'Tis the Season for Romance

by Kristen Proby

  He holds my stare a long moment before he swallows hard. “You’re pregnant.”

  “Yes.” I choke back tears as I try to read his reaction.

  “We’re having a baby.” Since I can’t seem to speak, I nod with tears falling from my eyes, and then before I can prepare, he drops to his knees in front of me and rests his forehead against my stomach.

  “Are you happy?” I ask, slipping my fingers through his hair while his arms wrap around my hips.

  His head tips back, and his gaze locks with mine. The look on his face says without words exactly how he feels, but then he makes it even better when he growls, “I’m happier than any man has the right to be.”

  “Really?”

  “Baby, you’ve given me and the boys everything, and now you’re giving us more.” He stands and holds me against his chest, and as I soak in his strength, I hope he knows he’s given me everything too.

  Chapter 13

  Christmas Morning

  Mia

  * * *

  “I know I shouldn’t say it, but honey, you really did go overboard with gifts for everyone,” I tell Talon while I help him lug gift bags and wrapped presents out to the Jeep. I’ve never met anyone as into Christmas as he is, from decorating the inside and outside of the house, to Christmas music playing constantly, and shopping for gifts, he’s been in the holiday spirit since the day we finished off the Thanksgiving leftovers. Heck, he even decorated his Jeep with reindeer horns and a big red nose.

  “It’s my favorite holiday.” He turns to the bags I’m holding, and I fight back a smile as I check him out. He’s lucky he’s so hot, because if not, the ugly sweater he’s wearing with the lit-up tree and dancing elves might make him look as crazy as the matching one I have on does on me.

  And no, I didn’t think it would be cute to buy us matching sweaters. He surprised me with this obnoxious gift this morning when I was getting dressed, and the look on his face told me that he would be upset if I decided not to wear it.

  “Besides, we have a lot of nieces and nephews, so I didn’t go overboard.”

  “You didn’t go overboard,” I repeat, not even trying to hide the disbelief in my tone. “What exactly would be going overboard in your book?”

  He eyes me for a moment then shoves the rest of the bags into the trunk without a word before taking my hand and leading me toward one of the large sheds near the side of the house.

  “Please don’t tell me there are more toys in there,” I mutter while he unlocks the padlock.

  “There is a toy in here,” he says, sliding open the door, and it takes a minute to register what I’m looking at. Glancing behind me, I look at his Jeep then its twin sitting inside the shed with a big red bow wrapped around the hood. “Do you like it?” He leans against the edge of the door, crossing his arms over his chest.

  My heart starts to pound as my stomach flips with giddy excitement. “You didn’t….”

  “Didn’t what?” he asks, and I focus on him. “Get you a Jeep, so I can actually drive mine every once in a while?”

  “You’re serious?” I ask, and at his nod, I launch myself at him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. “You’re crazy.” I cup his cheeks. “So insanely crazy. Thank you.”

  “Do you still think I’m going overboard?”

  Laughing, I tell him the truth. “Yes, and now you’ll never be able to top this gift.”

  “We’ll see.” He shrugs, making me laugh, and I drop my forehead to his. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

  “Merry Christmas.” I press my mouth to his as snow begins to fall around us, making the moment a little more magical.

  Chapter 14

  Christmas Dinner

  James Mayson

  * * *

  Sitting at the head of the table with my wife at my side, I look at my boys, their wives, my grandchildren, and great-grandbabies. Today and every day, I hope everyone in the world is as lucky as we are to be surrounded by family, acceptance, and love—three things that cost nothing but mean everything.

  * * *

  Merry Christmas

  Other Books By Aurora Rose Reynolds

  The Until Series

  Until November Until Trevor Until Lilly

  Until Nico Second Chance Holiday

  Underground Kings Series

  Assumption Obligation Distraction Infatuation

  Until Her Series

  Until July Until June Until Ashlyn Until Harmony Until December

  Until Him Series

  Until Jax Until Sage Until Cobi -Until Tallon

  Shooting Stars Series

  Fighting to Breathe Wide-Open Spaces One last Wish

  Fluke my life series

  Running into love Stumbling into love Tossed into love Drawn Into Love

  * * *

  How To Catch An Alpha

  Catching him Baiting Him Hooking Him

  * * *

  Falling Fast

  * * *

  Alpha Law CA ROSE

  Justified Liability

  Finders Keepers

  * * *

  Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose wildly popular series include Until, Until Him, Until Her, and Underground Kings.

  Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.

  To keep up to date on what’s happening join the Alpha Mailing List. https://bit.ly/2GXYsVS

  To order signed books go to https://AuroraRoseReynolds.com

  E-mail at Auroraroser@gmail.com.

