Theo made a few notes and paused with the pen over the page. “Anyone stand out, Dutch?”
There was a brief pause. Then Denver spoke. “Pope.”
Church focused on the corner of the screen where Denver’s video was located like some strange game show view of the Malone family. “Vander Pope?”
“Yeah,” Denver said. “Guy’s built like a tank.”
“And he moves like one too,” Oaks added. “You put him on a principal and no one’s getting close.”
A few nods followed that.
Dutch huffed a laugh. “He’d scare the hell out of anyone even thinking about getting near the principal.”
Church leaned back in his chair, considering it. Just then, Crew’s image popped onscreen. A week ago when another call came in for a bodyguard, they didn’t have any options left and Crew had agreed to take the gig.
“Sorry I’m late. What’d I miss?”
“We’re talking about Pope.”
Crew knew Pope well from the program. So Church watched his face closely to get a read on his thoughts.
After a moment, Crew nodded. “He doesn’t just have the size and skill—he has the control.”
“You think he’d entertain the idea of taking a position on the team once he’s through the program?” Theo asked.
“Not sure about that. But at the moment, he does seem as aimless as I was before leaving the program. I didn’t know what the hell I was cut out to do after leaving the military.”
“There’s the matter of getting through Rhae too,” Denver added. “She has to release him and deem him fit and able.”
“Keep him on the short list,” Carson said.
They ran through a few more names, people they’d fought with at different points in their military careers, tightening the list and cutting the ones who didn’t meet the standard. By the time the conversation wound down, they had a direction. Not a perfect map, but enough to get started on the journey.
Church pushed his chair back and stood. “I’ll follow up later. Gotta get to the set.”
He threw a wave to the guys and hurried out. The morning light spilled through the windows along one wall. He automatically turned his head to look out, and his heart slammed into his chest as he saw Zee.
She was walking back from her sunrise yoga class, a mat in a sling over her shoulder. Fern and Willow flanked her on either side, and she was laughing.
Really laughing. Not the polite version he’d seen when she first arrived on the ranch but pure Zee.
His world narrowed to her, and he studied her from across the distance. She looked different. Not just healthier, though she did look it. There was color back in her face and her spine didn’t look like it was pulled tight as she braced for the next hit. The exhaustion that had clung to her was fading with each day that passed.
Church’s chest swelled as the truth settled in.
Somewhere between Matt’s widow coming to work for the training facility and Zee stepping into Church’s arms…he’d fallen for her.
Not a slow fall either.
He’d crash-fucking-landed.
Unable to harness the emotion bubbling inside him, he stepped out of the office into the ladies’ path.
They stopped, all three staring at him. But what Zee saw on his face had her breaking away from the group with a smile.
“I’ll catch up with you later.”
He stared down at Zee’s beautiful face, flushed from the crisp fall air, and she searched his eyes.
