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Once everything is put away, I head to the bedroom to grab a hair tie. It’s hot as hell outside, and if we’re going to be outside fishing, I’m definitely going to need to put my hair up. I grab all the bathroom essentials on my way and place them in the bathroom. My heart squeezes. I don’t know what I did in my prior life to deserve a man like Ryder Kincaid. He’s the greatest person I’ve ever known, and I’ll do everything I can to protect him and his family. I won’t allow my mother to treat them as she did my brother and his fiancée.
“You ready, sweets?” I hear Ryder call out for me.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I finish putting everything away in the bathroom closet, grab a hair tie out of my toiletries bag, and turn off the light. Ryder is stepping into the bedroom from the hallway.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, I was putting everything away and grabbing this.” I hold up the hair tie. “I assume this is going to be a lot of sitting and waiting. That’s what fishing is, right?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “There is a lot of sitting and waiting.”
Slipping the tie on my wrist, I smile and link my arm with his. “Let’s do this. We need to catch all the fish.”
“Such enthusiasm, baby.”
“Ryder, we could be watching paint dry, and I’d be thrilled to be here with you. In your home, spending time with you. I don’t care what we do. I’m going to be excited about it.”
“My girl’s got sweet words today.”
“Just calling a spade a spade.” I shrug.
“Come on. I’m starving and the fish are waiting.” He leads me out to the truck, locking the door behind us, and we’re off to a late lunch and an afternoon of fishing. I’m not gonna lie. I’m nervous. I’m a big-city girl, at least that’s how I was raised. The first night I ever stayed with Ryder in Willow River, I fell in love with the peaceful town.
“You want me to do what?” I ask incredulously.
Ryder grins. “You have to bait your hook.”
“You want me to put that hook through the worm?”
“Like this.” He takes the hook and spears it through the poor worm, hooking it through its squirming body. “See?”
“That’s just cruel.”
“They can’t feel it. The curling is a reflex.”
“Do you know that for sure?” I plant my hands on my hips.
He smiles. “No, sweets, I don’t know for sure.”
“I don’t think I like fishing.”
“I’ll do yours.” He grabs the second pole and baits my hook. “Now come here and I’ll show you how to cast.”
Not wanting to be a buzzkill, I drop my hands and accept the pole. Ryder steps in behind me and kisses my bare neck. We weren’t out in the heat a full minute before I was pulling my hair up in a messy knot on top of my head. Ryder continues to explain what I’m supposed to be doing, but he’s close. Too close for me to concentrate.
“Now you try.”
Shaking out of my thoughts, I try to remember what he said and cast the pole. I end up tossing it into the river. Although it doesn’t make it far, landing on the bank, only half immersed in the water.
“I think I’ll observe.” I laugh.
“You want to go?”
“No, but I think I need to watch so I can learn.”
“Fair enough.”
I watch as he expertly casts both poles and sets them up in holders on the bank. The next thing I know, he’s taking my hand and pulling me from my chair. He takes my seat and I’m about to complain until he pulls me onto his lap.
“Why did you bring two chairs if we were only going to use one?” I ask the question, but if I’m being honest, I don’t really care what the answer is. I’d rather be sitting with him, anyway.
“Hell if I know. I like you better on my lap.”
I settle against him as he kisses my bare shoulder. “It’s peaceful out here.”
“Yeah, most people go to the other side of the river. My brothers and I have been coming to this side forever.”
“I love how close you all are.”
“Yeah, it’s a blessing and a curse,” he replies.
“How so?”
“I have eight brothers, and now six new sisters, and they love me, and I would do anything for them. I love them dearly, but they’re all up in my business.”
“Like you’re not all up in theirs?”
“Fine.” He laughs. “It’s what we do.” He’s quiet for several minutes. “I called my brothers. Well, one of them actually when I found out you left, and within the hour, they were all sitting in my living room. They were there for me.”
“I’m sure they hate me. Told you to let me go.”
“They didn’t. They asked me what they could do and asked what I wanted. They held me together while I waited for you to come home to me.”
