Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
T he next morning was Saturday, and Aaron rose before the alarm. He was glad to see the sky lightening. With thoughts of Belle filling his mind before the remnants of sleep slid into the corners of wakefulness, he was surprised he’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t forget what it was like to hold her and feel her soft curves in his arms—something he had longed to feel since he first saw her at the local rodeo.
Seeing her in the bleachers made him forget he rode a bull. The bull’s jerk to the right and Aaron flying to the left was the too-late reality check. If it hadn’t been for the clowns and riders, the bull’s hooves would have struck his back.
Belle wasn’t just beautiful. She had an air about her that he’d never seen in the other girls, yet she laughed and joked as if she were one of the locals.
Holding Belle in his arms had released the flood of sensations he’d trapped inside himself for years. He wasn’t prepared for what being that close to Belle would do.
He should’ve known. Everything about her was new and exciting. Though he’d been careful about his past relationships, nothing prepared him for Belle in his arms. Even now he could feel her. He pushed the thought aside.
She was married. Whatever God planned, he’d accept that.
He dressed quickly, then went downstairs to start the chores. His brothers would already be in the barn.
He stepped into the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to see his mother standing at the counter. A mixing bowl cradled in one arm, she poured batter onto the waffle iron. She looked over her shoulder at him.
“Do you want some breakfast before you go to the barn?” she asked.
“Thanks, but I’ll go down to the barn and see how everyone else is doing.” He slipped a water bottle from the refrigerator. “I thought I’d take Belle and the kids fishing this morning.”
“They should like that.” She turned back to the waffle iron.
“Do you need me to do anything before I leave?” He unscrewed the bottle’s cap.
“No.” She glanced at him. “Everything’s fine.”
Footsteps from the dining room made Aaron shift his gaze.
Belle stood in the archway, her lips parting. Lyle and Kelsey stood at her side. Her hair clasped carelessly in a ponytail, she wore a plaid shirt and jeans. Her children were dressed similarly, with Lyle’s hair slicked and combed. Kelsey wore a ponytail identical to her mother’s. All three of them had cowboy hats dangling down their backs.
Aaron’s gaze lingered on her a moment longer than he wanted. He looked away but didn’t miss his mother’s unreadable look.
“Waffles.” Lyle’s eyes went wide.
Kelsey beamed.
“If you kids are up to it, how about we go fishing today?” Aaron sipped from his water bottle, then set it on the counter.
“Really?” Lyle straightened.
Kelsey gave a little bounce.
“Let me get a few chores done, then we can eat and leave,” Aaron said. “We want to get there early while the fish are biting.”
“We were going to help in the barn.” Lyle looked hesitant.
“You don’t want to eat first?” Aaron lifted a brow.
“Eating sounds good.” Lyle glanced at the steam rising from the waffle iron.
“Is it okay if I give them a breakfast bar?” Belle looked at Naomi, who had already stepped to the refrigerator.
“By all means.” She slipped some from a box on the door, then spread them fanlike in her palm. “What flavors would you like?”
“Can I have the apple one?” Lyle eyed the bars hungrily.
Naomi held out the bars, and he took one.
“I’d like a blueberry.” Kelsey stepped next to her brother and slipped a bar from the selection.
“Do you want one?” Naomi held the bars for Belle.
“I can wait, but thank you,” she said with a smile.
“You ready to go to the barn?” Aaron stepped back, giving Belle and her children room to pass.
“I am.” Kelsey clutched her bar and led the way to the mudroom.
“What will we do while we’re down there?” Lyle asked.
“Feed the horses,” Aaron said. “They’ll be up and ready to eat.”
As Belle walked past Aaron, he caught her subtle scent. The lift in his chest took him by surprise. He’d caught that scent before, when he’d first met her, then when she and her children stayed at the cabin. Last night, it was the fragrance that made him want to hold her all night.
The children were full of excitement as the four of them walked to the barn. Inside, everyone secured their hats to their heads. Aaron helped the kids cut the bale wire, which made Lyle feel like a cowboy. Next, they filled the feeders. Aaron made sure they took a break so they could eat their breakfast bars. When the chores were finished, Aaron led them to a storage room and helped Belle and her kids pick out fishing poles.
Under Lyle’s and Kelsey’s watchful eyes, Aaron checked his tackle box. Belle stood back, her expression wary as if she weren’t sure what was hiding out in the divided trays. Her children were fascinated and dying to touch the lures, bobbers and hooks. Aaron looked at Belle. He didn’t care if they touched anything. This was a new experience, and they were curious. With great uncertainty, Belle gave her permission. Within a split second, her children’s hands were on everything.
