She’d waited out two deployments during their engagement, but when he was about to embark on the third, she’d given him an ultimatum. It was her or the mission. He couldn’t have both, because she could no longer live with the worry and fear. When he’d chosen the mission, it had broken her faith in him, in love. And then she realized she was pregnant. During the months when she had tried to contact him and received only silence in return, she’d felt anger and betrayal, but she’d transferred her love for him to the baby they’d created.
It had been enough…until he walked back into her life. Which didn’t mean there was anything between them anymore. Zach was trying to be a good dad, and she appreciated that. Her own dad had stopped being interested in her life after her parents’ divorce, no matter how she’d tried to attract his notice. From what she was seeing, Austin wouldn’t have to suffer as she had.
“Would you like to look at some pictures and video from Austin’s first year?” She reached for her iPad and tapped a folder open. Inside it, she’d stored everything from images of his birth to video of his first birthday party.
“That’d be great.” Zach took the tablet from her and sat on her couch.
Within seconds he was absorbed in the pictures, and she slipped back into the kitchen. She didn’t want to see his reactions. What would it be like to know you’d missed more than a year of your child’s life? She didn’t want to think about that and couldn’t help the smidgen of guilt she felt. Even though she’d thought she’d done everything she could to contact Zach, maybe if she’d made one more attempt…
What was done was done, and she couldn’t change the past. Carolyn focused on her laptop screen, forcing herself to return to business. A reminder popped up that a shipment of gemstones was due the next week. With the store still a mess and the investigation ongoing, she was in no position to receive the delivery. She called the distributor to have them hold the shipment.
After verifying her identity through the secure system, she reached a customer service representative.
“I can see the shipment on my screen,” the woman explained over the phone, “but it was canceled five days ago.”
“It was canceled? By whom?” Carolyn asked, immediately concerned. She’d personally placed the order.
“Give me a minute to look in the records, and I’ll get back to you.” After a short wait on hold, the representative returned. “The order was canceled via email from the account we have on file for you. Has your email address for purchasing changed?”
“No, it hasn’t. I’m confused about this,” Carolyn said. “Would you mind forwarding that cancelation email to me? For my records.”
“No problem.” Buttons clicked on the representative’s end. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“I’ll need to reinstate that order with delivery for next week.” Carolyn finished the transaction and hung up.
When the forwarded email came into Carolyn’s inbox, she reviewed it carefully. From the look of it, it had come from their purchasing account and appeared legitimate. But she hadn’t sent it. She picked up her phone, dialing Charlotte first to verify that her sister hadn’t canceled the order. Next, she checked with Jenna, the only other person at the store with that authority. Neither had sent the email.
Something was off, way off. Could someone have hacked their email account? Such things weren’t unheard of. She called her IT company next, to get their perspective.
“Accounts get hacked,” the representative told her after she explained her concern, “but there’s no sign of a problem with yours. We ran diagnostics this morning.”
“I’d like you to dig into my account deeper and do a full security scan,” she said, her concern about sabotage returning.
“No problem. Someone will get back to you.” He clicked off, leaving her puzzled over the seemingly unconnected incidents that might very well be part of a larger plan to destroy her business.
“What’s going on?” Zach’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts. He leaned against the doorway from the living room to the kitchen, looking way too good.
“How long have you been standing there?” She’d forgotten how silently he could move. She supposed it was his training that made him so stealthy—not something she cared to think about, even if she did appreciate what it had done for his physique.
“Long enough to know you’ve got a problem. Or, at least, you think you do.” His tone was casual, but underneath it was the steeliness she remembered about him.
She debated. The detective hadn’t thought much of her theory, and Zach might not either. But despite their past, he was someone she could trust, so she told him her ideas about the robbery and the other odd occurrences. As usual, he said nothing, just listened until she’d finished the list that, to her, suggested something wasn’t right.
“It could be coincidence,” he said, echoing the detective’s words. “You should wait and see what your IT people uncover.”
She didn’t want to wait. She wanted to act, and she didn’t need his permission to do anything. She was launching her own investigation whether or not the police—or Zach—liked it. This was her business, her livelihood, and she wasn’t waiting for the situation to worsen before taking action.
5
“Peek-a-boo,” Zach said for the umpteenth time, sending Austin into peals of laughter.
Zach lay on the living room floor with his son on his chest. He’d visited Carolyn’s house every day for the past five, and he was loving each minute he spent with Austin. He’d had some nervous moments, worrying about what kind of father he’d be. His own parents were no example he wanted to follow. The Admiral had known how to love, but Zach and his brothers had been teenagers by the time they had moved in with him.
Being a dad to a young toddler was different, but Zach was managing. It was easy when the kid was awesome. Happy, carefree, and apparently unhurt by the robbery. Zach had been surprised when Carolyn had invited him to join her at an appointment at the pediatrician’s office, where the doctor verified the boy was fine and would likely not remember the hostage situation.
