The Protective SEAL

by Knight, Katie

  Up ahead, Highway 36 veered into the woods and he slowed as he neared the hairpin turn. Over the years, there’d been countless accidents here, especially since they’d allowed semi traffic. Technically, the lanes were too narrow for it, but the state commissioners were supposedly working on getting money in the budget to expand and repave the whole stretch into Rally. Jack would believe that when he saw it. Until then, at least one or two cars ended up in a ditch each season.

  Sure enough, as he rounded the sharp curve, he caught the telltale glint of a brake light reflector in the halogen beams of his headlights. Back in the day, a sight like that would’ve set all his well-honed SEAL instincts abuzz. He’d lost count of the number of times the enemy resorted to the oldest tricks in the book to try and take out his SEAL team. A stranded car, a fake injury, a friendly smile—then boom, they blew you up with an IED.

  Of course, this wasn’t some war zone and now he wasn’t a soldier.

  Just an ordinary man trying to find his place in the world.

  With a sigh, Jack pulled the Bronco off onto the berm, making sure he left more than enough clearance for the semis that raced through here like bats out of hell. Then he got out, looking both ways before jogging across the highway. He turned on the small tactical flashlight he kept on his key fob at all times, then peered into the windows of the black sedan that was resting nose first in the ditch. Didn’t see anything inside except a few food wrappers and what looked like a wet wipe on the floor in the back, as well as what appeared to be a base for a child’s car seat. Tried the door handles but found them locked. Walked around the back and committed the license plate number to memory. Out-of-state plates too, so probably a tourist, as he’d first suspected.

  He pulled out his cell phone and walked back to the Bronco, calling in to the local sheriff’s department to report the accident, then taking off down the side of the road to see if he could find the driver. Jack wasn’t used to playing the hero anymore, wasn’t sure if he even still could, but it was late and he knew if he’d been in that same situation, he would’ve appreciated someone doing the same for him. Besides, he couldn’t just stand around and wait while another person might be hurt or in danger. It wasn’t in his nature. The cows could wait a bit longer for their dinner.

  At least the weather was decent, he thought as he crossed back over the roadway and headed down a shadowed path through the edge of the woods along the highway. In an attempt to bring in more visitors to the area, Rally had installed a bunch of nature trails through the area’s woodlands. Mainly they were just places for the teenagers to hang out and have sex at night, but during the day lots of locals used them to jog or walk their dogs too. Jack considered getting a dog, just to have another heartbeat around the house.

  Bachelorhood had many advantages, but reliable companionship wasn’t one of them.

  He’d always figured he’d get married and have a family of his own once he left the Navy, but so far he hadn’t met the right person. Then again, the fact he held every woman he dated up against the fantasy of that one perfect night he’d shared with a woman he barely knew back in Costa Rica probably didn’t help. He knew it was stupid. Had known at the time it was a one-shot deal. They’d parted ways the next day, each returning to their separate lives. Maybe that’s what had made that night so intense—every touch, every sigh, every kiss mattered more because one night was all they had. Still, he couldn’t stop the dreams from invading, though they were less frequent now.

  A stick snapped somewhere nearby and Jack froze, his instincts on high alert. Too bad he didn’t have his night vision goggles with him because he really couldn’t see shit at the moment, even with the narrow beam of his flashlight. The moon was half-full, giving off weak light, which only exaggerated the shadows around him. The crickets had stopped their chirping and his skin prickled with awareness. Someone else was here. The crashed car’s driver? One of the coyotes that were known to inhabit these woods? A serial killer with a penchant for chainsaws?

  Jack shook off his overactive imagination and snorted. Whoever the hell it was, they most likely needed his help. These woods could be confusing enough for a non-local during the day, and at night would be all but impossible to navigate. And if it was a serial killer, he’d take them down with his bare hands. Hell, he’d dealt with worse in the Navy.

  Think you’re still in good enough shape to do that though?

  Guess he’d find out. Muscles tight with adrenaline, he snuck closer to where the trail veered off and spotted a flash of white in the darkness. “Hello?” he called. “Anyone there?”

