Off the Dock Read online

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.”