Read Online Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicholas Sparks
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finally said. “Just let me get my cup.”
By the time she’d returned, Paul was sitting in one of the two glider rockers near the fireplace. With black-and-white photographs
along the wall that depicted life in the Outer Banks during the 1920s and a long shelf of thumbed-through books, this had
always been her favorite room in the Inn. There were two windows along the far wall that looked to the ocean. A small stack
of cordwood was piled near the fireplace along with a container of kindling, as if promising a cozy evening with family.
Paul was holding his cup of coffee in his lap, rocking back and forth, taking in the view. The wind was making the sand blow,
and the fog was rolling in, giving the world outside an illusion of dusk. Adrienne sat in the chair next to his and for a
moment watched the scene in silence, trying not to feel nervous.
Paul turned toward her. “Do you think the storm’s going to blow us away tomorrow?” he asked.
Adrienne ran her hand through her hair. “I doubt it. This place has been here for sixty years, and it hasn’t blown away yet.”
“Have you ever been here during a nor’easter? A big one, I mean, like the one they’re expecting?”
“No. But Jean has, so it can’t be too bad. But then again, she’s from here, so maybe she’s used to it.”
As she answered, Paul found himself evaluating her. Younger by a few years than he was, with light brown hair cut just above
the shoulder blades and curled slightly. She wasn’t thin, but she wasn’t heavy, either; to him, her figure was inviting in
a way that defied the unrealistic standards of television or magazines. She had a slight bump on her nose, crow’s-feet around
her eyes, and her skin had reached that soft point in between youth and age, before gravity began to take its toll.
“And you said she’s a friend?”
“We met in college years ago. Jean was one of my roommates, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. This used to be her grandparents’
house, but her parents converted it to an inn. After you made arrangements with her to stay, she called me, since she had
an out-of-town wedding to attend.”
“But you don’t live here?”
“No, I live in Rocky Mount. Have you ever been there?”
“Many times. I used to pass through on trips to Greenville.”
At his answer, Adrienne wondered again about the address he’d listed on the registration form. She took a sip of coffee and
lowered the cup to her lap.
“I know it’s none of my business,” she said, “but can I ask what you’re doing here? You don’t have to answer if you don’t
want—I’m just curious.”
Paul shifted in his chair. “I’m here to talk to someone.”
“That’s a long way to drive to have a conversation.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice. He wanted to meet in person.”
His voice sounded tight and remote, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought. In the silence, Adrienne could hear the whipping
of the flag out front.
Paul set his coffee on the table between them.
“What do you do?” he finally asked, his voice warming again. “Besides watching bed-and-breakfasts for friends?”
“I work in the public library.”
“You do?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I guess I am. I expected you to say something different.”
“Like what?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure. Just not that. You don’t look old enough to be a librarian. Where I live, they’re all in their
sixties.”
She smiled. “It’s only part-time. I have three kids, so I do the mom thing, too.”
“How old are they?”
“Eighteen, seventeen, and fifteen.”
“Do they keep you busy?”
“No, not really. As long as I’m up by five and don’t go to bed until midnight, it’s not too bad.”
He chuckled under his breath, and Adrienne felt herself beginning to relax. “How about you? Do you have children?”
“Just one. A son.” For a moment his eyes dropped, but he came back to her again. “He’s a doctor
By the time she’d returned, Paul was sitting in one of the two glider rockers near the fireplace. With black-and-white photographs
along the wall that depicted life in the Outer Banks during the 1920s and a long shelf of thumbed-through books, this had
always been her favorite room in the Inn. There were two windows along the far wall that looked to the ocean. A small stack
of cordwood was piled near the fireplace along with a container of kindling, as if promising a cozy evening with family.
Paul was holding his cup of coffee in his lap, rocking back and forth, taking in the view. The wind was making the sand blow,
and the fog was rolling in, giving the world outside an illusion of dusk. Adrienne sat in the chair next to his and for a
moment watched the scene in silence, trying not to feel nervous.
Paul turned toward her. “Do you think the storm’s going to blow us away tomorrow?” he asked.
Adrienne ran her hand through her hair. “I doubt it. This place has been here for sixty years, and it hasn’t blown away yet.”
“Have you ever been here during a nor’easter? A big one, I mean, like the one they’re expecting?”
“No. But Jean has, so it can’t be too bad. But then again, she’s from here, so maybe she’s used to it.”
As she answered, Paul found himself evaluating her. Younger by a few years than he was, with light brown hair cut just above
the shoulder blades and curled slightly. She wasn’t thin, but she wasn’t heavy, either; to him, her figure was inviting in
a way that defied the unrealistic standards of television or magazines. She had a slight bump on her nose, crow’s-feet around
her eyes, and her skin had reached that soft point in between youth and age, before gravity began to take its toll.
“And you said she’s a friend?”
“We met in college years ago. Jean was one of my roommates, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. This used to be her grandparents’
house, but her parents converted it to an inn. After you made arrangements with her to stay, she called me, since she had
an out-of-town wedding to attend.”
“But you don’t live here?”
“No, I live in Rocky Mount. Have you ever been there?”
“Many times. I used to pass through on trips to Greenville.”
At his answer, Adrienne wondered again about the address he’d listed on the registration form. She took a sip of coffee and
lowered the cup to her lap.
“I know it’s none of my business,” she said, “but can I ask what you’re doing here? You don’t have to answer if you don’t
want—I’m just curious.”
Paul shifted in his chair. “I’m here to talk to someone.”
“That’s a long way to drive to have a conversation.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice. He wanted to meet in person.”
His voice sounded tight and remote, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought. In the silence, Adrienne could hear the whipping
of the flag out front.
Paul set his coffee on the table between them.
“What do you do?” he finally asked, his voice warming again. “Besides watching bed-and-breakfasts for friends?”
“I work in the public library.”
“You do?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I guess I am. I expected you to say something different.”
“Like what?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure. Just not that. You don’t look old enough to be a librarian. Where I live, they’re all in their
sixties.”
She smiled. “It’s only part-time. I have three kids, so I do the mom thing, too.”
“How old are they?”
“Eighteen, seventeen, and fifteen.”
“Do they keep you busy?”
“No, not really. As long as I’m up by five and don’t go to bed until midnight, it’s not too bad.”
He chuckled under his breath, and Adrienne felt herself beginning to relax. “How about you? Do you have children?”
“Just one. A son.” For a moment his eyes dropped, but he came back to her again. “He’s a doctor
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