“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Jared didn’t look so sure as he took the bacon out of the skillet and placed it on a paper towel to drain. I placed the biscuits in the oven, then threw together a fruit salad while he cooked some eggs. Once everything was ready, we carried it over to the kitchen table and sat down. I was starving, so I wasted no time digging in. I’d only taken a few bites when Jared asked, “Feeling better?”
“Much.” I smiled. “Thanks to you.”
“Just doing what I can.”
“Well, it’s very much appreciated.” I took a bite of the very crispy bacon, then asked, “Do you have any idea how Billy is going to make it look like I committed suicide?”
“I might have a few thoughts on the matter, but nothing concrete.” Jared swallowed a mouthful of food before adding, “Billy’s the one handling all the details.”
“Do you still feel confident that he’ll be able to pull this off?”
“I do.” He reached over and placed his hand on mine. “You’ve had a tough morning. Let’s take a break from all this for a while.”
“How do you suppose we do that?”
“We could go for a ride or a walk,” he said before finishing off his eggs. “Maybe try a little fishing.”
“You, fishing? Seriously?”
“What?” he gasped dramatically. “You think I can’t fish?”
“I don’t know.” I leaned to the side and let my eyes skirt over his cut, then slowly down to his rugged jeans and biker boots. “You don’t really seem like the type.”
“The type? Are you kidding me?” he scoffed, sounding offended. “I’m definitely the type. I’ve been fishing since I was a kid, and just so you know, fish love me. They practically jump on my line.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.” He took the last bite of his biscuit and said, “I could show you, but I should warn ya. A skill like mine can be considered a very desirable trait. I don’t know if you’ll be able to handle it.”
“I hate to break it to ya, but I’ve never found anything about fishing desirable.”
“Until now.” He gave me a wink, then stood and carried his empty plate and glass over to the sink. “I’m going out to the shed to see if I can find some fishing gear.”
“Wait... You’re serious about this?”
“Absolutely.”
Jared disappeared out of the house, leaving me to wonder what the hell I’d just gotten myself into. I got up and took my plate over to the sink, quickly rinsing it along with all the other dirty dishes before loading up the dishwasher. After wiping down the counters, I ran into the bedroom and changed into something more comfortable, then headed outside to find Jared. He was walking out of Billy’s shed with an oversized tackle box and two fishing poles. I couldn’t help but giggle, watching this hunk of a man smile like a kid at Christmas as he made his way down to the dock and started setting things up. By the time I reached him, he had new fishing line on both of the poles. He motioned his hand over to the tackle box, then said, “You need to pick a lure.”
“A lure?”
“Yeah.” Jared held up an orange spinner as he announced, “I’m going to use this beauty right here.”
“All I need is a hook and a bobber.”
“Hate to break it to ya, babe, but you’re gonna need more than just a hook to catch a fish.”
“I’m aware.” As I turned away from the pier, I shouted, “Just get me a hook, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Hey! Where ya going?”
Without answering, I rushed back up to the house and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and, after a bit of digging, finally found what I was looking for. I grabbed the package and ran back out to the dock. Keeping it hidden from Jared, I took the fishing pole he’d readied for me and eased over to the other side of the small pier. I watched as Jared cast his line and slowly reeled it back in. When he pulled the hook out of the water without a fish, I had to fight the urge to snicker. He didn’t bother looking in my direction; he knew I was smiling.
After I’d prepared my hook, I cast my line out into the water and waited patiently for my bobber to move. Jared reeled in his line, and yet again, still no fish. He was about to cast again when my bobber took a nosedive. I reeled in my catch and took it off the hook, holding it proudly in the air for Jared to see. He glanced over at my small crappie for just a moment, then huffed as he cast out his line again. Since it was too small to eat, I tossed the little guy back into the water and then prepared my hook. I cast it once more, and it had barely hit the water when my bobber went under again. I waited a moment, making sure I actually had a catch. As soon as it went under a second time, I started reeling in my line. Jared turned his head and stared at me with his mouth wide open.
“Did you... uhh...?” He looked utterly shocked. “Did you just catch another one?”
“Looks that way.” I lifted the hook out of the water, revealing a nice-sized brim. “I guess you could say fish love me. They practically jump on my hook.”
“Is that right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Jared leaned towards me and asked, “What are ya hiding over there?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, no. You’re definitely hiding something.” He stepped over to me, then bent down and grabbed my package of hotdogs from the ground. As he held them up, he asked, “Hotdogs?”
“They’re great for bait, especially in big ponds like these.”
“And where did you learn that?”
“My father taught me.” I shrugged as I told him, “He used to take me fishing when I was little.”
“Yeah, my dad used to use them too.”
“Really? I thought it was a family secret,” I teasingly said with a giggle. I took the fish off the hook and tossed it back in the water, then grabbed another piece of hotdog and said, “You haven’t spoken much about your dad or the rest of your family. Are they still around?”
“My mother died a good while back, but my dad’s still around.” He reeled in his line, then cast it out into the water again. “I call him now and then, but he’s more interested in getting plastered than talking to me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Jared. I had no idea.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. My ol’ man just couldn’t seem to get over losing my mom. Found his comfort in a bottle instead of with his family.”
“So, it was just you? No brothers or sisters?”
“One sister... Mallory.” I could hear the sorrow in his voice when he said, “She doesn’t want anything to do with Dad or me. She says it’s just too hard to be around us, that we remind her too much of Mom.”
“Oh, wow. I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“You aren’t the only one.” I could see the hurt and regret in his eyes when he glanced over to me. “I’ll never really understand it, but I still do what I can to look out for her. No matter what she says or does, she’ll always be my sister.”
Before I could respond, Jared’s fishing pole lurched forward, indicating that he’d not only caught a fish but a big one. He started reeling it in, but the pole jolted downward as the fish fought against the line. I stepped closer to him, attempting to get a better glimpse, while he turned the reel at a faster pace until the fish finally surfaced. It was three times the size of the two I’d caught. As soon as he’d pulled the large bass from the water, he took the hook from its mouth and held it in the air for me to see. “Now, that is how it’s done!”