Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks Page B

Katie squinted, realizing that Jo was right.
    “Whose bicycle is that?” Katie asked.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Did you hear anyone come up?”
    “No. But I think someone left it for you. See?” She pointed. “Isn’t that a bow on the handlebars?”
    Katie squinted, spotting the bow. A woman’s bike, it had wire baskets on each side of the rear wheel, as well as another wire basket on the front. A chain was wrapped loosely around the seat, with the key still in the lock. “Who would bring me a bicycle?”
    “Why do you keep asking me these questions? I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do.”
    Katie and Jo stepped off the porch. Though the puddles had largely vanished, sinking into the sandy loam, the grass held on to the rain and dampened the tips of her shoes as Katie moved through it. She touched the bicycle, then the bow, rubbing the ribbon between her fingers like a rug merchant. A card was tucked beneath it, and Katie reached for it.
    “It’s from Alex,” she said, sounding baffled.
    “Alex the store guy Alex, or another Alex?”
    “The store guy.”
    “What does it say?”
    Katie shook her head, trying to make sense of it before holding it out. I thought you might enjoy this .
    Jo tapped the note. “I guess that means he’s as interested in you as you are in him.”
    “I’m not interested in him!”
    “Of course not.” Jo winked. “Why would you be?”

8

    A lex was sweeping the floor near the coolers when Katie entered the store. He had guessed that she would show up to talk to him about the bicycle first thing in the morning. After leaning the broom handle against the glass, he retucked his shirt and ran a quick hand through his hair. Kristen had been waiting for her all morning and she’d already popped up before the door had even closed.
    “Hey, Miss Katie!” Kristen said. “Did you get the bicycle?”
    “I did. Thank you,” Katie answered. “That’s why I’m here.”
    “We worked really hard on it.”
    “You did a great job,” she said. “Is your dad around?”
    “Uh-huh. He’s right over there.” She pointed. “He’s coming.”
    Alex watched as Katie turned toward him.
    “Hey, Katie,” he said.
    When he was close, she crossed her arms. “Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
    He could hear the coolness in her voice and knew she was doing her best not to show her anger in front of Kristen.
    “Of course,” he said, reaching for the door. Pushing it open, he followed her outside and found himself admiring her figure as she headed toward the bicycle.
    Stopping near the bike, she turned to face him. In the front basket was the umbrella she’d borrowed the day before. She patted the seat, her face serious. “Can I ask what this is about?”
    “Do you like it?”
    “Why did you buy it for me?”
    “I didn’t buy it for you,” he said.
    She blinked. “But your note…”
    He shrugged. “It’s been in the shed collecting dust for the last couple of years. Believe me, the last thing I’d do is buy you a bicycle.”
    Her eyes flashed. “That’s not the point! You keep giving me things and you’ve got to stop. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t need an umbrella or vegetables or wine. And I don’t need a bike!”
    “Then give it away.” He shrugged. “Because I don’t want it, either.”
    She fell silent and he watched as confusion gave way to frustration, then finally futility. In the end, she shook her head and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, he cleared his throat. “Before you go, though, would you at least do me the favor of listening to my explanation?”
    She glared at him over her shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.”
    “It might not matter to you, but it matters to me.”
    Her eyes held his, wavering before they finally dropped. When she sighed, he motioned to the bench in front of the store. He’d originally placed it there, wedged between the ice maker and a rack of propane tanks, as a joke, knowing that it