  Instagram @Auroraroser,

  Facebook AuthorAuroraRoseReynolds

  Twitter @Auroraroser

  Shielding Jayme

  Susan Stoker

  Shielding Jayme

  * * *

  Delta Team Two, Book 4

  * * *

  by Susan Stoker

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 by Susan Stoker

  No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Edited by Kelli Collins

  Cover Design by AURA Design Group

  Manufactured in the United States

  Introduction

  After a decade of hard work and dedication, Jayme Caldwell’s dreams of a Seattle bakery are whisked out from under her. She’s licking her wounds in Killeen, Texas, living with her memaw, Winnie, while contemplating her future. Of course, Memaw knows exactly the kind of future her granddaughter needs…and it starts with a handsome young man she tricks into having dinner with Jayme. She’d be upset…if the man wasn’t something straight out of any red-blooded woman’s fantasies.

  * * *

  Rocket Long never suspected the sweet little old lady he’d befriended at the grocery store would turn out to be a conniving matchmaker, cleverly setting him up with her beloved granddaughter. But once he lays eyes on Jayme, Rocket can’t be too upset. Especially when, at forty, he’d already given up on finding “the one.” Suddenly, the love and family he’d all but given up on could be his for the taking.

  * * *

  But life is precious. And short. And happiness can be snatched away in the space of a br
eath. All things Rocket may discover the hard way…before he even gets his ring on Jayme’s finger.

  * * *

  ** Shielding Jayme is a novella in the Delta Team Two Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

  Chapter 1

  “You’re acting weird, Memaw, what’s up?” Jayme Caldwell asked, eyeing her grandmother with suspicion. Winnie Morrison was one of Jayme’s favorite people in the world. She was ninety-one years old but acted like a woman thirty years younger. She was a busy-body, but no one got upset with her for butting into their business because she was so nice about it. She never met a stranger, and it wasn’t unlike her to invite said strangers to her house for a cup of tea.

  Jayme had moved down to Killeen, Texas, to live with her grandmother while she decided what she wanted to do with her life. She thought she’d found, or been building a perfect life in Seattle, but that hadn’t worked out…and it was also the reason she was now floundering trying to figure out what to do next.

  “Nothing’s up,” Winnie said, not quite meeting Jayme’s eye.

  Sighing, Jayme decided not to push. She’d find out soon enough what had her grandmother acting so odd. She kept looking down at her phone and smiling. Jayme had bought her the iPhone a year and a half ago so she could more easily keep in touch with their family, and she was worse than a teenager; constantly checking her texts and sending crazy memes to all her friends.

  “Is dinner still going to be ready at six?” Winnie asked.

  “Yup. Why, got a hot date?” Jayme teased. She’d offered to make dinner for her memaw. She loved cooking, but hadn’t had a chance lately to go all out. But tonight was the night. She’d prepared Caesar salad with homemade dressing, spinach artichoke dip with crackers, chicken parmesan stuffed shells, and her specialty Butterfinger cake for dessert. Of course, she also couldn’t resist making a loaf of banana bread, as well as Memaw’s favorite…old fashioned peanut butter cookies.

  Baking made everything seem right in Jayme’s world…even when it was actually falling apart around her. When she was in the kitchen, all her stress seemed to fall away…and she could forget for a while why she’d moved to Texas to live with her grandmother.

  “It smells delicious in here, love,” Winnie said as she came up beside Jayme and put her arm around her. Jayme wasn’t tall, but even at only five-five, she towered over her memaw. Winnie was only five-one but because of her outgoing personality, she seemed a lot taller.

  “Thanks,” Jayme said, flushing with pride. One of her favorite things in the world was feeding people. It satisfied something deep within her.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs and change,” Winnie suggested.

  “Change?” Jayme asked in confusion, looking down at herself. She had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The apron over her clothes was covered in flour and other smears of food. She wasn’t the neatest cook, but no one had ever complained after they’d tasted what she’d made.

  “Yeah. Maybe put on that sundress you were wearing when you got here. It’s cute and looks great on you.”

  Jayme wrinkled her brow. “But it’s just us. Why would I dress up?”

  Her memaw shrugged. “I don’t know, why not? I put on one of my favorite dresses.”

  Jayme nodded. She hadn’t wanted to ask her grandmother why she’d gussied up; she was eccentric on her best days. And she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to change. She’d learned over the years that it was easier to humor her memaw than argue with her.

  Wiping her hands, Jayme put the dishtowel down on the counter and headed for the stairs to her bedroom. Winnie didn’t have a lot of space in her house, but that suited her just fine. She had a housecleaner who came in once a week to help keep things clean and tidy, and she’d said more than once that she didn’t need a huge house. Then she’d winked and told Jayme that if she ever moved, she’d no longer be able to ogle the hot Army soldier who regularly mowed her lawn.

  Jayme shook her head as she took off her shirt and jeans. Her grandmother was hilarious, and she dreaded the time when she wouldn’t be in her life anymore. No one understood her like Memaw did. Not even her parents.

