“And go fly fishing.” She placed her hands on her hips. “You know I don’t like to fish.”
“That’s not all we’re going to do. My good friend, Caitlyn, has a whole adventure planned for us.”
“You have a lot of female friends. Who’s Caitlyn?” She didn’t miss his smirk and smacked his arm. “I’m serious. Is she an old girlfriend, or a friend who’s a girl, like Erika?”
“Caitlyn?” He laughed. “Not a chance, but I love when you get jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Uh-huh. Right.” He snickered and she thumped him in the arm. “She’s a friend from high school, nothing more.”
She hated to think of other women in his life and what they may have shared with him. Commander Erika Black made her jealous until she realized the two of them were nothing but friends. Perhaps it was the same with Caitlyn. Brent lifted his hand and waved over the crowd.
“There she is.” He picked up his pace, leaving her to jog behind him, trying to catch up.
“Brent Calloway!” The woman clapped her hands, gave a little jump, then spread her arms out wide for a hug.
“Caitlyn Quinn!” He tugged her tight and lifted her into the air. “You look amazing.”
“So do you. Now put me down and introduce me to the woman who stole your heart.” Caitlyn’s beaming smile had Brie returning a quizzical grin. She immediately liked Brent’s friend; there was something infectious about her bubbly personality.
Brent pulled Brie tight to his side. He tended to do that, tucking her close and making her inseparable from him.
“May I introduce Brie Hamilton, commercial boat captain, treasure seeker, and the most extraordinary woman in the world.”
Caitlyn clasped her hands in front of her chest, then spread her arms wide. “Come and give me a hug, Brie. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Brent tells me you went to high school together.”
“Yes, but it’s been years since I’ve seen him. Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?”
Brie spent her life on the water, traveling to the hottest tourist spots in the world. There wasn’t much that she hadn’t seen or done, but she didn’t want to rain on Caitlyn’s parade. Or worse, she didn’t want to insult the girl from a small town.
“Brent says you’re a professional guide and that I have nothing to worry about.”
“Not a thing.” Caitlyn bent down and grabbed Brie’s bag. She left Brent to carry his own. “We have a couple hour’s drive before getting to Bear Creek. You’ll have the day to rest, then we leave in the morning for the back country.” She glanced at Brent. “Marge is expecting you to stop by the diner.”
“Of course.” The corners of his lips curved up. “I can’t wait to taste her pie.”
Caitlyn turned to Brie. “Marge owns the diner in town. It’s a local hangout and she makes the most amazing pies. We all hung out there growing up and she’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“Oh!”
Brie’s head spun with all the details Caitlyn threw out as she updated Brent on everyone in town. He kept Brie close, gripping her hand and squeezing it when she got nervous. He seemed to have a direct line to her emotions and knew when she needed reassurance the most.
She sat with him in the back of Caitlyn’s Jeep for the two-hour ride from the airport to Bear Creek.
At least the scenery outside was pretty. It didn’t hold a candle to the ocean, but she appreciated the gentleness of the rolling hills. As they approached the mountains, the scenery transformed, captivating her with its majesty. Trees sprouted and reached for the sky while the hills transformed and became the most amazing mountains.
“What do you think?” Brent kissed her temple as they passed a series of waterfalls.
“It’s amazing.”
“Beyond amazing,” Caitlyn said, “and it’s only going to get even more beautiful.”
“Exactly what are we doing?” She gave stink-eyes to Brent who had been strangely silent about the entire trip.
“We’re riding horseback into the mountains and fly-fishing. Have you ever done that?” Caitlyn glanced at Brie through the rearview mirror.
“I can say I have not.”
“Do you mind dogs?”
“I love dogs.” What a strange question?
“Good, because Bear goes everywhere with me. He’s a Newfoundland.”
“Oh, I love Newfs, but fair warning.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
Brent looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “How is that possible?”
“Not many horses around harbors. I grew up on boats, not in the saddle.”
“Well, don’t worry,” Caitlyn gave a wave. “These are the best horses, very calm, and used to riders with very little experience.”
Brie didn’t know what to think about riding horseback, and nearly vetoed the whole thing right there. At least that was the plan, but one look at the excitement brimming in Brent’s eyes and she couldn’t take that away from him. This trip was special to him.
“Just relax and leave everything to me,” Caitlyn said. “I’ve got the most amazing trip planned for you. I’ll do all the work and you can just sit back and relax.”
On the back of a horse? That may not be possible, but she would try. She would do anything for Brent.
They stopped at Marge’s diner where she easily devoured the best burger of her life, and shared the most amazing apple pie with Brent. She thought Caitlyn would join them, but the bubbly guide excused herself, saying she needed to check on Bear and finish packing their gear at the stables. Marge fluttered about. After she caught up with Brent, she left them alone to finish their dinner in peace.
“What do you think about Bear Creek?”
“It’s amazing. I didn’t have you pegged for a small-town guy.”
“I grew up here, but left for college.” His face clouded over with pain, reminding her about Donald. The two of them met in college and formed a tight friendship which ended in betrayal and tragedy on the Pendragon.
