen cried. “It’s really fun.”

“That’s your family time,” she insisted. “I wouldn’t want to be in the way.”

“You won’t be in the way. And it’s really fun. You can watch me swim. Please?” Kristen begged.

Alex stayed quiet, loath to add pressure. He assumed Katie would say no, but surprising him, she nodded slightly. When she spoke, her voice was soft.

“Okay,” she finally said.

After getting back from the store, Katie parked the bike at the back of the cottage and went inside to change. She didn’t have a bathing suit, but she wouldn’t have worn one even if she did. As natural as it was for a teenager to walk around in front of strangers in the equivalent of underwear and a bra, she wasn’t comfortable wearing something like that in front of Alex on a day out with his kids. Or frankly, even without the kids.

Though she resisted the idea, she had to admit he intrigued her. Not because of the things he’d done for her, as touching as that was. It had more to do with the sad way he smiled sometimes, the expression on his face when he’d told her about his wife, or the way he treated his kids. There was a loneliness within him that he couldn’t disguise, and she knew that in some way it matched her own.

She knew he was interested in her. She’d been around long enough to recognize when men found her attractive; the clerk at the grocery store talking too much or a stranger glancing her way, or a waiter at a restaurant checking on their table just a bit too frequently. In time, she’d learned to pretend she was oblivious to the attention of those men; in other instances, she showed obvious disdain, because she’d known what would happen if she didn’t. Later. Once they got home. Once they were alone.

But that life was gone now, she reminded herself. Opening the drawers, she pulled out a pair of shorts and the sandals she’d picked up at Anna Jean’s. The night before, she’d had wine with a friend, and now she was going to the beach with Alex and his family. These were ordinary events in an ordinary life. The concept felt alien, like she was learning the customs of a foreign land, and it left her feeling strangely elated and wary at exactly the same time.

As soon as she finished dressing, she saw Alex’s jeep coming up the gravel road and she drew a long breath as he pulled to a stop in front of her house. Now or never, she thought to herself as she stepped out onto the porch.

“You need to put on your seat belt, Miss Katie,” Kristen said from behind her. “My dad won’t drive unless you’re wearing it.”

Alex looked over at her, as if to say, Are you ready for this? She gave him her bravest smile.

“Okay,” he said, “let’s go.”

They reached the coastal town of Long Beach, complete with saltbox houses and expansive views of the sea, in less than an hour. Alex pulled into a small parking lot nestled against the dunes; saw grass billowed nearby in the stiff sea breeze. Katie got out of the car and stared at the ocean, breathing deeply.

The kids climbed out and immediately made for the path between the dunes.

“I’m going to check the water, Dad!” Josh shouted, holding up his mask and snorkel.

“Me, too!” Kristen added, trailing behind.

Alex was busy unloading the back of the jeep. “Hold up,” he called out. “Just wait, okay?”

Josh sighed, his impatience obvious as he shifted from one foot to the other. Alex began pulling out the cooler.

“Do you need some help?” Katie asked.

He shook his head. “I can handle this. But would you mind putting some sunscreen on the kids and keeping an eye on them for a few minutes? I know they’re excited to be here.”

“That’s fine,” she said, turning to Kristen and Josh. “Are you two ready?”

Alex spent the next few minutes ferrying the items from the car, setting up camp near the picnic table closest to the dune, where high tide wouldn’t encroach. Though there were a few other families, for the most part they had this section of beach to themselves. Katie had slipped off her sandals and was standing at the water’s edge as the kids splashed in the shallows. Her arms were crossed and even from a distance, Alex noticed a rare expression of contentment on her face.

He slung a couple of towels over his shoulder as he approached. “It’s hard to believe there was a storm yesterday, isn’t it?”