Page 42 of Unexpected Union

Frowningat his thoughts, he turned away just as he felt a tug on his line.Setting the hook, he let the fish play a bit before reeling him in.

Audrawas soexcited he was afraid she would capsize them. “Sit still,” he said,pulling a bit more on the rod, swiftly turning the reel.

“But you havea fish! Get it! I want to see.”

“Payattention to your pole. You could get one soonand lose the rod if you aren’t payingattention,” Mitch warned.

Just then shegave a yelp. “I have a fish. I have a fish!” She almost bounced onthe seat.

The boatrocked again and he just knew he was going to end up in thewater—cast not withstanding.

Hisfish came out of thewater, gleaming in the sun. He swung it into the boat.

“Eech, don’tlet it touch me,” Audra screamed, moving as far from thefloundering fish as she could. Her own pole was forgottenmomentarily as she stared at Mitch’s fish. She moved her feet tothe other side of the bench and looked around. “What are you goingto put it in? You can’t just leave it at the bottom of theboat!”

“We have acreel, that’s the big brown wicker container in the bow. Hand itback.”

Gingerlyshe reached for it andtossed it to him.

“How’s yourfish?” he asked as he deftly unhooked his catch and dropped it intothe creel.

“Oh, I don’tknow!”

Audraturned back to her rod and began to reel it in. In only a momentshe had a fish dangling from the end, swingingback and forth.

“Bringit into the boat,” Mitchsaid, almost laughing at the perplexed look on her face. Fishingwith Audra was nothing like fishing with Thomas hadbeen.

Sheturned and the fish almost whacked him in the face. He ducked, thenreached up and nabbedthe dangling creature. In only a second, he had it free and in thecreel.

“I need to goback,” Audra said, placing her rod in the boat and turning to facethe bow.

“Tired offishing already?”

Sheshook her head. “But I think I need to do myfishing from the dock. Ineed to go back, Mitch and right now.”

Mitch tookthem back and had barely nudged the dock before Audra leaped up andhopped onto the wooden pier.

“I’ll beback in a minute,” she said and almost ran up the path. He sat inthe boat, watchingher.

Nowwhat? Was thatthe endof their fishing expedition? He looked at his watch—it was stillearly. Looking over the lake, he noticed more boats.

Suddenlyhe realized he wanted to go back out. Wanted to laze away themorning bobbing on the water,listening to Audra talk, watching her fish.

Teresa wouldbe arriving at work soon, but for once the urgent need to check inwas missing.

Audrawas right, the legal system of Boston would not come to a haltbecause he wasn’t there. He’d check inlater, maybe when Audra napped. She’d neverknow.

Not that itmattered if she knew or not. Yet somehow he didn’t want todisappoint her.

He watched thepath. How long would she be?

ChapterThirteen

Bylunchtime Audra was tired and certain she didn’t want to go fishing again anytimesoon. There were aspects she liked, like drifting along on thewater, Mitch’s biting sense of humor, the idyllicsetting.

Butthere were an equal number of discomforting things: touching thefish when taking them offthe hook, the constant caution needed to make sure shedidn’t capsize the boat, the trips back to the dock so she couldmeet her body’s needs.

Mitchnever complained, he took her back each time she requested it. Evenwith his cast, he handled the boat as if he’d been doing it all his life.

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