Chapter 3

© Copyright 2005 by Diana Mylek



Raymond was waiting in the apartment parking lot when Emily and her sister returned from their excursion. He jumped out of his car and grabbed Emily by her arm, pulling her from Lacey’s vehicle.

“Ow, Ray, stop,” Emily protested, shaking her arm away.

“Leave her alone!” Lacey ordered, racing around to the other side of the car.

“It’s okay,” Emily assured her sister. “He gets upset if I worry him.”

Raymond glared at Lacey. “It’s none of your business anyway. This is between Emily and me.”

“My sister is my business,” Lacey said, putting her hand on her hip.

“Come on, Emily. We’ll talk in private.” He pulled Emily along with him, despite Lacey’s attempt to stop him.

“Hurt her and I’ll have you arrested,” Lacey warned Raymond. “I mean it.”

“I’m fine,” Emily insisted. “He’ll calm down. If I had called he wouldn’t be so upset.” Lacey bit her tongue to keep from saying something that would make things worse for Emily, but it was hard. She locked her car and went inside to the apartment, praying he would not do anything to her sister.



“She what?” Laughed Raymond derisively. “Talk about desperate! Why doesn’t she just hang a sign around her neck, I’m a loser, I couldn’t attract a man without props!”

“It’s a beautiful boat! We’re both going to learn to fish.”

He howled. “That ought to be a sight! The two of you fishing. Well, you ain’t gonna catch fish either, what do you know about it?”

Emily squirmed uncomfortably. “I guess I’ll learn.”

“You’re gonna make a mess of it. Who’s going to bait your hooks or take the fish off if you do catch any? Did you think about that?”

“We’ll do it.” She wished she hadn’t told him. “I want to try.”

“You can’t even drive a car without hitting something. How are you going to operate a boat?”

Emily looked at the floor. “I didn’t say I was. Lacey is taking lessons.”

“Boat lessons?”

She looked at him. “Well, yeah. She has to learn.”

“Who’s teaching her?”

“The salesman.” Emily wasn’t about to tell him where they bought the boat.

“When are you going out on the lake? I gotta see this.”

“I don’t know…” hedged Emily. Lacey would not allow him aboard the boat, so there was no reason to tell.

He knew she wouldn’t also. “I don’t want you out on that thing with her. You’re so clumsy you’d fall overboard and drown.”

“We have ski vests. We can’t drown.”

He slapped the dashboard and shouted, “I said you’re not going, you hear? If she wants to do something stupid and harebrained, fine. But she’s not taking you with her.”

Emily wished she had never told him about the boat. She was so excited about fishing, and going on the lake, her first real adventure of her life. But maybe he was right. This was something so new to her, and she was accident-prone. Maybe she shouldn’t go after all.

“Hello, dimwit, I’m talking.”

Emily realized Raymond was speaking, and apologized.

“What do all your brain cells do with their spare time?” He wondered. “Pay attention.”

“Why do you always say such mean and hurtful things to me?” Emily asked. “I don’t treat you like that.”

“I’m just trying to help you,” Raymond said. “It’s not my fault you’re so touchy.”

“I don’t like it,” Emily told him. “You make me feel bad about myself.”

He scoffed and turned on the car. “I’m just telling you the truth. How you feel is your own problem.”

“I feel,” said Emily, opening the car door, “like staying home with my sister tonight.”

“Aw, come on Em. Get over it. I’ll take you to dinner. Or better yet, we can fix something at my place.”

She shook her head and got out of the car. “I already ate. See you later.” Slamming the car door, she went inside the apartment house without looking back.

“Hooray for you, Em!” Lacey said as she entered the apartment.

But the phone was already ringing, and Emily spent the next half-hour apologizing to Raymond before going out again.



Saturday Lacey was up early, and packed a cooler full of food, drinks and a bag holding sunscreen, bug spray, and a book to read.

“It’s January,” Emily laughed. “Not August.”

“It’s best to be prepared,” countered Lacey. “The sun still shines in winter, and it’s been so unseasonably warm, there has to be bugs on the water.”

Emily peered into the cooler. “What did you pack to eat?”

“Chicken, cole slaw, and snacks. Mostly picnic stuff.”

“Will we have room on the boat for that?”

“I think so,” replied Lacey. “Help me carry this to the car.”

Emily grasped the handle of the cooler. “What about the fishing poles?”

“In the car. And the life vests.” They took the cooler outside, and returned for their purses. As Emily put hers on her shoulder the pager fell out. Lacey kicked it under the couch before her sister noticed.

“Ready?” Lacey asked.

