Николас Спаркс - The Choice

“Okay, don’t tell me. At least not yet. Tell me about growing up in Savannah instead.”

“I already told you about my family. What else is there to tell?”

“Tell me anything.”

She hesitated. “It was hot in the summer. Very hot. And humid, too.”

“Are you always this vague?”

“I think a little mystery keeps things interesting.”

“Does your boyfriend think that, too?”

“My boyfriend knows me.”

“Is he tall?”

“What does that matter?”

“It doesn’t. I’m just making conversation.”

“Then let’s talk about something else.”

“All right. Have you ever been surfing?”

“Nope.”

“Scuba diving?”

“Nope.”

“Bummer.”

“Why? Because I don’t know what I’m missing?”

“No,” he said. “Because now that my friends are married with children, I need to find someone who’s up for things like that on a regular basis.”

“As far as I can tell, you seem to find ways to keep yourself entertained. You’re wakeboarding or Jet Skiing as soon as you get off work.”

“There’s more to life than just those two things. Like parasailing.”

She laughed and he joined in, and she realized she liked the sound of it.

“I have a question about vet school,” she said apropos of nothing, but no longer caring about the direction of their conversation. It felt good just to relax, to bask in the pleasure of Travis’s company. It made her feel at ease. “I know it’s dumb, but I’ve always wondered how much anatomy you had to study. As in, how many different kinds of animals?”

“Just the major ones,” he said. “Cow, horse, pig, dog, cat, and chicken.”

“And you had to know pretty much everything about each one?”

“As far as anatomy goes, yes.”

She considered that. “Wow. I thought it was hard just doing people.”

“Yeah, but remember: Most people won’t sue me if their chicken dies. Your responsibility is much greater, especially since you’re dealing with kids.” He paused. “And I’ll bet you’re great with them.”

“Why would you say that?”

“You have an aura of kindness and patience.”

“Uh-huh. I think you got too much sun today.”

“Probably,” he said. He motioned to her bottle as he stood. “Want another?”

She hadn’t even realized she’d finished. “I’d better not.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“That’s not the point. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about me.”

“I doubt that’s possible.”

“I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate it.”

“Then it’s a good thing he’s not here, isn’t it? Besides, we’re just getting to know each other. What harm is there in that?”

“Fine.” She sighed. “Last one, though.”

He brought two more over and opened hers. As soon as she took a drink and felt the corresponding buzz as it went down, she heard a voice inside her whisper, You shouldn’t be doing this .

“You’d like him,” she said, trying to reestablish some boundaries between them. “He’s a great guy.”

“I’m sure he is.”

“And yes, to answer your earlier question, he’s tall.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about him.”

“I don’t. I just want you to know I love him.”

“Love is a wonderful thing. It makes life worthwhile. I love being in love.”

“Spoken like a man with plenty of experience. But keep in mind that true love lasts forever.”

“Poets would say that true love always ends in tragedy.”

“And you’re a poet?”

“No. I’m just telling you what they say. I’m not saying I agree. Like you, I’m more of a happy-ending romantic. My parents have been married forever, and that’s what I want to have one day, too.”

Gabby couldn’t help thinking that he was very good at this sort of flirty banter—and then reminded herself that it was because he’d had a lot of practice. Still, she had to admit there was something flattering about his attention, even if she knew Kevin wouldn’t approve.

“Did you know that I almost bought your house?” he asked.

She shook her head, surprised.

“It was for sale at the same time this one was. I liked the floor plan better than this one, but this one already had the deck and the boathouse and a lift. It was a tough choice.”

“And now you’ve even got a hot tub.”

“You like that?” He cocked an eyebrow. “We could get in later, once the sun goes down.”

“I don’t have my suit.”

“Bathing suits are optional, of course.”

She rolled her eyes, pointedly ignoring the shiver that had gone through her. “I don’t think so.”

He stretched, looking pleased with himself. “How about just our feet, then.”

“I could probably handle that.”

“It’s a start.”

“And a finish.”

“That goes without saying.”

On the other side of the creek, the setting sun was changing the sky to a golden palette of colors that stretched across the horizon. Travis pulled another chair closer and propped his feet on it. Gabby stared across the water, feeling a sense of well-being she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Tell me about Africa,” she said. “Is it as otherwordly as it seems?”

“It was for me,” he said. “I kept wanting to go back. Like something in my genes recognized it as home, even though there was so little there that I saw that reminded me of the world I came from.”

“Did you see any lions or elephants?”

“Many.”

“Was that amazing?”

“It’s something I’ll never forget.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I’m envious.”

“Then go. And if you do, make sure you visit Victoria Falls. It’s the most amazing place I’ve ever seen. The rainbows, the mist, the incredible roar—it’s like you’re standing on the very edge of the world.”

She smiled dreamily. “How long were you there?”

“Which time?”

“How many times have you been there?”

“Three.”

She tried to imagine living a life so free but somehow failed. “Tell me about all of them.”

They talked quietly for a long time, dusk giving way to darkness. His colorful descriptions of people and places were vivid and detailed, making her feel as if she’d been alongside him, and she found herself wondering how many times, and with how many other women, he’d shared these stories. Halfway through, he rose from the table and brought back two bottles of water, respecting her earlier comment, and the appreciation she felt added to her growing sense of affection for Travis. Though she knew it was wrong, she was somehow unable to stop it.

By the time they got up to bring the dishes into the house, stars were twinkling overhead. While Travis rinsed the dishes, Gabby toured Travis’s living room, thinking it was less like a bachelor pad than she’d imagined it would be. The furniture was comfortable and stylish, brown leather couches, walnut end tables, and brass lamps, and while the room was clean, it wasn’t obsessively so. Magazines were stacked haphazardly on the television, and she could see a thin layer of dust on the stereo, which somehow seemed just right. Instead of artwork lining the walls, there were movie posters that reflected Travis’s eclectic taste: Casablanca on one wall, Die Hard on another, with Home Alone right next to that. Behind her, she heard the faucet stop, and a moment later, Travis stepped into the room.

She smiled. “You ready to go soak our feet?”

“As long as you don’t show too much skin.”

They wandered back outside to the hot tub. Travis flipped open the cover and set it aside while Gabby removed her sandals; a moment later, they were sitting beside each other, their feet swishing back and forth. Gabby stared upward, tracing images in the skies above her.