Hot SEAL, Taking the Plunge

by Teresa J. Reasor

  “Nice trick, that power napping. After thirteen hours on a plane, I could have done with one of those naps.” She kicked her shoes off and propped the balls of her feet on the edge of the coffee table, then lowered Reed from her shoulder to her lap. As she rocked him back and forth, he eyed her with the same concentration as he did Eric.

  “He’s looking at you like, who the heck is this woman?”

  Abby laughed and brushed her thumb against his cheek. “You better get used to this face, Sweet Cheeks. I’m your aunt, and I’m going to be around for a long time.”

  “Godmother and aunt.”

  “Godmother?” Abby’s lovely face softened with emotion.

  “Yes. I need as much backup as I can get, because I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  “You know more than you think. You’ve always had a double dose of maternal instinct. Have you chosen a name yet?”

  “Eric Reed Anderson. We’re calling him Reed. He’s named after his papa, of course, and a Marine who encouraged Eric to become a SEAL. He was a SEAL himself, and based on the little I could get Eric to say about him, he was a good influence on him his last two years in high school and kind of took him under his wing. They stayed in touch until his death two years ago. Eric doesn’t have any other family.”

  “None?”

  Rylie shook her head.

  “We’ll take care of that. Just bring him over to my parents’ house with the baby and they’ll adopt them both. Anyone important to you will be important to them.”

  If only her own father were as welcoming. “I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve missed you so much. Was Hong Kong everything you hoped it would be?”

  “Yes, and more. It was the experience of a lifetime, but I missed home. That includes you.”

  “I know.”

  Abby squeezed her forearm. “Tell me what’s going on. I can tell there’s something else worrying you.”

  Abby was going to be so disappointed with the way she handled things—or rather didn’t handle them. “I told you about being on bed rest and having to move in with Dad. He hired his housekeeper to hang out with me.”

  “I bet you hated that.”

  “Juanita was wonderful. But…” She would not cry. “I’ve already told you how he was about my pregnancy. He went on and on and implied that I’d shamed him in some way because I had a life that wasn’t connected to him.”

  Abby’s dark eyes darkened.

  “I slept quite a bit to escape his harangues, and somehow Jack learned Eric’s and my routine. When Eric stopped calling, I thought he must be in the thick of things and couldn’t call, and I was more frightened then than I’ve ever been before. I was scared he wouldn’t make it home to see the baby, let alone be a father to him.”

  Rylie shifted on the couch. “What was actually happening was my father was catching the calls before I could answer them and deleting any record of them, as well as Eric’s messages. I pulled up my call history with the phone company and printed the messages off to prove it. When Eric couldn’t reach me by phone, he wrote me. Even worse, I had my mail forwarded to Jack’s house, and Jack confiscated the letters. I’ve asked him to bring them to me today.”

  Abby remained silent for several seconds. “You tried to tell me how he was, Rylie. But I didn’t understand. All the way through high school he was just the authority figure who moved in and out of your life. I had no idea he was this controlling.”

  “When my gran was alive, she ran interference for me a lot. But now he’s…” She shook her head. “I haven’t told you everything.” To admit the way she kept so much from Eric the whole time he was deployed… He’d probably never trust her again.

  “I really messed up, Abby. And Eric’s angry, upset. Not over the baby. He was on board with that as soon as I showed up at his door. I already told you how great he was during my labor and delivery.”

  Rylie swallowed, her mouth dry. “I didn’t tell him about the baby until he was home. I’d just found out before he was deployed and didn’t have a chance to break the news. And once he was gone… He hadn’t been in touch for almost a month, and by then… The longer I didn’t tell him, the harder it was for me to tell him. I didn’t want him to worry about anything but getting back home. It was enough of a shock for him to see me pregnant, and then suddenly we’re rushing to the hospital, and he’s being everything that’s helpful and supportive, but he’s upset too.”

  For the first time ever, she saw disappointment and a touch of anger in Abby’s eyes. “Rylie…why would you do that to him?”

  “Guys gossip just as much as we do. I was afraid he’d say something to his guys and then they’d say something to their ladies or someone on another team. The teams are like a big family, and they work with each other, know one another… A SEAL’s reputation is everything. I was afraid Jack would find out who Eric was and find a way to punish him.