“I’m kind of excited, actually,” Emily admitted. “I want to catch a big fish like I saw on that fishing show.”

“Me too,” said Lacey as they went to the car. “But I’m nervous about pulling the boat. It’s a good thing Eric is willing to help”

Emily smiled at her sister. “If you want to be alone with him, just say so. I’ll pretend I want to fish on shore.”

Lacey laughed. “I just might, so don’t take it personal. He’s…very cute. But I hardly know him. What am I saying? Don’t you dare leave my side all day!”

They didn’t get lost this time and arrived at the store with the big bass on top at nine. The parking lot was already half full even this early. Lacey and Emily went into the store and asked for Eric. He wasn’t there yet, but had left instructions with the staff to take her car around to the back to install the trailer hitch. The women were told to wait for him in the restaurant, and the coffee was on him. Lacey surrendered her keys then went with her sister to wait for Eric.

He arrived about forty minutes later, apologizing for making them wait.

“My friend Stuart needed help with one of the boats this morning.”

“Is it broke?” asked Emily.

“No, just routine maintenance,” Eric said. “He owns a bunch of houseboats he rents in the summertime, and he works on them in the winter.”

He appraised their outfits. They seemed to be wearing warm enough clothes, but it could get quite chilly on the water. He decided to borrow a couple blankets from the houseboats to cover their legs. Also he would need a pair of boots for when he put the boat in the water. Stuart had those. Eric had extra sweaters and coats. They should be fine.

“I’ll bet your car is ready. Let’s go hook up the boat.”

Lacey squeezed her sister’s arm. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Eric was amused. “I hope you still think that after I make you hoist the boat onto the trailer later.”

“If I catch just one fish, I can die happy,” Emily claimed. “A big one.”

“For dinner?” asked Eric.

“Oh no,” answered Emily, making a face. “I couldn’t kill a poor innocent fish.”

The car was waiting, and the workers had pushed the boat outside. It sat behind the car, unhooked, as Eric had requested. He showed Lacey how to hitch the trailer properly, and then attached the wires so the lights would work. He showed her the straps that attached the boat to the trailer, and how to hook them. Then he sat her in the driver’s seat of her car while he explained how to pull a trailer.

“It turns different than your car when you back up, so it’s going to be tricky at first. We’ll drive around, to the marina, then we’ll work on backing it into the water.”

Lacey took a deep breath, and started the car, hoping she had memorized everything he told her. Eric and Emily climbed into the car, he in the passenger side. He told Lacey to adjust her mirrors, and pull slowly forward. She could feel the drag of the trailer as she moved.

“Take the corner of the parking lot wide,” Eric instructed. She thought she turned wide enough, but it wasn’t, and she knocked over the entrance sign by the street.

“Oh!” She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Eric jumped out to inspect the damage. “It’s okay,” he said when he returned. “We need a new sign anyway.”

Lacey felt terrible. “I’ll pay for it.”

He waved her off. “I can nail it up in five minutes. Let’s try again.”

This time she successfully pulled onto the road. It wasn’t too hard to maneuver on the street, and she remembered to take the corners wide. They arrived at the marina in minutes without incident.

“Drive all the way down to the bottom of the hill,” said Eric. “Stop parallel to the boat launch.”

She did, though she was terrified to drive down the steep hill with the boat. Eric didn’t seem concerned, however about the sharp angle of the slope, so she tried to relax. At the very bottom, Eric got out of the car to direct her, telling her to pull forward and line her car up with the dock. He saw Stuart on a houseboat and waved to him. Lacey, thinking he was signaling her, began to back up the boat. The trailer turned the wrong way, and took out one of Stuart’s signs.

“Oh, no,” she wailed.

“Hold it, Stop!” Eric yelled.

Lacey bit her lip and pulled forward again.

Emily jumped out of the car with her fishing pole. “I can’t watch!” She walked toward the docks with the rows of houseboats. “Call me when you’re in the water.”

Eric told Lacey to straighten out her wheels, and then slowly, slowly let her back the boat trailer into the water.

Emily felt bad, abandoning her sister, but she couldn’t be any help to her, so she walked to a dock between boats. The houseboats were huge, and she wished she could see inside them. From what she could see, they looked like an apartment on the water with a large porch, and she wondered what it would be like to spend a week on the lake in one. Maybe sometime Thelma could arrange for her and Lacey to go on a boat, even just for a few hours. They could swim, climb to the top of the vessel and go down the slide into the clean clear water, which even in January looked inviting. Emily moved to the end of the dock and peered into the water hoping to see fish. But there were none that she could see. Where should she cast her line? The men on television said to hug the shoreline, so she didn’t have far to throw.

