Chapter Fifteen
Zach tried not to cringe when one of the shepherds ran into the back of his fellow shepherd and then laughed his head off. Tilly’s normally upturned mouth was a thin, firm line, and she looked like she was ready to throw her clipboard at the two of them.
“How about we take a break?” he hollered over the noise of the assembled group.
It was their first rehearsal of the live-action traveling Nativity play, and if they all continued like this, it was going to be a disaster.
Thankfully, Chrissy and Ryder and the three wise men were all performing their parts correctly.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have suggested a crewmate’s nephews for the task of the shepherds.
They were young and were more interested in fooling around than doing the right thing.
“This is a catastrophe,” Tilly said as she came up to him. “I have no idea how everything is going to come together. And you have to leave to go to work in a couple of hours, and then I’m going to be left with everyone who won’t listen to me.”
Her distress pierced his gut and he pulled her tight for a hug. “It’s going to be okay. It’s only the first run-through. They’ll get the hang of it all. I’ll go have a word with them and tell them that this isn’t a game and it’s serious.”
Tilly chewed her bottom lip, and he reached down and rubbed his thumb over the bruised flesh. “No, I need to speak to them. I’m the director. They have to listen to me.”
The stress lines around her eyes and mouth showed she was at the end of her limit. He wanted to make it easy for her and sometimes teenage boys needed to be spoken to in a way that only teenagers understood.
“No, I’ve got this.” Chrissy was standing in the corner with her new husband, looking at her sister, concern on her face. He caught her eye and, as if she knew what he wanted, she gave a short nod. “You go see Chrissy. It looks like she wants you.”
When Tilly looked over, Chrissy waved her hand in that universal “I need you” gesture. “Okay, but we need to get at least through one run-through before you head to work. I wish you didn’t have to go.”
Zach smoothed some of her hair that had escaped her clip behind her ear. “I wish I didn’t have to as well, but it’s only for two nights and then I’ll be free until I go back to work Christmas Day.”
The fire chief had been very accommodating by making sure he had more time off.
Zach had been worried that the rest of his team would be annoyed at him getting preferential treatment, especially with him being a new guy.
He hoped they didn’t think he was getting it because of what he’d done or who his mother was.
None of the guys had made any comments, though. They understood he’d been assigned the job by the mayor. He had to admit, it had given him a chance to get to know the town better and break out of the self-imposed shell he’d constructed around himself.
He believed everyone was going to love it, and it was all going to come together. But if tonight was anything to go by, it could be a long ten days before Christmas Eve.
“I wish you didn’t have to work Christmas Day, but I understand.”
“I know you do. I wish I could spend the day with you, but I don’t have to be at the station until eight in the morning, so we’ll have all of Christmas Eve and a little bit of Christmas Day together.”
Tilly’s eyes widened. Their relationship hadn’t progressed much further than some heavy make-out sessions, but Zach wanted her more and more, and he knew Tilly felt the same. “I like that idea. A lot.”
Loud laughter interrupted their conversation—the shepherds were at it again. “As much as I want to stay talking to you, these boys need to be straightened out, and you need to see your sister. But know one thing, Tulip. Leaving you is getting harder and harder.”
Zach turned on his heel and headed to the corner to sort out two recalcitrant shepherds.
*
Zach opened the door quietly. He’d come straight from work to the high school auditorium, where Tilly was running the rehearsals for the show.
They couldn’t walk around the streets every night, and because she wanted it to be a big surprise for the town of Marietta, they had to make do with working within the confines of the auditorium.
All the business owners and participants were excited to be part of the show and had been sworn to secrecy.
The side of him that had grown up in Hollywood almost suggested to Tilly that they get everyone to sign an NDA, but he didn’t bring it up.
Logistically, it would be a nightmare to get everyone to sign it, and so far no one had breathed a word of it.
Even the members on the other crews at the firehouse hadn’t said anything to anyone.
It seemed they were all excited about it and wanted to keep it as quiet as possible.
There really was something special about Marietta, and he was feeling more and more at home with every passing day.
To help with the rehearsals, Tilly had set up areas where Mary and Joseph could go to ask for a room for the night.
Even without him asking, she’d arranged for them to stop at the fire station so the guys who were working that night could be part of the event.
She’d told him about it during one of their phone calls while he’d been on shift.
From where he was standing, everything seemed to be moving along nicely. Tilly was narrating it and everyone expected her to be the one doing it on the night. Rainey Webster was going to be as much of a surprise to the cast as it was to the rest of the town.
“Okay, everyone, that’s great. I think we can call it a night. You’re all doing a fantastic job, and I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Tilly called out, and cheers went up.
Zach moved to the side to allow everyone to exit the building, saying hello to his friends and high-fiving the teenagers, pleased to see they’d taken his words to heart and were now taking their parts a lot more seriously than they had been.
All he wanted to do was get to Tilly. He had plans for her tonight. He’d missed her so much while he’d been on shift that he’d spent half his time thinking about what he was going to do when he finally got to see her.
“Hey, you!” Tilly came up and planted a kiss on his lips in front of those remaining in the room.
She went to pull away, but he wasn’t having any of that.
He hooked an arm around her waist and deepened the kiss.
Her sigh was everything. She clutched his shirt, and he wished they were back at his place. Or hers. He wasn’t fussy.
