A Navy SEAL's Surprise Baby

by Laura Marie Altom

  “No bribe necessary. Assuming we have all the ingredients, it’d be my pleasure.” Her only request was that Calder either leave the room or put a shirt on!

  Chapter Six

  “Get the lead out, Calder!”

  “Yessir, Master Chief!” All afternoon—two weeks after his fight with Pandora—Calder’s SEAL team had been practicing counterterrorism drills by entering a suspected terrorist compound and securing the perimeter in under a minute. After three hours of running a simulated rat-hole maze, they’d finally gotten times down to a minute thirteen seconds, but that wasn’t good enough. In a real-life situation, those seconds could mean the difference between successfully completing a mission and being shipped home in a body bag.

  Over and over Calder ran the drill with the rest of his buddies—his team. The men had become his family. He’d do anything for them and knew they’d return the favor.

  The harder he worked, the more he focused on the reasons he did what he did. He had always thought he’d become a SEAL for the cool factor. There was no denying the title carried with it incalculable bragging rights. But the longer he wore his Trident, the more he realized it meant so much more.

  Now not only did he want to be of service to his country but he also wanted to protect his son. Before having Quinn, the seedier portions of the world had been his warrior playground. Now he recognized the world’s danger zones hid terrorists intent on not only harming his son, but every man, woman and child in America and beyond.

  In short, like it or not, Quinn had given Calder a maturity he hadn’t before possessed. He used the newfound drive to keep his kid smiling to dig deep, finally busting through the mental wall that had held him back all day.

  “Fifty-seven seconds! Good work!” His CO patted his back.

  While Heath splashed bottled water onto Calder’s overheated face, Calder dropped to his knees. Damn glad the ordeal was over, but also proud. If the team could accomplish the task here at home, then overseas, with adrenaline pumping, there would be no question about them performing like a well-oiled machine.

  While the last few on their team completed time tests, Heath and Calder sat against the base of a mock concrete-block Iraqi apartment building.

  After gulping more water, Heath asked, “How’s it going with the nanny?”

  “Good and bad.”

  “Yeah?” Calder’s friend raised his eyebrows. “How so?”

  “On the one hand, the house has never been cleaner, my laundry’s always done and as you’ve probably noticed, I’m headed out early to eat home-cooked meals every night.”

  “Sounds good so far.”

  “This is where things get dicey. I pay her for the basics, but the longer she’s with me, the more I look forward to more. To just seeing her. And then there are those awkward late-night meetings when she’s all mussed and forgets her glasses...” Calder shook his head and sighed. “I have to keep reminding myself she’s my employee. Worse, when it comes down to it, I know nothing about her. Sure, her work references checked out, but I’m still wondering where she disappears to sometimes on Saturdays.”

  “Have you asked?” Heath tugged an energy bar from his right sleeve pocket, tore the wrapper and took a bite.

  “Hell, no. It’s none of my business.”

  “Then why are you whining to me about it?”

  Calder snatched a pebble from the ground beside him and pitched it at his “friend.”

  *

  FRIDAY MORNING, PANDORA fed Quinn and his father. Once Calder headed off to work, she tidied the kitchen and the rest of the house—a task that took a whopping fifteen minutes, considering she didn’t have much to work with.

  She hadn’t forgotten that Calder had told her he’d paint her bedroom, but she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject without sounding greedy. Most days, in presenting her with the opportunity to save a generous amount of money while at the same time living in a safe, quiet, fresh-smelling environment seemed like blessing enough. Sure, walls the shade of lemon sorbet would be lovely, but they were hardly a necessity when she’d once relocated from a highway underpass to a crack house to a jail cell.

  With chores finished, she said to Quinn, “Looks like a gorgeous day. Want to go swing?”

  “Rahee...” Quinn smiled and drooled.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Five minutes later, she’d worked his chubby arms into a light jacket, added a pint-size baseball cap then settled him in his stroller.