She reached out to him and threaded her fingers with his. He flashed a smile, understanding. That’s how most things worked with them. A look was all it took and they knew what was on each other’s minds.
“I thought your family were bigwig lawyers. How is that possible in a tiny town like this?”
“Ah, my parents were separated for a time. My mother brought me here, while dad did his thing.”
“I didn’t realize they weren’t together.” Another tidbit of his life she didn’t know.
“Oh, they are. I guess you could say they took a time out from one another, but they’re still madly in love. You’ll get to meet them soon.”
Her stomach churned with that comment. Meeting his parents meant this thing between them was real. Not that she doubted their love. He was her forever and she was his, but sharing that connection with others? She didn’t want to share any of it.
Caitlyn picked them up and took them to a house Brent rented for the evening. There weren’t any motels in Bear Creek. The town was that small.
They spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms, talking about their dreams.
In the morning, Caitlyn picked them up and drove them to the stables. In the front seat of her Jeep, a massive black dog named Bear rode beside Caitlyn while she and Brent held hands in the back.
After a quick lesson in how not to fall off a horse, they were on their way. True to her word, Caitlyn paired Brie up with a very docile horse. The mare was called Tulip and ambled behind Caitlyn’s horse. Brent brought up the rear. Bear ran ahead, circled back to check on them, tongue lolling, eyes bright, and tail wagging with boundless enthusiasm, then he raced ahead again loping up the trail.
Around them, the mountains displayed their majesty. The rich loam combined with the scent of pine and she found herself breathing in a taste of heaven. She might have to rethink her thoughts about landlocked moun
tains. They had a certain air about them she could easily grow to love.
They spent all day riding, stopping for breaks strategically designed to let the non-horse rider stretch her legs. She appreciated those breaks more and more as the day went on. Each place they stopped was either a magnificent vista or a roaring waterfall. She found a tiny slice of heaven in the mountains, and Tulip brought her to their campsite safe and sound. Not once did she fall off the incredible animal.
Brent took her for a walk, letting her stretch her legs, while Caitlyn set up their camp. A certified wilderness guide, Caitlyn knew her stuff. They settled around the empty campfire while Caitlyn set up what they needed to fly fish.
“Have you ever done this?” Caitlyn said with an easy smile.
“Never.”
Caitlyn gestured to the gear she laid out. “Well, fortunately for you, Brent is an expert fly-fisherman. I’m going to take Bear for a hike while the two of you catch our dinner.” She glanced up at the sky. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“A couple hours?” That seemed like a long hike.
“Yeah, camp’s set. You have everything you need, and you don’t need me.” She gave a soft laugh. “At least not until it’s time to cook. Besides, Bear needs to run.”
“He’s been running all day.”
Indeed, the Newfoundland had run the entire trail several times over, covering twice as much ground as the horses. He didn’t look the least bit tired.
Brent stood and dusted off his jeans. “Let me introduce you to the wonders of fly-fishing.”
Brie gave him a dubious look, but he hadn’t disappointed her yet. In fact, the entire trip was turning out to be much more exciting than she thought possible. She wasn’t sure about spending the night in flimsy tents, not with bears and cougars in the area, but he assured her they would be safe. She also hadn’t missed the heavy pistol tucked in Caitlyn’s holster, or the one Brent carried as well.
“Let’s begin with fly-fishing basics.” He held a long rod with a thin line attached. A knotted bunch of fluff dangled at the end.
“I need more than the basics. All I know is there’s a fishing pole with a hook at the end.”
His smile beamed. “There’s a bit more to it than that.” He walked with her to the edge of the stream. “Now, with traditional fishing methods, you cast using a lure or bait attached to the end of the line. The line is really thin and the lure is the heavy part. When you let loose, the lure carries the momentum and drags the line through the air.”
“Okay.” She pointed to the piece of fluff on the end. “That doesn’t look like it’s very heavy. I don’t think that will go very far.”
“Because this is a fly-fishing set up.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Okay, for fly-fishing there are some major differences, like the fly rod, fly line, leader, tippet and of course the fly.” He pointed to the piece of fluff.
“You lost me at leader and tippet.”
“Here.” He showed her a cast.
To her surprise, the lightweight fly flew through the air.
“The key is in the fly line. Unlike regular fishing, it’s the line that holds the weight and the casting technique carries the line out in front of you. It’s like a whip.”
“Sure.” She propped her hands on her hips. “If you say so.”
He seemed excited by his fishing pole, so she humored him.
“The energy of the cast travels down the line, forms a loop, and then flicks the end where the fly is.” He demonstrated a few times, casting over and over again.
It looked easy.
“And this actually catches fish?”
“I hope so, or we’re not going to eat tonight.”
“What kind of wilderness adventure is this if I’m going to go hungry?”
“The kind where you have to work for your food.” He handed her a pole. “You ready to try?”
“I suppose.” She tried a few flicks, getting a sense of the weight of the line.
