Match Made In Paradise by Barbara Dunlop (black female authors TXT) 📕

if she struggled with a heavy box or had to get something down from a high shelf.

The experience had left her in awe of Raven. Her cousin seemed to be everywhere doing everything all at once. It was clear the staff respected her, and she had an uncanny ability to stay calm no matter what was happening around them. Mia had appreciated that when she took a corner too tight in the utility vehicle and knocked over a stack of packing boxes, several of them breaking open and spewing their contents across the concrete floor.

A sudden cheer went up from the Bear and Bar crowd as Silas walked through the front door. Everyone had wanted to hear about Hailey’s emergency landing in the beaver, but she’d mostly talked about Silas rescuing both her and plane. He’d apparently flown the beaver off a cliff and back to Paradise this morning, so he was a hero now too.

He grinned and waved at everyone, accepting a handshake from Xavier then disappearing as people crowded around him.

A loud bong sounded above the din, and the room suddenly went quiet around a Blake Shelton tune that was still playing through the speakers.

Brodie stood next to the big copper gong that hung at the end of the bar. Everyone cheered even more loudly. A few people close to Brodie gave him a high-five.

“Why’d he do that?” Mia was surprised Brodie would draw the attention away from Silas. That didn’t seem like what she knew of him.

“It’s like a bar bell. Brodie just bought a round of drinks.”

“For the house?” Mia glanced around. There had to be more than fifty people crowded inside.

“He’s committed now,” Raven said with a delighted grin.

Breena, who had been serving tables, moved behind the bar to help her grandmother and Badger the bartender fill the rush of orders as the crowd surged their way.

Brodie made his way toward Raven and Mia’s table, his attention clearly focused on Raven. “What are you all drinking?”

“While I have everyone’s attention!” Mrs. France’s voice boomed out from behind the bar.

Mia turned to see Mrs. France standing taller than everyone else, Badger steadying her on something—a stool or a chair.

There was more cheering, and she gave a mock bow. Then she held up her hand for quiet. “While I have everyone’s attention. You should know Badger saw a grizzly sow and two cubs in the meadow berry patch earlier today. If anyone needs bear spray or company for the walk home, come and see me.” She waved a red can of bear spray while Badger reached a hand up to help her down.

“Is that close by?” Mia asked Raven. “The meadow berry patch?”

“Drinks?” Brodie repeated, putting his hand on Raven’s shoulder.

Raven pointed to her glass. “Old-fashioned.”

Brodie looked to Mia next, and she was sure it was only because she was with Raven. He was perfectly polite to her; overly polite, really. She sure didn’t get a warm feeling. Maybe that was why Silas had backed off on their kiss. Maybe he cared too much about what Brodie thought.

“I’m fine,” she said. She was only halfway through her glass of Chardonnay anyway.

Raven gave her a look of disgust. “Chardonnay,” she said to Brodie. “Make it bear-sized.”

“Coming right up,” Brodie said.

“Bear-sized?” Mia asked, realizing that protesting further would be silly.

“Bigger,” Raven said. “Don’t let him off the hook like that. He offers to pay, you let him pay.”

“Okay.”

“How come you two get preferential table service?” Dixie asked in a mock huff at Mia’s left-hand side.

“Brodie’s only got so many hands,” Raven sang back.

Brodie paused halfway across the room to talk to Silas. They stood close, and Brodie spoke into Silas’s ear above the music and the ambient conversation. Silas answered back, and they both laughed. Brodie brought a hand down to Silas’s shoulder and said one more thing before continuing toward the bar.

Then Silas gaze caught Mia’s gaze. Their kiss bloomed in her mind, followed by humiliation from the way he’d backed off.

He moved her way, and with every step he seemed to grow more powerful and attractive. It was hard not to think of him as a superhero while people kept stopping him to offer congratulations. He was friendly but brief in each of the chats. He kept steadily coming her way, looking determined, like a man on a mission.

“Nicely done, you!” Raven jumped up from her chair when Silas was only a few paces away. She wiggled between the crowded chairs to give him a quick hug. “Brodie was impressed.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. I had a good ten feet to spare on the takeoff.”

“Ten feet,” she mocked with an eye-roll. “You know you saved him a fortune. You should be the one we’re thanking for the free drinks.”

“I’ll tell him you said so.”

“Want to sit down?” She gestured to the chair next to Mia, and Mia’s stomach clenched.

“I’m not taking your seat. Look, your drinks are here.” Silas shifted to one side so Brodie could squeeze past.

Mia remembered she still had half a glass of wine left and took a swallow. Then she took another one, deciding a hit of alcohol might blunt her unwelcome attraction to Silas. Whatever he’d thought of their kiss, she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

“Mia?” Another voice came from behind her.

She turned to see Zeke had wound his way close to their table. His glance flicked to Silas and Raven before settling back on her.

She gave him a bright smile. In the short time she’d been in town, she’d seen there was a hierarchy at WSA. It wasn’t overt, but the pilots were top dogs, while Zeke was lower down the ladder because he was on the ground crew. Raven was also up there because she was in charge at Galina, plus she was tight with Brodie and Silas.

“Take a seat,” Mia said to Zeke, not wanting to buy into all that. But she could tell by his expression there was no way in the world he was taking