Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 84(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 84(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
“Glacier runoff,” I said calmly, nodding toward the Pintok Glacier in the distance. “Also regular snowmelt.”
“No, I know. I’m just not used to it. Water is warm where I live.”
He’d already gotten literal cold feet until I’d had to strip his waders off and shove one of my extra pairs of wool socks on his feet. Now he was warm enough to wander deeper in, despite the fish having run away from his constant noise a long time ago.
“Guess they’re not biting today,” he said after a while. His wide eyes searched the water for answers.
“Guess not.”
“Or maybe… never mind.”
“Maybe what?”
“How long have you been a guide? Maybe someone else knows better places to—”
I cut him off with a loud laugh I couldn’t hold back. Then it turned into a genuine case of the giggles I couldn’t stop. Jonah looked at me like I’d lost my tenuous connection to reality.
“Fish don’t like loud noises,” he said. I noticed the edge of his lip turned up just enough to let me know he was teasing. It made me laugh even harder, which set him off, too.
We laughed our asses off together while standing in the middle of a crystal-clear river under the bright summer sun. It was more fun than I could remember having in a very long time.
Life was unexpected like that. I glanced over to appreciate his messy hair sticking out from under my thick fleece beanie. The sun shone on his inky black eyelashes, making them seem almost blue, and the tip of his nose was pink from the cold air on the river.
Jonah Oliver was breathtaking, and he was mine all day long.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve been fishing this river since I was two. Our aunt and uncle brought us out here all the time with their clients. My uncle was one of the best fishing guides around, and my aunt sold her custom flies through the mail for years. My brother Ryan still hand ties them using what he learned from her and sells them on our website. He runs the fly-fishing operation.”
“Why isn’t he the one out here with me? Not that I’m…” He swallowed before finishing, even though the words brought a blush to his cheeks. “Complaining.”
“He took a big group out for a four-night trip on the ridge.” I pointed to the east of Pintok Peak. “My family has a hunting camp up there we use for fishing and game expeditions. I’m picking them up tomorrow.”
We moved up the river and lowered our voices by unspoken agreement, but we continued the conversation. It started off one-sided. Jonah asked me a million questions about my family’s operation and each of my brothers’ roles in it. But after answering them in more detail than I’d expected, I naturally asked about his own family.
The day moved fast after that. For some reason, I found Jonah easy to talk to, and I ended up asking as much about his life in Florida as he did about mine in Alaska. We talked about our families and our jobs, embarrassing moments, and accomplishments we were proud of.
“Why are you so talkative all of a sudden?” he asked when we’d finally moved back to the shore to eat the lunch Maggie had packed for us.
I handed him the sandwich wrapped in wax paper. “I’m talkative,” I said, a little defensively.
“I think you said three words to me on the flight yesterday.”
He was right, but I didn’t want to think about the reasons why. “The plane is loud.”
“Fine. We don’t have to talk about it. I didn’t mean to pry.” Jonah took a bite of the sandwich and groaned in pleasure. The sound went straight to my balls.
I shifted on the big log we were using as a bench. “No, I…” I gritted my teeth. Why did I want to tell him the truth? I’d spent years not sharing personal details with clients. I knew better than to get close to a greenhorn from the lower forty-eight. That way lay madness.
Jonah’s hand landed on my arm. “Seriously. It’s okay.”
“My dog died,” I blurted. The words hung heavy in the air between us. “Like… a while ago. Six months, at least. But she was my baby. And she was… she was the last link to my mom. Mom gave her to me for my fourteenth birthday.”
Jonah stared at me. There was so much sweet empathy in his eyes, I wanted to fucking cry like a child and beg him to hug me tight. It was ridiculous. This was what I got for shoving my feelings down. Now they were bubbling up at the absolute worst time. And with a stranger, no less.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, reaching over to grab my hand without thinking. I clung to it like a lifeline. His hand was warm and soft in mine.