11. Thinking Several Steps Ahead

11

THINKING SEVERAL STEPS AHEAD

T heir next date came on Sunday.

Friday, after he helped her clean up dinner, they talked while they had dessert, but then he was gone by seven thirty.

Jarrett could see the fatigue in her eyes. She'd held back a yawn a time or two.

No, he wasn't insulted or worried that he was boring her. He just knew that it'd only been a week since her accident and she was most likely still recovering.

He gave her a light kiss on the cheek and then took his leave.

If he wanted to pull her in and give her a deeper more passionate kiss, he kept that to himself.

He was positive she wasn't ready.

"Are you sure you're okay doing this?" he asked. "It's not bringing back too many memories?"

"No," she said, laughing. "I was walking the trail last week. Not fishing. Since the weather is so nice today, you should get your fishing in. Unless you don't want to. Aren't you supposed to be quiet while you fish?"

He laughed. "I'm not sure some low conversation is going to make a big difference," he said. "I sit here in silence enough and don't catch anything. Maybe some noise will help."

"Do you often fish alone?" she asked. They were walking off of her front porch and Andi climbed into the passenger seat of his SUV. He had his canoe on the top and would bring it down once he parked.

"Most times," he said. "I used to go with my brothers, but they've got other things going on."

Once in a while Mac or Alex would give him a call to come out and sit, but his brothers had their hands full. Or Mac did. Alex, he'd rather spend some time at a pub or the casinoover fishingin silence.

"I used to fish with my father," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

Jarrett was going to take it as a positive that she was thinking of her father twice now when she was with him.

"Yeah. My father and I loved doing things outdoors. There is so much to do. Skiing in the winter, though I wasn't a huge fan of it."

"Really?" he asked. "How come?"

"I did it when I was younger and enjoyed it. But my father stopped after a while. He always worried he'd get hurt and not be able to work. I went with friends, but then the older I got, I had friends that found other things to do. I realized that I went more because of my father than liking it."

He wasn't sure what to make of that. "Do you feel that way about fishing?"

"No," she said, smiling. She reached her hand over and patted this thigh. "The thing is with skiing with someone, you're not doing it with them. It's just someone you know enjoying an activity. You can talk when you take the lift up, butotherwiseyou are just going down on your own. Fishing, you get to sit here and interact while doing it."

Which made more sense. "What else did you do or like to do outdoors? I have to say of my brothers I'm the more outdoor one."

"I like hiking, but we know, I'm kind of a klutz there."

"I don't think you're much of a klutz," he said. "Maybe you just tripped?"

"I did. Sort of. I know you know I broke my ankle not that long ago." He nodded his head. He knew that from being in the hospital while they were trying to figure out who she was. "I was trying not to turn my ankle. I was only going for a walk and had sneakers on. It was a last minute choice to go on the trail and I shouldn't have without proper footwear."

"How did you break your ankle?" he asked.

"I fell down the stairs." She started to laugh. "See, klutz."

It was a forced laugh though and something told him to not question it right now. "We all trip at times. Besides hiking and fishing, do you like swimming?"

"I do," she said. "Are there many places to swim around here? I don't see any community pools unless you are in a hotel. I've been to the public beaches a few times, but that isn't swimming to me. Not that the temperature right now is conducive to it."

"No," he said. "It's not."

They drove five more minutes until he got to the place he was before and brought his SUV down the dirt road to unload the canoe. There were a few more cars here as this was public parking.

"Do people launch a lot of boats around here?"

"Some do," he said. "Those that live on the water on this side of the island have docks. Believe it or not, there aren't a ton of motorboats on the island. Though the water is calmer on this side, the other side is more sailboats."

No one in his family had boats that he knew of. No motor or sailboats. Not even the wealthy cousins. It was odd now that he thought of it.

He just figured they took the helicopter back and forth if not the ferry. Not many were going to drive a motorized boat that many miles to Boston or Plymouth. They would not have a lot of places to dock their boat either, and they would need a car to move around on land.

