Nicholas Sparks - Nights in Rodanthe

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright 2002 by Nicholas Sparks

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Grand Central Publishing

Hachette Book Group

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Originally published in hardcover by Hachette Book Group USA.

First eBook Edition: September 2002

Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-7595-2728-7

AND #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
NICHOLAS SPARKS

Extremely hard to put down a love story and a good love story at that.

Boston Herald

The master of the love story genre vivid characters Hes also adept at bringing a background to life.

Amarillo Globe-News

Worth spending a night with.

People

A page-turner.

Connecticut Post

With immeasurable intensity and precision Sparks is once again exploring the mysterious ways of the heart.

Writers Digest

A Bend in the Road

Sweet, accessible, uplifting expect instant bestsellerdom.

Publishers Weekly

A powerful tale of true love.

Booklist

A charming and thoughtful love story Dont miss it; this is a book thats light on the surface but with subtle depths.

BookLoons.com

A moving story. Nicholas Sparks fans will love it.

TheBookHaven.net

The Rescue

A modern master of fateful love stories.

BookPage

A romantic page-turner Sparkss fans wont be disappointed.

Glamour magazine

All of Sparkss trademark elementslove, loss, and small-town lifeare present in this terrific read.

Booklist

A Walk to Remember

An extraordinary book touching, at times riveting a book you wont soon forget.

Sunday New York Post

A sweet tale of young but everlasting love.

Chicago Sun-Times

Bittersweet a tragic yet spiritual love story.

Variety

Sparks proves once again that he is a master at pulling heartstrings it will enthrall Sparkss numerous fans.

Booklist

Message in a Bottle

The novels unabashed emotionand an unexpected turnwill put tears in your eyes.

People

Glows with moments of tenderness has the potential to delve deeply into the mysteries of eternal love.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Deeply moving, beautifully written, and extremely romantic.

Booklist

Brew the tea or pour a glass of winewhatever is your pleasure. And settle in youre in for another treat.

Oakland Press

The Notebook

Nicholas Sparks will not let you go. His novel shines.

Dallas Morning News

Proves that good things come in small packages a classic tale of love.

Christian Science Monitor

The lyrical beauty of this touching love story will captivate the heart of every reader and establish Nicholas Sparks as a gifted novelist.

Denver Rocky Mountain News

The Notebook

Message in a Bottle

A Walk to Remember

The Rescue

A Bend in the Road

The Guardian

The Wedding

Three Weeks with My Brother (with Micah Sparks)

True Believer

At First Sight

Dear John

The Choice

For Landon, Lexie, and Savannah

Nights in Rodanthe, as with all my novels, couldnt have been written without the patience, love, and support of my wife, Cathy. She only gets more beautiful every year.

Since the dedication is to my other three children, I have to acknowledge both Miles and Ryan (who got a dedication in Message in a Bottle). I love you guys!

Id also like to thank Theresa Park and Jamie Raab, my agent and editor respectively. Not only do they both have wonderful instincts, but they never let me slide when it comes to my writing. Though I sometimes grumble about the challenges this presents, the final product is what it is because of those two. If they like the story, odds are that you will, too.

Larry Kirshbaum and Maureen Egen at Warner Books also deserve my thanks. When I go to New York, spending time with them is like visiting with my family. Theyve made Warner Books a wonderful home for me.

Denise Di Novi, the producer of both Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember, is not only skilled at what she does, but someone I trust and respect. Shes a good friend, and she deserves my thanks for all she has doneand still doesfor me.

Richard Green and Howie Sanders, my agents in Hollywood, are great friends, great people, and great at what they do. Thanks, guys.

Scott Schwimer, my attorney and friend, always watches out for me. Thank you.

In publicity, I have to thank Jennifer Romanello, Emi Battaglia, and Edna Farley; Flag and the rest of the cover design people; Courtenay Valenti and Lorenzo De Bonaventura of Warner Bros.; Hunt Lowry and Ed Gaylord II, of Gaylord Films; Mark Johnson and Lynn Harris of New Line Cinema; they have all been great to work with. Thanks, everyone.

Mandy Moore and Shane West were both wonderful in A Walk to Remember, and I appreciate their enthusiasm for the project.

Then there is family (who might get a kick out of seeing their names here): Micah, Christine, Alli, and Peyton; Bob, Debbie, Cody, and Cole; Mike and Parnell; Henrietta, Charles, and Glenara; Duke and Marge; Dianne and John; Monte and Gail; Dan and Sandy; Jack, Carlin, Joe, Elaine, and Mark; Michelle and Lemont; Paul, John, and Caroline; Tim, Joannie, and Papa Paul.

And, of course, how can I forget Paul and Adrienne?

T hree years earlier, on a warm November morning in 1999, Adrienne Willis had returned to the Inn and at first glance had thought it unchanged, as if the small Inn were impervious to sun and sand and salted mist. The porch had been freshly painted, and shiny black shutters sandwiched rectangular white-curtained windows on both floors like offset piano keys. The cedar siding was the color of dusty snow. On either side of the building, sea oats waved a greeting, and sand formed a curving dune that changed imperceptibly with each passing day as individual grains shifted from one spot to the next.

With the sun hovering among the clouds, the air had a luminescent quality, as though particles of light were suspended in the haze, and for a moment Adrienne felt shed traveled back in time. But looking closer, she gradually began to notice changes that cosmetic work couldnt hide: decay at the corners of the windows, lines of rust along the roof, water stains near the gutters. The Inn seemed to be winding down, and though she knew there was nothing she could do to change it, Adrienne remembered closing her eyes, as if to magically blink it back to what it had once been.