  A sharp intake of breath. Yep. Definitely a person all right. And from the sound of it, a female.

  Hoping to put her at ease, he added, “Was that your car I saw aways back? If so, you should know I called the sheriff’s department. They should have an officer on scene soon. It’s a small town and a Saturday night, so they’re short-staffed. Are you hurt?”

  Several seconds ticked by before a voice said, “No. We’re fine.”

  We?

  The sound of a baby gurgling filled the air and his heart seized. Oh, Lord. There was a child involved. He raised the beam of his flashlight and stared at the face of a woman carrying an infant in a car seat. He blinked at her, realizing that she was familiar. His pulse pounded, and his chest ached.

  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It was the woman he’d rescued from Costa Rica.

  The woman who’d rocked his frigging world, then disappeared from his life forever.

  After his debrief, he’d been told she was safely in witness protection, pending her father’s trial. He’d never thought they’d meet again. His gaze dropped to the baby. Hard to tell if it was a girl or boy, only that it had wisps of dark blonde hair. Hair the same color as his.

  Time seemed to slow as a new idea occurred.

  They’d not used protection that night eighteen months ago—safe houses didn’t exactly come stocked with condoms—so what if…

  No. Jack slammed the lid on those thoughts fast. Nope. No way was that his kid. It had been one time. One night. One glorious moment never to be recaptured.

  It only takes once…

  As the sirens of the approaching squad car wailed through the darkness, Jack could only stare at the woman across from him, her expression as gobsmacked as he felt. But as the sheriff’s car pulled up to the curb not far away, the vehicle’s beams shining on the spot where they stood like a spotlight, the woman’s dark eyes widened as recognition dawned on her lovely face. “It’s you!”

  Four

  “Ma’am,” the deputy sheriff said. “We’ve had a report of a vehicle in a ditch. Is that your vehicle?”

  It took Sam a minute recover at the shock of seeing Jack again. Sure, she knew this was his hometown, but she’d thought he’d still be serving in the military. He’d seemed like a lifer to her. But nope. Here he was, looking about as shell-shocked as she felt.

  “Ma’am?” the officer repeated when she didn’t answer. “Are you or the child injured?”

  Slowly, the questions seeped into her brain. “What? No. We’re fine.” She swallowed hard and adjusted her hold on the baby carrier. “A, uh, a semi came around the corner too fast and forced me off the road. I overcorrected and ended up in a ditch.”

  “Right. Sorry about that.” The deputy pulled out a small notepad and began scribbling notes. “We try to patrol regularly out here, set speed traps, but we’re a bit shorthanded at the moment. Can I get your license and registration please, for the report?”

  Oh, crap. The license she had. It was her old one from her last safe house location in Indiana. But the registration would show the vehicle was government issue. Which would bring up a whole bunch of other questions that she couldn’t answer, not without blowing her cover.

  She set Glory’s carrier down on the ground next to her feet and fished out the driver’s license for him from her crossbody bag. While she did so, she shot Jack a nervous glance. Did he remember she was in witness protect
ion? Sure, they’d spent one incredible night together, but it had been over a year ago now, and for all she knew, saving women in distress was a daily occurrence for him. The falling into bed with them part though was still up in the air.

  “Here,” she handed the officer her license, along with what she hoped was a friendly smile. “I’ll, um, I’ll have to return to the vehicle to get the registration.”

  Maybe that would buy her enough time to hide out in the woods or perhaps make it to one of the farm houses she could see in the distance and call the US marshals to come pick her up. Except after what had happened back at that rest stop, could she really trust the marshals not to be on her father’s payroll? She had no idea who to trust, where to turn. She just knew that this was not a good situation for her or Glory.

  Picking up her daughter’s carrier again, she took a step back toward the vehicle, only to have Jack stop her with a hand on her arm.

  “Don’t worry about it, honey,” he said, giving her a pointed look. “I’ll get it for him in a minute.”

