Guarding His Fake Family

by Knight, Katie

  Alisha stepped aside to let her friend in, smoothing a hand down the front of her faded T-shirt. If she’d known company was coming over, she would have changed out of her comfy clothes. Then again, Farrah had seen her at her best and worst and everywhere in between, so yeah. Whatever. She led her friend into the living room.

  “I just came by to check on you guys and—” Farrah started, before she was cut off by the doorbell ringing again.

  Man, it was like Grand Central Station around here today. She held up a finger and started back toward the foyer. “I wonder who that is now.”

  This time, Thomas Warren stood on the other side of the door, toddler Amy in his arms. He’d actually become a good friend to them after everything that had happened. Simon had even put in a good word for him at the trial, so Thomas got off with a year of probation for his part in the auction house smuggling debacle. Law enforcement were after the big fish—Hendrix and Milo and Ludgate—so having Warren turn state’s evidence against them had kept him from having to face a prison sentence. Seeing the guy happy and reunited with his daughter made it all worth it, in Alisha’s eyes. “Thomas! Great to see you. Come in.”

  She led him into the living room too and took Amy from him to carry her over to see baby Jersey.

  “Look, baby girl. This is my new son, Jersey.”

  Amy stared at Simon holding their son, one fist stuffed in her drooling mouth, then squealed and bounced in Alisha’s arms. “WereWe!”

  “Yes! That’s good.” Alisha kissed her cheek loudly and grinned. After the time they’d spent taking care of her, she felt attached to Amy in a way she couldn’t explain. Thankfully, Thomas seemed to share the sentiment, treating Alisha and Simon like family. Amy called them aunt and uncle—or at least, she tried to. “Such a smart girl you are. Yes, you are!”

  Amy buried her face in Alisha’s neck and she smiled over the little girl’s head at her father. Thomas Warren was busy talking to Farrah and wasn’t paying any attention to Alisha. The two of them had met at the birthday dinner Simon had thrown for Alisha and had hit it off immediately. More than once, she’d wondered if there was something more going on with those two than just a passing acquaintance. Farrah looked over at caught Alisha staring, her cheeks going pink before she looked away.

  Yep. Definitely something afoot there. Alisha was about to get nosy in her friend’s business when the doorbell rang a third time.

  “What the…” She handed Amy back to her dad and walked over to where Simon was sitting. “Seriously. Did none of these people think to call before coming over?”

  He shrugged again and glanced up at her, the glint in his eye making her even more suspicious. “Simon Stone. What did you do?”

  “Better answer the door, sweetheart,” he said, winking as the doorbell rang again.

  Rick, his sister, and his brother-in-law were there this time, with a cake and balloons in hand. She let them in and closed the door before turning around to head back to the living room. Except her path was blocked by everyone standing there to yell, “Surprise!”

  “Simon…” Alisha grinned. “You shouldn’t have.”

  “Yeah, I should.” He walked over to kiss her. “Consider it a welcome home, happy baby combo.”

  They went back into the living room and sat down. Alisha looked up when the doorbell rang yet again.

  “Who else could that be?” Alisha said, watching as her sleeping son was being passed from admirer to admirer. Simon started to get up as well, but she waved him to sit back down. “I got it.”

  Her smile quickly faded when she saw the face on the other side of the door this time. “Mom. What are you doing here?”

  They hadn’t spoken since that awful night of their fight on the phone. She was honestly surprised her mother even knew about Jersey being born. Alisha had never called to share the news. The woman hadn’t been happy about her being pregnant. Why would that change after the baby was born? How had she even known to come?

  Alisha glanced over into the living room to see Simon watching them. He quickly looked away, his expression a mix of guilt and hopefulness. Yep. He had some explaining to do later.

  Her mother shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking oddly nervous. She clutched her purse in front of her like a shield and met Alisha’s glance before quickly staring down at her toes again. “I came to apologize, Alisha. I was wrong.”

  Alisha’s first instinct was to get snarky, to ask her mom to what brought about this miraculous change of heart, but she bit her tongue and instead said nothing. She’d hear her mother out—but she saw no reason to make it especially easy for her.

  When Alisha didn’t respond, her mother continued, head lowered. “The way I treated you that night when you called…I never should’ve done that. I shouldn’t have assumed you couldn’t handle it on your own, just because I failed at being present as a mother. You’re the strongest woman I know, Alisha. So much stronger than me. I should’ve believed in you, supported you, encouraged you in whatever choices you made.”

  At first, Alisha was too stunned to say anything. She’d waited so long, a lifetime, to hear her mother say these things to her, that it kind of felt unreal for a moment. Then when the constriction in her throat eased, she couldn’t seem to find the words to say back. “Mom, I…”

  “I just came here today to tell you how proud I am of you,” her mother said, meeting Alisha’s eyes at last, her own filled with tears. “So, so proud.”

