“I think he will be,” he said at last.
Zee nodded and drifted to the buffet. He watched her pick up a plate and begin to fill it with food, but her movements were automatic, like she only went through the motions that had anything to do with eating.
She was too thin. Too pale. Too drawn inside herself. And that worried him.
They ate—she only picked at her plate while stealing glances at Carmichael.
Crew approached their table. He greeted Zee with a nod and smile, then looked to Church. “Hey, Church. Quick meeting with you in the security office.”
He nodded. As Crew walked away, Church turned his attention to Zee.
“I’ll be back in time to go to the movie set. You going to be okay?”
A quizzical expression creased her brow. “I always survive.”
His heart squeezed. Survival wasn’t living. And he didn’t like her answer either.
“Zee—”
She waved a hand, slapping a smile on her face. “I’m fine. I’ll wait for you here.”
The urge to lean over and brush his lips over the crinkle in her brow blazed through him, and it took all of his willpower to remain upright.
He brushed his hand over the back of hers. He heard her suck in a breath but he forced himself to walk away before he could see her face.
When he reached the security office, Gabe, Crew and Theo were waiting.
As soon as he entered, they got straight to it.
“How’s it going with Zee?” Theo asked.
Church dropped into a seat and rested his forearms on the table. “Fine.”
“She hasn’t been in the office much yet, but we already see she’s going to make everything run smoothly.” Gabe took a sip of coffee from a huge coffee mug that looked like it had been made by a preschooler.
“I agree,” he responded. “Nice mug.”
A sheepish look stole over his face. “Felicity made it in one of Honor’s art classes with the veterans.”
He lifted a brow at the lumpy pottery and gave the only compliment he could. “Looks nice and big. Holds a lot of coffee.”
“Yeah.” Gabe grinned at his significant other’s creation.
Theo relaxed in his seat. “We like Zee. She fits here.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Theo watched him closely. “You know a lot about her.”
“Not a lot.”
Not enough.
“We saw she hasn’t stayed any one place for any length of time since her husband’s death,” Theo fished for more.
“And she was planning to sleep in her car overnight,” Gabe added.
Crew’s mouth tightened in a way that Church knew. Every one of the men here were protectors. Seeing a woman in trouble didn’t sit well with them.
