Chapter 26
Fishing & Kissing
It was a beautiful day and Martin was so glad that Randi had suggested they go fishing. He knew she was trying to let him know she was willing to do some things that he enjoyed, but he could also see she was very much at home with a fishing pole in her hands.
He didn’t have to bait her hook or untie her line from the trees. Over the years he’d taken a few girls fishing, but it had never been this much fun. It was nice to be outside in the sun, sitting in a chair on the edge of a bank, just fishing….
“Be honest with me,” he said, lazily. Randi turned to look at him.
“Sure. About what?”
“Fishing. Do you really enjoy this or are you just doing it to make me happy?”
“I’ve fished on and off all my life. I can’t say that I would go fishing alone, but sure with friends or family, yes, I like it. I don’t enjoy cleaning fish, and I don’t like to fly fish, but that’s mostly because I’m not good at it,” Randi replied, good-naturedly. She felt a slight tug on her line and realized she had a bite.
“Good. I like to fish. Mike said we could come here and fish any time we want. We also have access to the house if you need the bathroom or want something to eat or drink.”
“You and Mike are good friends. You trust him. I’m pretty sure I know you well enough to understand that doesn’t come easy for you.”
“You do know me, and you’re right. Mike and I go way back. We know each other’s deep, dark secrets and met long before either of us had a dime to our name.”
“To exchange houses, the trust runs deep. I don’t know anyone that well, except my parents.” Randi stopped talking and worked on pulling in a fish.
It was a small bluegill. She took it off the hook, showed it to Martin then walked down to the edge of the water and tossed it back in. She washed her hands off in the water and returned to her seat.
She tried a different kind of bait, set up her reel to cast, but instead, laid the pole down and moved her chair closer to his. “I like to fish, but I also like to just sit and watch a handsome man do his thing.”
Martin smiled, turned, and as he hoped she would, Randi leaned in to kiss him.
“That’s fun, too,” she said, teasingly. “Maybe more fun then fishing.”
They shared one more kiss and Martin leaned back. “Maybe? I’m not sure I like that comment.”
“Okay. Kissing is a lot more fun, especially with you.”
This time, she leaned in, placed her finger on his chin and he turned for another kiss. It lasted longer than the first and he turned in his chair. He reached up to touch his hand to her face.
“No you don’t! Not with those wormy, fishy hands,” she said, giving him a disgusted look.
“I thought you liked worms.” Martin laid down his fishing pole and reached into a can by his seat and pulled out a worm. “My friend wants a kiss.”
Randi laughed giddily. “You get away from me with that ‘friend’.”
“Come on…. just one little kiss.”
“No,” she said, rising from the chair. Martin took off his hat, tossed it onto the ground, and wiggled the worm in her direction. She laughed and backed up. “You better not. I don’t mind worms but I don’t want to kiss one.”
When he rose from his chair she looked worried. She backed up until she was leaning against his truck. It had rained the night before and she looked down at a puddle. “If you don’t put that worm down, I’ll play dirty and swipe some of that nice, yucky mud all down the side of your pretty, clean truck.
“You wouldn’t dare.” Martin wasn’t too sure whether she would or not but the mischievous grin on her face said she would. He had what he wanted anyway, Randi out of that chair where he could get his hands on more than just a fishing pole.
He held the worm out and gave it a slight toss. She smiled and stepped away from the puddle by the truck. When he came to her, he took her hands in his. He raised her arms up and that’s all it took. She moved them around his neck, playing with his hair.
He kept his eyes lowered, watching as he encircled her waist with his hands. “This,” he said, “is a lot more fun than fishing any day.” He moved his hands up to about the spot where her bra started then slid them down her back.
“I know my boundaries. I just don’t like them,” he murmured, and moved his kisses to her neck.
She sighed. “You know that’s my weak spot, don’t you?”
He chuckled, but kept moving his kisses up. He could gauge her reaction by her hands. When he kissed her neck, she dug her fingers into his hair pulling him closer. A few times, she’d even pulled his lips to hers, as she did this time.
It was hard to behave. His hands wanted to roam up and under the back of her shirt to touch her skin. Maybe coming out here was not such a good idea. He could swoop her into his arms and carry her into the house to the bed or the couch.
In order to control his mind, and his body, he moved his kisses back to her neck and then just rested his lips against her skin. Randi wrapped her arms around his shoulders running her fingers through his hair. They stayed like this for a wonderful moment then she spoke.
“Martin.”
He didn’t answer, but kissed her neck lightly. She said his name again, this time with a little more urgency. “Martin, your fishing pole…. it’s moving.”
He turned and saw she was right. He moved from her arms to the bank and grabbed the pole just as it was about to be pulled into the water. She laughed and he felt her hands on his back. “Pull it in! Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Something pretty big but I don’t think it’s big enough to be Ol’ Henry.”
“Oh, yeah, that big catfish Mike wants to catch. I’m sure there’s more than one catfish in there.”
“There’s plenty. Grab the camera and we’ll take its picture. Ol’ Henry, or not, I think this one’s going to be one I can brag about.”