Chapter 29

Aaron looked at Merrill. "What's up?" As he got out, they both noticed the scars on his chest, but quickly shook it off.

"There's not much happening around here, and since I'm the boss, if I want to take a day off, I can. Sela and I own a cabin on East Fork Lake, about an hour from here. Let's spend the day there. The boys can swim in the lake and we have a pontoon boat. When the fish start getting hungry around six, I'll take you and boys fishing."

"And you catch them, I'll cook them," Sela smiled. Zach and Jack beamed at the prospect. Aaron didn't even have to look.

"That's very nice of you; you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Sela smiled. "We'd love to it do for you and the boys."

Aaron could hear his sons' waiting anxiously on his answer. He smiled. "Sounds like a great time."

Jack jumped up on the steps and did his happy dance, throwing his fists in the air. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Zach in the deep end of the pool mimicked the TV announcer when a Nats player hit a homerun. "Touch them all Aaron Hotchner," and sank into the pool. The three adults smiled and worked out the details.

As the Dobson's walked away, Sela whispered to her husband, "What happened to him?"

"Two words: George Foyet."

The next morning, they met for breakfast and decided to ride together in Aaron's car, since they had the room for two more. Merrill and Sela just shook their heads at how the boys ate. Jack plowed through two huge pancakes, again, and Zach inhaled two pieces of French toast along with scrambled eggs and bacon. The Dobson's loaded up what they had in their trunk into Aaron's SUV, including a cooler, and the Hotchner's had their swim stuff in Zach's backpack, along with their own cooler for drinks for the boys. Aaron stopped at the local food market and grabbed a gallon of milk for the boys, which Merrill added to the cooler.

Merrill rode up front with Aaron while Sela sat in the middle in the back with the boys. They happily shared the time, talking about things in the Hotchner's lives, including their new home, Zach taking care of Jack and the boys' state tournament experience.

As they pulled into the tiny town around the lake, Merrill pointed at a place and told Aaron to pull in, which he did. They parked in front of Leo's Bait Shop. Merrill smiled at Aaron. "We may both be off duty, but I still do it by the book and I know you do too. You and Zach need fishing licenses and if we're going to catch fish, we need bait."

They went inside and while Aaron and Zach filled out the necessary forms to get a three day Ohio fishing license, the shortest they could buy, Jack followed Merrill, carrying what he had called a minnow bucket. "Whatca doin' Sheriff?"

Merrill smiled at him. "First off Jack, I'm off duty so why don't you call me Merrill." Jack smiled. "And we need bait to catch fish. I like to fish for crappies, so we're going to use crappie minnows." He looked at Jack and knew he was totally lost. "You gotta use bait to put on the hook to catch the fish. Crappies are a special kind of fish that tastes really good," he struggled for a bit, not really used to talking to a nearly five year old. Jack nodded. Merrill pulled him up as Leo opened the tank lid to get the minnows. "And those are crappie minnows."

Jack looked in at thousands of tiny fish, a little over an inch long. "Fish eat fish?"

Merrill laughed. "Yes they do. And we want to catch fish so we can eat dinner tonight." Leo smiled as well and got the minnows into Merrill's bucket, along with some water. Jack was simply enthralled at the whole thing. Merrill set Jack back down and grabbed the minnow bucket.

As they moved back to the front of the store, Jack raced ahead. "Dad, we got a whole bunch of minnows for fishing! You should see them." Aaron smiled, knowing that both his sons were going to enjoy this day.

Leo walked behind the counter and rang the purchase up on the cash register. Zach, with his wallet still out, paying for his own fishing license, handed him some money. Aaron shook his head at Merrill. "It's the least we can do. And he makes his own money taking care of Jack." The Dobson's smiled proudly.

"But you bought breakfast as well," Sela objected.

"And you're cooking for us tonight," Zach smiled. They got in the SUV, with Merrill setting the minnow bucket under Jack's feet, with him sitting in his car seat and they headed for the cabin. When they pulled up, the boys just stared. After staying in cabin a couple nights ago, it wasn't what they were expecting. It was simply a lake home.

They ushered the Hotchner's in with Jack, following Sela's directions, making a beeline for the bathroom. The Dobson's got Aaron and Zach on the screened in porch on the front that faced the lake. Zach just looked at his dad and smiled.

Less than an hour later, the boys were in the lake, with Zach's crutches lying on the dock that protruded from the shore line into the lake about twenty-four feet, the pontoon boat secured to one side. Zach, once again, had his protective cover over his cast. Sela knew that Merrill wanted to talk to Aaron about the whole Foyet situation and watched the boys frolic.

