Off the Dock (2 page)

Frannie’s breath quickened, her eyes widening. “I’ve never caught a fish before. Is this dangerous?”

“Dangerous?” David asked. “How would this be dangerous?”

Frannie was holding the rod tightly in her hands, her knuckles white. The fishing line was taut, vibrating in the water.

“I don’t know,” she said in a panic. “Don’t they have big teeth or something? Will it jump in the boat? It can’t pull me out, can it?”

“Relax,” he said calmly, moving to the middle of the boat. “You’ll do fine.” He positioned himself so he was sitting directly behind her on the metal bench seat, legs straddling the seat, arms wrapped around her waist and hands over hers.

“This is kind of exciting,” Frannie said. “As long as it doesn’t kill us.”

“It’s not
Jaws
,” David said. “I can guarantee you that much.”

He showed her how to keep the rod tip down, keep the line taut, and to slowly reel the fish in towards the boat.

“Don’t rush it now,” he cautioned. “Just take your time and bring it in slowly.”

Frannie tried to relax her shoulders and to slow her breathing. She went through a yoga routine every other day, and the pose she always ended with helped her loosen her muscles. It helped her find a calm place in the center of her stomach and slowed her breathing. She imagined herself sitting on her yoga mat in this pose, legs crossed, arms loose at her side.

“Relax,” she said quietly to herself. “Relax and just breathe. I’m letting my muscles relax—”

They both jumped when Frannie’s cell phone blared loudly in her tote bag at the bottom of the boat. It was ringing with the first lines of the Beatles’ song “Help,” her special ring tone for Brittany’s number.

“Crimeny,” David muttered. “Those kids have the greatest timing.” He left one hand on Frannie’s reel and reached down with the other hand to grab the phone out of her bag.

“It’s Dad,” he said into the phone, then took a moment to listen.

“What’s happening?” Frannie said, concentrating on her reel. “They’re only supposed to call during a date if it’s an emergency.”

“Are all of your limbs intact?” David asked Brittany. “Is there fire involved?”

He listened for a moment, then turned his attention to Frannie. “Max ate half the sheet cake from Steven’s birthday party last night. He’s walking around the house drooling and licking the carpeting.”

Frannie grimaced. They had adopted Max five years ago from an animal shelter. He was a mutt of undetermined origins and had a gentle spirit, especially with the kids. They all loved him a lot, but he had his quirky habits. Like eating anything that wasn’t bolted down or stuffed in a cabinet.

“A dog eating half a sheet cake does not constitute an emergency,” David spoke into the phone. “We don’t need to come home for that. Keep him outside until he pukes it all up. He’ll be fine until this afternoon. I think you’ll be OK until we get home too.”

He listened for a long minute. “Nobody likes puke, honey,” he said finally. “It’s just something you’ve got to do. Have Steven help you. You can call it a bonding experience.”

Frannie smiled, still keeping her attention on her fishing rod. Although Brittany was fifteen, she had a huge aversion to anything dealing with bodily functions, especially relating to the dog. Her younger brother Steven, at twelve, had an ironclad stomach like David’s.

“I’m going now,” David said into the phone. “Love you. See you at dinnertime.”

He dropped the phone back in Frannie’s bag then wrapped his arms back around her waist. “Stupid dog,” he said into her ear. “Love him, but man, he can be high maintenance.”

“At least the kids have all their limbs intact,” she responded.

“While I’m back here…” David said. David reached up and pushed the hat up from the back of her head, moving her hair aside. He kissed the back of her neck softly. “Might as well take advantage of the quiet and our alone time.”

“Ummm,” she reminded him. “Fish? Big dangerous fish on my line?”

He responded by kissing her neck again. Frannie felt the blood rise to her cheeks.

“You pick the strangest times to be romantic,” she said.

He brought his other hand back, touching her neck lightly with his fingertips.

Frannie shivered despite the warm day, the fishing rod momentarily forgotten. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed his soft touch, leaning her head forward so he’d have better access. His fingers were cool on her warm skin, sending goose bumps up and down her arms.

Without warning, the fishing rod jumped out of her hands, splashing into the water. It floated two feet from the boat, the line still underwater.

“Holy cow!” David shouted, all romantic intentions forgotten. Scrambling to the front of the boat, he grabbed a large net and tried to snag Frannie’s rod. He had almost touched the reel when it disappeared into the dark depths of the water, the lake’s surface returning to a calm mirror.

Frannie and David stared at the water, but the rod didn’t appear. A gull called in the distance, a lonely and isolated cry.

David took off his cap, scratched his head, and put it back on. “Haven’t seen that one before,” he said.

