Fishing on the river had always been one of their group’s favorite things to do. Even more so now that they were all legally able to drink and the sheriff stopped busting them.

The guys had picked Justin up at 10:15 to get to their spot by noon. Now, with three coolers loaded down with beer and their fishing poles, the seven guys were all content.

“Payton just sent me a text, she’ll be here in a little bit,” Kevin announced to them all.

“What happened to her while I was gone?” Justin just blurted out, still aggravated about yesterday.

They all looked at him, then continued with their fishing.

“I’m serious guys, someone start talking!”

“When she wants you to know, she’ll tell you,” Billy told him.

“You tell me! I went to see her yesterday and I felt like I didn’t know her.”

“In a way, you don’t know her anymore. A lot’s happened in three years.”

Just then a big black truck pulled up, and Payton jumped out. The little cut-off shorts and bikini top made Justin’s mind wonder back to that night again. Until Kyle jumped up.

“Where’s my baby at?”

The guys all carefully watched Justin to see his reaction as Payton turned and gently sat a little girl on the ground. The same little girl Justin had seen yesterday.

“Go see Uncle Kyle,” he heard Payton say. She turned toward the guys, smiling and laughing. Then she noticed Justin and froze. She hadn’t expected him to really go with the guys, but she was completely wrong.

“She had a daughter now?” he asked James in disbelief.

“Yep. And she’s the love of our lives,” Bobby said smiling as the little girl made her way over to him. “Hey munchkin,” he said as he kissed the top of her head.

Justin looked back toward Payton, watching her walk over carrying two chairs, two fishing poles, and two coolers, one of each littler for the little girl.

“You have a kid,” he said when she sat down by him.

She looked down and mumbled “yeah.”

“But…what…who…why-“

”I’m not getting into it right now,” she said firmly and Justin didn’t push it any further. “Kody, come here baby.” The little girl walked over and crawled in Payton’s lap. “Her name is Dakoda Lynn. Baby, this is mommy’s friend Justin.”

The little girl smiled and said a shy hi. Her smiled warmed Justin’s heart and he smiled. “You and grandma make some yummy pie,” he said, and she giggled.

“All ready Kody,” Payton said, handing her the little pink fishing pole.

“She fishes too?” Justin asked in amazement.

“Yep. Between me and them, how could she not?”

He watched as Kody tried casting her line. “Need some help?”

Kody shook her head yes and walked around her mom to him. To his surprise, she climbed up on his lap. “I no do it,” she said quietly, a pout forming on her lips. He smiled and helped her. Never in his life had he imagined a child could make him feel so content.

“Hey J, you should have one of those!” Chase said laughing.

“Na, I’m good. I’ll just borrow this one and get my kid fix.”

“I don’t think so!” Payton said, completely serious.

Kody spent most of the day hanging around Justin. They caught the biggest fish of the day on his line-a twelve pound flathead catfish.

“Payton’s for a fish fry tonight!” Billy shouted.

“No, no, no. Payton has to be at work at 7 AM. Not tonight boys.”

“Eh, you’re no fun,” Bobby said, and Payton flipped him off. “Been there, done that baby. Wouldn’t mind doing it again though.”

Justin turned, glaring at Bobby, as Payton laughed. He quickly turned the glare to Payton and she immediately stopped laughing.

“It was a joke dude, relax,” Bobby said, and smacked Justin’s arm.

“It’s not funny.”

“What crawled up your ass?” Payton asked, throwing her line back out.

He couldn’t tell her how much he’d been thinking of their last night together. At least not in front of everyone. “Nothing,” he mumbled, helping Kody reel in a fish.

Payton quickly pulled out a camera and snapped a few pictures of them.

”Hey P, you could sell those now and make a fortune,” Chase said, making them laugh.

Justin turned to Payton. “She wouldn’t do that, she loves me too much,” he said with a smile.

“Don’t tempt me Timberlake. I have some very interesting ones of you.”

“I can see the headline for those now. ‘JT candid photos while fishing with…daughter? Sister? Friend? Who’s the kid?’” James said, all of them laughing. Except Justin.

“Man, fuck all of you! Bunch of assholes!”

Kody turned around and put a hand on his mouth. “No say that.”

“I’m sorry baby doll. They’re being mean to me though!”

She turned to her mom, glaring at her. “Nice mommy.”

“I sorry baby.” She quickly leaned over and pressed a kiss to Justin’s cheek. “See? All better?”

The little girl smiled and continued fishing.

“How old is she?” Justin asked, leaning over to Payton.

“She’ll be three in April.”

“And she talks this good? You have a smart kid on your hands.”

Payton smiled. “Yes I do.”

When the sun started sinking in the sky, the started packing up to leave.

“Hey J, why don’t you take the cat home? I’m sure your girl would love to watch you clean it,” Bobby joked as he picked Kody up.

