Chapter 26 #2
He grabs a fishing pole and a small storage container and leads me down a dirt path between a series of trees and bushes.
After a few minutes, we arrive at the river.
It’s a secluded area, surrounded by trees.
The only sign of humans knowing about this destination is a single wooden bench planted on the bank.
“What do you think?” Connor sets down the fishing pole and container and looks out at the river.
I close my eyes, appreciating the soothing sound of moving water. “I feel at peace here.”
I open my eyes to find Connor watching me with a soft gaze. “I knew you’d appreciate it.” He gestures for me to sit on the bench as he grabs the fishing pole.
“What’s in the little container?” I ask.
He picks it up and opens it. “This is a tackle box. It’s where I store my fishing gear.”
“And what gear does a person need to fish, exactly?” I want to know everything about him and his hobbies, but when it comes to fishing, I’m starting at ground zero.
“Hooks, lures, bobbers, extra fishing line, and some tools like pliers and a knife.” Connor’s eyes twinkle with amusement. “And obviously a fishing pole.”
“I never would’ve guessed,” I deadpan. “Will you show me how to…” I don’t know the technical term, so I mimic the motion of throwing the line into the water.
“Cast,” he finishes for me.
“Yes, that.”
Connor grins as he grabs the fishing rod and steps closer to me. “You’re going to flip the bail to an open position while holding the line against the rod.” He shows me his hand positions on the rod. “Then you cast it as you let go of the line.”
“What do you do after you cast?”
“You turn the reel.” He motions to the side of the rod.
“When you start reeling the line back in, the bail will click back over into the closed position. The trick is to reel it in at a speed that mimics natural prey. For certain fish, that means it’s a little stop-and-go, but you also don’t want your lure to sink to the bottom and get snagged on something. ”
“Sounds simple enough.” I’m not sure I’ll remember all the terminology, but if I can get the casting down, maybe I might actually catch something.
“The hardest part is patience.” Connor looks out at the water. “Sometimes you’ll be out an entire day and not catch a single thing. Others, I’ll catch multiple fish within the first hour. If you have the patience to continue casting and reeling, you’re already halfway to becoming a skilled angler.”
“Then it’s time to put my patience to the test.” I turn to him. “Will you help me the first time?”
“Sure.” Connor hands me the pole and moves behind me. “You ready?” I nod, and he wraps his arms around me and places his hands on top of mine.
I try to remember what he told me and flip open the doodad while holding the line against the rod. I flick my wrists forward, let go of the line, and watch it propel into the water. I bounce up and down and glance over my shoulder. “Did you see that?”
“That was perfect.” His lips tilt up into a smile.
I reel the line back in without catching anything, but it still feels like a success with Connor’s praise. “Your turn.” I extend the rod to him.
“You sure?”
I nod. “I want to see you in your element.”
He gets the lure back out in the water before I can even blink, making it all look like one effortless motion. I guess I can add fishing to the list of things he looks hot doing.
“Do you have any fun plans this week?” I ask.
“I actually have to fly back to Washington to finalize a few things with my house sale out there.” He recasts the lure. “I was wondering if you wanted to come?”
I try to swallow down my fear of flying and put on a fake smile, but then I think about who’s asking me the question. “In case you didn’t remember, I’m not the biggest fan of flying.”
Connor grins. “Congratulations, you passed the final test. You’ve officially graduated from People Pleasing University.”
“What’s my graduation present?”
Perhaps a kiss from my professor? A girl can dream.
“The ability to say no anytime you don’t want to do something.”
That’s not a bad gift either. No more balloon animals or other outrageous requests in my future.
“And if there is something I want to do?”
“That’s the best part. You have time to dedicate yourself to the things you like.”
I deflate like a balloon with helium slowly leaking out. I thought he might catch my drift, but it seems it all went right over his head. I change the topic. “So, you aren’t going back to Washington?”
He shakes his head and passes the rod back to me. “I’m hoping to spend some time this week with a beautiful woman who recently became a small business owner. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who meets that criteria, would you?”
I smirk as I cast the lure again. “I think I know the perfect girl.” As I’m slowly reeling the line back in, I feel a strong tug. “Fish.” I turn to Connor and squeal. “I think I caught a fish.”
He moves closer to me, ready to step in if needed. “Reel it in.”
Right. I turn back to the river and reel the line in, tightening my grip as the fish fights back. When the lure is almost out of the water, Connor leans down and scoops up the line. The olive-green fish flops as Connor brings it closer to me.
“I can’t believe I caught my first fish.” I beam. “What kind is it?”
“A smallmouth bass.” His eyes move to me, his gaze soft and full of pride. “And a big one, at that.” He moves to hand it to me. “You need a picture with your first catch.”
I grimace. “That’s okay. I don’t really want to hold it.”
“Just grab it where I am.” He hands me the line a little bit above the fish. I grip it and pray that the fish doesn’t start flopping around again.
Connor pulls his phone out. The proud look he wears as he takes the picture is adorable and makes my stomach flutter. My smile widens as I look at the real catch of the day: the man behind the phone.