Jingle Bell Blessings. Bonnie Winn K.

gaze roved toward Chloe. He had expected her to be a typical city woman, squeamish and ill at ease. Instead, she eagerly baited Jimmy’s hook and now stood next to the hill country river as though she’d done so a hundred times before. In the sunlight, her long hair gleamed like spun honey. And Chloe’s laughter was easy and often. Yet she still wore her mother-bear persona, keeping Jimmy under her watchful eye.

      Only a week and a half before Thanksgiving, the mild hill country weather was holding true. The changing leaves proved autumn had arrived, but the bite of winter wasn’t yet in the wind. It wouldn’t be long though, bringing the holidays he now dreaded.

      As Evan watched, his father sat down in his camp chair, something he usually didn’t do until he had fished for several hours. They’d only been at the river about two hours. Although Gordon’s fishing rod still rested in the river, he wasn’t casting it any longer.

      Frowning, Evan studied his face. The niggling worry resurfaced. He walked casually over to Gordon’s side. “River’s running low. Probably won’t catch much today.”

      Gordon nodded toward Jimmy. “Never know.”

      Clearly, his father wanted Jimmy to have a good time and Evan knew better than to suggest they go home early. His father would dig his feet in and not budge. But if he helped Jimmy catch a fish…

      Sighing, Evan reached for the thermos, poured a hot cup of coffee and handed it to his father.

      “Thanks, son.” Gordon’s voice sounded weary.

      There was a second thermos with hot cocoa for Jimmy, but the youngster was so absorbed in the new sport that Evan could tell he didn’t care about refreshments at the moment. Manners drilled in by a determined mother couldn’t be ignored. “Chloe? Coffee?”

      Chloe turned, her mouth wide with a smile, sunshine illuminating her face. “Thanks, no.” Their gazes still connected, she hesitated for a moment before turning back to the river.

      It was a terminally long moment, yet not nearly long enough.

      Evan frowned, then shook his head. Trick of the light, he decided. Nothing more.

      Yet he continued to watch as she gracefully arched her back as she prepared to cast her line into the river. It plopped into the water perfectly. She must have gone fly fishing with her father as well as ice fishing. It took time to learn to cast like that. Which was why they’d given Jimmy a pole instead. Although the boy had helped tie flies, he was still too young to master casting. Maybe in the spring when there was plenty of warm weather ahead…. Evan jerked his thoughts to an abrupt halt. No. Jimmy wouldn’t be here in the spring.

      Reminded that the boy needed to catch a fish so they could get his father back home, Evan paused. His own gear lay in the yellowing grass. He had brought it along only to appease his father. But it gave him an excuse to help Jimmy.

      Evan walked to the shore quietly so he wouldn’t startle the boy. Studying his wobbling line, Evan remembered his own father teaching him to fish. Then he remembered the times he had brought Sean to this very shore, the bubbling excitement of his son’s animated face. Evan had expected someday to be the one sitting in a camp chair while Sean taught his own child the sport.