The Protective SEAL

by Knight, Katie

  Five

  As the Bronco rumbled down the highway toward the outskirts of Rally, Jack was still reeling from the news that he was a father. Before his retirement from his SEAL team, the women he’d dated or had relationships with had been transient, not because that’s the way he wanted things but because it was hard to have anything long-term when he never knew where he’d be one week to the next. Now that he was retired, however, he’d hoped to maybe find his special someone and settle down. Sure, his mom, Jillian, was great, but he wanted more emotional support than his family could give.

  Especially since he had a daughter.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror at the baby in the car seat and blinked.

  Wow. Lovers changed and moved on, but a baby was permanent.

  Still, beneath all the shock and uncertainty, a tiny niggle of excitement bloomed.

  A dad. He was a dad now.

  The SUV hit a rough patch of roadway, jarring him out of his dopey daydreams of frilly costumes and dance recitals when Glory got older. Before any of that took place—if any of that took place—they needed to deal with the present situation. Jack still had a lot of questions he needed answered about how Sam and Glory had ended up in Nebraska on a cool spring night.

  Through the shadows, he glanced over at her again. She looked like hell after the accident, hair mussed, face pale, makeup smudged beneath her eyes. Still, each time he looked at her, all he could see was the woman from that long-ago night in Costa Rica—all lush dark hair and big brown eyes, swamped in borrowed clothes he’d taken pleasure in peeling off of her. Speaking of clothes…he’d seen her purse and the diaper bag, but nothing else.

  “Is the rest of your stuff in the sedan?” he asked, cursing himself for not checking the trunk before they’d left the scene. “I’ve got stuff at home you can sleep in tonight, but I’m not equipped for an infant.”

  Sam frowned then looked at him, as if her mind had been a million miles away. Given what she’d been through with that semi tonight, she was probably confused and still a bit dazed. “I don’t have any other stuff. We had to leave in a hurry after my dad’s goons discovered the location of my safe house.”

  “Oh.” He scowled and stared out the windshield again, the lights of Rally drawing closer now. So, no clothes, no supplies for the baby, only what was in the bag. More warning bells went off in his head. Something definitely wasn’t right.

  On the outskirts of town, they’d built a new Walmart Supercenter and he signaled then pulled into the parking lot, snagging a spot close to the door, then cutting the engine. It was after ten now and though the store was open twenty-four hours, it was pretty well deserted. He unsnapped his seatbelt, then turned slightly to face her, resting his forearm atop the steering wheel. “Listen, Sam. I think it’s time you leveled with me. I want to help you, but I can’t do it if I don’t know the whole story.”

  She stared down at her hands in her lap, oddly quiet and reserved. He’d only been with her previously that one night, but still. Now though, her hesitancy sent an icy chill through him. Whatever it was that was making her stay silent, it must be bad.

  “He’s dead,” Sam said at last, the words barely a whisper.

  “Who’s dead?” He leaned a bit closer. “Your father?”

  “No.” She looked up then, her dark eyes haunted and her hands trembling slightly. “The marshal who was driving the sedan. He shot him.”

  “Him who?” Jack’s scowl deepened as the knot of tension tightened. “You were driving the sedan through the woods. No one else was in the car when I found it in the ditch. There was no blood. No bullet holes. Nothing.”

  For a moment, he started to worry that maybe she’d hit her head during the accident and had a concussion, but then she sighed and straightened, squaring her shoulders. “No. That sedan back there belongs to the US Marshal’s Service. It’s government issue. My cover had been compromised, so two marshals were moving me to a new safe location. But then the one marshal asked the other to pull over at a rest stop so he could use the bathroom.” She stopped and shook her head. “I knew there was something wrong with him. I had a bad feeling, the way he kept watching me and all. But I put it down to my own paranoia.”

  She gave a sad snort and Jack reached over to take her hand. “What happened?”

