by Katie Knight
“Dada! Dada!” they said as he hobbled over to where Lake sat and leaned down to kiss her.
“Hey, sweetheart.” He pulled back and smiled. “How was your day?”
“Good.” She sighed and set the coin aside before maneuvering out of her chair. With one more month to go before their son was born, her graceful movements had slowed considerably. “Do I look all right for tonight?” she asked, gesturing toward her loose-fitting purple dress and cardigan. “It was the only thing in my closet that fit.”
Her bottom lip trembled slightly, and he kissed her again fast. “You look amazing and I’m the luckiest man alive.”
Drake meant every word of that. He still pinched himself on a daily basis to make sure this was all real. After a lifetime of running away from his past, it was still hard to believe he had the family he’d always secretly yearned for and that their first kid together was on the way. However, learning they were having a boy put him on edge. After all, he’d not had a great example of fatherhood growing up and he feared making the same mistakes his dad did—working too much, not being there for his kids. But Lake had assured him he wouldn’t be that guy. He prayed she was right and took comfort in the fact that the twins were doing great. He might not be their biological father, but they were the children of his heart and always would be.
Talk about daddy’s girls. His twins definitely were.
And speaking of the twins, he reached down and swept Maya into his arms first, then Madison, bouncing them each in his arms while they squealed. “All right, ladies. Are we ready to go?”
“Oh, hang on,” Lake said, holding up a finger. “I’ve got one more email to send for work.”
He kept the girls entertained while she took care of business. After the Shepperton Foundation had been permanently shuttered, his wife had found herself a new position as executive director at another charity, one they’d started together in honor of Lake’s grandmother: the Helen Thomas Foundation. Yep. Against all odds, the two women had reconciled after all these years and were constantly messaging each other about the twins. Drake was happy that Lake finally seemed to have put her past to rest.
“Done!” she said now, hitting send before grabbing her purse off the table. “Ready.”
“Good.” He got the twins buckled into their car seats while she locked up the house; then they were off to Billy and his wife’s house to drop off the twins before their date. Billy had another young son a few months older than the twins and the kids got along great together. Finding someone they trusted to watch their kids had been a godsend for him and Lake, and it had allowed him and Billy to reconnect too. Now, they got together once a month or so to watch football or play softball on the local team or whatever. It was nice, having his old friend in his life again.
Once they were back on the road again, Lake looked over at him. “You never did tell me where we’re going.”
“That’s because it’s a surprise, sweetheart.” He held her hand atop the console between their seats. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“You know I do, darling.” Lake winked at him as he signaled to make a left turn into the Thomas Foundation parking lot. “Am I going to work?”
“Nah.” He took the side lane around the building, then down the path curving through the protected forest lands behind the foundation. “Too pretty a night for that.”
A few minutes later, they pulled off the road in a clearing surrounded by old-growth pines. Near the center was the surprise he’d set up earlier that day. A small round table was set for two with a linen tablecloth and candles at the center, just waiting for him to light. Nearby stood the telescope they’d bought shortly after their wedding night and had used far too infrequently lately for his tastes.
He had Lake wait in the car until he got everything ready, then led her out of the vehicle like the queen she was, holding her hand until they reached the table, now illuminated by soft flickering candlelight.
“Wow. This is great.” She smiled up at him, then kissed him gently. “A picnic in winter.”
“Not just a picnic.” He pointed at the telescope. “Did you forget what night this is?”
Lake frowned slightly. “What?”
“The Geminids Meteor Shower.” He grinned at her gasp and pulled her close. “Figured maybe we could start a new tradition for the two of us, since we’re both astronomy buffs. Besides, who doesn’t love shooting stars?”
“Oh my gosh.” She sniffled and snuggled closer to him. “Yes!”
He gave her a gentle squeeze, then helped her into her chair before taking his seat across from her and pouring them each a glass of sparkling water. They clinked glasses as the first falling star streaked overhead.
“Thank you for being my wish come true,” Lake said, the love in her eyes taking his breath away.
“Same, sweetheart,” he said, his words gruffer than usual from emotion. He swallowed hard, then leaned in to kiss her once more, whispering, “Same.”
End of Protecting His Brother’s Babies
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About Katie
It isn’t a big surprise Katie Knight ended up writing romances about the stellar, studdly men of the Navy SEALs; after all, she was a K-9 trainer for the SEALs and met her own Navy SEAL hero husband while preparing one of their K-9 partners for combat. A few years after their marriage, her and hubby decided to retire with their K-9 partner, Sam, to raise their children in the Midwest. It wasn’t long after that before Katie decided to write her own stories featuring the men of the SEAL teams and the women who love them.
When not imagining dangerously romantic scenarios for her heroes and their feisty heroines, Katie enjoys hikes with her husband and Sam, spending time with her children, and long runs (on and off the beach).