Emily remembered what Eric said about the reel. “Pull this back, hold the line with your finger, and throw.”

She tried it, but forgot to move her finger, and the line didn’t let out. “Hmm.” She tried again, this time remembering to move her finger. The lure traveled a few feet into the water. Now she had the idea. She reeled the line in, pulled the lever back, and threw the pole backwards, then out.

“Here fishy,” she called softly. “Come and get it.” But it didn’t so she set it up to try again, this time throwing the line with all her might.

Instead of going into the water, the lure flew backward onto a houseboat, and caught on something,

“Well, shoot,” said Emily as she tugged at the line.

“Ow! Hey! What the--!” A male voice cried. Emily dropped her pole and covered her mouth with her hands. She followed her line to the boat on the left, and found her lure embedded in the back of a man’s sweater.

“Ooh, I’m sorry!” She rushed to the boat. He tried to pull his sweater around. “Don’t move! It’s a lure!”

The man stopped struggling and waited for her, not willing to snag his fingers on a hook. Emily stepped onto the deck of the boat, terrified. She had hooked the man; surely he would be furious! She looked at him, sitting motionless on the deck, where he must have been working on a motor. His dark, wavy hair fell into his face, covering his eyes. He needed a haircut, she thought irrationally, considering the circumstances.

“Hi,” she said, cringing. “I caught my lure in your back. Are you hurt?”

She waited for his outrage, but he seemed nonplused, as if it happened every day.

“It’s not hooked on my skin,” he assured her. “Can you pull it out, or is it embedded too deep?”

Emily leaned close to inspect it. The lure was hopelessly tangled.

“Oh, no,” she whispered.

“If you’ll help me, I’ll take off my sweater,” the man told her. Emily swallowed and nodded, expecting him to scold her for being so careless. While she held the lure away from his skin, he wiggled free of the garment, then inspected the hooks. He was wearing a flannel shirt under his sweater, and explained to Emily that it was not snared, which she was thankful for, but his sweater was another story.

“I’ll replace your sweater,” Emily said fearfully. “I can go get one as soon as my sister has learned to drive the boat.”

“This old thing?” The man chuckled, showing her the sweater. “It’s holier than the Bible. See?”

It was indeed, practically a rag with arms. But Emily worried he still thought she was reckless.

“Let me work on that,” said the man, grinning and shaking his head, sending his wavy hair back into his face. He brushed it back, putting a baseball cap over it. “That’s really stuck. I’ll have to cut it out.”

“I didn’t mean to…” Emily began.

“It’s no problem,” he assured her. “I’ll get my scissors.” He reached into his tool chest and produced a Swiss army knife that looked even more battered than the sweater. He snipped threads, freeing one hook at a time, and then instructed Emily to hold the lure while he worked the metal claw. It was free in a matter of minutes, and then the man reeled her line in, careful not to snag her.

“Just learning how to cast?” He asked her.

“Could you tell?” She answered.

He raised his eyebrows, making Emily smile. Pulling back the lever, he showed Emily the proper way to hold the pole and line. He walked to the end of the dock with her and cast the line, then reeled it back in slowly.

“Try it,” he said, handing her the pole.

She followed his instructions, hesitating when she was ready to throw. Hoping he was safely out of the way, she closed her eyes tightly and threw, making a small squeal as she did.

When she opened them, he was grinning at her with his beautiful eyes, and her line was in the water. She sighed in relief and looked to him for approval.

“Very good,” he commented. “Now reel it in.”

She took a cleansing breath, straightened her arms, and reeled, feeling a tug as she did.

“Ooh! Is that a fish?” she asked.

“Probably just the lure dragging the bottom of the lake.”

She stopped reeling. “Is that bad?”

“No, not at all.” He watched as she brought the lure out of the water and set the pole down on the dock.

“That was fun,” she said nervously. “Sorry about your sweater.”

“You’re finished?” He asked in astonishment. “One cast?”

Emily blushed. “I don’t want to risk hooking you again. And I’m going out on the boat with my sister and the guy who sold it to her. I can fish then.”

“That’s right, Eric. He told me you were coming this morning.”

Emily looked confused. “You know him? Are you Stuart?”

“That’s me,” he said, amused at the way she was staring at him. “My sister and I inherited this place years ago, when I was just a kid.”

“You look too young to own…” She stopped, embarrassed at her rude remark, but he didn’t seem offended.

“Thelma’s not your mother,” Emily remembered.

“No, I have no family,” he said, a shadow passing over his face. “My parents died when I was young, and I lost my sister to cancer a year ago.”

