The SEAL’s Instant Family

by Leslie North

  Hartsville’s SEAL Heroes

  The SEAL’s Convenient Wife

  The SEAL’s Surprise Baby

  The SEAL’s Instant Family

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, JANUARY 2021

  Copyright © 2021 Relay Publishing Ltd.

  All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Leslie North is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.

  Cover Design by Mayhem Cover Creations.

  www.relaypub.com

  Blurb

  Navy SEAL Kenton Fitzpatrick has his life planned out. Retire from the military in a few years, find a lovely woman, get married, have kids. But all that gets thrown off when he comes home from a mission ahead of schedule and finds a beautiful woman with toddler twins and a slobbery dog living in his house. Mia Kingston, who gained custody of her nieces when her sister died, lost her apartment in a fire, so Kenton’s mom thought it would be fine for her to stay in his house while he was deployed. Though having a family living with him isn’t ideal, Kenton agrees to let them stay. With his life plan set in stone, he has no worries that a free spirit like Mia will throw him off track. But when an enemy from Kenton’s past surfaces looking for revenge—and puts Mia and the twins in his sights—Kenton may have to accept a change in plans.

  Mia always intended to return to her apartment once repairs were completed. And she never intended to fall for a sexy SEAL. Then again, even with the chaos of the twins, the threats on their lives, and Kenton’s frustrating need to plan everything, Mia’s never been happier. Having lost her parents at a young age, it’s nice to have a family—even if it’s not quite real. While Kenton’s focused like a laser on keeping them all safe, Mia’s struggling to keep her heart safe from falling too hard, too fast.

  Will it take nearly losing Mia for Kenton to realize he can’t live without her?

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  (Hartsville’s SEAL Heroes Book Three)

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  End of The SEAL’s Instant Family

  Thank You!

  About Leslie

  Sneak Peek: Protecting The Single Mother

  Also by Leslie

  1

  Kenton Fitzpatrick closed his laptop and eyed the men who sat across from him. Patrick and Anderson were integral members of the SEAL team he captained—and his two closest friends.

  “I’m not satisfied with what happened,” he said with a shake of his head. The higher-ups weren’t pleased with his team’s performance, either, so he’d taken some heat. Not something he was accustomed to. “I want a do-over.”

  The mission to North Africa to take down a child-trafficking ring had been at best partially successful. Kenton’s team had managed to disrupt, but not destroy, the network that brought in children from all over the world and sent them back out to fates he didn’t want to contemplate.

  “Not likely for us,” Patrick said, leaning back in his chair. “But another team will get assigned to finish what we didn’t.”

  “Maybe they’ll have better luck,” Anderson said.

  “Luck has nothing to do with this kind of work,” Kenton said flatly. He snatched a pen off the table and clicked it while he thought. It was true that occasionally his SEAL team caught a break, but success came from meticulous planning and flawless execution. He excelled at the former and was well known for it. And he couldn’t fault his men’s actions. They’d done what he’d planned, but the trafficking ring’s leader had slipped through their grasp. Kenton didn’t think it would be long before Marcus Ocampa built another network to prey on innocent children. And that pissed him off.

  “I’m still trying to sort out exactly where it went wrong,” Anderson said. His language skills and analytical brain had been invaluable during the mission, but nothing had been enough to get the team to their end goal.

  “Me, too.” Kenton needed to think about it more, mull it over. Maybe then it would come to him. He wanted to know what his mistakes had been, so he could avoid them in the future. “I appreciate you guys sticking around to help me finish up.” Anderson and Patrick had stayed on base an additional two days, answering questions alongside him and helping him complete the reports when they could have gone home to their families.

  “No worries. I can’t imagine having one of my kids taken from me and exploited like that,” Patrick said with a shudder. He was the father of an eight-year-old girl and a baby boy. “It makes me want to hold my kids close and never let them out of my sight.”

  Anderson nodded his agreement. He’d married just prior to deploying on this mission, and he and his wife already had a little boy.

  “I’ll bet your families are anxious to see you. Have you talked to them since we got stateside?” Kenton asked, feeling guilty that they’d lost out on time with their wives and kids.

  “Early this morning. They’re fine.” Patrick grinned. “It’ll be complete chaos when I get home.”

  “You love it,” Kenton said.

  “I do,” Patrick was quick to say. “You’ll have to try it sometime.”

  “I’ll get there eventually.” Kenton said. He had definite ideas about his future, and kids were part of it, he’d realized in recent months. He already had a house he loved. It was a recent purchase, but he felt sure it was the place where he’d bring his bride. First, he had to meet the right woman, and then, when the time was right, they’d have a couple of kids.

