“What’s that?” I ask, leaning in close. It’s like she’s a magnetic force that I can’t seem to pull away from.
“That we have fish to catch.” Her hands press against my chest, and her lips connect with my cheek. “Bet I can catch more than you,” she whispers huskily.
“Game on, beautiful.”
Her smile is bright, and that sparkle is back. I hope I can keep it there the rest of the day. “So, about tonight. You think you can find someone to cover for you?” I’m not ready to be away from her. Funny thing is, I’m not sure I ever will be. She’s cast her spell on me, that’s for sure.
“About that,” she says cautiously. “I’m actually off.”
“Shayne Danner, did you call in sick for me?” I’m only teasing. She told me this morning she had to work from four to nine.
“No.” She looks down at her feet and wrings her hands together, and my hackles raise.
“What’s going on?”
Placing her pole on the ground beside her chair, she buries her face in her hands. “I’m sorry.” She lifts her head to look at me, and there’s sorrow written all over her face.
“What are you sorry for?” My voice is soft, but my guard is up. She looks as though she’s on the verge of tears.
“I lied to you. I’m off tonight.”
I take a minute to let my mind wrap around her words. She lied to me. “Why?” That single word feels heavy as it leaves my lips.
“I told you, you don’t know me.”
“How am I supposed to get to know you if you’re not honest with me? Why did you lie to me, Shayne?”
“I have a past.”
“We all have a past.”
“Mine is ugly.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case.”
“Trust me. You don’t want someone like me in your life. You’re too… good.”
“Do I get a say in this?”
I watch as she closes her eyes and focuses on pulling in slow breaths. When her eyes finally open, they are swimming with tears. “I didn’t know how to tell you that I can’t go to the bonfire.”
“Why?”
“History.” She shrugs.
“Do you care to share that history with me?”
“Maybe one day?” It comes off as a question.
“So you don’t have to work tonight, and your history makes you think you can’t go to the bonfire.”
“I don’t think. I know I can’t go.”
I feel as though this is a turning point for us. Here sits this gorgeous, intriguing woman who has a past I know nothing about. I have bits and pieces from Chad, but there’s more than that. I have a feeling it might be even more than Chad knows. She lied to me but came clean, not even twelve hours later. It’s obvious that she was scared to tell me. We all make mistakes, right? My gut tells me she needs an olive branch. It’s also telling me that other than Chad and his family, and maybe her boss, she’s not been given many in her lifetime. Until now.
“So, what are we going to do?”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Tonight. You and me. What are we going to do?”
“You’re going to go with Chad, and I’m going to go home and relax.” Her tone says that’s the end of the discussion, but I’ve got news for her. Wherever she is, that’s where I’m going to be too. At least for the next two days. Instead of arguing with her and spoiling our day, I reach down, grab her pole, and hand it to her. She gives me a watery smile, and we leave it at that.
We spend a few hours at the pond, and just as she predicted, Shayne caught more fish than me. However, I was distracted, only half-assing the task. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her, and more times than I care to admit, I was too slow to react, and the fish got away. That’s fine. I’ll take an empty hook for memories of her any day.
The sun is starting to set beyond the trees by the time we call it a day. “I guess you need to get back and get ready,” she says, placing our gear in the bed of the UTV.
There is something in her voice that tells me she’s not happy about it. There is a hint of sadness in her tone, and after the day we had together, the thought of her being upset tears me up. “I told you I’m not going. We’re going to hang out. Just you and me.” It’s not a suggestion; it’s a statement. I know Chad won’t mind, and truthfully, I don’t care if he does. I’ve never met any of those people, and I get it. He wants to introduce me. Not to mention, they were mean to her, or someone who is going to be there was mean to her, and I don’t trust myself not to dig and defend her. That’s the effect she has on me. I don’t need to be hauled off to jail, and my time is better spent with her anyway.