His Baby Secret - A Second Chance SEAL Romance (Once a SEAL, Always a SEAL Book 1)

by Layla Valentine

  “Thanks,” Harvey replied, preening exaggeratedly. “Josie’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “That’s really nice to hear.”

  Harvey had been as cavalier about girls as Dominic in high school. Dominic felt a strange ache of what he was surprised to recognize as envy at how Harvey had finally found someone he wanted to settle down with.

  Dominic loved the adventurous affairs he had with women around the world. No complaints on that front. But there was something inside of him that wanted this for himself—the security of knowing that someone unconditionally loved you, and was as good for you as you were for them. It seemed like something essential Dominic was missing out on.

  If anything, it made him crave Hannah. She had to be around here somewhere. He had to see her.

  “Hey, where you going?” Harvey asked, laughing as he snagged Dominic by the elbow, as Dominic tried to walk into the back room that had obviously—if the balloon decorations were any indication—been reserved for the rehearsal dinner. “I want you to meet Josie.”

  “Of course,” Dominic said, remembering himself. “Sorry. It was a long flight.”

  “Where’d you come from this time?” Harvey asked, then laughed. “Wait, don’t tell me. It’s classified, right?”

  “Pretty much,” Dominic said, grinning ruefully. “Sorry.”

  “Well, I’m glad you convinced them to let you out for your old friend’s wedding. Who else would be my best man?”

  A pretty, petite woman approached them. “No one else would be his best man, because no one else can put up with him.”

  Harvey chuckled. “Dom, meet my blushing bride, Josie. Josie, this is Dominic.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Josie said, gripping Dominic’s fingers in a surprisingly strong handshake. “Really. Harvey won’t shut up about you. It probably gives all his other guy friends feelings of inadequacy. Never being able to measure up to the legendary Dom.”

  Dominic laughed, feeling his face heat in a slight blush. “I don’t know how legendary I am. We grew up together, that’s all.”

  “I’m happy you’re here with us,” Josie said, smiling. “Happier still that you’ll distract Harvey from all of this stress. I think he’s on the verge of getting cold feet.”

  “How could you say that?” Harvey demanded, laughing. “What a terrible thing to say to the man you’re supposed to marry tomorrow!”

  “Keep him in line, Dom,” Josie said with a wink. “I’m counting on you.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Dominic said, only barely restraining himself from delivering a sharp salute. Josie seemed like the kind of person he should salute to. “He will be waiting for you to walk down the aisle tomorrow, with bells on.”

  “I appreciate that,” Josie said, giving him a sharp nod before grinning and sauntering away.

  “I think you’ve finally met your match,” Dominic observed, watching her go. She was spunky and he got the distinct indication that she didn’t take shit from anyone, least of all Harvey.

  “Isn’t she great?” Harvey shook his head. “Feels like I’m living in a dream sometimes. I halfway didn’t even think she’d say yes when I asked her to marry me.”

  “But she did, and now you’re here,” Dominic said, clapping him on the back, pushing him gently back toward the party in his and Josie’s honor. “You’re not really getting cold feet, are you?”

  “I just wish the wedding was tonight and not tomorrow,” Harvey admitted. “So I can make sure that ring gets on that finger. And the names signed on the certificate.”

  Dominic had to laugh at that. “You think she’s going to be the one to leave you at the altar? Harvey, that woman loves you. And she’s perfect for you.”

  “Guess I just have the jitters. Better get another drink and try to relax.”

  Dominic followed Harvey to the bar, his eyes darting among the people gathered in the back room. He didn’t recognize the majority of them, meaning they were either Josie’s family or friends Harvey had made in the past seven years, when Dominic had been going on missions around the world.

  “Is Marnie coming?” Dominic asked, trying to find her face in the crowd. He’d recognize her. He’d practically been raised by her, for all the time he’d spent at her house with Harvey and Hannah.

  “Oh, God, you didn’t hear.” Harvey grabbed a pair of whiskeys from the bartender, offering one to Dominic. “She died last year—Huntington’s. It was a shock.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Another fact that left Dominic in the lurch. “I had no idea.”