  “It was a setup. Agent Meade went into the bathroom at the rest stop. When he didn’t come back after ten minutes, the other marshal went in to check on him and that’s when he was killed. Agent Meade came out and aimed his gun at me, and that’s when I knew I had to run. If I didn’t, he would’ve killed me and Glory too.” Her voice was higher now, the words running together as she relived the fear and panic. “I acted on pure instinct. I scrambled into the front seat and gunned the engine. Took off as fast as I could. I got away clean—no bullet holes, like you said—but he’s still out there. Agent Meade. He’s armed and he’ll be looking for me, if he’s not already.”

  Jack did his best to soothe her and calm her down. “It’s okay, honey. You’re safe here with me.”

  Even as he said those words though, doubt seared through his system. He wasn’t a SEAL anymore. Physically he wasn’t where he used to be even a year prior, when his bad knee had finally sidelined him for good. His reflexes were slower now. He’d damned sure do what he could to keep Sam and his daughter safe, but he couldn’t help worrying if it would be enough. Her father obviously had spies everywhere, even in the US Marshal’s office, apparently.

  Jesus.

  And he’d called the cops on her. Stan Lewis was a good deputy and a good man—by the book, all the way. When he logged the accident, he’d enter the information into the system just like he was supposed to. But once he did, anyone with access to law enforcement databases—like, say, a US marshal on the take—would be able to access it. Soon, Sam’s location would be available to everyone, including the man who’d tried to kill her earlier tonight. Shit. It wasn’t like he’d done it on purpose or anything. He’d been trying to be a Good Samaritan, help a stranger in need. Except Sam was no stranger and now he’d inadvertently put her and their daughter in even more danger.

  His mind raced as he tried to strategize the best course of action from here. He’d call Stan as soon as they got home and see if he could talk him into holding off on running the registration a bit longer. After all, the deputy owed Jack a favor, considering he’d driven the deputy home one night after he’d had a bit too much to drink at the local pub a few months back. The guy’d been off duty at the time, but a DUI wouldn’t look good on his professional record anyway. That should buy them at least a little time. Rally was a small town and things took longer here, given it was a Saturday night, Jack would guess the cops were plenty busy as it was keeping the teenagers in line tonight. The deputy had all but said as much when Jack had called in the accident. They were short-staffed and overworked at present. Jack could work that to his advantage.

  Right. One problem down. Next, Sam and Glory needed supplies. He had food and shelter taken care of at his place, but they’d need clothes and baby stuff. Walmart to the rescue. First though, she needed some protective camouflage. No sense going through all the trouble of keeping her hidden if they were just going to walk right in and show her face on the security cameras. He got out and rummaged around in the back of the SUV, shoving aside the heavy sacks of cow feed to find an old hunting jacket and baseball cap he kept stashed there. Then he walked around to the passenger side and opened her door, scanning the area to make sure they hadn’t been followed. “Put these on.”

  “What?” she scrunched her nose at him. “Why?”

  “Because people are going to be looking for you, and I want you as unrecognizable as possible.”

  She blinked at him a moment, then took the things from him. “Are you sure you want to help me?”

  “Don’t have much choice now, do I?” He crossed his arms and kept a lookout while she put on the jacket and hat. Both were huge on her, but effectively hid her identity fr
om the outside world. “I won’t let anyone hurt my daughter. And I promise to keep you safe as best I can. Now, keep your head down and get Glory out of the back. We’ve got some shopping to do.”

  Six

  As she pushed the squeaky shopping cart around the enormous superstore, Jack by her side, Sam couldn’t shake the feeling this was all so surreal. If someone would’ve told her a week prior that the man who’d shared her bed for one incredible night a year earlier would swoop back into her life right when she needed him, she would’ve laughed in their face.

  Yet here they were, perusing the aisles for baby things—wet wipes, powder, no-tears shampoo and bodywash, diaper rash cream. Sam couldn’t contain a snort. Jack had been particularly interested in that last one, like diaper rash cream would save the world or something.

  He’d listened intently as she explained the difference between one with hydrocortisone versus one with calendula.

