Chapter Seventeen
Church stood at the edge of the training yard, arms loose at his sides and his boots planted as he stared out at the training range.
So much had happened since he first set foot on this land. The Malones offered him a place where he could train men to be the best, and he thought he would gain satisfaction from the challenge.
Well, he’d gotten so much more than he bargained for. Pieces that he never knew he wanted in his life were falling into place.
He heard the low scrape of boots and turned his head as Crew stepped up beside him. He rested his hands on his hips and surveyed the stretch of land. “Three days until the first class rolls in.”
“How green do you think they are?”
Crew snorted. “Green as we were once.”
Church huffed. “What we don’t break them of, the mountain will.”
They both tipped their gazes upward to the peak, capped white with fresh snow. In a week they’d take their first excursion up that mountain, running drills with weighted packs.
“Twenty men?”
Crew dipped his head in a nod. “We’ll probably drop at least five in the first few days when they realize they don’t have what it takes.”
“Or don’t want to put in the work.”
They stood in silence, letting that settle.
“Is Fern ready for you to get back to this life?”
Crew rubbed the back of his neck. “She says she is.”
He cocked a brow. “You don’t think so?”
“I think any relationship takes work. I’ll have odd hours until we get into a routine. She’s busy with the last of the fall business in the greenhouse, and she’s cleaning up people’s gardens in preparation for winter in her side business.”
Church didn’t have to worry about him and Zee crossing that path, but their relationship would face other challenges.
He shifted his weight. “I need to talk to Gabe. Catch you tomorrow, Crew.”
They bumped knuckles together, and he started toward the building. The walk wasn’t far, but he took time to enjoy the sun and the crispness in the air. After all he and Zee endured with Lucian, he was ready for peace.
Learning that Lucian killed Matt had changed Church’s life. While some of the responsibility was lifted from his shoulders, a new one took up residence there.
This one wouldn’t keep him awake at night—at least not in a bad way. Now he had Zee, and he’d never let anything get between them again.
Just as he reached for the door, his phone buzzed. He stopped and pulled it out, brows creasing as he scanned the unknown number.
He brought it to his ear. “Upchurch.”
As soon as he heard the voice on the other end, he knew it was someone from the movie set. It had the same energy he’d learned to associate with film people.
“Hi, Upchurch. This is Marissa from the director’s team. I know you’re finished with your contract, but we had a question about the footage from the explosion day.”
He stopped and stared into space. “What question?”
The woman continued. “Well, some of the cameras were already rolling when everything happened. Our producer reviewed it and…” She paused.
“It’s actually perfect. Better than we hoped for, honestly.
The timing of the blasts, the reactions, the end of the scene.
It all reads stronger than we storyboarded.
We can clean it up and tighten it, but we wanted to ask permission before moving forward. ”
“My permission?”
“Yes. We checked the footage carefully. You and your wife aren’t in any of the frames, but since the scene happened under your direction—”
He barked out an astonished laugh. As if any of that had been planned. Brilliant on Zee’s part, but no. Not planned at all.
He looked out across the land, his mind playing through that night.
Marissa was still talking, rambling about legalities and the sequence looking cinematic in a way nobody could’ve planned.
“We can add you to the credits for the scene,” Marissa added as if that would be the topping on the sundae.
“Leave my wife and me off the credits.” His voice roughened on the word wife. “We don’t need accolades. And you’re welcome to use the footage as long as we’re not in it.”
A whoosh of air filled the line as if she had been holding her breath. “Great news! The director will be so pleased. Thank you for your time.”
He ended the call and was shaking his head over the insanity of it as he walked into the building. Automatically, he turned his head toward Zee’s office. She’d been hard at work for the past few days, refusing to take off more than the bare minimum after being kidnapped.
And tied up. And terrified.
His hands balled into fists but he forced himself to unfurl them. The important part was that she was here and Lucian was in prison, awaiting trial for his crimes.
Church walked into the office kitchen and grabbed a container from the fridge, along with a bottled water. With these in hand, he took a few steps to Zee’s office.
Poking his head in the door, he found her seated behind the desk, dressed in a neat blouse and trousers, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail.
She looked up to see him standing there. Her lips twisted at one corner. “What’s that look for?”
“I was thinking how perfect you are.”
Her lips parted and a flush crept into her cheeks to complement her pleased expression.
