by Leslie North
“We’ll get Mia there in time,” his dad said while Margaret got the girls into coats. “Do you have the rings?”
Kenton patted his pocket and felt for the two gold bands tied together with a ribbon. “Got ’em.”
“I won’t see you again before the wedding, son. Remember to enjoy it.”
“I will,” Kenton promised and gave both his parents a hug before getting the girls in his truck. At the church, Shasta took charge of the twins, waiting with them until it was time for them to walk down the aisle as the flower girls.
“Ready?” Patrick asked him. Like him, Patrick and Anderson were in uniform. Kenton hadn’t been able to decide which of his two closest buddies should be his best man. They’d finally gotten together one evening, had a beer, and flipped a coin. Patrick won the toss and would stand next to him, but Anderson was giving the speech at the reception.
“Think so.” He felt nervous about the wedding but not about the marriage. That was going to be pure bliss, based on the past two months. It had been a busy time, but his house had come alive with little girls giggling and a beautiful woman wrapped around him at night. It had all gone by so quickly. He was hoping to slow things down on the honeymoon.
“Got the rings?” Patrick asked as they made their way to the front of the church.
Kenton laughed at that. “Does everybody ask that question?”
“Guess so.” Patrick blew a kiss to his wife, daughter, and two-year-old son where they sat in the front pew.
Music was playing from the pipe organ in the balcony as everyone settled into their seats. When Anderson escorted Margaret to her seat, Kenton knew the wedding was about to begin. Soon, the song changed to the familiar tune of the “Wedding March,” and he focused his eyes on Ava and Emma as they started down the aisle. Each carried a basket of red roses and holly leaves, and they looked quite proud of themselves as they stayed in step and smiled at everyone. The wedding guests were enraptured. In the past months, Emma had mellowed ever so slightly, and Ava had found her voice more. Both seemed to be finding their personality.
When they reached him, he bent down and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before they took their seats alongside his mother. He straightened and spied Mia entering the church on his father’s arm. God, she was gorgeous. Her dress was a grown-up version of what the girls wore. Yards of white fabric, and a red ribbon encircling her slender waist. The strapless design showed off her lovely, kissable shoulders. But the best part was the smile on her face when she reached him.
He took her arm, and his dad stepped back, and the rest was magical. When the ceremony was over and he got to kiss the bride, their guests erupted in applause, making them both laugh.
“Us, too.” Emma tugged on his pant leg. “We want kisses.”
He squatted next to the girls and gathered them to him. “I love you both,” he said and gave them the kisses they demanded. Mia had tears in his eyes when he stood up. He leaned close to her to whisper in her ear. “I love you most.”
“I love you most, too,” she whispered back, “and that’s a lot, because I love them like anything.”
“Me, too,” he said, and then they each took a girl by the hand and the four of them walked back down the aisle together to lead their guests to the reception.
Since Mia had insisted that the party be fun, not formal, there was a cupcake at every place setting. As she’d said, why wait for the cake to be cut? She’d also wanted lots of Christmas decorations to celebrate the season and the occasion. The reception hall was ornamented with sparkly white snowflakes, fresh greenery, and red ribbon.
Later in the evening, Kenton and Mia were on the dance floor when he noticed a hush fall over the room. He looked around at the smiling faces. His parents, Emma and Ava, Mia’s friends from the bakery, his buddies, their wives, and their kids.
“I think they may want something,” he said to Mia.
“They want us to kiss.” She leaned back in his arms and pointed above her to a sprig of mistletoe tied with ribbon.
“Happy to oblige,” he said, putting his arm behind her waist and dipping her backward in a dramatic, Hollywood-style kiss. He caught the surprise on her face before he kissed her and felt a little proud of himself.
“So spontaneous of you,” she said when he righted her. “I’m impressed.”
“I plan to spend the next week and a half impressing you with my spontaneity. When can we leave?” They’d danced, eaten cake, smiled excessively, and had their pictures taken. He wanted to be away with his bride.
“I think now’s good. I’m ready to be alone with you, but you still haven’t told me where we’re going.” She’d asked him repeatedly, especially when she was trying to pack for the trip. He’d only said that they would be going someplace warm.
“That’s because I don’t know.” He confessed the secret that he’d been keeping from her.
“You didn’t plan something?” Her eyes went wide when he shook his head.
“As a matter of fact, we’re going to decide right now.” He turned to Anderson and Patrick. “Bring out the map, please.” His buddies produced a large map of the southeastern states and attached it to a corkboard wall. Kenton handed Mia two darts and held two himself.
“What am I supposed to do with these?” She rolled the darts between her fingers and eyed him.
He steered her to a spot ten feet in front of the map. The wedding guests formed a half circle behind them. “Throw the darts and see where they land.”
“This is how we’re going to pick our destinations. Works for me,” she said and squinted at the map. “Here goes.”
