Catch of the day
Paul was fishing for his dinner . . . then he caught Lynne!
Iset my groceries on the counter of the Meadows Market and checked to make sure I had enough snacks for the afternoon. Plenty, I decided, but not too many to fit into my backpack.
“Hi, Paul,” Lynne, the attractive checker, said as she rang up my purchases. “I hear the fish are biting today.”
I grinned. “With a little luck, I’ll catch my dinner.” That was the same response I gave every time I saw her. But I wasn’t complaining. Her pleasant personality always brightened my day.
“Mark still has a few boats for rent at the dock.” Her ponytail swished as she bagged my goods. She was about my age, and we’d talked enough for me to know she, too, was divorced with grown kids.
I picked up the bag. “I’m going to hike over to the point and try my luck there. I could use the extra exercise.” I waved and picked up my gear where I’d left it by the door.
The day was clear and warm. I passed other hikers and a few swimmers in one of the larger bays. Weekends were always crowded, but for a change, I’d taken a day off during the week.
It was a long hike to the large chunk of granite that jutted out into the lake. Once I got there, the bottled water and one of the premade sandwiches I’d bought tasted great. When I finished eating, I baited my hook and tossed out the line.
Sometimes, I came to Meadow Lake with a co-worker or a buddy from my golf club. All male. Since my divorce four years ago, I haven’t found too many women who like the outdoors as much as I do. With the lake close to home, I’ve spent much of my spare time fishing and hiking. I don’t mind my own company, but having someone special in my life would be nice.
In the distance, I watched boats of fishermen enjoying the decent weather. One angler seemed to be having especially good luck. He’d caught at least three fish while I’d been losing bait and getting a good tan. “Maybe it’s that red baseball cap he’s wearing,” I muttered. “Got to get one of those lucky hats.”
The day wasn’t a total loss. I finally caught a good-sized trout before I called it quits. A few boats remained, but the fisherman in the red cap had left already. Probably caught his limit. I liked to think I was being generous, leaving more fish for someone else to catch.
I drank the last of my water on the hike back to the marina and decided to pick up more at the market before I left for home. Another person had replaced Lynne at the checkout stand, and I missed seeing her again. She was someone I wouldn’t mind getting to know better.
As I made my way to the cold-drink aisle, I spotted a red-capped head disappearing around the corner. I
She was someone I wouldn't mind getting to know
followed, hoping the guy wouldn’t mind telling me what he’d used for bait.
“Excuse me,” I said an instant before I noticed the guy in front of me was a female.
She turned around. “Hi, Paul. How’d you do today?”
“Lynne!” She’d tucked her hair under the bright red hat, and being so far away on the boat, I hadn’t detected much more. “Was that you out there catching a lake full of fish?” We both laughed.
“Believe me, I don’t usually have such good luck, and I go out fairly often.”
I pointed to her head. “Maybe it’s the hat.”
“You think?” She touched the store name embroidered across the front.
“Can’t hurt to try since my bait didn’t do the trick.”
“Next time try a ‘Super Duper’ lure,” she suggested. “Is that your secret?” “No way am I giving away my secret!” She laughed, dimples showing in her cheeks. “Did you catch your dinner for tonight?”
“As long as I double up on everything else and have a huge dessert,” I said.
Her eyes sparkled under the bill of her hat. “I happen to have an excess of dinner for this evening. How about joining me?”
“That’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time,” I said, feeling especially pleased that I had actually landed my catch of the day!