His Baby Secret - A Second Chance SEAL Romance (Once a SEAL, Always a SEAL Book 1)

by Layla Valentine

  “I forgive Dominic,” Harvey said finally. “Mainly as a favor to you. Because we shared the same womb, at the same time.”

  “Thank you,” Hannah began, but her twin held up a finger for her to wait.

  “I said I forgive him,” Harvey continued. “I didn’t say I trusted him. It’s going to take a lot for me to have faith in him again.”

  “Harvey, when he left seven years ago, he didn’t know what happened. I barely understood myself—I found out that I was pregnant just hours after he left.”

  How could she make her twin understand?

  Harvey shook his head. “He didn’t know what was happening then. He does now. And Hannah?” Her twin leaned close to her. “He just left again.”

  Her heart clenched in her chest, because she knew Harvey was right. Dominic had made all these promises, but he’d still all but run away from her. From Kira.

  “I have to go check on my daughter,” Hannah whispered, turning to go back into the restaurant.

  “Hannah, sweetie, hang on a second.” Josie detained Hannah gently, thumbing her cheeks. “Mascara ran just a little bit, but you’re good now.”

  “Thanks,” Hannah said faintly.

  The only comfort—and it was a cold comfort, indeed—was that Hannah didn’t wonder how she was going to get through this. She’d get through it because she had to. Because she didn’t have a choice. Because she’d done it before.

  Chapter 22

  Dominic

  “Retirement, huh?”

  “Yes, sir.” Dominic stood in front of his commanding officer, who was shuffling through the paperwork Dominic had completed to set into motion his exit from the Navy.

  “You’re still a young man,” the officer reasoned. “And your service record is impeccable. You could make a real career out of your time in the Navy, even if you set aside your mission work.”

  “Thank you for your vote of confidence, sir, but my place is in Tucson,” Dominic said. “My family’s there, and I’m going to try and do right by my daughter.”

  His commanding officer had been so shocked, initially, by Dominic’s request to leave the SEALs that Dominic had been forced to lay all his cards on the table. He didn’t quite have the kind of relationship with his commanding officer to just share life truths like that with him, but that was too bad.

  Dominic was determined to do the right thing. If he had to put himself out there to do it, then that was going to have to be his penance. He was sure Hannah had been through a lot more than he ever would have to go through.

  “I won’t lie, Riley,” his commanding officer said, tapping the edges of the papers on the desk to even them out. “I’m sorry to lose you, but I can’t say I blame you. Must’ve been a real kick in the teeth to find out you had a kid the way you did.”

  Dominic resisted the urge to shrug. Any lingering shock had worn off the moment he’d gotten off the plane, knowing for a fact that he didn’t belong with the Navy anymore. He belonged in Tucson, with the woman he loved and the daughter they’d created together.

  “Frankly, sir, I’m just glad I finally know,” he said. “That I have the chance to do the right thing. To be a man. And a father.”

  “It’s not an ideal situation,” his commanding officer admitted. “I just wish there were more men in the world like you.”

  “Sir? More men who didn’t know they were fathers until they found out at their best friend’s wedding?”

  “More men who’d do something about shitty situations once they found out.” His commanding officer sealed the sheaf of papers in a folder. “This is all in order. It’s been a pleasure, Riley.”

  “Sir.” Dominic gave one last salute and left.

  That was another chapter of his life coming to a close. The first one had been when he’d left Tucson, knowing it was unlikely he’d ever see his father again. Dominic halfway wondered whether the drill sergeant would agree to reopen their relationship now that he wasn’t serving in the Navy anymore, but Dominic had much more important things to focus on.

  His next move, after his meager belongings were packed, was to call Josie.

  “I need your help,” he told her as soon as she answered.

  “I’m a little surprised to hear from you,” Josie said. “The way you rushed off like that.”

  “I couldn’t be late,” Dominic said, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s a Navy thing. You’re not supposed to be late when you’re coming back from leave.”