  “Jack kept asking me who the father was, and I kept refusing to identify him. It turns out he’s known all along and was just seeing how hard he’d have to push before I told him.

  “Earlier, before I got pregnant, I tried to introduce them, because I thought maybe, like you said, maybe once they met, he’d find some common ground and get over this idea he has that I need to marry someone who has prestige and money. And every time, Jack called at the last minute to cancel, saying he was going out of town or something had come up.

  “I don’t think he wanted to meet Eric, because then he’d have to face the man his daughter chose. And it wasn’t going to be anyone good enough, or rich enough, to live up to his expectations.

  “And then, out of the clear blue, Eric was deployed. Without warning.”

  The baby’s cry interrupted them, and Rylie took him in her arms. She unbuttoned her blouse and unfastened the catch at the top of the cup of her nursing bra to offer her breast to him. He latched on with a ferocious wiggle that made Abby laugh. “You look very natural doing that.”

  “I’m building a little confidence the more I do it.” She brushed a thumb over Reed’s cheek.

  “Why don’t you call Eric and have him come home? When your father shows up, the two of you can sit down with him.”

  “I had hoped to do that before Eric’s deployment, but my father thwarted the plan. And now he’s interfered with our relationship and stolen the letters Eric wrote to me, I’m afraid things might get out of hand.” And if he’d read the letters, she would never tell Eric. One more lie through omission to keep the peace.

  “You can’t put yourself between them, Rylie. They’ll tear you apart.”

  “I’m not getting between them, but I owe it to Eric to try and neutralize my father where he’s concerned. He’s Reed’s father, and my baby needs him.”

  “How do you plan to neutralize Jack?”

  “I’m going to try and reason with him.” And if that didn’t work, she’d get him to admit to what he’d done and she’d record him on her phone.

  When Abby put an arm around her and squeezed in close, Rylie fought back tears.

  “I want to help you. Tell me how I can do that.”

  “There’s nothing you can do right now. But later. If things don’t go well….”

  “When is your father supposed to be here?”

  “In about an hour.”

  “After you’ve finished nursing Reed. Why don’t you let me keep an eye on him while you take a shower and get dressed? If you meet your father at the door looking like giving birth was a cakewalk, and show him he’s full of shit when he thinks you can’t run your own show, it might throw him off his stride.”

  Rylie blinked, then grinned. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”

  She adjusted the baby to a more comfortable position and earned a squeak of protest. “While squeaker here is finishing, tell me about the guys you met over there. Anyone going to stay in touch and come over to visit?”

  “Well, there were a couple of really cute guys, but no one who made that ‘big’—she used her fingers t
o make quotation marks—‘oh my god, I can’t live without you’ impression. I was so busy all the time, and when I had the time, I did a lot of sightseeing. It was amazing.”

  “I wish I could have come to visit and gone with you.”

  “I do too.”

  “Are you going back?”

  “No. But…they may send me to New York.”

  “All the way across the country is MUCH closer. Reed and I might be able to make it there.”

  Abby’s arm tightened around her. “Yes, you will. I missed my partner in crime.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Rylie checked the buttons of the loose, calf-length summer dress that buttoned up the front from shin to mid-chest, covering her cleavage. She smoothed her dark hair one last time, touched her lips with gloss she applied with her fingertip, screwed the lid back on tight, then wiped her fingers on a tissue. Other than the small bump of her belly, still swollen from carrying Reed, she looked healthy and normal—partly because she applied her makeup carefully to cover the shadows under her eyes.

  As soon as she entered the living room, Abby set side her phone and said, “You look kick-ass gorgeous.” She hugged her. “I hate to run off, but I have to go. If you need backup, call me. I talked to Mom while you were in the shower, and she’s bringing food over tomorrow. She wants to see the baby, of course, prepare to be spoiled.”

  “She’s been doing that for the last seven months. After I told you about the baby and you called her, she showed up at my door the next day. She let me cry on her shoulder, then gave me a pep talk. And she’s called every day to check on me and Reed. She and I called him little turtle because he was hiding out. I couldn’t have made it without her. I’ve missed Gran so much these past two years. But when I discovered I was pregnant…your mom stepped in and filled the void.”

