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She leaned closer, squinting. “A life jacket?”
“It took me awhile to find one that wasn’t too bulky, or too hot.
But this one is perfect. And really, I had no choice. You have no
idea how miserable he was, not being able to fish. I can’t tell you
how many times he begged me to change my mind. I couldn’t take
it anymore, and I thought this was a solution.”
“He’s okay with wearing it?”
“New rule—it’s either wear it, or don’t fish. But I don’t think he
minds.”
“Does he ever catch any fish?”
“Not as many as he’d like, but, yes, he does.”
“Do you eat them?”
“Sometimes.” He nodded. “But Josh usually throws them back.
He doesn’t mind catching the same fish over and over.”
“I’m glad you found a solution.”
“A better father probably would have figured it out beforehand.”
For the first time, she looked up at him. “I get the sense you’re a
pretty good father.”
Their eyes held for a moment before she forced herself to turn
away. Alex, sensing her discomfort, began rummaging around
behind the counter.
“I have something for you,” he said, pulling out a bag and placing
it on the counter. “There’s a small farm I work with that has a
hothouse, and they can grow things when other people can’t.
They just dropped off some fresh vegetables yesterday. Tomatoes,
cucumbers, some different kinds of squash. You might want to try
them out. My wife swore they were the best she’d ever tasted.”