Page 5 of Axel

The three Daddies laughed together but suddenly Axel’s eye was taken away from his friends and onto the young man who had just that second stepped into his line of vision over by the service counter…

Wait. Who the hell is he?

That hair. Those eyes. That butt…

And is he wearing… military cargo shorts?

Axel turned to look back at his friends and see whether either Kipp or Max knew the mystery boy. But as he turned once more to check him out, all Axel saw was the boy leaving the diner.

‘Whatever. I’m not looking for a boy anyway,’ Axel said, a wry tone in his voice. ‘Probably not even my type.’

Axel could tell by the looks on both Kipp and Max’s faces that he was fooling nobody. The boy had something special. It was hard to say precisely what, especially given that Axel only had the briefest of glimpses.

But the boy was gone.

Axel knew he’d probably never see the boy again.

And anyway, he was just a boy – and Axel was more than happy with his life precisely as it was.

Speaking of which, Axel remembered that after his lunch he had an appointment over on the other side of town that involved Japanese knotweed, a walled garden, and probably a very tough conversation with a potential customer.

Axel loved his life as a tree surgeon, and it certainly provided enough of a challenge that he didn’t need to be factoring in a Little on top of that too.

The day of the hike with Jackson came around quickly, but there was one glaring problem… Jackson was nowhere to be seen.

‘Are you kidding me,’ Axel exhaled, not impressed with Jackson’s tardiness as he leaned up against his truck, impatiently waiting to begin the hike. ‘Laser, my man is at least half an hour late. And counting…’

Axel wasn’t exactly known for his patience, and Jackson’s non-arrival wasn’t going down well at all.

And sure enough, Axel’s worst fears were confirmed when he saw his phone flash up with a message from his AWOL Daddy friend…

JACKSON: Bad news, brother. My father has fallen again. It looks like a broken leg. I’m headed to the hospital with him right now. Sorry, but I guess this means no hike for me today. Apologies for not getting to you sooner, but it’s been kind of crazy trying to persuade the old guy that he actually needs to go to the emergency room. He’s as stubborn as hell. Anyway, talk later.

Axel felt bad for assuming that Jackson was simply running late for no good reason. But it was nothing that a supportive message couldn’t resolve.

AXEL: No worries. And send your Dad all my love and support. He’s tough as hell and twice as old! A broken leg won’t keep McPherson Senior out of action for long, we can all be sure of that. Catch you later.

Axel smiled and put his phone back in his pocket.

Jackson might have been a no-show, but that didn’t mean that there still wasn’t a deadly double-loop hike and swim to be done. Axel loved his own company, and flanked by the ever-enthusiastic Laser, Axel was all set on setting a new personal best for the route.

‘Come on, Laser,’ Axel said, fixing his hiking backpack into place. ‘It’s time to show these mountains who the true Daddy of Eagle Ridge is. Let’s work up a sweat and then we’ll hit that refreshing lake water… clothes optional.’

Axel laughed and ruffled Laser’s ears just the way he liked.

It was time to hit the trail and work up a sweat – but what Axel didn’t realize was that his plans for a naked swim might not work out exactly as he imagined they would…

Chapter 3

Arlo

With the morning sun high in the sky, Arlo couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as he walked down Eagle Ridge’s main strip. The array of brightly decorated shopfronts and perfectly maintained sidewalks was like something out of a perfectly sweet movie or illustrated book.

‘Cute. Very cute,’ Arlo said, his eyes widening as he saw the candy store that also seemed to double as a bookstore. ‘I think I need to hit that place up sooner rather than later…’

Arlo loved to read, and he had a sweet tooth too. The very thought of indulging the two things at the same time was enough to make Arlo nearly explode with excitement.

Having grown up in a large industrial town, Arlo wasn’t used to being in such a picturesque and cozy place. Arlo loved the rough edges and hustle and bustle of his hometown, but Eagle Ridge was hitting spots that made Arlo’s Little side come more to the fore.

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