by Cora Seton
“I recognized you. I’m Rose Johnson. Nice to meet you.” She held the ring in the palm of her hand, and her gaze grew distant for a moment. When she focused on him again, she smiled. “You and your fiancée are going to be very happy together.”
“I sure hope so.”
They completed the transaction, and Rose handed him the ring in a small velvet-covered box. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
“I want to buy a ring, too,” Curtis declared. “This one.”
“Oh—I didn’t realize you were looking, too. Is it going to be a double wedding?” Rose asked with a smile.
“I’m definitely looking.” Curtis ignored her question and handed it over, and Rose repeated her earlier move, curling her fingers over it, her gaze going slack. She frowned suddenly. Her brows furrowed.
She bit her lip. “Um…” She looked like she would hand it back to him before she caught herself, straightened her shoulders, tightened her grip on the ring and closed her eyes.
Kai and Curtis exchanged a look. Curtis raised an eyebrow. Kai shrugged.
Rose opened her eyes, a smile playing around her lips. “You… have an interesting journey ahead of you,” she told Curtis as she moved back to the counter and began to ring him up. “The woman who fits this ring is going to lead you on a merry chase.”
“But there is a woman out there for me?” Curtis asked, as if she might know the answer. Kai wondered if she did; there was something fey about Rose.
She stopped, her hands hovering over the keys of the cash register. “Of course there’s a woman for you.”
Curtis just nodded, but Kai saw a muscle working in his friend’s jaw.
Curtis had needed to hear that.
Kai was glad he had.
Addison and Kai slipped out of the tent long past midnight and tiptoed through the encampment and down the path toward Pittance Creek. Like last time, she was dressed only in her shift and coat, and tonight was so cold she shivered as they hurried to the creek. On its banks, Kai made a bed of four sleeping bags—they’d each been issued a second one because of the plunging temperatures—and they snuggled together under their covers, their heads resting on the pillow Addison had brought.
Soon she was warm enough to shed her spencer, and it wasn’t long before both of them had shucked off the rest of their clothing. Pressed against Kai’s hard body, Addison’s pulse accelerated knowing soon they’d be together. Nothing could compare to the spectacular beauty of this natural setting. It was so quiet she felt like she and Kai were the only ones in the world.
“It must have been like this in the old days,” she said.
“Can you imagine prehistoric times? Only a few hundred thousand people spread across all of Europe,” he said. “So much space. The world must have felt so big.”
She nodded and rested her head on Kai’s chest, hearing his heartbeat. It was all such a mystery—the past, the present.
The future.
“Do you think we’ll ever find out who stole our food?” she asked him.
“Probably not. I have a feeling Montague’s involved, though.”
“That makes sense.” She thought of Avery stealing Kai’s costume. And Boone’s paperweight. She’d wondered briefly if her friend could be behind the theft of the food, too, but she’d decided it was unlikely. Kai had told her the break-in had occurred during Harris and Sam’s wedding, and some subtle questioning proved Avery hadn’t left the celebration. Addison decided to keep Avery’s mischief to herself—for now. Taking the costume hadn’t hurt anyone—except Addison’s own pride when she’d mistakenly kissed Evan. Taking their food would put everyone at risk. Avery wouldn’t do that.
“Addison.” Kai shifted and pulled something out of the depths of the sleeping bag. A little box.
Addison stilled, her heart in her mouth, and forgot all about Avery.
“I know I asked you this before, but I want to ask you one more time. I want to do this right. You know now what my life is about. You know Base Camp, the people here, the work—the possibility we could lose it all. You know, too, how much I love you. How much I’d do to keep you happy. So, Addison—” He sat up and opened the box, exposing a beautiful ring that made Addison bite her lip and scramble up to sit, too. “Will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife?”
“Yes.” Addison blinked back tears as he slid the ring on her finger. It glittered there, promising a new life. An exciting, invigorating, incredible life with the man she loved. “Yes,” she said again. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Kai leaned in and kissed her, and Addison flung her arms around his neck.
“Do you want to—”
“Make love? Yes,” she said again. “What’s taking you so long?”
“Didn’t realize you were in such a hurry.”
As they snuggled back down into their sleeping bags, the stars and moon glittering overhead, Addison gave herself up to a world of pleasure with the man she loved.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Early on her wedding day, Addison slipped into the bunkhouse.
“Hey, I’m not supposed to see you until we meet at the altar, right?” Kai tried to cover his eyes with his hands, only half-serious; he’d spent last night with her, and they’d only separated a half hour ago.
“You’re not supposed to see me in my dress. I’m still in my street clothes.” She indicated her Regency gown. “I’ve got something for you. A surprise.”
“I’ve got something for you, too. I planned to give it to you later tonight, though.” The beautiful necklace and bracelet set Rose had helped him pick out when he’d gone back to Thayer’s was sitting in his tent.
“I’ll look forward to it,” she told him and handed him a flat, heavy package.
Kai made short work of opening it; they didn’t have much time before they needed to help with preparations for the wedding.
“A tablet. Cool.” He turned it over, wondering if she’d had something in mind when she chose it.