After he and Merrill were done, he smiled. "I hope you don't mind, but I need to spend some time with my sons."

Merrill smiled and shook his head. "All three of you deserve this Aaron. My God, after what happened, please enjoy it."

Aaron smiled broadly. "I don't think that will be a problem. Mind if I change into my suit?"

"Go for it my friend," Merrill smiled. "I'm going to change as well."

The good friends came down to the dock, with Sela in her suit as well, sitting in a lounge chair reading a book while keeping an eye on the boys. "It's my favorite thing to do," she smiled at Aaron, lifting the book. She got the both of their backs covered in suntan lotion, the men doing the rest.

Aaron waded into the lake and then dived in. He spent some quality time with Jack, tossing him into the water off his shoulders, like he did in the pool the day before. Haley, while in New Jersey the summer before had got Jack into swimming lessons. What he didn't learn there, Zach had done the rest. Jack was simply a fish in the water. But after a while, he tired a bit and wanted to get out. "I need to explore dad," he smiled, looking at the sandy beach area the Dobson's had.

"We'll keep an eye on him Aaron," Merrill smiled.

About fifty feet from the end of the dock, was a small, floating dock. One end had a ladder to get out of the water and the other had a diving board. Aaron looked at Zach. "Let's go." They made their way out there and the Dobson's marveled at the workout Zach put in with the diving board. Jack just smiled at them. When they finished, Aaron helped Zach up the ladder and they laid on the top, with its all-weather carpeting while Merrill helped Jack chase frogs on the beach.

They enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the sun. Sela looked at her watch and make her way to the cabin. Aaron and Zach, who had enjoyed the diving board, swam in. As they got to the dock, Jack, back in the water with Merrill, looked at Aaron. "Dad, I'm getting hungry."

"I know buddy; so is Zach."

Merrill smiled. "Sela is working on that. Let's get to cabin, showered and changed. Then we'll head out fishing after we snack." And snack they did. Sela had meat, cheese and crackers ready, along with Merrill's favorite pickled herring and a bunch of green grapes. The grapes didn't last long with the boys around. Aaron took one look at the herring and dived in as well. The boys shook their heads at that while they foraged.

Around five-thirty, they headed to the pontoon boat, fishing poles in hand. Jack just beamed as Merrill gently captained the pontoon away from the dock. He slowly guided the boat around part of the shoreline, giving the Hotchner's a tour of the lake homes. Jack, sitting in his dad's lap, whispered "I thought we were goin' fishin'?" Zach smiled at Merrill and winked.

"Jack, I'm just killing some time while it gets to be feeding time for the crappies. But I think it's just about that time." He opened the engine up and tore off to a certain part of the lake. The boat bounced on the waves. Jack, with the boat speed causing his hair to blow, laughed delightfully at the ride.

As they approached a certain spot, Merrill slowed the boat and then killed the engine. The pontoon drifted in the gentle evening breeze. He looked at Jack. "Sela and I sorta have a fishing hole where we can hook crappies." Both the boys pulled on their baseball caps, getting serious about the "job". Sela just smiled at them.

Sela got Jack all set up as Merrill showed Aaron and Zach what to feel for in the fishing line. Four fishing lines went into the water, with Jack having a bobber on his line. They drifted for twenty minutes with nothing. Jack got antsy. "Reel in guys and let's try this again." He moved the boat back to its original position and they all sent their lines back out.

Less than five minutes later, Zach got a hit on his line and following Merrill's advice, set the hook to catch the fish. He reeled in the first crappie. It was at least a two pounder. Zach beamed. Merrill showed him and Aaron how to get it off the hook, and put it in the fish basket that hung at the side of the boat. A caged basket, the fish could still swim in the fresh water, keeping them alive. Zach, with the minnow bucket within reach for him, so he didn't have to get up, baited his hook and tossed the line in the water. Aaron got a hit and he reeled in his first as well. He put it in the fish basket, as Jack frowned. Zach stood up to fish, with his left knee kneeling on the chair to help support his weight. Merrill gently dropped the boat anchor into the water.

Sela looked out at Jack's bobber. "Jack, you got one!" Jack reeled the line in until the bobber reached the top of the pole. Aaron helped him pull the pole up, and Sela took the crappie off the hook. Jack's smile lit up his face like a Christmas tree. She put it in the basket as Aaron got Jack's hook re-baited and the line back in the water. Merrill reeled in one and Zach hit on another. Sela snapped pictures on Zach's camera.

