Page 62 of Yours To Take
“Bring him in slow and steady. Don’t pull.”
Her hands guide my movements as the line gets shorter and shorter. The fish is squirming in the water as Gemma grabs a net to bring him in. She pulls the hook out of his mouth.
“He’s huge!”
Gemma eyes me before looking down into the net. “Men. Always exaggerating how big something is.”
“He has to be a foot long!”
Gemma holds the net out to me. Inches are marked on the inside padding.
Four inches.
“No way. He has to be bigger than that.”
Gemma reaches in with one hand and brings him out. “Really?”
He’s the size of her hand. “Okay, fine. But he looked bigger in the water.”
“If you want to tell everyone back home that you caught a foot-long trout, I won’t stop you. I’ll know you’re full of shit, but they can be impressed with your newfound fishing skills.”
I feign hurt. “Way to cut a man down, Gemma.”
“You want to hold him?” She extends her hand to me. The fish is gaping.
“Eww, no.”
“C’mon. Don’t be such a baby. You can even kiss him if you want.”
My face screws up in disgust. I can’t help it. Who would want to kiss a fish?
“No, thanks.”
“It’s not bad.” Gemma gives him a light peck on the lips before holding him out to me.
“That’s disgusting.”
“Are you sure?” She pushes him even closer to me.
“Oh God!” I jump back, landing squarely on my ass.
She’s laughing at me as she sets the fish down in the river and he swims away.
“We’re not going to eat him?”
Gemma shakes her head. “No. It’d be wasteful.”
“We don’t even get to enjoy the fruits of my hard work?”
Gemma’s staring down at me, her hands on her hips. She looks fucking adorable in her hat and waders. “You okay down there?”
“I’m glad I’m wearing the waders now.”
“I’m sorry, was there a ‘Gemma is right’ in there?” She cups her hand next to her ear.
“Are you always like this?” I grumble.
Gemma reaches a hand out to help me up, but I pull her down next to me.