"I've never been on a sailboat before," she said. "Not sure I want to be either."

"The same," he said. "I want to be able to control what I'm doing. The wind is out of your control. Yes, most have motors too, but still too daunting."

"I have a feeling not too much is daunting to you," she said as she got out of the SUV.

"You'd be surprised," he said.

This date was one for sure.Couldbe why he was single for so long.

He just didn't always feel comfortable making the first move. Or the second.

Putting himself out there.

The beginning of any new relationship always felt off to him.

This time it didn't and he wasn't sure the reason.

She helped him untie the canoe, and though he wanted to tell her he had it,there was something tellinghim that she'd argue she wasn't weak.

But when it came time to get the canoe off, she said, "I'll grab the paddles."

Which was what he was going to suggest.

He slid the canoe down and then turned it so that he had it over his head. It wasn't even sixty pounds and light enough. Easier to carry this way too.

When they got to the edge, he dropped the boat in the water at the dock so they could climb in. He held it for her and she sat efficiently enough letting him know that she'd done this before.

"Hang onto the side and I'll get the poles and tackle box."

She sat there and waited while he went back to his vehicle and got the rest out and put them in front of her. He had her sitting in the back. Then he climbed into the front.

She handed over a paddle and he pushed off from the dock. He'd had the life jackets strapped inside the canoe so they were already there. They weren't going to be far from shore and she'd said she was a strong swimmer.

There wasn't a lot of action on the water where they were and wouldn't be where they were going.

"Do you always paddle along the shore?" she asked.

"I do," he said. "I like to stay out of people's way. It's almost standing depth here. Once we get to where I think is a good spot, we can cast the line. We'll drift some and then I'll bring us back."

"Guess it was a good thing you were so close when I tumbled down the slope."

He laughed. "I almost jumped out and swam, then ran, but then I knew it'd break my phone and I'd need it to call for help so I paddled until I knew it was up to my knees and then yanked the canoe to land and raced to you."

It was an afterthought, but he knew if he didn't do it, he'd lose his canoe tooandwould need it to get back to his SUV.

He supposed he was always thinking several steps ahead in his mind.

They were silent as they paddled together smoothly and got to where he'd planned.

A nice little spot with no one around. Not that he worried he'd see anyone.

"What kind of bait do you have?" she asked. "Worms?"

"Are you grossed out by worms?" he asked. "I can put a lure on if you are."

"I'm fine with either," she said.

He grabbed a pole for her and pulled out the container of worms, then baited her line and handed it over.

"I figure the least I can do is set up the first one for you."

"Thanks," she said. "It's been a minute since I've done this."

Yet he watched her bring the pole back and then toss it over her head and land it out damn near close to where he would have.

"Doesn't look like you forgot much."

He baited his line and then did the same on the other side of the boat and the two of them sat there.

"How often do you catch something?" she asked quietly.

"Not as often as I wish," he said. Though it seemed he was catching something else as he looked at Andi.

"Then we can sit in silence," she said. "Maybe it will help."

But when her line got taut and she yanked it back with a flick of her wrist, then started to reel it in, he shook his head. "Man, you're going to show me up, aren't you?"

There was some laughter to that. Joyous gleeful laughter he wasn't sure he'd ever heard on a fishing trip.

With his brothers and father, it was more boasting and busting.

But this was excitement and the sounds of it had blood pumping in his body.

"Look at this," she said. "It's huge."

He grabbed the net and helped to bring it over the side. It was easily a five-pound bass.

"We could be eating well tonight," he said.

"Do you know how to clean and filet it?" she asked. "That wasn't part of my duty and the thought of it makes me queasy."

"Yes," he said. "I can if you want bass tonight, I'll do it."

"I could eat it," she said.

"Then we've got ourselves the start of dinner."

And at the end of three hours, there were three fish in the boat, none that he'd caught.

Talk about a humbling experience, but he wouldn't trade it for anything.

And he hoped for many more like it even if he noticed Andi looking nervously along the shore several times.