“Thanks for the pep talk,” Andrew said. “Let’s just get this done.”
From the sidelines, Asher called out, “You sure trust Grant to pull you out if there’s trouble?”
Andrew chucked a nervous looking Grant in the shoulder. “Always.”
Only because Grant was looking a little queasy, Angelina said to Connor, “Get a little closer just in case they need you. If the catfish is big enough it can pull a man under.”
“On it.” Connor hovered where one might have thought he just wanted to see what was happening, but close enough to dive in and help if he needed to.
Without fanfare, Andrew bent down so the water was shoulder high and stuck his arm inside a hole. He made a face, but didn’t move. A moment later, he pulled out an impressively large catfish like he’d been doing it his whole life.
Out of the water, it thrashed around. He called out, “Catch.” And tossed the fish to Grant.
Grant hugged the fish to his chest for a moment, looked hilariously horrified, then released it back into the water. “That was a squirrely one,” he said in a calm voice that was completely opposite of how he likely felt.
Applause and laughter rang out from the shore. “It’s all good,” Angelina’s father said. “Although, when it comes to fishing, the ones you hold on to make better eating.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for the next time,” Grant said as he made his way back to shore.
Viviana was right there to greet him with a towel. “Will there be a next time?”
“Hell no,” he said with a laugh. “But at least I tried it.”
“You sure did, honey,” Viviana said in sweet support.
Jared announced the next group should step up. This time it was Dylan Sutton and Kade Thompson-Barrington.
Kade said, “Want me to do it, Dylan? It can’t be worse than gator hunting back home. Every once in a while one of them would try to move into a neighborhood pool. Never intentionally put my hand into any of their mouths though.”
Dylan looked around and puffed out his chest. “I’ve been doing my own stunts. How bad can this be?”
“Okay, I’ve got your back,” Kade said in agreement.
Andrew lingered nearby. Without saying so, it was apparent he did as well.
Dylan stuck a hand in, swore profusely, but stayed bent over. “Holy hell, what’s that?” he asked. Just then he was spun underwater and disappeared from view.
There was a split second of shock then the men began to dive to retrieve him. Collectively no one above the water moved.
Waist deep in water herself, Angelina wrung her hands as Connor dove after Dylan. No one she knew had ever died doing this, but it did happen. She sent up a prayer and scanned the crowd for her child. He was standing beside his grandparents looking just as scared as she felt.
Dylan resurfaced with Connor holding one arm and Andrew holding the other. Andrew was the first to speak. “You are one crazy bastard, Dylan.”
With that, Dylan raised both arms, he had a wildly thrashing catfish attached to each of his hands, one significantly larger than the other—so big, her brothers rushed in to pull it off him and hold it up for the crowd. It was the largest Angelina had personally ever seen pulled from the pond.
Dylan was beaming as the other fish was retrieved from his hand. He called out to Sean Sutton. “Dad, did you see that shit? That is how noodling is done.”
“I saw,” Sean called back. “Just glad you survived.”
“Me too,” Dylan said as he made his way to shore. Joanna met him with a towel and a smile.
Oh, she’s good.
When the cheering died down, Connor announced, “Looks like it’s our turn.” His hair was already plastered to his head and he stunk like the bottom of the pond. God, she’d never loved him more.
They stood before a hole Jared said they’d confirmed a good-sized catfish resided inside. “You ready?” Angelina asked.
“I was born for this,” Connor boasted and stuck his hand in. “Holy crap, it’s a huge one. Oh, no. Are those teeth? Ow. Ow. Holy shit that hurts.” He pulled his hand out. “I can’t do it.”
“That’s okay,” she said. Really, the whole sport was insane. That he couldn’t was actually a good sign. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”
“Oh, we’re getting that fish. I just think you should do it.”
“Me?” Her voice came out as a squeak.
“You’re a six-time noodler, remember? You can do this.”
“I believe in you, Mom,” Whitney called out from the shore.
Angelina turned to face Connor. “Hold on. That fish is too big for you to want to catch, but you think I can do it?”
His grin was all challenge. “I believe in you too.”
The crowd began to chant for her to do it.
Angelina considered refusing, but this was her town—her sport. And dammit, she’d once pulled a fish out that had weighed more than her. No way was she going to back down now. “Fine,” she said, squared her shoulders, and stuck her hand inside the hole.
Nothing.
No bite.
No thud of warning.
“You sure there was something in here? Doesn’t seem to be anything now.”
“Try near the bottom,” Connor said.
Catfish could hide low. Angelina ran her hand along the bottom then stopped when she came across a small box. “I found something, but not a catfish.” She straightened out of the water and held the box out. It was small like a—ring box.
Her breath caught in her throat. She opened it with shaking hands.
“Easy there,” Connor said, bringing his hands around hers to steady them. “Drop it now and we’ll never find it.”
There in a wet velvet display was a round diamond set simply on a platinum band. Connor retrieved the ring and said, “I would kneel but honestly it’s disgusting down there.”
“No need,” Angelina said in a voice just above a whisper.
“Angelina Kroll. I have fallen in love with you over and over again since the day we met. Every time I’m with you I think I can’t possibly love you more, then you do something that shows me I can. Marry me so I can spend the rest of my life showing you how good life can be with someone who loves all the sides of you.”
“Yes,” she said, slipping the ring on her finger before he had a chance to drop it. “Connor Sutton, you make me laugh every day. You brought back parts of me I thought I’d lost forever. You bet your ass we’re getting married.”
He swung her up and around, then down for a deep kiss.
When they broke the kiss off, they took a moment to simply stare into each other’s eyes. Just when she began to relax, Connor called out, “Whitney, get on in here. You and I are catching a catfish.”
Angelina opened her mouth to say no way in hell was her son doing any such thing, but he was already hopping into the water. She didn’t need to tell anyone to spot him. Connor moved to stand beside him. Dylan, Andrew, Kade, both of her brothers, and even Bradford joined them to make a half circle behind him.
Her eyes filled with tears when she saw her father shed his shoes and join them. Her baby was far from alone in the world and no longer a baby at all. The fish he pulled from the water wasn’t the biggest she’d ever seen, but the triumphant smile on his face was.