A SEAL's Secret Baby

by Laura Marie Altom

  “Now, Daddy?” Pia wriggled so much Ellie had a tough time holding her.

  Tossing his hands up, Deacon said, “Why not? How could this go worse?”

  “Look Mommy! Ring!” Pia held up the engagement ring Deacon had given her so long ago.

  Ada popped out of her office. “Excuse me, just grabbing the cash drawer.”

  “Are you still open?” asked a rail-thin brunette at the door.

  “Sure.” Ada welcomed her inside. “Looking for anything in particular?”

  Deacon swore under his breath. “Can we get out of here?”

  Ellie glanced at Ada. “Are you all right on your own?”

  Busy with her customer, she waved them on their way.

  Outside, Deacon said, “This isn’t going at all the way I planned. Wanna head to the beach?”

  “I already told you I promised Pia to go costume shopping.”

  “Are you oblivious to my proposal? Geez, Ell, I just asked you to marry me. The least you could do is give me an answer.”

  “Correction—you had Pia hand me a ring. For all I know, you could’ve bought it for her. It wouldn’t be your first inappropriate gift.”

  “Really? This is how you want this to go?” He looked so wounded, Ellie knew she’d gone too far.

  She opened the car’s rear door, tucking Pia into her safety seat. The little girl wore the ring on her thumb. Ellie took it. “If you are proposing to me, why here? Why now? What’s changed to make you believe we’re suddenly perfect for each other, when right after we made love, you proclaimed we were a bad idea?”

  Raking his hand through his longish hair, he looked away. “How am I supposed to know why I did anything? You’ve changed me, Ell. For the better. Pia has, too. I was all messed up inside, but then this—” he withdrew Pia’s tiny doll from his jeans pocket “—reminded me that no matter how far away from you two I am, all I want is to be with you again. I’m not good at this, so please, Ell, bear with me. I think I might love you—no, I know I do. And that’s crazy to me, because I never even knew I was able to love, and—”

  “Would you hush…” Hands to his chest, his ring on the appropriate finger, Ellie kissed him quiet. As far as proposals went, she’d seen far better in the movies, but that didn’t matter. “What happened on this trip? I mean, besides you finding Pia’s bootlegged doll? You do know she wasn’t even supposed to have it? I think she took it from some kid at day care, and it refuses to disappear.”

  “Does it matter?” His latest kiss left her dizzy.

  “Uh-huh.” They kissed again. “Choking hazard.”

  “I don’t mean to pressure you,” he said, “but considering how many times we’ve almost been a couple, would you mind not waiting for the wedding?”

  “This weekend works for me.”

  “Me, too,” he said with a nuzzle to her neck. “I love you so freaking much. How could I not have known?”

  “I love you, too.” Only Ellie had known. She’d just been too afraid to give her feelings voice. What if he hadn’t felt the same?

  But he finally did. And the wait had been totally worth it.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Bet on a Cowboy by Julie Benson!

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  Chapter One

  “He’s married. I’m beginning to think this season is cursed.” Maggie Sullivan stared at the wedding picture of Rory McAlister, Devlin Designs’ cowboy model, on the Twin Creeks Ranch website. Tall, dark-haired and built like only a real cowboy could be, he’d have been perfect. Now here she was, two weeks from the start of taping for her reality show, Finding Mrs. Right, and they were short one key component—a bachelor.

  Samantha, Maggie’s assistant director, turned from her computer monitor. “Who’s married?”

  “Rory McAlister. The man we hoped would be this season’s bachelor.”

  “Isn’t it Kate’s job to check into that?”

  “She’s got the flu, and since we have to sign a new bachelor ASAP, I get to play casting director.” Maggie frowned. What luck. She’d also get to deliver the bad news about Rory to her boss. Right now having the flu sounded pretty good.

  When their quarterback bachelor unretired in midseason, the powers that be had decided to capitalize on the current popularity of cowboys, and hoped to sign Devlin Designs’ gorgeous new model as the next bachelor. The man was featured in every popular fashion magazine, and his rugged good looks were a hot conversation topic among women around office watercoolers all over the country. Maggie had been sent to research the idea, which led her to the unfortunate news of his marriage.

  Unfortunate for her, that is, not for Rory.

  “What’re we going to do now that our prime candidate is off the market?”

  “I’m working on plan B even as we speak.” However, all she’d come up with was an actor dressed up as a cowboy, but they needed authenticity. There was something about real cowboys. No one could define it exactly, but everyone knew when it was missing.

  Think. She fingered the sterling-silver frame holding the last picture of her and her mother together. What would her mom think of her only daughter, an upstate New York farm girl, working on a reality show in L.A.?

  I know it’s not what you would’ve wished for me, Mom, but the job will get me what I want out of life.

  “How about a rodeo cowboy?” Samantha asked as she rolled her desk chair across Maggie’s pristinely organized office to join her at her computer.