  “I’m not judging you,” Josie said. “Just an observation. You could’ve disappeared completely, never to be heard from again, and no one would’ve been very surprised.”

  “That’s not what I’m going to do.”

  “And that’s why I’m surprised. Pleasantly surprised, Dominic. What can I help you with?”

  “I need a job,” he said. “I’m coming back to Tucson.”

  “Do you want me to check the classifieds section?”

  “No.” Dominic cleared his throat. He wasn’t about to feel shame for asking for help. Not when the end result would benefit his family. “I’m wondering if there’s any room for me in your squad. In the police force.”

  Josie was quiet for so long that Dominic checked the display on his phone to make sure the call was still connected.

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Dominic,” she said, her voice apologetic. “Harvey’s done nothing but rage against your very existence in this world for the last week. It would be a hostile work environment for sure.”

  “More hostile than the missions I went on as a Navy SEAL?” he asked.

  “Well, that’s for you to say. Besides, why would you want to leave the SEALs? That’s good work, and I have it on pretty good authority that it’s something you’re good at.”

  “I’m retired from the Navy, actually,” he said. “And I have a pretty good resume. Glowing references. Looking to become a police officer in Tucson. Moving there for my family.”

  “Dominic, I’m not unsympathetic. I’m rooting for you. I really am. I’m just telling you that I’m not sure it’s a good idea, putting you and Harvey in the same work environment. Or city. With weapons at your disposal, of all things.”

  “Josie, I’m going to put it as plainly as I can,” Dominic said, digging deep down inside of himself to find the right words to say to convince her. To show her his truth. “I am so in love with Hannah that it scares the shit out of me. She’s the first thing I think of when I get up in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. It has always been her. And I am desperate to be the best father I can be to Kira, to get to know her as the person she’s becoming. If I have to get a job as a janitor in order to come up with the money they need to live comfortably, I’ll do it. I just think that my skills would be better used in service of a law enforcement agency.”

  Josie let out a long breath that crackled in the phone.

  “Dammit, Dominic. Okay. We’re understaffed as is. The force was putting out ads everywhere trying to recruit, but none of the applicants are even remotely a possibility for us. Someone like you…you’re right. You’d do good work on the force, especially with your background. With your resume, the training itself would probably be expedited.”

  “So, this is happening?” Dominic asked, hope filling his body, making him feel lighter than usual. “This is a sure thing, Josie?”

  “If you get your ass to Tucson, there’ll be a path to a job for you on the force,” Josie said with a small sigh. “God, Dominic, don’t make me regret it.”

  “You’re never going to regret it. Never. No way.” Dominic typed furiously on his laptop. “Have you seen Hannah and Kira lately? Are they doing okay?”

  “I try to talk to them regularly,” Josie said slowly. Vaguely. “They seem to be doing all right.”

  “Josie…”

  “Hannah’s kind of withdrawn ever since the incident at the restaurant,” Josie admitted. “She doesn’t really want to see Harvey, but I can’t really blame
her.”

  “That’s bad,” Dominic said. “They’re really close.”

  “Not at the moment, I’m afraid.”

  “This is all going to get better,” he vowed. “I can guarantee you that.”

  “I’d like to accept that. I just know how stubborn Harvey can be, especially when it comes to Hannah.”

  “Can I ask you for one more favor?” Dominic asked. “I know I’m pushing my luck.”

  “Look, if you can nudge this family a little further away from dysfunction, I’d do just about anything for you,” Josie said. “Shoot.”

  “Could you maybe not mention to Hannah that I was in contact with you?”

  “Are you sure?” Josie sounded confused. “I think it would lift her spirits a little to get some news about you. I’m sure she’s worried.”

  “I’d rather talk to her myself,” he said. “After I’m established in Tucson. I want to prove to her that I’m serious about doing whatever I can to be there for her and Kira. That I’m serious.”

