Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

sputtered.
    He could see her temper heating up again. So he distracted her with a question. “Answer me one thing, Sonya. Why the Double Dippin’ ? Couldn’t you have come up with a less controversial name?”
    “It’s what I’m doing. Why not call it what it is? I don’t have a set of balls like you men to carry around. Might as well plaster what I do have for all to see.”
    “Do you intentionally try to piss people off, or is it a personality flaw?”
    “The same could be said about you.”
    “We aren’t talking about me.”
    “I think you have a problem with strong-willed women. So why don’t you work on that, and then we’ll see where we end up.”
    He growled deep in his chest. He did not have a problem with strong-willed women. He’d just ended a relationship with one of the strongest-willed women he’d ever met until now. Sonya seemed to be wondering if she’d finally pushed him too far. He took a step closer until his chest almost brushed hers. “We already know where we’re going to end up, Sonya. It’s just a matter of when and where.”
    “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I don’t jump into bed with just anyone. You have a lot working against you. Humility comes to mind.”
    “You don’t know when to stop baiting, do you?”
    “Why bother, when you’re still biting?”
    He crooked a smile, going from hunter to charmer. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun bantering with a woman. “Want to catch dinner? See if we have any subjects in common besides chemistry?”
    “The last person I can afford to be seen with is you. Those fishermen already have it in for me. They see me cavorting with a fish cop, and I’m sunk.”

C HAPTER E IGHT
    Aidan motored his skiff, with Lana in the bow, toward their set net site in the river. Sonya hadn’t returned to camp last night and he hoped he’d get a chance to talk to her today. He slowed his boat as he noticed the Albatross , squatting at where his running line should have been.
    “Yo, Harte,” Chuck Kendrick hollered from the deck of the Albatross . “Top of the morning to ya, asshole.” Kendrick gave Aidan a satanic smile as he drifted by.
    The man had cut his running line.
    “Kendrick, you son of a bitch!” Aidan hollered.
    “I’ll let Ma know you inquired about her.” Kendrick cackled. “Have a nice day.”
    He was screwed. Fishing was to start any minute, and he had no running line to attach his net to. Where were the fucking fish cops when you needed them?
    “Aidan?” Lana’s anxious voice came from the bow of the skiff where she sat bundled up in chest waders and raingear. She seemed more a little girl than a woman grown.
    Earl pulled alongside in his skiff, his uncle Roland smoking the butt of a cigarette as he reclined in the bow. “We fishing or what?”
    “Give me your gun,” Aidan demanded, reaching his hand out for the firearm he knew Earl never went anywhere without.
    “What the hell for?”
    “Are we shootin’ people?” Roland sat up, the sound of glee in his voice, as he took an interest in more than sucking on his cigarette.
    “Kendrick just cut my running line.” Aidan reached his hand out. “Now give me the damn gun.”
    “Aidan—” Lana’s voice wobbled with fear, but Aidan ignored her.
    All he saw was red.
    “Why the hell didn’t you say so?” Earl tossed the Glock underhanded between the two skiffs.
    Aidan caught it, cocked it, pointed, and fired three quick shots across the Albatross’s bow.
    Earl’s mouth curled in disgust. “You missed.”
    “I could have hit that boat with my eyes closed,” Roland said, turning to Earl. “Didn’t you teach this kid how to shoot?”
    “I didn’t want to hit him,” Aidan said. “Just wanted to warn him.”
    “Give me that gun.” Earl shook his head. “You shoot at someone, plan on hittin’ ‘em.” He huffed a breath and curled his upper lip. “You’re useless.”
    “Watch it, old man.” Aidan’s hand tightened over the butt of the gun he still held.
    “Watch what? Watch you sit back and draw your little cartoons—”
    “They’re graphic novels.”
    “Whatever. You’re still drawing what you don’t have the guts to do yourself.”
    “Would you just shut the hell up!” Aidan wanted to silence the old man for good. Holding the gun in his hand was becoming too much of a temptation.
    “Somebody’s got to tell you how to be a man.”
    Aidan gritted his teeth, counted to ten and did what he did best, tuned