CHAPTER 35
Bryce was walking toward his office when he caught a glimpse of Crystal slipping out, a satisfied grin on her face.
His gut dropped.
What has she done now?
Anger flared hot in his chest. He quickened his pace.
He burst through the door—the opposite of quiet—startling Beth where she sat, still crying on the couch.
Rage poured off of him. He stormed across the room and dropped into a squat in front of her, hands shaking as he reached for her knees. Wide-eyed, Beth stared at him. She had never seen him like this.
“This has got to stop,” he said, eyes blazing. “I saw Crystal leaving. I am done.” His breaths came hard and fast, his voice barely under control.
“I’m talking to the board. She needs to be fired. Enough is enough.”
“Bryce, it’s okay,” Beth said softly, trying to interject looking at him with tenderness.
“No, it’s not.” His voice cracked louder than he intended. “These last two weeks have gotten out of control. I tried to let you handle it, but I’m putting a stop to it.”
He was too upset to notice her small smile, or the way her hand gently slid along his arm.
“She’ll stop now…” she tried again, her voice full of quiet certainty.
“No, she won’t. I know you didn’t want me to get involved, but please…” He reached up and cupped her cheek, leaning in close—his voice low, intense, ending on a whisper. “…Lizzy, don’t ask me to keep standing by while the woman I love is being treated like this. It’s killing me.”
“Bryce, listen to me…” Beth tried for the third time.
He cut her off again. “No, you listen. Women like her don’t stop until they find themselves escorted out of the hospital. I—”
“Bryce. Shut up.”
The same firm tone she’d used with Crystal silenced her husband just as effectively. He froze—really looking at her for the first time since he burst through the door. Beth’s expression had shifted—her tears were gone. Mischief and delight danced in her eyes. Bryce waited in silence.
“Yes, you saw Crystal leaving,” Beth said calmly. “I came in here to wait for your meeting to end and found her stretched out half-naked on this couch.”
Crystal had pulled this stunt before with him. He let out a breath, the kind that sank into his shoulders. He started to interrupt, but Beth placed a gentle hand on his chest—just enough pressure to still him. Her tone shifted, almost giddy.
“And I stood up to her. With boldness I’ve never felt before.” She paused, the smallest spark of disbelief still in her voice.
“And when it was all said and done…”
She leaned in just a little, eyes wide, voice soft with wonder.
“Bryce—she gave her heart to Jesus.”
That word settled over him like fog—soft but disorienting.
“Crystal accepted the Lord,” Beth said again, her voice bubbling with awe. “Right here. On this very couch.”
He looked at Beth again, seeing her in a new light. Tear-streaked and radiant, she sat on the very couch where it happened. Suddenly, the weight of what she had just walked through hit him square in the chest.
A troubling thought pierced Bryce’s moment of awe. What if this was just another tactic? One more way to manipulate Beth… soften her up before pulling something worse next time?
“Was it just an act? Something to trick you into trusting her?” he asked quietly.
Beth paused, weighing the words. Then she gave a small shake of her head.
“No,” she said gently. “I don’t think so. Only God can judge a person’s heart… but what I saw—the change in her—it felt real, genuine.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Bryce asked, his eyes scanning her face, searching for any sign of distress. He needed to know—really know—that she was okay.
Beth met his gaze and smiled—soft, radiant, full of a peace he hadn’t seen in her since before they were married. She gave a small, steady nod. Something unknotted in his chest. The last of the worry, the helplessness, the fury—gone.
He reached for her, cupping her face gently, his thumbs brushing away the remnants of her tears. Then, no longer needing to wait for permission, he leaned in—giving in to the simple need to touch her, to kiss her.
His lips caressed hers.
It wasn’t urgent.
It wasn’t passionate.
It was tender. Relieved. Healing.
When he pulled back, he wasn’t quite ready to let go. So he leaned in again, pressing a kiss to the scar along her hairline—the one that reminded him how far they’d come since those first fragile days.
“Okay,” he whispered, feeling grounded for the first time since Crystal began her relentless attacks. Then he moved to sit beside her on the couch.
“Now this,” he said with a grin, “this I’ve got to hear.”
