Page 40 of Chasing Sunrise

“Oh, I’m sorry. You weren’t with them, were you?”

His words caused a crushing blow to her heart. “I wasn’t.”

“What happened?”

“Drunk driver.” She tried to think of something else to say to divert the conversation.

Thankfully, he took care of it by pulling a white plastic bag from his pocket and handing it to her. “Something to remember your first camping trip.”

“You didn’t have to buy me anything.” She carefully opened the bag to find a keychain inside. Made of pewter, it had the scene of a lake with the wordsLake Life. She smiled. “Thank you, Kasey.” She felt around in her purse and found her keychain. She slipped the gift onto the big anchor ring holding her keys.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here.”

When they made it back to the lake, the sun shone brightly and the clouds were gone. Kasey showed her how to cast a fishing rod. She caught on quickly and sat on the dock.

He stood a good distance away and cast his line off the other side of the dock. “If we’re too close, we’re going to hook each other.”

Edward padded back and forth between them.

She’d watched Kasey catch two fish before she felt a sudden pull on the fishing pole in her hand. The line stretched tight. “I have something.”

“Reel it in,” he encouraged her.

She turned the reel handle and pulled on the rod. It yanked back toward the water, pulling her upper body forward. Edward barked. She righted herself and stood up.

“Looks like you’ve got a fighter. Hang in there. I’ll be right back.” Kasey hurried off.

Planting her feet on the dock, she leaned back and rapidly reeled, mimicking how Kasey caught his fish. Again. Again. Edward continued to bark as if cheering her on. Even though the temp topped in the sixties, she broke out in a sweat. Afraid if she let up the slightest bit the rod would be yanked from her grasp, she held it in a white-knuckled grip.

Kasey came back with a net. “Get it close enough to the dock, and I’ll scoop it up.”

He stood on one side of her and Edward on the other as she continued to fight the fish. Her pole arched as she struggled. How big was this fish? Excited, she concentrated on reeling it in.

“You’re good.” Kasey grabbed the fishing wire with one hand and used the net to scoop with the other. “You caught a perch.” He turned so she could see it.

Inside the net, a small gray and yellow fish floundered. He pulled it out and held it up by the hook in its mouth. Its scales glistened.

“Oh, doesn’t that hurt it?”

“I would think so.”

“I thought it’d be huge.”

“It’s the spirit of the fish, not the size.” He carefully held the squirming fish and maneuvered the hook out of its mouth. “It’s not big enough to keep.”

“What do you mean?” She couldn’t see herself eating the poor thing, but she’d worked hard to catch it.

He tossed it back into the lake. “They have to be a certain size to keep.”

“All that work for nothing. I’m exhausted.” She twisted her torso to stretch her back. “You promised me relaxation. What part of fishing is supposed to be relaxing?”

“All of it.”

“I believe I need to teach you how to relax, Kasey Hunter.”

“A great many people, and more all the time, live their entire lives without ever once sleeping out under the stars.” ~ Alan S. Kesselheim

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