When seventeen-year-old Mark Potts fell from a balcony, he lost both the use of his legs and any faith in heroes. Now twenty-nine, he’s long-since come to terms with his injury. His job provides more opportunities for eye-rolling than for riding to anybody’s rescue, but with two kids to bring up, he barely has time for his husband, much less for heroics. Besides, Starr Bradford is a policeman -- how many heroes does one family need?<br><br>Mark and Starr love each other madly, but stress management is a load-bearing pillar of their happiness. When Mark’s coping skills fail him at exactly the wrong moment, he’s left hanging by a thread of words he should’ve kept in his mouth. He has the power to repair their relationship, but when Starr’s workday suddenly goes south, will he get to wield it? Keeping it together long enough to find out is a job worthy of any superhero!

You Had Me at Hero

“This is a California Grenache,” she explained, brandishing the bottle with a flourish. “The vintner is a neighbor of my sister’s in Sonoma. This wine’s actually not commercially available, but it is gorgeous.” She withdrew a wine opener from a pocket of her black dress.“May I?”


Mark could read a room. He knew it would disappoint Starr as well as their hostess, but he said it because it was true. “None for me, thank you. I don’t drink.”


“Please,” Mark told him. “You should. She says it’s gorgeous, and I am driving.”


The owner turned to Starr, eyebrow raised.


“It’s kind of you to offer,” Starr told her, “but a club soda would be just fine. Maybe with a lime?”


“It’s fine. I’m not a huge red wine guy.” Mark didn’t yet know this wasn’t true. Starr turned to the owner. “Thank you, though. This table’s perfect.”


“Well, good,” she said. She squeezed Mark’s hand. “He’s trying,” she told him. “Are you a vegetarian?”


Chapter 12