“Oh, um, my order’s ready.”
“I hope you enjoy that burger,” Christian said.
“You too.” I stood, fidgeting with my purse strap. Was I supposed to say anything more? Invite him to dine with me even though I had placed a to-go order?
I opened my mouth, then promptly shut it and headed for the counter. Sitting at my table didn’t mean anything. I’d go home, eat my dinner, and watch another episode ofNadiya Bakes. Her accent soothed me, and in another life, I imagined myself baking everything she did.
As I grabbed my food, I glanced over at Christian Gamble one last time, marking every single feature of his face in my mind. A sigh tore from my lips as I pushed the door open and headed to my car.
Erykah Kennedy, youarea coward.
Two
Lamont
Nevaeh wants to know if you need a good dating app recommendation.
Chris Gamble stared at the text in the group chat with his two friends, searching for the right reply. Normally his brain had a comeback in a matter of seconds, but lately, all he could think about was how alone he felt. He couldn’t help but blame the reason on the fellas’ recent relationship status changes.
Lamont had fallen in love with the woman he’d fake dated to save his movie-star reputation, and Tuck had finally caved and admitted he loved his best friend. Now both couples were putting all their efforts into getting Chris to hop on the love train.Great, now the O’Jays will be singing in my head.
Only he wasn’t so sure jumping into the dating pool was the right thing to do.
Not because he liked being the fifth and oldest wheel—how he ended up friends with guys a decade younger than him was all God—but because he couldn’t forget what had happened the last time he’d been in a relationship. He didn’twant to be alone, but at the moment, those were the cards in his hand.
Even so, he couldn’t get the woman he’d met the week before out of his head. Something told him Dr. Erykah Kennedy was the type to cherish the coveted title and didn’t often introduce herself without first mentioning she was a surgeon. There had been a quiet steadiness about her that made him want to take the time to get to know her, but something sad also lurked in her dark brown eyes.
Or maybe he was simply projecting.
“Chris, production wants to know if you can get them access so they can film parts of the gray wolf reintroduction.”
Colorado citizens had voted for the reintroduction of the gray wolf to the Colorado ecosystems. The news was huge, and it was no wonder that PathLight wanted access to the monumental event come this December.
Chris glanced up from his phone. His project manager, Cameron, stared at him expectantly, foot tapping against the tile. Her sky-blue shirt with their company logo on it was tucked into her high-waisted jeans. He’d made the mistake once of calling them mom jeans and had been quickly corrected.
“Tell them it’s not as simple as a yes or no. I need to reach out to someone on the team to verify that’ll be okay.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Why had he agreed to a documentary, again?
When he’d first mulled over the idea of hosting a docuseries,yeshad been the obvious response. A bigger platform to discuss wildlife conservation and the many ways the everyday person could care for God’s creation?Yes.Being filmed around Chris’s own schedule?Definite yes.
But that’s where the yeses stopped.
Chris had never thought of a camera in his face as annoying.Then again, maybe it was just PathLight’s director, whose constant demands made Chris question whether the docuseries would actually impact society for the greater good. Uploading YouTube videos and shorts to share what he knew about animals and simple ways to make sustainable changes in the home was easy, but this was a production of a whole different magnitude.
But he’d already signed on the dotted line—figuratively since he’d signed online with the suggested software signature—and filming had begun.
PathLight was calling the docuseriesThis Is Colorado, with Chris being the host. He was supposed to show the audience how great Colorado was and teach them how to be good stewards of the earth. If the series did well, PathLight would go on to create additional seasons, featuring each state and hosted by a different conservationist in each location.
They had started by shooting at Chris’s nonprofit—a combination of a nature center with educational outreach programs and an emergency rehab facility. His employees had all agreed to being filmed, jumping at a chance to get their fifteen minutes of fame.
Despite the help of his staff, his work efforts had doubled. YouTube and the docuseries both vied for his time, along with the other demands the nonprofit board required of him. Two weeks in, and Chris already wished the constantturn here,let’s do that again, andone more timewould leave his vocabulary so he could work in peace.
It’s for a good cause, remember that. People won’t completely understand the importance of being good stewards if no one ever shows them.
The verse “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” filtered through his thoughts. The same premise for faith fit conservation efforts. People wouldn’tknow why they should change their ways if no one spoke the truth to listening ears.
So Chris would tough it out and get through the heavy demand of filming a docuseries. No wonder Lamont was always exhausted after making a movie. A YouTube video was nothing compared to that.
