Seeing they were concerned for her too gave Church the freedom to voice his own worry. “She’s been moving around. Job to job. Town to town.”
Crew looked up. “What do you know about her?”
He drew a breath. “She used to be happy,” he said after a moment. “Vibrant. She and Matt…they were good together. Real good.”
He swallowed the guilt swelling in his throat. “They were happy.”
And if he’d done something—anything—different, Matt would be here today.
The weight pressed in on his lungs.
“She’s doing the best she can, considering. But she’s a shadow of who she used to be.” He clenched his jaw, then the real concern rolled out. “She ordered some cameras.”
Crew arched a brow. “Cameras?”
“Security cameras and other equipment. She didn’t explain why she needed them, but my guess is she didn’t feel safe in some of these places she’s been staying.”
Gabe issued a noise in his chest. “Think it’s because Matt’s gone that she doesn’t feel safe? She does look tired, like she isn’t sleeping.”
“She slept last night,” he blurted out. “Or at least I think she did. The door was closed.”
They all took that in.
He reached into his back pocket and drew out his phone. He pulled up the collection of photos of his time in the military. He didn’t look at them often—he didn’t need to. The images were imprinted on his mind. But he glanced at them as he passed his phone across the table.
Crew picked it up. When he began to thumb through the library, he let out a low breath. “I see what you mean. She looks like grief has changed her.” He passed the phone to Gabe.
After a quick look, Gabe sighed and pushed the device to Theo.
Church knew they were seeing a group of them on a sand volleyball court near the base. Zee stood in the middle of the team, laughing, her arms thrown around two other players.
The device made its way back to him, and he held it up. “This is the Zee I knew. Laughing. Having fun. Losing her husband took its toll…but I can’t help but think there’s more.”
Until he spoke the words, he hadn’t let them completely gel in his head. Now they rang true.
“She’s lost weight. Looks tired.” Theo met Church’s gaze. “She’s in the right place now. This placeistherapy. It was therapy for me and my siblings growing up with our bastard of a father. It’s been a refuge for so many since.”
His throat tightened as he realized he was one of the many. Now so was Zee.
He nodded and glanced at the time on his phone before standing and slipping it into his pocket. “We have to be on set in thirty minutes.”
Gabe pushed to his feet too. “If you need anything from us—”
For a moment, that tightness in his throat felt like a brick. He managed a nod. What he felt right now in this room wasn’t just a group of coworkers at a military training facility.
These guys had his six the way his SEAL team had.
And that made his throat tight all over again.
Church nodded once, hoping the gesture carried more feeling than words would’ve managed. Theo held his gaze for a second longer before giving a small nod back.
Church turned toward the door, the knot in his throat easing enough to let him breathe again. The crisp fall day was already underway with the sounds of the ranch, and he lengthened his strides to reach the lodge where Zee was waiting for him.
Protecting people had always come naturally to him. It was the job he’d built his life around. He might only be guarding a movie star on a film set, but he was watching the perimeter. Reading the terrain. Making sure people were safe.
Now he was watching over Zee too.
And he wasn’t going to fail her again.
