A Marriage in Middlebury by Anita Higman

Author:Anita Higman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2013-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

22

Sam drank down the last of his morning coffee and looked over his laptop at Nelly. She was busy in the kitchen as always, scurrying around. He had no idea what she was up to, except that she usually had something going into the oven or coming out of it.

Nelly was singing, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and that meant she was in a good mood.

“Nelly?”

“Hmm?” She looked back at him. “My singing bothering you?”

“No, of course not.” He folded up his laptop.

Nelly lifted the coffee pot toward him. “You need some more of my exceptionally good coffee?”

Sam chuckled. “No, thanks. It was good, though.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “Uhh, I was just wondering about something.”

“Wondering can be dodgy business,” she sing-songed. When Sam paused, Nelly glanced up from her work. “What is it?” An anxious look eclipsed her smile.

“The fish you serve us at dinner doesn’t taste like store bought.”

“Oh.” Nelly’s smile returned. “That’s because they aren’t. Those fish are from your daddy’s pond out back. I mean your pond out back.”

“I knew it.” Sam slapped the table. “It had to be. And who does all the fishing?”

“I do.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You are a woman of many talents, Nelly. My father took you for granted in so many ways.”

She turned back to her work at the counter and made no reply.

“Audrey texted from the guesthouse last night and said she was going to sleep in today. And I noticed we’re having a fine spring day. I haven’t been fishing in years. Want to go with me?”

Nelly looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, but then she nodded. “All right. The fish might be biting, and I haven’t been out to buy us any meat for tonight’s supper. So, your idea might work.”

“Great.” Sam rinsed his mug out in the sink and patted her on the back. “Let’s do it.”

“Right now?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. I guess I can do that. For once, the oven’s off.” Nelly removed her apron and followed Sam out the back door.

They gathered up some fishing gear in the toolshed, and headed out on the path to the pond. Once on the bank they both baited their hooks.

Nelly pulled her rod back and gave it a flick, sending the line sailing across the pond with ease. She glanced over at him as he fumbled with the reel. “Need some help with that?”

Sam grinned. “You can just tuck that smirk right back into your pocket.”

Nelly chuckled.

“I think I’ve got it. I haven’t done this in a long time.” Sam tried hurling the line toward the middle of the pond, but the worm and bobber landed pathetically close to the bank. Annoyed with himself, he let them set there in the mire.

“Fishing for crawdads along the muddy banks, are you?” Nelly squelched a grin as she casually reeled in her line.

“Maybe. Just in case we run out of bait.”

Nelly smiled a smile big enough to rival a politician’s.

Sam glanced around here and there, searching for any signs of poison ivy.

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