  “Because I didn’t think to tell you. It’s my fault.” Harvey took a sizable swig from his whiskey, and Dominic did the same—for his sins.

  He felt terrible. He’d been called to serve in the Navy from some place deep inside of him that he didn’t quite understand, and it had felt right to pursue that calling. Still, it was disconcerting that so much had happened while he was gone. That, as he grew as a person, things back home changed, too.

  “How did Hannah take it?” Dominic asked gently—hating himself, just a little, for using Marnie’s death as a convenient way to try to find out more about Hannah.

  Harvey gave a small shrug. “She was sad. We both were. We saw less of each other after Hannah and I moved out, but Marnie was a good person. I don’t know that we ever told her properly how much she meant to us.”

  Dominic swallowed. “Sorry for putting a damper on your day, man.”

  “Hey, this is just the rehearsal dinner,” Harvey scoffed, knocking back the rest of his whiskey. “And, technically speaking, tomorrow is all Josie. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?”

  “I think it’s supposed to be for both of you,” Dominic said gently. “And it’s going to be great.”

  “Josie really is great,” Harvey agreed. “I’m just being a jerk, as usual, trying to hide how much I love her. We met on the force, you know.”

  “You mentioned it briefly, I think.”

  Dominic let Harvey’s words wash over him, recounting the exact details of his first encounter with his bride, as he studied the crowd of people around them. Where the hell was Hannah? Dominic had only just been on time. Was she running late to the rehearsal dinner? She had to be here, didn’t she?

  “I can see I’m boring you,” Harvey remarked, grinning as Dominic jumped.

  “You’re not,” Dominic said, defensive. “I’m just a little jet-lagged, is all.”

  “Ah, so you flew from far away. How many time zones did you have to cross to get here?”

  “Classified, again.”

  Harvey gave him a crooked grin. “Just testing you.”

  “I was actually kind of hoping to see Hannah,” Dominic admitted at last. Maybe the best path was the most direct one instead of dancing around the issue. If he did too much of that, Harvey would most certainly get suspicious. “Is she hiding somewhere?”

  Harvey considered what little alcohol remained in his glass. “Why do you want to know?”

  Dominic gave Harvey a hard look. “Because she was my friend growing up, same as you were.”

  “All right, don’t pitch a fit,” Harvey said, apparently deciding Dominic’s intentions were harmless. Dominic himself couldn’t quite guarantee the same thing. Even if it had been seven years since he last saw Hannah, he would’ve been lying if he said he hadn’t hoped to relaunch things with her.

  Dominic definitely hadn’t liked how they had left things. He wanted nothing more than to have another chance.

  “She’s your sister, isn’t she?” Dominic continued, making sure to leave lots of incredulity in his voice. “I just figured she’d be here to see you get married.”

  “She’ll be at the wedding,” Harvey said. “Tonight, though, her sitter flaked on her, and she had to stay home with Kira.”

  Dominic frowned. “Kira?”

  Harvey looked gob-smacked. “Holy shit, man. Kira. My niece. Hannah’s daughter. Did I really not send you that email?”

 
“You’re a terrible pen pal,” Dominic managed to say, choking out the words through his complete and utter shock.

  “So are you,” Harvey said with a laugh. “You never tell me anything about your life.”

  “Classified,” Dominic reminded him. “Everything’s classified. You’re lucky you got me to be your best man.”

  “I have to confess something, actually,” Harvey said, then.

  “What else?”

  “I had a backup best man,” Harvey confided. “You know. In case you weren’t able to pull off getting leave.”

  “That’s fair. It’s good to have a backup plan,” Dominic conceded. Even if he, himself, hadn’t had one in case he didn’t get to see Hannah after all. Not in the way he’d wanted to see her.

  “Hey—aw.” Harvey scowled. “Hang on, man. I’ll catch up with you later. Josie’s giving me the death stare. She said I had to do the rounds and talk to everyone so they feel included.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Dominic said. “Go attend to your groom duties.”

