in the deep water, Margie baby.” His voice dropped to a rolling old-pirate, tall-tale cadence. “They say there’s some out there a couple a hundred pounds, could just slurp a little thing like you right up.”
Margie looked wide-eyed at Christopher. Christopher was choking down a laugh and trying to look serious and supportive at the same time, and failing miserably.
JoAnn rolled her eyes and flicked the back of Lloyd’s head.
“Ouch! Damn it, Jo.” He rubbed his head.
JoAnn grinned. “Margie, sweetie, don’t listen to Lloyd. He’s just pulling your leg.”
“Oh.” Doubts still flickered over her face. “What do you need pliers for?”
“You don’t scale a cat, hon. You got to skin them. Watch how Scott’s doing it.” Christopher dispatched his own bass.
“Oh, that’s the old way. Try it this way.” With a brisk, sure slip of his knife, a snap of the backbone, and a smooth pull head to tail, Dave had the smaller catfish in his hands neatly peeled and gutted.
A kittenish cry escaped Margie as she turned seriously green. Christopher quickly rinsed off his hands and hugged her close, murmuring something soothing.
She hid her face in his chest, and a hiccupping sniffle squeaked from her. “But there it’s wrapped and everything.”
He smiled and patted her back as he whispered into her ear, his craggy, lined face transformed by tenderness into something exquisite.
Kay stared, transfixed.
Christopher whispered more. Margie’s gentle laughter rippled out, and she tipped her face to him. He kissed her and her smile bloomed.
Patti and Olivia deftly fileted and portioned the cleaned catch, and Dave and Rich manned the fry pans.
Food was served up, seats taken, and the lively banter, jokes, and catching-up conversation flew around Kay.
Lloyd handed Kay the tomato salad. “Kay, we put this trip together per Nate’s request so we could all get some serious fishing in, and what does he do on the first day? Deserts us!”
Nate laughed. “Hey, I caught four fish today. Tell them, Kay.”
Kay merely smiled as she scooped the savory tomatoes onto her plate and passed the bowl to Nate.
“Took you all afternoon to catch four fish? You said you’d be right back with Kay for lunch.” Dave rolled his eyes and gave Kay a friendly wink.
“Got sidetracked. The fish, lunch…you know.” Nate grinned smugly.
A flaming blush rushed over Kay.
JoAnn laughed dryly. “Uh huh. ‘You know’ always takes some time, when done right.” She leaned over to whisper in Lloyd’s ear and, as Lloyd choked and flushed, turned smoothly to Nate. “Nate, honey, pass that salad on down here.”
“Waiter, waiter, there’s a fly in my salad,” Dave cracked.
“Please, sir, no casting in the restaurant,” Christopher answered.
Margie giggled and so did Kay, even if that old joke got cornier every year. Kay had so missed this.
Still Nate said nothing. Kay puzzled over JoAnn’s revelation. Nate had been in love with her all this time and everyone knew? Yeah, Nate and she had been friends from day one, had always gotten along, and oh, yeah, clicked physically from moment one.
Really well. She’d never met anyone who brought her body to life like Nate. But physical attraction and friendship weren’t love.
Love was nothing but trouble.
Olivia slid a glance over to her husband, who was busy talking with Lloyd and Mark. She gave a tired, resigned smile and sipped at her drink. “So what do you do, Kay?”
JoAnn jumped in before Kay could answer. “Believe it or not, my friend here spends three months out of the year wandering around the desert by herself painting pictures of rocks. Rocks, mind you.”
“I do paint things other than rocks.” Kay sipped at her beer, feeling cornered.
JoAnn’s friendly, teasing laughter rang out. “What are you working on now? Ten to one it’s rocks.”
Kay shook her head. She didn’t dare answer, considering the subject matter of the Coyote Point piece. Yep. Rocks. The
Margie looked wide-eyed at Christopher. Christopher was choking down a laugh and trying to look serious and supportive at the same time, and failing miserably.
JoAnn rolled her eyes and flicked the back of Lloyd’s head.
“Ouch! Damn it, Jo.” He rubbed his head.
JoAnn grinned. “Margie, sweetie, don’t listen to Lloyd. He’s just pulling your leg.”
“Oh.” Doubts still flickered over her face. “What do you need pliers for?”
“You don’t scale a cat, hon. You got to skin them. Watch how Scott’s doing it.” Christopher dispatched his own bass.
“Oh, that’s the old way. Try it this way.” With a brisk, sure slip of his knife, a snap of the backbone, and a smooth pull head to tail, Dave had the smaller catfish in his hands neatly peeled and gutted.
A kittenish cry escaped Margie as she turned seriously green. Christopher quickly rinsed off his hands and hugged her close, murmuring something soothing.
She hid her face in his chest, and a hiccupping sniffle squeaked from her. “But there it’s wrapped and everything.”
He smiled and patted her back as he whispered into her ear, his craggy, lined face transformed by tenderness into something exquisite.
Kay stared, transfixed.
Christopher whispered more. Margie’s gentle laughter rippled out, and she tipped her face to him. He kissed her and her smile bloomed.
Patti and Olivia deftly fileted and portioned the cleaned catch, and Dave and Rich manned the fry pans.
Food was served up, seats taken, and the lively banter, jokes, and catching-up conversation flew around Kay.
Lloyd handed Kay the tomato salad. “Kay, we put this trip together per Nate’s request so we could all get some serious fishing in, and what does he do on the first day? Deserts us!”
Nate laughed. “Hey, I caught four fish today. Tell them, Kay.”
Kay merely smiled as she scooped the savory tomatoes onto her plate and passed the bowl to Nate.
“Took you all afternoon to catch four fish? You said you’d be right back with Kay for lunch.” Dave rolled his eyes and gave Kay a friendly wink.
“Got sidetracked. The fish, lunch…you know.” Nate grinned smugly.
A flaming blush rushed over Kay.
JoAnn laughed dryly. “Uh huh. ‘You know’ always takes some time, when done right.” She leaned over to whisper in Lloyd’s ear and, as Lloyd choked and flushed, turned smoothly to Nate. “Nate, honey, pass that salad on down here.”
“Waiter, waiter, there’s a fly in my salad,” Dave cracked.
“Please, sir, no casting in the restaurant,” Christopher answered.
Margie giggled and so did Kay, even if that old joke got cornier every year. Kay had so missed this.
Still Nate said nothing. Kay puzzled over JoAnn’s revelation. Nate had been in love with her all this time and everyone knew? Yeah, Nate and she had been friends from day one, had always gotten along, and oh, yeah, clicked physically from moment one.
Really well. She’d never met anyone who brought her body to life like Nate. But physical attraction and friendship weren’t love.
Love was nothing but trouble.
Olivia slid a glance over to her husband, who was busy talking with Lloyd and Mark. She gave a tired, resigned smile and sipped at her drink. “So what do you do, Kay?”
JoAnn jumped in before Kay could answer. “Believe it or not, my friend here spends three months out of the year wandering around the desert by herself painting pictures of rocks. Rocks, mind you.”
“I do paint things other than rocks.” Kay sipped at her beer, feeling cornered.
JoAnn’s friendly, teasing laughter rang out. “What are you working on now? Ten to one it’s rocks.”
Kay shook her head. She didn’t dare answer, considering the subject matter of the Coyote Point piece. Yep. Rocks. The
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