She told herself to be patient. A little more time, and maybe…
* * *
Zach stooped to put a white rose on the Admiral’s tombstone. Two flowers were already there, and he knew his brothers had made the pilgrimage to the cemetery to honor the Admiral on what would have been his eightieth birthday. He’d served his country for more than four decades and shared his final ten years with three wayward boys, seeing them change from incorrigible youths to young men with promise and opportunities.
Even though he’d died four years before, Zach felt a connection with him as a friend, father, and guide in life. Zach still remembered the Admiral’s advice and words of wisdom. One of those moments kept coming back to Zach. The Admiral had insisted that Zach would one day be so happy with his life that the injuries and grief of his youth would no longer matter. Zach had popped off that that was bunk. He hadn’t believed a word of it at fifteen, when he bore the heavy weight of the physical and emotional scars of his abusive father and a mother who’d abandoned him.
But these past weeks with Carolyn and Austin had changed his perspective. Zach was happy in a way he’d never been. Happy to see his son’s smiling face, happy to put his arms around Carolyn. Happy for every moment they had in her beautiful home, a home built for a family.
“You old geezer,” Zach said aloud. “You knew so much. I wish you could meet my son.” The Admiral had understood what it meant to be a dad, even if he had come to it late in life. He’d have made some woman a great husband if he hadn’t been married to the sea, as he had liked to say.
Zach snapped to attention and saluted the tombstone. “Wish me luck, sir. I’ve got to ask a woman a very important question.” He walked away, feeling the ring box in his pocket.
After consulting with Charlotte and Faith, they’d agreed with him that he should offer Carolyn the ring from their first engagement. Her sister had insisted that Carolyn loved that ring, but Charlotte’s suggestion that he modify it in some way got him thinking.
He’d taken the ring from Carolyn’s jewelry box the day before, thankful she hadn’t returned it to her safe, and smuggled it into Charlotte’s hands. All That Sparkles’ jewelry technician polished the pear-shaped diamond and inset small pearls on the platinum band. It was the same ring but with an important change, one that made it unique to who he and Carolyn were now as a couple.
Up ahead, he saw Carolyn and Austin where they’d waited for him so he could have privacy at the Admiral’s grave. He felt himself rushing to get to them. When she smiled at him as he approached, he felt so damn happy.
“I think Austin is going to be naturalist,” she declared. The boy did love being outside and all sorts of wild creatures. “There goes a cardinal.” She pivoted away from Zach to point out the bird that flitted from branch to branch of a pine tree. “Isn’t it pretty?” she said to Austin.
Her action gave Zach time to take the jewelry box from his pocket, open it, and drop to one knee. He was going to do this right.
“Oh,” she gasped when she turned back to him, looking between his face and the ring. She was so beautiful. He had a brief moment of thinking he didn’t deserve her, but it passed at the expectant look she gave him.
“I did this once before, but I’m a better man than I was then,” he said. She shook her head in disagreement, but he went on. “I promise to be the best husband and father I can be. I’ll always be there for you and Austin—and maybe another child, if we’re so lucky. You’ll have my love and commitment forever if you’ll marry me.” So far, he’d said everything he’d planned. He just had one more sentence. “Carolyn Evert, will you be my sweetheart, my bride, my wife, my love?”
“I will,” she said, her voice steady as she extended her hand for him to slip the ring on. She studied it for a second before bending toward him and touching his cheek. “I’ll love you always, Zach Vale. I never stopped, you know. I couldn’t.” She kissed him then, her lips warm and soft against his. Behind her Austin giggled and clapped, making Carolyn laugh. “I think our son says yes, too.”
“Good, because he’s part of us and part of this moment. The pearls,” he said, knowing she’d understand the significance of the jewels he’d had added to the ring.
“June’s birthstone to represent Austin’s birth month.” Tears glimmered in her eyes, and he knew he’d done the right thing. “That is so…perfect.”
“I love you, Carolyn. I know not every day will be perfect, but if we’re together…” Words no longer expressed what he needed to communicate. He picked up Austin, holding the boy in one arm as he pulled Carolyn to him with the other. He was as happy as the Admiral had said he would be as he held the two most precious people in his life close to his heart.
End of The SEAL’s Surprise Son
The Admiral’s SEAL’s Book One
The SEAL’s Surprise Son, April 23rd, 2020
The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny, April 30th, 2020
The SEAL’s Pregnant Ex, May 7th, 2020
Do you love sexy military men? Please keep reading for exclusive extracts from The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny and SEAL’s Homecoming.