Emily’s heart hurt for him. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged, but she saw sadness in his eyes. Surely he still grieved. She touched his arm in sympathy. “You must miss her terribly.”

Stuart looked away. “She loved this place.” He seemed wistful for a moment, but must have realized he was baring his emotion to a stranger. He cleared his throat.

“It looks like your sister has the boat in the water.”

Emily let go of his sleeve. “I guess that’s my cue.”

“Are you going to fish?” Stuart asked.

“I think so.”

“You’ll need a license. There’s a big fine it you’re caught without one.”

Emily looked disappointed. “I guess I won’t be fishing today.”

Start put his hands in his pant pockets. “I can sell you one at the office. It only takes a few minutes.”

“Could you?” Emily asked, brightening. “I really want to catch a fish.” “Sure.” He held her pole for her as they walked up the steep hill to the office, leaving it outside while they went into the store and filled out a paper.

“This is it?” asked Emily. “Now can I fish?”

“Yep. Keep it in the boat so you have it handy,” Stuart suggested, reading her name and age. She was twenty-four, three years younger than he; her birthday had just passed.

“Who are all these people?” Emily asked, looking over the pictures lining the walls.

“Our customers with the fish they caught.”

“Your sister was lovely.”

Stuart guessed she deduced who Kate was from the many pictures of her. “Yes, she was.”

“And well loved,” Emily added. “It shows.”

“Kate lived for this place…and me,” Stuart explained, finding it comforting to share this with Emily. It felt natural to discuss his sister with her. “We lived on this lake most all of our lives. It was her idea to buy the houseboats and rent them.”

“I would love to go on one.” Emily perused more photos. “Look at the size of these fish!”

“Caught in this very lake,” said Stuart proudly. “Maybe we can add your picture today.”

“You think?” Emily gushed. “I’m just a beginner.”

“The fish don’t know that,” Stuart assured her. Emily surveyed the rest of the room, looking at shelves of food, beverage coolers, and souvenirs while Stuart watched her.

“What a charming place!” She looked at the shirts on a display. “And you sell clothing?”

“Hats and shirts,” Stuart replied. “People like to have mementos of their vacation.” He took a sweatshirt off the rack. “Here, Emily. Happy birthday.”

“For me?” Emily blinked her eyes a few times. Why would he give her a gift after what she did to his sweater?

“Try it on,” he said as she looked at him in wonder. He helped her remove her jacket and she pulled on the sweat. “It looks great on you.”

“Thank you so much,” she said softly.

He was immensely pleased at her gratefulness, embarrassed that she was so astonished, and couldn’t think of a fitting reply. The door opened, allowing Eric and another woman inside.

“I see you met Emily,” Eric observed. “This is her sister, Lacey. She needs a fishing license.”

Stuart greeted Lacey and went behind the counter to get the paper.

“What are you wearing?” Lacey asked her sister.

Emily showed Lacey the Kingfisher Cove Marina emblem on the front of the shirt. “Stuart gave it to me. It’s warm.”

“She hooked me,” Stuart said to Eric, smiling.

Eric winked at his friend. “I’ll bet she did.”

“No, seriously, I hooked him with my lure,” said Emily, approaching the counter.” I threw my line backwards and caught his sweater.”

Lacy was aghast. “Emily, no! Did you hurt him?”

“Not at all,” answered Stuart. “But I hope I’m not the only thing she catches today.”

Emily smiled at him in agreement.

“We’re about ready to shove off,” Eric said as Lacey signed the paper. “Are you going to join us, Stuart?”

Stuart looked at Emily.

“Please?” She asked. “I promise not to snag you again.”

“Just let me lock up the office,” he said, smiling at her.

Lacey remembered the sign. “Oh, I’m sorry to tell you that I hit a sign when I was backing the boat into the water.”

“I heard it go, and Eric’s yelling,” laughed Stuart. “Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s two in one day,” sighed Lacey.

Eric put his arm across her shoulder. “You’ll get the hang of it.” She smiled at him and then at her sister. Emily gave an approving nod, and followed Stuart out the door.

They waited while Stuart locked the office, then again while he and Eric fetched blankets from a houseboat. Stuart allowed Emily aboard, and she marveled over the lovely, comfortable interior. Sitting on the couch, she declared it was softer than hers was at home, but then the sofa was a cast off from her mother.

“Why don’t you live in one of these?” Emily asked Stuart.

“I have living quarters behind the office,” Stuart explained. “And if I lived in this, I couldn’t rent it to vacationers. It brings in a good portion of my income.”

They loaded the bass boat with the cooler, fishing supplies, blankets and then Stuart filled the tank with gas. Minutes later they were pulling away from the dock with Eric at the controls.

