Entangled Hearts

Chapter 10

The creek seemed to be singing a happy love song as it babbled along over the rocks, hurrying for a stretch to reach a deeper pool where it might have a slow, restful whirl before rushing on again over the rapids and slight falls on its way to the river. Laura Mae imagined that it was singing a beautiful love song, describing the clear blue sky above, with only a few puffs of fleecy white clouds here and there. Surely, in the song, it was not forgetting to mention the violets along the banks or the fresh green leaves upon the willows that lined the creek on either side. The birds were singing love songs too, swinging on limber branches of willows. Everything was beautiful, and Laura Mae's heart began singing with joy as she rebaited her hook and threw it into the lively stream, where carefree mountain trout swam leisurely about, keeping their bright round eyes open for any fly or grasshopper that might happen to light in the water.

She had fished for three-quarters of a mile upstream with only fair luck. Suddenly, she heard a rustle in the willows on the other side of the stream. She looked up, startled and half afraid for a moment, then she recognized the sweater sleeve as it pushed the willows aside. She stood motionless for a while and watched Gene throw his line out over the water. He had no luck, so he tried again in another place. He did not look up, or he would have seen her standing there watching him. She threw in her line so the hook almost caught in his and gave a low "twee-twa," their whistle sign which meant sweetheart. Gene looked up in glad surprise when he heard the whistle.

"You little rascal," he said. "You almost frightened me. How long have you been standing there?"

"I've only been here a minute," she called back across the creek to him. "You almost frightened me first." She laughed to think of the surprised look that had come across his face when he first saw her.

"Are you having any luck?" he questioned.

"I have only caught four, but they are beauties, see?" She held them up for Gene to see. "I caught one that was too small to keep, so I put it back into the water. How many have you?"

He held up the willow on which he had hung his catch. "Three speckled Mountains and two Rainbows. I have only gone a quarter of a mile. They seem better upstream. May I come over on your side?"

"Sure, come on, but you'll get your feet wet, won't you?"

"There is a pole across the stream where it is narrow. I just passed it around that last bend. Fish up toward it, and I will go back and cross on it. The water is just a little cool yet for wading when one is not in the notion anyway." His eyes twinkled with happiness. It was no time until he had crossed the creek and was at her side.

"How does it happen that you are fishing today, Laura Mae?" Gene asked.

"Father's sister has come to stay with us again for a while, like she does every summer, you know, and fish happens to be a choice food for her," The girl explained. "Father said to bring home at least eight or ten, so you see I have quite a few yet to catch."

"That problem is easily solved, then, for these five are to be yours too."

"Thank you, Gene, but you better keep them and let Maria fry them for your supper."

"Ah, that is all right, I want you to have them. I was only out here along the creek fishing for the fun of it anyway. You know there is something fascinating about being where you can hear the water rippling over the rocks and birds singing all around you."

"I love those things too. Don't you think that spring is the prettiest time of the year?" Laura Mae could feel the spell of youth and springtime, and her heart beat just a little faster as she drew in a long deep breath of air that was sweet with the aroma of fragrant flowers and the scent of pine trees.