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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
Former Navy SEAL Colin Vale is looking for a woman. Not just any woman, though. He wants one who will be a good mother to his adopted daughter, Sofia. Someone steady and reliable who will give Sofia the kind of stable, happy childhood he didn’t have. That woman is not Lily Rhodes, Sofia’s new nanny—a free spirit whose top priority is chasing her dreams. But despite Lily not checking off any of the marks for what he wants, Colin can’t fight his attraction to her. To Colin, who thrives on regimentation, Lily’s priorities seem utterly alien. So why does he find her whimsical nature so darned appealing? Even while he goes out on a series of dates to find the perfect wife and mother, he can’t stop thinking about Lily…
As the oldest of eight children, Lily’s early life was full of responsibility and expectations. The last thing she wants is to settle down before she has a chance to explore, to live. That doesn’t mean she isn’t wildly attracted to Colin, though. How could any red-blooded woman not be attracted to a man like him? He’s the hottest guy she’s ever met and a loving father to Sofia… but this gig as a nanny is temporary, just a way to make money until she can do what her heart truly wants. The problem is, the longer she stays, the more her heart is turning in another direction—and that scares the daylights out of her. She doesn’t want to be tied down, yet how can she even think of leaving?
So when she’s offered an opportunity that would bring her time with Colin and Sofia to an end, Lily is forced to make a life-altering decision and decide what her dreams truly are.
Grab your copy of The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny
Available April 30th, 2020
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* * *
EXCERPT
Chapter One
Lily yanked on her favorite khaki pencil skirt and slipped her feet into sensible beige flats. She was reaching for a white sweater set when her hand stilled. This outfit was all the things she’d promised herself she would no longer be: boring, predictable, conventional.
&nbs
p; Kicking off the flats, she dug in the bottom of her closet for a pair of red wedge heels and grabbed a flowy silk top with a red and orange swirl pattern. Maybe a bit bold for a job interview, but if nothing else, she’d make an impression.
“Not bad.” Lily studied her reflection in the mirror after getting dressed. She liked the way the heels highlighted the definition in her calf muscles and how the blouse brought out the color of her lips. She’d bought both pieces on impulse the summer before, all the while knowing they were too bright for her drab teacher’s wardrobe.
For her new life, one of adventure and free choice, the outfit was perfect.
Too bad freedom didn’t come with a salary, she thought with a grimace. She wanted time to explore who she was and figure out what she wanted in life. But her apartment wasn’t rent-free, and her savings from her job at the Hartford Academy were rapidly disappearing.
And she’d be damned if she’d accept one penny from her father, not after the way he’d scoffed at her artistic aspirations for years and not-so-good-naturedly teased that he’d have to support her because she was too much of a dreamer.
Nope. No way. She’d try for this job as a nanny. The toddler’s father had seemed okay with Lily’s insistence that the job would be temporary. She might need some cash, but she had no desire to get locked into a long-term commitment. And after a few years of teaching and a lifetime of helping to raise her seven younger siblings, she knew plenty about caring for kids.
“Temporary,” she said to herself as she swiped on mascara and added lip gloss. With a last nod at her reflection, she hitched her sensible purse over her shoulder and snatched up the folder with her resume and notes about the job.
With her hand on the doorknob, she checked out the peephole, carefully searching for creepy John Stout. His apartment door across the hall was shut, but she knew if he heard her leaving, he’d intercept her as he’d done so many times in the past months. His car was in the parking lot; she’d spied it from her bedroom window. Her put-on confidence waned. She’d have to be cautious to avoid him.
Carefully, she opened the door and closed it quietly behind her. As fast as she could, she got to the end of the hall, then went down the stairs instead of taking the elevator where she might get trapped. She made it out the building door and to her car without being stopped. She was probably being paranoid, since she had no reason to think he was stalking her, but John seemed to be everywhere she was, and it had only gotten worse after he asked her out and she turned him down.
With an inward shiver, she started her car and pulled out of the lot, grateful that the nanny job, if she got it, was a live-in position. She could leave her apartment and creepy John behind for good, plus save money for whatever endeavor was in her future.
The address Colin Vale had given her wasn’t far. As she drove, she reviewed what she knew about him and his daughter. He had made no mention of Sofia’s mother, other than to suggest he had complete custody of the child. He was looking for full-time help because of his job responsibilities that required him to work evenings and be on call. He hadn’t elaborated on what that job was.
He had, however, sounded younger than she expected a man with a child to raise to be. She admitted that increased her curiosity about him, but so long as he was a decent man and offered her the job, she’d take it.
Lily turned onto Silvan Street and sucked in a breath. “Oh, wow,” she whispered, her eyes sweeping over the neat houses lined up on either side of the road like soldiers in formation in the watery January sunshine. They were all identical in design, and the only color choices appeared to be white, beige, and gray.
Who would want to live here? But it wasn’t unlike where she’d grown up. The houses in her parents’ neighborhood were larger, statelier, wealthier… but equally regimented.
