She's Just Right (A Fairy Tale Romance) by Diane Darcy Read Free Book Online

front of the trough, then set the wiggling fish on the scale.
    “That’s okay,” said Paul. “But don’t get mushy on me. Tell you what. I have a joke. And it’s a good one, too. You want to hear it?”
    “No. This one is ten inches and point five pounds.”
    “Got it.” Paul recorded the information. “Okay. There’s this guy. He gets stopped by a game warden and he’s got an ice chest full of fish. You know the kind with wheels that you pull? Anyway, the game warden asks the guy, ‘So you got a license for those fish?’ The guy says, ‘No sir, I don’t need a license. These are my pet fish.’”
    Trevor measured and weighed another trout and Paul looked over his shoulder and recorded the info. Trevor let the fish go, then snagged another, but it was only inches long. He turned around and released it back into the raceway without measuring, then picked another.
    “Anyway,” said Paul. “The warden doesn’t believe the guy and wants to give him a ticket. So the guy says, ‘Really! I’m serious. Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let them swim. Then I whistle and they jump back into the ice chest and I take them home.’ So now the warden really doesn’t believe him, so the guy’s like, ‘I’ll prove it to you.’ So they go down to the lake and the guy pours the fish into the lake. After a few minutes the warden says, ‘Well?’ And the other guy’s like ‘Well, what?’ And the warden’s says, when are you going to call them back?’ And the guy says, ‘Call who back?’ And the warden’s like ‘The fish!’ and the guy says ‘What fish?’”
    Paul laughed and looked at Trevor. “Well? Didn’t you think that was funny?”
    “It was the first time you told it. About ten years ago.”
    “Ouch,” said Paul as he recorded more information. “Tough audience today.”
    Trevor captured another fish, but it splashed back into the trough. “ Dammit !”
    “You’re losing your touch. Or terrifying them with your bad mood.”
    Spotting Glen Judkins coming out of the hatchery’s main building, Trevor straightened, pulled off his soggy, gray gloves, and hung them on the side of the trough. “I’m taking a break.”
    “Okay, but come back happy, dear.”
    Trevor walked over to talk to the old-timer who’d worked at the hatchery forever. “Hey, Glenn. Have you started to get any volunteers to help with the fall spawning season yet?” They walked together back toward Paul, and Trevor matched the older man’s slower pace.
    Glen shrugged, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. “A few.” He stopped at one of the holding tanks to peer inside. “We’ve been calling people who did it last year. And we’ve been sending notes home with the kids who come out for field trips. Plus, we keep sign-up sheets for visitors. The ususal. We’ve got all summer to worry about it.” He dipped a plastic container into the holding tank and pulled it out full of water.
    “Great. Let me know if you need any help with that. How are the yearlings doing?”
    Again the shrug as he capped the container. “Pretty good. We fertilized more eggs than ever before. We’ll be releasing almost a million steelheads in the fall.”
    Trevor nodded. “How’re the new generators working out?”
    “I’m glad to say we haven’t had to use them, but all the same, I sleep better at night knowing they’re in place. So far no problems with the water treatment plant, so no signs of any viruses.”
    Trevor’s phone rang and he checked caller I.D., saw it was his mother, considered not answering, but remembered he had to talk her into removing Honey Stevens. “Excuse me, Glenn.”
    He walked a few more feet toward Paul so neither man could overhear. “Hi, Mom.”
    “Hi, Sweetie. I’ve just left your house. Honey is a doll. Both she and Elizabeth are staying at your place. Won’t that be fun?”
    Fun? Was she kidding? “Mom. I told you to get that girl out of my house.” He took a breath and trotted