Page 95 of As a Last Resort
Austin’s eyes flicked to me for a moment, his mouth twitching with the faintest trace of a smirk.“You might want to loosen the drag,” he offered casually.“Unless you’re planning to snap the line.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Robby shot back, “but this one doesn’t stand a chance.”The line creaked under the strain, and Harold hovered nearby, watching like a referee waiting for the perfect moment to blow the whistle.
The fish surfaced for a split second, its massive tail slapping the water as sea spray flew up and completely soaked the front of Robby’s shirt.
Ethel smirked.“I was just thinking all we needed to get this party started was a wet T-shirt contest.”
Robby let out a triumphant yell.“Did you see that?It’s huge!”
“Yeah, it’s a good one,” Austin’s voice maddeningly calm.“Let’s see if you can land it.”
Robby’s face twisted with determination.The fish darted under the boat, and Harold barked a warning.“Keep the line steady or he’ll wrap you up in the prop!”
“I know!”Beads of sweat formed on Robby’s brow.He shifted his weight, trying to maneuver the rod as the fish took another dive.Austin stepped forward, ready to intervene, but stopped short when Robby shot him a glare.
The line whined again, dangerously taut.“You’re going to lose it if you don’t—” Austin started.
The fish broke the surface again, thrashing wildly as Robby reeled it closer.It was massive—easily the biggest of the day.Austin grabbed the net and positioned himself at the edge of the boat, his movements precise and controlled.“Bring him in slow.Let him tire himself out.”
Robby ignored him, pulling harder, his breaths coming in short, frustrated bursts.The fish gave one last violent thrash, and Austin lunged forward, scooping it into the net with practiced ease.
Robby puffed out his chest, grinning as if he’d just won a gold medal.“Told you I had it under control.”
Austin, to his credit, kept his expression neutral as he measured the fish.“Nice catch,” he said, his voice even.“Forty-two inches.That’s a monster.”He genuinely congratulated him, a pillar of professionalism, but I didn’t miss the way his grip tightened on the tape measure or the flicker of frustration in his eyes.
“Oooohhh, looks like we have a new winner!”Gail exclaimed, phone still recording.Robby turned to the camera, his aviators lost somewhere in the battle, and winked.
“That’s a boat record,” Harold called out, his tone impressed.“Looks like you finally got your sea legs, rookie.”
As Robby basked in his victory, Austin glanced at me, and fora split second, I saw something there—something raw and unspoken.He wasn’t just competing with Robby for the biggest fish.
He was competing for me.
The sky was a swirl of bubblegum pink and orange as we pulled back into the marina.
Robby stepped off Harold’s boat and beelined it straight for me.He held out his hand to help me off but I jumped out on my own and gave him a tight smile, the memory of our call earlier snapping me back to reality.
“Austin wants to show me one more spot to check off the list for today.”I kept my tone light but firm.“I’ll text you later.”
Robby gave me his best lost-puppy look, his shoulders slumping just enough to tug at the corners of my sympathy.
“But hey,” I added, softening just a fraction.“Nice fish.For real.That was seriously impressive.”I was being genuine, but I wasn’t about to let him off the hook, pun intended, from this morning.Not yet.His wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing act still felt too raw.
“You good to press down an actual button on a camera, Maverick?”Shirley asked Robby, recruiting him as their new sunset photographer.
The hum of the motor filled the silence around Austin and me on the smaller boat, and I didn’t mind the break in the noise.The water was pure glass going back, reflecting the pink sky and fluffy clouds that looked like puffs of spun sugar.There were so many things bouncing in my head I couldn’t think straight.The call from this morning, Robby lying, the monstrous ferry that would put Austin out of business, my mom whom I still hadn’t heard from, the best kiss of my life… Why had his door been shut?What did that mean?He seemed fine today.
I gazed out over the water and leaped from subject to subject, wondering what it all meant.
Austin started to slow the boat.“You’ve been quiet since we left.”
“Thinking about how to defend myself against the three little ladies who will most assuredly be kidnapping me in my sleep tonight.”
“I’ve got one more place to show you for a picture, then we’ll head in.It’s just around the corner here.Sound good?”
“Sounds great.”
He pulled around the bend and slowed the motor.It looked like any other inlet until I saw the gnarled tree branch sticking out of the water.It had the same twisted look about it that the branches did from Birchwood Beach.
