The SEAL's Stolen Child

by Laura Marie Altom

  * * *

  IN HER OFFICE THE NEXT morning, Eve couldn’t shake a deep unease. After Garrett had been so sweet to walk with her to their old sanctuary, should she have returned the favor by accompanying him to talk with her father’s mistresses? Was she a bad person for being more concerned about her own stress causing pregnancy complications than she was about finding the son she’d already lost?

  A knock sounded on her office door, but before she’d even invited her guest in, Darcie had made herself at home. Comfy in the chair facing Eve’s desk, she fanned herself. “Your man was looking good when he stopped by looking for you the other day.”

  “Garrett isn’t mine.” Eve didn’t even bother looking up from the spreadsheet she’d been reviewing.

  “Wouldn’t know it by looking at him. Poor guy looks smitten. When I told him you weren’t here, you’d have thought I told him steak ceased to exist.”

  “Steak?” Eve raised her eyebrows.

  “I don’t know.” Darcie grinned. “Isn’t that what military guys like him go for?”

  Groaning, Eve covered her face with her hands. “Maybe. Here we already share one child, with another on the way, and I don’t even know Garrett’s favorite foods.”

  “Find out.”

  “It’s not that simple.” Eve returned to her spreadsheet.

  “Sure it is. Ever think to ask?”

  “That would mean I have to be around him.”

  Darcie laughed. “Like that’s such a hardship?”

  “Look.” Eve struggled to find the right words. “I’ll be first to admit the guy’s gorgeous. And when we kiss…” Her cheeks flamed. “Well, in the chemistry department, everything still seems to work fine. But we’re from different worlds. His strength makes me feel—” she waved her hands “—like some helpless baby bird. And you know that’s not me. I’m not a damsel in distress, but whenever he’s around, I feel like all I do is fall apart.”

  Darcie fiddled with the crystal dolphin Eve’s dad had given her for her college graduation. He’d told her his dream for her was that she always felt confident and strong—capable of making great leaps and always going the distance. Just because she now knew him to be a liar, did that also mean he’d never been truthful with her? Had he wanted the best for her? Or had his beautiful words been more of the rhetoric he’d fed his constituents for the past forty years?

  “That’s why,” Eve said, “I think it’s best that even after, God willing, this baby is born, Garrett and I keep our distance.”

  “Okay, stop.” As if dazed, Darcie shook her head. “You’re making decisions you have no right to make on your own. Sooner, rather than later, Garrett deserves to know he’s going to be a father. And did you ever stop to consider the reason you keep falling apart around Garrett is because deep down—” she patted her chest “—you know he’s a man you can implicitly trust?”

  * * *

  GARRETT ROLLED ONTO HIS BACK and enjoyed the view. Even if Eve wasn’t smiling as she approached the pool, that didn’t make her less attractive in her pink skirt and jacket.

  “Juanita said you were out here.”

  “I was early for our meeting and it’s such a nice day…” He slicked water from his face and hair. “When Juanita offered to make me a sandwich poolside, I figured why not?”

  “Did you bring swim trunks?”

  He winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Garrett!” She covered her eyes with her hands. “What’s Juanita going to think? What if any of her grandkids stop by?”

  “I’ll ask them to turn around while I get a towel.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Join me,” the devil made him ask. It’d been a lousy day, and as much as he hated to admit it, the mere sight of her had already made it a thousand times better. Just because he knew they’d never work long-term didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy her company while he was in Coral Ridge. “Come on… It’ll be fun.”

  For a moment, he could’ve sworn he’d caught a fleeting glimpse of longing—as if she wanted to do something outrageous like jump in with her clothes on or off, but wasn’t quite sure how. “Thanks for the offer, but I really shouldn’t.”

  Her answer annoyed the hell out of him. “Do you ever do things for pure, selfish pleasure?”

  She sat at a poolside table. “I was raised believing it’s not nice to be selfish.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

  Emerging from the pool, he didn’t give a damn who saw him in his birthday suit—least of all, Prissy Missy. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him naked and if she weren’t such a stick in the mud, it might not have been her last.

  “Garrett!” She’d turned away, but not before getting a good long look at the view. “Seriously?”

  He took his own sweet time toweling dry, then tugging on cargo shorts and a T-shirt.

  Joining her at the table, he said, “Much as I hate admitting it, you were right about your father’s harem. None of them knew a thing.”

  “Do you have to be crude?”

  “Sorry. You think of a better term, I’ll use it. Anyway, in between meetings, I got to thinking, maybe we’ve been going at this all wrong? Overthinking what’s really a ridiculously simple solution.”

  Instead of seeming interested in his latest theory, she sat oddly slumped, hands curved over her abdomen.

  “Stomach hurt?”

  She shook her head, then straightened, striking a seemingly serene pose he knew she typically reserved for press conferences. “More like my heart. How long are you willing to go on like this? Chasing dead-end leads? Don’t you have to get back to your job?”