And he listened as Beth told him everything that had happened. Every word humbled him. Amazed him. Bryce let out a breathy laugh and leaned back.
“That’s one way to end a shift.” He shook his head, awe creeping into his features.
“She walked in planning to blow up our life… and walked out with a new one.”
He looked at Beth again, heart full. They bowed their heads and prayed—grateful, awed, still a little breathless. Later, as they headed home, Beth slid her hand into his and gave him a smile that felt like sunlight.
“I can’t think of a better way to start my time off,” she said softly, “than watching the Kingdom of God grow.”
The rest of the week leading up to the wedding went by in a blur.
Beth moved through it with a heart still full from Crystal’s surrender to the Lord. That moment—so unexpected, so holy—had left something steady in her, like a quiet hum of peace beneath the chaos.
Even with fewer than a hundred guests, there were still dozens of decisions to finalize—food, last-minute RSVPs, vows to print, clothes to steam, hairpins to find.
Then there was Lynn.
Lynn had insisted on making their wedding cake. “I want to do this for you,” she said. “And I’ve got the creative gene, remember?”
Which she did—Beth had no argument there. Lynn even signed up for a two-part cake decorating class.
The day of the rehearsal dinner, the house began to fill with the hum of family.
Bryce’s mom flew in just before ten in the morning—arms full of gifts, opinions, and that whirlwind energy only mothers of the groom seem to possess.
His brother’s flight wouldn’t land until close to five, Brock would rent a car and head straight to Beth’s parents for the rehearsal dinner, joking that even if he was late he could still figure out where to stand.
Brock’s presence was already loudly felt—thanks to a nonstop string of messages in a group chat, mostly about cake and his “surf-themed” toast, but some threatening to share every kooky moment from Bryce’s life.
Beth had only spoken with Barbara a few times over the phone, but meeting her in person? Whole different story. Her voice was exactly as Beth remembered—kind, steady, just a little brisk—but now it came with warm hands, a firm hug, and a sparkle in her eyes when she saw her son.
Barbara didn’t even wait for the elevator doors to fully open before stepping out and wrapping Beth in a tight, no-nonsense hug. Two solid pats on the back. Maybe three.
“Oh, honey,” she said, pulling back just far enough to see her face. “You’re even prettier than your voice. If that boy of mine had any sense, he’d have married you the second you smiled at him.”
Bryce laughed.
“I would have,” he said, “but she wanted nothing to do with me back then.”
Barbara gave a content little hum, like she’d just confirmed something she already knew. “Smart girl.”
“I’ve been praying for you,” she added, quieter this time. Her eyes misted, but not in a fragile way. “You’re the one who brought my oldest boy back into the bosom of the Lord. I couldn’t love you more if I’d raised you myself.”
Behind them, Bryce muttered, “Would’ve made for a pretty weird marriage if you had.”
Without missing a beat, Barbara swatted at him behind her.
“Don’t be fresh,” she said, already turning back to Beth like it hadn’t happened. Bryce just laughed and hoisted her bags, muttering something about how she packed like she was staying a month.
“As I was saying…” Barbara clasped her hands together, like she was about to deliver a short devotional.
“When he called and told me he’d gotten married—and that he’d come home…
” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue pulled from somewhere in her sleeve.
“Well. I haven’t stopped praising the Lord since. ”
Beth didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled and let herself be hugged again.
“He asked if I wanted to know all the details,” Barbara
continued, “but I told him—I don’t care about the hows. Just the nows.”
Something inside Beth relaxed. She hadn’t been sure how she felt about Bryce not telling his mom their full story… but now? Seeing her in person, hearing those words, watching Bryce laugh with her and look so at ease, it filled Beth with a peace that settled in and stayed.
The rest of the morning unfolded with laughter and stories—and maybe a few stolen kisses when Barbara wasn’t looking.
That afternoon, they made their way to her parents’ house for the rehearsal dinner.
It was to be a small, joy-filled gathering—just close family, the Ambrose’s, Kim, and Beth’s cousin with his wife and their five kids (one of them making their mother’s belly grow quickly).
The two older ones would be stealing hearts the next day as the ring bearer and flower girl.