  “Oh, Mom,” Alisha said, her own vision blurring as she stepped out onto the porch and embraced her mother. “I’m sorry too. Sorry I never really understood how hard it must’ve been for you to try and do it all with Mike and me on your own. I have Simon to help me, but you had no one. I’m so sorry too. And I forgive you.”

  They stood there for a while, just hugging and crying, until Simon finally came to check on them, baby Jersey over his shoulder again. “Everything okay out here, ladies?”

  “Great,” Alisha said, stepping back from her mother and wiping her eyes. “Wonderful.”

  “Good.” He held the door while they walked into the foyer, then closed it behind them. “Because this crew is getting restless to cut that cake.”

  “Right.” Alisha took Jersey and handed him off to her mother, then went into the kitchen to get plates and napkins and stuff for their guests. When she walked back into the living room, Simon had his computer on the coffee table and her brother Mike’s face filled the screen, Zooming with everyone at the party. She set the things on the table and sat down next to Simon and Jersey. “Hey, bro.”

  “Hey, sis,” Mike said, grinning. “How’s my nephew doing?”

  “Good,” she said. They chatted for a while, then Farrah suggested Alisha and Simon open some of the gifts people had brought for Jersey. There were lots of onesies and stuffed animals and even a handmade baby blanket from Dubai with Jersey’s name embroidered on it, that Mike had had shipped over special for the party. After she’d opened them all, her heart felt full to bursting. She sat back and looked at all their friends and family. All the people they loved and who loved them right back. “Oh, this is awesome, you guys! Thank you all so much for being here for us.”

  A round of cheers and applause filled the house. Then her mother took back her grandbaby again, leaving Alisha and Simon alone on the sofa, surrounded by wads of wrapping paper and baby paraphernalia.

  Simon yawned and stretched, putting his arm around Alisha’s shoulders and drawing her into his side. “There’s one more gift you need to open.” He handed her a small pink iridescent gift bag. “Just for you.”

  “Aw.” She smiled and took it from him. “What is it?”

  “You need to open it to find out,” he said, kissing her temple.

  She stuck her hand inside the bag and pulled out a small black velvet box. Her heart skidded to a halt. Eyes wide and mouth dry as a bone all of a sudden, she croaked out, “Simon, what is this?”

  He took the box from her shaky fingers
and scooted off the sofa to kneel on one knee before her, creaking open the tiny box to reveal a sparkling emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. The party guests grew silent, everyone turning to watch the events unfold.

  “Alisha Lewis. You are my heart, my soul,” Simon said, his eyes alight with sincerity and love. “You are the best part of me. Everything I ever wanted and nothing I’ll ever deserve. But I swear to try each day to make you and our son happy and give you everything you both want and need. I love you. Will you be my wife?”

  She covered her mouth, shaking badly now with a combination of adrenaline and pure joy. Alisha swallowed hard and nodded, sudden tears spilling down her cheeks. Before Simon had come into her life, she never cried. Now she seemed to cry all the time. Not from sorrow, but from happiness. “Yes. I’ll be your wife. I love you too, Simon.”

  A loud whoop went up from the crowd as Simon slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her soundly. The sound woke baby Jersey, who gave a cranky wail before settling down in his grandmother’s arms again.

  “About damned time you made my sister an honest woman,” Mike said on the computer screen, his grin wide.

  “Agreed,” Simon said, kissing Alisha once more before resting his forehead against hers to whisper, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  Alisha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A year ago, she would have balked at the prospect of being tied down, of investing herself in anything that might jeopardize her career. Now she truly did have it all—a job she loved, a baby she adored, a man she loved more than life itself. Things weren’t always perfect, but they were perfectly right for her. And honestly, what more could a woman ask for? “Me too, Simon. Me too.”

  End of Guarding His Fake Family

  Do you love sexy Navy SEALs? Please keep reading for a preview from my next book, Protecting His Pregnant Ex and my 99c novel Protecting His New Family.

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  About Katie

  It isn’t a big surprise Katie Knight ended up writing romances about the stellar, studly men of the Navy SEALs; after all, she was a K-9 trainer for the SEALs and met her own Navy SEAL hero husband while preparing one of their K-9 partners for combat. A few years after their marriage, her and hubby decided to retire with their K-9 partner, Sam, to raise their children in the Midwest. It wasn’t long after that before Katie decided to write her own stories featuring the men of the SEAL teams and the women who love them.

  When not imagining dangerously romantic scenarios for her heroes and their feisty heroines, Katie enjoys hikes with her husband and Sam, spending time with her children, and long runs (on and off the beach).

  To learn more about Katie you can check out all her books on social media and her website: www.leslienorthbooks.com/katie-knight

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  About Leslie

  Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

  Find your next Leslie North book visit LeslieNorthBooks.com or choose:

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  BLURB

  Grieving over the terminal diagnosis for his sister, Navy SEAL Brock Hardy tries to bury his pain in the arms of the only woman he’s ever loved, Monica Ingram. It’s a mistake; the last thing he wants to do is bring his damaged, personal baggage into Monica’s life and hurt her. Things get even more complicated when he returns home for the funeral and a caseworker with a baby shows up at his late sister’s door the same time as Monica. Turns out Brock’s sister was a foster parent, and with a blizzard brewing, the caseworker has nowhere else to leave the baby. Brock has the house, still set up for childcare, and Monica has experience caring for infants, so they team up…just for now. Meanwhile, Monica has her own surprise for him—she’s pregnant. As Brock and Monica set up house during the storm, an unexplained broken window and snowy footprints outside puts them on edge. Is someone trying to harm the baby?

