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to this mess? She’d never been fishing in her life. She’d never wanted to go fishing. If she made a bucket list right now, fishing would be at the very bottom, along with turkey hunting and attending a NASCAR race.
    She sighed as she considered the previous night’s activities. She hadn’t wanted to go clubbing with Riley either, now that she thought about it, and despite the fact she was suffering, she’d had a really good time. She picked up the glass and swallowed the two aspirin Ewan had thoughtfully supplied—and then it hit her.
    She’d slept all night. Slept peacefully for nearly eight hours.
    Passed out was probably more the truth, but she didn’t care. She’d slept a full night.
    Hot damn.
    Maybe playing along with Ewan’s experiment would pay off in ways she hadn’t foreseen. If she ignored her throbbing head, she was actually well rested and… She tried to find the words to describe her state. Less heavy was all that came to her.
    She felt lighter this morning.
    * * * * *
    Two hours later, she found herself standing on the bank of a lake waiting for Pat’s friend to drop his bass boat into the water—and feeling a return of her usual irritability and impatience. They’d driven over an hour to get to this bug-infested pond to ride around in a boat that was older than she was, and now they were supposed to try to catch a bunch of stinky fish. She hated fish. Never ate it. Shrimp and crab legs slathered in butter were her usual fare at a seafood restaurant. She suspected they wouldn’t be finding any of those in this murky brown water.
    Oh yeah, this was a good idea.
    35
    Mari Carr
    “Can we just pretend we did this and go home? I’d kill for a nap.”
    Ewan stepped closer to her, gave her that sweet grin she was starting to find endearing. “Come on, babydoll. Give it a chance.”
    “Whoa!” she burst out when it looked like the man with the boat was going to drive his trailer and truck right into the lake.
    Ewan put his arm around her. “It’s okay, Nat. The boat launch goes down quite a ways.”
    “My head hurts,” she murmured, pushing her sunglasses up in an attempt to shield her sensitive eyes from the bright rays slicing into her brain like a laser.
    “Today won’t be hard. Promise.”
    “You said that about last night.” She shrugged off his arm as she spoke, trying to express her annoyance at being dragged out of her bed far too early after their very late night. Her willingness to give fishing a chance had ended when her headache didn’t.
    “By the way, I’m never drinking tequila again. If that’s on any more of your so-called life lesson plans, mark it off now.”
    Ewan grinned. “That’s one vow I’m willing to take with you. My head feels like it’s going to split apart.”
    She looked up, surprised by his admission. “You didn’t tell me you felt bad too.”
    “You were bitching enough for both of us.”
    She scowled, and then realized he was right. “I told you I was bitchy. Gave you ample warning. I guess you’re reconsidering this whole seven-day deal, aren’t you?”
    He shook his head. “You haven’t figured it out yet, have you, Nat?”
    “Figured out what?”
    “I like you. Just you. The way you are.” He paused to let his words soak in and Nat felt uncharacteristic warmth build in her chest. He liked her.
    No one liked her.
    Then he added, “Even if you are a gigantic pain in the ass.”
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    Friday I’m in Love
    She giggled. “Want some aspirin? I brought along the bottle.”
    “I took a couple at home. Besides, I have a feeling a few minutes on the water will be more than enough to cure my aches and pains.” He pulled her in front of him so her back rested against his chest, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist and placing his chin on top of her head. She leaned back, letting him envelop her, marveling at how much warmth he could put into a simple embrace.
    She watched his pop help his friend offload the boat for a few minutes.