Page 24 of Annika's Aurora

“No, Sunfire, you’re perfect.” She smiled and went into his arms for a hug. He loved that she did that so freely. Having her in his arms, her curves pressed against him felt … perfect. He kissed the top of her head. “Ready to go?” She nodded.

Chapter 9

AsLoganusheredherthroughthedoorofJolene’s,afitofnervesstruckAnnika.Whatifhisfriendsdidn’tlikeher?Whatifshedidn’tgetalongwiththem?Andwhatifshedidn’tlikewhohewasaroundhisfriends?She’doncedatedsomeonewho,thoughsweetwhentheywerealone,beratedandbelittledherwhenhewaswithhisfriends.

She’d walked away from that relationship without a backward glance. But if Logan treated her like that, it would be devastating.

“Don’t worry, they’ll love you.” He brought her hand to his lips, then nodded his head toward a large group. “There they are in the usual spot.”

The usual spot was in the middle of the restaurant. A bunch of tables had been pushed together to accommodate them all. The sheer number of them surprised Annika. She hadn’t had much time over the years to make many friends. She’d gone out a few times with some of her coworkers, but she couldn’t call any of them close.

Now she was even more nervous since she didn’t make friends easily. Jamie had been the social one, she’d been the tag along. But Jamie had never treated her like a third wheel, so she never realized how much she depended on him for friends until he was gone.

“Logan!” A gorgeous woman with dark hair and striking green eyes called out to him. She stood and crossed over to him, giving him a big hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“You too. How’s school?” Annika felt a surge of jealousy at the easy rapport between the two of them. She knew the feeling was misplaced but seeing him smile at the beautiful woman sent an ugly emotion into the pit of her stomach. She had no claim on Logan; she couldn’t fault him for having a past without her.

“Chaotic. The little ones are entirely too hyped up for Christmas. It’s a herculean task to keep them focused.”

“And she loves every minute of it,” said a tall man who came and put his arm around the tiny woman. He held his hand out to Logan. “Glad you could make it.”

“Me too.” He turned to Annika and placed a hand on her back, the heat of which infused her skin, easing some of her anxiety. “This is my boss, Graham Whitaker, and his better half, Natalie Ghannon.” The knot of jealousy in her belly loosened with those words.

“Nice to meet you,” she told them politely.

Logan turned to the rest of the group. “Everyone, meet Annika Northrup.” There were hellos and waves as Logan went around the table and introduced everyone. It would be a feat to remember all those names.

Natalie linked her arm through Annika’s and led her to one end of the line of tables. “Don’t worry; you’ll learn who everybody is eventually. Come chat with us girls a moment.”

“All right.” She followed Natalie’s lead.

“Okay, so, I’m Natalie. I work at Lake Haven Elementary as the art teacher.” She pointed to a blonde woman across from her. “My sister Maddie. She’s a freelance bookkeeper. That’s Emma,” she continued, indicating the woman with the short haircut. “She’s the newest member of Nighthawk and former Coast Guard.”

“And so many other things that we won’t go into right now,” said a redhead that had just joined them. “Hi. I’m Jolene.”

“Annika.” She shook her outstretched hand. Jolene’s hair was pulled into a ponytail that swung over her shoulder. Even dressed simply in a long-sleeved t-shirt and dark jeans, her beauty was remarkable. “Wait … Jolene?TheJolene?”

“Hear that, girls! I’mTheJolene.”

“Your burgers are to die for,” Annika told her.

“Bless your heart,” Jolene answered in a deep southern drawl. “You’ve had my burgers?”

“I’m from near Grand Rapids, but my parents have a house on the lake. We always make sure to come here anytime we’re in town.”

“It’s a wonder I’ve never seen you here before because you are just stunning!”

Annika blushed. “It’s been a few years since I’ve visited.”

“So, which of my burgers is your favorite?” Jolene asked.

“The one with the bacon, of course.”

“Coming right up.” She ran off to what could only be the kitchen.

“She’ll have the kitchen put a rush on it, and you’ll have your burger in no time,” Emma informed her, swiping a strand of her short brown hair behind her ear. Annika clenched her hands in her lap as Emma’s intelligent brown eyes studied her. Logan’s teammate was another striking woman who looked every inch a badass even while appearing lithe and graceful.

“That’s very sweet of her.”

---