Page 26 of The Sheriff and the Outlaw

Josey laughed. “I see your father has taught you well in regard to a lot of things.” She smiled, watching the path in front of them. It was nice to be respected and treated as a lady. She hadn’t known what that felt like in a while. “So, do you ever use live bait?”

Andrew shrugged. “Sometimes.” He laughed. “Lillian uses doughballs. She doesn’t like to bait the hook.”

A grin spread across Josey’s face. “I’ll have to show her an easy way. But don’t knock doughballs. I’ve caught a lot of fish with them before myself.”

Andrew’s head snapped up. “You go fishing a lot?”

She shrugged. “I used to, when I was your age. I haven’t gone fishing in a while.” She smiled at the memory of fishing with her father before he passed away. “Sometimes, I’ve used a tuft of yarn on the top of a hook to simulate a fly.”

Andrew’s head snapped up. “And that worked?”

Josey shrugged. “Sure. As long as you cast it to make it look like a fly landing on the water, it works just fine.”

Andrew smiled. “We’ll have to try it some time.”

Daxton let out a deep breath. “My boy here is an avid fisherman. Andrew, you’ll have to go fishing more. I love fish and we don’t get it often enough.”

Andrew shrugged. “When I can. When Pa’s working, I don’t get to go as much.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daxton give his son a stern look and shake his head. She didn’t push it but wondered what that was all about.She figured that he must have another job in addition to caring for the farm. Obviously, he was a hard worker.

“We’re here,” Andrew announced. “My favorite fishing spot on Whiskey River.”

“It’s beautiful.” She looked up and the river flowed from the mountains, stretching out over the land in front of them, flowing down past to what she was sure were other towns.

“The rapids aren’t bad here and the fish pool over there.” Andrew pointed to a spot on the edge that looked like a little pond. “Farther downstream the rapids are too rough.”

“Is there a waterfall, too?” Josey asked, intrigued. This was probably the most beautiful place she had ever seen, with the snowcapped mountains, a lovely backdrop against the lush forest in various shades of green with light green grass and fish, brown lichen stretched out along the forest floor as far as they eye could see. This was truly a land of milk and honey.

“Farther upstream,” Daxton interjected. “I’ll have to take you for a walk to see it some time.”

Josey smiled. “I’d like that.”

“But right now…” Andrew handed each of them a fishing pole. “The fish won’t catch themselves.”

Daxton smirked at his son as he took the pole. “You’re getting awfully bossy in your young age.”

Andrew winked at his father. “I learned from the best.”

Daxton ruffed his hair again. “You’re growing up too fast for me.”

Andrew chuckled as he glanced over at Josey, fixing his hook. “I can’t wait for Lillian to meet Josey. She’s going to love her.”

Josey fixed her hook and then walked over to the riverbank, pretending not to have overheard. She also wanted to give Daxton a moment alone with his son.

Josey cast the hook, brought it back and then cast it again. She waited for a moment and then repeated the process. She looked over her shoulder at Daxton and he and his son were watching. They smiled, and she smiled back. It was funny. Andrew looked so much like his father—both had dark brown hair and the same muscular build—but Andrew’s eyes were green. For a moment, she wondered if he had his mother’s eyes. As handsome as her son was, she knew that his mother must have been a beautiful woman. Lord knows, he had a handsome father.

She brought the line back and then cast it again, repeating the process, and then left it in the water for a bit on the last cast.

As she waited, Josey wondered what had happened between Daxton and his wife. He said “ex,” so that implied that she hadn’t died. The only other alternative was that she had left of her own accord. She let out a deep breath and shook her head. How a woman could ever leave her children was beyond her understanding. Even though she hadn’t known she was pregnant long, Josey would do anything to protect her baby… and she already had.

In the short time that she had been staying with Daxton, she had smiled more than she had in a very long time. Years, perhaps.

Suddenly, there was a tug on the line. “Oh! I got one!” She took the line and slowly started pulling it in.

“Already?” Andrew asked, running up.

“She’s a natural!” Daxton chuckled, standing on her other side.

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