  “Well, if you really want me not to, I won’t. I just think she’d appreciate a call or something.”

  “I won’t leave her hanging for very much longer,” Dominic promised. “There’s just a lot of work to do to be worthy of her.”

  “Good luck,” Josie said. “I’ll make some calls, text you some links to paperwork and other information.”

  “Thank you, Josie. Seriously. I owe you one—more than one. I owe you everything.”

  “Just make things right, like you promised,” she said. “And then we’ll be even.”

  By the evening, Dominic had bought a one-way ticket to Tucson, submitted applications to both the police academy and the force, broken the lease on his current apartment, and made several appointments with a realtor in Tucson.

  And, he had the light at the end of the tunnel—finally doing the right thing with Hannah. He had a lot of work to do, sure. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Josie that. But every single task was another step closer to being the man he knew he could be for his daughter—and the woman he wanted to be his wife.

  Chapter 23

  Hannah

  How strangely time passed. In some ways, the weeks following Harvey and Josie’s wedding had passed in the blink of an eye. Maybe it was a blessing that Hannah always stayed so busy with work and Kira and trying to keep house, so that she didn’t have time to dwell on anything.

  Because, in the past month, she hadn’t heard from Dominic at all.

  She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Before the wedding, she hadn’t heard from Dominic in seven years.

  Hannah had just thought that this time would be different. That because they’d come together again, because the veil of secrecy between them had been lifted, that Dominic wouldn’t stay away. That he would—in between whatever he was doing—find time to contact her.

  Sure, things hadn’t ended well. Sure, Hannah was barely talking to Harvey, not sure what to say after the way everything had gone down. She didn’t need his ire—or his judgment—right now.

  She needed…well. Hannah couldn’t really put her finger on what she needed. She’d thought it would be as easy as admitting that she needed Dominic, but now she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t take this heartache anymore, so she did her best to focus on other things. She went above and beyond to work herself to the bone every day so that she didn’t stay awake longer than a couple of quick minutes when she laid down for bed.

  Because after dark? When everything was quiet, when she had time to think—that was the most dangerous part of Hannah’s day. The time when her chest throbbed with so many regrets it was hard to breathe.

  Which was why she was yanking weeds from beneath the bushes outside of their house and from the cracks in the sidewalk. Hannah knew that the other people who lived in this neighborhood probably looked at her house with a mixture of pity and disgust. She didn’t bother with landscaping or wind chimes or anything remotely decorative out here. She’d never had the money or taken the time. All she cared about was that the roof and four walls held, that the front door locked, and that she could make rent on time every month.

  Now, though, her house was cleaner than it had ever been. It was so clean that she didn’t have anything left to do inside of it, and that’s why she’d started cleaning the outside. Hannah knew that this kind of level of energy—even to distract herself from Dominic and what this latest absence might mean—wasn’t sustainable. But she’d keep going until she couldn’t anymore.

  That was just how it was going to be.

  Maybe the biggest lesson she should take away, she figured, as she swept errant dust and pebbles from the sidewalk leading out to the street, was that she should only rely on herself. That way, she wouldn’t be disappointed. There wouldn’t be any unfulfilled expectations. She knew what she was capable of, her limitations.

  She could simply focus on being a good enough parent that Kira didn’t even feel the absence of a father. And Hannah could just shut her heart down and forget about the idea that she needed a partner’s love to be a fuller person.

  “Look, Mom!” Kira crowed, riding her bicycle up and down the street to the cul-de-sac. “No hands!”

  “Amazing, sweetie!” Hannah called back, clapping. “Be careful!”

  Those were probably the two words Hannah uttered the most to her daughter, who was always interested in pushing the boundaries of her personal safety, right along with the laws of physics.

  They had more than a decade, but Hannah always sort of expected Kira too become a daredevil when she grew up. Was that even a job description? Maybe a stunt double. Because, no matter how many times Kira fell from that bike trying new tricks, she always got back on to try again.