Zach hid his face again, but his son tugged at his hands, trying to remove them. Zach liked the feel of Austin against him, which made him sad he’d missed the baby phase. This was great, but now that he had a sense of what he’d missed out on, he was sorrier than ever. Had there really been no way she could have reached him all those months?
The child’s weight suddenly disappeared from his chest, making Zach open his eyes. Carolyn stood over him with Austin in her arms. They were beautiful together. She’d always been beautiful, more than he’d thought he deserved. And maybe she had been. Admitting that didn’t change his attraction to her. Since the first time he saw her, she’d been the one for him. He’d been astonished when he’d won her heart…and crushed when he’d lost it.
“Time for bed for you, little man,” she said, blowing raspberries against Austin’s tummy and making him giggle.
“Can I help?” Zach had asked other evenings, but she’d told him no. She was protective of Austin. He couldn’t blame her for that, but he’d already missed so much. He supposed Austin was too little to realize he’d had no father, but Zach still feared the boy had suffered from it somehow.
“I…sure,” she relented. “Do you want to dress Mr. Squirmy in his pajamas?”
She’d taught Zach how to change a diaper, what Austin liked to eat, and even how to play with him. He was quickly learning how to care for his son. The bedtime ritual was another step toward being the father he wanted to be.
“Come on upstairs. I’ll show you the ropes.” She climbed ahead of him, her curvy figure at eye level. He almost tripped when his mind shot to how it had felt to run his hands over those curves.
“Thanks,” he said, yanking his thoughts back to his purpose as he followed her into a room at the rear of the house, the one he’d guessed was Austin’s. He’d located the windows on the exterior during his nightly checks on the house. He’d b
een keeping vigil in his car ever since that first night, and though he’d seen nothing to raise concern, he’d continue to watch over them.
“Take him while I get everything ready,” she said. As they passed Austin between them, their bodies brushed together, making him hyperaware of the attraction he still felt for her.
She turned away, giving him no indication that she felt anything for him. That uncertainty had kept him from giving her a good-night kiss the other evenings when she’d walked him to the door. Even though she’d hurt him with her ultimatum and rejection, he wasn’t over her. It hadn’t taken him long to recognize that fact. If there was a chance for them…
“You’ll need to change his diaper and get him in this.” She held up a one-piece sleeper. “It zips down the front.” She tapped an item attached to the crib. “He likes the soother to be on—and the little lamp in the corner.”
“Are you leaving?” Was she going to trust him?
“I’ll go start dinner while you take care of him.” She leaned over Austin on the changing table and kissed his forehead. “Mama loves you, baby.” After she straightened, she glanced at Zach. He caught the slight hesitation in her expression before she spoke. “Would you like to join me? It won’t be anything fancy.”
“Love to,” he answered quickly, pleased she’d asked him. He could pretend to himself he just wanted a home-cooked meal, but he wanted to stay with them as if they were a real family, eat a meal with her as they’d done so many times together.
After she left the room, he focused on caring for his son. With Austin kicking his legs, getting the sleeper on was a challenge, but Zach accomplished it. He adjusted the lights and turned on the soother that played soft music and showed colorful fish swimming across a little screen. He lingered for a moment, holding Austin and rocking him gently until he saw a yawn. He took that as a sign. With one last kiss, he placed the boy on his back, whispered good night, and left the room.
Out in the hall, he took a minute. He’d just put his child to bed for the first time. It was a big deal to him, and he hoped he could be there every night to kiss his son. Having dinner with Carolyn was a big deal, too. He couldn’t deny he was still a little upset with her…but being with her was so natural, the attraction he felt for her so right.
Downstairs, she had pasta cooking on the stove and was making a creamy sauce to go over it. A favorite of his. She looked to him, smiling. Had she consciously chosen the meal to please him?
“Smells good,” he said. “Anything I can do?”
“There’s wine in the fridge if you want some.”
He was tempted, but it might make him sleepy. Not something he could afford when he’d be spending the night keeping watch.
“I’ll pass. Can I pour you a glass?”
“That would be nice.” With a tilt of her head, she indicated the cabinet where the wine glasses were stored. “Grab the vegetables, too. We should eat something healthy.”
He pulled a bottle of white wine and a tray of vegetables, already cut up, as she stirred the sauce.
“How’d it go up there?” she asked casually.
He hid his smile, surprised she’d waited even that long before questioning him. She was a good mother. He could see her love for Austin in everything she did.
“Okay, I think,” he answered. “He was sleepy when I put him down.”
“He must be out. I haven’t heard anything on the monitor.”
So she’d been listening in. He couldn’t blame her, he guessed. It would be difficult to share the boy after more than a year of having him to herself. Zach was making progress on not resenting that.
As they ate, they chatted about old friends, including some of his SEAL buddies and their wives they’d once been close with. When they were nearly finished with the meal, he asked a question that had him worried. “Are you still planning to investigate the recent problems at the store?” He’d heard from a local cop he knew that she’d been at the police station again, asking questions about the dead robber. His past, his known associates, any details they were willing to share.