“But you’ll have to wash your hands afterward,” she said. She sank her teeth into her lower lip.
With the fishing equipment packed into Aaron’s truck, they ate breakfast and then were on their way to the lake. The most exciting part of the trip was stopping at the local trading post to buy fishing licenses and a carton of worms for bait, something that earned Belle’s look of horror.
Aaron laughed to himself. Belle had loved the small-town life in every way, but her heart held no fondness for worms.
When the clerk rang up the purchases and fishing licenses, Belle tried to pay the bill, but Aaron refused.
“Licenses aren’t that much,” he said.
“But there are three of us,” Belle argued.
It wouldn’t matter if there were three hundred of them, he’d gladly pay for the licenses.
At the lake, the children were surprised to see the surface dotted with circular ripples that spread into each other. They paid attention when Aaron showed them how to carry their poles.
“The fish are waiting for us.” Aaron grinned at the kids. “Let’s walk along the shore. I’ll show you some of my favorite fishing spots.”
“Will we catch any fish?” Lyle glanced at the lake, an eager look in his eyes.
“I can’t guarantee it, but I’ll show you some of the tricks I use, which will increase your chances.” Aaron looked at the ripples undulating over the lake’s surface. “The fish are hungry, which is a good sign.”
At the fishing spot, Aaron taught the kids how to bait their hooks. After finding them places to stand and teaching them how to cast their lines, he turned to Belle.
“Now, it’s your turn.” He smiled at her.
“I’m not baiting my hook,” she said, a stern look in her eyes.
She’d always been determined, but he had never seen her like this.
“You won’t,” he said gently and was relieved to see her face relax. “I’ll take care of the baiting. Let’s find you a place to fish.”
They walked a few yards away to a place where Belle could see her children. Aaron was pleased she learned quickly to cast her line.
“I’ll be on the other side of Lyle if you need anything.” Aaron stood back and watched her gracefully cast her line.
She shifted her gaze to the place he indicated.
“I can see you, so just signal if you need me,” he said.
He was on his way back to his fishing spot when Lyle, then Kelsey each caught a fish. Aaron taught them how to keep the fish fresh until they were ready to leave.
He had just cast his line when he heard Belle shout, “I got one.”
She pulled her pole to her chest. When it jerked away, her eyes went wide and took a splashing step forward. She pulled it again.
“You got it, Belle,” he called out. He secured his pole and sprinted down the shoreline.
“Mom caught a fish.” Lyle laid down his pole.
Aaron secured it, then Kelsey’s. He looked up.
Belle struggled with her thrashing pole. The fish fighting for freedom pulled her from the shore into knee-deep water.
“Drop the pole,” Aaron shouted. Belle dragged into the lake wasn’t worth the prize at the end of the line. His heart racing, he burst into a run. From behind came the children’s pounding footsteps.
She gripped the pole tighter. Did she hear him?
“Mom! Mom!” her children yelled.
The distraction made Belle look at her children. The slack in the line went taut. The momentum pulled Belle headfirst into the water.
Aaron shirked off his shoes and fishing vest and dived into the lake. His eyes on the place where Belle disappeared, he swam to the spot and surface dove to an area that veiled an underwater cliff.
Belle, her hair a halo around her head, fought against the fishing line wrapped around her torso. The pole jerked in the water as the fish wrestled for his freedom.
Aaron pulled a knife from his pocket and cut the line in several places. He wrapped his arms around Belle. With a powerful kick, he brought her to the surface.
She sputtered and gasped and dragged air into her lungs.
“Breathe deep.” His voice low and deep, he wrapped an arm around her soft form, he anchored her to his side and kicked through the water.
She coughed, making him relax. If she could cough, air was moving in and out of her lungs.
He glanced at the shore—at Lyle and Kelsey. Their faces filled with fear, they’d left their socks and shoes on the shore and waded knee-deep into the water.
“Get back.” Aaron kept his eyes on them. “There’s a cliff.”
“Oh, no.” Belle’s tone raw and strained, she looked up. She went rigid in Aaron’s arms.
Lyle and Kelsey froze.
“Back away,” Aaron commanded.
Their gazes on their mother, they waded backward to the shore.
