Page 60 of Yours To Take
The burbling river sparkles in the sun. Everything about this place continues to blow me away. When I got here, I figured I’d be stuck in my room for twelve hours a day trying to find my muse.
Turns out my muse looks pretty sexy in fishing gear.
“Are you paying attention?” Gemma asks.
“Sorry. My teacher is looking pretty sexy right now, and it’s a distraction.”
She leans up, giving me a quick peck before shoving a fishing rod in my hand. “A for smoothness, but don’t think I’m letting you off easy.”
“Teach me how to be one with the fish, Miss Winchester.”
She baits our hooks and demonstrates the movement. “You’ll get the hang of it. Try a few times without the pole.”
I swing my arm back and forth a few times as she corrects my moves. “Like that?”
“Not as much wrist. You want to arc your arm more so the line goes farther out. You don’t want to drop it right in front of you.”
This time, after I get it right, she hands me the pole. “Cast over there.” She points to a clump of trees. “The fish like it.”
I follow her lead, wading farther into the water and casting my line.
“What do we do now?”
“We wait.”
“What if the fish don’t bite?”
She shrugs a shoulder like it isn’t a big deal. “Then the fish don’t bite.”
“I don’t know if I see the appeal in this.”
“It’s peaceful. I could spend hours out here and not see another soul.”
“Do you usually come out here by yourself?”
“Every once in a while. Sometimes Gramps comes with me, but I enjoy floating down the river on my own.”
I eye her as she recasts her line. She instructs me to do the same.
“You surprise me.”
“How?” She turns her attention to me, not even realizing that she’s messing with her line as she does. This is like second nature to her.
“You’re outdoorsy. You’re a badass, out here casting lines like it’s no big deal. It’s pretty cool.”
“Wait until you see me on a horse.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You’ll love it.”
“You know, maybe I could have my characters out here fishing on horses.”
Gemma bursts out laughing.
“What? It’s not that crazy of an idea.”
Gemma shakes her head. “No self-respecting fisherman would be caught dead on a horse.” She wades closer to me. “How in the world are you going to catch the fish once you get him?”