And then they were laughing, tears forming at the corners of David’s eyes. Frannie held her stomach from laughter pains.

They watched the surface for a few long minutes, but the rod didn’t appear.

“Well, all that excitement made me hungry,” Frannie said, rummaging through the bags at her feet. “Want something to eat?”

“You brought snacks?” David asked, leaning in to get a closer look. “What kind of snacks?”

Frannie pulled out the small soft-sided cooler from under her seat. She had neatly packed two turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, a container of carrots, two apples, two bottles of spring water, and a mini package of dark chocolates.

“Wow,” David said. “When I go fishing with the guys we have stale corn chips and sodas. This is like a whole meal. And healthy. How ’bout that.”

“You like it?” Frannie asked.

“Of course I like it, thanks,” David said. He reached over to kiss her lightly on the cheek, then picked out a sandwich. “You’ve got a way in the kitchen. It’s one of the things I really like about you.”

“Hand sanitizer?” she asked, offering him a small bottle.

“Um, no thanks,” he replied, leaning over the boat to wash his hands in the lake water.

Frannie grimaced.

“Hey, if it’s good enough for the fish, it’s good enough for me,” he said, biting into the sandwich.

Frannie squeezed out a dollop of lavender gel into her hands before unwrapping her own sandwich.

“Remember when we first started dating?” she asked.

“We were young and foolish,” David said.

“Well, we
were
pretty young,” Frannie agreed. “Now that our kids are in middle school and high school, getting married just out of college seems…way too young.”

“And foolish,” David said in between bites. “Like that time we made out in your parents’ backyard. I thought your dad was going to hang me in the garage by my toenails.”

“Do you regret getting married so young?” Frannie asked. “Not seeing the world, not being out on your own?”

“Frannie, I loved you,” David said, looking her evenly. “I still love you. And you’re still the hottest ticket in town. And what do you mean, haven’t seen the world? We’ve both seen plenty.”

Frannie considered his comment. “Like that roadside restaurant in the Rivera Maya where Brittany threw up her burrito supreme?”

“Exactly. Or your Uncle Tommy’s cabin in northern Wisconsin where bats came flying out of the roof?” David added. “I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything.”

“That too. And there is this,” Frannie said, gesturing at the landscape. “This is a beautiful lake. I have to admit it’s a great place for a date. I also like to be reminded to get quiet once in a while.” She finished her sandwich and gave David a handful of grapes.

“I’m not really good at all that mushy girl stuff,” David said. “Talking about feelings all the time. Analyzing everything. I like action rather than words.”

“Thus, a fishing date,” she said with a smile.

“Thus,” he said.

“You’re my knight in shining armor, you know.”

David snorted through his nose. “Yeah, right. With my high cholesterol and bad back I’d last two minutes on a knight’s horse before falling off in agony.” He paused. “Besides, we both know that life isn’t a fairy tale.”

Frannie thought of the past twenty-two years. They had been through many difficult times as a couple, especially after the kids arrived. They had drifted slowly apart when Brittany and Steven were young, until they realized they didn’t know each other any longer. Starting the bi-monthly dates had been an attempt to bring them together before their relationship crumbled completely.

“It’s more of an Indiana Jones adventure?” she asked playfully.

“Exactly,” he responded. “And I’m truly excited that you said I’d make a great Indiana Jones.”

“You do look pretty sexy in that fishing hat,” Frannie said.

“Why, thank you, ma’am,” David said in a Southern drawl. He reeled his line in and offered the rod to her. “Would you care for another try at a fish?” he asked.

“I think I’ll pass,” Frannie said, finishing her lunch and packing the trash away in the cooler. She turned to him. “Really, you still find me attractive after all these years?” she asked. “Even with my muffin top?”

“What’s a muffin top?” David asked. “Besides the obvious pastry reference.”

Frannie patted her stomach, at the slight bulge there. “It’s my belly fat over my pants. It’s like the top of a muffin.” David glanced down at his own stomach, at the paunch that had slowly advanced over the years to reside firmly over his waistline. He stowed the fishing rod on the side of the boat, securing the hook.

He stepped carefully to sit next to her on her bench, putting his trash in the cooler. Leaning over, he kissed her, tipping her hat back slightly. “I love you, muffin top and all,” he said. “I know it doesn’t sound that romantic, but I think you’re so much more than a muffin top.” He moved closer, kissing her again, reaching up to put a hand on her back.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled at her. “Just how much rocking do you think this little boat can take?” he asked.

“Hmmmm…I’m willing to test it out,” she replied. “In the name of being closer together...”

“How about in the name of love?” he asked.

She returned his smile, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“In the name of love then,” she said. “And fishing.”