  “Sure, but this is our son, Eve. I’m not willing to just give up, and for the life of me, I can’t understand how you are.”

  She sighed. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Sure it is.” He smacked the table. “Either you want to find our boy or you don’t. Period. Black and white. No shades of gray on this one.”

  Easy for you to say.

  Upon her father’s death, Eve’s entire world had changed. Before she’d learned of her pregnancy, finding her and Garrett’s stolen son had been her top priority, but with the fragile new life inside, she felt honor-bound to keep her stress level to a minimum. Constantly having her hopes raised only to then have them suffer crushing falls was getting too hard.

  Mouth dry, pulse racing, she managed to say, “Please, tell me your latest plan.”

  His narrowed gaze brimmed with mistrust. “Sure you want to know?”

  “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked.”

  * * *

  “SO MUCH FOR THIS IDEA.” Eve couldn’t remember having ever seen Garrett look so defeated. His plan had been to launch a fresh approach to finding their son by checking out the one place eight-year-old boys would most likely be found—schools. They’d started at Thomas Howell Elementary, only to be brusquely told privacy laws didn’t allow for any information regarding their students to be given. Three schools later, upon hearing virtually the same speech, Garrett had backed down.

  “Sorry.” With her hand on his forearm, Eve gave him a reassuring squeeze. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised.”

  “I know.” He sat behind the wheel of his car in a school lot. Sun beat through the windows, making the interior uncomfortably hot. “Are we wrong for not going to the cops? Or at least hiring a P.I.?”

  Her stomach tightened at the idea. “I’m not read
y for that. Maybe once we’ve exhausted all leads.”

  “Like we haven’t already?” he asked with a narrowed stare. “Eve, I know the thought of us asking for outside help makes you uncomfortable, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in the navy, it’s that teamwork gets any job done.”

  “No.” She’d been clear on the topic last time they’d discussed it. “You know how I feel about sharing our private business.”

  “This isn’t business, Eve, but our child…” He’d softened his voice and turned to her. Every inch of her craved him, being held by him and reassured their search would turn out okay. Better than just okay. But for all of Garrett’s strength, that didn’t mean he was a superhero. He didn’t have the power to make their son magically appear. Was he right? Was the search for their son bigger than them?

  “Talk to me. What’re you thinking?” Garrett asked.

  She forced a breath. “Considering how many dead ends we’ve met on our own, you have my blessing to call for reinforcements—just promise you won’t let this turn into a public spectacle.”

  “Promise.” He not only met her gaze, but eased his fingers between hers. His touch soothed her like nothing else ever had. But why? Why didn’t her body understand that he was never again going to be a permanent part of her life? Sure, because of their precious new child they’d always be connected, but as for more…

  * * *

  GARRETT FOUND STEWART Halsey, P.I., through a very high recommendation from Hal’s attorney, Barry. There was nothing remarkable about the middle-aged guy—from his receding hairline to his ample waistline to the cheap gray suit he wore with a beige tie hanging like a scarf from his neck. That said, the guy had a near-flawless record for completing the unconventional tasks he’d been given.

  “Not gonna lie.” Stewart sipped from a Mickey Mouse coffee mug. “This could be tricky.” For the past hour, Garrett and Eve had shared every shred of information they’d gleaned, from Hal’s mistress list to the mysterious redhead who Eve had confronted. “I like where you were headed in just personally checking out every eight-year-old in the state, but given privacy laws, as you found, that’s a tad impractical.”

  “So what can we do?” Eve asked. “I—we—need to find our son.”

  “Agreed.” Stewart steepled his hands, resting them beneath his chin. “My gut tells me the key to blowing this wide-open is the redhead.”

  * * *

  “HOW DO YOU THINK IT WENT?” Garrett sat on the sofa in Hal’s office, sifting through the never-ending mountain of files. Eve had parked at her dad’s desk.

  “Can’t say I like the idea of Stewart following me, but if that redhead is still trailing me, I guess his theory makes sense. Unless we find some other lead here, at least Stewart will give us hope for progress.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced up from mortgage papers on a rental building to find that Eve had leaned her head back and closed her eyes. He didn’t think it possible for her to appear even more fragile and broken down, but she did. Dark circles had taken up seemingly permanent residence beneath her eyes and she’d lost even more weight. Looking at her, it occurred to him that he might want to shift gears now that they’d hired help. Getting Eve back in fighting condition could prove pivotal in how she ultimately handled whatever news Stewart found regarding their son. He faked a yawn. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. That casserole Juanita made has me needing a nap—or hell, maybe we should just call it a night?”

  “It’s only eight,” she noted after consulting her watch.

  “Okay, we’ll just break for a minisnooze. Please?”

  “Go ahead.” Nodding to the sofa, she said, “I’m not stopping you.”

  He asked, “What if I want company?”

