Chapter Four
Aspen
I get up at five a.m. so I have time to shower and eat breakfast before running out the door to get to Maine Catch Bait & Tackle. I even put on a bit of make-up. Nothing crazy, just some mascara and a dab of lip gloss. I then slip on a lightweight long-sleeved shirt that I combine with a pair of thermal leggings and a hoodie. Mornings in Maine can be chilly and foggy, and I want to come prepared.
I head to the kitchen, surprised to see Grandma fully dressed and drinking coffee. When I hopped into the shower, she was still fast asleep and snoring.
“Wow, you look great,” she says, raking her gaze over my outfit and face. “Meeting someone special?”
“What? No, of course not. I’m going fishing.”
“Alone? That’s not safe, dear.”
I shake my head while pouring myself a cup of coffee. “I signed up for lessons. Group lessons. So you don’t need to worry. I won’t be alone.”
Grandma frowns before tapping her chin and nodding knowingly. “You’re going fishing with Maddox, aren’t you?”
I almost drop my mug. “How do you know about him?”
She smiles. “All the friends I have in this town can’t shut up about him. I get why. He’s a good-looking man, even though he often has a scowl on his face. The boy could use some happiness if you ask me.”
“I didn’t put on make-up for him,” I say as if that’s the most preposterous thing ever.
“You don’t think he’s good-looking?” she asks, ignoring me.
“Actually, I didn’t notice his looks when I signed up,” I lie.
Grandma’s right. Maddox is as hot as molten lava, something I noticed the second I set foot in his shop, but that doesn’t mean I want to look good for him. I just want to come across as someone who’s got it together, even though I feel like I’m clinging at straws most of the time. That’s not a crime, right?
“I’m glad you’re doing something like this instead of sitting around stewing over Devon. I must say, I don’t like the boy.”
“Really? Why not?”
She shrugs. “He’s hurt one of my granddaughters and now he’s moving on to the second one. Not that he’s actively hurting Lexie. I just don’t trust him.”
“Should I tell her that we have a bad feeling about him? You offered to do it yesterday and I declined, but maybe you were right.”
Grandma shakes her head. “I know I did, but I came to my senses. Let your cousin make her own mistakes, dear. We can only learn by doing and experiencing something, not by simply being told. This is her lesson to learn. And who knows? Maybe he’ll prove us wrong.”
“I doubt it.” I glance at the oven timer. “I’ve got to go. I don’t want the group to leave without me.”
“Have fun and say hello to your crush for me,” she says with a wink.
I laugh nervously. “He’s so not my crush.”
“Whatever you say, dear.”
I shake my head with a smile and grab my bag before putting a sensible pair of shoes on and heading out the door. I decide to take the path down to the beach and walk to the pier from there instead of going past the boring main road.
Seagulls cry overhead and the salty lake water fills my nostrils. I take a deep breath and smile. I love spending time in Fog Harbor. The town has become a second home to me over the years, and I won’t give Devon the satisfaction of ruining all of the good memories I have of this place.
I pass Lighthouse Muffin Magic, but unfortunately, the bakery isn’t open yet. In the distance, I see the lighthouse and wonder if anyone is up there right now. It hasn’t worked in years, but I’d heard someone had purchased it.
I arrive at the bait shop with three minutes to spare, but I still seem to be the last one here. A group of five retirees is gathered outside, their voices filled with excitement. I can’t help but smile at their enthusiasm and their comical choices of attire. They look as if they’re ready to hunt crocodiles instead of going on a simple fishing trip. Some of them are donning fishing vests that have pockets and compartments sown to every single inch of fabric, filled to the brim with equipment. A few others sport knee-high rubber boots. Are we going to wade through treacherous waters or something? If so, I didn’t get the memo. I look down at my own thermal leggings and waterproof boots. I’m way underdressed compared to the group of people in front of me.