  God bless helmets and knee pads.

  “The cops are here!” Kira exclaimed suddenly, pointing as a police cruiser eased down the street.

  “Sidewalk time, you know the drill,” Hannah said.

  Any time a vehicle approached when Kira was riding her bike in the street, Kira had to pull up onto the sidewalk until it parked or passed. Most of the time, people were just using the cul-de-sac to turn around, lost in the middle of trying to get to their actual destination.

  Now, though, the cruiser slowed to a stop and parked right in front of their house.

  “Think it’s Uncle Harvey or Aunt Josie?” Kira asked, still astride her bicycle, trying to keep it balanced and upright even if she wasn’t pedaling.

  “Hard to tell,” Hannah said cautiously. She kind of hoped it wasn’t her twin, though she wouldn’t mind seeing Josie. Josie called and texted Hannah regularly, and seemed to delight in chatting with Kira. Hannah imagined that it was a strain, though, serving as the mediator between two twins locked in a grudge match.

  Except that Hannah didn’t bear any grudges against her brother. It was Harvey who was angry with her.

  To her amazement, the police officer who climbed out of that cruiser was neither Harvey nor Josie. Hannah was so thunderstruck that it was actually Kira who spoke first.

  “Dominic!” she cried, hopping off her bike and running toward him so fast that she forgot to engage the kickstand, the bike crashing to the ground. Kira didn’t even look over her shoulder, throwing her arms around Dominic’s legs and hugging him. “What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that? Did you steal this car?”

  Hannah tried to close her mouth, which had dropped open in shock. It wasn’t just the cruiser and the uniform, or how freaking good he looked, dressed like that, grinning as he hugged Kira back, lofting her into the air just to make her giggle. It was that he was back somehow. Completely unexpectedly. Like something out of a dream.

  Her feet carried her to the end of the sidewalk without her brain quite following.

  Dominic’s face softened when he saw her. “Hey.”

  “Kira,” Hannah said. “It’s about time for dinner. Go inside and wash your hands.”

  “Okay!” Kira scampered off to comply, too excited by a chan
ge to the routine to try to negotiate for a little more bike time, like she usually did.

  “What’s going on?” Hannah asked, once Kira was out of hearing range. “Why are you here?”

  Dominic’s easy grin faded just a couple of watts. “Hannah, I’m sorry for just dropping by unannounced like this. I didn’t mean to take you by surprise.”

  “It is a surprise,” she agreed. “A pretty big one. I thought…wait, are you still a SEAL?”

  “Officially retired,” he said. “I’ve found a place in Tucson, completed three weeks of fast-tracked police training, and got a position on the force. This is my first week working full-time.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Hannah said after a too-long awkward pause. “Congratulations? Apologies? You loved being a SEAL. You’re not old enough to retire. I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s good to see you. It’s always good to see you. And you look good. I guess I just don’t understand what you’re doing here. What it is that we’re doing right now.”

  “Hannah?”

  “Yeah?”

  Dominic smiled. “Breathe. It’s fine.”

  She was babbling. She knew she was. She always did when confronting unexpected obstacles in her life. But she sucked in the biggest inhale she could manage and let it go, and things got a little easier.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi.” Dominic’s grin…did things to her. He filled out the uniform really nicely, too, which was an excellent touch. Hannah fought to stay focused on the task at hand.

  “So, you want to tell me what’s going on?” she asked. “You didn’t get a job as a male stripper, did you?”

  Dominic laughed. “No, the uniform’s real. This is just the first step of me making things right.”

  “I still don’t understand.” If she couldn’t get her brain to stop screaming at how handsome he was in that uniform, she wasn’t going to be able to understand a single detail.

  “Josie helped me out with getting this job,” Dominic explained. “Which means that I owe her a favor, of course—though she said smoothing things over with Harvey would be favor enough.”