  “Eventually is never how it happens,” Anderson said with a laugh. “Some woman’s going to burst into your plans and change everything.”

  “You got that right,” Patrick agreed. “Just prepare yourself to catch her when she falls into your life, because you won’t get any warning.”

  That seemed to be the way of it with his friends and SEAL teammates. Most had paired off in recent years and were busy raising families. Still, Kenton didn’t think a woman was going to land on his doorstep like his buddies seemed to think.

  “I’ve got to be home long enough for that to happen.” If he wasn’t deployed, Kenton advised other teams about to head out. It was a life that kept him out of the country or on base the majority of the time, which was why he was looking forward to heading home. He had an extended leave coming, and he planned to take it. He wanted to take care of some projects around the house, but his
true goal was to lay the foundation for his future. And that meant finding a woman to share it with.

  Kenton’s phone screen lit up again with another message from his mother. Margaret Fitzpatrick was the most persistent woman he’d ever known. He’d texted her earlier in the day that he’d be headed home soon, and she’d sent him five messages since asking him to call.

  “You should call or text your mom back,” Anderson said, reading the screen from across the table. “You know how she is.”

  The three of them shared a grin. Margaret had been a mom to all of them since Patrick’s had walked out when he was a kid, and Anderson’s was never much interested in parenting. Margaret had been the one who made sure they all had Halloween costumes when they were little and got home from football practices in high school. She was a mother hen who didn’t put up with any nonsense.

  “Later,” Kenton said. “She probably just wants to invite me to dinner. I’m not feeling it.”

  “You’ve got to let the mission go,” Anderson said, standing up. “We’ve analyzed it. Viewed it from every angle. What happened wasn’t your fault, man.”

  “I’m not convinced of that yet,” Kenton said. The sense of responsibility stayed with him as they drove off base and headed for Hartsville. Kenton dropped off Patrick first, at his house just outside town, and watched as his friend was engulfed in hugs from his wife and kids. Next, he took Anderson to a home in a newer development. The porch light was on, and Violet immediately stepped outside with their son Nate on her hip and a huge smile on her face.

  Kenton beeped his horn as he drove off, happy that his friends had each found a mate who suited them, even if both of them had fallen into relationships in unusual ways. A few minutes later, he turned onto the tree-lined street where he lived. He’d bought the home, sight unseen, eighteen months ago, when he was on the other side of the globe. He’d viewed pictures on the internet and had his family’s assurance that he’d love it. And he did. More than he could put into words.

  The dark blue Victorian was stately and graceful, the kind of place that exuded comfort and security. It was exactly what he wanted. Patrick and Anderson had teased him about the ornate trim, stained-glass transom window, and rounded turret. He’d taken the ribbing while thinking that his future wife, whoever she was, would appreciate those details.

  As he pulled into his driveway, he was just glad to be there and have time and space to himself. He’d call his mom in the morning, but he wanted to sleep in his own bed first. Unpack and unwind before having to socialize. That was always best when he came off a mission. He needed time to adjust to the civilian world.

  He grabbed his duffel bag, pausing when he heard a dog bark. He listened more closely. The twilight air was still and quiet, with only the hum of the cicadas and the slight puff of an early autumn breeze in the trees. He waited, and the bark came again. He could have sworn the sound was coming from inside his house, but his ears must be playing tricks on him. He loved dogs, had even gotten interested in training them in the military, but he hadn’t owned one since he was a kid.

  With a shrug, Kenton let himself into the mudroom and dropped the duffel on the floor. A scrabbling of paws on the tile floor was his only warning before a large dog slammed into him, knocking him off balance and pinning him to the wall. The dog’s head was against Kenton’s chest. It didn’t move to bite him, but Kenton felt the heat of its breath and heard a low growl from its throat.

  What the hell! What was a dog doing in his house?

  Before Kenton could attempt to shove the dog away, a baseball bat was thrust into his side. Shit. Had he entered the wrong house somehow? His fist clamped around the key he still held. No, he’d let himself in. Before he could say anything, the pressure left his side as his attacker changed strategies and swung at his head. He parried instinctively and caught the bat before it connected, but he couldn’t prevent the glancing hit to his shoulder.

  He gripped the bat and wrenched it away from his assailant. At the same time, he pushed off the wall, shoving the dog back as his senses processed who he was up against. He squinted, trying to make out a shape in the shadows. The figure was not what he’d expected. Tall and curvy, the dip of her waist a defined valley between bust and hips. And he caught the faint whiff of perfume, fresh violet.

