Mama nodded and got some bowls down from the cupboard. They carried them out to the chairs Daddy had built beneath the old oak tree.
~
“I’ve been thinking about buying some land,” Joseph said as they gathered their equipment to take back to the house.
“To be a full-time farmer?”
“Yes. I really enjoy fishing, and I think working the land would help keep me grounded.”
“You do realize that you don’t have to become a full-time farmer to enjoy fishing, hunting, and gardening, right?” Mr. Magee said. “You can do it for enjoyment.”
“Do you mean making it my hobby rather than my vocation?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Fishing and farming are my work, and I’m good at it because I’ve been doing it all my life. You, on the other hand, are a good businessman with a knack for gaining people’s trust.”
“That is something to think about.” He remembered his time with Albert and how much fun they both enjoyed it after work. “Fishing is a good way to relax.”
Mr. Magee nodded toward the buckets filled with fish. “Ready to head on back? I’m eager to show off our catch.” He let out a low chuckle. “I haven’t done any actual fishing in months. All I’ve done is set trotlines and gather the fish for market. Maybe you and I can do this more often.”
Joseph couldn’t remember a time when he felt so relaxed yet exhilarated as he walked from the pond to the Magee house with a bucket of fish in one hand and a fishing pole in the other. Mr. Magee had shown him more tricks of casting his line and reeling it in to attract more fish. He could tell the older man was pleased by how quickly he caught on.
Mr. Magee said he was impressed by the fact that instead of running away with his tail tucked between his legs he went out and learned how to fish. “That shows something to me, Joseph. You don’t give up easily, and that’s the mark of a man who will succeed.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Joseph thought about how many times Mr. Magee had mentioned his thoughts of how a man should act. It probably had something to do with the fact that he had daughters and no sons, so he became more philosophical about it. Or maybe it was the fact that he wanted someone to protect his daughters as he always had. Either way, he was happy to have Mr. Magee’s approval.
As they rounded the bend, he spotted Rose and her mother sitting beneath the big tree, talking and shelling peas. The whole scenario seemed so natural … so right. He felt a swelling in his chest as Rose lifted her gaze and met his, and she smiled.
He lifted the bucket. “I had a good fishing lesson.”
Mr. Magee belted out one of his hearty laughs. “This man’s a natural. He just had to learn a few techniques, and then he was off and running. Those fish didn’t know what hit ‘em.”
Rose’s smile didn’t fade in the least as they got closer. “Do you want me to clean them now?”
“No. I caught them, so I’ll clean them.” Joseph was grateful that Albert had made him do the work rather than just show him. After his second fish, he was confident that he could do it in front of Mr. Magee without embarrassing himself.
Mr. Magee offered a clipped nod. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Rose got up and led the way to the rustic outdoor table she’d cleaned fish on before. “If you need anything, let me know.”
After she left, Mr. Magee stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’m not sure if it’s too late for her, but if you are interested in my daughter, you have my blessing.”
Joseph couldn’t hide his surprise. He quickly glanced up at the man who remained standing there in front of him. “Your blessing? You mean to … um, to court her?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. As you well know, I wasn’t too keen on you for a while, but I approve of what I’ve seen lately.”
“That’s good to know.” Joseph did his best not to lift his hands and holler his thanks to God. “I like Rose very much, and I would like to get to know her better.”
“Let me give you some advice.” Mr. Magee leaned closer and lowered his voice even more. “My daughter is very stubborn and strong-willed. It’s probably my fault since I gave in to her so much, with her being the baby and all …” He smiled. “At any rate, you must listen to her and at least consider her thoughts before you make decisions.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m sure you scored some points with her for learning to fish.”
Joseph nodded. He knew the points he’d scored had been with Mr. Magee rather than Rose, but he wasn’t about to call that out to the man who’d just given his blessing.
“Let me know next time you go to Laurel. I’ll make sure she’s available to go … that is, if she wants to.”
“I would like that,” Joseph said as he slid the knife along the edge of the fish to fillet it.
“I won’t even make you have her home early if you’re having a good time.” He paused for a moment. “Except you do need to have her back before dark.” He pointed to the fish on the table. “By the way, you’re doing a nice job there. Just a little slow, but speed will come later.”
Joseph nodded and smiled. He was tempted to try to move a little faster, but he knew that with the excitement welling inside his chest he risked cutting his hand.
~
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Rose asked as she stood to the side of the window and occasionally peeked outside at Daddy and Joseph.
“I can only imagine.”
“Daddy’s doing most of the talking.” Rose turned around and looked directly at her mother.
Mama smiled. “Does that surprise you?”
“I just hope he’s not saying anything to upset Joseph.”
“Does Joseph look upset?” Mama joined her by the window, looked outside, and then shook her head. “Never mind. Joseph is grinning from ear to ear—not the look of an upset man if you ask me.”