  Then he surprised her even more by slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side, kissing her head before reaching down to stroke his finger over Glory’s downy cheek. The baby was still snoozing away, seemingly oblivious to all the chaos happening around her, Thank goodness.

  “Listen, Stan,” Jack said, still keeping Sam firmly by his side. “My fiancée here has been through a really traumatic experience and I’m sure she can use a rest and maybe a cup of coffee before she has to deal with all this. Plus, our baby’s gonna need to be changed soon. Maybe we can deal with these formalities tomorrow?”

  “Your fiancée?” the officer said.

  “Your baby?” Sam said at the same time.

  Jack’s smile widened into that devilish grin she still remembered from their long-ago night in Costa Rica. “Yeah. I know, I know. I didn’t tell anybody around here, but a man’s got to keep his secrets, right? Besides, she didn’t want anyone to know until she got here and got settled in. Isn’t that right, honey?”

  He jiggled her shoulder slightly, jarring her from her stunned stupor. “Uh, yeah. Right…sweetie. We wanted it to be a surprise.” At the officer’s skeptical look, she shrugged. “Surprise!”

  Meanwhile, inside, Sam’s heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. What was the sentence for lying to law enforcement? She should probably know that one, considering how often her own father was guilty of the crime. But she’d never expected to do the same thing herself. And Jack? What the hell was he doing? Did he know Glory was his daughter?

  No. He couldn’t possibly know that. She hadn’t been able to contact him after she’d found out she was pregnant—she was already in the program by the time she realized, and contact with anyone from her past was strictly forbidden. No one could have expected this, especially after such a brief affair. They’d only been together that one night, and other than the amazing connection they’d shared between the sheets, she barely knew the guy. Yes, he was brave and dedicated to his job and his mission, but those things didn’t necessarily translate to good relationship or father material. Did they?

  Then again, the way he’d stepped in just now was impressive. And it wasn’t like she had any other options at that point, so she went with it. If she could get out of here with him now, it would buy her enough time to figure out what the hell to do next, at least.

  Hoping to play up the exhaustion factor, Sam slumped against Jack’s side, ignoring the warmth radiating off him and the faint hint of soap and sandalwood drifting from his skin. Nope. Not noticing those things at all. And in fact, now that the adrenaline of her getaway from the rest stop and her near-death experience with the semi was wearing off, she was tired. So much so that she felt it to her very bones.

  She gave a huge yawn, entirely real.

  “Right,” the officer finally said, frowning down at his notepad before looking up and giving them a smile. “Well, congratulations, Jack, Mary.” It took a second for Sam to remember to smile in reply. It was still an adjustment answering to Mary Smith. “Sorry you had such a rough introduction to our town,” the deputy continued. “I suppose the rest of this can wait until morning, seeing as how you’ve got the infant and all. What’s her name, by the way?”

  Her daughter, bless her heart, took that moment to awaken with a mighty wail. Sam bent to comfort her, saying loud enough for Jack to hear, “Shhh, sweet girl. Don’t cry, my Glory. Mommy’s here.”

  “Glory,” Jack said, a touch of awe in his voice, the sound hitting her straight in the feels. “My daughter’s name is Glory. Fitting right? Ex-SEAL and all.”

  The officer gave them both a friendly nod. “Yeah, good choice. Jack, be sure to have her at the police station first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll call a tow truck to pull the car out of the ditch.” He turned around and walked back to his squad car to radio in and Sam exhaled slowly. One mess dealt with. One to go.

  Jack was still staring down at Glory, his expression unreadable. “Is she mine?”

  Sam avoided the question and posed one of her own to Jack instead. No way was she letting him or anyone else into her daughter’s life until she was sure she could trust them completely. And while Jack Williams had saved her life, more than once, she didn’t really know him. Her father was a rich man, and a desperate one too. He’d pay anyone any price to have her taken out before she could testify against him at his upcoming trial. Plenty of people could be corrupted by that kind of money, including ex-SEALs. She crossed her arms and stepped in front of Glory’s carrier, effectively blocking his view. “Why did you tell that cop that we were engaged?”

