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“You might say that.”
She tapped the glass, trying to get Mabel’s attention. After a moment, she turned to him again. “So what do you usually do on your day off?”
“Just a good old southern boy, huh? Going fishing, watching the clouds. I feel like you should be wearing a NASCAR hat and chewing tobacco.”
They’d spent another half hour at the aquarium-Ro
“Don’t be a snob,” he chided her. “Believe it or not, the South is great. We have indoor plumbing and everything. And on weekends, we get to go mudding.”
“Mudding?”
“We drive our trucks in the mud.”
Ro
He nudged her playfully. “Yeah, tease me if you want. But it’s fun. Muddy water spraying all over the windshield, getting stuck, spi
“Believe me, I’m giddy just thinking about it,” Ro
“I take it that’s not how you spend your weekends in the city.”
She shook her head. “Uh… no. Not exactly.”
“I’ll bet you never even leave the city, do you?”
“Of course I leave the city. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You know what I mean. On the weekends.”
“Why would I want to leave the city?”
“Maybe just to be alone now and then?”
“I can be alone in my room.”
“Where would you go if you wanted to sit beneath a tree and read?”
“I’d go to Central Park,” she countered easily. “There’s this great knoll behind Tavern on the Green. And I can buy a latte just around the corner.”
He shook his head in mock lament. “You’re such a city girl. Do you even know how to fish?”
“It’s not that hard. Bait the hook, cast the line, then hold the pole. How am I doing so far?”
“Okay, if that’s all there was to it. But you have to know where to cast and be good enough to cast exactly where you want. You have to know what bait and lures to use, and those depend on everything from the type of fish to the weather to the clarity of the water. And then, of course, you have to set the hook. If you’re too early or too late, you’ll miss the fish.”
Ro
“Because it was on sale,” he answered.
She giggled, then brushed lightly against him. “Cute,” she said. “But I guess I deserved that.”
He could still feel the warmth of her touch on his shoulder. “You deserve worse,” he said. “Believe me, fishing is like a religion to some folks around here.”
“You included?”
“No. Fishing is… contemplative. Gives me time to think without interruption. And besides, I enjoy watching the clouds while I wear my NASCAR hat and chew tobacco.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t really chew tobacco, do you?”
“No. I kind of like the idea of not losing my lips to mouth cancer.”
“Good,” she said. She swung her legs back and forth. “I’d never date anyone who chewed tobacco.”
“Are you saying we’re on a date?”
“No. This definitely isn’t a date. This is fishing.”
“You’ve got so much to learn. I mean, this… is what life’s all about.”
She picked at a sliver of wood on the dock. “You sound like a beer commercial.”
An osprey glided over them just as the line ducked once and then a second time. Will jerked the rod upward as the line went tight. He scrambled to his feet as he began to reel it in, the rod already bending. It happened so fast that Ro
“Did you get one?” she asked, jumping up.
“Come closer,” he urged, continuing to reel. He forced the rod toward her. “Here!” he shouted. “Take it!”
“I can’t!” she squealed, backing away.
“It’s not hard! Just take it and continue to turn the reel!”
“I don’t know what to do!”
“I just told you!” he said. Ro
She watched the rod bob lower as she began to turn the crank.
“Hold it up! Keep the line tight!”
“I’m trying!” she cried.
“You’re doing great!”
The fish splashed near the surface-a small red drum, he noticed-and Ro
It was, he thought, one of the fu
“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” he encouraged. “Get it closer to the dock and I’ll take care of the rest.” Holding the net, he got down on his belly, stretching his arm over the water as Ro
“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “You’ve got to put it back into the water!”
“It’ll be fine-”
“It’s dying!”
He squatted and grabbed the fish, pi
“You’ve got to get the hook out!” she shrieked again.
He reached for the hook and began to pry it out. “I’m trying! Just give me a second!”
“It’s bleeding! You hurt it!” She danced around him frantically.
Ignoring her, he began to work the hook out. He could feel the tail moving back and forth, flopping against the back of his hand. It was small, maybe three or four pounds, but surprisingly strong.
“You’re taking too long!” Ro
He carefully freed the hook but held the fish pi
Her mouth opened and closed in disbelief, but before she could say anything, Will tossed the fish back into the water. With a splash, it dove and vanished. Will reached for a hand towel and wiped the blood from his fingers.
Ro
“I would have thrown it back.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you’re probably right.” He smiled at her before reaching for the rod. “Now, do you want to bait the next hook or should I?”
“So Mom’s been going crazy trying to plan my sister’s wedding and make the whole thing perfect,” Will said. “It’s been a little… tense at the house.”
“When’s the wedding?”
“August ninth. It doesn’t help matters that my sister wants to have it at our house. Which, of course, only adds to my mom’s stress.”
Ro
“Smart. Lives in New York. A bit of a free spirit. Pretty much like another older sister I know.”
That seemed to please her. As they strolled the beach, the sun was setting and Will could tell that Ro