  She left through the garage, netting a pleasant surprise to find the neighbors just east of the house were holding a garage sale. There were even a couple more down from there.

  Some of the few happy memories she had of her early childhood were of visiting Saturday-morning sales with her mom and dad. They’d viewed the outings as fun, but also a necessary way to cheaply furnish their home. The items hadn’t seemed shabby to Pandora, but well-worn and loved—the furniture equivalent of the dog pound.

  During the first months of her marriage, she’d gone to lots of sales, intent on transforming their rented house into a home, but then her ex had lost his job and taken out his every frustration on her. Usually sporting a black eye, she’d been too humiliated to leave the house.

  Doubling back inside Calder’s home, she took her wallet from her purse and tucked it in the back pocket of Quinn’s stroller.

  The first sale didn’t hold much of interest. Beyond a half-dozen paperbacks she selected for herself, many tables were laden with baby clothes, but strictly for girls. Pandora did snag a stack of picture books for a dollar and an electronic crib mirror for Quinn to play with. There were lots of fun shapes and when he pressed them, they made silly noises. He boinged all the way to the next sale.

  “Good morning,” said an older man, one of Calder’s neighbors.

  “Good morning.” Pandora greeted him with a warm smile. “You sure picked a gorgeous day for a sale.”

  “Wasn’t me but the wife. She’s chairwoman of the Neighborhood Beautification Committee. All proceeds go toward sprucing up the flower bed at the development’s entrance.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” At first, Pandora didn’t see much beyond stemware and yard tools, but then she spotted a painting that would be perfect over Calder’s fireplace. In the foreground, the artist had created an angry sea, yet beyond the surf, sun radiated through tumultuous clouds and the water shone with an iridescent calm. The image spoke to her. How her recent years may have been a struggle, but in the future, by the time the storm blew over and she and Julia were immersed in golden sun, everything was going to be okay. Better.

  Along with the painting, she found a lovely silk flower arrangement featuring daffodils in a Blue Willow china–patterned bowl. She envisioned it on the mantel, grouped with framed photos of Calder and Quinn she’d snapped with Calder’s digital camera the last time they had played blocks on the living room carpet. All told, she’d spent ten dollars—twelve after also finding a quirky strawberry-shaped cookie jar.

  She set the painting atop the stroller’s sun visor, then stashed the rest of her items in the bottom netting.

  To Quinn she said, “Guess we’d better head home to unload before hitting the park, or you’ll end up sharing your seat, huh?”

  He kicked and gurgled before once again hitting the boing button on his new toy.

  “You bought the painting.” A smiling older woman approached. “Martin and I have had it over our buffet for years, but my new decorator says it has to go.”

  “I should thank him or her. I love it.”

  “I’m glad. It’s easier to part with knowing it’ll be enjoyed. I’m Lila, by the way. Don’t you and this cutie live three doors down?”

  “We do.” Pandora exchanged introductions.

  “That man of yours is a sight to behold.” Fanning herself, Lila added, “If only I were thirty years younger...”

  Martin, the man Pandora assumed to be Lila’s husband, called from where he sat on a lawn cha
ir in the garage, “I heard that!”

  Lila waved off his complaint. “How long have you and your hunk been together?”

  “Oh—we’re not a couple.” Pandora’s cheeks flamed. “I’m Quinn’s nanny.”

  “Oh... Forgive me. I assumed you were a family. Have to admit to being old-fashioned about young couples shacking up instead of marrying, but that’s neither here nor there. Since he’s your employer, I suppose it’d be hard not to share the same roof, huh?”

  “Yes, it would.” Though Pandora laughed, she couldn’t help but fear Julia’s family-court judge having similar suspicions, which might ultimately lead to disapproval. Her stomach knotted.

  Carrying on with small talk as if she hadn’t a care in the world proved difficult, but Pandora muddled through a chat about the lovely weather and maybe joining the beautification committee.