She pulled to the curb in front of number seventy-four, a white house with nothing to distinguish it from the homes on either side. If she lived on this street, she’d have to paint her front door neon pink just to find her way home.
As a temporary address for a few months, she could manage it. She squared her shoulders, brushed her dark hair behind her ears, and made her way up the straight sidewalk to the door. The bell had barely stopped ringing when the door was opened by a tall, imposing man.
In a second, she took in his appearance. Dark hair cut close, gorgeous blue eyes like the ocean on a sunny day, a physique that suggested power and strength. All that and one of the most handsome faces she’d ever seen. And he was young—not quite thirty, she decided.
Job interview. She gave herself a mental slap and stuck out her hand. This wasn’t a date. But, geez, if it were…
“Hi, I’m Lily Rhodes.” Her voice sounded surprisingly level, but she was glad she got the words out before her hand was encased in his large, warm one. A frisson of interest shot through her at his touch, knocking her almost speechless.
“Colin Vale,” he replied. “Come in.” He stepped back, letting her past him into his home.
His very white home. Her eyes swept the living room, checking off the details. White walls, white carpet, white sofa and chair. Yikes. The man had a toddler in this? There was no sign of it. No toys, no food stains, no signs of… living.
Her father would love this place, she thought. The math professor would see the blankness as pure and limitless, like an equation waiting to be solved. To Lily it looked like a canvas yearning for color to transform it, give it warmth and vitality. Green, she decided, soft shades of green were what the room called for.
A glimmer of color showed in a glass display case against the far wall. Playing cards. She made out deck after deck, many of them old, worn, maybe even antique. Interesting. Was he a gambler? Was that his thing? She was curious, but it wasn’t her place to ask about his personal habits.
She did worry about the whiteness of his house, though. Should he hire her, how would she supervise a two-year-old well enough to keep the pristine order all around her?
“Won’t you sit down?” He gestured to the white sofa, and she gingerly sat on the edge. “You mentioned on the phone that you had experience with kids.”
“That’s right.” Did she ever. “I’m the oldest of eight.”
His eyes grew wider, a reaction that was more controlled at her announcement than she usually received. Large families generally surprised and fascinated people.
“That must have been interesting,” he said as he sat across from her. His long limbs stretched out before him, but he wasn’t relaxed.
“It was.” And limiting, since everything she did had to be for the good of the family. She’d shouldered responsibility and obligation from a young age almost unconsciously—until recently, when she’d decided to shake that loose and live for herself. But this wasn’t the time to acknowledge the downside of family life. “I’ve helped care for babies and toddlers for many years. And, as a teacher, I’ve been responsible for the welfare of older students.”
“You taught at the Hartford Academy.” He named the private school fifteen miles outside of town where she’d been employed until a few months before.
“That’s right,” she confirmed, knowing that he was going to ask why she was no longer teaching at the school. “I was there for three years as a sixth-grade math teacher.”
“You left midyear.” He was watching her in a way that made his statement feel like a polite interrogation. “That’s unusual.”
Practically unheard of. Teachers tended to work out their contracts, but the circumstances hadn’t allowed for that. She’d promised herself she would be completely honest about her forced resignation, especially since she’d done nothing wrong. If Colin Vale was a decent man, he’d recognize that.
“I suppose you’d like to know what happened, since you would be entrusting your daughter to me,” she offered.
“Tell me.” His words were more a command than an invitation. He was accustomed to giving orders and having them followed. Military? Definitely, she concluded, based on
his appearance and demeanor.
“Hartford awards a few scholarships a year to high-achieving students from low-income families,” she began. “It’s not easy for those kids. They wear hand-me-down uniforms and are often unable to participate in extracurricular programs because they can’t afford the additional fees.”
“So it’s obvious who they are,” he said, his keen eyes sharp on her.
“Very, which can open them up to ridicule from other children. One of my students, a very bright and promising girl, was bullied repeatedly by the son of a wealthy family. He mocked and taunted her, and finally he turned to physical abuse. He shoved her so hard she fell and broke her glasses. Prior to that, I’d reported his behavior to the headmaster, who did nothing about it. I tried to give her advice on how to handle the situation, but she was only eleven. No child should be expected to fight that battle on her own.” She had been outraged at the school’s lack of response and empathy. “After the last incident, I insisted to the headmaster and board of trustees that something be done. Their response was to protect the boy, because his parents are important people and donors to the school’s annual fund.”
During her time at Hartford, she’d seen similar situations, but this was the most blatant. “Due to my interference on the girl’s behalf, I was given the choice to resign or be terminated.” She could have disputed the termination, of course, but with no guarantee of a positive outcome. Besides, after the school’s leaders had made it so clear where their priorities lay, she didn’t have much interest in staying on there, even though leaving had put her finances in jeopardy.
The SEAL’s Surprise Son: The Admiral’s SEALs Book One Page 13