Her first dart hit Key Largo, Florida. Perfect. It should be warm and sunny there. The second dart stuck in St. Augustine. Even better: the oldest city in the US hosted a massive Christmas lights festival. Even though Kenton hadn’t made definite plans, he’d naturally researched possibilities.
She nodded, seeming satisfied with her choices. “Your turn.”
He gauged the relative distance between her two picks. Where else would fit well with those destinations? He wasn’t planning, not really, but he also didn’t want to spend the time driving. He had plenty of other ideas of how to spend their honeymoon. He threw his first dart, and it bull’s-eyed into Savannah, Georgia, an elegant and romantic city and the perfect place to begin their trip. A route took shape in his head, but where to put his last dart?
He smiled at her. “Any preferences?”
“Can you hit what you aim for?” she asked, looking at the map again.
“Usually.” And he might have spent some time practicing recently. Leaving things entirely to chance would never quite work for him.
“In that case…” She leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll confess a secret passion for theme parks.”
He grinned, her words making his final throw easy. His dart sailed through the air and stuck in Orlando.
Their wedding trip couldn’t have worked out better even if he’d planned it. After kissing and hugging the girls, shaking hands, and thanking people for their well wishes, they walked to his truck, which was pulled up to the entrance of the reception hall.
“What the…” He stopped walking, bringing Mia to a standstill next to him. She burst into laughter at the sight. Someone had decorated his truck. He shot a look toward Anderson and Patrick, who were both cackling like hyenas. Streamers hung from the antenna and mirrors, hearts were drawn on the windows, and a Just Married sign hung on the tailgate.
Kenton smiled, remembering how much his friends and family loved him and he loved them. That’s what the day had been all about.
“Are you ready to depart, Mrs. Fitzpatrick?” he asked Mia.
“I am,” she said. After one last hug for the girls, he helped his bride into the truck, carefully tucking her dress in around her. When he was in the driver’s seat, he felt a sense of freedom that he’d never experienced before. They were going on a road trip, the two of them, for a week of nothing but en
joyment.
Kenton honked his horn and pulled away. As they turned onto the street, he reached for Mia’s hand. “I love you,” he said, wrapping his fingers around hers. “I plan to say that often in the coming years.”
“That’s a plan I’m happy to agree with. Now, let’s go have some fun.”
End of The SEAL’s Instant Family
Hartsville’s SEAL Heroes Book Three
The SEAL’s Convenient Wife, 31 December 2020
The SEAL’s Surprise Baby, 7 January 2021
The SEAL’s Instant Family, 14 January 2021
PS: Do you love hot blooded SEALS? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Protecting The Single Mother and Guarding The Single Mother.
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About Leslie
Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
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BLURB
Former Navy SEAL Michael Rinaldi has one rule: no second chances. So when his ex hires his security firm to keep her and her friends safe after they witness a murder, he convinces himself he’ll be fine. Single mom Nicole Zito may have been the love of his life, but he’s confident his second chance rule will keep him and his heart perfectly safe. But he can’t deny his protective instincts when Nicole shows him the threatening email she received that disturbingly included a picture of her young son, Grant. They both agree to keep things on a professional level. But protecting Nicole means being with her, and being with her and ignoring his heart is turning out to be a lot tougher than he thought.
Even though Nicole still has feelings for Michael, she knows he’s the best man for the job. No one is more focused than he is. No one is better at shutting down his emotions. One thing she never expected, though, was how perfect it would feel to be with him again, tucked away in a quiet cabin with him and her son…almost like a real family. It’s everything she wants, but she doesn’t know if it’s something she can have. If they ever get rid of the danger chasing her, will their fragile new bond come to an end, too? She’s falling fast for her sexy SEAL, all she has to do is convince him their love is worth a second chance…
Grab your copy of
Protecting The Single Mother
Available 04 April 2021
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
EXCERPT
Chapter one
Nicole linked her arm through her friend’s and hugged her close. “You can do this.”
“I can do this,” Holly repeated, then gave Nicole one of her bright, I’ve-got-it-all-handled Holly smiles. Still, there were faint tired circles under her eyes, and her expression was strained. Not surprising, but still it made Nicole hug her closer.
“Of course you can,” Charlotte, the third member of their trio, said. Charlotte had, unsurprisingly, been the one to remember to bring an umbrella. And, in typical Charlotte fashion, it was enormous and sturdy and would probably last for years, which is why it didn’t matter—Charlotte had assured them—that it was also completely hideous. But at least it was big enough for the three of them to huddle underneath.
It was mid-afternoon—a slow time for their salon, fortunately. But even if it had been their busiest time of day in their busiest time of year—even if they had celebrities three deep waiting to get ready for the Met Gala—Nicole would’ve shut down the salon that the three women ran together so they could go with Holly. Their friend needed support, and Nicole and Charlotte would face down any obstacle to make sure that she got it. Even if that meant slogging through the rain to visit a man that none of them were particularly interested in seeing ever again.
