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“Well now, this session is just about done, and you caught yourself a blow toad. Ugly little devils, aren’t they? You know, catching something, anything, is a pretty neat feeling. I assume that would be your first fish?”
“Yes,” said Jenni coolly, realizing that yes, he’d watched the entire escapade with her fish. “I’m sure y’all have caught plenty of real fish this morning.”
“It’s been pretty good,” admitted Caleb, scanning the water. “But I’ve seen your team pull in a few as well. We’ll be up just south of Salvo for the afternoon. What about you?”
“Avon,” Jenni said, breathing a sigh of relief. She could fish without him being a distraction.
“Well, have a good afternoon, and keep having fun. You’re okay, Jenni. Gotta hand it to you.”
Jenni said nothing as he walked away. She took out her phone and noticed it was almost eleven-thirty. Without casting again, she walked over to the truck and began to get ready for the drive up to Avon.
He’s just too nice. What am I missing?She asked herself.And why do I care?
I really made a fool of myself again. A blow toad. Of all the creatures in the sea.
Caitlin walked over and put her arm around Jenni. “You’ve had quite a morning. I am pretty proud of you,” she said. “And I think there’s a certain fisherman who would like to catch you.”
Jenni just shook her head and helped everyone pack up. As they were ready to leave, Caleb’s truck passed in front of them, and he beeped his horn and waved. Caitlin waved back enthusiastically, but Jenni only held up her hand in acknowledgment.
By Friday night, Jenni was so cold and tired that she went to bed directly after dinner. The team had done well, but not well enough to be in the top five. She hadn’t caught any more fish, but she hadn’t lost any more rigs either. She was finally getting used to baiting the hook, and her casting seemed to be getting smoother.
Friday afternoon their neighbors had been another team of women and they enjoyed bantering back and forth. Barb had said they’d leave at the same time Saturday morning, so she was only too ready to take a hot shower and try to get some sleep.
She had dreams of puffer fish and trophies and Compy and Caleb fighting over a fishing rod. When her phone alarm went off at five-thirty, she felt as though she hadn’t slept at all.
The weather was still a bit brisk but there was more sun than on Friday, and she was extremely happy about that. Their Saturday spot was near Ramp 44, which many considered a prime spot.
The tournament organizers tried to be sure people got moved around a good bit even though it was considered to be one of the shorter tournaments. But Ramp 44 was near the famous Point, and she was hopeful the team could make some progress up the leaderboard.
When they pulled into their slot, she thought she recognized Chris and Susan Smith as their judges for the day. Sure enough, when they saw Barb’s truck, they stopped by to exchange hellos and ask about how the team had done.
“Well, Jenni caught a blow toad,” Barb reported. Jenni cringed.
“What a great way to start,” laughed Chris. “Just holler for us when you catch that big one.”
Jenni smiled, and the ladies began to set up their area.
Jenni noted with satisfaction that Caleb and his merry men were nowhere to be found. The sun was coming out from behind the clouds and, all in all, Jenni had to admit she was enjoying herself. She caught one or two mullets that were just long enough to measure, and she felt a growing sense of pride that she was contributing. By the end of the session, they all felt confident they had a successful morning.
“How do we find out how we did?” Jenni asked as they headed home. She was blissfully happy that this was the end of her fishing, and that she could now enjoy the afternoon with a good book and a glass of wine.
“At the banquet,” the others all said in unison.
“It’s a good time,” said Barb, pulling into the driveway. “You’ll want to rest up this afternoon. It starts at six-thirty. There’s a fantastic buffet, and they draw for door prizes too.”
Jenni started to say that she really had no intention of going to the banquet, that she’d had quite enough of fishing. But she knew that her team expected her to go, and she couldn’t let them down now. She could still get some rest before they had to leave.
Chapter Eight
The banquet, thankfully, was not a dress-up affair.
As she dressed for it, Jenni struggled with her emotions.
Would she see Caleb there? Did she want to see him there? Even with all of the catastrophes that seemed to surround her interactions with him, he didn’t make her feel useless or stupid like Compy always had.
He laughed with her, and not at her. That was a big difference. It made her feel a bit more like her old self, more carefree and more willing to just roll with the punches.
She had missed that about herself.
