Page 54 of Scrape the Barrel
“I don’t have one of those,” she said while reeling in the line. The hook had already caught on a rock, a tree limb, and now grass under the water.
I watched the line come in, sending ripples through the pond. “I’ll get you one.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Sage said from the rock she was sitting on a few feet behind us.
I cast a glance over my shoulder at her. “Fishing takes practice, and—” I turned back to Avery just as the hook reached the tip of her pole. “—you need practice.”
“What if I’m just never going to be good at fishing?” Avery asked, a slight quiver to her voice.
I knelt beside her so we were eye level, setting a gentle hand on her elbow so she’d face me. “You don’t have to be good at everything, but don’t expect it right away.” I looked at a tree behind her, trying to think up an example, then brought my eyes back to hers. “Remember your first day of lessons? When we went over the small details, like leg pressure and how to hold the reins?”
Avery nodded.
“Well, think of fishing like that. Right now, you’re just getting used to the pole, the same way you got used to the horse. Once you’re comfortable with the pole, then you focus on the small details. Like aiming where you want your hook to land or how long you want your bait in the water.” I dropped my hand from her elbow, then wrapped it around hers on the pole, giving a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to be a pro at everything the second you start, right?”
She shook her head. “But I want to be good at it.”
I dropped my hand to my knee. “You will. I’ll help you.” Rising, I kept my eyes down on her. “But that starts with a fishing pole meant for your size. Next time we come out here, I’ll make sure you have one.”
“Next time?” Avery and Sage questioned in unison.
I gave a stern nod. “Next time. Now why doesn’t your mom give it a shot?” I turned to Sage.
Her eyes widened. “No way.”
“I promised I’d teach you.”
Sage crossed her arms. “I think Avery wants to keep trying.”
Avery held the pole in her mom’s direction. “You can have a turn.”
Sage gave a tight-lip smile, clearly wishing Avery hadn’t said that. “Are you sure?”
Avery nodded. “Super sure.”
Sage stood, coming forward to reluctantly grab it from her. “Alright.”
Avery ambled over to the blanket where she had a pile of rocks she was collecting and sat, sifting through them.
Sage held the pole toward my chest. “Teach me, ol’ wise one.”
I cocked a brow. “Wise one, huh?”
She shrugged, pink tinging the apples of her cheeks as a small smile played on her lips. “You seem to be very knowledgeable in a lot of areas.”
I wrapped my hand around hers on the pole, pulling her toward me and then spinning her so her back was to my front. My other hand grabbed the one she didn’t have on the pole and led it to the reel so she could get a feel for it before casting out. But instead of telling her what each part did and how to use it, I did the most ludicrous thing I possibly could have done.
I held my chin just above the shell of her ear, the both of us looking out at the water. “I can teach you a lot of things, Sage,” I murmured.
Her chest rose and fell as her breathing deepened. “Can you?” she asked breathlessly.
Her hair brushed the stubble on my cheek. “Like you said, I’m knowledgeable in a lot of areas.”
What the fuck was I doing?
Playing a dangerous game ofhow far can I gowas not how I had planned this to turn out. But here I was, standing behind Sage, hoping like hell that my boner wasn’t touching her ass, all because there were a lot ofotherthings that popped into my mind the moment she said that.
I should definitelynotbe thinking of her this way.Especiallyon our first date.
