Her Soldier of Fortune

by Michelle Major

  Nate doesn’t know what kind of trouble Bianca is in

  He only knows that he is honor-bound to protect her. He owes her brother that much. And ever since Nate Fortune found out he is related to the world-renowned Texas family, he’s braced for the unexpected. But nothing could have prepared the former navy SEAL for the reappearance of Bianca Shaw. The shy teenager Nate used to know as “Busy Bee” has blossomed into a beautiful young woman—and she’s just arrived at his Paseo ranch with a suitcase and her four-year-old son in tow.

  Bianca isn’t sure she should get lost in the arms of a man whose embrace feels so much like home. Because this soldier’s heart holds secrets, and Bianca wonders if her dreams of family are too good to be true...

  MEET THE FORTUNES!

  Fortune of the Month: Nathan “Nate” Fortune

  Age: 37

  Vital Statistics: Tall, dark and muscle-y; a military man with a cowboy’s heart.

  Claim to Fame: The former navy SEAL is one of the Fortune triplets. But not one of “those” Fortunes—and he wants nothing to do with his notorious relatives.

  Romantic Prospects: We’re pretty sure there is something brewing between him and single mom Bianca Shaw. But it’s...complicated.

  “When I came back to Paseo, I thought I was putting the past behind me. But then Bianca showed up on my doorstep. Eddie’s little sister is not so little anymore, and if she was anybody else, well, I might just sweep her up in my arms and never let her go.

  “But she is Eddie’s little sister, which makes her the very last person I should be interested in. There is so much she doesn’t know about what happened to her brother overseas. And I’m determined that she never find out. Even if it means I have to push her and her little boy, EJ, away...”

  THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: THE RULEBREAKERS—

  Making their own rules for love in the Wild West!

  Dear Reader,

  It’s always such an honor to contribute to the Fortunes of Texas series. I’ve loved getting to know the various branches and generations of the Fortune family over the past few years, as well as working with amazing authors and editors and meeting new readers through these books.

  Nathan Fortune was an especially fun hero to develop—a former navy SEAL, a rancher and one of the three handsome Paseo, Texas, Fortune brothers. A triple threat in more ways than one! But Nate has plenty of issues, both from his military service and the newfound knowledge of his place in the larger Fortune family.

  Bianca Shaw is the perfect heroine to help him navigate the challenges he’s facing, although she’s not without emotional wounds of her own. But despite life’s hard knocks, Bianca is determined to stay positive, both for her son and to bring some happiness into Nate’s life. These two have an instant chemistry but they have plenty to get through on their way to happily-ever-after.

  I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I loved writing it!

  Please come say hi on Facebook (Facebook.com/michellemajorbooks) or at michellemajor.com.

  Happy reading!

  Michelle Major

  Her Soldier of Fortune

  Michelle Major

  Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at michellemajor.com.

  Books by Michelle Major

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Crimson, Colorado

  Sleigh Bells in Crimson

  Romancing the Wallflower

  Christmas on Crimson Mountain

  Always the Best Man

  A Baby and a Betrothal

  A Very Crimson Christmas

  Suddenly a Father

  A Second Chance on Crimson Ranch

  A Kiss on Crimson Ranch

  The Fortunes of Texas: The Secret Fortunes

  A Fortune in Waiting

  The Fortunes of Texas: All Fortune’s Children

  Fortune’s Special Delivery

  The Fortunes of Texas: Cowboy Country

  The Taming of Delaney Fortune

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

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  To the Fortunes of Texas readers—thanks for making me a part of your reading life with these books.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from The Arizona Lawman by Stella Bagwell

  Chapter One

  Nathan Fortune heard car wheels crunching up the driveway through the open kitchen window at his family’s ranch outside the tiny town of Paseo, Texas. It was almost noon, but he’d just made his second pot of coffee for the day.

  Ignoring whoever was stopping by for an unannounced visit, he poured a steaming stream of coffee into a mug, took a big gulp, then promptly spit it into the sink. Grimacing, he grabbed a container of vanilla creamer from the refrigerator and dumped a generous amount into his cup. While it wasn’t up to the standards of his brother’s wife, at least it was palatable.

  He’d never realized he made coffee that tasted like tar until late last spring when Ariana Lamonte arrived on the ranch. Hope sparked inside him that maybe Jayden and Ariana had returned to the ranch from their research trip down to Corpus Christi. They weren’t scheduled to be back until next week, but if they were here now he could definitely convince Ariana to make him a cup of coffee in that fancy espresso maker he and the third triplet, Grayson, had gotten for her last Christmas.

