Redeeming the Billionaire SEAL

by Lauren Canan

  With both hands she wiped the moisture from her cheeks and stepped back into the room, letting the door fall open.

  Chance stepped inside and closed the door behind him. His eyes were on her face. On the tears that refused to stop falling. “Holly, don’t do this.”

  She turned away from him. “If you don’t have an animal emergency...”

  * * *

  He put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to face him. He should never have come back to the ranch. He’d told her he would call and that was what he should have done. He should never have made love to her knowing full well he would be leaving. He knew her heart. She lived life, she didn’t just walk on the edge of it. Small things that most people didn’t notice made Holly laugh for joy. But it worked the other way, too. Things that made others feel a little sad could rip a hole through her heart. She’d lost so much. He had a feeling that in her mind she was losing him, as well.

  He loved her. He probably always had. But he couldn’t stay. What would he do if he left the military? He just couldn’t see himself wearing a suit to work every day and becoming a pencil pusher like his brothers. He was not cut out for that. If he tried to force it, Holly would pay the price by putting up with what she called a grouch.

  “Are congratulations in order? Are you going to be reinstated?”

  He hesitated, knowing the answer was not what she wanted to hear. “Yes. I leave in the morning to report to the naval base in Coronado.”

  “Then definitely, congratulations. I’m very happy for you.”

  She did her best to smile, but he could see the truth in her eyes.

  “This, what we have, is not over, Holly. That’s why I came back. To tell you, in person, I want you in my life.”

  She walked to a chair and leaned against the back of it as though she needed the support.

  “And what, exactly, do we have, Chance? A childhood full of memories and making love in the rain?” She looked down to where her hands gripped the chair back. “We both know you don’t have to come all the way here for that sort of thing. In fact, I’m sure there are plenty of women who have vastly more experience than me who would love to take my place.”

  He walked toward her. “Make no mistake, Holly. It’s you I want.” His voice was rough and low even to his own ears. “I want you in my arms, I want to kiss you like there’s no tomorrow. I want to bury myself inside you, as deep as I can go. Deeper. I want to tease you about riding English. I want to teach you how to swim. I want it all.” He stepped closer. “I want you to come with me. I want to marry you, Holly. Please say yes. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  The tears swam in her eyes. “I can’t, Chance.”

  “Why?”

  “Let’s just say I know how to swim and leave it at that, okay?”

  “No. We’re not leaving it there. I thought...I thought you loved me.”

  “I do. With all my heart and soul. It would be my dream come true, but eventually reality comes knocking,” she said. “You have a team who counts on you, who cares about you. I have patients who need me. And of course, my number one priority is Emma. I’m all she has, Chance.”

  “I’m not asking you to leave Emma.” He frowned, upset that she would ever think such a thing. “I would never do that.”

  “Chance, please understand what I’m saying. She will never know her mother or father. But at least here, in Calico Springs, she will grow up in a community where they lived. She will meet people who knew them and loved them and she’ll hear good things. She’ll grow up proud she is Jason’s daughter. And they will love her as one of them. I won’t take that away from her. It’s all I have to give her.”

  Chance looked into Holly’s eyes, and saw her determination to protect and do what was right for Emma clearly reflected there. He took her into his arms. He needed to hold her, to feel her next to him. He was a bit surprised when she made no effort to push away because clearly she was upset. He bent down and kissed the side of her face. She turned toward him, her lips seeking his. He could taste the salty remnants of her tears.

  As always, her lips were so soft. Like the softest velvet he could imagine. As he kissed her he felt the stiffness leave her body, and her arms came around his neck. And she kissed him back as if this was the last time she would ever see him.

  Eventually, they pulled apart.

  “So I guess this is really it.”

  “I guess so. We had a good time, didn’t we?” She crossed her arms around her as though giving herself some needed support. He could see the tears still falling down her face even as she tried to blink them away. It was so Holly. She’d always been so tough, so determined. Especially when it meant keeping up with her big brother and his friend Chance. Thank heavens that hadn’t changed.

  “Holly, I keep thinking there is some sort of solution here. The money is there, but I’ve never been one who could sit on my hands. A few months with me underfoot, you really would be calling me a grouch. And...there’s something else you should know. Wade is selling the ranch, so prepare for some new neighbors.”

  The shock on her face was immediate. “What? How can he do that?”

  “He is the head of Masters Corporation. The corporation owns the land. He can do anything he wants.”

  “But the ranch... It was the beginning of all of us. Jason, you, Wade, Cole. It’s where your mother is laid to rest. It should be yours. This is so wrong. I’m going over there and light into Wade Masters like...”

  “No, Holly,” he said. “Wade is doing what he thinks is best. The ranch isn’t profitable, and it’s too big to try to support it. He will do right by you, Holly. Don’t hold it against him.” Chance looked around the room as though unsure what his next move should be. “Okay. Well, I’d better get going. I’ll be in touch, okay?”

  “Sure. You take care and don’t get shot again, for gosh sakes.” Again she tried her best to smile.

  There was nothing else to say. There was no use in prolonging her sadness. Or his.