  The harshness of her tone seemed to snap him out of his daze. Jack blinked at her a moment, then turned and started to walk back toward a red SUV parked down the way a bit on the berm. “Got you off the hook, didn’t it? C’mon, let’s get off the road.”

  She still wasn’t one hundred percent sure she could trust him…but what other choice did she have? She couldn’t just stay out here all night. Picking up Glory’s carrier, she hurried after him, afraid that he might leave without her since she’d avoided his question. He climbed in behind the wheel, then waited while she got Glory secured then got into the passenger side of the vehicle. He started the engine but didn’t go.

  Jack looked over at her, his gray gaze tired beyond his years, and asked her again, “Is she mine?”

  Sam didn’t answer right away, instead staring out into the dark woods beside them. “Does it matter?”

  “Hell yes, it matters to me.”

  She sighed. “Will you still help me, even if she’s not?”

  “Huh?” One side of Jack’s full lips hiked up, Elvis-style. “You know me better than that.”

  “Do I?” She met his gaze then, taking in the lines of his handsome face. The high cheekbones, the chiseled jaw, the shadow of stubble that gave him a slightly piratical look. He was a bit thinner now than she remembered, more lithe and sinewy. It suited him. But being hot didn’t make him trustworthy. Too much was at stake for her and little Glory to take chances. “All I know about you is that you used to be a SEAL and that you’re pretty good with rescue missions.”

  “Pretty good?” This earned her a raised brow. “Honey, I used to be the best.”

  Sam ignored the frisson of awareness that endearment sent skittering through her system and instead focused on that last part. “Used to be?”

  He shook his head and looked away. “I don’t know what I am anymore.”

  “Are you working for my father?” Blunt, but necessary.

  “No. Of course not. Why would you even ask me that?”

  It was her turn to arch a brow at him.

  “Fine. Valid question, I suppose.” Jack gave a small chuckle. “No. I’ve never had any contact with Stefan Engel or anyone associated with him. Well, unless you count the night we spent together.” At her scowl, he said, “No. I’m not working for your father.”

  The knot of tension b
etween her shoulder blades eased slightly. She didn’t know him that well, but she believed him. She sort of had to at this point. “Okay. Then yes, Glory is your daughter.”

  “Jesus,” Jack said, under his breath. That same gobsmacked look reappeared on his face and he took a few deep breaths, as if trying to convince himself it was true. “I’ve got a kid. A daughter.”

  “Yep, you do.” Now that her secret was out, Sam felt way too vulnerable sitting in the dark on the side of an old country road next to the man who’d rocked her world the year prior. “Now, can we get out of here? I don’t like to be out in the open.”

  Jack blinked at her. “Speaking of that, where are your handlers? Aren’t you supposed to be under lock and key to hide you from your father?”

  Unexpected guilt swamped her as she thought of the agent—whose name she still couldn’t remember—who had died trying to protect her. After the mess she’d left behind at that rest stop, she had no right to bring that kind of danger to Jack’s doorstep. He’d been nothing but kind to her in the past, had helped her to safety and a new life. He didn’t deserve someone like her threatening whatever peace he’d found in the middle of nowhere. But she also had an obligation to her daughter, who thankfully had quieted down again and was now drooling all over the set of plastic keys attached to the handle of her carrier. She was starting to teethe earlier, at only five months, so the chewing helped her sore gums feel better.

  Sam inhaled and forced her tense shoulders to relax. If Jack was going to help her, he needed to know what he was getting into. That way he could make an informed decision. But first, she needed to get somewhere safe to change Glory and use the bathroom herself, then figure out what the hell she was going to do from here. Sam swallowed hard and gave him a side glance. “I am. Take me home and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  After a few agonizing seconds, Jack shifted the SUV into Drive and pulled off the berm in a spray of gravel and exhaust, cursing under his breath as they went. It wasn’t the ideal situation, Sam knew, but at least for now, she and Glory were safe. That’s all that mattered. She’d deal with the rest later.