Chapter 10

chapter

ten

"I haveto go out of town for a week. It's… for a work thing." It wasn't entirely a lie—Ellie was planning to pitch the idea of a podcast on cults, so the trip could be considered research—but the way Anna was watching her made it feel like one. She told herself to stop fidgeting. "And, uh, I was hoping Puzzle could stay at the rescue while I'm gone." She looked down at her puppy. Puzzle leaned against her leg and stared back with big brown eyes that reminded her of Cal's.

"Of course he can stay," Anna said. "He's always welcome, and Clue is here while Alexis and Shane are on their honeymoon so they can room together."

Puzzle's tail swished on the floor at the sound of Clue's name. He loved playing with her, but his excitement still didn't assuage Ellie's guilt for leaving him. "Thank you so much."

Anna frowned as she accepted his leash. "But I thought you were taking time off, too, this week."

"I was." She ruffled Puzzle's soft fur with her free hand, avoiding Anna's probing gaze. "But something came up. It's... complicated."

"Complicated," Anna echoed doubtfully. "You mean Cal complicated?"

Dammit, why did she have to be so fair-skinned? She couldn't hide the slight flush that spread across her cheeks. "No, not… It's not like that."

Anna's frown deepened, her grip tightening on Puzzle's leash. "El, you don't have to hide anything from me. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know…" Ellie stammered out, shifting uncomfortably under Anna's knowing gaze. She knew she could trust Anna with everything, but this—this was different. She wasn't even sure if she understood what was going on between her and Cal fully. How, then, could she explain it to someone else?

"Look," she said finally, "I'll be fine. We—I mean, Cal and I—we're working on something together. Something important." She hesitated, then added, "It's about Hope."

Anna's eyes widened in surprise. "Hope?"

"It may be nothing, but we're going to look into it."

"You and Cal." Anna's brows disappeared under the fringe of her bangs. "Together."

"We're not together. It's strictly professional. I'll be back in a week."

Anna gave a slight nod, but her face was still etched with concern. The usually bustling kennel was quiet, the dogs either out on walks or curled in their beds asleep. Anna walked over to the holding pen, unlatching the door and allowing Puzzle to gallop in with a happy bark.

"I have everything he needs for the week packed in his bag," Ellie said as she handed over a duffle bag filled with dog food, toys, and his favorite blanket. She crouched down to level with Puzzle, scratching behind his ears. "You be good for Anna, okay? Mama will be back soon." Puzzle wagged his tail violently in response.

As she straightened up, she noticed Pierce entering the room out of the corner of her eye. He nodded in greeting before passing them by to fetch his dog, Raszta, from a nearby kennel.

She watched as Pierce signed a series of commands to the dog. Raszta responded instantly, dropping into a sit and giving the former soldier his undivided attention.

For a moment, she felt a pang of envy. The connection between them was palpable, formed out of trust and respect and something more— companionship. It was the same bond she longed to share with Puzzle.

"You sure you're okay?" Anna asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

She nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to miss this little troublemaker." She gestured to Puzzle, who was sniffing around his new surroundings.

Anna didn't seem entirely convinced. "Whatever you two are doing, please be careful."

"We will," she promised and glanced back one last time at Puzzle, who was now happily playing with a squeaky toy. The guilt almost overwhelmed her. She had no idea what was waiting for her on this ‘retreat' with Cal. She only hoped she was making the right decision by going.

Back home, Ellie packed her bag with an unnerving sense of uncertainty. Maybe it was the way Cal looked at her earlier, or maybe it was just the unease of getting involved in something beyond her control that made her hands tremble ever so slightly as she folded her shirts—either way, she couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension.

She chastised herself for her nerves, knowing that if she wanted any answers about Hope, she needed to be strong. She made sure to pack her recording equipment for her podcast as well— this could potentially be the story of a lifetime.

As she zipped up her suitcase, her phone buzzed with a text from Cal.

