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As Main Street veered off, buildings were spaced farther and farther apart. The undisturbed glinting snow in the distance was pretty, but the reverse side of the coin was that I could still see my breath in the truck. It was freezing.
After the statue photos, I’d gone back to the apartment to dry my hair and bundle up. I wore a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, a coat, two pairs of lined leggings, and a pair of rugged snow boots I’d borrowed from my aunt. I also had a stocking cap, gloves, and a scarf on, though nothing would help when it was time to jump in the lake.
I was jumping into a lake so cold they’d had to break through the ice around the dock and make a big area of open water for the jumpers. This was nuts.
“Avon!” Curt Painter called as soon as I parked and got out of the truck. “We need you for more pictures!”
Curt was shirtless, wearing nothing but blue paint on his chest and face. He also had on a Viking helmet and pants that looked like they were made from animal skin.
As soon as I joined the group of competitors, Grady’s gaze landed on me and my heart skipped a beat. He wore a long-sleeved gray T-shirt that said “SBPD” and a navy-blue stocking cap with the SBPD union logo on it. He gave me a little nod and I smiled.
Nothing was more confusing than my feelings for him. I was attracted to him, but he also drove me crazy most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
We posed for photos as a group and in teams. Bess was taking photos for me today, and she gave me a thumbs-up as the competitors headed for the starting line.
“Huddle up, guys,” Curt said.
Our group of six was rounded out by Deacon, a tall, fit Black man with a dimple, Austin Lawson, a pretty doctor from the hospital named Calla Finch, and Sally Hawkins, the manager of the local grocery store.
“Balls out, guys,” Curt said, looking around at the faces in the small group. “They’ve got Georgette and that’ll slow them down, but they’ve also got Keller and Grady, and Grady’s superhuman at this stuff.”
There was some grunting and chanting from the men, and Calla, Sally, and I all exchanged glances.
“You know how to throw axes?” Sally asked me.
“Not really. I practiced a little, though.”
She patted my shoulder. “You’ll be fine. The obstacle course is the hardest.”
If that was supposed to reassure me, it didn’t. There were hundreds of people watching. My aunt and uncle were here somewhere, and so was Harper. I’d been out of my element since I stepped foot in the Beard, but never so much so as right now.
As soon as the shotgun was fired, I raced for the axe-throwing station with my team. Curt went first for our team and Grady went first for his. Grady hit the center of the first target on his first throw, his cheering section erupting. Curt wasn’t far behind, and my heart raced as I realized I was up fourth.
I forgot how cold it was as I watched the competitors throw axes. Our team was ahead when I was up, and I grabbed the axe, shocked by its weight. The ones I’d practiced with hadn’t been this heavy.
I was supposed to throw this? I wasn’t sure I could even pick it up.
“Like this!” Curt yelled from next to me, demonstrating how to pick it up with both hands.
I did it like he showed me, but when I threw the axe, it hit the ground short of the target.
“That’s okay, Avon!” Sally said from behind me. “Try again!”
From the corner of my eye, I saw an axe from the other team hit its target. Panic rooted my feet to the ground. What was I doing here? I didn’t belong in this icy little town where moose roamed the streets and people threw axes for fun.
“Come on!” Curt called from next to me. “Throw it!”
I shook my head, bracing myself. This was going to be a complete embarrassment.
“Come on, Avon!” a deep male voice yelled from the crowd. “You can do it! I know you can!”
I looked over and saw my Uncle Don, who was holding up a sign that said, “Let’s Go Avon.” Aunt Laura stood beside him, both of them yelling their encouragement.
That was my family. I still had family, and they were cheering for me. I smiled at them and lifted the axe, using every ounce of strength my arms had. When I threw it, I closed my eyes, not opening them until my team broke out in celebration.
Somehow, I’d hit the target. And somehow, I hit the other two. Georgette was up for Grady’s team, and she was unable to even get the axe off the ground. She saw someone taking a picture and let go of the axe, its handle falling to the ground as she posed and smiled.