  “I ought to drag you around with me, since you’re the best man,” Harvey said hopefully.

  “The jet-lagged, Navy SEAL best man,” Dominic said, giving him a look.

  Harvey put his hands up. “All right. Make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything. Send help if I’m not back in thirty minutes.”

  Dominic watched him go. For all that tough talk about not wanting to be social, Harvey looked happy to be back with Josie, laughing with an older couple that had to be her parents. Good for Harvey. They made a handsome couple. In fact, the more Dominic looked around the room, the more couples he picked out. He couldn’t find anyone in here without a date, except for him.

  Well, him and the bartender.

  “Can I have another whiskey, please?” Dominic asked, draining his glass and passing it over. “Keep it coming, if you would.”

  “I hate weddings, too,” the bartender confessed. “Two divorces will do that to you, though.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Dominic said, grateful that the bartender simply left him with the bottle so he could attend to other guests.

  What would it have been like if he’d had Hannah on his arm at this thing? Would they be happy, blending in with the rest of all these couples? What if Dominic had never enlisted in the Navy to begin with? What if he’d stayed in Tucson, like Hannah had wanted him to? Surely they’d be married before Harvey had ever met Josie. And maybe they’d have a kid together already. A daughter, even.

  Dominic had always liked the idea of eventually settling down. Having a family. Especially if he imagined Hannah as his wife.

  It was too late for all of that, though. Obviously. He refilled his glass with a generous pour of the whiskey and made a silent toast to all of the things that could’ve been, had he led his life a little differently.

  He wondered if he’d meet the man who’d filled the role Dominic had wanted in Hannah’s life. The man she’d had a child with.

  Dominic smiled. Kira was a pretty name. If he had a daughter, he’d treat her like a princess.

  Chapter 11

  Hannah

  “Kira, honey, you have to stop squirming. I’m worried I’m going to burn you.” Hannah bit her lip, concentrating on keeping her daughter still while she negotiated a curler through a particularly rebellious strand of hair.

  “This is taking forever,” Kira whined. “And I don’t know why I need more curls. I already have a ton.”

  “It’s just because today’s such a special day,” Hannah said. “Don’t you want to look like a little angel for Uncle Harvey’s wedding?”

  “I thought I was supposed to be the flower girl,” Kira said, dubious. “Not an angel.”

  Hannah considered this for a moment, then laughed.

  “You’re mixing up Christmas with weddings. I was saying you’d kind of look like an angel, with a halo of curls. You know, something special. For a special occasion. Just for fun.”

  “It’s not very fun.”

  “Okay, fine…done.”

  If it had been up to Hannah, she would have spent at least ten more minutes trying to get Kira’s unruly mane to behave itself, but she knew her daughter would’ve had a meltdown long before that. In general, Kira was a polite and well-behaved kid. But she also had a wild, rebellious streak that she had to have inherited from her father. That, and his thick, slightly wavy hair.

  Really, when anything was difficult with Kira, it was just easier for Hannah to lay some silent blame on Dominic. It helped lower her stress levels, and it wasn’t like he was even around for their relationship to grow toxic with her building resentment. Hannah sometimes wondered if Dominic ever paused, wherever he’d ended up, with an itchy nose, or a feeling that he’d done something wrong. She wondered if her thoughts had the ability to travel like that.

  “Finally!” Kira leapt for joy, and Hannah cringed, barely able to lift the hot curler in time to avoid burning her daughter.

  “Careful,” Hannah fussed. “Those curls are barely holding. We need to find your headband. Have you seen it anywhere?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well keep a lookout for it. Let’s get you into your dress.”

  Hannah had just buttoned the final fastening on the overly elaborate flower girl dress that was a cute echo of her own maid-of-honor dress when her phone rang. It was Harvey.

  “Don’t tell me you have cold feet,” Hannah said, answering the call. Taking advantage of her distraction, Kira scampered off. “Kira! Not too fast! Look for your headband! Put your shoes on, please!”

