The SEAL's Second Chance Baby

by Laura Marie Altom

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Mommy?” Colt asked, “Where’s Mr. Marsh going? He promised not to leave. Doesn’t he wanna to be our dad?”

  “Of course, he does, sweetheart.” Even though Colt’s suspicion was exactly what Effie feared, she at least temporarily protected her son’s fragile heart. “Marsh has a stomachache. I’m going to get him medicine, and then we’ll be right back.”

  Colt’s wide eyes said he wasn’t so sure.

  Remington was crying.

  All of the guests started talking at once.

  Wallace and Jacinda and Clive, Marsh’s father, argued over who should chase after the groom.

  “Everyone—” Effie said, while Marsh’s family bickered back and forth “—if you’ll please be patient, I’m going to grab the groom some antacid. He overdid it on last night’s barbecue.”

  Nervous titters accompanied her out the door. Of course, no one believed her, but what her guests thought didn’t matter. The only hearts that needed protecting belonged to her twin sons.

  “Marsh?” she hollered upon reaching the parking lot.

  She spotted him surging down a hiking trail.

  Her ivory satin shoes were hardly suitable for the rocky terrain, but at the moment, nothing mattered more than successfully completing her wedding day—which meant she’d need an amenable groom.

  “Marsh! Wait up!”

  He only walked faster. “Go away! I’m no good for you—especially, not your kids.”

  “Pardon my French,” she managed while running to catch up, “but that’s horseshit! You’re five times the man my ex ever was! The twins adore you, but right now you’re walking a tightrope where they’re concerned. They’ve already had their hearts shattered by their real dad. You promised them—and me—that you’d never leave, so what are you doing?”

  He stopped.

  “I covered for you back at the church, but my little white lie is only going to be good for so long.”

  He turned to her, and his tears came as a crushing blow. “I do love you, Effie. You and the boys and Cass. But when Remington fell, and all I could do was stand there in a fog, something inside me snapped. I realized I’m useless. You need someone whole. Even worse, I’m afraid of what might happen to me if I were to lose one or, God forbid, all of you.”

  “Key word—might. I’m living proof that life sure doesn’t hand out guarantees—especially when it comes to relationships. If it helps, I feel just as vulnerable about my dependence on you. We’ve all grown to need you.” She held him tight, praying she conveyed one iota of how much she’d grown to care. “Remember how Colt used to behave when you first came into our lives? He was smart-mouthed and sassy.”

  “Still is,” he said.

  “True.” For the second time in an hour, Effie found herself laughing and crying. “But look how far he’s come. He was uncontrollable, and now, with your help, he’s starting to recognize when he’s wrong. That’s all because of you. What happened to Remington was an accident.”

  “So was what happened to Tucker, but he died. Who’s to say I’m not bad luck?”

  “Now, you’re being stupid. You were a doll to buy the twins those ponies—and helmets. Who said they’d be fine not wearing them?”

  He remained silent.

  “That’s right, me. Who insisted on riding ponies down the aisle of an already cramped chapel?”

  He was silent again.

  “That’s right, Mabel and Wallace. If you want to play the blame game, I can point fingers all day, but here’s the thing—none of them are directed toward you. I love you, Marsh. I don’t know how or when it happened, but you’ve come to mean the world to me. If you no longer want to marry me, I guess I’ll have to live with that fact, and I’ll break it gently to the boys. But with every part of my being, I believe you do want to marry me and help me raise not just my children, but ours.” She hugged him again. “And that’s what they are, Marsh—yours and mine. Someday, God willing, we’ll have more. But for now, please come back to the church with me, tell everyone you’ve got an upset stomach from barbecue, then let’s get this wedding over with so we can get on with living the rest of our lives.”

  “I can’t believe you’d even want to still marry me.”

  “Shocker—I do.” On her tiptoes, she kissed him long and hard, until he was groaning and pressing her close enough that she recognized how much she was looking forward to their honeymoon.

  He took her hand and kissed her still-empty ring finger. “With all the commotion over Remington, I forgot to buy you a fancy diamond engagement ring.”

  “Marsh Langtree, don’t you know me well enough by now to realize I don’t need a fancy ring? All I need is you.”

  He kissed her again, and then they walked hand in hand toward the chapel. Behind age-old paned windows, candles glowed, guiding them to their shared future.

  Outside, Effie tightened her grip on his hand. “What you really went through—no one knows about but me. Forgive yourself. Grant yourself permission to love my boys the way they love you.”

  He nodded, kissing her again. “Thank you, Effie. Not just for saving my pride, but literally not just once, but now twice saving my life.”

  “Right back at you. Marry me?”

  “I can’t wait.”

  They walked into the chapel together, and, sandwiched between two smiling boys, said their vows.

  They’d been through so much, yet from here on out, Effie knew they’d spend the rest of their lives together, happily ever after, secure in the knowledge that no matter what obstacles fate tossed in their shared paths, they’d tackle them as a team. United in spirit, souls and love.