  During his time as a navy SEAL, he’d come to master over a dozen different types of guns, but that shiny machine remained a mystery to him. Ariana loved coffee, and Nate needed caffeine like he needed air when memories of that final mission in Afghanistan kept him up at night. Sometimes he slept like the dead, and even managed to convince himself that he was getting over that last tragic mission. But then he’d wake in a cold sweat, nightmares prodding at him like an insistent finger, making sure he knew he could never move past the way he’d failed the man who had been his best friend.

  The doorbell rang, and he sighed. Definitely not his brother and Ariana. He took another swig of coffee and wiped a sleeve across his mouth, approaching the front door slowly. Most people in Paseo knew Nate well enough to simply call out a greeting and let themselves in. Actually, most people would assume he was out working the land at this time of day. Normally they’d be right, except he’d been up half the night and needed coffee to keep him going—even the kind that tasted like burnt tar.

  He opened the front door almost warily, not sure what to expect. Ever since he and his brothers had discovered that the father they thought had died during their mom’s pregnancy was not only alive, but w
as tech mogul Gerald Robinson, and more specifically Jerome Fortune, there was no telling who might show up on Nate’s doorstep. Jerome Fortune had faked his own death over thirty years ago, shortly after a fight with Nate’s mom, to make a break with his own controlling father, but as Gerald Robinson, he not only had eight legitimate children with his wife, Charlotte, but a host of illegitimate offspring.

  Nothing could have prepared Nate for his body’s reaction to the woman who stood on his front porch, glancing around like she was more than a little lost. He didn’t recognize her, although there was something familiar in the big brown eyes that looked into his. What was wholly unfamiliar was the sharp prick of desire that stabbed him as he took in her delicate features—those molten chocolate eyes, a pert nose and lips that looked almost bee-stung in fullness despite being pressed into a tight line.

  Her hair was thick and dark like her eyes, tumbling around her shoulders. She wore a plain white T-shirt over faded jeans, and Nate swallowed as his gaze took in the perfect curve of her breasts and hips. He promptly cursed himself for his line of thought. Here was a stranger at his front door, and he was ogling her like some sort of randy teenager instead of a grown man of thirty-seven.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, hoping he sounded more polite than lecherous.

  “Hi, Nate,” she said softly. “How are you?”

  “Um...fine.” He took off his Stetson, slapping it against his thigh, and ran a hand through his hair with his other hand. “Do I know you?”

  The woman flashed a shy smile. “I’m Bianca Shaw. Eddie’s sister. Don’t you remember me?”

  Nate lifted one hand to grip the doorframe, whether to steady himself or to keep himself from reaching for Bianca, he couldn’t say. The beautiful woman in front of him was Eddie’s little sister?

  “Busy Bee,” he murmured, repeating the nickname Eddie’d used for his younger sister.

  She gave a short laugh. “I haven’t had someone call me that since...” Her voice trailed off as her hands clenched in tight fists at her side.

  “I’m sorry about Eddie,” he offered, the words tasting like dust in his mouth. “He died a hero.” Nate cleared his throat. “If it helps.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, and swiped her fingers across her cheek.

  The familiar regret and blame churned through his stomach, turning the coffee he’d drunk to acid in his belly. Eddie Shaw had been like a brother to him. They’d met their first day of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training—more routinely known as BUD/S. Although as a triplet, Nate had always been close to his brothers, he’d formed an immediate bond with the stocky, wisecracking soldier that was just as strong.

  From the few times he’d been to Eddie’s mom’s cramped apartment in San Antonio, he remembered Eddie’s sister as a gangly teenager who giggled at everything and constantly tried to tag along with the brother who was nine years older than her. Eddie had been infinitely patient with Bianca, and even when they were stationed overseas or on a ship, he’d always taken the time to answer her overly perfumed letters and all the silly questions she asked about life as a navy SEAL.

  “You’re here in Paseo,” he said, stating the obvious because his brain felt about five steps behind the reality of whatever was happening right now.

  “I’m here,” she echoed and bit down on her bottom lip, her gaze skittering away from his like she was nervous about something. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

  Nate had met people from all over the world and all different walks of life during his stint in the US Navy. He’d become something of an expert on reading body language, and from the splotches of color blooming on Bianca’s cheeks to the rigid set of her thin shoulders to the tiny breath she blew out as if her lungs couldn’t handle Paseo’s clean air, Nate would have sworn on everything he had that the woman standing in front of him was in trouble.

  Eddie’s sister was in trouble. The brother-in-arms whom Nate had failed to save during their last mission wouldn’t have let that happen. Neither would Nate. All he had left of Eddie were memories and the guilt that burned his gut. But he could honor Eddie by taking care of Bianca. It was the only thing he had left to offer.

  He pushed aside his reaction to her, pretended he didn’t feel attraction pulsing through him like a drum beat and tried to see her as the girl she’d once been. Eddie’s baby sister. That was all she could ever be to Nate.

