The afternoon light filtered through the tall pine branches along the quiet riverbank.
Down by the gravel shallows, flat river stones clicked rhythmically against the rocks. Jaxon sat on a smooth boulder, watching Max demonstrate the sidearm flick with unblinking concentration.
"The wrist must snap at the exact second the stone leaves your middle finger," Max explained, holding a flat gray slate between his calloused fingers.
With a swift, fluid motion, Max whipped his arm.
The stone hissed across the glassy water—one, two, three, four, five, six—before skipping cleanly onto the dry moss of the opposite bank.
Jaxon jumped down from the boulder, clapping his small hands together with a bright, unrestrained grin. "Six! You did it! Rule number six is complete, big guy!"
Max smiled, a ra