  Epilogue

  On a sunny Saturday afternoon in May, Marsh sat in a crowd of hundreds, holding squirming Cassidy on his lap while Colt and Remington leaned in on both sides. Wallace and Mabel shared the row, as did his parents and Effie’s. The Colorado Springs temperature was pleasantly warm for an outdoor graduation, and he couldn’t be more impressed with his wife as she accepted her RN degree.

  “I’m crazy proud of you,” he said when he finally got to hold her again after the ceremony.

  “Thank you.” She kissed him before moving on to hug the rest of their family. “Thanks to all of you for sharing this with me. I never thought this day would come, but with Marsh’s help...” She squealed. “I did it!”

  Remington had long since healed, and he and Colt shared in her happy dance.

  “Do you know where you’re going to work?” Jacinda asked.

  “For now—at least until the boys are older—I’m going to be the nurse at their school. I know it’s not glamorous, but when their teacher told me the school’s current nurse was retiring, I submitted my résumé to the principal and was hired.”

  “I love that you’ll get to be with them,” Melissa said. As usual, she’d once again cabbaged on to Cassidy and gave her a jiggle. She said to the baby, “I especially love that I get to spend my days with you.” Effie’s folks had sold their home in Oklahoma City and were in the process of building on a section of Mabel’s land.

  Officially, the land now belonged to Effie and Marsh, but to Effie, it would always be her grandmother’s.

  The group shared a steak lunch, then headed to Effie’s official Maysville graduation party that was being hosted by Patricia.

  When Effie finally stole a moment alone with her husband, she took his hand and led him to the pool’s quiet side.

  “Mmm...” Marsh said after thoroughly kissing her. “It’s been nice visiting with family and friends, but is it wrong that I’ve been craving some quality alone time?” He’d officially retired from the Navy and now offered riding lessons to kids from town and the surrounding area. His schedule was so full that between her studies and his work ethic, they h
ardly shared time together.

  “About that...”

  He arched his head back and groaned. “Don’t tell me—you’ve decided to jump right back into school for your master’s?”

  “Not exactly.” She’d been debating how to tell him. She assumed he’d be happy, but what if he was more scared? She knew Tucker would always occupy a chunk of Marsh’s heart. Did he have room for one more special person? Unsure how to broach the subject, she just blurted her news. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Wait—what?” He shook his head. “For real?”

  She nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. I had an ob-gyn friend test me, and it was positive. I’m about six weeks along. That’s another reason I’d like to work at the boys’ school. I’ll have my summers free.”

  She worried when, for the longest time, he was quiet.

  “Marsh? Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  “Not a thing.” He shook his head, then smiled. In the shadows, she watched his gaze fill with unshed tears. “This was supposed to be your special day, so how come I got the best present?”

  “You’re happy?”

  “Of course I’m happy. I’m thrilled. This is incredible. Tell me everything. So you’re already six weeks along? Is it a boy or girl—never mind. As long as he or she is healthy, I don’t care.” He knelt to kiss her belly. “I already love you.”

  Effie’s heart swelled.

  Her husband’s reaction couldn’t have been more perfect. Just like their shared lives.

  * * * * *

  Be sure to look for the next book in

  Laura Marie Altom’s COWBOY SEALS series,

  available in 2017 wherever

  Harlequin books and ebooks are sold!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE RANGER’S RODEO REBEL by Pamela Britton.

  Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003

  Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!

  Do you want to earn Free Books and More?

  Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.

  You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:

  Free books

  Exclusive gifts and contests

  Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences

  Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.

  Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!

  Click here to sign up

  Or visit us online to sign up at

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001

  In July 2016

  the HARLEQUIN®

  AMERICAN ROMANCE® series

  will become

  the HARLEQUIN®

  WESTERN ROMANCE series

  Connect with us to find your next great read,

  special offers and more.

  /HarlequinBooks

  @HarlequinBooks

  www.HarlequinBlog.com

  www.Harlequin.com/newsletters

  The Ranger’s Rodeo Rebel

  by Pamela Britton

  Chapter One

  It had turned into the day from hell.

  “Come on.” Carolina Cruthers patted the pockets of her jeans one last time. “Please tell me I didn’t do what I think I did.”

  But her denim pants didn’t hold the keys to her truck any more than her hands did, which meant she’d either lost them in the barn or they were somewhere inside her truck.

  Dang it. She peered quickly around the parking area of Misfit Farms, her blond braids nearly slapping her in the face. The bright afternoon sun turned the farm’s newly installed fence the same color as the new cars on Via Del Caballo’s main drag: pristine white.

  In truth, Carolina had no idea why she bothered to look around. She knew she’d dropped her keys somewhere in her truck. She’d done it enough times the past month it was a sure bet. Nobody would come to her rescue, either. Today was Monday. Misfit Farms was closed to clients and visitors. This was the day when she and her boss, Colt Reynolds, reviewed rodeo business. They had talked about their specialty act this morning, the upcoming schedule and any changes they needed to make after their weekend performance. Her boss had left earlier along with his wife, Natalie. There was nobody walking around the state-of-the-art horse facility.