“She doesn’t even eat fish,” he said flatly.

”Your girl?” he heard Payton ask. He looked up at her, her face scrunched up in confusion.

“Yeah, his girl. The wanna-be Barbie that can’t stand us or even getting dirty,” Billy said, causing Justin to glare at him.

“Wait, you stood there yesterday grilling me about Bobby but couldn’t mention the fact that you have a girlfriend? Who, apparently is here, if they’ve met her?”

He quickly thought up a response. “I thought you knew?”

“Are you kidding me? You thought I knew? How the hell would I have known?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

Payton glared at him. “When do I get to meet her?”

“Hopefully never,” he said laughing to himself.

“What? Why not?”

He looked up at her. “You’d probably make her cry woman! You’re not exactly a normal girl, Pay.”

Kyle walked over and wrapped an arm around Payton. “She wouldn’t be one of us if she was a normal girl though.”

“I think I’m offended,” Payton pouted.

Justin sighed, aggravated. “Fine. You can meet her next week at the county fair, ok?”

“Yeah,” she said, packing up her and Kody’s things.

“Your dad have his horses in it this year?”

“Of course. And he’s got his old tractor for show too.”

Justin nodded, watching Kody playing with the worms she didn’t use.

“Ok, Kody, ready to get going?” Payton asked, gathering up their stuff.

Kody got up and gave all the guys huge and kisses. She walked up to Justin and he picked her up. “Bye Uncle Justin,” she whispered. She ran over to her mom who was waiting next to the truck.

As he watched the truck pull away, he felt a tear slip down his cheek.

“Don’t cry,” Chase whispered, sitting next to Justin.

He quickly wiped the tear away and looked at Chase. “That’s what happened to her?”

“Most of it.”

“I missed it. I had to go play celebrity again, and missed it.”

“She was a mess at first. Don’t worry about it though, we all helped her out.”

”She used to be my best friend!” he shouted. “I missed her being pregnant, I missed seeing-my niece basically-being born. Where’s dad at?’

Chase looked down. “Wasn’t there.”

“Who is it? I’ll go beat the fuck out of the bastard for leaving her!”

“He left town a long time ago. Never looked back,” Chase mumbled.

Justin looked around at his friends, feeling guilty. “What else did I miss?”

“Nothing really. A couple weddings, a couple funerals,” Billy chimed in.

Justin suddenly felt sick. He made himself sick. While he was out in California living his life of glamour, his best friends were back here. Living real lives, working real jobs to survive. To top it all off, his best friend had had a baby. She probably really needed him, but he was too busy being selfish. “I’m ready to go,” he mumbled.

No one argued with him, no one made any sarcastic remarks. They knew he was feeling guilty and looked ready to have a melt down.

He walked in the house, everyone sitting in the living room. He had the line with the catfish on it in his hand.

“Eww! What is that?” Jessica squealed.

“Catfish,” he mumbled, and walked in the kitchen.

His mom followed him in, knowing something was wrong. “You ok honey? You look a little pale.”

“Fine.”

She watched him, knowing something wasn’t right. “What happened?”

“I abandoned my best friends!” he shouted.

“Hey,” she whispered, walking over to him. “Don’t get so upset.”

“And Payton!” he sniffled, wiping the tears away. “She has a daughter now!”

“She is a very sweet, very smart little girl.”

“She was my best friend mom! I wasn’t here when she needed me to be! I’m going to kick the dude’s ass that knocked her up and left her, I swear to God!”

“Relax Justin. They don’t see it like that, you guys are best friends. You went different ways with your lives, that’s all.”

He slammed his fists down on the counter, dropping the knife.

”Justin, go take a shower and go to bed. You had too much beer and sun. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

“I gotta clean this fish me and Kody caught,” he sniffled, turning back around.

“I’ll do it. Go take a shower and get some sleep.”

”Ok,” he mumbled and went upstairs.

When he got out of the shower, Jessica was getting in bed. “What were you all upset about?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled, crawling in bed.

“Tell me,” she whispered, kissing on his shoulder, rubbing his chest.

“Quit,” he commanded, pushing her away and rolling over.

”Tell me Justin! This isn’t like you.”

“I missed a lot of shit with my friends while I was gone, ok?”

“Like what?”

He rolled over and glared at her. “My best friend got pregnant, the guy ran out and left her to do it alone.”

”So? Women have kids on their own every day.”

”No. No one does that to Payton. And when she would have needed me, I was too busy playing super star.”

“It’s not the end of the world Justin.”

“Nice to know you care so much,” he snapped and rolled back over, scooting as far away from her as he could get.

“Whatever, Justin. I’m sure you’re just being over-dramatic like usual.”

He wanted to tell her to shut the fuck up. To tell her to leave now, that he wasn’t as in love with her as he had originally thought. But he didn’t. He ignored it, kept his mouth shut and went to sleep.