  “The National Finals are two months away. Anyone with a name is gearing up for that.” Maggie rubbed the back of her neck, trying to loosen the tension knot.

  When she scrolled further down the ranch’s web page, a picture of the wedding party appeared. Beside Maggie, Samantha sighed and pointed at the screen. “Look at the best man. He’s too good for words.”

  Slightly taller than Rory, the man had charisma that leaped off the screen. The tux fit him to perfection, emphasizing his broad shoulders. The sun highlighted the golden tones in his hair.

  “He’s definitely what great dreams are made of.” Maggie scanned the copy beside the picture. Hope eternal burst through her. “He’s Rory’s brother, Griffin. Could that be more perfect? We can still capitalize on Rory’s popularity if his brother is our bachelor.” She could see the trailer now: Rory McAlister is off the marriage market, but don’t worry. He has a brother. Tune in every week to Finding Mrs. Right, and meet Griffin McAlister!

  She frowned as another thought occurred to her. “How could a man this gorgeous be available?”

  Samantha clicked her ruby-red fingernail against the
monitor. “Look at the wedding photos. Each one shows him dancing or cuddling with a different woman. No way is that guy in a serious relationship.”

  “I have to be sure.”

  “Then call him and ask.”

  Why not, since plan B stunk and plan C failed to materialize? Maggie clicked on the Contact Us page. “What do I have to lose?”

  “Exactly. We can’t be any worse off than we are now.”

  “Why don’t I find that comforting?” Maggie took a minute to compose her thoughts and study the Twin Creeks website, discovering the ranch offered horseback riding tours and other tourist activities. She’d lead with what a great opportunity being on the show was, emphasizing how the publicity would bring more visitors to the ranch and increase business. Then she’d tell Griffin how wonderful the bachelorettes were.

  With the conversation and her pitch mapped out, she located the ranch’s phone number, picked up her iPhone and dialed. “Cross your fingers.”

  Samantha crossed her fingers and held up her hands. Then she crossed her legs. “Extra insurance never hurts.”

  A smooth feminine voice answered, throwing Maggie off stride. Calm down. Just because a woman answers the phone doesn’t mean Griffin’s married. She could be Rory’s pretty little wife, or a family member. Barreling forward, Maggie explained she had business to discuss with Griffin, and asked to speak with him. A minute later, she had his cell phone number. Then as an afterthought, she blurted out, “I know this is an odd question, but is Griffin married or engaged?”

  Soft laughter floated over the phone lines. “Believe it or not, that’s not an unusual question, and no, he’s not married, or even dating anyone seriously.”

  Maggie ended the call. “He’s available.”

  “That’s good news,” Samantha said.

  She punched in Griffin’s cell number. When he answered, his low sexy voice rippled through her. His voice was as good as his looks.

  “Hello, Griffin. I’m Maggie Sullivan, the director on the reality show Finding Mrs. Right. We’re looking for a bachelor this season—”

  “I’m not interested.”

  “Being on the show would be great publicity—”

  “I’ve got horses to see to.” Then he hung up.

  Maggie stared at her phone. Their conversation had gone much better in her head.

  “He hung up on me.” She sat there, unsure of how to proceed. “He wouldn’t even let me make the pitch.”

  “Call him back.”

  “What makes you think the second time will go any better than the first?”

  “Divine intervention?” Samantha said, as she pointed upward.

  “I think the Lord might be a little busy.” But knowing she couldn’t give up, Maggie called again. This time when Griffin answered, she blurted out, “Don’t hang up. Give me a chance to outline my—”

  Click.

  Maggie clutched her phone so hard her fingers tingled. “Maybe we don’t want Griffin McAlister on the show. He definitely needs to work on his social skills—he hung up on me again.”

  “They say the third time’s the charm,” Samantha said encouragingly.

  “The best indication for future behavior is past behavior, and I’m sensing a pattern here.”

  “Then email him.”

  Maggie shook her head. “He’ll just delete the message without reading it. I need to see Griffin in person. It’ll be harder to dismiss me if I’m standing in front of him.” She tapped her neatly manicured nail against her desk. “I need to develop the right approach, because he won’t give me much time. I have to hook him immediately.”

  Samantha grinned and pointed to a photo of Griffin surrounded by women. “I know exactly what will work. Start with showing him the bachelorettes’ photos. That’ll get his attention.”

  “Are you sure?” Maggie still believed leading with the publicity for the ranch was best, but what she knew about men could be written on a matchbook cover. Samantha, on the other hand, could write a three-book series and have material left over.

  “After seeing him with all those women? Absolutely.”

  But before Maggie decided, her cell phone belted out “Defying Gravity.” Glancing at the touch screen revealed the number of the fertility clinic she’d contacted. Once the years started zooming by and her eggs grew older, with no marital prospects on the horizon, Maggie had realized she had two choices—never have children or be a single parent.

