Page 28 of Annika's Aurora

Finch laughed. “That’s an understatement. They were ready for some freaky-deaky stuff.” Never one to compare herself to others, Annika was surprised to feel insecure about her own attributes. As the men described the German women’s figures, she wondered if that was the type of women Logan usually went for. In high school, he’d dated the girls that had developed a lot sooner than she had. Did he still prefer a well-endowed woman as an adult? And would her average C cup size be enough.

Shaking herself out of her musings, she realized how ridiculous her thoughts were. Every woman felt unattractive and insecure at some point in their lives, and after everything she’d gone through since losing Jamie, she was finally confident in her own worth. But that tiny niggle of doubt still reared it’s ugly head at times, and this moment was no different.

“Did you take them up on their offer?” wondered Jolene, bringing Annika out of her thoughts.

“Fuck, no.” The men laughed at Logan’s assertion.

“Like Logan, the monk, would ever do something so depraved,” Finch complained.

“The monk?” ventured Annika, observing Logan’s wince of embarrassment.

“Yeah, we never see Logan going home with any hottie. Guess now we know why,” Finch teased with a wink for Annika, causing a blush to heat her cheeks. She didn’t know why, but she felt entirely too pleased to learn Logan didn’t succumb to the German’s seduction.

“Christ, can we stop with the teasing now?” Logan requested. She looked around at the men in the group. Each and every one of them had that warrior physique that made women’s mouths water. They were all handsome in their own way, but what they all had in common, besides their muscle definition, was their mutual love and respect for each other. Annika could see that even though they teased mercilessly, they were staunch friends who would do anything for each other. She was glad Logan had found this Nighthawk family.

“You better be careful, Finch; turnabout is fair play. Just wait for the day you bring a girl to meet us,” cautioned Graham. Annika watched, stunned, as a blush colored the big man’s cheeks and his gaze momentarily rested on Jolene before quickly darting away. Guess the jokester was smitten with the southern belle.

“So, what do you do, Annika?” Natalie asked, changing the subject before more ribbing could start.

“I’m a teacher.”

“College?”

“No. High school English.”

“Oh, I just assumed college because you are here instead of up in Grand Rapids; that’s where you’re from, right? I thought maybe you were done for the semester,” figured Natalie.

“I had to take some time off.”

“Wait … I know now,” Maddie started. “I know why your name is familiar. You’re that teacher, aren’t you?” Annika blanched, shifting in her seat again. She hadn’t talked in public about what had happened to her and was uncomfortable someone had recognized her. She hadn’t even told Logan the story yet and didn’t want to do it publicly in front of all his friends.

“What are you talking about, Maddie?” Logan asked.

“About a month or so ago, there was a story that made all the news outlets about another school shooting and a hero teacher. That was you!” Annika wanted to deny it. Wanted to hide from the reality of it. Her parents told her it had been all over the news, so she should have expected this.

“I heard about that too,” Emma chimed in. “She saved all her students from a gunman.”

“Not all of them,” she whispered, looking at her hands clenched in her lap.

Logan reached over and placed his hand over her clamped ones. “Annika?”

“Yes, that was me.” Crap. The cat was out of the bag now. There was no way she could shove it back in.

“Jeez, Annika. You were shot too, weren’t you?” Maddie asked.

“Yes.”

“And you still managed to talk the gunman into giving himself up? Amazing!” Maddie exclaimed.

“A true hero!” Emma announced, raising her glass to toast Annika.

“I’m not a hero. I just did what I had to do,” she remarked uncomfortably.

“That, my dear, is the true definition of hero,” informed Jolene.

Graham leaned over to her. “Welcome to notoriety. It sucks.” Everyone laughed, which lightened Annika’s mood.

“‘Notoriety is not real glory.’ Louisa May Alcott,” Annika quoted. Logan squeezed her hand again.

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