Page 74 of Natalie's Nighthawk

Still pacing in front of the fireplace, he continued, “When I smelled that gas, the only thing I could think about was getting us out of there. Getting you out. Even getting Lauren out. She was having so much trouble grasping reality. It’s like she kept phasing in and out of madness.”

Graham had tried so hard to reason with her, but the madness had consumed her. “She was almost back. There at the end. She was almost the Lauren I knew again. The moment I saw her eyes flick to you, I knew that was it. It was over. Then it was all about getting you out of there. I thought once you were out of the building, I could tackle Lauren and seize control of the gun. But it was too late.”

Natalie stood, dropping the peas to the coffee table. She walked over to stand in front of Graham. Placing her hands flat on his chest, she told him, “You did everything you could. Like you said, the madness had taken control of your friend. Now, you need to remember that she was once your friend. Remember the good times. Don’t let her madness cloud your good memories. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to forgive.”

He looked down at her, and she could see the love he had for her in his eyes. “When did you get so wise?”

She smiled and placed her ear to his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. She listened to his heartbeat, thankful she still could. Quiet tears fell from her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. “I love you, Graham,” she said with a hiccupped sob.

He placed a hand under her chin and drew her head up to look at him. “Hey.” He kissed her, a soft peck on the lips. “I’m okay, Chickadee.”

“I know.”

“I love you,” he said just before he lowered his lips to hers again. Taking her mouth more deeply this time. He gathered her closer, pressing her into his hard body, leaving Natalie trembling in his arms.

When they both lay gloriously sated in front of the fireplace, Graham thought about how easy it was to love the woman who lay in his arms. At that moment, he made another vow to himself. He vowed to always let his little Chickadee, his north star, know how much he loved her. He vowed to show her and tell her every day. The woman who was his heart’s home would always know she was loved.

“I love you,” he whispered in her ear from behind her as they both basked in their love.

Epilogue

Logan

EverybodytrickledintoJolene’sthedayaftertheexplosioninthewarehouse.Theyallneededtocometogripswiththeloss,bothoftheirfriend, and the loss of the equipment in the warehouse. Logan stared into his beer, trying to block the memories of his losses. The years pass, but the ache remains. Losing a coworker, while tragic, was nothing like the loss that haunted him still.

An image on the big screen tv behind the bar momentarily caught his attention. A woman was being escorted into a courthouse surrounded by news media who all wanted a piece of her. The story was of no interest to him. It was the woman, or more precisely, the woman’s hair. Beautiful long blonde waves cascaded down her back shone in the sunlight. Hair so similar to a girl from his past. One he had loved and lost but never forgotten.

He took another swig from his beer and turned away from the tv screen. He didn’t need to be reminded of what he’d lost. It haunted him every day.

“That woman is so courageous. I don’t know what I’d do if I was ever faced with that situation,” Natalie said, her eyes glued to the tv.

“What situation is that?” Logan asked.

“The school shooting.” He raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t heard anything about a school shooting.

Emma jumped into the conversation. “You’re a teacher, Natalie. Do you ever think about something like that happening at your school?”

“I try not to, but it’s hard when we have to drill the procedures of what to do in the event of an active shooter. Since I teach elementary, those drills can be pretty scary for the kids. And yet, the more we do them, the more the kids have grown desensitized to it. But what that woman went through, I can’t imagine.” She shivered, and Graham placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close and kissing her on the top of her head.

“So, what happened with that woman?” Logan asked.

Natalie glanced at the tv again before answering. “She was shot by one of her students, who then kept the entire class captive for hours. She managed to talk him into surrendering himself, saving her students. She’s a hero.”

Logan glanced back at the tv hoping to get another glimpse of the blonde woman, but they had moved on to a different story. He’d always heard stories of the hero teachers who protected their students, but for some reason, this one had him wanting to learn more. Maybe it was her resemblance to the girl from his past. The girl he’d spent the last fifteen years trying to forget but knowing she would always live in his heart.

Graham sat surrounded by his Nighthawks, each of whom was mourning both the loss of Lauren and of the warehouse. The equipment and supplies in the warehouse were uppermost in his mind at the moment. While the loss of a friend was devastating, he couldn’t help the direction his thoughts kept turning. Losing the warehouse and everything in it would cripple the Nighthawks. Insurance would cover some of it, but not enough. The loss was extraordinary. Graham felt like he was going to have to start all over again.

He and David had talked by phone late last night after Natalie had fallen asleep. They needed a plan to recover from the financial loss. They had investments that they had been hoping to build up, after withdrawing a huge chunk the previous year to build the climbing gym. Maddie had even offered her expertise to help them figure out where they would get the money from. Of course, there were always loans. Graham groaned inwardly at that thought. He didn’t like the idea of being in debt to any bank. They would just have to increase their fundraising efforts.

In an effort to cheer themselves up, he and Natalie had adorned the duplex inside and out with Christmas decorations. It had worked for a while. Natalie, of course, with her creative brain, was a wiz at knowing exactly where to place everything. But she wasn’t bossy. She let him put whatever he wanted wherever he desired. They even ran out to buy a tree together and listened to cheesy Christmas tunes as they trimmed it with the ornaments Natalie had collected over the years. She had a story for almost every ornament, and Graham enjoyed listening to her tell each one.

But as the house became more festive, reality threatened to intrude. After putting all the empty boxes back into storage, the two of them decided to meander over to Jolene’s. Maddie joined them for the short walk. It seemed as though Jolene was trying for some cheer as well; the bar looked like Christmas had thrown up inside it. Streamers of all colors draped across the ceiling, and ornaments hung everywhere over their heads. There was a huge tree in the corner draped in tinsel and red and green bulbs. The old-fashioned jukebox next to the bar had been filled with Christmas CDs.

They took their usual spot, and as more friends joined them, more tables were pushed together. Laughter was in short supply, but they each put forth the effort. Maddie stood once everybody had arrived, glass raised in front of her. “I’d like to make a toast,” she announced as everybody grew quiet. “To my superhuman sister, thinking she could lift a two-thousand-pound beam. And with a broken wrist to boot!” Everyone cheered. Glasses clinked.

David stood. “To my brother! Thanks for not dying!” More cheers and clinking glasses.

The toasts and the jovial intention they were given seemed to do the trick. The mood around the group of tables improved. The jokes and teasing started up then. Finch kept asking Natalie to flex her bicep muscle and feigning a faint every time she appeased him. She was one of them now. No longer immune to their teasing.

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