Page 28 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

“—and as you can see from page three, we’ve actually increased overall donations by twelve percent compared to this quarter last year, despite the economy,” Jade said, gesturing to the handout she’d distributed.

Mr. Forester, whose hardware store had supported the church for three generations, beamed with satisfaction. “The community appreciation day was a smart investment.”

“Agreed,” Jade replied, grateful for the supportive comment.

Board meetings were no one’s idea of fun, but quarterly financial reviews ranked particularly low on the enthusiasm scale.

At least her meticulous preparation was paying off, helping demonstrate her value to the church despite the whispers that had followed her into the room.

News of Gillian Wycoff’s arrest had clearly spread—conversations had halted abruptly when Jade entered, replaced by overly bright smiles and careful inquiries about her weekend.

No one directly mentioned what had happened, creating an undercurrent of awkward tension that made her shoulder blades tighten.

Her gaze drifted to the back of the room where Deke had positioned himself, ostensibly checking his phone but clearly monitoring the room with practiced ease.

He’d insisted on accompanying her despite her protests that a church board meeting hardly constituted a high-risk environment.

Now, watching him look so capable yet so obviously out of place among the blazers and sensible dresses of the board members, she felt a rush of warmth she immediately tried to suppress.

This wasn’t real. It was protection detail, nothing more. And even if it were something more ... she couldn’t build anything meaningful on half-truths and omissions.

“Moving on to the ministry budgets,” Jade continued, advancing to the next slide with a practiced click.

Kent Wycoff sat at the head of the table, his tailored suit and composed demeanor offering no cracks in his professional veneer—no indication that his wife had been arrested just yesterday for harassing Jade.

She moved through her presentation efficiently, walking the board through each ministry’s quarterly performance with clear explanations that made the numbers accessible without being condescending, a skill her father had taught her early.

Marks were easier to coax into trust when they believed you were honest and plain-spoken.

Shame tinged her cheeks with heat. Then, she’d used her abilities to manipulate.

Now, she used them to serve. The contrast never failed to humble her.

“Under miscellaneous expenses,” she said, reaching the final section of her report, “I wanted to bring attention to this storage contract that came across my desk last week.” She distributed copies of the letter.

“I don’t have any record that we’re actually using this facility.

I also can’t find any record of current payments.

If we are, we need to update our inventory records.

If not, we should terminate the contract. ”

Henry Thurston, a silver-haired board member with a perpetual expression of displeasure, cleared his throat loudly.

“This is hardly worth the board’s time, Ms. Villanueva.

We’ve rented storage before. I’m sure we’ll do it again.

If, as you say, we’re not paying for it, what’s the problem?

Most likely the Fall Festival committee considered storage and then decided against it. ”

“The contract is current, Mr. Thurston,” Jade replied evenly. “I just want the Board’s permission to terminate it. We can enter into another contract if we need to rent space. It keeps our paperwork cleaner.”

Thurston’s voice rose sharply, his face flushing. “Can we not waste the board’s valuable time with this rummage-sale nonsense? You can handle this later. We have more important matters to discuss.”

The vehemence of his response caught Jade off guard. The storage contract was a minor matter. His reaction felt wildly disproportionate.

“Back off, Henry. Ms. Villanueva is just doing her job,” Kent Wycoff interjected smoothly. “Though I agree this is likely just old paperwork that needs clearing up.” He shot Thurston a warning glance before continuing, “I’ll look into it myself. Now, shall we move on to the youth ministry budget?”

Jade nodded and continued her presentation, but her mind kept returning to Thurston’s strange reaction. She caught Deke’s subtle nod from the back of the room—he’d noticed too.

“Let’s take fifteen minutes,” Kent announced after they’d covered the major budget items. “When we return, we’ll discuss the sanctuary carpet replacement options.”

Board members broke into small clusters, some heading for the coffee and cookies at the side table. Jade busied herself organizing her notes, keenly aware of glances being cast her way.

“That was interesting,” Deke murmured, approaching her table while others were distracted.

“Thurston’s reaction?” she asked quietly.

“Among other things.” His eyes flicked meaningfully toward Kent Wycoff, who was engaged in conversation with Pastor Dan. “I’m stepping out to update the team.”

As Deke slipped out, Jade noticed Sarah hovering uncertainly near the door. The young woman’s eyes were red-rimmed, her normally cheerful face drawn with worry.

Jade approached her, concerned. “Sarah? Are you okay?”

“Can we ... ?” Sarah gestured toward the small office adjacent to the conference room.

Once inside, Sarah’s composure crumbled. “I just found out,” she said, tears welling. “About Chad. That he was the one ... stalking you. I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

Sarah pressed a hand to her chest. “I feel like I do. I should have warned you about him.”

“You had no idea he was stalking me. I didn’t even know until a couple days ago.”

Sarah nodded miserably. “I know. And thanks for that. I just … We dated. I broke up with him over a year ago. He was ...” she hesitated, “violent. Controlling. I never thought ... if I’d had any idea he would target you, I would have said something.”

