Page 158 of Three Pucks and a Baby

“What do I do? Just pull the line out of the water?”

“Not exactly. You’ll reel it in and then pull the rod a bit out of the water.”

“All right,” he grumbled.

After getting my pole, I cast out away from his line. Silence echoed around us. “I’m scared out of my mind about leaving you,” Theo said.

Whirling around, I stared at him. “You are?”

“We can barely make this work when we’re in the same city. What the fuck is going to happen when I’m thousands of miles away?”

“Wearemaking this work, Theo. You’ve heard Dr. Zeller tell us that many times.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“That’s because you’ve never been in a relationship before or loved anyone before. It’s work. It’s showing up every day–physically and emotionally.” I cupped his cheek. “We are doing that, Theo. It’s not perfect, but we do. Just like we show up for Vivian, and we’ll show up for our son.”

“How can you always be so disgustingly optimistic?”

I smiled. “Because it’s the only thing that got me through when my father threw me out of the house. I had to be fucking Orphan Annie with the sun coming out tomorrow, or I’d be six feet under.”

“Oh, Bennie,” Theo muttered.

Before I could say I didn’t want his pity, a fish tugged on Theo’s line. “You got one.”

His eyes bulged. “I do?”

“Yeah, start reeling him in.”

Theo’s steely control faltered, and he gave me a pleading look. “Help me.”

With a reassuring smile, I replied, “Always.”

And together we reeled in an enormous striped bass. As I took the hook out of its mouth, I grinned. “I can’t believe you caught this on your first try.”

“It’s a curse being good at everything,” Theo teased.

I playfully rolled my eyes at him before depositing the fish into our second cooler. After placing both my hands on his face, I pronounced, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Seriously?”

“Damn straight.”

A mischievous look flashed in his eyes. “Can I have something for catching a fish?”

“Isn’t the thrill of victory enough?”

“Nope.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I warily asked, “What do you want?”

“A kiss.”

I grunted. “It’s never just a kiss with you.”

“It will be this time.” At my continued apprehension, he replied, “I swear.”

“Fine. But no tongue.”

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