Page 40 of Flyboy

“What if it’s a shark?” Something about seeing that dark shape below made her not want to swim anytime soon. Her line jerked, so she ran back over to the pole.

“I don’t know. I guess it could be. Our bait wasn’t that big, though, you know.” His pole jerked especially hard, and he grunted.

She wound hers. The fish must have moved much closer since she last held it. She spun her reel until she couldn’t anymore. The jerks on her line were growing stronger, and then suddenly, the line started whirring out with a high-pitched noise.

“What’s happening?”

“Your fish just got a whole lot more determined.”

“What do I do?” She tried to stop it with the reel, but it spun in her fingers.

Then his arms were around her, reaching for the reel, moving over her hands. He stopped the whirring and slowly started bringing it back in.

She wanted to lean back into him and close her eyes.

His own line was tugging and jerking from the rod holder.

“Thank you.”

“We are not losing your fish.”

She pressed her lips to his bicep that was so close to her face. “Thank you.”

Chapter 15

With Ivy in his arms, the ocean all around them, the sun overhead, and two huge fish on the line, Colton laughed into the blue sky. “Whoooo!” Then he nuzzled Ivy’s neck. “Ivy-Woman! This is one great day!”

She tugged on the rod. “This fish isn’t going anywhere but in this boat.”

“That’s a girl. Okay, let’s do this.” He helped her, tugged some more, got some more of that line back in. Then his started to jerk more.

“Oh, mine’s going a little crazy.” He rushed back to his rod, moving it over to stand closer to Ivy. Then right in front of them, something banged against the boat.

“Did we do it?” Her excited squeal made him happier than he’d been in a long time.

“I think so.” They peered over the edge.

A huge fish, grey topped, wiggled there. Colton spun his reel and tugged. “I’m gonna need some help here, Tiago.”

“Yes, sir!” He ran as though he’d been watching the whole time, waiting for the moment. Good man.

“Help me with this?”

“We don’t have a crane.”

“Just use your strength. Let’s get this up on deck.”

Ivy stepped back and steadied herself on the railing.

“You okay?”

She didn’t answer for a moment and then croaked, “He’s huge. I didn’t even know there were fish that big down there. I mean, sharks, sure. And whales and dolphins. But fish like that, just swimming around everywhere?” Her face went a little green, and she stared down at her rod.

“You okay, really?” He gripped the rod, but his attention was not fully on Ivy.

“Yeah. Probably.” She started reeling in her fish again, but Colton made a note to bring this up again. Was she afraid?

Tiago stood at his side. When the fish left the water, the rod bent to near breaking, and with Tiago helping, they backed up and pulled the most enormous tuna he’d ever seen in his life up on deck. It flopped around, the fins sharp and pointy.

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