The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

her, though she wasn’t sure why. Unaccountably, she recalled the disappointment on Travis’s face when she’d told him about her boyfriend, and she flushed. It wasn’t as if she felt any differently toward Kevin. . . .
    She’d certainly been wrong about Travis Parker, wrong about everything from the beginning. He’d been so steady during the emergency. It still amazed her, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. It was his job, after all, she reminded herself.
    With that, she decided to call Kevin. He was immediately sympathetic, promising to be there within minutes.
    “How’re you holding up?” Kevin asked.
    Gabby leaned into him. His arm felt good around her. “Anxious, I guess.”
    He pulled her closer, and she could smell him, fresh and clean, as if he’d showered right before coming over. His hair, unkempt and windblown, made him look like a college student.
    “I’m glad your neighbor was there,” he said. “Travis, right?”
    “Yeah.” She looked over. “Do you know him?”
    “Not really,” he said. “We do the insurance for the clinic, but that’s one of the accounts my dad still handles.”
    “I thought this was a small town and you knew everyone.”
    “It is. But I grew up in Morehead City, and as a kid, I didn’t hang out with anyone from Beaufort. Besides, I think he’s a few years older than me. He was probably off to college by the time I started high school.”
    She nodded. In the silence, her thoughts circled back to Travis, his serious expression as he worked on Molly, the quiet assurance in his voice as he explained what was wrong. In the silence, she felt a vague current of guilt, and she leaned in to nuzzle Kevin’s neck. Kevin stroked her shoulder, his touch comforting in its familiarity. “I’m glad you came over,” she whispered. “I really needed you here tonight.”
    He kissed her hair. “Where else would I be?”
    “I know, but you had that meeting, and you’re leaving early tomorrow.”
    “No big deal. It’s just a convention. It’ll take me ten minutes to pack, tops. I just wish I could have gotten here sooner.”
    “You probably would have been grossed out.”
    “Probably. But I still feel bad.”
    “Don’t. There’s no reason to.”
    He stroked her hair. “Do you want me to postpone my trip? I’m sure my dad would understand if I stay around here tomorrow.”
    “No, that’s okay. I’ve got to work anyway.”
    “You sure?”
    “Yeah,” she said. “But thanks for asking. That means a lot to me.”

Six
    A fter finding his son crashed on the cot and a dog in the recovery room, Max Parker listened as Travis explained what had happened. Max filled two cups with coffee and brought them both to the table.
    “Not bad for your first time,” Max said. With his white hair and bushy white eyebrows, he was the picture of a well-liked small-town veterinarian.
    “Have you ever treated a dog for it?”
    “Never,” Max admitted. “Treated a horse once, though. You know how rare it is. Molly seems to be doing fine now. She sat up and wagged her tail when I came in this morning. How late were you up with her?”
    Travis sipped the coffee with gratitude. “Most of the night. I wanted to make sure it didn’t recur.”
    “It usually doesn’t,” he said. “It’s a good thing you were there. Have you called the owner yet?”
    “No. But I will.” He wiped his face. “Man, I’m exhausted.”
    “Why don’t you go get some sleep? I can handle things here, and I’ll keep an eye on Molly.”
    “I don’t want to put you out.”
    “You’re not,” Max said with a grin. “Don’t you remember? You’re not supposed to be here. It’s Friday.”
    A few minutes later, after checking in on Molly, Travis pulled into his driveway and got out of the car. He stretched his arms overhead, then headed over to Gabby’s place. As he crossed her driveway, he saw the newspaper poking out of the box and, after a brief hesitation, pulled it out. On her porch a