There Are No Words

Chapter 3

Jenny

"Oh, crap!" I look back and see my lure stuck in the tree branches behind me. I roll my eyes and laugh. Walker looks over and smiles.

"Again?" he asks. "That's like the millionth time you've done that, Jenny."

"I know," I reply innocently. "I seem to have a knack for it." I glance over at Siofra. She just shakes her head and hides her grin. She knows what I'm up to.

Walker helps me get the line out of the branches. Afterwards, since he's already standing so close to me, he stays to guide my pole for the next cast.

"And, just let it go, like this," he says, showing me how while holding his hands over mine.

Feeling Walker wrap his big, strong hands around my shoulders, settling himself up against me, is pure bliss. All I can smell is his cologne and peppermint gum. As he holds on, I reach back to look up at him with a smile. I hear Siofra laugh beside us, and the snap of her phone as she captures this moment with her camera.

"I'll text you guys a copy in a second. It's an awesome shot" she exclaims, walking over to her own line.

Walker looks down at me and it's like time stands still. I reach up to brush his hair with my fingers.

"Your hair was in your eyes," I tell him. "Just thought I'd help you out."

"Yeah?" he asks quietly.

"Mmmm-hmmm." I answer.

The sun's shining on us and I can see the highlights in his hair dance through my fingertips. I close my eyes and take in how good it feels to be right where I am at this moment. When I open them again, our lips are inches from each other's. I lick mine and capture my bottom lip between my teeth. I can see Walker's reaction as his eyes open wide in awareness. He starts to lean forward when all of a sudden there is a vicious tug on my line.

Distracted, the moment is lost as we both react to the fish pulling on my rod. I wasn't expecting to be yanked forward just then so I almost lose my balance. It isn't hard to do since I'm wearing flip flops on wet, mossy rocks. I have to be careful not to slip or fall. Thankfully, Walker grabs my waist to steady me, and then reaches up to keep the rod from leaping into the creek. He hands it back to me when I steady my footing and I reel in the biggest, meanest trout we've seen all day.

"Look at this thing," I snort. "It's a beast. What a feisty thing he is, too."

I get it onto the rocks and it leaps all over the place. Drops of water dance across my toes as I try to grab a hold of it with my hands. It's determined to make it back into the water. With all its flopping around, the fish is difficult to grasp, but I'm finally able to hold onto it. Trying to work fast and gentle, I slowly release the hook from the fish's mouth. I don't want to be stuck with the barbs of the hook, so I have to make sure the fish stays as still as possible. I also don't want the fish to suffer anymore that it already is, so I do my best to get the hook out of its mouth without tearing it more than it already has. When I am done, I show him off.

"Wow. He's a big guy," I comment, smiling proudly.

"Yeah, he is," Fionn replies.

Not wanting him to suffocate, I bend down with the fish to reintroduce him back into the water. After a few seconds, he springs into action, swimming away from us as quickly as possible.

When I stand back up, I smile and shake my wet hands out into the grass around us. Then I notice that Cian is standing to the side, gaping at me. I look over at Walker to see what's wrong. He shares a look with Fionn and then they both burst out laughing. I glance at Siofra and she is covering her mouth with her hands trying to hold in her own laughter.