The SEAL's Second Chance Baby

by Laura Marie Altom

  “No way could you ever be a bother.” He kissed her forehead. “Colt’s going to be fine. Hopefully, this turns out to be the sort of brush with the bigger world that scares him straight.”

  She nodded against him. “When this is over, could you please give us a ride to the school? My van is still there.”

  “Of course.”

  “Mrs. Washington.” A suit-wearing woman poked her head outside. “We’re ready for you.”

  Marsh stood, helping Effie to her feet. It killed him to notice her slight tremble. “Hey.” He turned her to face him. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

  She nodded but didn’t look all that sure. “I feel silly for asking, but will you stay with me?”

  “Of course.” He clasped her hand, giving her fingers a squeeze.

  The counselor led them to a brightly lit room at the back of the station, where they found Colt seated in a chair at what Marsh guessed was typically used as an interrogation table. The former parent in him wanted to snatch Colt and take him far from this awful place. On the flip side, he realized this whole situation held the power to serve as a major life lesson.

  “Mommy! Mr. Marsh!” The boy leaped from his chair to crush them both in hugs. “I wanna go home!”

  “I know, sweetie.” Effie looked near tears again. “Hopefully, we’re almost done.”

  “We are,” the woman said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a female officer watch Colt for a few minutes while we talk. Would that be all right?”

  Effie nodded. The transition was smooth once Effie reassured Colt she’d be near.

  The police chief joined them.

  Marsh rose. Introductions were made, and he labeled himself as a family friend.

  “Mrs. Washington, I’m sure it’s been a long day for both you and your son, but I wanted to thank you for your patience. Sadly, the number of crimes committed by children has never been higher, and there are parents out there who would have no moral problem with sending their son or daughter to do an illegal job. I run a tight ship, so please understand that I couldn’t take a bank robbery lightly—even one committed by a first grader.”

  “Of course.” Effie sat at the table with her hands clasped.

  “Your background check came back clear,” the chief droned on, “and of course, your son’s did, too. Dr. Norris, I’ll turn it over to you for Colt’s psychological report.”

  “Thank you.” The woman forced a smile. “Obviously, I didn’t have time to do more than a surface-level evaluation of your son, but from what I could tell, Colt is a perfectly normal little boy who harbors resentment toward his father. And some toward you, Mrs. Washington, for your divorce. He even feels partially responsible himself. That said, in my opinion, Colt is too young to understand that what he did today had far more serious repercussions than simply playing a game. But honestly? In my professional opinion, what happened was just that—a game to Colt. He struck me as genuinely sorry for causing a fuss. From here on out, you might take special care to reassure him your divorce had nothing to do with him, and that you and his father love and support him.”

  Effie nodded. “Thank you, I will.”

  Beneath the table, she clasped Marsh’s hand so tight that it hurt. He knew what she was thinking. Her ex was a selfish bastard, and odds were against him galloping down here on a white steed to save her—not that a strong woman like Effie needed saving, but she sure as hell deserved a break.

  Finally, the social worker ended her speech and the chief retrieved Colt and told him he never wanted to see him at the station again.

  Finally, mother and son were free to go.

  The boy’s shoulders slumped and he could hardly keep his eyes open. Acting on pure instinct, Marsh picked him up. He’d halfway expected a protest, but Colt wrapped his slim arms around his neck and rested his head on Marsh’s shoulder.

  The walk to the truck wasn’t long, yet for Marsh, it might as well have taken days. The sensation of once again holding a little boy was heady, forcing him to remind himself this was only a temporary thing.

  He gently set Colt on the backseat of his truck’s crew cab, then buckled him in.

  Behind the wheel with Effie in the passenger seat, Marsh asked, “Need anything at the store before we get your van?”

  She shook her head. “I just want to sleep for a week.”

  “I’ll bet.” A check in the rearview showed Colt already dozing off. “Sorry your big day turned into a huge freaking nightmare.”

  “Me, too.” She rested her head against the seat back and closed her eyes. “Thanks again for showing up when you did. I owe you—big-time.”

  “We’re good. Consider this payback for when you literally saved my life.”

  Her sleepy half smile produced an unwelcome yearning in his chest. In that instant, he wanted Effie and her sons and daughter to be his. He’d treat them the way a man should—with appreciation and honor. They’d lack for nothing—emotionally or financially. If they were his. But they weren’t—never would be. Which made him a fool for even thinking about it.

  The rest of the short trip to the elementary school, Marsh focused on driving rather than dwelling on his urge to once again hold Effie’s hand. He wouldn’t focus on how good it made him feel that Effie had trusted him enough to call in a crisis.

  A glance in her direction showed her eyes closed and breathing even. She’d dozed off, too.

  If he had any sense of self-preservation, he would have been clinical about the day’s events. He wouldn’t wonder if he should start paying more attention to Colt if a positive male role model might stop his tantrums and inappropriate stunts. Marsh sure as hell wouldn’t think about how lessening Effie’s worry would increase the number of times he saw her smile.