  A woman? The realization made him hesitate. He’d have had a man on the floor in no time, but…

  “What are you doing here?” The voice was feminine, pitched low and threatening. Kenton would be impressed with her bravery if he weren’t so damn annoyed to find someone in his house.

  “This is my house,” he ground out. The dog retreated from him and went to her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  No answer came, but a blast of light from overhead illuminated the space. She’d flipped on the old fluorescent bulb that hung above them.

  “Holy hell,” he said under his breath when he caught sight of her.

  She was gorgeous. Gold streaked her dark blonde hair, and her eyes were green like summertime leaves. A smattering of freckles covered her nose and cheekbones. And her mouth was a lush, deep pink, inviting and teasing his imagination. He hadn’t been wrong about the curves, either. The swell of her chest beneath her tight-fitting shirt sparked a thirst within him that only seemed to grow as his eyes slid over her hips and down her long legs. The black leggings she wore hid nothing.

  She wasn’t eye level with him—few women were—but she was taller than average. The fleeting thought that she’d fit just right against his large frame came and went in his brain in the split second they evaluated each other.

  Her chin came up, a look of challenge on her face, and she continued to hold the bat clutched in front of her, long lashes blinking over her eyes. He needed to speak, but he was still drowning in the sight of her.

  Her lips parted, and before she could speak, the sharp cry of a child came from overhead. A kid? There was an unknown woman, a dog, and a kid in his house? What alternate universe had he walked into?

  “Oh, damn,” she muttered.

  2

  “Sorry,” Mia said.

  She had recognized his face as soon as the light came on. Kenton Fitzpatrick, the home’s owner. Pictures of him with his family or other men dressed in uniform lined the mantel. She’d studied those pictures, adored those pictures, and dreamed of having his tall, built frame around hers on more than one occasion. And the photos hadn’t lied, he was all muscle with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw.

  Dark hair, intense eyes, tanned skin, and the shadow of stubble—the man was a heartbreaker. No doubt about it.

  His imposing attitude didn’t detract, even a little bit, from his sensual, masculine persona. Except he looked confounded and pissed at the moment, since he was probably completely unaware that she was… well… living in his house.

  She lowered the baseball bat, no longer worried about defending herself and her nieces, and grabbed for Eliot’s collar. Tension still coiled through the dog, making it hard for her to drag him away from Kenton.

  “Come on, Eliot. Be a good boy,” Mia pleaded. The chocolate lab mix was usually the perfect family pet. Lovable and happy. But he didn’t like anyone he perceived as a threat to her or the girls. An unknown man entering the house after dark was definitely more than he could handle. Mia gave another yank on his collar. “Down, Eliot. It’s okay.”

  “I’m glad you think it’s okay,” Kenton said, his hands going to his hips. “From where I’m standing, someone has invaded my house.”

  “Right. About that…” She trailed off as she struggled with Eliot and with how to explain her presence in Kenton’s beautiful home. Another piercing cry from upstairs cut through the air. Most likely Emma. She’d been unsettled all evening, so much so that Mia had been reluctant to put her in the room she shared with Ava, who was the quiet, calm twin. Emma, bless her little heart, was more demanding of attention. But Mia had thought she was tired enough to sleep. Eliot’s barking must have woken her.

 
; Mia felt torn between dealing with the dog, explaining her presence to her unexpected visitor, and racing up the stairs to comfort Emma before she woke her sister. She was on the verge of sprinting away when Kenton barked out a sharp command. She didn’t recognize the language it was given in, but it had the immediate effect of making Eliot sit down and Emma stop crying.

  What kind of wonder was this? Even Mia felt frozen in place.

  Kenton’s phone rang in the silence, but he made no move to answer it as his eyes swept over her from head to toe. His gaze was assessing, not critical, and she recognized interest in his eyes. The look disappeared as swiftly as it came.

  “Are you going to answer that?” she asked, pulling out her own phone and opening the app that connected to the nanny cam in the twins’ bedroom. Mia had only been a parent for six months, but she’d learned quickly that sudden silences were as terrifying as all-out screaming.

  Emma’s face showed on the small screen. The toddler was sitting in the corner of her crib with her favorite stuffed bunny on her lap. Tears glistened on her face as she chewed on the bunny’s ear. She was okay. Mia took a deep breath. With any luck, Emma would settle herself back to sleep while Mia dealt with the angry man in front of her.

  Kenton touched Eliot’s ears and spoke in a low voice that Mia couldn’t catch, but it was a tone the dog understood. He immediately pushed his nose into Kenton’s hand and gave his wrist a lick. Eliot must have recognized the man’s scent—it was all over the house, especially in the master bedroom.