“I’ll get us out to the middle and then let you take over,” he told Lacey.

“There’s less for me to hit out there,” Lacey agreed. They were the only boat on the lake that she could see, and she began to relax.

The January air was colder than the women expected, especially when the boat was in motion, as a spray mist dampened their clothes.

“I’d kill for a mug of hot chocolate right now,” Lacey said, shivering.

“I’d kill for chocolate period,” Emily agreed. “Hot or cold.” She rubbed her hands together for warmth.

Stuart took one of the blankets and tucked it around Emily’s legs while Eric eased the boat toward an island. They had been traveling on the water for thirty minutes, and had yet to see any signs of civilization, save the marina from where they departed.

“C-c-can we fish now?” Emily asked through chattering teeth.

“Sure,” replied Stuart, helping her with the pole. “Cast along the shoreline. The fish like to hide under the rocks that jut out into the water.”

She followed his lead, throwing out and reeling back in, then repeating the motion while watching the water. Eric had readied Lacey’s fishing pole, and she was doing the same off the other side of the boat.

“It’s absolutely beautiful here,” she breathed, letting the fresh air fill her lungs. “There’s nothing but water, hills, and cliffs along the shore. How utterly peaceful.”

Eric directed her attention to the opposite shore. He pointed to a spot half way to the top of the hill. “See that straight brown line in the trees? That’s my house, I mean my dad’s. I live at home with my parents.”

“I can’t…oh, you mean that big brown building? That’s your house? Or is it a resort?” Asked Lacey.

“Our house,” he answered casually. “In case you didn’t notice, my dad has a thing for big rooms. And big fish.”

“Is there a big bass on the top of your house too?” teased Lacey.

“Inside over the fireplace,” replied Eric, drinking in the color of her eyes. “A small mouth bass from this lake.”

“Caught by who?” asked Lacey.

“My mom,” said Eric, tearing his eyes away from Lacey to check her line. “It kills my dad that she caught the biggest fish, and he’s forever trying to get another one. We bought him one for Christmas, but he said that doesn’t count.”

Lacey laughed and handed Eric the pole. “We brought a picnic lunch. Are you men hungry?”

“Let’s eat on the shore, it’ll be warmer,” Eric suggested. “The rocks hold warmth.”

They tied the boat to a tree on the shore, and the men helped the women off the boat. Finding a spot in the sun, and using rocks for seats, they unpacked the cooler and passed around the food. As they ate, the sun warmed them and dried out their damp clothes. Emily removed her jacket and put it on the ground. Stuart was pleased that she still had the sweatshirt over the rest of her clothes.

Lacey asked about the lake water, remarking how clean it looked.

“It is,” replied Stuart. “You can cook with it, though we mainly use it for showers and dish washing on the boats. Of course most people prefer to bathe right in the lake.”

“How do they do that?” Emily wondered.

Stuart put his fingers in his hair. “They lather up, and then jump into the lake to rinse.

“What fun!” declared Emily. “But don’t they get bitten by the fish?”

Stuart chuckled. “We don’t have any man eating fish in this lake.”

Emily sighed in relief.

“The water is very deep, and when the fish see the boats, they go deeper anyway. We’ve never had any problems with swimmers and fish.”

They finished the picnic lunch and put everything back in the cooler.

“Would you like to see the island?” Eric asked. “It’s not huge, but there’s plenty of fossil rock to look at.”

“Oh, yes,” Lacey replied, jumping to her feet. “I love to explore, but the only place I can do it in the city is in a mall. It’s not the same.”

Stuart took Emily’s hand and helped her to her feet. “There’s some climbing involved, but we won’t let you fall.”

“I’m ready for adventure,” Emily said, holding on to Stuart’s hand, feeling more secure to know he had a firm hold on her as she climbed.

They formed a straight line as they made their way up the steep hill to the top of the island. They men went ahead of each of the women, pulling them by the hands, steadying them so they wouldn’t slip. Though it didn’t look far at the bottom, it was a long climb, and by the time they reached the plateau, the women were out of breath, so the men let them sit for a moment.

“When you’re able to stand, you’ll want to see the view,” Eric suggested. “You can see for miles from here.”

Lacey pushed herself to her feet and walked to where Eric stood. “Oh, Em, come see!” All around were hills, islands and clean blue water. A mist rose out of the trees near the top of the rise. Lacey breathed in deeply. “It smells so fresh! I’ve never seen anything so lovely. This must be what Heaven is like.”

Emily joined her sister and agreed. “You men are so…blessed to live on this water. You must thank God every day for allowing you to be here.” She glanced at Stuart in time to see a sad expression pass over his face.

