Free The Choice by Nicholas Sparks Page B

two more times before reaching for the lubricating jelly, hoping it would work.
    Gabby couldn’t bear to watch, so she concentrated on Molly, her mouth close to Molly’s ear as she whispered over and over what a good dog she was. Travis stayed quiet, his hand moving rhythmically over the uterus.
    She didn’t know how long they were in the garage—it could have been ten minutes or it could have been an hour—but finally, she saw Travis lean back, as if trying to relieve the tension in his shoulders. It was then she noticed that his hands were free.
    “Is it over?” she ventured. “Is she all right?”
    “Yes and no,” he said. “Her uterus is back in place, and it seemed to contract without any problems, but she needs to go to the clinic. She’s going to need to take it easy for a couple of days while she gets her strength back, and she’ll need some antibiotics and fluids. I’ll have to do an X-ray as well. But if there are no further complications, she should be good as new. What I’m going to do now is back my truck up to the garage. I’ve got some old blankets she can lie on.”
    “And it won’t . . . fall back out?”
    “It shouldn’t. Like I said, it contracted normally.”
    “What about the puppies?”
    “We’ll bring them. They need to be with their mama.”
    “And that won’t hurt her?”
    “It shouldn’t. But that’s why she needs fluids. So the puppies can nurse.”
    Gabby felt her shoulders relax; she hadn’t realized how tense they’d become. For the first time, she smiled. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said.
    “You just did.”
    After cleaning up, Travis carefully loaded Molly into the truck while Gabby started with the puppies. Once all six were settled, Travis repacked the bag and tossed it onto the front seat. He walked around the truck and opened the driver’s-side door.
    “I’ll let you know how it goes,” he said.
    “I’m coming.”
    “It would be better if she got some rest, and if you’re in the room, that might not happen. She needs to recover. Don’t worry—I’ll take good care of her. I’ll be with her all night. You have my word on that.”
    She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
    “She’ll be fine. I promise.”
    She considered what he’d said, then offered a tremulous smile. “You know, in my line of work, we’re taught never to promise anything. We’re told to say that we’ll do our best.”
    “Would you feel better if I didn’t promise?”
    “No. But I still think I should come with you.”
    “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
    “Yes. But so do you.”
    “True, but this is my job. It’s what I do. And besides, I have a cot. If you came, you’d have to sleep on the floor.”
    “You mean you wouldn’t give me the cot?”
    He climbed into the truck. “I suppose I could if I had to,” he said, grinning. “But I’m concerned about what your boyfriend would think if you and I spent the night together.”
    “How did you know I have a boyfriend?”
    He reached for the door. “I didn’t,” he said, sounding faintly disappointed. Then he smiled, recovering. “Let me bring her in, okay? And call me tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it went.”
    “Yeah,” she relented. “Okay.”
    Travis closed the door, and she heard the engine rattle to a start. He leaned out the window. “Don’t worry,” he said again. “She’s going to be fine.”
    He eased toward the road, then turned left. In the distance, he waved at her out the window. Gabby waved in return, though she knew he couldn’t see it, watching the red lights fade as they rounded the corner.
    After he left, Gabby wandered to the bedroom and stood in front of the bureau. She’d always known she’d never be the type to stop traffic, but for the first time in ages, she found herself staring into the mirror and wondering what someone besides Kevin thought when he saw her.
    Despite her exhaustion and unruly hair, she didn’t look as bad as she feared. The thought pleased