Rose folded her arms. “I hope they’re not telling jokes at my expense.”
“Rose! Your father would never do that. He adores you.”
“I know he does, but there are some things he thinks are funny that I find completely humiliating.”
“Like the time when you drove the tractor into the pond because you didn’t know how to stop it?”
Rose nodded and cringed. She had ruined the old family tractor because she’d been too stubborn to listen as Daddy tried to give her instructions.
“He wasn’t terribly upset,” Mama reminded her. “He’d been wanting one of those fancy new ones, and that gave him the excuse to get one.”
“I know, but—” Rose shrugged.
“If that’s what’s making them laugh, I wouldn’t worry too much.”
“What if Daddy’s telling him about the first meal I cooked?”
“You mean the first meal you intended to cook but forgot to light the oven?” Mama grinned.
“That was terrible.”
Mama closed the space between them and put her arm around Rose. “It really wasn’t terrible. In fact, it turned out quite good once I pointed out that you needed to actually cook the food.” She laughed. “We ate very late that night, but no one minded.”
“Daddy said he was so hungry he could have eaten a bear, hair and all.”
“And he didn’t leave a single bit of the food you cooked, did he?”
Rose sighed. “I just don’t want Joseph to know all of that.”
“Do you think it would affect his feelings for you?” Mama asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to take a chance.” Rose swallowed hard as she looked outside in time to see Daddy and Joseph walking toward the house. “But it might be too late to worry about that.”
Mama took the buckets and looked in them. “This is quite a bit of fish. In fact, it’s way too much for just use. Are you planning to sell it or give it away to someone?”
Daddy glanced at Joseph, who shrugged, and then back at Mama. “Then take what you think we can
eat tomorrow night, and Joseph can bring some to one of his friends when he goes back to town this evening.”
“I’ll divide it and put it all in the ice box until you’re ready to leave.” She smiled at Joseph. “I know they’re fish from the same pond, but there is something more special about fish that is caught with a pole than on a trotline.”
Daddy nodded his agreement. “It’s more of a sport, so I think they taste better.”
“I’m thankful you put everything into perspective for me, sir,” Joseph said. “Now that you brought everything to light, I agree that I should continue doing what I do and turn my fishing, hunting, and gardening aspirations into my pastime.”
Rose gave him a curious look. “What are you talking about?”
Daddy gestured toward the door. “Why don’t y’all go out on the front porch, and you can tell her all about our conversation?”
Chapter 11
This time, Rose took the lead and Joseph followed. Once they were on the front porch, she turned to face him.
“Okay, now tell me. What was Daddy talking about?”
Joseph shifted his weight from one foot to the other, leaving no doubt that whatever it was made him very uncomfortable.
“I … uh … your father, well …”
She tilted her head and folded her arms. “Why is it so hard for you to tell me? Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” he said emphatically. “It’s me. I like you … more than like you, and I want to spend more time with you.”
“Y’all were talking about fish and sport and the difference between fish caught on a trotline and with a fishing pole. What was that all about?”
Joseph lifted his chin and laughed. “I suppose that was rather confusing if you hadn’t been in on the conversation your father and I had back at the pond.”
“And I wasn’t. So tell me all about it.”
Joseph sighed. “It might take a while.”
She pointed to the front porch swing. “So let’s sit, and you can take all the time you need.”
She sat down beside him and turned to face him as he repeated the conversation he and Daddy had. As he spoke, she listened. When he finished, he held her gaze.
“What do you think about all of this?”
What she really thought was that Joseph had gone out of his way to impress Daddy. But she didn’t want to come right out and say that.
“I think Daddy gave you some excellent advice.”
He cleared his throat. “I really do enjoy what I do. It gives me an opportunity to visit the farmers I admire, and I get to talk to some nice businessmen.” He hesitated before taking her hand in his. “It’s just that I agree with your father—that men should know how to take care of themselves … and their families.”
Rose felt her breath catch in her throat. Joseph’s touch sent tingles up her arm and caused her heart to pound as it always did.
“I’ve enjoyed everything about fishing so far, from learning how to cast the line to reeling the fish in and cleaning them. But I don’t think I would want to turn it into a business.”
“Sounds like Daddy saw that in you before you did.”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, and I’m thankful he pointed it out to me.”
“It sounds like there’s more, though.”
“There is.” Joseph pursed his lips as he covered her hand with both of his and then kissed the back of it. “Rose, I think the time has come for me to be honest with you about something.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You haven’t been honest so far?”
“No, I’ve been honest, but there is something I haven’t told you.” He smiled and kissed her hand again. “It’s difficult.”
“Just spit it out.”
“Rose …” He gulped and flinched as though a pain had shot through him. And then he took a deep breath. “As much as I enjoy fishing, I care for you even more.”
