by Amy Vastine
Chad drew on a whiteboard hanging on the side of their throwing alley. He wrote six ones, four threes, two fives and one seven under each group’s name. The objective was to be the first team to clear the board by hitting those numbers.
Lily and Conner were up first. Chad gave a quick group lesson on how to hold the ax and showed them the best form for getting the ax to stick in the board. Amanda watched Lily clench and unclench her fists before choosing an ax. Lily had unreliable fingers. They didn’t always work the way she wanted them to, and sometimes her struggles with fine motor skills made her self-conscious.
“Just hit the board, Lily Pad. Knock off any of the numbers. You can do it,” Blake said, cheering her on from the safety zone. Amanda sat down on one of the stools and rested her elbows on the counter that separated the throwing area from the safety zone.
“You got this, Lily.”
Chad gave them the okay to throw and they both let their axes fly. Conner threw his and landed smack in the center bull’s-eye. Lily’s ax bounced right off the wall and onto the floor. Maybe Amanda should have put some cowboys on her team. This was harder than it looked.
She and Logan were up next. Amanda picked an ax with a black handle and went through the motions without releasing her ax.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked Chad, who was quick to help her adjust her footwork.
Blake clapped loudly. “You can do it, Harrison. Don’t let us down.” He was quite the competitive monster when he wanted to be. He’d played lacrosse all through high school and got a scholarship to San Diego State. An injury his junior year had totally devastated him.
Logan adjusted his cowboy hat before he got in position. “I’ve only done this once before, so don’t make me look too silly.”
Chad gave them the okay to throw and Amanda tried to do what had been suggested. She got her ax to stick and knocked off one of the ones. Logan hit the kill shot.
“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t really your second time?” she said as they both went to retrieve their axes.
“I swear that was a lucky throw. I was actually aiming for the center bull’s-eye.” Logan had dark hair and brown eyes that were framed in thick lashes. He had a square jaw and a nice smile. He was a picture-perfect Montana cowboy, the right mixture of rugged and handsome.
Blake gave Amanda a high five as she left the throwing area and he entered. He had a determined look on his face. “You better hit something good,” she said.
“Logan here is an auctioneer,” Lily said when they rejoined the group in the safety zone. “You may think you have met fast talkers in your lifetime, but I will guarantee that Logan talks faster than anyone we know.”
“That’s actually really cool.” Amanda had never met anyone in that profession. “I’m going to need you to narrate Lily and Conner’s next throw in your auctioneer voice.”
“You’re gonna have to outscore me when we battle if you want me to show off for you, Miss Amanda,” he said with a wink.
He was fun. “Oh, it’s on.”
“Where are my cheerleaders?” Blake asked as he yanked his ax from the kill shot spot. “Are you two even paying attention over there?”
“Sorry! Good job. Of course you’re awesome at this,” Amanda said. Lily switched places with him.
Blake threw his arm over her shoulder. “So what’s going on out here that’s more interesting than me?”
“We were just making a friendly wager. If I score higher on our next throw, Logan here will show off his auctioneer skills for me.”
“Well, it’s not a bet unless you put something on the table if I outscore you,” Logan said. “Again, by the way.”
Lily got a one and was cheering for herself even though Conner had hit the bull’s-eye. Amanda had to come up with something. Buy him a drink? She didn’t have any talents to show off like he did.
Blake gave Amanda’s shoulders a rub. “Let’s go, Harrison. You’re up.”
If anyone could come up with a good bet, it was Lily.
“If Logan has to fast-talk for me, what should I do if he beats me?” Amanda asked her as she high-fived her.
Lily pursed her lips and tapped her chin with her finger. “You got any pets, Logan?”
“I got a golden named Honey.”
“Amanda owns a pet supply subscription box company. If you win, she sends Honey a box.”
“I’ve never heard of a pet supply subscription box. Exactly what is that?”
“Every month we send out a box full of fun toys and treats for your pet. Sometimes we get samples of new products from companies we trust, and other times we put in things that we love or our pets love. It’s something new every month. It’s fun.”
“Well, Honey loves treats and toys, so I guess I better hit the bull’s-eye.”
“Let’s go, Amanda! You can do it!” Blake was yelling at her like she was miles away instead of feet.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. What was that about? She grabbed an ax and squared herself to the target. There was no way she had the skill to beat Logan, so she was going to have to hope for luck. She closed her eyes and let the ax go.
“Yes!” Blake screamed.
Amanda opened her eyes to see her ax stuck in the center bull’s-eye while Logan got a solid three. She threw her hands up in victory.
“You better get ready to run that mouth of yours.”
“Honey is going to be so disappointed in me.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “Impress me and maybe Honey will still get a little something in the mail from me.”
“You have to go back to the safety zone,” Blake said, placing his hands on her hips and turning her toward the exit.
“I have to get my ax,” she said, pulling away from him. It wasn’t unusual for him to touch her, hold her, be there for her, but he was acting extra. She retrieved her ax and went behind the counter.