“I used to,” he said heavily. “When Kate was alive. She used to quote Scripture, Psalm 104 about God’s role in creation. She said it proves there is a God.”

Emily quoted part of the Psalm “The Lord rejoices in all he has made. I memorized that years ago in case I ever saw any actual nature, like this. I wanted to use that verse when I praised God for his creation.”

Eric and Stuart passed a look between them, unseen by Lacey and Emily, who were gazing over the lake.

Emily wandered to the edge of the cliff and looked down to the rocks below. “This is beautiful. And scary,” she said as she peered over the edge.

“Dangerous too,” warned Stuart. “Don’t get too close to the edge, the rocks might give way.”

Emily took a step backward, but tripped over a branch and lost her footing, Rocks under her feet loosened and the ground crumbled beneath her. She cried out as she fell, but Stuart caught her and pulled her away from the cliff. Emily clung to him, shaking as she gathered her wits.

“These cliffs are unstable. That happens a lot,” Stuart explained. “Are you okay?”

“I think I just experienced my first adventure,” she said with a nervous laugh. “That counts, right?”

He nodded but didn’t release her. “The main ingredient in an adventure is risking your life. This counts.”

Emily smiled at him and called to her sister, “Did you hear that Lacey? I had a real adventure!”

“Hooray for you, danger girl. Now stay away from the cliff.”

Emily liked the feel of Stuart’s arms around her, but she reminded herself he was basically a stranger and she moved a safer distance from him.

Stuart tried not to be disappointed, but he too, liked the feel of her in his arms, and he too, reminded himself she was just an acquaintance. He stood again, wiping the dirt from his clothing, and helping Emily to do the same. The sun dipped behind a cloud and a chilling wind caught them by surprise, reminding them it was winter.

“Whew,” said Eric. “That feels like January.” The sky darkened in the next hour, a warning of weather to follow. Eric led the group to a side of the island that was easiest to descend, and helped Lacey stay upright as she slid in her shoes.

“I should have worn climbing boots,” Lacey remarked as she lost her footing again, sliding to a sitting position. “I didn’t know I would be off the water.”

“Sorry,” Eric replied. “I thought you would like to see the lake from the island.”

“I did, it was wonderful,” Lacey assured him. “You’re as good a tour guide as you are a teacher. It’s a shame you don’t have a better pupil.”

“What do you mean?” He stopped and waited for her. “You’re a quick learner, and you listen carefully to directions. I’ll bet you don’t hit any signs on the way home today.”

Lacey laughed and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “You’re very patient, and kind to give up a whole day to teach a helpless female to use her boat.”

“I have a feeling you’re not helpless at all, Lacey.” He kept hold of her hand as they descended. “Just like my mother. She looks all frilly and fragile, but underneath…she’s tough as steel. As kids, we feared her more than we did our dad.”

“Your father told me how they met.”

Eric stopped because they were sliding again. He braced his foot on a tree to anchor his body, and she slid into him.

“You okay?” He stepped onto the trail again. “True story, a legend in my family. Except that dad wasn’t a burglar, like he lets people believe. He was the new youth pastor, and he lost his keys.”

Lacey grabbed a tree branch. “She shot the new youth pastor?”

“In the seat. He taught standing up for weeks.” Eric caught her as the tree branch broke. “Whoa, here, hang on to me.”

Lacey caught both him and her breath. She could see the boat some yards below them. “Almost there. What a workout!”

“This is just a small island. Some of them take hours to climb.” He held her more tightly than necessary, but she didn’t protest.

“You’ll show me more?” Lacey asked, exhilarated from the climb.

“Anytime,” Eric said with feeling, gazing into her eyes with a warm smile. Lacey sighed and hoped he couldn’t feel the wild beating of her heart. She and Eric stood staring at each other. Until Emily crashed into them both.

“Oops, sorry guys, I missed that last drop.” Emily stood up and wiped sand from her clothes. Stuart jumped from the ledge carrying the rope from the boat.

“We’d better head home before it starts to rain or snow,” he said, looping the rope.

Eric put the cooler on the boat and helped the women to board. Stuart gave the boat a push, and jumped onto the front as it moved away. It dipped from his weight, causing him to stumble, but this time, Emily caught him.

“I saw it do that when we first left the dock,” she explained.

“Thanks,” he said, and sat next to her, then rose again to get the blanket for her. He wrapped it around her legs. “It’s going to be an even colder ride back.”

“I don’t mind,” she murmured, but ten minutes later she was shivering fiercely. Stuart slid close to her and wrapped the blanket around both her and him to give her more warmth. He rubbed her hands with his, and told her to stick them under her legs. She nodded gratefully and sat on her fingers.