  With a nod to her, Chance turned and walked out the door.

  He didn’t see Holly double over in pain. He didn’t hear the hopeless cries of anguish or her soft but broken voice saying, “I love you, Chance Masters. I always will.”

  Thirteen

  The combined sounds of announcements over the loudspeaker and the disgruntled mooing of cows told Holly the rodeo was well underway. A loud buzzer signaled the end of time for a wild bronc rider. Holly had grown up at these events and she never could quite understand why any man would put his life on the line if he didn’t have to. Who in their right mind would try to go eight seconds on a bull with three-foot-long horns and a really bad attitude? Her brother and Chance used to ride those bulls. She’d thought they were crazy then. She still thought it was insane. But she always admired the roping competitions and had won her share of ribbons for the barrel-racing event.

  She walked toward the area that had been set up for her use. Next door, another tent, quite a bit larger, had been erected for the area doctor. She loved old Doc Hardy. It was easy to understand why this community refused to let him even think about retiring. He welcomed her with a hug.

  “Let’s hope neither man nor horse gets injured tonight,” he said. “Are you here for both nights, Holly?”

  “No, sir,” she said. “I’ve got it tonight. Kevin will be here tomorrow.”

  “I like that young man. Seems like a hard worker. And his boys were in to see me for preschool inoculations and they are just as nice and respectful as their father. The mother, too.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Holly inventoried the medical equipment brought over by members of the Calico County Rodeo Association. As far as she could tell, everything was here. She shared the hope that neither she nor Doc Hardy had to use any of it. Her for the animals.
Dr. Hardy for the people.

  “Say, Holly. Did you know Chance Masters?”

  Her heart plunged to her feet. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

  “He and your brother were always at the rodeo. I heard he was back in town after a dozen years or more. Can’t rightly recall how long. I always wondered what happened to him. The only time he wasn’t getting himself in trouble was when he was with Jason. I think your brother put his foot down and wouldn’t stand for any of that rabble-rousing. But you know, it might have been a lot different if his father had given two hoots about his sons. I think he was cruel to Chance and Chance finally had enough. A lot of that trouble he caused was because of his father.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Like I said, I always wondered what happened to him. I know there was some good in that boy.”

  “I heard he is a navy SEAL.” Holly volunteered the info, still trying to digest what Dr. Hardy had said.

  “Is that right? Good for him. It’s like I thought, after his father threw him out of his house there were all kinds of directions he could have gone. He made the right choice. I’m happy to know that.”

  It had been three weeks and five days since Chance had walked out of her house and out of her life forever. Thankfully Amanda didn’t mention him. Her friend knew Holly’s heart was still healing. But it was unexpected inquiries, like Dr. Hardy’s, that slipped through her defenses. Those were hard. But she was making progress. She no longer cried herself to sleep every night. And she’d begun eating regular meals, required if she was to do her job. But even she could look in the mirror and see the dark circles under her eyes and a general pallor to her skin. It couldn’t be helped. She was doing the best she could.

  “I’m going to go and get one of Judy’s corn dogs. Would you care for anything, Dr. Hardy?”

  “Thank you, Holly, but Martha sent me with a thermos of coffee and a bunch of lettuce and told me I’d better not set my sights on a dessert.”

  Holly couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  With a couple of cowboys standing watch to ensure her supplies and equipment didn’t grow legs and walk off, she strolled through the crowd, looking at the various vendor booths selling everything from tack to Western-related jewelry. But her focus was on Judy Cooper’s hot dog stand.

  “Hi, Doc.” Judy spotted her in the crowd. “I’ve got that corn dog and homemade lemonade almost ready for you.”

  “Great.” Holly smiled. “It wouldn’t be the annual rodeo were it not for your corn dogs.”

  Leaving a five-dollar bill on the counter, Holly waited for the lemonade to be freshly made.

  “Well, hello, stranger. Long time no see.”

  Holly cringed and turned to face Blake Lufkin.

  “How have you been doing?”

  “Fine. I’ve been good. How about yourself?”

  How long did it take Judy to mix up one glass of lemonade?

  “Is that guy you were hanging around with still around?”

  “No. He had to go back to his SEAL team. But he will be back.” She didn’t know if he would or not, but the least Chance could do was be her excuse to keep this irritating man away.

  “Here ya go, Holly,” Judy said, handing her one dog and a large lemonade.

  “Thanks.”

  “You are entirely welcome.” She then turned to Blake. “Can I help you, sir?”

  Holly didn’t stick around to hear his answer. She was done being nice to the creep. Sipping her lemonade, she made her way back to her medic tent and thanked the cowboys who’d watched it for her.

  “Some guy was by here looking for you,” Larry offered. “About ten minutes ago. I told him you’d gone to get something to eat and would be back.”

  “Thanks, Larry.”

  Great. Now she had people helping the creepy guy track her down.

  Holly pulled up a chair toward the front of the tent so she could catch the evening breeze. She had just finished her corn dog and was sipping the last of her lemonade when Blake walked into her tent and pulled up the other chair next to hers as though he had every right to be there.

