“Your lesson.” He gestured to the water around us. “That’s why you’re here, right?”
That and about a thousand other reasons, I told myself.
But this was the most important. Honor my grandfather’s memory by stepping out into the unknown—which just happened to be a literal mountain river and catching a fish. Even if I was clearly going to be terrible at it.
“Okay,” I said, straightening my shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
He bent down and picked up my rod and handed it to me. I tried not to make a joke about holding his rod. I really did. But the smirk on his face said he mentally probably beat me to it. “Lesson one—always know where your fly is going before you cast.”
“Noted. What’s lesson two?”
“Don’t hook the guide.”
“Also noted.” I couldn’t help but laugh.
He almost smiled. Almost. “You said this was your first time fishing?”
I nodded. “First time fishing. First time Montana. First time voluntarily peeing outdoors. Big day all around.”
This time he did smile, just a little quirk of his lips. “Why now?”
The question hit deeper than I expected. “My grandfather used to bring me to this area when I was a kid,” I said softly. “Hepassed last year. I wanted to do something he loved. Thought maybe it’d feel like a connection, you know?”
Nate was quiet for a moment, studying my face like he was looking for something. Maybe trying to see how serious I was about this. “So he taught you to fish.”
“He tried. I was more interested in catching frogs and making daisy chains.” The memory made my chest tight. “I was eight and thought fishing was boring. Now I’d give anything for one more lesson with him?”
“So you came back here to learn to fish.”
“I turned thirty last month.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “And I realized I’ve spent my entire adult life playing it safe. Teaching kindergarten, dating the same type of guy, eating at the same restaurants. Grandpa was always telling me to be bold, try new things. So here I am, being bold.”
“And hooking strangers.”
“That part wasn’t in the plan.” Well, not the way it had happened, anyway. I wanted to blurt out the other reason I’d taken this trip. Lose my virginity on a vacation fling. I knew what that made me sound like, but it wasn’t that cold or calloused, really. I just wanted someone to look at me like I meant something, at least for a night. I’d long ago stopped thinking there was a white knight ready to charge the castle and claim me.
I had the right to have a little fun, right?
He looked at me for a beat longer than necessary, something shifting in his expression. “Well, you’ve definitely made an impression.”
Heat crept up my neck. “Good or bad?”
“Jury’s still out.” But there was something in his voice that sent a little zap up my spine.
He moved back to where he’d dropped his gear. “Come on, city girl. Let’s see if we can teach you to catch fish instead of guides.”
“I have a name,” I said, following him.
He glanced back. “Yeah?”
“Ellie.”
He looked at me like he was memorizing it. Maybe memorizing me in all my wet t-shirt glory. “Ellie,” he repeated, voice low. “Let’s try this again.”
CHAPTER TWO
Nate
I’d taught plenty of city people how to fish over the last few months. Hell, I’d taught grandmothers from Florida, tech bros from Seattle, and once, memorably, a group of sorority girls who spent more time taking selfies than casting.