Eric allowed Lacey to steer the boat and told her to head straight for the marina, explaining as they went what the buoys in the water meant, and what a no wake zone was. He told her to bring it to the dock, and helped to stop the boat so it didn’t get damaged when they hit the wood. They let Stuart and Emily out, then drove to the ramp, where Eric backed the trailer into the water again, then showed Lacey how to secure the boat. After they pulled the boat and trailer out of the water, Eric allowed Lacey to finish hooking the boat, watching as she correctly remembered the steps.

“I am very impressed, Lacey,” Eric said, shaking his head. “I only had to show you once.”

“Don’t let the blonde hair fool you,” she quipped.

Eric thought her hair was more red than blonde but he knew better than to argue. He drove her and the boat up to the marina office and before they went inside, he reviewed all she had learned. It wasn’t necessary; she knew it all anyway, but it gave him more time with her, and that was his real goal.

Stuart invited Emily into his living quarters at the rear of the store, and allowed her to warm her hands from the heat of his oven.

“It certainly got cold fast,” she commented, rubbing her fingers.

“I think we’re finally getting winter weather.” Stuart filled a coffee maker with water. “I’ll have some hot coffee for you in a minute.”

She smiled. “Thank you. I had a great time on the lake, but I sure paid for it in cold! I think I’ll wait until summer to do that again.”

“It’s much better when it’s warm,” agreed Stuart. He touched her hands to see if she was warming. “You need to get out of that wet jacket and shoes. I can loan you a pair of socks while yours dry out.”

“If it’s not a bother,” Emily replied, still amazed at this man’s kindness to such an undeserving person. He acted like she had nothing wrong with her at all, like he enjoyed being around her. Even though she had ruined his ratty sweater, and almost fell from a cliff. Now he was making coffee and lending her his socks. Emily didn’t know how to react.

She was so frightened when she hooked him with the lure; it made Stuart wonder who had terrified her so. He wanted to show her kindness, and it was perfect that her birthday was just weeks ago, a great excuse to give her the sweatshirt. Stuart was more moved by her gratitude that anything else, except when she had touched his arm in sympathy concerning his sister. Her eyes were trusting, but curious, as if she couldn’t figure why he paid any heed to her, and it made Stuart all the more anxious to please her. When she slipped on the rocks at the edge of the cliff, Stuart would have sacrificed his own life to save her. Holding onto her after was a brief reward. In the hours since he had met this woman, she had turned his lonely, silent world upside down. Now he wanted desperately to comfort her, keep her dry and warm and have her stay as long as he possibly could. When the coffee finished brewing, he brought her a mug to where she sat, curled up on the couch in his socks. She looked beautiful, her hair still wild from the wind, her cheeks rosy from the cold. When she reached for the mug their hands touched, and he felt an electrical current pass through him.

“Don’t you hate static shocks?” she laughed, pulling back and spilling coffee on her shirt. “Oh, rats, I’m such a klutz.”

“It’s my fault,” Stuart said, handing her a towel. “I forget that my carpets give off electricity.”

The bell to the front door rang as Eric and Lacey entered.

“Remind me to give you the boat cover when we get back to Hook’s,” he said. “Where are you going to park the boat?”

“I talked to my apartment manager, and he said as long as it’s not blocking any drives I can park it there. Oh, and I have to let him borrow it for the privilege.”

Eric grinned. “You’ll get that a lot. So be sure to get insurance on the boat in case someone sinks it.”

She laughed. “Nobody better mess with my baby! I didn’t buy it to use, but now I can’t wait to go again!”

Eric looked at her in confusion. “You didn’t buy the boat to use?”

Lacey kicked herself for letting that slip. Now that she had met Eric, and he was so very…interesting… the reason for having the boat seemed silly.

“Umm, it’s not important. But I wish I had done this years ago! You’re probably used to being out on the water, but to me, it was about the most exciting day I’ve ever had.”

He agreed, but how could he tell her he felt the same also? Being with her brought a thrill he hadn’t felt since Kate was alive.

“You are welcome to launch the boat from here anytime,” said Stuart as they entered the living quarters. He produced a mug of coffee for each. “Or you can dock the boat here and go out on the lake whenever you feel like it.”

“Al just might owe me a free year of boat docking,” Lacey said to Stuart. “He bet me I’d have at least five date offers from men by Valentine’s Day or he’d pay the marina fee.”

“My dad said that?” Eric was amazed. “He’s so tight he squeaks! I’ve never seen him go so far for a customer.”