  Monica only wanted to let Brock know she was pregnant, but after volunteering to help the desperate caseworker, she’s now staying in his house, caring for an adorable baby, and feeling things for the sexy SEAL she’d rather not. It’s hard to resist a man as gorgeous and nice as Brock, even if he does try to hide his softer side. Their attraction smolders beneath everything they do, and it doesn’t take much for that spark to turn into a flame. When it’s clear their lives are in danger, Monica’s never been so happy to have a tough Navy SEAL by her side. But after the storm is over and the danger is gone, will Brock be gone too, running away from commitment like he’s always done before? Or will he finally realize love is the best baggage of all?

  Grab your copy of Protecting His Pregnant Ex

  Available March 18, 2021

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  * * *

  EXCERPT

  Chapter One

  “Winter storm Horatio is gearing up to be the worst one of the last fifty years. Get ready to hunker down, folks.”

  Navy SEAL Brock Hardy sat at the kitchen table in his sister Melissa’s house and couldn’t quite believe he was back home again. When he’d left Lake Bristow, Minnesota, ten years prior right after high school graduation, he’d figured he’d put this place and the past well and truly behind him.

  Funny how life worked sometimes.

  Or perhaps not so funny, considering the reason he was back here in the dead of winter was his sister Melissa’s death. He swore softly and hung his head, cupping his steaming coffee mug with both hands. The wound was still too fresh, the funeral and burial only held the week prior. Their mother had died young, and after that, their father’s main focus had been on drinking himself into an early grave. Even though she was only five years older than he was, Melissa was the one who’d basically raised him. Each time Brock thought of her being gone from the world, his heart twisted.

  But Brock kept that all under wraps. His stoicism kept him moving, kept him working, kept him on guard at all times. It was one of the things that made him such a good SEAL; he was able to set his emotions aside and deal with the task at hand. Unfortunately, it was also what made him still single at twenty-eight. Easy as it was to suppress what he was feeling, pushing all those emotions down made it so much harder to let them out when needed—not to mention how difficult it was for him to let anyone in.

  Fuck it. Time to get off his ass and away from the table where he’d been sitting all day, going over the paperwork to settle his sister’s estate. He had limited time to sort it out before his bereavement leave would be over…but with the storm rolling in, it couldn’t be his top priority. Better to head to the grocery store for bread and milk and toilet paper. Maybe some beer and snacks, too, enough to last him through what sounded like a hell of a blizzard on the way.

  He guzzled his coffee then grabbed his down jacket from the peg in the hall before heading to the back patio to batten down the furniture so it wouldn’t blow away in the storm. Maybe he shouldn’t bother, considering he’d be putting the place on the market soon, but he couldn’t really help himself. It was what he’d always done, helping Melissa whenever he came to visit. Plus, it gave him something to do besides stew over her death.

  A strong gust of wind knocked into him from the side, and he squinted at the skies once more. Minnesota’s brutal winters was one more thing he hadn’t missed when he was overseas in the warmer temperatures of the Middle East.

  Done with the furn
iture, he headed back into the house to lock up. He’d just finished shutting off the TV in the kitchen when a car pulled up in the gravel driveway. Shit. He wasn’t sure he could take anymore mourners. While he was glad to hear how much everyone loved his sister, he never knew what he was supposed to say in reply. Yes, he’d loved Melissa, too—but that didn’t mean he was comfortable crying about her on some stranger’s shoulder. For a guy who kept everything locked inside, it was exhausting.

  The doorbell echoed through the quiet house and Brock took a deep breath, preparing himself to greet someone else with their hands full of more casseroles or desserts or whatever. He appreciated the sympathy, but considering he’d only be here a few weeks at most before returning to his SEAL team, he’d rather they donate the stuff to the local food bank.

  Answering the door, he found himself staring at a woman on his doorstep with a baby. Cute kid, with big blue eyes and messy blond curls. He cleared his throat. “May I help you?”

  “Hi, yes.” The woman’s white coat contrasted sharply with her dark skin. Wind whistled through the porch, and she held the baby closer, smiling. “I’m Robin Griffiths, with Child Protective Services in St. Paul. Is Melissa home?”

  For a moment, Brock just looked at her. Was it possible she really didn’t know? But then, St. Paul was about a hundred miles south of Lake Bristow. Maybe the news hadn’t spread that far yet. “Sorry, but my sister passed away last week.”

  “Oh God.” The woman’s eyes widened with horror, then her gaze fell to the baby in her arms. “What happened?”