  “Ah, the sounds of sweet chaos,” Harvey said. “Can’t wait until Josie gets baby fever. Can you do me a favor, though? Don’t shout in the phone. I have a bit of a hangover.”

  “Oh, must be nice.”

  “You just need more reliable sitters.”

  “Yeah? Is that what I need? You know any, send them my way.”

  Hannah had hated to miss the rehearsal dinner, but that was just how life worked, now. Kira came first. Before anything else, or anyone else. Hannah had wanted to be there to support her twin, but a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant, with an open bar, just wasn’t the right atmosphere for her six-year-old daughter.

  “We have a small problem,” Harvey said.

  “If it’s your cold feet, Josie already told me she was going to shoot you in the butt. There’s no backing out of this wedding, Harvey.”

  “I don’t want to back out of the wedding. The problem is with the limo driver. The one who was supposed to pick you and Kira up and take you to the ceremony.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Hannah squeezed her eyes shut, pressing the heel of her hand into her forehead. “What do you mean, ‘was supposed to?’”

  “Driver canceled. Out with the flu. It’s too late to get another limo.”

  “God, can’t anything go right?”

  “Is it such a big deal for you to drive yourself? It’s not that far away.”

  “Car’s in the shop, Harvey. Because I thought I had a ride to your wedding.”

  “Okay, easy fix. Call a cab.”

  “Easy for who?” Hannah fought a losing battle against a tide of despair rising within her. “I’m a part-time secretary, Harvey; I barely have enough cash for the repairs for my car, never mind a cab ride to the venue.”

  “What do you mean you don’t have—ah, hang on a second.” Hannah sighed as she heard some rustling and Harvey’s muffled voice, probably through his hand. He was talking to someone, a man. Talking back.

  For a single, heart-stopping moment, Hannah was sure it was Dominic.

  Harvey had talked a lot about wishing Dominic could get leave so he could be the best man. It was so iffy, though, that Harvey had picked another guy in the police force to fill the position. That’s how unpredictable Dominic’s schedule had become. Hannah didn’t even know whether Dominic had answered Harvey’s email about being able to come back to Tucson for the wedding.

  Of course, as a single
, working mother, Hannah stayed generally out of the loop of most things. But how nice would it be to see Dominic again? It had been seven years of radio silence. She knew Harvey tried to keep up with him, but Harvey was terrible at emails, and Dominic…well, Dominic was a Navy SEAL. They probably weren’t great at staying in contact with people, either. Not with the kind of work they were doing.

  But if Dominic was here…wow. He wouldn’t be, but Hannah could allow herself a momentary fantasy, couldn’t she? Maybe they’d get a chance to catch up. It wasn’t as if Hannah hadn’t thought about him these past years, and not just in the context of him being Kira’s father. She mostly thought about how unfair it was that they had only spent one night together—a mind-blowing night, sure, but one night all the same.

  Life would have been different if Dominic had stuck around. If Hannah had maybe made more of an effort to reach out to him, to keep him informed about important things back home. It had been more than the best sex she’d ever had—it was the only sex. The men Hannah came across didn’t want to touch her with a ten-foot pole once they realized she had a kid. And, soon, she stopped making the effort to date. Kira was too important to her for Hannah to welcome just anyone into her life.

  “Okay, found you a ride,” Harvey said, piercing that certain train of thought by coming back on the phone. “I’m sending the best man. He’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “What? Twenty minutes? Harvey, the limo wasn’t even supposed to be here for half an—hello?” Typical. Thinking he’d solved the problem, and probably patting himself on the back in the process, he’d ended the call.

  Leaving Hannah only twenty minutes to get ready for her twin’s wedding. She could really strangle Harvey sometimes. Would have, except he babysat sometimes.

  “Kira!” Hannah bellowed, running out of the bathroom. “We have to hurry! Get those shoes on, girl! I have to get ready!”

  Kira, bless her heart, had at least located the white leather ballet flats. But where was that headband? It was covered in silk flowers the exact color of the petals Kira would be dropping. Hannah wouldn’t call it the most important part of the outfit, but…it was the most important part of the outfit.