It was highly amusing to hear Logan pretend to be at the auction before Lily’s and Conner’s throws.
“Can he get a one, one, one, one, now three, can he get a three, I said we need a three, can we get a three, three, hit a three, three, can he get a five, I need a five, five, five, five, now five, how about a seven, looking for a seven, seven, now seven, seven,” he said at record speed. Conner threw and hit the bull’s-eye. “Sold for five!” Lily got ready to throw and Logan continued, “Can she beat a five, five, five, five, will she get a three, three, no one, we want a one.”
Lily threw the ax and it bounced off the wall and to the ground.
“We have a boomerang situation here. No sale, no sale.”
Amanda’s stomach hurt from laughing so much. “That was amazing. Even though I beat you to win that, I’m sending Honey six months’ worth of boxes.”
Logan’s face lit up. “That’s sweet of you. I feel like I won just seeing the smile on your face when you hit that bull’s-eye and listening to your laugh.”
He was sweet. Blake was seething. What had happened?
“Are you two going to stand there smiling at each other or are you going to play? It’s your turn,” he snapped.
The game went on, and in the end the Montana folks won. They moved on to King of the Hill. It was all fun and games until it was Logan versus Blake. Serious was their middle name. They both hit the bull’s-eye four times in a row. That was when the trash-talking began. They both hit threes, and finally Logan hit the kill shot while Blake only got a one.
“Montana wins again,” Evan gloated.
Blake rolled his eyes and grabbed his beer. Amanda walked over, giving him a pat on the back. “You did awesome. None of us even got close to beating him.”
“I hate losing,” he said, making her smile. He was being honest, and it was sad and kind of cute.
“We’ll get them next time, champ,” Lily said before turning to Chad. “What�
��s next?”
They didn’t. Three more games and three more losses. San Diego could not compete with the guys from Falcon Creek. Lily offered to buy the next round of drinks, and Amanda went with her to the bar.
“This was fun. Even though we lost, I had a good time,” Amanda admitted.
Lily tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m glad. That was why I wanted to do it. I know that being here hasn’t been exactly a blast so far.”
“What are you talking about? It’s been fine,” Amanda lied.
“Nice try. I know that you’re disappointed that I’m not coming home with you guys when you go. If you go.”
Amanda could feel her eyebrows pinch together. “If I go?”
“Logan seems nice, huh?” Lily’s coy smile made everything clear.
Amanda’s eyes went wide. “What did you do? Did you seriously invite those guys to try to hook me up with Logan?” Her devilish sister shrugged her shoulders and smirked. “Lily! What are you thinking?”
“I don’t think you’re going to fall in love in a week like I did, but I believe that you should consider making a change like I did. Just think about it. You can do your work from anywhere. You guys don’t even have an office.” Before Amanda could say anything, she continued, “I’m only asking you to keep an open mind. Blake is getting married. Married. He’s going to start his family, and then what do you have tying you to California? Nothing.”
“Um, my house, Dad, Fiona, Peyton. Two of our sisters aren’t very far from San Diego. And just because Blake is getting married doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to be close. We’re like family.”
“I’m your family. The Blackwells could be your family if you let them. I’m not saying you have to welcome them into your life with open arms. I’m asking you to consider what being here with me could do. It could offer you a place to have your own family.”
Her own family? That was a joke. Amanda couldn’t have a family. Logan probably wanted a big family, too. She couldn’t marry anyone around here. They all seemed to have a ton of kids, usually more than one at once. At least, that was the Blackwell way. She would be such a disappointment to this extended family that had kids on demand, it seemed.
Why would Lily want her to think about leaving her life in San Diego and coming to Montana like she had? That was a terrible idea. She would never be able to leave Blake on his own. He needed her.
She glanced over at where he was standing. He had his phone out and was texting. He was probably texting Nadia.
Nadia.
She remembered their phone call this morning and her dread returned. She had overheard only his side of the conversation, but that was all she had to hear to know that Nadia was asking if he would come home even if it meant leaving Amanda behind. He hadn’t said yes, but he also hadn’t said no.
He wasn’t going to be alone in San Diego. He would have his wife and soon his own children. The only one who would be alone in California was Amanda.
What did Falcon Creek have for her? Lily, who was going to have a new husband and her own family someday. Amanda would be “extended family,” someone they would visit with every now and then. Of course, things wouldn’t be much different in San Diego, where she’d be Auntie Amanda to Blake and Nadia’s kids. She would be the outsider no matter what. Which happy family would be more painful to be around? Amanda didn’t have to think too hard to answer that.
Conner and Logan came over to help them with the drinks. Amanda waited for her glass of chardonnay. Conner and Lily headed back to the throwing area.
“Why the long face?” Logan sidled up next to her. “I hope that losing didn’t ruin your evening.”
“You guys were the real deal. You totally deserved to win. There are no hard feelings.”
He turned and leaned back against the bar. “Well, that’s good. Truth be told, my buddy over there is super worried about making a good impression. I was supposed to show you that he’s friends with decent people. I don’t want you to think we’re super competitive jerks.”