  At the school, he pulled into the space beside her van but didn’t want to let her go. She was in no shape for driving, and after the day he’d had, Colt’s broken spirit needed healing, so Marsh left the lot and aimed for the lone road heading out of town.

  He’d no doubt have hell to pay once Effie woke to find herself even farther from her van, but that was okay. He’d be more than happy for the excuse to see her again tomorrow when he drove her to pick it up.

  The long trip home was quiet.

  The last thing Marsh needed was more time for introspection, but somehow, this felt different—better. The sensation of once again contributing rushed through him like a long exhale. After years of feeling useless, he’d again found purpose. But it wasn’t supposed to have happened this way.

  In her moment of crisis, Effie might have thought she and her brood needed him, but in reality, it was the other way around. He’d been trained to help. That’s what he did. He learned of a problem and fixed it. Applying his SEAL values and never-quit attitude to his family had been a natural extension, but then he suddenly had no family and the bottom fell out from under him.

  He’d been adrift.

  Now, with Effie softly sleeping beside him, his chest swelled with pride for the fact that she felt comfortable and safe enough in his presence to so completely surrender.

  But like him, she too had no business depending on anyone. They’d both been badly burned in different ways, and that pain didn’t just go away. It forever lurked in dark emotional corners. For all of Marsh’s satisfaction in this moment, he couldn’t ever fully invest in this woman and her beautiful children, because the pain of possibly losing them would be unfathomable.

  Chapter Eleven

  Effie woke disoriented.

  But then she saw her grandmother’s ragtag house on one side and Marsh’s handsome profile on the other, and the horrible afternoon flooded back.

  “You’re awake,” he said before turning off the truck’s engine. “I’ll take you to get your van in the morning. You and Colt looked so wiped, I didn’t
have the heart to wake you.”

  “Thanks. It’s been quite a day, and I still need to give Mabel the full story. I’m ashamed my son acted that way.”

  “Don’t do that—blame yourself.” He looked to ensure Colt was still sleeping. “There were a ton of elements in play. First, I’ve never heard of a bank allowing such young kids in sensitive areas, and the police were doing their job, but the second they saw the culprit and his toy weapons, they should have realized this was something to laugh about, rather than make a big fuss. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying what Colt did was good, but half the battle with kids is not putting them in situations where it’s all too easy for them to fail. If Colt had been taken on a field trip to the library or a museum, he’d have had a great day.”

  “I hear you, but when does personal responsibility come into play? He knows better. I get that he thought he was playing a great game of Old West cops and robbers, but when I told him to stop, he should have. Where have I gone wrong as a parent that he thinks it was all right to not only take money, but then run with it? And keep running until he had to be physically restrained?” She broke down. “Even my horses are trained better. I feel worthless as a parent. Lower than low.”

  “Well, don’t.” He unfastened his seat belt and pulled her into another hug. “If you want, I’m here to help and together, we’ll figure this thing out.”

  “Thank you.” Effie melted against him, soaking in his quiet strength. She could have let him hold her like this forever. But shouldn’t. Experience with her ex taught her for every second of pleasure and trust and support, it took days—years—to recover. She couldn’t take that risk.

  How did she reconcile that fact with the plain and simple truth that Marsh had been a rock for her and her son when they’d needed him most?

  She closed her eyes, breathing Marsh in. He smelled incredible. Like the earth and wind and sun-warmed leather.

  “Mom! Mom!” Remington called while running across the yard to the truck. “Is Colt still in jail?”

  Effie bolted from Marsh to compose herself. The last thing she needed was for her grandmother to catch sight of a simple hug and read more into it.

  “Thanks again,” she said to Marsh.

  “No problem. Glad I could help.” Unbearable sweetness rushed through her when he discreetly took her hand for a final squeeze. “Seriously, whenever you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “I appreciate your offer more than you could ever know.” Meeting his intense stare felt akin to looking too long into the sun, so she lowered her gaze, willing her hammering heart to slow. “Want to stay for dinner?”

  “Eff...”

  “I’m sorry. You must have things to do.” Upon catching hesitation play out across his face, Effie regretted asking. They were barely friends, and already he must think of her as a clingy mess.

  “Always.”

  “I understand.” But she didn’t. Being in his arms felt like home, but that was a mirage. An unwitting trick of fate she mustn’t fall for again—not that Marsh had in any way encouraged her confusion. If anything, he’d been straightforward from the start. She was the one who’d misconstrued his simple kindness for more. She was the one constantly curious about what it might be like to share a kiss. She was the one who’d apparently forgotten the pain of pinning all her hopes and dreams on a man, only to have him leave.

  “Let me at least grab Colt for you.” Marsh nodded toward the backseat. “He’s pretty out of it. I’ll carry him straight to bed.”

  “Yes. Thank you.” Wishing he’d change his mind about staying, yet alternately knowing it was best if he didn’t, she exited his truck to open the back door. After hugging Remington, she held his hand all the way to the house until he left her to open the screen door for Marsh and Colt.

  “Is Colt dead?” he asked after Marsh set his brother on his bed.

  “Hush.” Mabel clasped Remington’s shoulders, drawing him against her. “Come with me to the kitchen, and leave your brother alone.”