“Turn it on.” Addison showed him and tapped it a few times until a document came up. “Here’s the real present.”
Kai took the tablet back and scanned the heading of the document. “A SEAL’s Meals: Recipes and Tips for Feeding Hungry Warriors.” He scrolled down the page. “What is—how did you—it’s my book!”
“Exactly; it’s your book. Kai, you already wrote one—you just need to get it in order. All we did was scan your notebook and get the words into text you can manipulate. All your illustrations are in there, too. This will make it easy for you to play with the information and get it ready to publish—if you want to.”
“Hell, yeah, I want to. I just couldn’t figure out how to get past the mess in my notebook.”
“There’s more,” Addison said. She took the tablet back, tapped a few more buttons and handed it to him.
“You made a website?”
“Avery did. It’s somewhere to sell the book and get your message across. Avery says you need multiple platforms for your brand. Whatever that means,” she added with a lift of her shoulder. “I guess I need to learn so I can market our B and B better. When I do, I’ll pass it on.”
“How’d you do this? I use that notebook every day. It was never missing.”
“That I’ll never tell,” she said and kissed him. “Now I’ve got to run. See you at the altar.”
He pulled her in for a more satisfying kiss. “Can’t wait.”
Addison slipped away, and twenty minutes later, Kai met his parents, brother and sisters and nephews and niece on the way to the manor.
“Kai!” Grace said, bounding up to him, tugging a man along with her. It had to be her fiancé. “Kai, this is Tom Bixby. Tom, this is my brother.”
Kai shook hands with Tom, a square-jawed, sensible-looking man in his late thirties who Kai immediately liked. He looked like he could handle what life threw at him. Like he’d be a good partner for Kai’s sister. His hair was short, his build stocky. He walked like a
policeman, Kai thought, biting back a grin.
“You two had better be friends,” Grace warned them.
“We will be,” Kai told her.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Tom said to him. “Your sister doesn’t put up with much insubordination.”
“Good.” Grace looked wonderful. Happy, Kai thought. “Looking forward to your wedding.”
“June eighth,” Grace said. “You’ll have to come to California, though.”
“Kai, I’m so proud of you,” Wanda interrupted, throwing her arms around him as soon as she reached him.
“What happened to ‘this is all a crazy mistake—don’t marry a stranger’?” Kai asked her.
“I’ve been watching the show, and I like Addison. She’s going to be good for you; she’s got a real head on her shoulders.”
Kai didn’t protest that he had a good head on his shoulders, too. He knew what his mother meant to say; she was happy for him.
He was happy, too.
Soon he was swarmed with Celia’s kids, and he reveled in boisterous love of his extended family. It meant a lot to him that they’d all showed up when his courtship and marriage were so unusual. The Ledbetters were all about family, though. Kai once again offered a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening for bringing him and his sister to such a solid, stable family after the chaos of their earliest years. He sent another prayer of hope that his biological mom had found some kind of peace and happiness, too.
He left his family in Riley’s capable hands at the manor’s front door, passed Maud and James busy overseeing an army of helpers set up the folding chairs in rows in the ballroom and continued up the stairs to the second floor. He and the rest of the men of Base Camp had been assigned to a guest bedroom for last-minute fittings of the Revolutionary War–era uniforms it had become the custom for them to don on wedding days. The uniforms matched the Regency dresses of the women, and Kai didn’t mind; it made the women happy.
Alice, who kept a store of the costumes for the reenactments done each year in Chance Creek, had brought over the ones they used and was giving everyone a once-over to make sure they still fit. As groom, his uniform was given several embellishments for the day. Once he’d changed, Alice came to make sure he looked dashing enough to stand up with Addison.
“Here comes the best part,” she said gaily when the door opened and Walker and Boone stepped in, followed by a camera crew.
Kai knew what she meant. Each time one of them married, the remaining single men drew straws to see who was next. He remembered his own shock at pulling the short straw. At the time he’d been so freaked out he hadn’t slept for days.
Now he couldn’t remember what all the fuss had been about.
“Line up,” Boone said. “Angus, Anders, Curtis, Greg and Walker, that means you. Five of us down and five left to go. Let’s see who’s the next victim.”
Anders seemed ready to choose. Greg not so much, and Angus not at all if his lowered brow and pursed lips were any indication. Walker was as stoic as ever.
But before any of them could lean forward to draw a straw, Curtis elbowed past the rest, grabbed all the straws out of Walker’s fist and picked out the short one.
“There. I’m going next. Did you get that?” He waved the short straw in front of the closest camera. “Me. I’m the next victim.” He stalked out of the room.
“Well, I guess that’s that,” Boone said slowly.
“Huh. Another forty days’ reprieve,” Anders said, a grin tugging at his mouth.
“Thank God,” Angus said darkly.
“Hey, kiddo,” Addison’s father said, knocking on the doorframe. “Is it okay for me to come in?”
“Dad! You made it!” Addison hopped down off the little stool she’d been standing on while Alice made last-minute alterations. The other women of Base Camp had been flowing in and out of the guest room she’d been assigned all morning, oohing and aahing over the beautiful dress Alice had made for her and helping out however they could.
