by Leslie North
The Admiral’s SEALs
The SEAL’s Surprise Son
The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny
The SEAL’s Pregnant Ex
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, MAY 2020
Copyright © 2020 Relay Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Leslie North is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.
Cover Design by Mayhem Cover Creations.
www.relaypub.com
Blurb
After a mission where he exposed one of his team members as a traitor, Navy SEAL Alex Vale just wants to be alone to process what went wrong. But when he gets home, he’s anything but alone. His ex-girlfriend, Soledad Hayes, is in his house and… surprise! She’s in labor. With his child. Alex would never abandon his child the way his own mother did, so he vows to be there for his son, Luke. If that means inviting Soledad and the baby to live with him until she can afford a place of her own, then so be it. He couldn’t risk giving Soledad his heart, but he still cares for her. But soon after Soledad and Luke come home, Alex learns the SEAL he called out is set on revenge. The safest place for Soledad and Luke is far from him—even if she’ll never forgive him for pushing her away again.
Soledad grew up being taught that the Hayes women were cursed when it comes to men, and she’s no different. Falling for Alex was such a mistake. Even worse, she can’t stop thinking about the three of them as a real family, wondering what it would be like if Alex stayed around long-term. After all, it was his refusal to commit that caused their break-up in the first place. Alex might make her blood run hot and her heart sing, but she’s convinced he’ll also leave her. Soledad still loves him, but that doesn’t mean he loves her enough to stay. Even though she’d hoped—foolishly—that this time would be different, that the curse would be broken.
When Alex is faced with his worst fears, it will take some doing… but maybe he can finally reverse the Hayes curse, overcome his own demons, and win Soledad’s heart forever.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
End of The SEAL’s Pregnant Ex
Thank You!
About Leslie
Also by Leslie
1
Alex thanked the ride-share driver, shouldered his duffel bag, and dug his house keys from the pocket of his BDUs. God, he was glad to be home. As he stood in front of his townhouse, he tried to let the tension roll off him. It wouldn’t go. He needed solitude and time to recover from his last mission, the worst of his career—and not for any of the usual reasons.
He headed for the door, pausing to listen when he heard a dog barking. Maybe one of his neighbors had gotten a dog while he’d been gone, or maybe he had new neighbors. He’d have to check that out—it was always smart to be aware of one’s surroundings—but that could wait for a bit. After eight long months in Afghanistan, he could at least take the rest of the day off before rechecking the surrounding area.
He shrugged off the barking and put his key in the lock, ready to get started on the R & R he’d promised himself, which would include some decision-making about his future.
He shoved the door open and instantly sensed that something was off. He let the duffel drop to the floor as he scanned his surroundings. A woman’s purse hung from a hook near the door. There was something very familiar about the distinctive bag, navy blue with a small hot-air balloon embroidered on the flap. Soledad. He’d last seen it slung over her shoulder the day they broke up, before he left for his mission.
A book on a side table caught his attention next. What to Expect When You’re—What the hell?
Despite his reeling mind, his body reacted to the flash of movement to his right. With an iron grip he seized an arm, stopping its progress before it slammed something down on his head.
“Soledad?” he asked.
“Alex?” she whispered.
They’d spoken at the same time, eyes locked. Hers were deep brown with gold flecks. They were what had attracted him to her in the first place. She’d held him mesmerized when he’d been buying a new pair of jeans at the department store where she worked. She’d waited on him, flirting a bit, and he’d asked her out before his credit card even processed.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded breathlessly, lowering her arm and the weapon, which he now saw was a ceramic pot containing an Easter cactus.
“It’s my house,” he said, controlling his tone. “What are you doing here?” Before she could answer, his gaze slid from her face down her long neck to her breasts. How had he forgotten their fullness? Forgotten the valley between them and how he liked to…
A wave of lust rolled through him as he remembered the last time they’d made love, just up those stairs in his bedroom. It had been bittersweet, both of them knowing the relationship was ending. The following morning she’d been gone from his life. But they’d been good together while it lasted, which had been way longer than any of his previous entanglements.
Maybe she’d agree to some “nice to see you again” sex. Nothing serious. He’d never wanted that, which is what had split them apart. But a hot fling might take his mind off his troubles.
Her eyes widened, and her face flushed. Was she reading his mind?
“Oh,” Soledad grunted, doubling over, her hands going to her stomach.