6 am tomorrow. I'll pick you up.

She shoved the phone into her pocket, feeling slightly sick. She had never been good at masking her feelings – they were written all over her face and, more often than not, acted upon impulsively.

How the hell was she going to convince people that she and Cal were a couple?

The next morning, as promised, Cal was waiting outside. Instead of his flashy sports car, he had a dust-covered SUV. There was something eerily peaceful about it all—the stillness of the morning, the barely audible rustle of the trees in the chilly breeze, and the soft purr of the engine. It felt like the calm before an inevitable storm.

As Ellie approached, Cal stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to her. The wind had tousled his hair, and his eyes held that familiar mischievous twinkle. He all but buzzed with excitement, like a kid on his way to Disney.

He was enjoying this.

How the hell was he enjoying this when her stomach was in so many knots that she felt like she'd swallowed a ball of yarn?

"Morning." He reached for her suitcase, then pulled open the passenger door for her. "Ready?"

His voice was casual, as if they were headed out on a simple road trip. Nothing more.

No. She wasn't ready in the least.

"As I'll ever be. Where's your car?" she asked as she slid into the seat. Her heart pounded with anticipation and anxiety. She wished she could match his carefree demeanor, but the effort was beyond her reach. She was too nervous.

"Traded with Pierce for the week," Cal replied. "Figured we'd run into rugged terrain."

"I just saw him last night when I dropped Puzzle off at the rescue. He didn't mention…" She trailed off and flushed. Of course Pierce didn't mention it. He couldn't talk due to an injury he'd sustained in the Army and communicated primarily through sign language. While she'd learned a little bit over the past year, it wasn't enough to hold a conversation. "When did you find the time to learn sign language?"

Was the man made of energy?

"When I realized it would be useful in my line of work. Defendants come in all shapes, sizes, and communication methods. And I like Pierce. He's an interesting guy, and I wanted to be able to talk to him." He gently shut her door, circled the back to stow her suitcase, and then climbed behind the wheel.

"You continue to surprise me, Callum," she murmured.

For once, Cal didn't respond with a smirk or a cocky retort. Instead, he flicked a glance at her. "It's important to stay versatile."

Ellie looked at him sidelong as he shifted into reverse and backed out of her driveway. He wore an expression of seriousness that she seldom saw in him. Could it be that he was as nervous as she was about their little excursion?

She wanted to ask him, but some part of her was afraid of what his answer might be.

"Oh," he said suddenly. "Check in the glove box."

Ellie hesitated before opening it and sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the ring box sitting there.

She slowly picked up the box. It was expensive-looking, a velvety black case that could only mean one thing. She glanced at Cal, who still wore that unfamiliar serious expression.

"I— what is this?" Her voice was strangled. Her heart banged around in her chest like a wild thing trying to escape.

"Just open it," Cal responded, his voice firm but gentle.

With trembling fingers, she did. A beautiful princess-cut diamond sparkled at her from its satin bed. She gasped, caught between awe and panic. She couldn't form words.

"We're playing a married couple," he reminded.

Nope.

No way.

She shut the ring box and stuffed it back into the glove compartment. "Okay, I think we should set some ground rules for this… this undercover mission."

Cal blinked at her in surprise. "Ground rules?"

"Like… while we're at the retreat. We're just pretending to be a couple, so no…" She looked down at her hands in her lap. "No physical stuff. No kissing. Definitely no sex."

He frowned. "If I can't touch you, people will get suspicious."

"Not necessarily. Lots of couples don't like PDAs. Besides, we're playing the part of a couple in marital trouble. This is the last-ditch effort for Cal and Ellie Miller to save their marriage."

His scowl only deepened, and it looked weird on him. His face was made for grinning. "But we want them to think their program is healing us, so, at some point, we'll need to at least?—"

"We can hug," she decided. "Nothing else."

"Okay," he said slowly and focused on the road. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to look at the glove box.