  “It all depends on the type of diaper rash the baby has,” Sam had said, kind of shocked that she’d become an expert in this stuff herself. Then again, long nights of anguished crying from her tiny baby would do that to a mother. “Some are caused by moisture, others are caused by chemicals in the diapers, and then there are rashes that are caused by yeast.”

  “Wow.” Jack’s eyes had widened slightly. “And here I thought it all had to do with keeping their bums clean.”

  “That’s a big part of it. Diapers are dark, moist places. Bacteria love it there.” At his grossed-out expression, she’d laughed. “Hey. Kids poop. Everybody poops. They even wrote a book about it. And babies, in particular, poop a lot. Their little intestinal tracts are like superhighways.”

  “Can we maybe talk about something else?” Jack had asked, grabbing a huge package of disposable diapers off the shelf.

  Since then, conversation had waned. As they picked out jars of baby food, she noticed he kept sneaking glances at Glory. He seemed to be fascinated with her, every time she moved or made a noise. Sam could understand. She’d been that way too at first. Still was, most days. Despite the train wreck the rest of her life had become, thanks to her father, Glory was the one good thing she had. She loved her daughter more than anything else in the universe and she’d do anything to keep her safe.

  Even trekking through a Walmart on a Saturday night at 11 p.m., apparently.

  She did a quick look around to make sure they weren’t being watched, then took the stupid baseball hat off her head to scratch her scalp. She hated wearing disguises. They felt so creepy and weird, even if they were necessary right now.

  “What about beets?” Jack asked, nose wrinkled. “Does she like those?”

  “That would be a negative,” Sam said.

  “Good taste, kid.” He grinned at his daughter and put the tiny glass jar back on the shelf. Once they were loaded up with various pureed fruits and veggies and a box of instant baby cereal, they moved on to the clothing section. Pinks and blues and all manner of pastels spread out as far as the eye could see.

  Sam expected Jack to look out of place there—being a rough and tumble ex-SEAL—but the grin on his face was too adorable for words. She’d never expected him to find out about Glory, but now that he knew she was his, Sam couldn’t begrudge him all these first-time dad moments. “How about this?”

  He held up a tiny pink and yellow outfit with glitter-encrusted words on the front.

  “Daddy’s Little Girl?” Sam raised a brow, a pang of yearning going through her. If only it were true. If only they could stay here and form a permanent family unit. If only… But the truth was, she and Glory would be gone, moved on to the next safe house, just as soon as arrangements could be made. She shrugged. “It’s cute but looks too small. Try the next rack over.”

  She ignored his crestfallen look and grabbed several packages of four- to six-month onesies off the rack instead. She couldn’t afford to let Jack Williams back into her heart again. Not with all the chaos going on around her right now. She needed to concentrate on her future and her daughter’s welfare, not the hot man who’d just fallen back into her life.

  “What about these?” Jack held up a pink camo two-piece outfit with a top and pants in one hand and a glitter unicorn sundress in the other. “The camo reflects her daddy’s tastes and the unicorn represents her mommy.”

  Sam couldn’t help laughing now. “You think I’m a unicorn?”

  “You ran with me through the dangerous streets of Costa Rica with the greatest of ease. You avoid semi crashes in a single swerve. You appear out of nowhere to disrupt my existence. Yep, I’d definitely say you’re a magical beast.”

  Warmth swelled inside her, despite her wishes to keep her distance from this charming, irritating man. “Fine. I’m a unicorn. I’ve always loved horses. When’s the last time you and your SEAL buddies ran around in pink camo though?”

  Jack chuckled. “Well, we did have that one mission in Istanbul that required us to dress as women to infiltrate the bazaar, so…” He held the small outfit up in front of his broad muscled chest, drawing Sam’s attention to his smoking hot body. Her temperature ticked a few notches higher. “I looked pretty good in fuchsia and gold, if I do say so myself.”

