Jake and his family, and the pristine lake sat before them with only the family of ducks happily quacking and paddling in the distance. Puffy clouds hid the sun, and Shea was grateful for the relief from the bright light.
“Are we ready? I know we did this when you first came, but only for a little bit. Today I figured we’d take a spin around to see the lily pads and the frogs, and then we can say hello to the ducks.”
“It all sounds wonderful, right, Stacey?”
She nodded, and although no longer laughing, Shea definitely saw a brighter spark in those big green eyes.
“All righty.” He looked to the shore, where Jake was busy cleaning up. “We’re taking off. See you later. Don’t fall asleep too fast.”
Jake flipped up his sunglasses, and his smile gleamed white in his tanned face. “Ha-ha. I think I’ll take a walk around and do a little exploring. I didn’t get to do much last time, and I’d like to see the ranch.”
“Well, don’t be messing up those pretty new boots of yours.” He snickered. Jake had come with a pair of cowboy boots that screamed designer but not comfort or sturdiness, and Shea could only shake his head and laugh.
“Don’t be rude.” Jake stuffed the bag filled with their leftovers in his backpack. “Go on and have a good time, and I’ll see you later.” He slung the strap over his shoulder and walked toward the path.
“Ready, ladies?” The oars splashed in the water, and he rowed out. As predicted, Kiss jumped in after them and doggie-paddled for a bit before returning to shore, shaking out her coat, and jumping in again.
“Oh, this is beautiful,” Terry said, her eyes wide. “It’s so serene and soothing. I could stay out here for an entire day just listening to the birds.”
“When I was little, my daddy ’n me would come here early in the mornin’ and go fishin’, and it was like we were the only two people in the world.” He held up a little rod he’d found. “Would you like to try to catch a fish, Princess? We don’t keep ’em, just throw ’em right back in the water.” The week before, he’d stocked the lake with sunfish, which were easy to catch in case anyone wanted to fish.
When she nodded, he grinned. “You ain’t like your daddy. We’re gonna make a little ranch hand outta you yet and have a good time. Now, lemme show you what to do.”
He let the boat drift and showed Stacey how to bait the hook. Listening to him carefully, she followed what he’d shown her and dropped her line in the water, holding on to the rod with both hands. Within minutes she got a tug, and her mouth fell open in a wide O of surprise.
“There you go. I knew it.” He helped her reel it in, and a little sunfish flapped on the hook. Knowing Jake would want to see this, he took a bunch of pictures before throwing the fish back into the water.
“You’re a natural. Next time you visit, you ’n me are gonna come out early and fish. Just us two. Would you like that?”
She nodded and graced him with a tiny, shy smile, and Shea’s heart tumbled, making it hard for him to breathe. He’d fallen so hard for this little girl. Almost as hard as he had for her father. A swift glance to shore confirmed Jake hadn’t returned.
“Let’s go check out some frogs I saw the other day.”
He picked up the oars and rowed, and for the next hour, he did a turn around the lake where they fed the ducks and even spotted some deer. Shea knew he could make a lot more money if he allowed hunting on the ranch, but he refused, preferring to thin his herd by sterilization. He also tranquilized some and had them sent to other ranches where they also refused to allow hunting.
The clouds grew thicker, and the wind picked up, bending the trees and rustling the leaves. The metallic smell of rain hung heavy in the air, and Shea frowned. “Sorry, ladies, but I think we’re in for a little storm. I’m gonna have to hightail it back to land.”
“Don’t worry, Shea. It’s been an amazing day so far.”
As he closed in to shore, Shea grew concerned, noticing Jake hadn’t returned. He needed to get the boat safely to the landing and tied up, then bring Stacey and Terry to the