“What?”
“That didn’t come out right. Sorry I’m being so awkward, but I’ve never told a woman I loved her before.”
She blinked. “You’re trying to tell me you love me?”
He pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. I hope it doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Oh, but it does.” She had to take a couple of breaths to keep from throwing her arms around his neck. “A lot.”
“I am so sorry. I should have—”
There was no way she could hold back. She leaned toward him, put her hand behind his head, and pulled his face to hers. “Kiss me.”
So he did. And this time, she tingled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“For what it’s worth, Joseph, I love you too.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “Yes, and I have for quite a while—ever since that first time you kissed me. I knew.”
A grin slowly spread across his face. “I did too. So now what do we do?”
“I guess we do whatever two people do when they’re in love.”
“Get married?”
She almost fell out of the swing. “Uh, I—”
He got out of the swing and dropped to one knee while continuing to hold her hand. “I know we just professed our love for each other, but I don’t want to miss this opportunity to …” He placed his forehead on their hands before looking back up and directly into her eyes. “Since we both love each other, would you consider being my wife? I have a house in the city, but if you prefer to live on a farm, I have a savings and—”
“Yes, I’ll be your wife, and we can live in your house.” Then she remembered something important. “Have you asked Daddy how he feels about us getting married?”
A look of instant shock shot across his face. “No, I forgot to do that.”
“Then you best go do that now.” As difficult as it was, Rose let go of his hand and gave him a gentle push toward the door.
He walked back into the house, leaving Rose on the swing. She was a little bit concerned about what Daddy would say, but within a couple of minutes, Joseph was back on the front porch, grinning like a kid who’d just gotten a lollipop.
“What did he say?” Rose asked.
“He said it’s about time.” Joseph closed the distance between them and pulled her to her feet. “So now we have a wedding to plan.”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” she said as she snuggled up in his arms. “Let’s not make it a big wedding, though. That takes too much time.”
“I agree. I don’t want to wait too long.”
Joseph leaned away from her, gave her a look that let her know everything would be as God had planned, and then kissed her again. Afterward, they continued to hold on to each other until the sound of the screen door slapped against the frame.
“It’s about time the two of you figured things out,” Daddy said.
Epilogue
The cool autumn breeze brushed Rose’s cheek as she and Joseph left the church. Mama and Daddy stood off to the side, waiting for hugs before Rose and her new husband left for his house.
“Be good to my little girl,” Daddy said loud enough for her to hear. “And remember that I expect you to come by often and go fishing with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Joseph grinned down at Rose. “I plan to fish as often as my bride will allow.”
She laughed. “You can fish as much as you want as long as you take me with you.”
They crossed the lawn and got into Joseph’s automobile. As he pulled away from the small crowd that had gathered to witness their marriage, Rose looked at Joseph.
“Do I have something on my face?”
She nodded. “Yes, you have the look of a newly married man. And I find that very handsome.”
The End
Author Bio:
Author and speaker Debby Mayne grew up in a military family, which meant moving every few years throughout her childhood. Debby was born in Alaska, and she has lived in Mississippi, Tennessee, Oregon, Florida, Hawaii, and J
apan. Her comfort foods are as diverse as her interests. You might find her eating sushi while reading a cozy mystery novel or fried catfish while watching a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game. She and her husband of almost 35 years have two beautiful grown daughters, two amazing sons-in-law, and two precious granddaughters.
Debby has published more than 40 books and novellas, more than 1,000 short stories and articles, and a slew of devotions for busy women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for a TV retailer, a creative writing instructor, and a copy editor and proofreader for several book publishers. She writes women’s fiction and romances under her married name Debby Mayne and mysteries under her maiden name Deborah Tisdale.
She and her husband Wally currently live in the Charleston, South Carolina, area.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/debby.mayne
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DebbyMayne
Website: http://debbymayne.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debbymayne
Books by Debby Mayne:
Romance:
Trouble in Paradise
One Foot Out the Door
Can’t Fool Me Twice
Silver Bells
Kissing Carly
Love Finds You on Christmas Morning
Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida
Lured by Love
Waiting for a View
For the Love of Pete
Sarasota Dreams
Shades of the Past
Trusting Her Heart
Unlikely Match
Noah’s Ark
Love’s Image
Double Blessing
If the Dress Fits
Lessons in Love
A New Beginning
A New Attitude
A New Understanding
A New Image
Sweet Baklava
Dixie Belle
Aloha Reunion
Forever Aloha
Women’s Fiction:
Pretty Is as Pretty Does
Bless Her Heart
Tickled Pink
Mysteries:
Murder Under the Mistletoe
Gun in the Garden
Offed at the Office
Summer Walsh Mystery Collection
Love's Sporting Chance: Volume 2: 5 Romantic Sporting Novellas Page 28