To learn more about Katie you can check out all her books on social media and her website: www.leslienorthbooks.com/katie-knight
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
Amelia Cafferty opened her bakery in a small town to find a sense of safety and family. Problem is, there’s already a family-run bakery in town and they’re none too happy to have competition—especially with Christmas right around the corner. Could they be behind the nasty pranks that are hurting her business? On top of her bakery woes, she’s just found out her sizzling one-night stand with a gorgeous hunk of a Navy SEAL has left her pregnant. Things go from bad to worse when she realizes Maxwell Bloom is part of the family who owns the rival bakery. It’s clear to Amelia that everyone in his family wishes she was gone—except for Maxwell. And that’s a good thing, because he’s not just a great kisser, he also happens to be pretty good at saving her life…
Exploding microwaves. Falling ovens. Those types of things just don’t happen, and it’s driving Maxwell a little crazy. Not only is he determined to protect Amelia and his unborn child, he also suspects his family could be involved in the scary incidents at her bakery. As much as he loves his family, his new and unexpected protectiveness for Amelia is a higher priority. It has nothing to do wit
h his heart—at least that’s what he convinces himself. It has nothing to do with her sunny nature and sexy curves. Nothing to do with the way he can’t stop thinking of her, wanting her. With the end of his leave in sight after the holidays are over, he’s got no time for softer feelings. But he does wish his family knew the Amelia he knows. Convincing them that Amelia is more angel than Scrooge shouldn’t be that hard. Convincing himself to listen to his stubborn heart just might need a sprinkling of Christmas magic…
Grab your copy of The SEAL’s Pregnant Christmas Lover
Available November 26, 2020
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EXCERPT
Chapter 1
“Does the naughty schoolgirl need a spanking?”
Amelia Cafferty gave the intoxicated vampire in front of her a lethally cold stare. “The name’s Addams. Wednesday Addams. Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
Halloween was usually her second favorite holiday. What wasn’t to love about everyone dressing up and pretending to be someone else? Hell, when she’d been in foster care, pretending to be her favorite characters from books or movies, they’d been a welcome escape from the problems of her daily life. Tonight, though, instead of candy and fun, Halloween seemed to be all about alcohol and desperation. The costumes added some variety, but the drunken come-ons were getting real old, real fast.
The vamp leaned in, his boozy breath nearly knocking her sideways. “You’re cute.”
“And you’re an idiot.” She pushed past him on her way to the bar. “Go suck garlic.”
She made a beeline for the only open stool and slid into the seat carefully, making sure that her too-short skirt covered all her necessities. Honestly, she wasn’t sure exactly why she’d come here this evening, other than maybe getting a chance to go incognito around the residents of her new town and maybe hear some of the gossip being thrown her way. Rumor had it the rival, long-established bakery in town was throwing shade at Amelia’s new place, Sweet Cheeks Coffee and Confections, and she wanted to know what people were saying.
As far as social hotspots went, the crowded bar at the Holiday Inn near the airport in Brightshores, New York, was pretty par for the course. Short on amenities and generous with the liquor.
The bartender, decked out as a zombie for the occasion, stopped in front of her. “What’s your poison?”
She glanced at the handwritten menu scrawled on the chalkboard wall behind the bar and decided on a drink made with orange juice, lemon-lime soda and Midori melon liqueur. “Witches’ Brew, please.”
“Coming right up.
The bartender turned away, and Amelia studied the people around her while she waited. There was an assortment of creatures including gangsters, naughty nurses, a couple members of the undead, and what looked like a germ of some kind based on the person’s green rubber costume with pink balloons and goo glued to it.
“Here you go,” the bartender said, placing a martini glass filled with a neon-yellow liquid in front of her then taking her credit card to run it. “It’s got a kick to it, so watch out.”
“Thanks.” Amelia gave the guy a small smile then sipped the fruity concoction. Not bad. Not bad at all. And yeah, there was a slight burn at the end from the alcohol, but it had nothing on her yearly batch of bourbon eggnog that always accompanied her favorite holiday: Christmas. She licked off a bit of the black sugar rimming her glass, then tucked her returned credit card safely back into the pocket of her black cardigan.
While she drank, she fiddled with the end of one of her long black braids and tuned into the conversations around her once more. With her face powdered white, her hair covered by the black wig, and her typical casual clothes replaced by the too-short dress hugging her generous curves, she looked nothing like she usually did. That had been the idea. Hard to eavesdrop when everyone recognized you. Amelia’s normal style was laid-back and comfy, her thick wavy brown hair pulled into a simple ponytail, and her cheeks rosy from the ovens she spent so much time working around.
