Evie clapped her mouth in utter shock. Her eyes went wide.
Sarah tried to answer, but once again Caleb shut her up. “Yeah, thought so. It doesn’t feel so good when people know your dirty little secrets and throw them back at your face, does it?”
“You don’t know anything about that!” Sarah retaliated.
“Oh yes, I do. You see, I installed a ring camera on Evie’s front door while she was at work this week because some fuck head could be stalking her. And I see two different cars pulling up in your driveway, and don’t think I don’t know who they are, because I do.”
Sarah shot back and put her hands on her hips, “That don’t mean nothin’!”
“Exactly,” he finished.
Sarah withdrew. “People aren’t talking about me like they are you guys though.”
He raised a brow, the truck’s engine still vibrating loudly. “They can, if I tell people. But I’m not gonna, and neither are you, right?”
Sarah sighed.
“RIGHT?”
Evie was completely stunned. Sarah withdrew and agreed not to say anything. Caleb said calmly, “Thank you. I’m tryin’ to give this poor girl some company. And so, whatever we do is none of your business. Got it?”
Sarah Jackson had no choice but to agree. Caleb pulled out and began the beautiful drive to Eagle Rock Lake.
Evie slowly pulled her hands away from her mouth, but so many things shocked her. For one, Sarah could be having an affair on such a wonderful man, and two, Caleb installed a camera without her knowing. It could have been considered creepy to some, but not to her. He obviously cared for her safety.
“You installed a ring camera without my knowing?”
“You pissed off?” he said with slight agitation still lingering from confronting Sarah.
“No, not at all. That’s insanely nice of you. That actually makes me feel so relieved. Is she really cheating on him?”
Caleb had his eyes fixed on the road. “I don’t know and don’t care. It’s not my business.”
They smiled at each other.
“Thank you,” Evie said.
He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You’re welcome.”
“Okay, so this is how you hook a live worm.”
Evie grimaced but then laughed. “These things smellsobad!”
Caleb smiled and began to show her how to hook a worm properly.
The boat was a simple thing, nothing like a speed boat at all, and together they were caught up in the beautiful sounds, smells, colors and life of nature. Eagle Rock Lake brimmed with a subtle fog, just enough to cause a little haze. All around the birds called from the tree lines, and every now and then they would hear the flopping of a fish above the water. That still, lovely, dark water. Evie took the squirmy and slimy thing and laughed.
“Ew! My hands are gonna smell so bad after this.”
“That’s what washing them in the water is for,” Caleb happily replied.
After a few tries, Evie finally got it, and Caleb taught her how to cast a perfect line. She launched it, but it only went about five feet before it slapped in the water. That made Caleb laugh hard, lean over, and slap his leg.
“I suck at this game!” Evie joked.
“You sure do! Try releasing the button a little later.”
She reeled it up, and a cold wind made her shiver a bit. Being on the water was much colder than being on land. Once more she cast and onward and outward it sailed, catching the wind before plopping down under. Her anxieties never crossed her mind. She was having too much fun to care.
