“Of course, I will.” I smiled. “With anything in life, you gotta have bait to catch it. The trick is to get it all the way through from end to end, so it can’t get off the hook.” I poked one end of the worm and threaded it so there was just a half inch hanging off the end. She watched me intently. Her eyes followed my fingers. I thought for sure she’d look away during this part, but she was interested in learning. “This will ensure no fish snags your worm clean off the hook before you get a chance to catch it.”
“There you are.” I let the hook fall from my hands. “See, it can still wiggle but it can’t get off the hook. That’s the key. Now, you’re gonna cast it in.”
Grace held the pole in front of her and faced the river. She flicked her wrist forward, but she didn’t open the bail. The threaded worm just spun in circles. She tried again a little harder this time, but once again the line didn’t release. I folded my arms in front of my chest and watched her try over and over, and then I let out a husky laugh.
“Are you laughing at me, Calvin?” She squinted and pursed her lips, but her face was soft.
“I would never.” I stood a few feet behind her. “Want some help?”
She smiled and nodded. Taking a couple steps to her, I felt her back up, pressing her butt right into me. A big whiff of her sweet-smelling hair made its way to my nose as I wrapped my arms around her. I put one hand over hers on the handle and one hand over the other on the reel foot with a finger on the bail arm.
“The key is to flick your wrists quickly, and when you cast forward, you open the bail.”
Grace nodded. She took another small step into me, and I nearly dropped the pole.
“Also, make sure you hold on to the pole firmly.” I laughed.
I created a slight bend in my elbow, guiding her with me, and then flicked my wrist forward, releasing the bail. The hook cast through the air, clean across the river.
“I did it,” she said with a slight bounce.
“You did.” I took my hands off, giving her full control, and stepped back.
“Thanks.” She threw a glance over her shoulder at me.
“Anytime, Grace. Now, reel it in slow, and if you feel a tug, you’ll want to pull up on the pole quick and with force so you hook the fish. Then, you bring him in. The key to catching anything is patience though.” I put my hands in my pockets and watched her slowly reel the line in. When she finished, she cast it just like I taught her—a perfect cast. I could watch her all day. She was persistent as she turned the handle, concentrating on the feeling of the rod in her hands. Each time she cast the hook back in the water, her face lit up. That was the thing about fishing. Every cast was a new possibility of a great catch.
I grabbed two Bud Lights from the cooler and popped them open with a bottle opener. I handed one to her just as she was reeling her line in again.
“It’s not fishing unless you have a beer,” I said.
Grace clinked her bottle against mine and we both swigged.
“This is really nice.” She set the bottle down and cast again. She was a determined woman. I could see that the first day I laid eyes on her.
I picked up my pole and baited the hook, casting right next to her, careful not to cross lines. “Shall we make it interesting?”
She raised an eyebrow and glanced over at me. “What’d you have in mind?”
“First one to catch a fish, the other one has to jump in this river.”
“Let’s make it more interesting,” she said.
“Oh yeah? Like how?”
“First one to catch a fish, the other one has to jump in this river . . . naked.”
There she was, surprising me again. I couldn’t help but smile.
She cast her line again and looked over, sizing me up. The corner of her mouth lifted in a challenging way.
“You got yourself a bet, Grace,” I said, casting my line in again.
Her brows drew together as she focused on her task.
“Hope you like fish because you’re going to be swimming with them,” I teased as I cast another line.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Mr. Wells.” She peered up at me through her lashes and bit her bottom lip. If that was the look I’d get from Grace if she won, I’d lose every day of my life for her.
“Hey,” a voice from behind us called. Over my shoulder, Charlotte walked across the green pasture toward Grace and me. Her long, silky brown hair blew in the wind, and the sun highlighted her freckles and tan skin. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and her Dubois Super Foods polo, so I knew she’d come straight from work.
Grace glanced over her shoulder. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Charlotte. She’s the one I was telling you about that helps out on the ranch.”
“Oh, your girlfriend?” she teased.
“My friend that’s a girl,” I said in a low voice.
“She’s pretty.”
I didn’t agree or disagree and just kept my mouth shut instead. It was a trap I was familiar with.
“Who’s this?” Charlotte asked, raising her chin.
“Hi, I’m Grace, Calvin’s Airbnb guest,” Grace said, extending her free hand while the other held the fishing pole.
Charlotte looked at her hand and hesitated before finally finding her manners and shaking.
“I’m Charlotte, Calvin’s good friend.” She pulled away from the handshake rather quickly. “How long you in town for?” Char asked. Her eyes briefly tightened.
“’Til next week.” Grace flashed a faint smile at me.
The two seemed to appraise one another like I do with my vegetables, deciding whether or not they’re ripe for the picking or, in some cases, rotten from the inside out and needing to be tossed instead.
“That’ll be here in no time.” Charlotte’s eyes bounced to me. “What are you two doing?”
It was obvious what we were doing. Charlotte was acting funny. It was like she had staked some sort of claim to me or thought she was being protective. She and I were friends, and we’d always be friends no matter what happened or didn’t happen between us.
“I’m teaching Grace how to fish,” I said proudly.
Grace threw a smile at me. “He’s a good teacher. I think I’ll catch a fish before him.”
“We’ll see about that,” I taunted.
“I didn’t realize fishing was included in your Airbnb package, Calvin.” Charlotte had a sour look on her face.
“I’m full-service here. Complete hospitality and total accommodations. Whatever my guests want they get.” I nodded.
“You sound like one of them annoying local TV ads.” Charlotte chuckled. She glanced at Grace and then back at me. When no one laughed with her, she cleared her throat. “You mind taking a break and helping me with the eggs? The store sold out, so I gotta be quick.”
“Of course. You okay for a bit without me?” I asked Grace.
“Yeah.” Grace turned back and cast her line in again. “It was nice meeting you, Charlotte,” she called over her shoulder.
“Likewise,” Charlotte said with a neutral look on her face. When her eyes landed on me, they brightened. “Shall we?”
I nodded and just as I started walking with Charlotte toward the pasture, Grace squealed.
“I got something!”
I quickly turned back. Charlotte let out a huff, but I didn’t care. Grace flicked her pole up and started reeling it in. She struggled to turn the handle. Whatever fish it was, it was sure putting up a fight. I ran over to Grace and wrapped my arms around her, placing my hands on hers.
“Nice and steady.” I helped reel it in with her.
She looked up at me briefly and smiled.