Aaron touched solid ground. Rising, he scooped Belle into his arms and carried her to the shoreline. He spread out his fishing vest, then gently laid her down. Lyle and Kelsey knelt next to her. Lyle’s face tightened with worry. Kelsey’s eyes welled with tears.
Belle touched a hand to her chest. Her eyes closed, she panted for air.
“How are you doing?” Aaron’s heart pounded. His voice was raw but steady.
“Fine.” She choked out the word, then coughed.
He laughed dryly. He wanted to tell her she wasn’t fine, but not in front of her children.
She laughed, too. “I’m better.” She opened her eyes. “I don’t know what happened.”
“You caught a fish that had as much determination as you,” he said with a snort. “At the shoreline, there’s a cliff where the lake drops off. When you stepped over it. The fishing line wrapped around you.”
“Is that what that was?” she asked stunned. “I felt trapped, but I couldn’t see what was holding me.” She went still. “You mean that poor fish will live the rest of his life with a hook in his mouth?”
“The line was slack. I think he escaped,” Aaron said wryly. “The way he pulled on your line makes me think he was one of the big fish that lives at the bottom of the lake. Sadly, he chose today to wander from home, but he got what he wanted—a worm.”
“That’s a high price to pay.” Belle frowned.
“Animals see things differently than we humans do,” Aaron wanted to allay her concerns. “As long as you’re all right. That is what’s important.”
“What about my pole.” Belle’s lips parted. “How will we get it back?”
“Let the fish keep it as a souvenir.” He laughed. “Someday it will wash to the shore.”
“I’m sorry it’s lost.” Belle looked at him through her lashes.
“It’s all right. We have plenty of others,” Aaron said. “It will never be missed.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Lyle’s voice cracked.
“I’m fine, honey.” She tilted her face to his. A smile pressed dimples into her cheeks. She took his hand.
She looked at Kelsey, whose large tears streamed down her face.
“I was so scared.” Kelsey’s voice was barely audible. “I thought the fish ate you.”
“Honey, I’m too big for a fish to eat. Dry your eyes. Everything’s fine. You can thank Aaron for saving me.” She shifted her gaze to Aaron’s, her smile filled with meaning. “Thank you.” She took his hand and squeezed it.
Her children thanked him, too.
Aaron didn’t pull away. He welcomed Belle’s touch—gentle and tender. He tightened his jaw against the warmth spreading through his body. He wanted her touch even if it did make him long for more. Too soon it would end, but it gave him something almost as good—a memory to add to the others.
She slipped her hand from his, making him tighten his jaw, then pushed herself to her elbows.
“Are you ready to sit up?” He pressed a hand to her shoulder. A frisson he shouldn’t feel fired through his body.”
“I’m fine. Really,” she said, her gaze meeting his. She was quivering. She wasn’t fine.
“Take it easy.” His hand on her arm, he helped her sit up. “We need to get you home and into dry clothes.”
“And you, too.” Her gaze moved over him.
“I’m not shivering.” He tipped his head.
“But the kids. I don’t want to ruin the fishing trip,” she said as Aaron helped her stand.
“I think I’m done fishing,” Lyle said. He looked relieved when his mother stood.
“Yeah, me, too.” Kelsey moved next to her brother.
“Are you ready to call it a day?” Belle looked at Aaron, her eyes making Aaron take a breath.
“I’m ready.” He couldn’t help but smile. Looking at Belle did that to him. Since the day he met her, the dimples pressing into her heart-shaped face filled him with a joy that words couldn’t express. “We’ve had enough excitement for one day. The kids caught their fish. I’ll show them how to pack up and take care of the fish.” He dug his keyring from his pocket. “I can walk you to the truck.”
“That’s okay.” She shook her head. “I’ll help.”
“You’re not helping.” His gaze was firm. “Against my better judgment, you can watch, but the sooner we get home, the better.”
“If we all work together, we’ll get home sooner.” She looked past him to the poles Aaron and the children had abandoned when the fish dragged her into the lake.
Aaron gave her a stern look, but she lifted her chin. She wasn’t going to sit in the truck.
“Come on, kids. Let’s clean up and head home.” He clapped his hands together, then pointed to their abandoned poles.
The children turned and raced back to their fishing spots.
Soon they were in the truck and heading back to the ranch, but Aaron’s mind filled with memories—like the ones he thought about when he first met Belle. It was in the quiet moments those thoughts would come to him unbidden, but he didn’t push them away. He liked remembering.
Belle was a special woman. Now more than ever, he wanted the memories to last.