Cap looked at her, holding one of the red boards in the air. “This is a planer board. We clamp lines to them. The more lines I let out, the farther from the boat it will go, allowing us to have a bunch of lines out on each side of the vessel. It keeps the lines from tangling. We’ll start with three on each side.”
She nodded even though that meant little to her.
“More lines, more fish,” Preston added with a smile.
Once all the lines were set. Cap popped back up into the wheelhouse and adjusted the boat’s speed.
“Now we wait,” Preston told them.
“Wait?” Carly asked.
“Yes. Wait for a fish to take the lure. The pole will jerk. I’ll grab it and hand it off to one of you, and you’ll reel in the fish.”
“Okay,” Carly replied.
“So we just sit here until then?” Hailey asked.
“Yep. Just enjoy the pleasant day,” Preston responded.
“I can do that,” Hailey said as she sat down, twisted sideways, and stretched her legs out on the bench seat.
“Anyone want a beverage?” Morgan asked.
“I’ll have one,” Hailey replied.
“Me too,” Carly added.
Morgan reached into their cooler and pulled out four black cherry-flavored alcoholic seltzer waters.
Emma took hers. She preferred the lemon lime flavor, but it didn’t really matter. They’d packed several flavors, and with the mood she was in, she’d surely sample them all.
She took a sip of her drink and glanced up at Cap. He wore tan cargo shorts and a sage colored T-shirt with his business logo on the back. His broad shoulders led to a slim waist. The sleeves of his shirt pulled taut around his slightly bulging biceps. His skin was tanned. The baseball cap he’d pulled onto his head covered most of his short, Marine-looking haircut. She wished he would turn around so she could see his amazing eyes again. The ones that earlier had captured her attention. It wasn’t so much the chestnut irises; it was more those amber flecks that flashed when he looked at her. It was like the spark in them jolted her heart rate up a notch.
Good heavens, what was she thinking? She’d just been dumped by her fiancé, and now she’s letting herself have feelings for this guy. A guy who obviously has no use for the institution of marriage.
Feelings already? Was she just rebounding?
“We’ve got one on the line!” Preston said excitedly, as he lurched toward the back of the boat, pulled the rod from its holder, and gave it a yank.
He looked over his shoulder. “Who’s up first?” he asked.
Carly scooted toward him and reached for the rod.
“Hold tight. He’s a fighter,” Preston said.
He released his grip on the rod and then stood behind Carly.
“Start reeling.”
Carly looked confused.
Preston reached around her, placing one hand back on the handle of the rod, slightly above where Carly held hers, then he reached around her other side and started reeling.
“Just like this.”
“Okay,” Carly replied and then took over reeling.
“Keep the tip up,” Preston instructed.