  Now what? She cupped her hands and peered through the truck’s window. Her keys weren’t in the ignition, so they were most likely—

  On the floor.

  Yep. Just beneath the edge of the driver’s seat, glinting in the sun, sat the horseshoe charm Colt and Natalie had gotten her for Christmas. The charm lay on the black mat of her truck as if making fun of her dilemma. Lucky. Yeah, right.

  She’d done it again. She’d locked her stupid keys in her dang truck. This was...what? The third time in the past month? And all because of...

  James.

  The reason for her absentmindedness settled into the pit of her stomach like a load of cement. She probably had a million texts on her phone right now, the same cell phone tucked inside her purse, the one resting on the bench seat in the rear of her vehicle.

  Think.

  She picked up a braid and absently started chewing—a habit of hers. Colt and Natalie wouldn’t be back for at least an hour. That meant it was just her with no cell phone and no access to a landline unless the barn office was open or she broke into her boss’s house. If that was the case, there was a phone upstairs in the abandoned apartment above the barn. Abandoned...but not for long.

  That had been the other piece of news that had rattled her. Her boss had decided to stay home the rest of the season. Colt was putting his brother in charge of their rodeo specialty act. Chance Reynolds was the guy’s name. A man who’d been out of the business for years. And yet Colt thought he’d be better suited to take over. Not fair. She’d been around longer. She’d put in years of blood, sweat and tears, not with Colt and the Galloping Girlz, but with another team. She’d even taken over when her friend Samantha had decided to run off with her movie-star boyfriend. Why Colt had decided to put some former Army Ranger in charge was beyond her, but it had seriously bummed her out.

  Keys, she reminded herself. She wouldn’t be able to go home and sulk unless she found her keys.

  The walk to the main barn was a short one. The horses in the stalls hung their heads out to greet her. Hanoverians, Trakehners and other imported warm bloods mixed with the occasional Thoroughbred. They peeked at her curiously, ears pricked forward as if asking, “Food?”

  “Not yet, guys,” she said.

  Carolina kind of understood why Colt had decided to sit out the rest of the rodeo season. His wife, Natalie, a famous hunter/jumper rider, with a waiting list of people wanting to train with her, was about to have a baby. The doctor had recently grounded her. Colt wanted to be around to help with the baby when it came. Someone needed to keep riding all the horses, and that was Colt. Carolina didn’t blame him. She just couldn’t stand the idea of some flatlander telling her what to do. It made no sense.

  At the far end of the barn, near a patch of sunlight that nearly blinded her, was the office, its fancy French doors closed. She said a silent prayer heavenward and turned the handle.

  It didn’t move.

  She rattled it some more, just in case, jiggling the door so hard dust fell from the sill above. The door wouldn’t budge. Okay, fine. Up to the apartment she would go. No big deal. When she got home she’d pour herself a big glass of wine. Maybe even take a bath. It’d been forever since she’d had one of those.

  The stairs to the apart
ment were outside at the back of the barn. It was a steep climb that had her heart thumping from the exertion of taking the steps two at a time, but her reward was a door handle that slid down easily. Carolina released a breath of relief and all but dived for the phone.

  A man stood in front of her.

  A tall man with black hair and green eyes and a face that resembled her boss so much she knew in an instant who he was.

  Chance Reynolds.

  And he was naked.

  * * *

  HE SHOULD MOVE, Chance thought, standing in the living area of his new home. He should, but he couldn’t seem to make himself, because there was something so incredibly priceless about the look on the woman’s face.

  “Oh, my goodness, I’m so—”

  The rest of what she’d been about to say was lost in her mad scramble to run away.

  You would have thought he was naked. As he glanced down at himself he admitted she probably thought exactly that. He wore military-issue underwear that happened to be the same color as desert sand. In other words: nude.

  “Hey, wait,” he shouted. He grabbed the jeans he’d thrown over the back of the small couch.

  “Really.” He ran and tugged, ran and tugged, hopping and skipping as he headed for the door. The woman was already at the bottom of the steps by the time he poked his head outside, his pants still open at the zipper. “Stop.”

  She paused with her hand still on the rail. “I’d like to borrow your phone,” she said without making eye contact.

  “Hold on.” He zipped up his jeans and glanced back inside his apartment for a shirt. He’d been extremely sleep deprived when his brother had dropped him off at three this morning, and he wasn’t sure where anything was. His bag sat by the door, but he saw no sign of his shirt, not even on the floor of the tiny kitchen to the left of the door.

  “Seriously,” he called. “Come back up. I’m dressed.”

  She slowly faced him, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. When she peeked up and noticed he was shirtless, she immediately glanced away, her face turning red.