“I bet it is to the mothers you help out. If you like working with children, why didn’t you become a teacher?”

“I have a degree in Education, but I moved to Ohio and wasn’t licensed there. I had already racked up enough in loans, and I didn’t want to add more to it by taking more classes to get licensed in Ohio. In case you didn’t know, teaching isn’t a very lucrative career. Real estate pays much better.”

“Does it make you feel as good?”

“No, it doesn’t.” She shrugged. “Unfortunately, my bills need to be paid. Eventually, I’ll go back and get the classes I need when I pay my loans down some more.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Checking that the fire was out and the two side windows were closed, Matthew went to the cooler to grab a drink.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Alanna raised her hand with a wry twist of her lips. “Nothing. Silas and Ginny refuse to let me do anything until Monday.”

“Then I have a suggestion.”

“What?”

“Depends,” he teased, reaching for his shirt on a peg on the wall.

“On what?”

“Are you allergic to fish?”

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

“Can you put another worm on the hook for me?”

“You’re losing a lot of worms and have no fish to show for it.” Matthew gave her a broad grin when she showed him the empty hook.

Alanna shot him a harassed look. “The fish are against me.”

Matthew reached into the plastic cup beside him to pull out another fat worm. Scooting over on the blanket he had brought, he took her fishing pole to put the worm on the hook.

“You’re good to go,” he said, handing the pole back. Remaining seated where he was, Matthew laughed at her grossed-out expression. “It doesn’t hurt them.”

“Who told you that? I bet it wasn’t a worm.”

Matthew laughed. “My dad, and I’d bet his told him the same thing.”

“There has to be a more humane way to fish.”

“There is, but fresh bait is always best. I could look for some crickets when we run out of worms.”

Alanna gave him a withering stare. “I meant something that doesn’t involve killing another living creature.”

Matthew cocked his head sideways. “You do know I plan to clean and fry the fish we catch, right?”

“I’ll worry about that when we catch one.”

“Ye of little faith,” he mocked.

“Pretty sure you saying that is sacrilegious,” she chastised.

Matthew released a low whistle of appreciation. “Look at you sounding like a Kentucky girl. Next thing I know, you’ll be sneaking off to go to church with Greer.”

Alanna lowered her eyes to half-mast. “Do you have a death wish?” she asked sweetly.