  After tossing out a quick “I’ve got to take this call” to Samantha, she answered her phone. As she jotted down notes regarding the cost of the various procedures she would undergo for in vitro fertilization, she kept her responses vague and to a minimum.

  Whichever way she went, adoption or having a child with a sperm donor, achieving her dream wouldn’t be cheap.

  “Is everything okay?” Samantha asked when Maggie ended her call.

  “It was the dentist reminding me about my appointment.” She paused.

  Samantha tilted her head and looked as though she might probe further. “I’m glad there’s nothing wrong. You seem concerned.”

  She should tell Samantha something plausible. The woman was the biggest gossip on the show, and if she didn’t know the reasons for someone’s actions, she speculated instead, and the theory spread through the office like a cold in a preschool. “I need a filling replaced. I was a little surprised at how much it’s going to cost.”

  Having dampened Samantha’s insatiable curiosity, Maggie continued. “Now back to business. I’ve got to convince Griffin to do the show. We don’t have time to start the search process over.”

  “You really think if you see him in person you can change his mind?”

  “It’s worth a shot.” Maggie picked up her phone and dialed. “I need to book a flight to Denver.”

  * * *

  HER SPEECH ALL PLANNED and memorized, the manila folder containing the bachelorettes’ photos on the passenger seat of the rental car, Maggie pulled into the Twin Creeks parking lot in Estes Park, Colorado. As far as she was concerned, NASA was right: failure was not an option.

  After parking, she grabbed the file of photos and decided to leave her coat in the car since the October day had turned out to be unseasonably warm. The beauty of the area left her breathless. The magnificent snow-capped Rocky Mountains filled her vision, majestic and strong, keeping watch over the town below. Trees, some gold now that fall had arrived, dotted the landscape, reminding her of autumn days on the farm. The quiet, so unlike Los Angeles, enveloped her.

  Gravel crunched under her Target flats as she walked toward the large reddish-brown, two-story ranch house, the file clutched in her moist hand. When she reached the split-rail corral fence, a beautiful chestnut horse whinnied and sauntered toward her. Unable to resist the gelding’s wide brown eyes, she stopped to look at him.

  The animal bobbed his head in greeting, and shoved his velvety pink muzzle under her hand. “Aren’t you the charmer,” Maggie said as she rubbed his forehead. “We haven’t been introduced and you expect my undivided attention.”

  If only she could captivate the right man as easily, then she could pursue motherhood the old-fashioned way.

  “That’s his name, you know. Charmer. He’s always been a lady’s man.”

  Despite the brevity of their conversations, Maggie instantly recognized Griffin McAlister’s voice. When she spun around, her heart rate soared and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the cowboy in front of her.

  Griffin was even better looking in person. Tall enough for her at five-ten to look up to—the good Lord had taken his time when he’d created this man.

  Dressed in formfitting faded jeans, a tan shirt and scuffed cowboy boots, the golden god oozed sex appeal. He pushed the brim of his hat off his forehead. The fact that he knew how much
power he wielded shone in his ocean-blue eyes.

  I bet this cowboy breaks hearts like I break a nail.

  A crooked smile spread across his face, displaying gorgeous dimples. “Charmer, there, likes to be caressed behind the ears. Don’t you, boy?”

  The horse nickered in response. Maggie slid her hand along the animal’s muscled neck to his ears and scratched behind them, but her gaze remained locked on Griffin.

  With a casual grace, he strolled toward her. “He’s putty in your hands now.”

  Rarely at a loss for words, Maggie scrambled to compose herself. Don’t stand here staring. Not that her gawking appeared to bother Griffin. This probably happened to him all the time. And he liked it.

  “Are you here for a horseback-riding tour?” he finally asked.

  “I’m afraid not. I’m here on business.”

  She waited for his eyes to fill with recognition at the sound of her voice, but instead they twinkled, giving her the chance for a fresh start.

  “What business would a pretty city woman like you have at a horse ranch?”

  Pretty city woman? Maggie almost laughed and asked him whether he was delusional or needed glasses.

  No one, not even her family, who loved her dearly, had ever described her as pretty. The closest she came was passably cute, and she hadn’t heard that word used in conjunction with her name since she was twelve. Obviously, the horse beside her wasn’t the only charmer around.

  “Have you ever thought about being on TV? You’re a natural.” Viewers would love Griffin. His charisma would leak out of televisions across America.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets, leaned back on his heels and smiled.

  Lethal.

  “I got to admit, a woman’s never used that line to get my attention.”

  He thought she was coming on to him? Once again she doubted his sanity. No way would a woman like her think she stood a chance with a man like him. Griffin belonged with models or Miss Colorado, not a plain Jane. “It’s not a come-on. I’m Maggie Sullivan. We spoke on the phone.”