Beside her, a woman dressed as one of the Kardashians squeezed into an open spot. At first, Amelia didn’t pay much attention to her, but then the woman spoke, and her ears perked up. She knew that voice. It belonged to Kelly Bloom-Weston, the gal who happened to manage Bloom’s Bakery, the other bakery in town. Amelia didn’t see them as rivals—surely there were enough people with a sweet tooth to keep two bakeries in business—but she’d heard that Kelly thought differently. Amelia sat forward slightly, careful not to draw attention to herself. Kelly was going on to her friends about Sweet Cheeks, how awful Amelia’s place was and how unsanitary her kitchens were. Lies. All lies. Everything about her operation was up to code. She’d worked in food service and bakeries since she’d been fifteen years old. There wasn’t an ordinance or health department code she didn’t have memorized and didn’t obey to the letter. As her first mentor used to say, “Cleanliness was next to Godliness in the kitchen.”
But then the woman’s attacks started to turn personal—to turn mean. It wasn’t enough to say that Amelia’s bakery was trash. Kelly seemed to be saying that Amelia was trash, too. To a girl who’d grown up in foster care, the insult packed quite a wallop. She’d worked so hard to build a life, a career for herself—to rise above and beyond being that little girl no one had wanted. She baked sweet things that made people happy, and she worked her ass off to save the money to start her own little shop, in a sweet little town where she could make a home for herself.
And instead, she had to listen to yet another woman judge her on sight and call her trash.
As her hackles rose, Amelia began to second-guess her snooping plan. Perhaps listening to Kelly Bloom run her into the mud hadn’t been such a great idea after all. Heart hurting, Amelia sighed. Tonight was turning her more goth than she’d expected.
She abandoned her barstool and wandered to the other end of the bar, hoping to put some distance between herself and the vicious rumors her rival was spreading about her and her bakery. Luckily, another seat opened, and Amelia quickly claimed it. Sitting beside her now was a guy in a soldier costume—fatigues and combat boots. He was drinking what looked like a dark ale.
When she took her seat, he gave Amelia some serious side-eye. For a second, she thought he might hit on her too, but then he lowered his gaze to the bar top and kept it there. What a shame. She wouldn’t have minded a come-on from him. He was a cutie, no doubt about it. Even with the ugly layers of camo, there was no disguising his hot, muscled bod. Damn. The guy was built. Add in that soft-looking dark hair and his chiseled features and whoa. Amelia was sitting next to a certified stud-muffin. A flutter of awareness sizzled through her core before she tamped it down. Picking up guys in bars on Halloween wasn’t on her to-do list.
Was it?
No, it wasn’t. Just as well too, considering her mood had taken a recent turn southward. She took another large gulp of her drink. It was good. More than good. Great. The kick the bartender had warned her about seemed to have dulled too. Warmth spread through her system, making her toes wiggle and her fingertips tingle. Witches brew indeed!
Too bad it didn’t affect her hearing. She’d thought putting extra distance between herself and Kelly Bloom would keep her from hearing the other woman’s ghastly words, but unfortunately, no. The volume of her rival’s liquor-fueled rant had notched higher now, though she had, thankfully, moved on from blasting Sweet Cheeks bakery to gossiping about some poor woman in town who’d had the misfortune of marrying a guy who’d cheated on her.
Nope. Coming here tonight had been a big old mistake. Should’ve stayed back at her place and greeted trick-or-treaters instead. Negativity in all forms wasn’t her bag. Amelia prided herself on being an upbeat, positive person. A ray of sunshine, as her last ex-boyfriend had said. Ted had appreciated her optimism, until he didn’t. During their last argument before they’d broken up, he’d accused Amelia of hiding her true emotions behind a Pollyanna exterior. Not true. She just didn’t like to burden other people with her
problems. Never did any good anyway.
No one liked a sad sack. And she knew better than to believe anyone was going to swoop in to fix things for her. She’d learned to be fine on her own—to be able to take care of herself. Surely that was a good thing, right?
“Sorry,” the guy beside her said, bumping her arm with his as a group of college kids jostled into him. The movement caused the drink in Amelia’s hand to slosh down the front of her dress. Before she could react, soldier boy grabbed his napkin off the bar and began dabbing at her top. “Here, let me help you clean that up. Stupid college kids. Need to watch where they’re going.”
Well then. As his napkin-covered fingers dabbed at her boobs, Amelia sat back slightly and blinked at him. Her head felt a bit fuzzy from her drink, and she bit back a giggle. She wasn’t the type to go gaga over a stranger like this, no matter how gorgeous. But this guy was pushing all her buttons.
Literally.
She probably ought to stop him touching her like that, but honestly, it was pretty funny. Amelia couldn’t seem to hold back her snark. “You could at least buy me dinner first.”
The guy froze, his deep blue eyes slowly lifting to meet her gaze. “I, uh… Oh. Sorry.”
Seeing such a rugged, alpha guy get flustered did all sorts of wicked things to her insides. Normally, Amelia wasn’t much of a flirter. Being a self-employed business owner left precious little time for a social life at all. She worked hard. Up early to work, in bed early to sleep. That was basically her day, every day. This was a rare night out. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but part of her brain whispered that she should make the most of it.