yoga and lounge pants I’d packed from California will be appropriate.
“It’ll be a little chilly on the water, and the bugs might be bitin’ in a couple hours, so you’ll probably want to wear jeans,” Decker offers before he backs out of my room. I hear his footsteps on the stairs and then the silent chatter of him and my mother. I briefly wonder what she’s doing up this early, but shake it off and get back to my search.
After settling on a pair of straight-legged jeans I’d had in high school that are a little too big and a cream-colored Columbia fishing shirt, I grab my fishing hat off its hook in my closet and head downstairs. My dad had gotten me the hat when I was twelve. Once upon a time it was a light khaki, now it’s darker from years and years of use. There’s also a bunch of hand-picked feathery lures around the top. We never fly-fished, but I’d thought they were pretty so my dad hooked me up, literally. I smile at the memory of us in the bait and tackle shop picking out the prettiest lures as I twirl the hat around my fingers.
Arriving in the kitchen, I see my mom bagging up sandwiches while Decker is loading containers into a cooler.
“You were in on this?” I ask my mom, causing them both to look over at me in the doorway.
“Of course,” she winks. “Can’t have my baby going out on the water without sustenance.”
I roll my eyes, “Right. Can’t have that.” I move over to the cooler to see what’s on the menu for the day.
“Don’t worry, Case. We weren’t plotting behind your back. I just needed your mom’s help accessing the boat.”
I pause my movements. The boat. Of course we’re going out on my dad’s boat. Decker doesn’t have one, neither does his dad. They always went out on our boat. Why didn’t I consider that before now? I guess it was always just a given we’d go out on my dad’s boat…even when it was just me and Deck.
“Hey, now,” my mom says, stepping over to me and putting her arm around my shoulder. “Your dad would want you two out there on that boat. Nothing would make him happier than seeing it put to use.” And seeing me and Decker together again, that’s what her eyes are telling me. He never did fully understand why I didn’t make amends with Decker, even though he respected my decision.
I nod absently. I know she’s right…about all of it. It’s just that I have so many memories with Dad on that boat. Some included Decker and his dad, but most were just me and my Dad. I told him about California on that boat. All my hopes and dreams. I haven’t even seen it in years. I take a deep breath.
“You okay?” Decker asks, concern etching his features. “We don’t have to go on the boat if you don’t want to. We can just fish from the dock,” he gestures towards the backyard, where a dock stretches out from my backyard to the creek.
“Nonsense,” my mother says. “You two are going out on the boat.” She gives me a squeeze. “It’ll be fun. You’ll have fun.”
I meet Decker’s eyes again, and he gives me a reassuring smile. My mom is right. My trepidation is nonsense. I’d always had fun on that boat and my memories are nothing but positive ones. It’s nothing to be scared of.
I smile back at Decker. This would be fun. It’s time to make some new memories with Decker.
Chapter Ten
Decker
Casey and I are having a great time so far on the river. We haven’t caught anything yet, but we’re having some good laughs as we reminisce. I remember the first time we went out on the boat together with our dads when we were seven.
“I’m not touching that!” Casey shrieked.
“It’s just a worm,” I teased, holding it up to her face.
She backed away from me so quickly that she bumped into my dad, who bumped into her dad, who then fell overboard, headfirst. Her eyes widened and she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched as her dad
“It’ll be a little chilly on the water, and the bugs might be bitin’ in a couple hours, so you’ll probably want to wear jeans,” Decker offers before he backs out of my room. I hear his footsteps on the stairs and then the silent chatter of him and my mother. I briefly wonder what she’s doing up this early, but shake it off and get back to my search.
After settling on a pair of straight-legged jeans I’d had in high school that are a little too big and a cream-colored Columbia fishing shirt, I grab my fishing hat off its hook in my closet and head downstairs. My dad had gotten me the hat when I was twelve. Once upon a time it was a light khaki, now it’s darker from years and years of use. There’s also a bunch of hand-picked feathery lures around the top. We never fly-fished, but I’d thought they were pretty so my dad hooked me up, literally. I smile at the memory of us in the bait and tackle shop picking out the prettiest lures as I twirl the hat around my fingers.
Arriving in the kitchen, I see my mom bagging up sandwiches while Decker is loading containers into a cooler.
“You were in on this?” I ask my mom, causing them both to look over at me in the doorway.
“Of course,” she winks. “Can’t have my baby going out on the water without sustenance.”
I roll my eyes, “Right. Can’t have that.” I move over to the cooler to see what’s on the menu for the day.
“Don’t worry, Case. We weren’t plotting behind your back. I just needed your mom’s help accessing the boat.”
I pause my movements. The boat. Of course we’re going out on my dad’s boat. Decker doesn’t have one, neither does his dad. They always went out on our boat. Why didn’t I consider that before now? I guess it was always just a given we’d go out on my dad’s boat…even when it was just me and Deck.
“Hey, now,” my mom says, stepping over to me and putting her arm around my shoulder. “Your dad would want you two out there on that boat. Nothing would make him happier than seeing it put to use.” And seeing me and Decker together again, that’s what her eyes are telling me. He never did fully understand why I didn’t make amends with Decker, even though he respected my decision.
I nod absently. I know she’s right…about all of it. It’s just that I have so many memories with Dad on that boat. Some included Decker and his dad, but most were just me and my Dad. I told him about California on that boat. All my hopes and dreams. I haven’t even seen it in years. I take a deep breath.
“You okay?” Decker asks, concern etching his features. “We don’t have to go on the boat if you don’t want to. We can just fish from the dock,” he gestures towards the backyard, where a dock stretches out from my backyard to the creek.
“Nonsense,” my mother says. “You two are going out on the boat.” She gives me a squeeze. “It’ll be fun. You’ll have fun.”
I meet Decker’s eyes again, and he gives me a reassuring smile. My mom is right. My trepidation is nonsense. I’d always had fun on that boat and my memories are nothing but positive ones. It’s nothing to be scared of.
I smile back at Decker. This would be fun. It’s time to make some new memories with Decker.
Chapter Ten
Decker
Casey and I are having a great time so far on the river. We haven’t caught anything yet, but we’re having some good laughs as we reminisce. I remember the first time we went out on the boat together with our dads when we were seven.
“I’m not touching that!” Casey shrieked.
“It’s just a worm,” I teased, holding it up to her face.
She backed away from me so quickly that she bumped into my dad, who bumped into her dad, who then fell overboard, headfirst. Her eyes widened and she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched as her dad
Similar Books