  She swallowed hard around the sudden constriction in her throat as memories of that long-ago night in Costa Rica flashed back into her mind. Him entwined in the sheet, wearing nothing but a grin. The soft light of dawn creeping in through the shuttered windows the next morning, casting his magnificent naked form in shades of pinks and golds. Yep. He’d looked pretty damned fine indeed. And that voice of his, deep and dark and rich as fine chocolate. Yummy.

  Except, no. She had no business thinking about his body or his voice or anything else.

  Jack was helping her out tonight. That was it. Nothing else would happen between them because nothing else could. Period. The end.

  “Yeah, fine,” she managed to squeak out at last. “Let’s get those and get going. Glory’s going to need to be changed and fed soon and I don’t like being out in the open this long either.”

  They headed up to the registers at the front of the store to pay for their purchases. She and Jack helped to get their stuff up onto the checkout conveyor belt as the cashier rung them up. They both reached for the same jars of baby food at the same time, his fingers brushing hers and sending sparks of awareness zinging through Sam’s system.

  “Sorry,” she said, pulling away fast, as if she’d been burned.

  “No need to apologize.” His eyes met hers and held, the air between them taut with unspoken things. “Look, Sam. I realize this is awkward as hell, but if I’m going to help you, we need to be able to trust each other. We’re a team now, right?”

  She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. Were they a team? She’d not really planned on that. Even before going into witness protection, she’d learned to do for herself, learned to be alone, since she couldn’t bring herself to rely on anyone else. Trust had been eliminated from her vocabulary, thanks to her dad. Now here was Jack, asking her to do a one-eighty, and let him help.

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, rummaging around in her bag for her wallet. With what she’d earned at her last place by working in a local medical lab at the hospital, she’d managed to save up a tidy nest egg in case of emergencies, and this definitely constituted one, in her opinion. “I mean I’m grateful and all for your help tonight, but you really don’t need to get involved.”

  “Like hell I don’t,” he said, handing his credit card to the cashier before Sam even had her wallet open. He glanced down at Glory again, then met Sam’s gaze. “She makes me involved. No matter what. You can’t just tell me I’ve got a kid then expect me to not have feelings and questions about that. No.” He took his card back from the cashier and shoved it back in his wallet before pushing the cart forward to load the bags inside. “I mean, Glory’s my responsibility now too and until this whole situation with…” he hesitated and looked around, lowering his voice before continuin
g, “…with you know who, is over, I’m sticking around. Just try and get rid of me. Go ahead. I dare you. I’ve got years of tactical training and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  The challenge in his tone made her hackles rise, but damn if the guy didn’t have a point. She grabbed several bags and shoved them into the cart beside his. She could take off on her own, but that wouldn’t really solve anything, since she still had no idea who to trust in the US marshal’s office. And Jack’s skills would come in handy right now too, with who knew how many of her father’s goons on her and Glory’s tail.

  Until she got settled and got a new identity in place, she needed help to guard her back and protect her daughter. And who better to help her with that than an ex-SEAL with a vested interest in keeping her and Glory alive?

  As she grabbed the receipt from the cashier then wheeled the cart outside, following Jack, Sam came to a decision. Fine. If Jack wanted to help them, okay. Yes, it would put him in harm’s way…but he was a grown man and could make his own choices. He knew the danger, knew full well who her father was and what he was capable of. It that didn’t scare the guy off, then so be it. Meanwhile, Sam would keep her head clear and her heart out of the equation. And if Jack got to know his daughter a bit better in the process, all the better.

  It could work. It would work. Because she had no other choice now.

  Jack loaded their stuff into the back of the SUV while Sam got Glory’s car seat secured in the back, then they both climbed into the vehicle and Jack started the engine.

  “So you love horses, huh?”

  She gave him a sidelong glance. She did, but it had been years since she’d ridden. At first, because it had been too painful a reminder of her mother, and later because there’d been no time and no horses around at Northwestern, where she’d gone to college. Jack kept looking at her expectantly, so she had to say something. “Yeah, I do.”