Page 34 of Family Bonds: Carson & Laine

“It’s a great place to visit or work short term, but long term living and riding the ferry to get things not available isn’t for many. It costs more here. Takes longer to get mail and supplies unless you have it delivered to the docks and get it yourself. Which is still time to ride the ferry there and back.”

“Unless you take the helicopter or pay to have it brought over on the ferry or helicopter earlier,” he said.

“Not many can afford to do that,” she said.

Though she could and had before when it came to her art supplies. Her pieces when they were finished, went over on the ferry. She’d drive them herself packaged up and then they’d be picked up for shipment on the docks.

“Nope,” he said. “And though it’s my family, I don’t do it often. I mean someone in my extended family is in Boston daily, so it could work, but I wouldn’t have anyone go out of their way. I just don’t need anything that badly.”

“That is normally my feeling on the matter,” she said. “And we are up.”

They went over to their stall and were given instructions. Carson picked up the first ax, brought it behind his head, over his shoulders and let it go. It went through the air and hit the target on the bottom.

“Not bad,” he said. “I can tell it’s going to be addicting to do.”

“Isn’t that all part of the reason it’s on the list?” she asked.

“Your turn.”

She picked up the ax, found it lighter than she thought it’d be, then gripped it the way Carson suggested with her left hand on the bottom, her pinky and splint hanging off the end. She wobbled her hands and forearms a bit to get momentum going and then let the ax go.

It hit the target at the bottom but didn’t stick into the wood either.

“I’ll take that as a first try. I think I threw it harder than I needed to because I wasn’t sure if I could reach the target or not.”

“Too much force and you had it turning on you and that is why it didn’t stick,” he said.

She took another practice turn and it hit and stuck to the board again. She was going to get her butt beat for sure, but it wasn’t about that.

It was about the experience and she could cross it off her list as something she’d tried.

They went back and forth for thirty minutes. “My shoulders are sore,” she said. “I didn’t think I was in that bad of shape.”

“Oh,” he said. “You’re not.”

His eyes were looking over her legs in her jeans shorts. They came to her upper thighs. She had a dark red T-shirt on and slip-on canvas sneakers. She wanted to be comfortable and needed her feet covered.

This was a night of fun and might as well dress for it.

The appreciation in Carson’s eyes told her she made the right clothing choices.

Dress for the occasion and ax throwing didn’t call for a dress or skirt.

He was wearing gray cotton shorts that hit the bottom of his thighs and a navy T-shirt that was more fitted than herlady parts wished. She was turned on by the sight of him immediately.

Normally she was more drawn to a man’s eyes. His expression. His personality.

With Carson it was all of the above.

His short brown hair. His light brown eyes.

Today he had a little growth of hair on his face as if he woke up and said screw it. She was fine with that too.

“Why, thank you,” she said. “I don’t do much more than yoga each morning to center myself before I start my day.”

“This is news to me,” he said. He picked his ax up and was getting ready to throw it.

“Naked yoga is the best.”

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