  Lila’s attention eventually turned to another customer, at which point Pandora decided in lieu of the park, she and Quinn were off to the hardware store for a picture hanger sturdy enough to hold the painting.

  At five-thirty, Pandora took a fragrant roast from the oven and even lit a few candles alongside the photos she’d placed on the mantel. She felt good about the changes, but feared Calder either wouldn’t care for her taste, or would find her presumptuous for taking the liberty of decorating his house.

  At the time she’d impulsively made the purchases, longings for a true home had consumed her. Quinn deserved the real deal every bit as much as Julia. For years, Pandora imagined living in homey perfection. Was it wrong she now wanted her physical world to match her rich imagination?

  Stomach roiling with silly nerves, she pureed Quinn’s portions of the evening’s meal. When Calder still wasn’t home by six, she gave Quinn his bath, played with him for a bit, read a couple of his new picture books then put him to bed.

  By the time Calder did finally come home, she’d curled onto the sofa’s end, immersed in one of her new paperbacks.

  “Sorry I’m late.” He placed his motorcycle helmet on the entry closet’s top shelf.

  Had he been at a bar?

  “Training ran waaay long.” He yawned. The fact that he smelled faintly of the outdoors and briny sea told her he hadn’t been partying. “What smells good?” He stepped farther into the room, noticing the changes she’d made. “Dang, that picture and the candles and stuff look fancy—like something my mom would do.”

  Even his indirect praise made her soul sing.

  “I’m liking the painting—and whoa! Who are these handsome guys?” He picked up the simple wood frame that housed the snapshot she’d taken of him and his son. “Quinn really does look like me.”

  She put down her book, hovering behind him. “Is that the first time you’ve seen the two of you together?”

  His eyes shone, but he soon blinked them dry. “Yeah. Caught me by surprise. I mean, I know in my head he’s biologically mine, but somehow I hadn’t made the connection that we share physical features.”

  “The bigger he gets, the more similarities you’ll see. Little personality quirks will pop out, too. Some good, some bad. They all make you look at yourself in a whole new way.”

  He gave her a long stare. “You sound like you speak from experience, but you don’t have kids, right?”

  What did she say? The last thing she wanted was to outright lie. On the flip side, she wasn’t anywhere near ready for full disclosure.

  She settled for forcing a smile. “You must be starving. Why don’t you grab a shower and I’ll fix you a plate?”

  *

  STANDING BENEATH THE HOT water’s stinging spray, it occurred to Calder that Pandora had skillfully evaded his question. Why? On the surface, everything about her read perfection. Was he being paranoid or could she truly be hiding something?

  Out of the shower, he made quick work of toweling off, then stepping into boxers, sweats and a T-shirt.

  He ambled into the kitchen and found the table set for one.

  Pandora stood with her back to him at the sink, her arms up to her elbows in suds. If he hadn’t been intent on getting an answer to why she’d evaded his question, his mind could have all too easily traveled to erotic places.

  Once he sat and took his first bite, she asked, “Is everything warm enough?”

  “It all tastes great. Thanks.”

  Was it just him or did she also sense an elephant in the room?

  He set his fork to the plate. “Have a seat.”

  “I would, but I need to finish up here, then check on Quinn in his playpen.”

  Calder looked down. Where did he even start? “You misunderstood. We need to talk.”

  She turned off the faucet. “H-have I done something wrong?”

  She’d given him the perfect segue to tell her his suspicions. That he hoped he was reading more into this than there was, but a couple times now, she’d been evasive. On her few Saturdays off, he’d gotten the impression she didn’t want him knowing where she was going or even who she was seeing. Then tonight, when he’d asked her about having kids, her whole demeanor had changed. “If you’re not happy with my work...” She seemed to take inordinate care with drying a saucepan.

  “Did I say that?” I can’t even say why, but my gut tells me you’re hiding something. Solely for himself, because he woke thinking of her smile, he probed, “Do you have a child?”

