No sooner had Natalie recast her line back into the water than she got a hit. “I got one!”
“Reel it in.” He laid his pole down and came to her side to help her.
She cranked the reel for all she was worth. Her heart pounded like she was running for her life, but she laughed the whole time. Suddenly the fish splashed out of the water and then went back under. “I really have something.”
“You sure do.” The fish flipped its fins when she pulled it in, sending water droplets across her face. “I think he’s not very happy with me right now.”
Randy grabbed the line. “What do you say we catch andrelease today since we don’t have time to clean and cook them?”
“Seems fair enough.”
After the sixth catch and release, Natalie finally had to ask. “Are we catching the same fish over and over?”
“No. We’d be able to tell if we’d hooked him before. This is just great fishing.”
“I think I like this.” She cast her line out again.
“Let’s plan another fishing day when we can cook what we catch.”
“As long as you’re the one cooking, it’s fine with me.”
“You can make the side dishes.” He pulled his line in and started putting things away.
“Fine by me.” But she’d be lying if she didn’t feel a bit of disappointment now that the day was wrapping up.
“We better pack up,” he said. “The days are getting shorter, and we don’t need to be out here in the dark with nothing but our phones for light.”
“We’d look like a couple of giant lightning bugs.”
“You’d make a cute lightning bug.” His gaze hung tight to hers, making her catch her breath.
“Thanks.” She gathered their things and grabbed the fishing poles. The hike back up the hill was trickier than the walk down.
Randy stopped about halfway up. “We could add a couple landings along here by putting a couple three-foot boards down to give you an easier route back up.”
We?She could picture the two of them working on that together. Her foot slipped, but she was able to catch her balance. “I like that idea.”
He stopped at the top of the ridge. The day was coming to an end and she wasn’t ready for that. It had been such a fun and easy day.
The bridge was just past where they stood, and she dreaded him saying goodbye.
“I’m going to head on home,” he said.
“It’s nice here, isn’t it? Can you see why I’m excited about a fresh start here?”
His gaze held hers. “I understand it completely.” His lips parted, but whatever he was thinking, he didn’t say. “It’s like being in vacation mode without leaving your yard.”
“Yes. That’s it exactly. I’m creating, and motivated, and it’s low-key. None of the material things that I lost even matter.”
“It’s special. You deserve this. I’m happy for you.”
“I feel like me again. Maybe a better version of myself.”
“Impossible.”
“You’re a flirt.”
“I’m serious.”
