Page 66 of The Pink House

Some of the light left her eyes. “Not so big, then.”

“A nice size for your first. Keep or toss?” he asked.

A funny look crossed her face. “What?”

“The fish.” He gestured with his head toward the fish. “If you want to keep him, we’ll put him in that bucket, then clean him and cook him later. Or we can toss him back to be caught another day. You reeled him in, so it’s your call.”

Hannah chewed on her bottom lip and considered. This only confirmed what Charlie had already discovered about her. She wasn’t a woman who made snap decisions. Her moves were carefully thought out.

After several seconds, she slanted a glance at him. “I’d like a picture of the three of us, then I want to set him free.”

“Just so you’re aware, catching and releasing catfish is discouraged.” When he saw Hannah’s brow furrow, Charlie spoke quickly. “But since we’re putting him back in the same body of water where we got him, it’s okay.”

Relief washed across her face, followed quickly by concern. “How will you get the hook out?”

“Team effort.” Charlie gestured with his head. “There’re pliers and a line cutter in the pack beside my chair. Bring them over.”

Hannah quickly complied, carrying one in each hand to him. “Which do you want first?”

“First, I want you to cut the line. About six inches from the fish.”

With rock-steady hands, Hannah snipped.

“Good.” Charlie nodded approval and held out his hand. “Now, the pliers.”

Flipping around the pliers so Charlie could grasp the handle, she held them out to him, then leaned forward. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to grab hold of the eye of the hook.” His attention remained on the fish as he illustrated the maneuver, then said, “I’m rolling the hook’s eye toward the hook’s point. Then I’ll twist the hook’s point and,” he smiled, “pull it out of the catfish’s lip.”

“Yay.” Hannah beamed at him. “Now you can toss it back.”

“Sometimes you have to burp them. But he shows no signs of distension. You brought him up slowly, and allowing him to splash around on the surface helped. As did me holding him with the belly down while taking out the hook.” Charlie studied the fish. “I see no evidence that his swim bladder is distended, so he should be good to go.”

“Let me get my camera first.” Hannah hurried to his side and held out her phone, capturing the two of them and the fish.

With the catfish firmly in hand, Charlie strode back into the muck, then slipped the fish back into the water.

He smiled as it swam away.

When he returned to shore, she shoved her camera into his hands. “Could you take a few pictures of me with my fishing reel?”

“Happy to.” Charlie stepped back. He took a couple of shots and was adjusting the camera to take more when she called out, “Maybe if I shift this way, the sun won’t—”

Hannah took a couple steps back, then shrieked as her feet sank into a hole. Her arms windmilled as she and the fishing rod hit the water at the same time.

Shoving the camera into his jacket, he locked his hands around her wrists and pulled her from the murky water. She stumbled to the shore, losing one canvas shoe in the process.

“That was quite a splash.”

Hannah surprised him when she laughed, wiping a dripping strand of hair from her face and leaving a streak of dirt on her forehead. “I always say when you go, you might as well go big.”

She glanced down at her soaked and muddy clothes. “It appears this fishing expedition has come to a splashing end.”

“I didn’t notice the hole. I should have—”

“Not your fault.” Hannah reached out as if to touch his arm, but pulled back at the last minute. “I didn’t see it either. You know, I’ve never fallen into a creek before. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“You’re being an awfully good sport.”

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