Her father caught her in a bear hug. Behind him, she spied her mother, hanging back as if unsure of her welcome.
“Mom!” Addison moved to give her a hug, too. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” her father said. Her mother was too busy looking around, taking in the old-fashioned loveliness of the bedroom. “I met the groom downstairs,” he added. “Fine, upstanding man. I think you picked a good one. Although… you two are moving pretty fast, huh?”
“It’s the show,” she explained. “We don’t have much choice.”
“Well, you look beautiful, of course,” her father told her. “Marjorie, doesn’t she look beautiful?”
Again, her mother hesitated. “Yes,” she said. “You look very beautiful.”
“I’m going to make sure your mother finds her seat downstairs,” her father said. “Then I’ll be back to walk you down the aisle.” They left again without further ado.
“They seem nice,” Alice said.
“My mom’s being weird,” Addison said.
“She’s minding her Ps and Qs, I’d say,” Alice remarked.
When Addison’s father returned, he took her aside and confirmed that. “We went to a counselor,” he said. “Felicity decamping to Europe brought home a few things.”
“You think Mom will be okay?”
“Sure, I do,” he said heartily. “She’ll find another project sooner or later. Her own, I hope.”
Addison hoped so, too.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked as they prepared to go downstairs.
“Absolutely. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I wish Felicity was here to see you.”
“I know. But I’m glad she’s getting a chance to start over, too.”
“Wise girl. I think you’re going to make Kai a very happy man.”
“I’m going to try.”
Kai held his breath when Addison stepped down the grand staircase, her arm linked with her father’s, and entered the ballroom, where he waited at a temporary altar next to Curtis and Angus. Reverend Halpern stood serenely close by.
He’d thought his world had ended when he drew the short straw forty days ago, but now he knew fate was on his side. He was sure he’d make a good life with Addison. Both of them would be busy, creative, challenged by their work, soothed by each other’s presence. He wanted to be the best husband to her he could. The best father to the children they’d have someday.
They’d have a community that was as tight, warm and supportive as they could wish for. Worthy work, and he’d get the chance to spread the word about the subject he was most passionate about.
But most of all he was thankful fate had provided Addison.
He couldn’t remember ever having someone in his life he could talk to the way he talked to her. Nor could he remember being as on fire for any woman he’d known before. Addison was the perfect combination. Love wrapped up in intelligence. Sex wrapped up in a best friend. A man couldn’t ask for more.
As she came to stand beside him, he took her hand, looked into her eyes and bent to kiss her, needing to let her know he hadn’t changed his mind and never would.
“A-hem,” Reverend Halpern said. A comfortable, middle-aged minister, he was a man whose sense of humor—and common sense—Kai had appreciated in the days leading up to the wedding. “Let’s get through the ceremony first.” He winked to let them know he was kidding.
Halpern opened his mouth to begin, and Addison went up on tiptoe and kissed the underside of Kai’s chin.
When Halpern cleared his throat again, both of them laughed.
“We’re ready,” Kai said.
“Dearly Beloved,” Halpern said quickly, and the ceremony began.
Addison thought she’d never been happier. So much of her life had improved in the last few weeks, things she hadn’t dreamed she could change. She was in love, for one thing—deeply, wildly, head o
ver heels in love with a man she found fascinating and fun.
She’d found a community, for another thing. Fifteen people and counting who were all as deeply dedicated to building something together as she was.
She’d found a calling, too. A way to help people, brighten people’s lives, facilitate their vacations from their regular existence and tug at their dreams to widen their horizons. She’d freed her new friends from some of the work that wasn’t as fun for them so they could pursue their true desires.
She’d found a way back to her family, as well. She had always loved her parents and sister, and they’d always loved her, but she thought now they were on the road to becoming close in a far healthier way.
Had ever a bride entered her new life with so much happiness? Addison didn’t think that was possible. When Kai slid her wedding band on her finger, it felt like a promise fulfilled. She was so happy to share her life with him. So excited to begin it together.
“You may now kiss the bride,” Reverend Halpern intoned.
“Ready for the rest of our lives?” Kai asked her, taking her into his arms.
“Yes!”
To find out more about Harris, Samantha, Boone, Riley, Clay, Jericho, Walker and the other inhabitants of Westfield, look for A SEAL’s Resolve, Volume 6 in the SEALs of Chance Creek series.
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Other books in the SEALs of Chance Creek Series:
A SEAL’s Oath
A SEAL’s Vow
A SEAL’s Pledge
A SEAL’s Consent
A SEAL’s Resolve
A SEAL’s Devotion
A SEAL’s Desire
A SEAL’s Struggle
A SEAL’s Triumph
Read on for an excerpt of Issued to the Bride One Navy SEAL.
Issued to the Bride One Navy SEAL
By Cora Seton
Prologue
Four months ago
On the first of February, General Augustus Reed entered his office at USSOCOM at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, placed his battered leather briefcase on the floor, sat down at his wide, wooden desk and pulled a sealed envelope from a drawer. It bore the date written in his wife’s beautiful script, and the General ran his thumb over the words before turning it over and opening the flap.