  He hadn’t meant for the question to be in the least bit suggestive, but the way she narrowed her eyes told him she’d read it wrong. “Garrett…”

  “Come on…” He stood, holding out his hand. “Your bed’s enormous. Promise I’ll keep to my own side.”

  “Truthfully,” she said with a sad laugh, “I’m not even sure my legs will make it upstairs. As long as I’m in this chair, I should just barrel through the rest of these files.”

  “Or—” he scooped her like a rag doll into his arms “—you could nap with me.”

  “Garrett! Put me down!”

  She wasn’t even kind of a match for him, which she must’ve realized because she relaxed against him, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. For the duration of the trek upstairs, she unwittingly exhaled against sensitive skin. The heat pooling in his groin had him questioning his vow to remain a gentleman.

  In her room, he rested her gently atop the comforter, then covered her with a soft throw he found folded at the foot of the bed.

  When she sighed and smiled, he knew he’d made the right call. “This feels amazing.”

  He took off her shoes, carefully tucking the blanket around her feet. “Sure you’re okay with company?”

  She rolled over, patting the empty space alongside her.

  Not needing a second invitation, he kicked off his shoes, then joined her. “You know, if you wanted to use me as a pillow, I’d be okay with it.”

  “Oh, you would?” she teased.

  “Just sayin’…” He grinned as she sidled against him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder while positioning her hand over his galloping heart.

  “Mmm.” She snuggled still closer. “Thank you. You were right. I do need a nap.”

  At least he’d accomplished his original goal of making Eve rest. Unfortunately for him he was suddenly wide-awake—and struggling with a below-the-belt issue her continued proximity only made worse.

  * * *

  EVE WOKE TO NOT ONLY find herself spooning with Garrett, but warmed by morning sun. While she should’ve forced herself out of bed and into the office, she relished the moment instead. The warmth of his hand unwittingly cupped their unborn child. What would it be like to wake every morning like this? Physically and emotionally secure? Bliss wouldn’t begin doing justice to how amazing her life could be. But they’d already had their shot at happiness, and she’d blown it. Those kinds of second chances rarely came around again.

  “Good morning.” He nuzzled her neck. “Guess we brought new meaning to falling asleep on the job?”

  “Yeah.” Covering his hand with her own, she asked, “Is it wrong a part of me would like nothing more than to hide out like this forever?”

  “No, but—” he kissed the back of her head “—that would mean we may never find our son. Or, worse yet, eat Juanita’s pancakes.”

  Unable to keep from laughing, she rolled over to give him a swat. “You’re thinking of food at a time like this?”

  He patted her behind. “Just doing my part to help fatten you up. I like a woman with a little meat on her bones.”

  On the surface, his statement read innocently enough, but dig a fraction deeper and Eve couldn’t keep from wondering what he’d really meant. Was he starting to think of her in terms of being his woman? Would she like that? Or would that only further complicate her life?

  “I have plenty of meat, thank you very much.” With the mood broken, she slid off the bed. “Go ahead and ask Juanita for whatever you want for breakfast. I’m going to grab a quick shower.”

  “Will do.” Still in bed, he stretched. “Nervous about today?”

  “A little,” she admitted. “But mostly about what we do if the infamous redhead do
esn’t show.” With Stewart, they’d decided to use Eve as bait. On the off chance the woman showed up again, Eve would make herself as available as possible.

  “If she doesn’t, we’ll just move on to plan B.”

  Swallowing hard and willing herself not to cry, Eve nodded. Yet again, Garrett had proved to be the strong one between the two of them. But like Darcie had pointed out, was that so bad? Why was it so hard for Eve to not only let him take the lead, but enjoy it?

  Melting her with his smile, he assured her, “We will find our son.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It took eleven days for the redhead to surface.

  While Eve shopped or ran errands, Garrett had been riding along with Stewart, keeping an eye out for the woman should she appear again. Once she did, Stewart made a few calls to run her plates and within ten minutes had Dawn Henry’s street address in Harbor View, which was a good thirty miles south. They’d also learned she was married and had an eight-year-old son—Boyd. Coincidence? Garrett prayed not.

  An hour later, Garrett and Eve sat in his car a few houses down from the home where it was possible their son lived. Stewart had offered to go with them in case the meeting went dicey, but Garrett and Eve agreed they’d rather initially meet with the woman on their own.

  “What’re you thinking?” he asked Eve.

  “Part of me hopes more than anything this is it—we finally found our son. But if he’s happy and leading a wonderful life, then what? It’s not like we can just take him. I mean, legally, we probably eventually could, but morally, if he’s happy, it would be reprehensible. On the flip side, one day, he will eventually need to know he has birth parents out there who would like nothing more than to share a meaningful relationship with him.”

  “Yeah…” Garrett sighed. “That’s about the gist of what I’m thinking, too. So now what? School doesn’t get out for hours. There’s a car in the drive. Do we just march up to the door and ring the bell?”

  “I don’t know.” Eve’s voice sounded thin.