Whistles sounded and Zach pulled away, laughing at the good-natured teasing they were getting from the few people still hanging around. “Nothing to see here,” he shouted.
“Right!”
“Didn’t look like it!”
“You keep telling yourself that!”
Tilly groaned at the smart-ass comments and buried her face in his chest. “What was I thinking?”
Zach tightened his hold on her. He didn’t care that they’d basically announced that they were seeing each other to the whole town. “I don’t mind.”
The remaining cast members left, and then it was just them. Tilly was still tucked against his chest, but he’d felt her hand leave his back when the goodbyes had been called out.
“Is it safe now?” she asked, her question muffled.
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Yep, it is.”
She went to step away from him, but he kept his arms circled loosely around her waist. Now that he was able to touch her in public, he had no plans to let her go anytime soon.
“Are you good?” she asked.
“I am now.”
Immediately her brows scrunched together in a look of concern. “What happened? Do you need to talk?”
After one particularly bad call-out, Zach had reached for his phone, not paying attention to the time, and had called her.
Her sleepy voice was the only indication that he’d woken her.
She’d assured him that it was fine, and they’d talked for an hour before they’d had another call-out and he had to go.
But talking to her had helped him get himself into a better mental space, and he was able to handle the next emergency without any issues.
She was becoming more and more important to him, and he didn’t think Tilly even realized it.
“I’m good. Just glad that my shift is over, and I can see you in person, instead of texting or calling.”
“We could always video chat. It’s kind of like talking in person.”
“And have the rest of my team hear our conversation—not happening.”
“Couldn’t you take my call outside or in your sleeping quarters?” She plucked at his shirt and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. The action was alluring, making him want to change the plans he had for the evening.
“There’s not as much privacy at the station as you may think. During our downtime, guys are trying to sleep while they can. Or they’re talking to their families or significant others.”
“Do they talk with their phones on speaker?” Her eyes shone with mirth.
“Some do.”
Tilly laughed. “Does that annoy you?”
“Who doesn’t get annoyed with speaker calls?” he said wryly. “I tolerate it because these guys are my family, and they put their lives on the line for me, like I do for them.”
“I’m glad they’re looking out for you.”
“It’s what we do. Now, are you done here?” He didn’t want to get into the heavy aspects of his job. Not tonight. Tilly knew some of it, but there was still more she didn’t know. That was a conversation for another time.
“I am. Do you want to come to my place?”
Yes, but later.
“I’ve got a better idea. Do you trust me?”
“Always.”
“Let’s go, then.” He was pleased to see that Tilly had brought her thick jacket because what he planned for them wasn’t indoors. “You up for a walk?” he asked once they got outside.
“Sure. I didn’t do much today, apart from walking around, telling everyone where to go and what to say.”
“Good.” He hooked her elbow through his and started toward Miracle Lake.
When he’d first heard some of the guys talking about skating on the lake, he’d liked the idea, but hadn’t liked it too much going by himself.
Now he had Tilly to go with him, and he wanted any excuse to hold her hand.
Or put his arm around her to keep her steady.
Although he imagined she would be a more than capable skater.
“Are we going skating?”
“We are. And before you ask, I got some good sleep after our last call-out.”
“Oh, yay!” She clapped her hands. “I haven’t been able to get out to the lake this season.
I usually go a couple of times a year. I didn’t even make the tree lighting and stroll, like I always do, because .
. . you know.” She waved her hand around.
“I also missed the mayor announcing our event and how she wanted everyone to get excited about it and come to the town square by six in the evening. I think the whole town is aware something is being planned. How could they not with the rehearsals taking place at the high school? The fact it’s been kept a secret for this long is impressive. ”
Zach didn’t think he’d ever get tired of hearing the way she chattered away.
Whether it was when she was nervous or happy, he adored this little quirk of hers.
But he had to admit he would’ve loved to have experienced the tree lighting and stroll with her.
To be able to see the way her face would’ve lit up when the switch was thrown and the lights came to life on the tree.
Maybe next year they could do it all together.
That thought would’ve scared him months ago, but now he wanted to make it happen.
Would Tilly want to experience it with him or not? He hoped so. Like the conversation about his job, he could wait to ask her.
Tonight he wanted to live in the moment and appreciate this lead-up to the holiday season—something he hadn’t been excited for in a long time.
“I think everyone who is part of the show knows how important it is to you and the need to keep it quiet. This is the first time the town has seen anything like this, so they’re keen to make it a huge surprise. ”
A shimmer of doubt appeared in her eyes.
“What if no one likes it? What if they think it’s silly and don’t follow the group around?
Don’t join in with the Carols by Candlelight at the end?
For us to win the contest, the judges not only have to be impressed by the show but also that it entertained the people who lived here. ”
“Hey, Tulip, it’s going to be amazing. Everyone is going to love it, and the whole town is going to support you one hundred percent.
They’re not going to turn their backs on one of their own.
Believe it.” Zach wasn’t saying those words to appease her or make her feel better.
He meant them. Marietta was a supportive town.
No way would anyone not show up and follow the Nativity play to all the stops.
“Do you really think so?”
“I do. Now, let’s go skating. Will you hold my hand as we go around? Keep me steady on my skates?”
Tilly laughed, like he wanted her to. “I think I can manage that, but only if you promise to get me a hot chocolate as a reward for making sure firefighter Zachary Langley doesn’t embarrass himself in front of the residents of his new town.”
“Deal!”