  Effie removed Colt’s tennis shoes. Her mothering instincts told her to cover him, but it was far too warm for that, so she made sure the window was open, turned on the ceiling fan, then crept from the room, hyperaware of Marsh’s presence behind her.

  He closed the door. “His time in the big house must have taken a toll. He’s zonked.”

  “Good.” Effie leaned against the nearest wall, finally allowing herself to exhale. More than anything, she longed to step right back into Marsh’s strong embrace. She wanted him to hold her and promise everything would be okay. But that was silly. Not only didn’t life hand out guarantees, but she’d made it this far on her own, and just like any other crisis, she’d handle this one, too.

  What if I don’t want to?

  Ah, there was the real issue. Late at night, deep in the most secret place in her heart, Effie struggled with the fact that she’d grown weary of facing her every joy and challenge alone. Sure, she had Mabel and her kids, but they were hardly the same as having a true partner in life—the kind of everyday companion she’d once had in her ex. Those early days of their relationship had been heady, painfully similar to the pleasurable tingles she felt whenever she and Marsh shared the same space.

  “You do know worrying won’t help?” Marsh alternately teased and thrilled her by running his finger along the twin frown lines between her brows. “Colt’s going to be fine.”

  “I know.” What would Marsh say if he knew she hadn’t been ruminating on her troubles with her son, but him? What kind of mom did that make her?

  She covered her face with her hands.

  “Now what’s the matter?” he asked.

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  After a shake of her head, she couldn’t help but grin. She was a basket case. Thank goodness mind reading wasn’t one of Marsh’s superhuman Navy SEAL skills.

  “Arrrggghh!” Cassidy rolled her walker from the kitchen into the hall fast enough to slam into Marsh’s legs.

  “Dang, girl.” He knelt to honk her ride’s horn. “Do you have a license for that thing?”

  She cooed and giggled and held up her arms to be picked up.

  Of course, Marsh obliged, and for Effie, the sight of her daughter being held in his sturdy embrace made her all the more confused. On the surface, he seemed to be everything her ex wasn’t. But that brought no guarantees.

  People—just like hearts—changed.

  “Marsh, hon!” Mabel called from the kitchen. “Should Remington set a place for you at the supper table?”

  Effie held her breath while waiting for his answer.

  Had she imagined it, or had he tightened his hold on Cassidy?

  “Thank you, ma’am, but I should be getting back. Wallace is expecting me.”

  “All right. Well, at least let me make the two of you a couple of plates to go.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he said in the kitchen.

  Effie trailed after him. Was she the reason he wasn’t staying? Because she’d hit a bump in the road with Colt, and instead of handling Colt’s troubles on her own, she’d called him crying? Her ex had once told her he hated it when she was needy. Ever since, she’d made a point of trying to be independent and strong. But sometimes that was hard.

  “That was some stunt that little rascal pulled at the bank.” Mabel removed the casserole from the oven, then took one of her best Tupperware bowls from the cabinet.

  “I hoped you would let me sleep on it before drilling me for details.”

  “Fat chance.” Mabel snorted. “News that your great-grandson is a juvenile bank robber spreads pretty fast. Marsh, thank you for helping Effie get it all sorted out.”

  “Oh—I didn’t do much.” He leaned on the door jamb. “Just lent moral support.”

 
I appreciated you being there more than you could ever know.

  “Sometimes, that’s the best help a body can give.” She snapped the lid on the container she’d just filled. “Y’all have salad dressing over at the bachelor pad, or should I send that, too?”

  “I’m sure Wallace has a bottle of something stashed in his cabinets.”

  “Ha!” She shook her head, and took an unopened jar of Thousand Island from her pantry. “Just in case, better take this.”

  “Thanks.” Marsh accepted the gift with a smile. “Effie, what time do you want me here tomorrow to take you to your van?”

  “Nine—if that’s not too early. I’ll send Remington on the bus, but Colt and I have a meeting with the principal at ten, and I don’t want to be late. Pretty sure my homegrown Jesse James is expelled.”

  He winced. “Sounds like a fun morning.”

  “I know, right?”

  Mabel finished assembling the care package and handed the loaded brown paper sack to Marsh. “If he’s booted from school, that boy should do hard labor.”

  “Agreed,” Effie said. “I’ll fill his days with so many chores that school will seem like a vacation.”

  “Wallace and I have plenty for him to do at our place, too. We’d be happy to take him off your hands for a day or two.”

  “Perfect,” Mabel said. “I want him transformed into a gentleman by the wedding. I have enough to worry about without wondering if one of my ring bearers is up to no good.”

  Marsh laughed. “Understood. I’ll see what I can do.”

  With dinner in hand, their guest made his goodbyes, then left.

  The moment his truck left the drive, Effie said, “Why did you accept his help with Colt’s punishment? He probably already thinks I’m a nutcase for having him come to the station.”

  “Know what I think?” Mabel had a spark of mischief in her eyes. “That man’s as sweet on you as you are on him. In fact, Wallace and I both were just saying—”

  “You talked about this imaginary romance you’ve fabricated between Marsh and me with his grandfather? Why?”