“Jesus,” he muttered, his eyes now glued to the large bump under her shirt. His lust disappeared. There was only one reason for that kind of belly on a woman who’d had the body of an athlete just months ago. His thoughts leaped back to the title of the book on the side table, the words processing in his head. What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
“Are you pregnant?” He got the question out despite the rushing noise in his head. Pregnant. Soledad was pregnant and living in his house. What the hell?
“No,” she gasped, still bent over. “I just swallowed… a basketball whole. Look at me. Of course I’m pregnant.”
Okay. Now what did he do? He was a decorated and highly trained SEAL. He could handle a pregnant woman, right? Because she seemed to need something. This couldn’t be normal behavior. He shoved aside the million questions in his brain and took her arm.
“You should sit down,” he said, trying to lead her toward the couch.
“No. Can’t.
” She didn’t budge, shaking off his hand on her arm. “I think… oh, my gosh.” They both looked down to see fluid run down her legs from under her shorts.
“Shit,” he said, temporarily stunned into inaction.
“My water broke,” she said as streams of liquid reached her knees.
Yeah, he’d figured that out. He shook himself, jarring his mind to think and body to act. What was a rational question at that moment? Intel. He needed intel. “When are you due?”
“Last week. I’m overdue by eight days,” she explained, straightening a little and sounding far calmer than he felt. “You startled me. Maybe that spurred labor on. I don’t know, but I think this baby is coming. Now.”
“Don’t move,” he commanded, leaving her in the entryway and heading for the kitchen, where he always left the keys to his truck on a hook when he deployed. He hoped like hell there was enough gas in the tank to get to the hospital—and that the battery wasn’t dead.
“Whoa, who are you?” Alex asked a knee-high brown-and-black dog that tucked its tail between its legs and backed away from him with a sharp bark.
“That’s Frankie,” Soledad called. “Come here, girl.”
He snagged the keys and returned to Soledad, who leaned over as best she could to stroke the dog’s ears.
“She’s yours?” he questioned, eyeing the animal. Soledad hadn’t had a pet while they’d dated.
“Yep. Frankie, meet Alex. Alex, this is Frankie.” Soledad spoke as though this was just a meet and greet and she wasn’t about to have a baby in the entry of his townhouse.
“Later,” Alex said. “We need to get you to the hospital. Do you have a bag packed?” Isn’t that what women did to prepare for the birth? It seemed logical.
“In the hall closet,” she said, holding on to her stomach again. “Light blue. On the floor.”
He went to the closet and retrieved a Nike athletic bag. Frankie followed his every move, pushing her nose against his leg, and Alex realized she posed a problem that had to be solved in the next two minutes. “Can we leave Frankie alone? Is she trained?”
“I already arranged for Gina to watch her when the baby came. Just go knock on her door.” Soledad reached for the bag, but he swung it over his shoulder.
“Who’s Gina?” he asked.
“Your neighbor,” Soledad said, shooting him a quizzical look. “Don’t you know her?”
He shrugged. “Never bothered much with the neighbors.” As long as they weren’t a threat, they were irrelevant. “Which side?” He needed to meet his neighbor and dump the dog on her pronto if he was reading this situation correctly.
“I’ve got it.” Soledad pulled out her phone and dialed. “Hi, Gina. My water broke, so I’m going to the hospital. Can you come get Frankie?”
Soledad listened for a few seconds before speaking again. “No, I’m fine. Alex just arrived home, so he’ll take me. I appreciate it.” She clicked off and turned to him.
For a brief moment he wondered if he’d suffered some sort of memory loss. Had he known about all this? The pregnancy? The dog? Had his and Soledad’s relationship ended differently than he remembered? Had he somehow suppressed vital information about them during his last mission?
“Oh, God. Another one.” Soledad doubled over with a contraction, bringing Alex’s thoughts back to the immediate issue.
“Hospital. Now.” He took her arm when she was able to stand up, calculating that he had a few minutes to get her in the truck before another contraction hit her. An older woman he supposed was Gina was striding across the lawn toward them when he got Soledad outside. “Dog’s in the house.”
“I’ll get her and lock up. Good luck, sweetie,” Gina said to Soledad.
Alex didn’t take time for the niceties. He could formally meet and thank his neighbor later. He keyed in the code for the garage door and got Soledad into the truck, reaching around to buckle her in before going to the driver’s side.
Thankfully, the truck started right up. As he backed out of the driveway and planned the fastest route to the hospital, his mind spun with another concern. The one he hadn’t let himself fully acknowledge until then. Was this baby his child? He did some quick math. Highly likely, he decided, considering he and Soledad had dated exclusively for several months prior to his last deployment.