She had been right about Conner’s motives. “I don’t have any qualms about what kind of guy Conner is. It’s clear that he’s a good man. Trust me, I’ve tried and tried to find some massive flaws, and I keep coming up empty-handed.”
“He’ll be happy to hear that, but I wonder why it makes you look so sad.”
Amanda shook her head. “That doesn’t make me sad. I’m sad because my sister is going to live far away. We’ve been kind of attached since before we were born.”
“Makes sense. I don’t know what it’s like to be a twin, but my brother and I are close, and it would be weird to not have him around. It’s nice that family means something to you.”
The bartender came over with her wine. She tipped him and took a sip. “Family is important. That’s why I hate to see mine growing apart. I have four sisters, and now the closest one will be hours away from where I live.”
“You have a lot of family here.”
“Now you sound like my sister. Are you sure you’re here to talk up Conner and not to lure me into staying in Falcon Creek?”
Logan pushed up the brim of his hat. “Would anything I say really influence you to stay around here a little longer?”
“After knowing you for a little over an hour?”
He laughed. “Probably not, huh?”
A giggle bubbled out of her, as well. “You’re very charming, but probably not.”
“Harrison, you coming to play some more or are you going to nurse that chardonnay all night?” Blake called from across the bar.
“That’s the most jealous not-your-boyfriend I’ve ever met,” Logan said, pushing off the bar.
“What? Blake? He’s not jealous. We’ve been friends forever.”
“If you say so.” Logan took a long pull of his beer.
Pushing away the unexpectedly warm and fuzzy feelings that crept over her at the thought of Blake being jealous about her talking to another man, she needed to set the record straight. After dinner at the Blackwells’ and everyone thinking they must have been together as more than friends, this was a rumor that couldn’t spread. Blake was marrying someone else.
“He’s only a couple months older than me, but he acts like he’s my protective older brother. People confuse that for jealousy.” Her included. But she knew better. Blake definitely saw her like a sister.
Logan glanced over at their throwing area. “If you say so,” he said again, smirking.
Amanda checked to see what he thought was so amusing. Blake was staring and motioned for her to come over there. This was probably more about the fact that they had lost all of the games and the competitiveness inside him needed a rematch. He was marrying Nadia. Why would he be jealous of Amanda talking to Logan? It wasn’t like she was going to marry him and move to Montana.
“I think he wants another try at beating you guys. He was never a very good loser.”
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Logan asked.
Taken aback at his question, her brain froze and she couldn’t even remember what she was supposed to be doing right now. “I don’t know. We love The Maple Bear Bakery. I plan to go there every day I’m here.”
“You got one of their bear claws?”
“No, the—”
“Chocolate Junkie doughnuts,” he finished for her. “I should have guessed that first. Didn’t they warn you before you bought one of those?”
Amanda smiled down at her feet, embarrassed by her addiction. “They did, but I never imagined they could be that good.”
“Maybe we could go grab some doughnuts and coffee together.”
“Together?” Her eyes latched on to his. What was happening right now?
“I would prefer to go together since the point would be to spend some time with you since you seem pretty cool.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the ot
her. “And maybe you’ll want to stick around longer if you know me for more than an hour.”
“That’s... I...you...we...” Amanda couldn’t put a sentence together.
Blake appeared and tugged at her arm. “We’re starting a new game. Let’s go, you two. No more consorting with the enemy, Harrison.”
Without answering Logan, Amanda followed Blake back to their throwing spot. The second round of games ended much like the first, except that Blake managed to win King of the Hill. Amanda tried to remind him that if he’d had different teammates, he might have been able to win all the games. The Harrison girls were not going to be signing up to be in any professional ax-throwing competitions anytime soon. Amanda was better at hitting the target than Lily was, but not as good as Logan.
Lily had no issues with losing, which wasn’t like her. Apparently, love changed people. She was slow dancing with Conner while the rest of the group finished off their last round of drinks.
“Can I see your phone?” Logan asked Amanda as she was sending pictures to Fiona of her and Lily holding axes in front of the target.
“Sure,” she replied hesitantly. Blake had gone to the bathroom, so there was no worry about him being the overprotective brother.
Logan tapped on the screen and handed it back. “If you change your mind about getting breakfast tomorrow or any day while you’re still in town, I just texted myself from your phone. Now you’ve got my number. It was nice meeting you, Amanda.”
Evan and Logan said their goodbyes. Blake was anxious to call it a night, as well. Lily and Conner wanted to hang out some more, so they were left behind. Blake was quiet during their walk back to the cabin.
“You’re not still mad about losing, are you?” she asked as they strolled past the guest lodge. It was late and there wasn’t anyone else outside.
“I’m not mad about losing,” he said. Amanda had to stifle a laugh. “Okay, maybe I’m a little mad about that.”
“I had fun tonight. I thought Conner’s friends were nice. It makes me feel good about the life Lily will have here.”