“Now, what you’re trying to do is imitate the fish’s natural food. The fly on the end is like an insect. Entice the fish to strike and we eat tonight.”
“I hope we’re not relying on my fly-fishing abilities.”
“I’ll help out.” He gave a wink, making her think there was something else to this whole fly-fishing thing than he was letting on.
As the afternoon wore on, she let the rhythm of casting relax her mind. Brent caught a couple of fish, while she enticed the sum total of zero fish to strike at her fly.
“I think the fish know I’m not a real insect.”
He laughed. “That may be, but at least we won’t go hungry tonight.” He held up five trout.
“What if I don’t like fish? And do we really need five?”
He frowned. “You eat fish. I’ve seen you.”
“That was sushi.”
“You really don’t like fish?”
She poked him in the ribs. “I’m just teasing you. I love fish, and I’m really excited to taste one cooked over an open flame.”
“Well, then aren’t you lucky I brought you to Montana? Now, we get to clean the fish.” He gave her a wink and thrust two of the slimy fish at her. “I’ll show you how we do that.”
She took the fish and arched a brow. “You’re very lucky I love you, because this is stretching the limits of my love. How about I sit over there and read a book while you clean the fish?”
He laughed. “Now where would be the fun in that?”
Brent took her downstream, explaining about cleaning the fish far away from the campsite. He found a flat rock and set to work, showing her the proper way to gut and clean a fish. The whole process looked vile and she held back her objections. After he gutted the second fish, he handed over the knife.
“Your turn.”
“I really don’t need to do this, not when you’re so good at it.”
He pointed with the tip of the knife. “You’ve got this.”
When it looked like he wasn’t going to back down, she grabbed the first of her two fish and slapped it down on the bloody rock.
“Fish guts, slime, and scales.” She looked over her shoulder. “It had better taste better than it looks.”
Brent held the two remaining fish, one in each hand, and gave her a smirk. While she bent to the task, he stood behind her, offering up advice as she scraped off scales, hacked off the head, and slit the fish from stem to stern. Holding back a retch, she gutted the fish and set it to the side.
“That’s disgusting.”
“You have one more.”
“What about that one?” She pointed to the last remaining fish.
“This one’s for Bear. He likes his fish raw.”
“Ugh!”
She scraped scales and hacked off the head. Brent knelt behind her, chuckling, while she slit the fish and reached inside to pull out the guts. Her fingers hit on something hard inside.
“What is that? Brent, I think this fish swallowed something.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, pull it out.”
She wrapped her fingers around the round shape, cautious about finding a sharp hook. It felt like metal, but was round instead of hook shaped. In fact, it felt like a circle with a large bump on one end. She pulled it out, staring at a gold band with the largest emerald she’d ever seen.
“Brent?” She spun around and gaped to see Brent on one knee.
“Brie Hamilton,” he said with a smile. “You’re the one I want, the love of my life. Will you be my wife?”
She looked at her hand slimed with fish guts and scales, stared at the ring, then turned her attention to Brent.
“You put my ring in a fish?”
His grin split his face and his eyes twinkled. “I wanted to do something special.”
She shook her hand, flicking the guts and the ring into the water. The ring spilled into the shallow water at her feet and Brent launched after it.
; “You’re throwing away my ring?”
“You proposed to me by shoving my ring into a fish and then made me gut it! That’s insane. Who does that?”
“I thought about cooking it, but couldn’t figure out how to get the guts out first.”
“I would’ve preferred a cooked ring rather than one full of guts.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Are you going to answer me?” He swished the ring in the clear waters of the stream, cleaning off the fish guts, then lifted it back to her. Remaining on one knee, he cleared his throat. “I want you forever.”
She leaned forward and peered at the emerald. Rough cut, it seemed as if she’d seen something like it before.
“Brent, is that from the San Fernando?”
“Sure is, and do you know what’s better than a ring made from sunken treasure?”
“No.”
“Having you actually put it on your finger and answering my damn question.”
She tilted her head back and laughed. He deserved a little time in the hot seat. Shoving her ring down a fish’s gullet? Out of all the ways she ever envisioned a proposal, this was most definitely not on the list.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” she teased.
“I’m going crazy right now without your answer, and for the record, I’m kneeling on rocks. You wanna get married or not?”
She stretched out her hand, spreading her fingers wide. “I wanna.”
“Well, thank fuck for that.” He slid the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, not that she should be surprised. Brent left very little to chance. He then introduced her to the pleasure of skinny dipping, leaving out the little fact of the frigid temperatures of the mountain stream. She screamed as he dunked her in, then screamed again as he made love to her beneath a sky full of crimson and gold. It wasn’t a sunset over the water, but it was the most amazing sunset she’d ever seen.
They wandered back to camp as dusk settled in around them to find a wood fire raging in the fire pit. Caitlyn had set out a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of wildflowers, and a note saying she would be back for them in the morning.
“Was she in on this?” Brie cuddled with Brent by the fire and devoured the most succulent fish she’d ever tasted. The emerald glittered on her ring finger and she relaxed against the man she loved.
Brent: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 2) Page 17