Alicia Jane Yates

Her name is Jellie Braden, and economics professor Michael Tillman wants her from the moment they meet at a reception for new faculty members. Something deep inside Michael whispers that she is the one, and Jellie—a 40-year-old married woman—hears the voice, too. The attraction—between this middle-aged man who still rides the motorcycle from his youth and the introspective wife of a new colleague—calls forth magical feelings that only lovers can know. At the same time, it engenders the pain of choices and loss.

This novel, Robert James Waller's next after his best selling The Bridges of Madison County, is a passionate story of choices and loss and the intense power of instant attraction.

Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life, including boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies, he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.