At this time of day, and with the weather, the meatpacking district was practically empty. It was raining, one of those shimmering, relentless summer showers, that turned several patches of the pavement treacherously slick. Nicole decided that that was the reason why they were moving so slowly—because they were afraid of slipping. Not because they were stalling. Nicole was not one to stall. On the contrary, she prided herself on facing every challenge with strength and assurance. But Zak wasn’t a challenge—he was just a nuisance.
Nicole shook several tendrils of her dark, curly hair out of her face, tamping down on her frustration. There were any number of things Nicole would rather be doing this afternoon than trudging out to face down Holly’s all-too-recent ex. And if Nicole was honest, a good part of the reason she agreed to come along was to make sure he stayed that way. But she’d promised Holly she’d play nice.
Holly gave Nicole a rueful look, her dark eyes slightly amused. “You still think this is a bad idea.”
“Of course she does,” Charlotte said in exactly the same tone, which made Holly laugh.
Nicole let herself relax enough to smile. Okay, so she hadn’t exactly been subtle about what she thought of Zak, or this little expedition. Holly hadn’t been dating Zak all that long before she ended things, admitting to Nicole and Charlotte that while he was cute, and not that bad in bed, her heart wasn’t really in it. “Besides,” Holly had told them at the time, “there’s something not quite right about whatever it is he’s doing at that bar. Something about it just feels shady.”
Then Holly had found out she was pregnant. Zak’s reaction, when Holly told him, was to say that he needed time to process the news. Then he stopped responding to her calls for more than a week. They’d been pretty sure he’d decided to ghost her when Zak had finally texted back, asking Holly to come by the bar he worked at before opening hours so they could talk about the baby.
“I think it’s your choice—and I support you no matter what you decide,” Nicole replied as diplomatically as she could. She didn’t say that she’d be surprised if Zak actually stepped up and wanted to be involved with the baby. She’d seen enough of him to know that he wasn’t exactly Father of the Year material.
“Thank you.” Holly rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder for a brief moment. “I need to do this. I owe it to Zak to at least hear him out. He and I weren’t meant to be, but he is the little bean’s dad, after all. And if he’s not interested in being a part of our lives…well, then at least I still have you guys.” She squeezed Nicole tight and threw her free arm around Charlotte to pull her into the hug.
Charlotte gave her a soft smile as she hugged Holly back. “Always.”
“Exactly,” Nicole agreed firmly. “We are going to be here for you, just like you two have always been there for me and Grant.”
Holly grinned and nodded as they approached McKinley’s, the hole in the wall where Zak tended bar. It looked like most of the lights were off inside, but when Holly knocked on the front door, there was a blur of movement before it swung open. Zak stuck his head out, all blonde, easy-going charm and a gleaming white smile. To be fair, it was a pretty great smile, all half-crooked and dimples winking. Maybe she could understand why Holly had tumbled into bed with him. He was cute—not the kind to make you weak at the knees, but he definitely had an older-brother’s-best-friend vibe that he was working to maximum effect. That smile probably tipped a lot of people over the edge. Wicked and playful, it was the kind of smile that said not to worry about anything, you could figure it out tomorrow. His grin dropped away, however, when he saw Nicole and Charlotte.
“I was hoping we could talk. Alone. Just the two of us,” Zak sa
id to Holly, a smile slipping easily back across his face. “If you don’t mind,” he added pointedly to Nicole. “This is kind of personal.”
Nicole grinned back at him. “Oh, I absolutely mind.”
“Holly asked us to come,” Charlotte said, her voice quiet but firm.
Holly nodded. “Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. We’re a package deal, Zak.”
“That’s not what you said when we were dating. Joking,” he said quickly, holding his hands up before Nicole could say anything. He didn’t look happy about it, but he stepped back and held the door open. “Come on in—all of you—and grab a seat. I just gotta finish cleaning up before we open.”
The bar was empty, and almost dark except for a few spare lights. The tables and bar gleamed wetly under the dim lights, as if they’d recently been wiped down, and there was a mop and bucket resting by the door. Several large black trash bags were piled up by a door at the back of the bar, with a sign that read STAFF ONLY.
Zak ran a hand through his artfully tousled hair. “You ladies want something to drink?”
A quick looked passed between the women, including some heavy-duty eye rolls. Holly pointed at her stomach. “Pregnant.”
“I know that. I meant like a soda or something. Can you have soda?” he asked Holly, a slightly worried look crossing his face.
The strain in Holly’s face softened for a moment. “Soda’s fine. Maybe a ginger ale?”
“Coming right up.” Zak poured one for Holly, then gave Charlotte a grateful look as she gently requested a club soda. Nicole simply stared him down. Zak shifted awkwardly, then headed towards the back door. The rusty hinges screeched as he heaved it open, propping it with his hip as he grabbed the trash bags. “I’ll be right back. I just gotta take out the trash. Hey, uh, Nicole? You mind giving me a hand?”