The Choice - Nicholas Sparks [33]
The problem, she heard a little voice answer, was that it seemed as though there should be . . . more. She wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed, other than that spontaneity seemed to be an integral part of it.
She shook her head, thinking she was making too much of it. Their relationship was just going through some growing pains. Moving out onto her back deck, she saw that outside, it was one of those impossibly beautiful mornings. Perfect temperature, light breeze, not a cloud in the sky. In the distance, she watched a heron break from the marsh grass, gliding above sun-drenched water. As she stared in that direction, she caught sight of Travis heading down to the dock, wearing nothing but low-slung plaid Bermudas that stretched almost to his knees. From her vantage point, she could see the muscle striations in his arms and back as he walked, and she took a step backward, toward the sliding glass door, hoping he wouldn’t spot her. In the next instant, however, she heard him calling out to her.
“Hey, Gabby!” He waved, reminding her of a kid on the first day of summer vacation. “Can you believe how beautiful the day is already?”
He started to jog toward her, and she stepped into the sun just as he pushed through the hedges. She took a deep breath.
“Hey, Travis.”
“It’s my favorite time of year.” He opened his arms wide to take in the sky and trees. “Not too hot, not too cold, and blue skies that stretch forever.”
She smiled, refusing to eye his admittedly sexy hip muscles, which, she always thought, were far and away the sexiest muscles on men.
“How’s Molly doing?” he chattered. “I assume she made it through the night okay.”
Gabby cleared her throat. “She’s fine. Thanks.”
“And the puppies?”
“They seem okay, too. But they made quite a mess.”
“They’ll do that. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep them in a smaller area.”
He flashed those bleached teeth in a familiar grin, way too familiar, even if he was the hunk-who-saved-her-dog.
She crossed her arms, reminding herself how sneaky he’d been the day before. “Yeah, well, I didn’t quite get to it yesterday.”
“Why not?”
Because you distracted me, she thought. “I guess I just forgot.”
“Your garage must smell to high heaven.”
She shrugged without responding, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.
He didn’t seem to notice her carefully choreographed response. “Listen, it doesn’t have to be complicated. But pooping is all puppies do for the first couple of days. It’s like the milk runs right through them. But you’ve got the pen up now, right?”
She tried her best to keep a poker face but obviously failed.
“You don’t?” he asked.
Gabby shifted from one foot to the other. “Not exactly,” she admitted.
“Why not?”
Because you keep distracting me, she thought. “I’m not sure I need one.”
Travis scratched at his neck. “Do you like cleaning up after them?”
“It’s not so bad,” she mumbled.
“You mean you’re going to give them the run of your whole garage?”
“Why not?” she said, knowing that the first thing she was going to do after this was to build the tiniest pen she could.
He stared at her in obvious bafflement. “Just so you know, as your vet, I’m going to come right out and say that I don’t think you’ve made the right decision.”
“Thanks for your opinion,” she snapped.
He continued to stare at her. “All right, then. Suit yourself. You’re going to come to my house around ten, right?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“I see,” he said, sounding exactly like her mother.
“Good.”
“Is something bothering you?”
“No.”
“Have I done something to upset you?”
Yes, the little voice answered. You and your damn hip muscles. “No.”
“Then what’s the problem?” he asked.
“There’s no problem.”
“Then what’s up with the way you’re acting?”
“I’m not acting any way.