‘I’ve got this,’ he says.
But he don’t got this. Not at all. He lifts the axe, swings, and it bounces off the log with a sad littledumfsound. The log rolls away like it’s rejecting him.
‘Uh-oh,’ JJ sings. ‘Better luck next time.’
Andy glares at the log like it’s personal now.
He tries again. This time the axe gets stuck halfway in, then tips sideways, nearly hitting his foot when he lets go of it.
‘Andy, I’d stop before you lose a toe,’ I point out, genuinely worried for his safety.
‘I’m fine,’ he insists, his face reddening by the second. ‘It’s just awkward wood.’
Cordelia pats his arm.
‘It’s okay, Buzz.’
Every time I hear them use their nicknames, it makes my teeth itch.
Jake watches politely for a moment, then steps forward.
‘There’s a trick to it, mind if I show you?’ he asks.
Andy straightens up, clearly not thrilled, but he shrugs.
‘Go for it,’ he says with a casual (but not at all casual) shrug.
Jake takes the axe. He adjusts his stance like he’s done this a thousand times. Calm. Focused. He sets the log in place, then looks up at Andy.
‘It’s all in the angle,’ he explains.
And then he brings it down and the log splits cleanly in two. It’s like a hot knife going through butter.
JJ lets out a slow breath.
‘Jesus,’ she says quietly.
Andy laughs a little too loudly, but then – suspiciously on cue – he seemingly feels his phone vibrating in his pocket.
‘I have to take this,’ he says, pointing at it. ‘Feel free to carry on without me.’
Oh, I bet.
Jake smiles. He probably knows that’s not a real phone call, but he seems happy to do it, so he cracks on.
Cordelia turns back towards the lodge.
‘Right! Let’s go inside – we’ll see you in there, Jake,’ she calls out.
‘Sure thing,’ he replies.
Cordelia marches ahead of us. We follow her but hang back, lingering behind a wall, still watching Jake.
He’s chopping away, making it look easy. He’s warm enough that he peels his jacket off and tosses it aside.
I feel like I’m holding my breath – JJ too, the pair of us up here perving from behind a wall.
It’s so captivating, watching his broad shoulders, his strong arms, all working together.
