"Well, just so you know, I like her," she said.
"Yeah, but you like everyone I date."
"No, I don't. I didn't like Leslie."
None of the wives had liked Leslie. Matt, Laird, and Joe, on the other hand, hadn't minded her company at all, especially when she wore her bikini. She was definitely a beauty, and while she wasn't the type he'd ever marry, they'd had a lot of fun while it lasted.
"I'm just saying that I think you should give her a call," she persisted.
"I'll think about it," he said, knowing he wouldn't. He rose from the table, angling for an escape. "Anyone need another beer?"
Joe and Laird lifted their bottles in unison; the others shook their heads. Travis started for the cooler before hesitating near the sliding glass door of his house. He darted inside and changed the CD, listening to the strains of new music filtering out over the yard as he brought the beers back to the table. By then, Megan, Allison, and Liz were already chatting about Gwen, the woman who did their hair. Gwen always had good stories, many of which concerned the illicit predilections of the town's citizens.
Travis nursed his beer silently, looking out over the water.
"What are you thinking about?" Laird asked.
"It's not important."
"What is it?"
Travis turned toward him. "Did you ever notice how some colors are used for people's names but others aren't?"
"What are you talking about?"
"White and Black. Like Mr. White, the guy who owns the tire store. And Mr. Black, our third-grade teacher. Or even Mr. Green from the game Clue. But you never hear of someone named Mr. Orange or Mr. Yellow. It's like some colors make good names, but other colors just sound stupid. You know what I mean?"
"I can't say I've ever thought about it."
"Me neither. Not until just a minute ago, I mean. But it's kind of strange, isn't it?"
"Sure," Laird finally agreed.
Both men were quiet for a moment. "I told you it wasn't important."
"Yes, you did."
"Was I right?"
"Yep."
When little Josie had her second temper tantrum in a fifteen-minute span--it was a little before nine--Allison scooped her into her arms and gave Laird the look, the one that said it was time to go so they could get the kids in bed. Laird didn't bother arguing, and when he stood up from the table, Megan glanced at Joe, Liz nodded at Matt, and Travis knew the evening was at an end. Parents might believe themselves to be the bosses, but in the end it was the kids who made the rules.
He supposed he could have tried to talk one of his friends into staying, and might even have gotten one to agree, but he had long since grown accustomed to the fact that his friends lived their lives by a different schedule from his. Besides, he had a sneaking suspicion that Stephanie, his younger sister, might swing by later. She was coming in from Chapel Hill, where she was working toward a master's degree in biochemistry. Though she would stay at their parents' place, she was usually wired after the drive and in the mood to talk, and their parents would already be in bed. Megan, Joe, and Liz rose and started to clean up the table, but Travis waved them off.
"I'll get it in a while. No big deal."
A few minutes later, two SUVs and a minivan were being loaded with children. Travis stood on the front porch and waved as they pulled out of the driveway.
When they were gone, Travis wandered back to the stereo, sorted through the CDs again, and chose Tattoo You by the Rolling Stones, then cranked up the volume. He pulled at another beer on his way back to his chair, threw his feet up on the table, and leaned back. Moby sat beside him.
"Just you and me for a while," he said. "What time do you think Stephanie will be rolling in?"
Moby turned away. Unless Travis said the words walk or ball or go for a ride or come get a bone, Moby wasn't much interested in anything he had to say.
"Do you think I should call her to see if she's on her way yet?" Moby continued to stare.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. She'll get here when she gets here."
He sat drinking his beer and stared out over the water. Behind him, Moby whined. "You want to go get your ball?" he finally said.
Moby stood so quickly, he almost knocked over the chair.
It was the music, she thought, that proved to be the clincher in what had already been one of the most miserable weeks of her life. Loud music. Okay, nine o'clock on a Saturday night wasn't so bad, especially since he obviously had company, and ten o'clock wasn't all that unreasonable, either. But eleven o'clock? When he was alone and playing fetch with his dog?
From her back deck, she could see him just sitting there in the same shorts he'd worn all day, feet on the table, tossing the ball and staring at the river. What on earth could he be thinking?
Maybe she shouldn't be so hard on him; she should simply ignore him. It was his house, right? King of the castle and all that. He could do what he wanted. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he had neighbors, including her, and she had a castle, too, and neighbors were supposed to be considerate. And truth be told, he'd crossed the line. Not just because of the music. In all honesty, she liked the music he was listening to and usually didn't really care how loud or how long he played it. The problem was with his dog, Nobby, or whatever he called him. More specifically, what his dog had done to her dog.
Teresa Palmer stars as 'Gabby Holland' in THE CHOICE. (Motion Picture Artwork (c) 2015 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Travis Shaw (Ben Walker) and Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) in THE CHOICE. (Motion Picture Artwork (c) 2015 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Travis Shaw (Ben Walker) and Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) in THE CHOICE. (Motion Picture Artwork (c) 2015 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1: Colin
CHAPTER 2: Maria
CHAPTER 3: Colin
CHAPTER 4: Maria
CHAPTER 5: Colin
CHAPTER 6: Maria
CHAPTER 7: Colin
CHAPTER 8: Maria
CHAPTER 9: Colin
CHAPTER 10: Maria
CHAPTER 11: Colin
CHAPTER 12: Maria
CHAPTER 13: Colin
CHAPTER 14: Maria
CHAPTER 15: Colin
CHAPTER 16: Maria
CHAPTER 17: Colin
CHAPTER 18: Maria
CHAPTER 19: Colin
CHAPTER 20: Maria
CHAPTER 21: Colin
CHAPTER 22: Maria
CHAPTER 23: Colin
CHAPTER 24: Maria
CHAPTER 25: Colin
CHAPTER 26: Maria
CHAPTER 27: Colin
CHAPTER 28: Maria
CHAPTER 29: Colin
CHAPTER 30: Maria
CHAPTER 31: Colin
CHAPTER 32: Maria
CHAPTER 33: Colin
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ALSO BY NICHOLAS SPARKS
A PREVIEW OF THE CHOICE
NEWSLETTERS
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright (c) 2015 by Willow Holdings, Inc.
Cover Design by Claire Brown
Cover photograph of beach by kc.banghew/Shutterstock Cover photograph of roses by Herman Estevez Cover copyright (c) 2015 by Hachette Book Group, Inc
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Excerpt from The Choice copyright (c) 2007 by Nicholas Sparks All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.
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ISBN 978-1-455-52059-6
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