Merrill smiled. "I think we ran into a school of them. They like to hang out around here." An hour later, the fish basket was nearly two-thirds full, with the Hotchner's having a great time. Merrill looked at Sela. "Enough for dinner, given how these boys eat?" She nodded and smiled. Aaron pulled the fish basket over the side to the deck of the boat. They headed for the dock.

As Sela got the boys to the cabin and started dinner, Merrill showed Aaron how to filet their bounty in the screened-in little shack he had by the shoreline for cleaning fish. The two of them worked together to get the nearly sixty fish fileted. That meant almost 120 filets. When they finished, Merrill dumped the bucket of the fish insides and bones on the beach to leave for the birds. They took the filets to the cabin, almost running for it, as the nightly mosquito population descended on the area.

Sela was ready. At eight-thirty, the five of them sat down to crappie filets that she coated in corn meal and then pan fried. In a bowl was a heaping mound of little red potatoes, cut in pieces that she cooked in the oven with butter over the top and a hint of garlic along with a green bean casserole. She made biscuits as well. The Hotchner's ate like there was no tomorrow, with Sela smiling broadly.

Aaron, thinking ahead, pulled out Jack's pj's from Zach's backpack. Sela got him into them. Aaron and Zach helped clear the table and did the dishes, the lake home not having a dishwasher as Sela and Merrill played Memory Game with Jack, using a deck of cards they had. They pulled away from the cabin a little after ten. Jack was asleep in his car seat by the time they got to end of the driveway.

The next morning, the Hotcher's walked into the restaurant as the coffee klatch was breaking up. They all had slept in after their big day, even Jack. The town people, knowing Aaron's plan, filled in on by Merrill, wished them well. Sela pulled Jack into a hug. "You enjoy the rest of your vacation," she smiled. Jack matched the hug, throwing his arms around her neck and thanked her and Merrill for the wonderful day he had yesterday. Aaron and Zach did the same.

Merrill looked at Aaron. "Keep in touch; and the cabin is available anytime. Just let us know when you're coming." Aaron smiled, handing the two of them their new mailing address to the house.

Sela smiled at them. "We didn't eat all of those fish filets last night. Next week, expect a package of the flash frozen filets that were left over." She looked at Zach. "You know how to cook them?" she smiled. Zach smiled and nodded his head.

They said their good-byes, with hugs and handshakes exchanged and went in to eat.

After they finished breakfast, they got the SUV packed up; Aaron stopped at the front desk to sign off on the bill and three of them headed into Cincinnati. "Dad," Zach questioned.

Aaron looked into the rear view mirror. "Jack, who are the Nats playing tonight?"

"The Reds dad." Zach, knowing that Jack followed them closely, with he being more of an Atlanta Brave fan, smiled at Aaron.

"Really dad?" he smiled.

"Really son." They checked into the hotel that Aaron had booked, and then made their way to the Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds that were hosting the Washington Nationals. Jack, wearing his Nats ball cap, having hung around his big brother that always seemed to have one his head, simply beamed. Zach wore his cap, pledging his allegiance to the Braves. They ate ballpark food and had a great time, in seats behind home plate, with the Nats winning 9-3. Aaron tucked an already sleeping Jack into bed, getting enough of his clothes off.

They spent the next day exploring Cincinnati for a while taking a paddle boat cruise on the Ohio River. Aaron smiled at the wonderful time his sons were having and he was sharing with them.

Having checked out of the hotel, the three Hotchner's lazily followed the path that Aaron had took home after the "Angel Maker" case. They arrived back home around three on Sunday. Aaron mowed the grass of the yard while Zach did laundry. Jack, as he was playing with his cars, smiled at the memory of the week the three of them had together. Zach, putting another load in, did the same. So did Aaron.

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A/N: Crappies are a freshwater fish in the North American. They are considered one of the better fish to eat. The run about one to three pounds each and are not considered a "trophy" fish. A bobber, at least in my old fashion fishing world, is a small red and white ball that attaches to the fishing line. When fish hit on the bait on the hook, they tug the line. Aaron and Zach, instructed by Merrill, knew to notice that by feeling the line in their fingers. For Jack, at his age, the bobber was a "cheat" for him. When a fish did the same hit, it pulled the bobber down below the water surface. The story of hitting a school of crappies is from my younger years at our lake cabin. Good memories. Oh, almost forgot: Jack didn't need a fishing license. In most states in the US, under 16 year old children are covered with a licensed parent.