Page 24 of Axe-Rated Lumberjack

“Considering the state of some of those manuals, you’d probably be doing us a favor.”

We reached the truck, and he opened the passenger door for me.

As I climbed in, I caught him smiling again.

I liked the easy way he’d spoken to Esther, and the fact that he’d happily spent part of his lunch break in a bookshop without once hurrying me along.

As he started the truck, I wondered whether he’d want to spend time with me when we weren’t working.

Back at the cottage, we got straight to work.

Our afternoon pages included the infamous axe lesson, in which Drake supposedly instructed Isadora on the proper handling of an enchanted weapon while standing so close behind her that the author had apparently forgotten either character possessed legs.

I read the description twice.

Hudson watched my expression with interest.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to work out how these two people are positioned. According to the text, Drake is behind Isadora, holding her hands on the axe, with one arm around her waist. They’re also supposed to be facing each other.”

Hudson took the pages and read the paragraph.

“Well, that’s impressive.”

“Is it anatomically possible?”

“Not unless Drake has more joints than the average man.”

“He’s a dragon-shifter.”

“Does that mean he can turn his elbows backward?”

I laughed and took back the script.

“The point is that he’s teaching her how to hold the axe while being outrageously seductive. The exact positioning isn’t essential to the dialogue, but I’d like to understand the movement so we can get the scene’s timing right.”

Hudson glanced toward the hall.

“Have you got a broom?”

I blinked. “A broom?”

“Something with a long handle. I can show you what a normal stance looks like without bringing an actual axe into your recording room.”

“There’s one in the hall cupboard.”

A moment later, he returned with the cottage’s ordinary household broom.

He studied it, then looked down at me.

“This is going to be the least impressive axe demonstration you’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t know. I’m quite fond of household cleaning equipment when it’s being used productively.”

“Then you’re in luck.”

He positioned the broom vertically with the bristles resting on the floor.