Part 20 (1/2)
hair.”Yip pee!” he yelled. He turned immediately to Winn.”You want to come, too, don't you?”Winn considered the alternatives as he worked the pump handle. He could listen to Peter as he worked with Lullaby, knowing that he would never ride
her again, or he could do no thing. The morning's activity had kept his mind
busy and the black clouds at bay, and he was reluctant to sit idle.
”I haven't been fis.h.i.+ng since ... I can't remember when,” he answered.
The smile he threw in her general direction made Cynthie's heart skip a beat.
”Then I guess you've been working too hard,” she said, returning a smile hecould hear in her voice.
Greg ran to the garden to hunt for worms and gra.s.shoppers. Cynthie calledafter him to be careful of her plants then turned with Winn to carry the bagsinto the house.
From the well, Winn could make it to the house and through to the room he wasusing without any help. He couldn't help but wish Cynthie didn't know thatand would take his arm. He was, however, sweaty and dusty from working onthe corral fence. He didn't expect her to want to be near him even in betterconditions.
They deposited the bags in the corner of the room. ”Are there things youwould like to unpack?” Cynthie asked.
”There's not much there but a clean s.h.i.+rt or two.” He grinned at her.
”Or at least a cleaner s.h.i.+rt.”
”Then let's go.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room.
”You can wash up after we catch our dinner.”
She found the poles in the shed. Winn wondered if there were other buildingsaround that he didn't even know about and if he would run into them if he roamed around by himself. He pushed the thought away and tried toconcentrate on his cheerful companions.
”We only got two poles,” Greg said.
”Peter made them. You can share Mama's.” Winn grinned at the boy's idea ofgenerosity.
The walk, once they left the yard, got more difficult and Winn had troublenavigating the uneven ground and large clumps of gra.s.s. Cynthie tried towatch for him and steer him around the worst places, but the going was still slow.
Greg ran ahead to find their favorite spot.”I haven't met many women who like to go fis.h.i.+ng,” he observed. He hoped ifthey started a conversation, she wouldn't become irritated with his slowpace. Her hand was on his arm and he could feel her excitement.
”You haven't met many women who get to go fis.h.i.+ng,” she corrected. The heat
that radiated from beneath her hand made her almost giddy.
”I bet you never called on a lady and invited her down to the nearest fis.h.i.+ng hole, unless you had other things on your mind.”
Winn laughed, surprised at the suggestion in her quip.
”You've got a point there. So how come you're so lucky to get to go fis.h.i.+ng?”
Cynthie guided Winn around a gopher hole before she answered.
”This is going to sound terrible, but I get to go fis.h.i.+ng because I don't
have a husband anymore.”
She had sounded amused so he continued.
”So it's a widows-only kind of thing?” This could become more dangerous
ground than what he was walking on.
Cynthie laughed.
”Well, husbands do tend to tell their wives what they should and shouldn't
do. It can be very limiting.” Talking about her dearly departed in such away seemed wonderfully naughty, especially since she had been thin king ofhim all day.
”So, do old maids go fis.h.i.+ng, too?” Winn nearly stumbled over something thatrolled when his toe caught it. He made a conscious effort to pick up hisfeet a little higher. The stick must mean they were close to the creek. In fact, once he thought about it, he could hear the peculiar rustling soundof wind in the cottonwoods.
”Sure,” replied Cynthie in answer to his question. ”But that's why they'reold maids.” She sighed deeply.
”They had to choose between fis.h.i.+ng and a man. Who knows. Maybe they madethe right decision.”
Winn laughed and Cynthie smiled, loving the sound. In the silence that followed, the sound of the wind in the trees along the creek grew louder, anda moment later they felt the coolness of the shade.
Cynthie lead Winn to the place on the bank where she and Greg usually fished.Greg was walking along the bank, loo king for more insects to use as bait.When he saw them coming, he sat down on some gra.s.s and Cynthie found a placefor Winn to sit a few feet away. Cynthie baited the two hooks with the wormsGreg handed her, and after tossing in Greg's line, she handed him the pole.He held it tightly and watched the spot where the line disappeared in thewater with extreme concentration.
Cynthie tossed in the other line and sat down between her son and Winn.
When she offered Winn the pole, he shook his head.
”Actually,” she said, recalling their conversation.
”I started fis.h.i.+ng because I had to raise a son without a father. I discovered last fall that I liked it. When Victor was alive, he sent Gregfis.h.i.+ng with Peter a time or two, but Greg really just wanted to be with hisfather.”