Page 23 of Sutton's Shadow

Emma had lost her love but had learned to open her heart again.

Sutton felt like her heart had shriveled up and died along with Liam.

Annika’s strength was amazing. She’d lost her twin brother when she was a teenager. The twin’s best friend at the time was Logan, who blamed himself for the accident that took her brother and cut ties with her after joining the Navy.

Her inner fortitude was remarkable to have overcome all that heartbreak. When a student of hers entered her classroom with a gun, Annika’s strength and ingenuity to talk down the shooter was nothing short of a miracle. After reconnecting with Logan, she’d used her unique skills to talk the man who’d shot Logan into giving himself up as well.

Annika had faced death so many times and had come out stronger.

Sutton faced death and came out weaker.

Maddie and Jolene had their own strengths as well. Maddie had lost her leg during a tornado when she was a teenager. She now wore a prosthetic and never let it slow her down. Jolene was an accomplished restauranteur and had worked previously as a master chef in New York City. She had an infectious, fun-loving attitude. And a heart the size of Texas.

Sutton was thankful for her new friends but didn’t fit in with them. Even now, sitting and enjoying a meal with them, she wanted to retreat to her studio and hide. Or take her camera out where she could be alone. Nobody could get hurt because of her if she was alone. The blame she’d placed on herself for Liam’s death was crippling. And after two years, she still hadn’t recovered.

After glass from the back window of the Humvee had pierced her temple, the doctors put her into a coma for two weeks, worried about swelling in her brain. She’d missed Liam’s funeral and hadn’t blamed his family for having it without her. Since she was responsible for their son’s death, she knew she’d never be welcomed by them again. So she moved to Lake Haven to hide. Just like she used her bangs to hide the scar on her head, she used her tiny studio and her camera as her shields from the world.

“How’s the screenplay coming along, Emma?” Annika asked. Marcus had been wanting to write a screenplay about the Nighthawks. He thought Graham’s life story with the development of the Nighthawks would make a good movie.

“Umm... he hasn’t had much time lately,” Emma answered. “He’s been a little busy.”

“What’s he been doing that’s keeping him so busy?” Natalie wondered.

“Me,” Emma said, blushing, a shy smile turning her lips up. The women laughed.

“Lord, woman,” Jolene murmured. “Tell the Titan to get off you and get to work on that screenplay. I wanna see our guys immortalized on the big screen.” Emma’s blush deepened as the women continued to laugh.

Jolene was right. Graham’s story would make an interesting movie. Sutton had watched a 20/20 interview he did after the press had hounded him for weeks after he’d rescued Marcus. He’d told the complete story of the tornado hitting his house when he’d been a teenager, which had inspired him to help with more search and rescue missions. He built his facilities to help train first responders in the techniques he’d honed in his years of working in the field.

It was a great story full of strong alpha males. Sutton wondered who would play Graham and some of the other Nighthawk members if they made the movie. There were all the Chrises of course. Hemsworth, Evans, Pratt. Or Henry Cavill, the guy who played Superman. And then there was the Titan himself, Marcus Rayne. Would he star in a movie he’d written himself?

“Well, if he ever gets anything more written,” Annika began, “let me know if he wants me to read over any of it again.” Annika was a literature and writing professor at the local college. She’d be a brilliant editor for the screenplay. “Just be sure to remind him that even Hemmingway said, ‘The first draft of anything is shit.’ That’s always been the case with most of my students.” Annika was always quoting talented authors, which Sutton found fascinating and endearing.

The women had finished eating and were now relaxing with the drinks they’d chosen to go along with their meals. Sutton had stuck to her normal addiction, a regular coke. She never was much of a wine or beer drinker, preferring soda. A smile tipped her lips when she remembered how many times Liam had tried to get her to try whatever microbrew he was obsessed with at the time. He would have loved the brews Jolene created and sold at her bar.

Sutton smiled to herself, thinking about how he’d laugh and tease her every time she made a face after trying a sip. No offense to Jolene, but she’d probably still make the pucker face after trying one of her brews. She may have been willing to rush after insurgents hell-bent on killing just to capture their image or story on camera, but she drew the line at drinking beer. The smile slipped from her face as she remembered it was that disregard to her own safety that had gotten Liam killed.

“You okay, Sutton?” Natalie asked, leaning in close to her and placing a hand over her own.

“What? No... I’m good,” she said, pulling the mask back in place. She’d momentarily let it slip while thinking about Liam. She needed to stop letting that happen. Natalie gave her a long look but thankfully let the matter drop.

The talk turned to more wedding topics, which Sutton listened to quietly until Natalie brought her back into the conversation. “Graham told me you were a huge help with the search for the Smithson kid.”

Now it was Sutton’s turn to blush. “Just glad I could help,” she muttered.

“Apparently Tin Man has been driving all the guys nuts talking about how you have better gadgets than he does,” Jolene said.

“Not to mention he’s bragged a bit about how easily you spotted the piece of material on that branch. He said you could probably take over for Jude in the sign cutting classes—that’s how good your eye was,” Annika continued.

“Sounds like someone’s got a bit of a crush,” Jolene teased.

Sutton’s blush deepened. “Nah. He just likes my gadgets.” The women laughed, and the conversation moved on. Grateful to not have the attention on her, she remained curious about what else Wyatt had said about her. And why did it matter? Guys had always talked about her. Both in good ways and bad. Lately, it had been more bad than good. She’d learned to tune most of it out. Why did it matter to her that Wyatt thought of her in the good way more than the bad?

He was good-looking. There was no doubt about that. And Sutton found herself attracted to him, but that was all it could ever be. Just an attraction. From afar. She didn’t think she could be with anybody again. Not after Liam. Not with the overwhelming guilt that still consumed her. And she especially would never let herself fall for another Ranger, another hero. That would be like adding salt to an already festering wound.

It baffled her that her thoughts constantly turned to Wyatt and his smile. And that dimple.Ugh. She had to stop thinking about that dimple. They’d barely talked to each other that day, centering most of their conversation around her drone. Nothing significant. And yet the man and his dimple had wormed their way into her thoughts far too often. That needed to stop.

“You’ll take pictures for us, right, Sutton?” Natalie asked, drawing her back into the conversation. “Please say you’ll do our wedding.”

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