Understanding dawned. “That’s how Gillian found him,” Jade murmured, pieces clicking into place.

“What?” Sarah looked confused.

“Nothing,” Jade shook her head, refocusing on the distressed young woman. “Sarah, this isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

“But I should have warned someone what he was capable of,” Sarah insisted, wiping at her tears. “Especially after I started volunteering here.”

Jade touched Sarah’s arm gently. “You’re not responsible for his actions. You got yourself out of a dangerous situation. That took courage.”

She knew too well how shame could silence victims, how the past could become a cage if you let it.

“Thank you,” Sarah whispered, visibly relieved. “I was so afraid you’d hate me.”

“Never,” Jade assured her. “But I am glad you’re safe now.”

As Sarah left, Jade considered this new information. Gillian Wycoff had hired Chad Delgado. Chad had dated Sarah. Was it coincidence, or had Gillian specifically sought out someone with a connection to the church? And if so, why?

Lost in thought, she almost collided with Kent Wycoff as board members began filtering back into the room.

“Ms. Villanueva,” he said, his voice pitched low enough that others couldn’t hear.

He held her gaze with an intensity that made her instinctively straighten her spine.

“You have an apology coming. I can’t make it now, not until the upcoming .

.. legal proceedings ... get resolved, but for now, I just want to say I’m pleased you’re unharmed. ”

Before she could respond, he turned and walked back to his seat at the head of the table, leaving her confused. Was he apologizing for his wife’s actions? Or for something else entirely?

The second half of the meeting passed in a blur.

Kent steered the discussion with practiced efficiency, firmly redirecting whenever conversations threatened to veer into controversial territory.

Thurston remained subdued after Kent’s earlier intervention, offering only minimal comments on the carpet replacement debate that consumed the final thirty minutes.

Jade presented the remaining financial information on autopilot, her mind spinning with new questions. The simple explanation—that Gillian Wycoff had hired Chad Williams to harass her—suddenly felt incomplete.

Why would Gillian target her?

Sarah’s revelation added another layer, and Kent’s cryptic apology suggested depths she couldn’t fathom.

As the meeting adjourned, she gathered her materials slowly, watching Deke in conversation with Pastor Dan across the room.

He looked strangely at ease, even though a church board meeting couldn’t be less aligned with a special-ops background.

She imagined how he might appear at future gatherings, not as a bodyguard but as a partner. The fantasy nearly broke her.

Because it could never happen. Deke still didn’t know everything about her past. In fact, he knew practically nothing.

If he did, would he want her anywhere near DJ?

The boy had already experienced one mother’s betrayal.

How would Deke react to learning Jade had spent years helping her father con vulnerable people? And worse, that she’d been good at it?

“Ready to go?” Deke’s voice broke through her reverie as he approached.

“Almost,” she replied, sliding her laptop into its case. “Did your team spot anything interesting about Thurston?”

“Nothing yet, but they’ll keep digging. That reaction was ...” he trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Suspicious,” she supplied. “And strange, considering the storage issue is so minor.”

“Exactly.” Deke helped her gather the remaining papers. “What did Kent want? I saw him talking to you during the break.”

Jade recounted Kent’s odd quasi-apology. “It felt sincere, but cryptic. Like he knows something we don’t.”

“Or he’s positioning himself as the reasonable husband with the unstable wife,” Deke suggested, ever the detective. “Creating distance between himself and whatever Gillian’s done.”

Jade hadn’t considered that angle. “You think he could be involved?”

“I think nobody reacts that calmly to their spouse being arrested unless they were expecting it.” Deke’s expression was thoughtful. “And I think we should look more closely at that storage facility.”

As they headed back toward the office, Jade filled him in on Sarah’s revelation about Chad. The building was silent, except for the last few board members heading to their cars.

“So Chad had a connection to the church through Sarah,” Deke mused. “That explains how Gillian might have found him. But why target you specifically?”

“I keep coming back to that question,” Jade admitted. “I barely know Gillian. We’ve exchanged maybe ten sentences total since I started volunteering here.”

Deke set the files on the desk Jade used, stacking them with his typical precision. “Zara and Kenji will do their computer magic and dig into Thurston and the Wycoffs, but I also think we need to visit that storage facility,” Deke finally said. “Tomorrow, first thing.”

Jade nodded, but her mind had already drifted again—not to the case, but to the man standing before her. She could so easily lean into him, draw strength from his solid presence. But the same barriers remained—her past, his son, the professional boundaries still technically between them.

“What?” he asked, noticing her extended silence.

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Just ... thank you. For being here tonight.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” he replied, then caught himself. “I mean—professionally speaking.”

The qualifier hung between them, a reminder of all the things unsaid. Jade smiled sadly, knowing they were both playing the same game—pretending this was still just protection detail when it had clearly become something more.

She just wasn’t sure what that something was—or if it could survive the truth she’d eventually have to tell.