  Jayme had already tried to explain to her mom how she felt about what had happened back in Seattle, but Mom didn’t understand what the big deal was.

  After slipping the red sundress with white polka dots over her head, she sat on the edge of her bed and sighed.

  Thinking about the bakery that she’d thought would be hers one day was depressing. She’d worked her ass off at The Gingerbread House for a decade. Jayme had been assured that when the owner retired, she was going to sell it to her. Claire was a sweet old woman who loved baking as much as Jayme did.

  But three months ago, she’d pulled Jayme aside and informed her that her nephew would be taking over the bakery.

  Shaking her head and trying to banish the thoughts of how horrible the last three months had been, Jayme stood and went into the bathroom in the hallway. Staring at her reflection, she couldn’t help but wince. She looked rough. Her cheeks were pale and the dark circles under her eyes made it clear that she wasn’t sleeping well. Her light brown locks were in disarray, having been thrown up in a messy bun to keep them out of her face while she cooked.

  Jayme took out the scrunchie and quickly brushed her hair. It was thick, and most of the time a pain in the butt to deal with. The ends curled around her breasts, which Jayme thought were too big for her frame. The sundress hugged her curves as well, making her a little uncomfortable, but since it would just be her and her grandmother tonight, Jayme left off the wrap she usually wore to try to hide behind.

  Standing up straight, Jayme took a deep breath. She wasn’t exactly ready to walk a red carpet, but she begrudgingly admitted the dress was flattering. Jayme was working on her self-confidence, in all aspects of her life. Losing the chance to own her own bakery had been a blow to her self-esteem. She was a damn good baker, and cook, and was happy to spend as much time with her memaw as she could.

  Not bothering to put on makeup—she was drawing a line there—Jayme turned and headed for the stairs once more. She needed to check on the stuffed shells and stir the dressing. The smell of freshly baked cookies permeated the air, making Jayme smile as she headed for the kitchen.

  Stopping in her tracks at the edge of the small room, Jayme blinked in confusion.

  Her memaw was in the kitchen—along with a man Jayme had never seen before.

  “Oh, here she is!” Memaw said brightly. “Come in and meet Rocket, love.”

  Rocket? Jayme was immediately confused, but she stepped forward politely.

  “This is Rocket Long. I met him at the grocery store, and he was kind enough to help me to my car with all my parcels. He works on the Army base here as a helicopter mechanic. He’s stopped by a few times to see how I’m getting along.”

  Looking up at the tall man standing beside her grandmother, Jayme had to force herself not to turn tail and run.

  He was absolutely gorgeous.

  At least a foot taller than her, the man had black hair with a bit of gray at the temples and a sexy five o’clock shadow. His lips were full and currently quirked upward in a small smile. He had a square jaw, brown eyes the color of semi-sweet chocolate…and he smelled delicious. Like citrus. She assumed it was either his shampoo or his soap. Whatever it was, it made her want to bury her nose in the crook of his neck.

  “Um…hi,” Jayme said a little shyly, feeling intimidated by the good-looking man.

  “And this is my granddaughter, Jayme Caldwell. She just moved here from Seattle. She’s an amazing baker. Just wait until you taste her pastries. They’re to die for.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Rocket said with a nod in her direction.

  Jayme gave him a small smile, feeling immensely uncomfortable. She was great with strangers when she was working, not hesitating to offer suggestions as to what treat to try and explaining the ingredients in the delicacies she made, but socially, she’d alway
s been awkward. Never knowing what to say or do around people she’d just met.

  Memaw’s phone trilled with the chime she’d downloaded for her text messages. Looking at her phone, she frowned. “Oh, dear,” she said.

  “What, what’s wrong?” Jayme asked, concerned.

  “Nothing. I just forgot that I said I’d go with Maude to bingo tonight. She’s here now to pick me up. I’m so sorry, love. Rocket, you’ll stay and keep my granddaughter company, won’t you? She made this big meal and it shouldn’t go to waste.”

  Jayme’s face flamed. Darn it. She knew her memaw’d had something up her sleeve. Asking her to change into her sundress, to fix a grand meal for them tonight. She’d totally set this up! There was no way she’d forgotten about bingo with her friend. Winnie had a mind like a steel trap. She might be old, but her mind was as sharp as ever.

  “Well, I—”

  “She worked on dinner all afternoon,” Winnie said, not letting Rocket graciously get out of the meal. “I’ll be back by nine or ten. Don’t wait up!”

  Then she put a hand on Jayme’s arm and stood on tiptoe to kiss her on the cheek. “Have fun,” she whispered, winked, then turned and headed for the front door without a backward glance.

  Jayme pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. She turned to the man still standing in her memaw’s kitchen, looking out of place and completely dwarfing his surroundings. He smiled at her, and Jayme almost melted right there. The man was way too good-looking for her own good.