From a distance, they heard Moby begin barking frantically, the sound followed by the faint rustling of claws on bark. Glancing at the large oak tree near the hedges, Travis watched as a squirrel raced up the trunk. Though he couldn’t see him, he knew that Moby was still circling the oak, thinking that somehow the critter would lose its grip. Noticing that Gabby had turned at the sound, Travis raised his glass in that direction.
“My dog is crazy about chasing squirrels. He seems to regard it as his life’s purpose.”
“Most dogs do.”
“Does Molly?”
“No. Her owner has a bit more control over her, and she nipped that little problem in the bud before it got out of hand.”
“I see,” Travis said with mock seriousness.
Over the water, the first brilliant act of the sun’s descent was beginning. In another hour the creek would turn golden, but for now there was something dark and mysterious about its brackish color. Beyond the cypress trees lining the bank, Travis could see an osprey floating on updrafts and watched as a small motorboat loaded with fishing gear puttered past. It was captained by someone old enough to be Travis’s grandfather, and the gentleman waved. Travis returned the greeting, then took another drink.
“With all you said, I’m curious as to whether you can imagine yourself staying in Beaufort.”
She thought about her answer, sensing there was more to the question than it appeared.
“I suppose that depends,” she finally hedged. “It’s not exactly exciting, but on the other hand, it’s not a bad place to raise a family.”
“And that’s important?”
She turned toward him with a faint air of challenge. “Is there anything more important?”
“No,” he agreed evenly, “there isn’t. I’m evidence of that belief because I lived it. Beaufort is the kind of place where Little League baseball generates more conversation than the Super Bowl, and I like thinking that I can raise my kids where the little world they live in is all they know. Growing up, I used to think that this was the most boring place in the world, but when I think back, I realize that the corollary to that was that anything exciting meant that much more to me. I never grew jaded, the way so many city kids do.” He paused. “I remember going fishing with my dad every Saturday morning, and even though my dad was just about the worst fisherman who ever baited a hook, I found it thrilling. Now I understand that for my dad, at least, it was all about spending time with me, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that. I like thinking that I can give my kids the same kinds of experiences someday.”
“It’s nice to hear you say something like that,” Gabby said. “A lot of people don’t think that way.”
“I love this town.”
“Not that,” she said, smiling. “I was talking about the way you wanted to raise your kids. It seems like you’ve given it a lot of thought.”
“I have,” he conceded.
“You always have a way of surprising me, don’t you.”
“I don’t know. Do I?”
“A little. The more I’ve gotten to know you, the more you’ve come to strike me as impossibly well-adjusted.”
“I could say the same about you,” he responded. “Maybe that’s why we get along so well.”
She stared at him, feeling the crackle of tension between them. “You ready for dinner yet?”
He swallowed, hoping she couldn’t sense his feelings for her. “That sounds great,” he forced out.
Taking their wineglasses, they returned to the kitchen. Gabby motioned for Travis to sit at the table while she got things ready, and as he watched her move around the kitchen, he felt a sense of contentment settle upon him.
At dinner, he ate two pieces of chicken, enjoyed the green beans and the pasta, and complimented Gabby extravagantly on her cooking, until she giggled, begging him to stop. He asked her repeatedly about her childhood in Savannah, and she finally relented, regaling him with a couple of girlhood stories that made them both chuckle. In time, the sky turned gray and blue and finally black. The candles burned lower, and they poured the last of the wine into their glasses, both aware that they were sitting across from a person who just might change the course of their lives forever if they weren’t careful.
After dinner was over and Travis helped Gabby clean up, they retreated to the couch, nursing their wine and sharing stories from their pasts. Gabby tried to imagine Travis as a young boy, wondering also what she would have thought about him had they met during her high school or college years.
As the evening wore on, Travis inched closer, casually slipping his arm around her. Gabby leaned into him, feeling snug against him, content to watch the play of silver moonlight as it filtered through the clouds.
“What are you thinking about?” Travis asked at one point, breaking a particularly long yet comfortable silence.
“I was thinking how natural this whole weekend has seemed.” Gabby looked at him. “Like we’ve known each other forever.”
“I guess that means a couple of my stories were boring, huh?”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” she teased. “Lots of your stories were boring.”
He laughed, pulling her tighter. “The more I get to know you, the more you surprise me. I like that.”
“What are neighbors for?”
“Is that still all I am to you? Just a neighbor?”
She glanced away without responding, and Travis went on. “I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I can’t leave tonight without telling you that just being neighbors isn’t enough for me.”
“Travis…”
“Let me finish, okay?” he said. “Earlier today, when we talked, you told me how much you’d missed having friends around, and I’ve been thinking about that ever since, but not in the way that you probably imagine. It made me realize that even though I have friends, I’ve been missing something that all my friends do have. Laird and Allison, Joe and Megan, Matt and Liz, all have each other. I don’t have that in my life, and until you came along, I wasn’t sure I even wanted it. But now…”
She picked at the beadwork on her shirt, resisting his words and yet welcoming them, too.
“I don’t want to lose you, Gabby. I can’t imagine seeing you walk to your car in the morning and pretending that none of this ever happened. I can’t imagine not sitting here with you on the couch, like we’re doing now.” He swallowed. “And right now, I can’t imagine being in love with any other woman.”
Gabby wasn’t sure she’d heard him right, but when she saw the way he was staring at her, she knew he meant it. And with that, she felt the last of her defenses falling away and knew she had fallen in love with him as well.
The grandfather clock chimed in the background. Candlelight flickered on the walls, casting shadows around the room. Travis could sense the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and they continued to stare at each other, neither one of them able to speak.
The phone rang, shattering her thoughts, and Travis turned away. Gabby leaned forward and reached for the portable phone. She answered, her voice betraying nothing.
“Oh, hey, how are you?… Not much… Uh-huh… I was running some errands… What’s been going on there?”
As she listened to Kevin’s voice, a rush of guilt washed over her. Yet she found herself reaching over and placing a hand on Travis’s leg. He hadn’t moved or made a sound, and she could feel the muscles tense beneath his jeans as she ran her hand along his thigh.