Page 146 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

EPILOGUE

JANNA

Two weeks after the fire, Hollow Gorge was rebuilding.

It would take months for some of the destroyed buildings to rise from the ashes, but it would happen. The whole town had turned out for Martha’s rebuild day. Her diner had survived for the most part but the fire damage to the side of the building had to be repaired.

And because her diner was what kept a lot of people fed, getting it fixed was a priority. A construction crew had organized various teams based on skills. I didn’t have construction skills. And after an incident with a hammer and my thumb, I was now making sure everyone stayed hydrated.

Martha had set up a massive white tent in the parking lot, complete with folding tables and mismatched chairs she’d borrowed from the church. The smell of fresh pie and her famous buttermilk biscuits wafted through the air. Unfortunately, the lingering scent of smoke still hung in the air. I honestly wondered if it would ever go away.

“Janna, honey, grab me another tray of those apple turnovers,” Martha called out, wiping her hands on her apron. Even in the middle of disaster recovery, she maintained her smile and kindness. I knew she didn’t have the money to be serving all of this food at no charge, but she insisted on doing it.

I navigated through the crowd, dodging a group of teenagers carrying lumber and nearly colliding with a young mom who was balancing three plates of Martha’s famous coconut cream pie. The energy was infectious. Everyone was dirty, sweaty, and grinning like fools. Hope shone from everyone’s faces.

“Coming through!” I called out, hefting the tray of turnovers above my head.

Near the construction site, Dalton worked alongside a crew of local contractors, his shirt long since abandoned in the heat. Those tattoos of his were on full display, and I wasn’t the only woman appreciating the view. I saw several of them practically drooling into their iced tea.

And yeah, I was jealous. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but damn, I hated them looking at him like he was a snack. That man was a full meal and I didn’t think any of them could handle him.

“Earth to Chopper,” Laser said, appearing at my elbow with a knowing smirk. “You’re staring.”

“I’m appreciating,” I corrected, not bothering to look away as Dalton hefted a beam into place. “There’s a difference.”

“Uh-huh.” She grabbed a turnover from my tray. “Well, while you’re appreciating, you’re about to drop that tray.”

Familiar laughter cut through the air and Laser whipped around so fast she almost did knock my tray out of my hands.

“Um, you’re appreciating a little hard yourself,” I said.

“Damn right I am.” She turned back to look at me and licked her lips. “How did I not see him before?”

“You were too busy seeing the other asshole.”

“My man is hot,” she said with a dreamy sigh.

“You’re smitten,” I observed.

“Completely gone,” she admitted without a hint of embarrassment. “Who knew almost losing someone could make you realize you’d been an idiot for months?”

I watched as she made her way over to Pickle, who was painting a door. She hip-checked him, said something that made him laugh, and the next thing I knew, he had his arms around her.

It was disgustingly cute.

“Now that’s what I like to see,” Martha said, appearing beside me with a fresh pot of coffee. “Young love and community spirit. Nothing heals a place faster than both.”

“It’s a good turnout,” I said, watching as more cars pulled into the makeshift parking area.

“Best I’ve seen in twenty years,” Martha agreed. “Course, it helps that everyone’s favorite fire pilots are here. You all have become local celebrities, you know. And your man parading around shirtless helps.”

“We were just doing our jobs.”

“Honey, your job is fighting fires. What you did was save lives and give this community hope. There’s a difference.”

Before I could respond, Chief’s voice boomed across the tent. “Martha! I brought you a sample of my five-alarm chili. Just a little something to spice up your menu.”

Martha’s smile never wavered, but I caught the slight tightening around her eyes. “That’s so thoughtful of you, Chief. But you know how it is. I can’t serve that. My customers have delicate constitutions.”