Page 28 of The Other Half

His hunched shoulders lifted with a sigh and I saw a smile tug on his lip. “It was nothing.”

“Mmmhmm,” Jo said, and her closed lip smile grew.

Scrunching my brow, I wondered what she was getting at. Jake’s face slid further behind his cap while he lowered his head even more.

“How was work?” I asked, noting everyone at the bar had a drink so I had a few minutes to spare.

“Fine.”

One-word answers again. Trying not to lose what little confidence I had left, I pressed on. “What do you do, anyway?”

“Fish.”

“Fish? For a job?”

Another sigh lifted his shoulders and then his eyes rose. When they locked with mine, I reached out and grabbed the bar for support. Between my throbbing feet, these heels, and the way those eyes unraveled me, I was certain I was going down.

“I charter fish.”

Three words! Progress! “What’s that?”

He took a sip of his drink. “People pay me to take them out on my boat and fish.”

“People actually get paid to fish?”

“Yep.”

Damn it. One word again. “How long have you been doing it?”

He shifted on his stool and his gaze skipped to the side, like he searched for an escape. But instead of bolting out the door, he took a deep breath and his face softened, just like it had when he’d been laughing in his truck last night.

“Well, my dad used to take me fishing as a kid. He taught me everything I know. When I was a teenager, I was pretty good at it, so I got a job on a charter boat one summer. I worked with them every summer through high school, then full time after I graduated. Five years ago, the owner retired, so I bought his boat, got my Captain’s license, and went out on my own.”

That was like... I couldn’t even count all the words. The mute man faded, and I saw a glimpse of the charming one I’d met for a moment last night.

“That’s amazing. So, you own your own business?”

“Yep.”

Not wanting to let him crawl back into his camouflage cubby and curl up over the bar again, I kept on.

“I’ve never been fishing.”

“Never?” His eyes widened.

“Nope. Never.”

“Not even as a kid?”

“Not even as a kid,” I said. I didn’t think there was a lot of fishing in New York, and it never even occurred to me to try.

“I’ve been fishing since before I could walk. Rarely make it a day without reeling in a fish. Or at least trying.” One side of his lips lifted, and I watched to see if the other side would follow suit and give me a full smile. Even though they stopped just short, his half-smirk still had me grinning.

“Is it fun?”

“I think so. Relaxing at least.”

“You should take her,” Jo said as she passed by.