Hero By Night (Independence Falls 3)

Ms. Pixie’s eyes narrowed as she studied Lena. Could the other woman see her “glow”? The thought sent a tingling reminder of what they’d done on her borrowed bed before heading to dinner. And how she’d felt doing it . . .

Amazing. Orgasmic. Glowing.

“Welcome to Independence Falls,” Ms. Pixie said, turning back to Chad. “I stopped in to see Josh today at the end of my shift.”

“How was he?” Chad said, glancing across the table to add: “Delilah’s a nurse at the hospital.”

“He was giving one of his nurses a hard time about the food. Something about too many vegetables and not enough meat.”

Chad grinned. “Sounds like my brother.”

“The nurse tried to explain that he placed the order yesterday. It’s too bad about his memory,” Delilah said, shaking her head.

“I’m just glad he’s here with us,” Chad said. “Maybe he can’t remember marking those silly hospital menu cards, but he still knows he’d rather have a bacon double cheeseburger than anything they offer.”

“Everyone in Independence Falls is praying for Josh and hoping he makes a full recovery,” Delilah said. “I heard Eric threw a little party for you and your brothers. Awfully sweet of him what with all the wedding planning on his plate right now.”

“I don’t think he’s handling much of the planning,” Chad said. “I would bet that is all on Georgia.”

“I heard,” Delilah said, dropping her voice low, “that Georgia moved up the date.”

“I wouldn’t know. Eric and I don’t spend much time talking flowers and I-­dos, you know? But Lena might. She’s a friend of Georgia’s. And from what I understand, she’s had a hand in the planning.”

Lena debated kicking him under the table.

Ms. Pixie turned to her, head cocked to one side. “Is it true? I’d heard spring, but now it might be a winter wedding?”

“I don’t think Georgia has made a decision,” Lena said.

The other woman pursed her lips as if debating whether Lena was hiding the truth.

“I’m sure it will depend on Eric’s schedule,” Lena added, though she suspected that in this case, the groom would gladly hand over the running of his multimillion-­dollar timber operation if his fiancée decided they should wed today.

“If you need a date,” Ms. Pixie said, her hand returning to Chad’s arm as she gave him a squeeze, “you have my number.”

“I’m sure Georgia will want to keep it small. I probably won’t make the invitation list. But if they do, I think I’m covered.” Chad winked at her, before turning back to the woman holding his arm. “Delilah, you might want to place your order for the special before they run out.”

The other woman nodded, releasing Chad as she stepped away. “I’ll see you around.”

Lena watched Ms. Pixie walk away. “Wow, she is . . .”

“Forward?” Chad supplied.

She touched you like she’d seen you naked and wanted you to remember the moment, Lena thought. “At least she didn’t pour a beer over your head.”

“Hey now, most ­people like me,” Chad said.

“Here there, stranger!”

Lena looked up and spotted a blonde approaching their picnic table, a second woman following behind her. Both women were focused on Chad, their smiles wide and welcoming.

She glanced back at her “date.” The man was good-­looking, but he wasn’t a god. And from what she’d seen, this town was littered with ripped, muscular men. They could make a “Bad Boys of Logging” calendar and easily fill every month.

Or maybe not. Eric and Liam had pristine reputations as far as she knew. Sure, they were off the market now. But based on what she’d learned from Georgia, Eric had been devoted to his nephew before falling in love, and still treated the child who’d lost both parents as his own. Lena has a feeling no one in Independence Falls would label him a “bad boy.”

But Chad? He had bad boy written all over him.

Lena waited until the last member of the Chad Summers Fan Club moved out of earshot. “I can see why you don’t take women out,” she teased. “You probably have longer conversations in bed.”