Page 28 of My Three Mountain Men

She looked at me worriedly. “Will he mind that we’re in here now?”

“We’re not staying,” Brooks told her. “I just wanted to show you where we chop and store the wood.”

“Wait, what? Can’t I chop some?”

I laughed dubiously as Brooks shrugged and handed her a nearby axe. “You can’t be serious! Don’t give her an axe, Brooks.”

“Why not?” Simone cried, taking the piece from Brooks.

Immediately, the weight of it swung her off balance, and I burst out into a guffaw.

“Hey!” Brooks scolded me, but I could see he was trying to hide a laugh of his own.

Simone faux glared at us both and readjusted her stance. “Now what?” she pressed, nodding challengingly toward us. “Where’s the wood?”

I snorted again.

I’ve got some wood for you,I thought unexpectedly. I was grateful for the balaclava covering my cheeks at the crude thought and turned my head away as Brooks located an uncut log, placing it on the cutter’s block.

“Okay, so,” Brooks said, standing behind her as I stood back to watch, a rush of blood surging through me. She covertly wiggled her ass toward him, and I raised an eyebrow, bemused. Brooks spread her legs apart, positioning her arms.

“Wide stance, so you have complete control over the axe,” Brooks continued, raising her arm to show her. “And down like this.”

Gently, he guided her in a practice swing, laying the blade against the log.

“Up and straight down, hands an equal distance apart,” Brooks said.

Simone nodded confidently. “I’ve got this,” she reassured him, setting him back. Brooks stepped away, his hand lingering on her hip before slipping back to give her space to do the cut.

“Ready?” Simone called.

“Are you?” I joked.

“We’re ready,” Brooks replied. “One, two—”

She threw her arms up and slammed the axe down, but her hands slipped, and the tool flew forward as Simone shrieked in dismay. Instinctively, Brooks and I ducked, the head of the axe landing in the wall of the shed, blade first.

Raucous laughter flooded the building, Brooks, Simone, and I all doubling over in unison.

“Yeah, you had that!” I chortled, slapping my knee as I pulled down my balaclava to free my mouth.

“I-I’m sorry!” Simone gasped through her tears of laughter, but Brooks shook his head.

“It’s okay,” he sputtered through his own snorts. “But we better get that axe out of there before Ryder sees it.”

He reached for the handle and broke into another round of hysterics when he couldn’t get it out easily. “Oh, man. It’s really lodged in there.”

“Let me try!” I called, joining him.

It took the two of us, and three minutes, to dislodge it from the wall as Simone buried her face in her hands, embarrassed.

“Maybe we’ll just take you out hunting,” Brooks concluded as we headed back toward the house. “With that axe-throwing arm, you’re a walking weapon.”

“No, thank you,” she said firmly. “Maybe I’ll just find my use inside the cabin. I’m pretty sure I can’t screw up cleaning and laundry.”

Again, I cast her a covert sidelong look. I could give her a probationary chance. But if she mixed the white loads with colors, she’d be back on my shit list.

CHAPTER13

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