Stuart cleared his throat. “Eric, your dad already paid her dock space for a year.”

“What?” Eric shook his head in wonder. “He had to have known he’d lose the bet when he made it. A beautiful woman with a bass boat…what man could resist?”

Lacey blushed. “One out of two isn’t bad.”

“He also said to give you this.” Stuart handed her an envelope.

It was a gift certificate for the restaurant at Hooks, dinner for two. The note enclosed said, “Bring the winner in for Valentine’s Day.” She didn’t read the next sentence aloud, but giggled at what was written. It said, “And tell Eric his dad said he could have the day off to join you.”

“Your dad is remarkable,” Lacey said to Eric.

“He certainly amazes me,” Eric agreed.

Stuart noticed a large container on the table. He opened it to find a devil’s food cake with thick brown frosting.

“Thelma was here,” he observed.

Emily was at the table in a millisecond, sniffing. “Ahh, chocolate. Hold me back.”

Stuart laughed as he found plates and silverware. None of it matched. Eric brought his and Lacey’s coffee mugs to the table and held out a chair for her. The chairs were all a different style also. Stuart held out a chair for Emily, and then handed her the serving knife, probably one of Thelma’s. He certainly had nothing that fancy.

Emily cut the cake and handed a piece to each of them, then claimed the remainder was her piece. The coffee warmed them, the cake filled them, and the sky outside lightened.

“No storm today,” said Stuart, realizing he left his tools outside on the deck of the houseboat he was working on.

“We should be leaving; we’ve taken enough of your time,” Lacey commented, aware that it was late afternoon. But none of them wanted the day to end.

“What I’d like to do sometime is take the houseboat out on the lake, cook you men dinner, then fish. That way we would be warm and still be out on the water,” Emily said as she carried the dirty dishes to the sink.

“I’ve got plans to rent the houseboats out for Valentine’s Day,” said Stuart. “Of course, I could keep one…”

Emily’s heart began to beat. Was he suggesting…she was afraid to think. He probably meant for all of them to go together. “Are we done with the coffee mugs? I need to wash these. This isn’t lake water, is it?”

“No, it’s well water,” said Stuart. Was she changing the subject to avoid his invitation? “I can do the dishes later.”

“Oh, no, I want to,” Emily claimed. “It’s not every day I hook a man, then get to wash his fine china.”

“It’s not everyday I get to fish with such an expert,” Stuart teased. “Have you ever thought about hunting?”

“You trust me with a gun?” Emily laughed and snapped the dishtowel at him. “I’m really sorry about your sweater, Stuart. I hope it’s not ruined.”

“How would I tell?” He shrugged. “Thelma’s been threatening to burn it for years. I’ll go to the city and buy a new one next week.”

“You may be an expert on the lake and the great outdoors, but the mall is my turf,” Emily warned. “You’ll need me to take you through the urban jungle of the mall, and navigate the stores with you.”

“Now I’m scared,” teased Stuart, but he was immensely pleased that he might see this woman again. Kate would approve, he was sure.

“Come on, sis, we’ve wasted enough of these men’s time,” Lacey claimed. “Thank you Stuart for your hospitality and for saving my sister’s life. I don’t know which I appreciate more.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome. Check in with me whenever you’re here to take the boat out, and I’ll help you get it in the water.”

Lacey nodded. “I can’t wait to try again, but I think I’ll wait for warmer weather. How’s March on the lake?”

“Sometimes rough. Call me first before you come out.”

She said she would, then looked to Eric. He held her coat for her as she put it on, and walked with her to the car.

Emily’s socks were not dry yet, so Stuart told her to keep his until he came to look for a sweater. She carried her shoes while he held her jacket, and they went out through the store.

“I didn’t get my picture on the wall of fish,” she said with disappointment as they walked through the room. “Maybe next time.”

“Spring is a much better time to fish,” Stuart informed her. “We can try again in April, and I’m sure you’ll get something then.”

“I would like that, very much,” she said shyly. “Thanks for the shirt.”

“It looks great on you,” Stuart observed. “If you had fallen off that cliff, I would have had to clean it before I let them bury you in it.”

She chuckled. “Don’t forget to look me up when you shop.”

He smiled. “I will. Next week sometime?”

“Yes.” She shook his hand. He wanted to kiss her, but instead opened the car door for her. She gave him one last look before sliding onto the seat, and a moment later the car pulled away.

For the first time in a year, Stuart was glad he was alive. He whistled as he went to finish the work on the houseboat.


HEY! and don't forget to e-mail Diana Mylek to thank her for submitting her piece or if you have a comment! She would really like to hear from you.





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