They were two-thirds of the way across the pond when Dillon stopped paddling and let the boat drift. He opened a tackle box and pulled out a round white and red thing. He attached it to the fishing line on one of the poles, and then attached a line with a hook on the end.
“You can use this pole. Hold it while I prepare mine.” He handed the pole to her. “Careful not to catch your skin on the hook.”
Ariana appreciated that he was patient with her. She really had no idea how to catch a fish. She understood the concept of luring a fish with something it liked to eat, but actually catching one and reeling it in…? Not so much.
Once he had his hook and round red and white thing attached, he dug into the can they’d brought that was full of the worms they’d dug out of the pile of horse manure and straw behind the barn. He brought up a worm and threaded it onto the hook. “Watch closely, because you’ll be doing this.”
“Doesn’t that hurt the worm?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “Besides, the worm is about to be eaten by a fish, if we’re lucky.” He dipped his fingers in the water to rinse off the worm guts and horse manure. Then he flipped the metal ring over and, with his thumb on the line, he cast the line and worm away from the boat. “Think you can do that?”
“Maybe.”
He dug out a worm and handed it to her. “Let’s see you do it.”
She struggled to get the worm on the hook, wincing as she pierced the worm’s body, feeling sorry for it. The worm wiggled like it was in horrible pain. Arianna almost gave up halfway through the process. But she refused to be the city girl who couldn’t fish because she was too squeamish. Once she had the worm on the hook, she flipped the metal ring like Dillon had, but forgot to put her thumb on the line. The hook and worm dropped into the bottom of the boat. “Oops. I don’t think that was supposed to happen.”
“It’s okay. Here…” He reached across, took the pole from her and reeled in the excess line. “I’m coming across to sit beside you.”
Very carefully, he moved across the short space between them, rocking the boat as he did.
Ariana held onto the bench seat with both hands, glad she had on the life vest.
Dillon settled on the seat beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Hold the handle here.” He placed her left hand below the reel. “Now, flip this metal ring over the top, while holding your thumb on the line.” He pressed her thumb on the line and flipped the ring. “See? It doesn’t go anywhere when you hold it like that. Now, you bring it back like this.” He leaned back, his hands around hers, his arms surrounding her making her body light up like Fourth of July fireworks, and he flicked the end of the rod, saying, “Let your thumb off.”
She moved her thumb and the line flew out over the water, the bobber landing with a plop, the hook with the worm on the end, sinking beneath the surface.
“Now, you turn the handle once to set the line.”
Ariana turned the handle, hearing a click as she did.
“Good,” he said, still holding her in his arms. “Think you can manage it from here? Or do you want me to help you reel it in?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like you to take me through reeling it in at least once before you turn me loose,” she said. And she didn’t want him to move from where he sat, holding her in his arms with her back pressed to his chest.
Who knew fishing could be so sexy?
The bobber dipped beneath the surface.
“Is that supposed to happen?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. That means the fish are hitting the bait. Wait until the bobber sinks below the surface. Then we’ll pull up sharply to set the hook in the fish’s mouth. And yes, it hurts the fish, but we’re going to eat the fish later, anyway.”
“You really are going to be good with kids, someday,” she said.
The bobber sank below the surface.
“Give it a little jerk,” he said, wrapping his hands around hers. He pulled back the rod sharply.
Ariana could feel the tug at the other end. “I have a fish!”
“Yes, you do. Now, reel it in.”
She turned the knob slowly.
“Go faster. Sometimes, they’re only snagged and can get off easily. Bring it in. I’ll get the net for when it gets close enough.”
She turned the knob faster and faster, getting a cramp in her hand as she did.
Soon, the bobber popped up out of the water, and Ariana could see the silvery shadow sliding beneath the surface. “I see it!” she cried.
“Hold steady while I scoop it out of the water.”
He leaned close to the edge. The skiff dipped down.
Ariana stopped reeling and leaned the opposite direction.
“Pull the pole up so I can get under the fish,” Dillon said.
She did as he said, yanking it up a little too fast.
The fish flew out of the water, smacked Dillon in the face and landed on Ariana’s lap.
She squealed and lunged away from the flopping fish and toward Dillon who was leaning over the rim of the boat.
With both of them going the same direction, the skiff flipped, dumping the Ariana, Dillon and the fish into the water.
The boat crashed over on top of them, conking Dillon on the head. He went under, beneath the overturned boat.
“Dillon!” Ariana reached beneath the surface, the pond water terrifying in the darkness.
She didn’t feel anything at first, then her hand touched something solid. A sob rose up her throat as she dug her fingers into a shirt and pulled Dillon toward her. His head came up beside her
