Page 32 of Long Hard Fall

She eyed the shore of the lake. Brown, crusty cattails grew in patches. Shriveled weeds and grass lined the shore, along with a few feet of mud.

Clean wasn’t in the cards tonight. She rolled up her pants as far as she could, which was only to her shins.

“The water’s going to be cold.” Cash spread out gear on a gigantic rock that made a perfect table. “You can use the rocks to fish from. That’s what we usually do; it’s why we piled them here.”

“Where in the world did you find huge rocks like this? Did you buy them?”

Sissy chuckled. “We cleaned them out of the fields.”

Different world. Her grandparents had likely done the same thing, but she’d been too young to care about the logistics. She straightened with a grin and studied the shore. “Bet I can get closer like this.”

Hannah was already rolling her jeans. “Great minds think alike. We need to immerse ourselves in the process.”

Abbi tiptoed to Cash. The fresh smell of the lake draped over her. What would it be like to have full access to a place like this? She could come out here and sit, not stress about ex-boyfriends or how her parents were reacting to the breakup. She could perch on a rock and soak up sunbeams, just because. Watch Cash fish, watch his muscles flex and bunch as he cast. But what she’d anticipate, what she’d study for hours, was that look of calm on his face. When he relaxed fully, when he seemed at peace, Abbi wanted to draw him. The real Cash. How many people saw him like that?

“Abbi?”

Oops. Too much staring, not enough listening. “I didn’t hear. Say it again?”

He handed her a fishing pole.

She accepted it, giddiness warming her body. “Is that a marshmallow?”

“Cheap bait for stocked trout.” Hannah bounced to the rock and lifted her rod. “Kinda like cheating, but better than driving fifteen miles one way to the nearest public lake.”

“So this should be a gimme.” She picked her way through the mud. Cold, squishy earth stuck between her toes.

“Go, go, go, go.” Hannah had already chosen her spot and cast.

Cash hauled himself up to the rock and stood to cast. “A gimme doesn’t mean I’m cleaning your fish for you.”

After a few minutes, the end of Abbi’s rod jerked. “I got one, I got one.” She tried jumping up and down as she reeled it in, but her feet were stuck in the mud. She waved her arm for balance, but fell backward.

Hannah laughed, but by the time Abbi’s butt hit the ground, Cash was by her side. He handed the rod off to his sister and held out a hand for Abbi.

“My fish!” Abbi got out between laughs. Ice water seeped through her pants and she was covered in muck.

She clasped Cash’s warm hand. He popped her up, steadying her with another hand at her waist.

“Don’t worry.” He held her. “Hannah’s got it for you to reel in after you stand up.”

He walked her to Hannah’s side. She had laid her own rod down and presented hers.

Abbi brought the fish in with Cash murmuring encouragement in her ear. Her face had to be split from ear to ear with her grin. His soothing voice, his hands on her. A beautiful, wiggling trout hanging off her line.

They hung around to fish for another hour before she started shivering too badly. Abbi would’ve gutted it out, but Hannah’s teeth were chattering and Cash was constantly shooting her and his sister worried looks.

Cleaning the fish was even fun.

“You’ll have to let me cook these for you.” Abbi bit her lip after the words left her mouth. Was that too presumptuous? She wanted to come back, or stay—either way, she didn’t want this to end.

“Of course.” Cash loaded their gear and spread out a towel in the passenger seat of his pickup for her to sit on. “The full experience is what Sissy promised you.”

Hannah crawled into the back after wiping her feet off the best she could. “And it’s what you’re gonna get.”

As they drove back, Abbi looked herself over. A muddy mess, though much of it dried. Ellis would’ve shit himself if she’d walked up to his vehicle in the state she was in. As if he’d be out fishing in less than a boat, a life vest, and white sunblock slathered on his nose.

The towel Cash spread out for her was an old one he must keep on hand, but he only had one and Hannah sat in the back with grimy feet. Abbi’s feet were in worse shape, with nothing between them and the floor mat.

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