  “You’ve seen my references. If I’ve in any way caused you to doubt my ability to care for your son, then—”

  “Damn it, Pandora.” When he slapped his palm to the table she not only jumped, but tears filled her eyes. He was instantly sorry, yet at the same time he’d been trained to always follow his gut. What was going on with her that he couldn’t see? Whatever it was hadn’t affected her ability to give his son expert care, so why couldn’t he leave it alone? On a deeper level, what was it about her that had gotten under his skin, making her—at least in his mind—so much more than someone who worked in his home? “What’s with you? Some things don’t add up. Your first day on the job, when you didn’t have a cell or a way to even purchase groceries without calling me for help. The fact that you lived in Norfolk, yet have never been to the beach. Your two mystery Saturdays. All I’m asking is for you to be straight with me. If you don’t have a kid, is there something else going on with you that I’m missing?”

  “No.” Raising her chin, her expression lost its earlier wide-eyed fear and tears to now read steely determination. “But if you’re unhappy with my performance, I’ll turn in my resignation in the morning.”

  *

  WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

  Pandora had wanted to run, slamming her bedroom door, but she had held tight to her cool, refusing to throw away all she’d gained on a flash of temper.

  In a move that took monumental effort, she calmly left Calder for the privacy of her room.

  Until Calder had listed her so-called oddities, Pandora believed she’d done a good job of hiding her true identity, but then what did that mean? Though she’d been Quinn’s nanny only a short while, she already felt as if she’d grown so much. Living in this nice home with her sweet charge and a true gentleman like Calder made her feel as if she’d been bathed in a pool of light and had emerged a new woman.

  The fact that Calder sensed she hadn’t been one hundred percent truthful with him had her worried, but she couldn’t lose focus on the fact that he wasn’t her friend, but her employer.

  In a perfect world, she might have told him everything. He may have even deserved to know everything. But selfishly—not just for herself, but for her daughter—she needed this job. Not only was the money important, but so was the consistency of her employment record. Fran, the social worker assigned to her case, reminded her all too often how important it was for her to prove a record of stability to the judge presiding over her next court hearing.

  As Natalie was Pandora’s true boss, and had told her she was perfectly within her rights to not discuss Julia, then no matter how difficult it was for he
r to essentially hide her daughter from Calder, she had to.

  There was no other choice.

  When a knock sounded on her bedroom door, Pandora’s stomach knotted. “Yes?”

  “Can I come in?”

  How would he react if she said no? She lacked the courage to find out. “Sure.”

  He opened the door, but didn’t breach the threshold. “I probably owe you an apology, but I’m not giving it until you assure me my imagination is running overtime and that your story is as uncomplicated as you presented it to be.”

  “No apology necessary.” Seated at the foot of her bed, Pandora wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. She’d been so excited for Calder to see the small but pretty transformation she’d made with the house. And he had appreciated what she’d done, so how had their night degraded to such an ugly place? “What I would like—and from your vantage point, I probably have no right to ask—is that I need you to trust me. Respect my wish to keep the part of my life that doesn’t concern caring for your son private.”

  He rubbed his forehead with his fingers and thumbs. “You’re putting me in a horrible position. You know I’d never win Father of the Year. But I sure as hell only want the best woman for the job raising my son. At any given moment, the world could go to shit and my team could be called in to fix it. I have to know if that happens, you’re someone I can trust.”

  How did she prove herself a good person? A worthy person? Why couldn’t she come right out and tell him she had a daughter? Simple—because if she did, Calder would never allow her to keep her job. It wouldn’t matter she was highly qualified and had worked years paying for what she’d done. What would matter was she’d once been a horrible person and he’d never believe her to be anything else.

  How many times had people let her down? How many times had men specifically proved they were her enemy?

  In no way did she believe that of Calder, but she couldn’t place her entire future with Julia in the hands of a man she barely knew. A large part of her recovery process had been recognizing her tendency to be the victim, but those days were gone. She claimed full responsibility for her actions. What Pandora wouldn’t do was jeopardize her daughter’s future as she had her past.