Page 11 of Now and Then

“Tying on a new fly,” I say. My hand hovers back and forth over the tackle box as I try to decide which one to use next.

Sutton looks at me, to my hand, and back to me. Her eyes narrow, a tiny crease forming between her brows and then grabs my hand in hers.

I jolt at the unexpected physical contact, but a warmth spreads up my fingers and through my arm. She must’ve thought I was reaching for her hand. I gesture with my chin toward the box of flies. “I was reaching for those.”

Her cheeks flush and she drops my hand. My hand instantly feels cold.

A rumbled groan sounds deep in her chest. “Um . . .” She pushes a wayward curl behind her ear. “Sorry about that.”

“Pick a fly,” I say, gesturing to the tackle box. I wait patiently while she thumbs through the selection. The sun starts to dip under the horizon. It’s almost time for magic hour.

After a minute, she hands me the orange fly that originally caught her eye.

“Want to tell me what’s wrong?” I tie the fly onto my line.

She looks toward Luke. I can only assume she’s trying to make sure he isn’t listening.

“It’s about a boy.”

“I figured that. Do I need to kick his ass?”

Her giggle bursts out, floating around the solitude of the pond. “Don’t you dare, Hunter James.”

“I can’t promise that, Sutton Joy. Now, tell me what happened.”

Her eyes narrow in annoyance. She always hates it when I use her middle name.

“You know that new guy, Brent?”

I nod as she fidgets with a plant growing on the shore.

“Well, I might have asked him to the Sadie Hawkins dance.”

“And?”

She rolls her eyes clear to the back of her head. “I don’t want to tell you.”

“Uh-huh, Sut, them’s the rules with us, right? We shoot each other straight.”

“I know,” she says. “I’m just embarrassed, okay?”

“Why would you be embarrassed?”

“Because you’re Mr. Hotshot at school, and all the girls love you. You’ve never been turned down by a girl.”

“I’ve been turned down plenty. Comes with the territory of growing up.” I cast my line into the lake. “So, he said no?”

“Okay, well, technically, he said he had a girlfriend.”

It’s my turn to roll my eyes at her. “So, he didn’t flat turn you down? Call you a troll? Say you’re the worst person ever in the whole world and he never wants to see your face again?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. What did he say then?”

She takes a long breath and turns her gaze to mine. Her green eyes stand out against the curls surrounding her face, and for some reason, I notice it more than I ever have.

“He said I was beautiful and nice, but he’s in a relationship and wishes the timing was different because he would have loved to get to know me better.”