Later he’d ask the questions and figure it out. For now, he sped toward the hospital, hoping for light traffic and a string of green lights. Soledad made a call to her obstetrician’s office to let them know she was in labor. Other than that, she said nothing on the drive, but he could hear her trying to manage the pain by breathing through the contractions. She was making the sounds he associated with birth scenes in movies, but this wasn’t a movie. This appeared to be his life.
With the ruthless concentration he’d learned as a SEAL, he controlled his emotions and focused on the task at hand. After the ten-minute drive, he whipped into the driveway of the red brick structure and pulled up to the emergency room entrance. An orderly came out with a wheelchair for Soledad. By the time Alex parked and jogged in, she was at a reception window. Her face was covered with a sheen of sweat as she huffed out rapid breaths, but she was safely at the hospital. His job, at least for now, was done.
He glanced toward the waiting room, expecting to remain there, but the nurse talking to Soledad waved him over and soon let him know that she had a different idea.
“That’s right. Just breathe. You’re doing great.” The steely-haired woman with a name tag that read “Marge” turned to him. “I have a few questions. What was she dilated to at her last appointment, and when was that?”
Alex stared at the woman, wishing he knew the answers, but this was a language he didn’t speak.
“Three,” Soledad grunted, “and it was on Tuesday.”
“History of high blood pressure?”
“No,” Soledad said.
“Complications with the pregnancy?” Marge asked, checking off boxes on a clipboard.
What was it with the questions, he wanted to demand. Just take her to a room before she had the baby right there.
“No. Totally normal.”
“We’ll get you upstairs right away. Dr. Shaffer called to say he was on the way. You come up with us.” Marge assessed his uniform. “Looks like you just made it. You’re the father, I assume.”
Huh? What could he answer? Maybe? I don’t know? Christ, he hated being out of the loop and out of his comfort zone. Everything about this situation made him feel lost, but he had to respond.
“He is.” Soledad spoke before he could and held out her hand to him.
He didn’t hesitate to take it. As he gripped her fingers like a lifeline, everything else drained away for a moment. He was going to be a father. Today. Something he never expected to be, something he was scared shitless of being.
What the hell did he know about being a dad? His own had been no example.
Soledad gave him a tiny smile, and he put away the worry, replacing it with determination. Whatever happened, he’d be there for his kid and Soledad.
2
Alex cradled his infant son in his arms as he carefully climbed the stairs in his townhouse. A week had passed since Luke’s rapid entrance into the world, and Alex wasn’t yet used to holding a baby. He was getting there, though, despite his fear of dropping Luke. When did parents get over that? He’d asked one of the nurses in the hospital that question. She’d laughed and replied, “Never completely—and once you get over that fear, being a parent will bring on ten more.”
He was a parent. A father. He’d repeated those words to himself over and over, which made them more real but left some unanswered questions. And he didn’t think he could wait much longer to know. While she was recovering in the hospital, he and Soledad had agreed to a conversation about what happened.
Alex grinned as he entered the nursery. He knew what had happened. He and Soledad had made love and conceived what was now a seven-day-old baby. Luke’s eyes flickered open, focu
sing on Alex’s face. No doubt this was his kid. The baby’s blue eyes and thick black hair confirmed it. Not that Alex had doubted Soledad’s word.
He still had questions, however. But he wanted Soledad to be rested before putting those questions to her. She deserved that, and caring for a newborn was way more intense than Alex had realized. Feedings and diaper changes seemed continuous, along with lots of time spent with Luke on one of their shoulders or rocking back and forth until he slept—as Alex just had. Not that he minded being there for his son.
After feeding Luke, Soledad had suggested that they’d have an hour or so if Alex could settle him in the crib. A challenging feat, Alex had learned. Slowly, he lowered the baby into the frilly, fabric-trimmed bed, getting him down without waking him again. Luke stretched his arms over his head and gave a little contented sigh.
Alex watched him for a minute, still amazed that he’d had any part in creating something so perfect. As much as it shocked him, his brothers hadn’t batted an eye when he’d called them from the hospital to tell them the news. In truth, his calls to them had started as confrontations. He had assumed that they had known about Soledad’s pregnancy and that she was living in his house, and he was pissed they hadn’t contacted him with that information.
Neither had known, he’d realized quickly. While he was gone on his mission, his brothers were busy with their own lives. Zach had a new baby daughter, just six months old, and Colin’s wife was pregnant herself. Zach had teased and congratulated Alex on being there for Luke’s birth. That had been very different from how his brother’s families started. Zach had discovered he had a son when the boy was fourteen months old, and Colin’s daughter was adopted.