  “What do you need, Bianca?” he asked, wishing suddenly he was a different kind of man. One who could give her everything she wanted and more.

  * * *

  Bianca’s breath whooshed out in a shuddery rush at Nathan Fortune’s simple question.

  The summer she was five years old, new renters had moved into the tiny apartment next door to the cramped space where Bianca lived with her mom and Eddie. The walls in the run-down complex were paper-thin, and the young couple stayed up late with friends, music thumping so loud it would make the pictures on the wall vibrate. Bianca’s mom had quickly become a regular at the all-night parties, and Bianca would often wake in the middle of the night to laughter or voices yelling out or other strange noises she didn’t understand at the time.

  She’d tiptoe from her tiny bedroom across the hall to where Eddie slept and listen to his regular breathing. When Bianca complained about the noise, her mom told her to plug her ears with toilet paper, but that never worked. She’d creep closer to the mattress Eddie slept on. Bianca had a real headboard for her twin bed, but Eddie only had a mattress pushed up against one wall.

  Her brother always seemed to know when she was coming because by the time her knobby knees hit the threadbare covers, he’d sigh and ask, “What do you need, Bianca?” at the same time he’d lift one corner of the sheet so she could crawl in next to him.

  She never had to answer the question out loud because Eddie always knew what she needed without her even saying it. There in the dark, with her big brother next to her, Bianca would fall back asleep. With Eddie at her side, it didn’t matter what was happening in the apartment next door. Eddie would keep her safe.

  She was a big girl now and had been taking care of herself for enough time to know she didn’t need to rely on anyone. Everyone except Eddie had disappointed or abandoned her, so she’d quickly learned to stand on her own two feet. But recently she’d lost her footing as the angry hurricane of her life pummeled her from all sides. Now when she laid awake in the wee hours of the night, the only thing she wished was not to be so alone.

  It was as if the universe had heard her silent plea and answered her need with Nathan Fortune. He stood in front of her, strong and sure, exactly the opposite of how Bianca felt. He was muscled and clearly in shape, his shoulders broad beneath the fabric of the chambray shirt he wore. His skin was tanned from the sun, despite the wide brim of his hat, and she could see a faint patchwork of lines fanning out from his light brown eyes when he smiled.

  He was a few inches taller than Eddie had been but not so much that he towered over her. In fact, it looked as though she’d fit perfectly tucked underneath his shoulder. She locked her knees to keep from stepping into him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist and burying her face in his shirtfront.

  “Now that you mention it,” she said with an awkward little laugh, “I was hoping I might stay with you for a few days.” She swallowed and added, “A week or two at the longest.” She glanced to either side of the farmhouse’s wraparound porch, as though the house itself might offer up an answer.

  The ranch was just as Eddie had described it, with huge fields and rolling hills in the distance. The house was a charming, if modest, two-story stone structure with picture windows and faded trim that gave it a settled-in, well-loved look. “If you have room and it’s not too much of an inconvenience.”

  “Are you in trouble?”

  His gaze was unreadable as he studied her.

  Yes, she was in big trouble because she
’d sought out Nate in place of her brother, but her reaction to him was both unexpected and dangerous, as it threatened to overwhelm her at a time when she was already holding on to her composure by a thin thread.

  “No,” she answered immediately, which she figured they both knew was a lie. “I just need a break from my life—a fresh start. Eddie thought of you as family, so I came to, as well. Even though you’re practically a stranger. He talked a lot about coming to visit Paseo between deployments. He really enjoyed his time on the ranch. So I thought—”

  She sucked in a breath when Nate reached out and placed his fingertip against her lips. “You can stay here as long as you want, Bianca. Eddie was my family in every way that counts. In some weird way, that makes you my little sister.”

  Bianca opened her mouth to argue. There were a hundred things she wanted from Nate, but for him to think of her as his little sister darn sure wasn’t one of them. But she needed a place to stay more than she cared to admit, so she simply leaned forward and gave him a small hug, the way she’d done with Eddie all the time. It was a test, she told herself, to see if she could ignore the way he made butterflies dance across her stomach. To see if she could pretend she didn’t notice his rock-hard abs when her fingers brushed his shirtfront or how good he smelled—like soap and the outdoors.

  She managed it pretty well and didn’t even let the soft whimper that bubbled up in her throat escape into the charged air between them.

  Instead she gave him one last pat on the back and stepped away, surprised to find him staring down at her like she’d just grabbed his butt.

  “I’m alone here,” he blurted. “At the ranch.”

  “Okay,” she answered with a shrug.

  “My brother Grayson is touring with the rodeo and Mom manages his career, so she’s with him. Jayden and his wife won’t be back until next week.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Whenever Eddie was here, we had a full house.”

  She nodded. “I think he was jealous that you were a triplet. He always wanted a brother or two. I look forward to meeting your family.”