Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

seat, standing when she stood. A lot the way Garrett had treated her .
    Scratch that.
    She refused to think about Garrett.
    Peter’s blush rivaled the flesh of a spawning salmon. “So what if I wouldn’t mind kissing her. She’s hot.”
    Lana had grown into a beautiful young woman. “She’s older than you, by what…two years?” Sonya pointed out. The Hartes could be trouble. Look at what had happened between her and Aidan. Sonya didn’t think Lana handled problems with her fists, though being raised in that family, the girl could be seriously messed up.
    “So what. Aidan’s older than you. That didn’t stop you from having a thing last year.”
    “You’re only seventeen. That’s a big difference and you know it.” Sonya hammered home.
    “All right, don’t nag. I’ll kiss the fish.”
    She so did not nag and was ready to tell Peter just that when she mentally took a step back. She had to remember that their relationship was changing. For so long, she’d spent all her time mothering him. Worrying about him. His friends, his choices, his future. It was time to back off and let him do some of his own choosing. The boy was becoming a man.
    “Pucker up, lover boy.” Wes held the fish by the tail and underbelly. Peter scrunched up his face and kissed the fish, spitting over the side of the boat afterward. Sonya laughed. Wes turned the sockeye around, making kissy noises, and planted one on its nose. “All right, Sonya, you’re up.”
    Sonya rubbed her hands and sang, “Here, fishy fishy.” She gave it a smooch. The fish was cold and slimy. Like Peter had said, it was a stupid ritual, but fun and who knew if it really worked or not. She wasn’t going to be the one Savonski who threw caution to the wind and put a stop to it. Not when she needed every bit of luck she could get this summer.
    The Mary Jane drifted next to them and her captain, Ringo hollered over from his crow’s nest, “Sonya, you ever want a real man, look me up.” He pursed his lips and blew her a kiss. “I’ll promise you a party, sweetheart.”
    No doubt. “Thanks, Mary Jane, but this is all I want.” She figured anyone seeing her crew kissing fish would do a double take.
    One of the Mary Jane’s crew shot off a question to Ringo, “Shouldn’t we be kissing our fish? It’s kinda like a blessing, right?”
    “You want to kiss a fish, dude, knock yourself out,” Ringo said. “Me, I’d rather kiss me a fine looking woman.” He gave Sonya a “call me” signal that she wisely chose to ignore.
    “Hey, I need a chance to kiss that beauty,” Gramps yelled from the pilot house as he leaned out the window. “I’m ready to be relieved, captain.”
    “Be right up.” She turned to Peter and Wes, who were already pulling the rest of the net into the boat. “Don’t let him overdo.”
    “Got it, Captain,” Wes said, picking fish out of the net as the duct-taped hydraulics pulled it in over the rollers.
    “Don’t worry, Sonya. We’ve got ‘Operation Gramps’ under control.” Peter gave her a conspiring wink. She smiled at both of them, and then headed for the pilot house.
    She’d talked with Wes and Peter yesterday about limiting the amount of work Gramps did. They’d all agreed that they’d have to be sneaky about it so he didn’t catch on. The man was clever and had a lot of pride. The last thing they wanted to do was damage either.
    The thought was quickly forgotten as they were rammed on the starboard side.
    “Howdy, Double D ,” captain of the Miss Julie II , hollered. “Sorry for the nudge.”
    “Nudge me like that again, Treat, and I’m going to take it the wrong way.”
    “A sweet young thing like you wouldn’t play hardball now, would ya?”
    “There’s nothing sweet about me. I have no qualms about busting your balls.”
    “Hear that boys? The Double D’s a feisty one.”

C HAPTER S IX
    Aidan reached the bluff that overlooked the mouth of the river. He hated that he felt like he had to get a look at what Sonya was up to. He lay down on his stomach in the tall grass and raised the binoculars. Deep down he knew what she was doing was wrong. It was a big waste of money, and time, and unnecessary risk. Or was it that he wished he had the guts to try and accomplish what she was doing?
    In a sense, they’d grown up together, spending every summer fishing out here with their families. He focused the binoculars on the Double Dippin’. He was older and had a choice in where he spent the summer.