Page 22 of Sutton's Shadow

“Fuck, Finch!”

“What?”

“What happened to you and your old-fashioned sensibilities?” Finch was the type of guy who’d apologize for using profanity in front of the opposite sex. He stood when a woman walked into the room. He’d hold a chair out for a lady. Open a door for a girl. To hear Finch use the word “fuck” in conjunction with a woman was out of character.

“Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf?”

“What was wrong with the old leaf?”

Finch shrugged. Now it was Wyatt’s turn to peer down at his friend. “Something going on with you, Finch?” he asked, concerned for the guy. They’d all seen the attraction that had been developing between him and Jolene. But recently, that interest had turned to animosity.

“No. Nothing,” he answered a little too quickly. Wyatt was curious about what happened with his friend but let the subject drop for now.

After he reached the top, Finch lowered him to the ground, asking, “Do you fancy her?” Wyatt groaned. The guy just would not let up.

“Fuck, man. I don’t know,” he answered, removing his harness. “Like I said, I barely know her. And it’s comp?”

“Complicated,” he interrupted. “I know.”

“I don’t have time to think about it right now. I need to focus on finding Bethany. She’s all I care about at the moment.”

Graham clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll find her, Tin Man. And we won’t rest until we do. We’ve got our feelers out everywhere. Someone somewhere knows something. It’s only a matter of time.”

Wyatt breathed out a heavy sigh, so thankful for this group of staunch allies. His gazed shifted over Graham’s shoulder where the rest of the Nighthawks all nodded in agreement. His heart felt full and empty at the same time. Full of the care and respect his friends were showing him and empty because of Bethany. While recovering from his injury at the end of his Ranger career, she had been his light. He only wished that light could physically lead him to her. “Thanks, everyone. I know you’re all doing everything you can, and you don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

Feeling the emotions thicken in the room, Wyatt dropped his eyes to the floor, embarrassed to feel the sting of tears behind them. Finch cleared his throat before saying. “So, about Sutton?”

“Jesus, Finch,” Jude mumbled.

“Tenacious. We should have called you Badger. From what I hear, they’re ridiculously persistent.” Evan laughed. The others joined in on the laughter, breaking up the poignant moment.

“Why are you pushing this so much?” Wyatt wondered after the laughter died down.

“Guess I want to see you happy and settled down with a good woman.” Wyatt thought that was a little too much pot calling the kettle black but wasn’t going to call him on it. Especially since Finch shut down anytime anyone mentioned Jolene to him. Whatever had changed between the two of them, both remained tight lipped about it. But things got a little crazy with Emma’s issues a few months ago, and everybody had let it go.

“I want the same for you too, man,” Wyatt said, slapping Finch on the back as they walked into the locker room. Finch nodded once before lowering his head, then grabbed his towel and headed to the showers, effectively ending any other conversation about their non-existent love lives.

SuttonsatwithNatalieand her new friends at Jolene’s for lunch. Since it was a Sunday, the women with regular nine-to-five jobs were off from work and could enjoy a leisurely lunch with friends. Sutton was settling into her new life in Lake Haven. And thanks to Natalie, she was making new friends.

She and Natalie had met in college through their mutual love of art. And even though their mediums were different—Natalie worked with oil paints and pencil, and Sutton with a camera—they had bonded. Their art had taken them in different directions, but they’d kept in touch with each other over the years. Natalie was now an elementary school art teacher in Lake Haven. After learning of her fiancé’s death, Natalie had talked Sutton into starting a second career as a studio and freelance photographer.She figured it would be better than continuing to drift aimlessly as she’d done since Liam died. Especially since the bullet that almost took her head off did a lot to annihilate the daredevil inside her. She couldn’t bring herself to go back out into the field.

So, she’d packed away her passport with stamps from the most dangerous war-torn countries in the world and moved to small town Lake Haven. In Michigan of all places. Even though Sutton went to college in the state, she never imagined she’d be living there permanently.

And now, for the first time in Sutton’s adult life, she sat with a bunch of women talking about nothing more serious than upcoming weddings.

Natalie and her man, Graham, who led the Nighthawks, weren’t the only engaged couple among the group. A lovely blond woman, a literature teacher named Annika, was also engaged to a Nighthawk team member, Logan. Sutton felt a quiet kinship with Annika, who’d survived being shot by a student. One of those tragic school shootings. But somehow, she had talked the shooter down. One kid died that day, and Sutton could tell the event still saddened her.

Then there was Emma, who was dating a famous actor. Marcus Rayne had played the lead in the Titan superhero movies. He’d met the Nighthawks after falling from a cliff during a hike. He met Emma when he asked to train with the Nighthawks, aspiring to make a movie about them.

Natalie’s sister, Maddie, and Jolene rounded out the group of women. Sutton had never had female friends before; her interaction skills were improving as she went. She was used to interacting with military men but found her new female friends were kick-ass in their own right.

Natalie had survived for two days stranded at the bottom of an abandoned well before Graham rescued her.

She was a seriously strong survivor.

Much stronger than Sutton, who spent most of her days now hiding out in her studio.

Then there was Emma. Another kick-ass woman. She was a Nighthawk team member, for crying out loud, and a former member of the Coast Guard. Emma had a strength that was beyond compare, both physically and mentally. And even though she’d fallen for Marcus, he’d left her thinking she’d be better off without the madness of his fame that surrounded him. But he’d been unable to stay away.

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