He stepped into the office. “And how much I’d love to wreck you.”
She tipped her chin down and peered at him through her lashes. “Church…”
Stepping up to the desk, he set the food on it. Then he planted his hand on it and leaned over her. He pitched his voice low. “That blouse would look better on my floor. Those trousers can hang from the ceiling fan.”
She threw her head back in a laugh.
The corner of his lips tugged up in a crooked grin. “And I won’t stop until your hair’s a mess and you’re screaming my name.”
Her chest heaved once. Her voice came out as a low, honeyed rasp. “Well, that can be arranged.” She swallowed, delicate throat working. “After work, of course.”
“Mm.” He pushed off the desk and straightened.
She turned her attention to the container and the water. “What’s this?”
“Lunch.”
She blinked. “Where’s yours?” They’d been having lunch together all week.
“I have some errands to run.” His heart gave a hard thud at his lie.
Leaning forward, she reached for the container with a playful roll of her eyes. “And so it begins.”
He dropped a kiss between her brows and shot her a grin as he walked out of her office and straight into Gabe’s.
He closed the door and strode over to shut the blinds.
Gabe kicked back in his chair. “Please. Make yourself at home in my office.”
With the room cast in a dull gray and nobody able to see inside, he dropped into the chair across the desk.
“I don’t think you understand.”
Gabe’s brow arched. “Enlighten me.”
He fought for the words. They came out slow and stilted at first. “I’ve barely dated. And I’m about to…”
Gabe stared at him expectantly.
“Oh, hell.” He yanked the little box from his pocket and set it on the desk. “I’m about to propose.” His voice sounded like he’d swallowed four of the five diamonds that encircled the two-carat center stone. And the platinum it was set in too.
Gabe’s other brow shot up to join the first. He grabbed the box and popped it open. “Damn, brother. No wonder you’re shaken. Say no more. I’ve got your six. What do you need?” He closed the box and set it down again.
“I want to propose at sunset. I have it all set up.” He explained the plan that he’d gone through in his head so many times that he had it all laid out perfectly.
When he finished, he saw by the look on Gabe’s face that the plan sounded just as good out loud.
Gabe darted a glance at the door. “I saw you leaving with a box of ground spray paint out earlier today. What’s that for?”
“I needed a couple cans to execute my plan. Take it out of my salary.”
Gabe chuckled. “Where is Zee now?”
“In her office eating lunch.”
“You can’t expect her to accept you on an empty stomach.”
“Exactly.” He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face.
“Take Zee and leave early, man. On one condition.”
He centered Gabe in a long stare. “What’s that?”
“You have to come to the lodge afterward so everyone can congratulate you.”
His chest tightened. “How do you know she’ll say yes?”
Gabe sat back, a smile on his face. “You really are no good at reading a woman, huh? Have you seen the way she looks at you? She’s saying yes.”
He sat there for a beat, gathering the type of courage he never needed on the eve of any battle.
Then he snatched the ring off the desk and pushed to his feet. At the door, he swung back. “Thanks, man.”
* * * * *
Zee’s office door flew open hard enough to smack the stopper, and she jerked upright in her chair, her pulse already kicking into overdrive before her brain caught up.
Church filled the doorway, shoulders tight, gaze locked on her with focused intensity.
“Zee. We gotta go.”
Her heart pounded into her ribs and her stomach landed in her leather boots.
His tone was edged with urgency—the kind that meant things were already going wrong.
She launched to her feet. “What happened?”
Whatever he saw on her face made everything in him shift in a single beat.
“Hey.” He gentled his voice as he crossed the room in two strides. He cupped her face, the gentle touch steadying her before she spiraled any further. He stroked his rough thumbs over her cheeks. “It’s all okay.”
She issued a shallow breath.
“It’s not bad. Just…” His voice dropped a notch lower. “Important. Come on.”
She searched his face, trying to read past the urgency. He wasn’t lying—he wouldn’t. That much she knew. But he wasn’t telling her everything either.
“Okay.”
He didn’t wait for more words of agreement. He slid his hand from her face to her forearm and gently guided her toward the door. He led the way out of the office, through the hall and out the door before she could think of more questions about what was so important.
He led her to the truck and urged her inside while casting looks around.
“Church—”
“Seatbelt.”