I scan the premises until I spot Maddox. My heart skips a beat when I see him. He looks even better than he did yesterday. He’s wearing a weathered cap that he pulled down low over his brow and is dressed in a cozy-looking flannel shirt I’d like to snuggle up against. I bet it’s super soft and warm and… I blink. What on earth has gotten into me? This must be Grandma’s influence. That’s what I get for listening to her go on and on about how good-looking Maddox is.
She is right about one thing, though, he’s got a scowl on his face. I’m sure it’s no indication of baseline happiness. I bet it’s because he’s focused on getting a bunch of fishing poles, coolers, and buckets of bait into his van without any help. Some people have Resting Scowl Face, right? Nothing you can do about it.
I join the group of seniors and give them a small wave.
One of them steps forward and addresses the group as if he’s the leader of the pack. “Morning, folks! My name is Ralph, but you can call me Rookie Ralph. I’m a big fan of silly nicknames. It would be great if we all had one.”
I wonder what I should call myself. Amateur Aspen maybe?
Ralph gestures to the woman beside him. “And this is my lovely wife, Gertrude. She’s the real brains behind this whole fishing operation. Signed us up as a way to be more active. You can call her Greenhorn Gertrude.”
Gertrude rolls her eyes affectionately at her husband and puts a hand on his arm while she looks at us. “About that, no one dare call me Greenhorn Gertrude, okay?”
“But we agreed,” Ralph loudly whispers to his wife.
“No, we didn’t. You came up with the idea and I said I’d rather not, remember?”
I clear my throat and speak to the group. “Hi, guys, I’m Aspen. You probably already noticed that I’m younger than you and technically shouldn’t have been able to sign up, but Maddox was kind enough to make an exception. If Ralph is dead set on having nicknames, I guess you can call me Amateur Aspen.”
Ralph lights up like a lighthouse at night and high-fives me, eliciting another endearing eyeroll from his wife.
The others introduce themselves as well. There’s Harold and Ethel, who are both divorced and don’t want nicknames either.
Then there’s Stanley. He’s married but his wife hates the idea of fishing, so she stayed home. He does like the idea of silly nicknames and picks Stanley the Starter for himself.
Everyone seems truly nice. I’m glad I convinced Maddox to let me sign up, even though we haven’t even started yet. I’m already enjoying myself with this odd bunch of people.
Maddox slams the doors of the van shut and walks over to us. “Morning, everyone. The van is all packed and ready to go. Why don’t you all hop in? It’s only a ten-minute drive.”
“Hop in? We’re not thirty anymore, Maddox. It’ll take us at least another ten minutes to get in and out of the van,” Harold quips with a chuckle.
Maddox shakes his head. “Fine, crawl into the van. I don’t care. As long as we’re on the road in five minutes or less. The fish don’t wait for anyone, guys.”
“That’s what you keep saying, but where would they go if we’re five minutes late? Swim to another continent?” Stanley asks.
“Who knows? They might not bite today, just to mess with us,” Maddox jokes.
Stanley nods, amusement written all over his face. “Ah, I see. It’s the fishy equivalent of the early bird catches the worm .”
“Exactly. Now get in.”
I help Ethel into the van before taking a seat myself. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she gives me a wink while she fastens her seatbelt. “Isn’t this marvelous? I don’t give a hoot about fishing but when a guy like Maddox is the instructor, how could I possibly resist? My friend Mabel took his fishing course last month. She hasn’t been able to stop talking about it.”
I laugh. “So you’re here to check out what the fuss is all about, huh?”
“Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“No,” I quickly say. “I’m going through something and needed a distraction. I don’t even live here. Me and my family rent one of the houses by the lake every year.”
She nods. “Smart choice. What better distraction is there than spending a morning on the lake with a hot man, huh?”
I chuckle. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
With everyone seated and their seatbelts fastened, Maddox turns the engine on and drives toward the spot where we’ll be fishing today. I’m positive it’s going to be a great experience. And who knows? I might even catch a fish this morning and show Devon that I do have fishing skills.