Page 51 of Fight for Me
Lexie frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” she asked, echoing his words from a moment before.
“I mean this isn’t really a first date,” he explained. “First dates are awkward. You have to navigate through all the get-to-know-you stuff and decide if the person is worth spending more of your time with or if you’d rather move on to someone else. But we’ve been doing that for months, and I already know what my choice is. Sure, this might be our first actual date where I can call you my girlfriend, but we’re not going backwards.
“I’m not going to worry about graduation until it gets here, and neither should you. Right now is right now, and right now, I want to lie in the shade and eat stolen cafeteria food with the most beautiful girl in the world. And then, I want to take her fishing.”
Lexie blinked, feeling heat creep up her neck. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from breaking into the kind of childish grin that would make her giggle like a teenager.
“I thought you said it wasn’t stolen,” she quipped, cocking her head back again to see him.
Jake blew out a puff of air. “That’s your takeaway?” he asked, though he was smiling.
“I’m dating a strawberry thief,” she teased, reaching back to pat the side of his face fondly. “My daddy will be so proud.”
Jake chuckled, and Lexie let the sound wash over her, trying to ignore the dull ache that suddenly bloomed behind her rib cage. No, her daddy would not be proud. But that wasn’t Jake’s fault.
“You said fishing?” she asked, changing the subject. “I don’t know how to fish.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll show you,” he said, unperturbed. He sat up straighter, his hand coming off the blanket and settling against her waist as he did, and Lexie concentrated on the pressure of his palm against her side. He was right. They weren’t starting at the beginning.
Not even close.
Jake stifled alaugh as Lexie yanked hard on her tangled line, irritation evident on her face.
“I don’t know what makes you think I can do this!” she huffed, struggling to retrieve her lure from a bush behind her. He crouched and deftly released the hook from where it had caught on a small branch.
“Because you’re an incredibly smart woman who can do anything she puts her mind to,” he said.
He watched her reel in the excess fishing line that had unspooled in her agitation, and when Lexie visibly relaxed, Jake felt a surge of satisfaction. She soaked up words of praise like a flower straining for the light, and he was on a personal mission to make sure she heard some every single day.
“You’re releasing too early,” he explained, coming up behind her. He reached around to close his hand over hers on the fishing pole. He pressed his thumb on the button below the reel and drew his wrist back, taking hers with it. “Flick back over your shoulder like this and then release the line out in front of you,” he said, sweeping the pole forward and expertly casting several yards into the lake.
Lexie shook her head and switched the rod to her left hand so she could wind the reel with her right.
“I know what you’re doing,” she said as Jake settled his arms around her waist and pulled her snug against his chest. He could hear the smile in her voice.
“What am I doing?” he asked.
“You wanted me to need help so you’d have an excuse to snuggle.”
He laughed, unsurprised by her observation.
“Busted,” he said, though he was actually looking for an excuse to kiss her again. He didn’t want her to think that was all he wanted, but hewasa guy, and there were only so many brain cells he could distract at any given time.
Suddenly, something yanked on Lexie’s line as it skimmed through the water.
“Jake!” she said, instantly excited. “Jake, I think I caught something!”
“Well, reel it in!”
“Help me!” she said, fighting against the pull of whatever had taken her bait. The water at the end of her line sloshed violently as the creature fought back.
“You’ve got it!” Jake encouraged, and he moved away to give her room to maneuver. “Walk backwards and pull him in. Don’t let him get the best of you!”
Lexie did as he said, and after a few moments, a large bass breached the surface. Jake whistled and whooped as he snapped a photo on his phone.
“That’s my girl!” he hollered, crouching to subdue the bass where it flopped around in the soft grass. Lexie beamed in satisfaction.
“He’s big enough to eat!” Jake added, removing the hook from the fish’s lip with practiced skill. “Do you want to touch him?” He held the animal out to her, and Lexie shrank back in disgust.