“Of course.” Her response was instant and emphatic. “I have to. This is my business, my life. I can’t just ignore these threats.”
“It could be dangerous.” He realized his error when her eyes sharpened. He’d as much as said he agreed with her.
She pounced. “So you think I’m right. There’s something to it. If there weren’t, there’d be no danger.”
“I don’t know if there is or isn’t,” he clarified. There might be, he’d admitted to himself, as he’d analyzed the information she’d given him during the long hours of the night. His senses told him something was up. Why else would he have spent the past five nights in his car?
“It’s too much coincidence, Zach. I can’t let it go.” Her tone softened. “You know what the store means to me. It’s my mother’s legacy. She built it from the ground up by herself. No one is going to destroy it.”
All That Sparkles was more than that for her. Being part of the business made Carolyn happy. On top of that, the stakes were higher for her now. And she was one stubborn woman. He hadn’t forgotten that about her. She had plenty of backbone, a fact that had cost him her love. He’d misjudged her then, hoping she wouldn’t stay true to her ultimatum of her or the SEALs. He wasn’t making that mistake again, but he had to keep her safe.
“You might be on to something, but you can’t investigate alone.” He caught her expression and rushed on before she could interrupt. “Look, if you’re right, someone paid an armed robber. That’s an extreme action. Whoever did that should be approached cautiously.”
“It can’t hurt to poke around a bit,” she argued. “So far I’ve just made phone calls and stopped by the police station.”
“And if this unknown perpetrator feels you’re getting close to him, what do you think he’ll do?” He didn’t want to frighten her, but he needed her to consider the possible consequences. He watched her face as she processed what could happen not just to her, but to Austin and her family.
“He’ll come after me…or worse,” she answered, speaking slowly. “I can’t just sit around and let it happen, though. What could he do next?” She shuddered, and his imagination went to some unpleasant scenarios.
“You’ll need help,” he declared.
“The police are giving me the brush-off, and I don’t want to involve Charlotte or Mom if this is dangerous.”
“You’re skipping the obvious solution to the problem,” he pointed out. Had she just not thought of him, or was she intentionally keeping him at a distance?
“You?” Her wide eyes and dimples showed her disbelief.
“Me,” he confirmed. “No one goes at these sorts of situations alone. The police have backup, and the SEALs work in teams. Always. It’s how it’s done. So I’ll be your backup.”
“I suppose you have experience.” Her voice was dead serious, making him grin at her businesslike approach.
“Is this an interview?” He kept it light. Most of his experience was documented in classified files somewhere and definitely included things she didn’t want to see.
“I know you’re capable…I’m just a little surprised you would offer.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said, turning solemn. She could believe it was because she was the mother of his child if she chose to. Spending time in her house and sitting across the table from her had reminded him of how much more existed between them.
“And you know I’ll go at this anyway.” She drank the last of her wine, watching him over the rim.
“I do know that. I’ve seen your determination in action.” He’d misjudged it the night she’d ended their engagement.
“I’d appreciate your help,” she said. “Thanks.”
He breathed an internal sigh of relief, but he gave nothing away on his face. The role reversal between them was ironic. Here he was, a former Navy SEAL, begging her to let him come along for the ride while she inv
estigated. He’d follow her lead and have her back—with the definite bonus of being with her more.
“Where do we start?” he asked.
“The police won’t tell me anything more about the robber, so I need to follow another lead. Drew Castle at Castle Jewels has been after Mom and me to sell. He’s the only person I can think of who could be behind this. It makes sense, right? He wants to buy us out, so he tried to damage the business’s reputation and get it cheaper—with the added bonus of putting us in the position to want to sell.”
“You and your mom aren’t interested in selling?”
“Not at all.” She dismissed the suggestion. “And we’ve told him that repeatedly.”
Drew Castle quickly became a viable suspect in Zach’s mind. Jewelry stores were often in competition with each other, and he might make the error of thinking that the Evert women were easy marks.
“We’ll go there tomorrow,” Zach said. “I’ll act as your bodyguard.”
“That won’t work.” She chuckled. “Drew’ll think it ridiculous that I need protection. Not the right approach.”
Saying he was a friend seemed weak. He had another idea, but she might not like it. What the hell. He was going to suggest it anyway.
“How about we say I’m your fiancé, which gives me an interest in your business and a reason to be with you.”
“I…” She stopped herself, her face going pale.
He kept his gaze steady on hers. Neither one of them had brought up their engagement until then. The air thickened with unsaid words and the memories of their last conversation…when he’d slung his duffel over his shoulder and left the apartment they’d shared, her ultimatum still hanging between them.
“I guess that could work,” she said slowly.
The SEAL’s Surprise Son: The Admiral’s SEALs Book One Page 4
