Decker's Daughter - Caroline Lee Page 0,17

back of the truck, leaving the cooler behind. Since Bobbi wasn’t much of a fisherwoman, he was the one to get CJ’s hook baited—but not before an in-depth discussion of the benefits of different baits, and why they were using cheese, instead of live worms—and help her make her first cast. He’d tried to find the smallest rod in the shed, but it was clear she’d have trouble casting it alone.

Bobbi wasn’t much better, but he had fun teasing her. And she teased him right back, referencing some of the things he’d told her over the last week. They hadn’t had a lot of time for phone chats, but every day since their date last Thursday, Deck had smiled because of the texts Bobbi had sent him. He hoped his texts had made her smile just as much.

“Okay, what am I doing wrong?” she asked in exasperation, perched precariously on top of one of the boulders by the water’s edge.

“Well, for one thing, what are you doing up there?”

She glanced down. “I don’t want to get my sandals wet.”

Chuckling, he reached up, held her around the waist, and lifted her down, making sure to deposit her well away from the water. Once there, he didn’t let her go.

“Sandals, Ms. Diamon? You’re out west! You think that’s appropriate Montana footwear?”

Frowning in mock indignation, she stomped her sandaled foot onto the toe of his boot. “It’s my day off! Usually I’m wearing Crocs!”

“Crocs?” He groaned, pretending great offense. “You need a good pair of cowboy boots, woman!”

“For fishing?” She backed up—not enough to break his hold on her waist, he noticed—and frowned down at their feet.

“Superior comfort and support.”

“Fishing,” she reminded him.

Chuckling, Deck let her go and plopped his butt down on the boulder she’d just vacated. He bent over and tugged off his boots and socks, then rolled up his jeans.

“There. Better?”

She was eyeing his calves with an appreciative gleam in her eyes. “Much.”

He wanted to take her in his arms again. Wanted to kiss her, to see if she tasted as good as he thought she would. He wanted to make her his.

But he respected her limits, and the fact she’d asked him not to move too quickly. He didn’t want CJ hurt any more than she did, and he had to admit, she knew her daughter much better than he did.

If we were married, Bobbi Rae wouldn’t have to worry about me skipping out on either of them and breaking their hearts.

The thought caught him by surprise, and he jerked upright.

It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about marriage to her, even though he’d only just met Bobbi Rae Diamon.

Maybe it was the fact Bob, Cade, and Jim had all gotten married this summer, to women they’d only just met. And Decker had been thinking about marriage, even before meeting Bobbi.

But now he’d met her, he couldn’t imagine spending the remainder of his life with anyone else, and he wasn’t sure why.

CJ quickly lost interest in the fishing, and was absent-mindedly holding her rod as she stomped through the shallows. Bobbi stepped up beside her, trying her best to cast her own line.

Laughing, she glanced back at Decker, who flushed when she caught him staring at her butt. He couldn’t help it—she looked damned fine in those blue shorts!

But his grin turned sheepish when she raised a brow at him, and he shrugged.

“You’re supposed to be giving me pointers. Fishing isn’t exactly my forte either.”

“I can tell. You’re not the best caster,” he teased, stepping up beside her and reaching for her rod.

“I’m not even a mediocre caster!”

“Okay, we’ll start at the beginning.” He made his eyes go wide and serious. “This is a fishing rod. Can you say, ‘fishing rod?’ ”

Chuckling, she slapped his arm and took back her rod. “Wise guy, huh? Watch this.”

He wasn’t sure if she did it on purpose, but on her very next cast, she managed to wrap the line around him.

Taking one look at him, she burst into laughter, and then CJ joined, and Deck wasn’t far behind. They were all chuckling as they helped unwrap him, with little CJ bossing them both around, and Decker had a sudden realization.

I could get used to this.

Every weekend, he could take the two of them fishing, until his ladies became experts. He and Bobbi could spend their mornings sipping coffee on the back deck of the house he wanted to build up on the ridge, and their evenings could be spent watching the sun