  “Enjoy your food?” he asked. “Frankly, I don’t see how you can eat that stuff. How about let’s go into town after the rodeo and grab something decent?”

  “No, thanks. After the events are over I’ll have to get home.”

  “How about if I come over there? Once you get the kid to bed we could watch a movie. I love the Mission Impossible films, so we’ve got that in common.”

  Holly was determined to look unimpressed. “I really don’t like those kinds of movies.”

  “I thought I remembered seeing a box full of them next to the TV.”

  Must belong to Amanda, she mused. Then the deeper meaning of what he’d just said hit her like a blow to the solar plexus. Blake had never been inside her house.

  “So how about that dinner? Anywhere you want. Or we could go to my place and see what we can find there.” Blake stood up, facing her. He leaned forward, his hands resting on the arms of her chair. Too close. But what she saw made her eyes pop out of her head. He was wearing a pendant. When he leaned toward her it swung forward. And Holly grabbed it. It was a pendant made and given to her by a ten-year-old. It had hung in the clinic.

  She saw a moment of surprise in his creepy face. If he left he would destroy the pendant and no one could ever prove he had it. It would be her word against his.

  “I love this pendant,” she said, making her voice a breathless whisper. “It’s beautiful.” She looked up into his eyes as though the bastard had walked out of a dream. Heaven help her.

  The cut-glass charm depicted a mare and foal in a green pasture. It was one of a kind.

  “Oh, Blake.” She let her fingers touch the glass. Flipping it over, she found Toby’s initials. “I don’t suppose the store has any more?” She rose from the chair, purposely standing well within his personal space. Blake had forgotten about the token in her hand, distracted by being this close to Holly. Their faces were inches apart; his breath reeked of alcohol and tobacco, and he generally smelled of someone who hadn’t taken a bath in a very long time. She hoped she didn’t throw up.

  “I’ll tell you what. You have dinner with me and I just might be persuaded to give this little medallion to you. Free.”

  “Really?” she squeaked, keeping up the dumb blonde persona.

  “Well, sure.” He went to hug her and she dropped her napkin accidently on purpose.

  “Oh, Blake, I have to go find the ladies’ room. Oh, I’m so excited. Will you wait for me? Right here? Don’t go anywhere. I might not be able to find you.” She would probably go to hell for the look of love she plastered on her face.

  A disgusting gleam filled his eyes. “Why, sure, Holly. You just take your time. I’ll be right here.”

  She turned after giving him one last smile and stumbled out of the tent. Once out of sight, she ran as if a rabid dog was on her trail. She had to find a deputy, and fast. That necklace had been hanging inside her clinic when it was ransacked. Blake was the culprit.

  The crowd parted and just ahead she saw John Green, the deputy who had come out the night the clinic was almost destroyed.

  At a dead run she fought to catch up with him. “John. Wait!”

  It took two times to make him understand what she was saying. She was panicked that the creep would get away and if that necklace disappeared, they would have no reason to hold him. There might not be any other way to prove he did it.

  She made her way back to the tent with John following close behind her. See spotted Blake sitting back in her chair. Unfortunately, he spotted her at the same time. And John Green. Blake was out of the tent, running toward the parking area like the coward he was. Holly refused to let him go and she took after him. After everything he’d p
ut her through, he was going to pay. She heard John calling her name but she wasn’t about to stop or slow down.

  Blake had disappeared in the parking lot but she had predicted his course. Jumping over parking chains and around bumpers, she managed to get ahead of him, duck down behind a car and wait. Sure enough Blake jogged by, slowing down, obviously thinking he’d lost the cops. He hadn’t lost Holly. She put one foot on the bumper to give her leverage and threw herself on top of the man. He was bigger, older, meaner, but she held on. She dug her fingernails into his face and wrapped her legs around his chunky, stinky body. He was cussing, trying to get free. Holly was like an octopus and held on to him with everything she had. They went down in the loose dirt and still she refused to let go. He managed to get on top. She saw the snarl on his face and his fist lift high in the air, and she braced herself for the pain.

  But it never came.

  She saw strong hands grip Blake’s neck and haul the man off the ground.

  It was Chance!

  Blake took a swing at his captor and Chance flattened him. With one blow. The man was out cold on the ground as John arrived, two deputies in tow.

  Offering his hand, Chance helped Holly to stand.

  “Well, you damn sure know how to enjoy a rodeo,” Chance teased. “The bull riding is on the other side of the fence.”

  She was covered in dirt from her tussle. She would probably have a couple of bruises, but she didn’t care. Chance was here and that creep would soon be behind bars.

  “I can’t let you out of my sight for an instant,” Chance said, trying for a gruff tone but failing miserably. He pulled Holly to him. His lips were on hers, hard, heavy and glorious. In spite of the dirt. In spite of the crowd of curiosity seekers standing around them.

  It took her a few minutes to regain her senses. “What...what are you doing here?”

  “I missed you, Muppet. I had to come back.” His eyes moved over her, top to bottom. “Although I didn’t expect to find you rolling around in the dirt with some scumbag.”