  “You filled the void for her, too. Her baby girl was gone, and you helped keep her distracted. Bring Eric over. She wants to meet him.”

  She hoped he’d be open to that. “We’ll come over. I promise.”

  The door had barely shut behind Abby when nerves settled in the pit of Rylie’s stomach. She checked the baby, then went into the kitchen to brew some herbal tea.

  Jack had stayed away while she was in the hospital. But now she was home he’d called, wanting to see his grandson. Those were his words. Not the baby. His grandson. He was already staking a claim. Like her baby was part of his military legacy.

  She messaged her temples. She needed to shake off this resentment. It was turning her into someone she didn’t want to be. But her father needed to back off, too.

  She and Eric filed the paperwork at the hospital and put Eric’s name on the birth certificate. They’d get the official certificate from the department of vital statistics in a few weeks, and it was a huge relief to know Eric’s claim on the baby was official.

  She moved to the bassinette to check him. Reed’s tiny feet pushed against the hem of his pale blue gown as he stretched, but he slept soundly.

  When a knock came at the door, dread tightened her stomach.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she murmured, more for herself than Reed. “Grandpa will love you, just like Mommy and Daddy.” Maybe some of that regard would rub off for Eric, too…eventually.

  She moved slowly to answer the door.

  Jack looked surprised to see her dressed, makeup in place, and her hair tied at the back of her neck. “You look—good.”

  He had no idea how tired she was. “Thank you.” She stood back for him to enter and barely managed to control the wince when she moved too quickly. Tender areas of her anatomy let her know she’d been on her feet too much already. “I’ve made some tea. Would you like some?”

  “Sure.” Jack moved to the bassinette to look down at the baby.

  Rylie placed a hand on the counter to steady herself for a moment before going on to the refrigerator and filling two glasses with ice. She poured tea over the ice and carried the glasses into the living room area. Her hand shook as she set one on the coffee table. She eased carefully into one of the chairs and set aside the glass without drinking. She reached for her phone and hit the options she needed to turn the recording feature on.

  Jack turned to face her. “He’s beautiful, Rylie.”

  “I think so too.”

  “Why didn’t you call me when you went into labor?”

  “After all the strange aches and pains, the Braxton Hicks cramps, and all the false starts and stops, I didn’t realize I was in real labor until things got really painful. But even more, because Eric had missed so much of my pregnancy, I needed him to be with me during the labor and delivery. He kept me calm.”

  Jack’s jaw tensed.

  “I love him, Daddy. He’s a good man. I tried to introduce you to him, but you wouldn’t even give him a chance.”

  “I was busy, Rylie.”

  “But you weren’t too busy to take the letters he wrote me or to delete his calls and voice mails from my phone while I was asleep.” She picked up the printout of the calls. “I was able to recover the messages and voice mails he left me. Did you bring the letters?”

  “You really see me as the bad guy here. But I was only trying to save you from unhappiness. SEALs deploy six months out of the year, sometimes longer. They train all the time. You’d be alone for months at a time raising your child. There isn’t much point in being in a relationship if the other person isn’t there to share in it. I want something better for you.”

  “That isn’t for you to choose, Dad. This is my life.” She pointed at her chest with a thumb. “Not yours.”

  “I want you to be happy, Rylie, and you won’t be with Eric. You’ll become someone else because he won’t be there when you need him.”

  “You never were either, Dad, and I did okay, didn’t I?”

  He looked away. “And what about your baby?”

  “Reed. His name is Reed. He needs his father now. And I need them both.” She drew a deep breath. “Eric didn’t even know you were my father until he got back from deployment. I’m ashamed that I held that back from him.

  “He wanted to be the one to call you and tell you about the baby because he’s a stand-up guy. And you couldn’t even speak to him or say ‘congratulations,’ or ‘let’s get together when you and Rylie bring the baby home.’”

  “He probably knew who you were all along, Rylie.”

  She shook her head. “Even if he had, Jack, what could he have hoped to gain from it, other than to be treated like a leper by an admiral?

  “But you knew who he was from the beginning. Did you look in on us while we were sleeping that morning you came by? Recognize him from the base?”

  “No, of course not.” For once she heard sincere outrage in his voice. “His wallet fell out of his jacket pocket when I picked them up off the floor.”

  So, he had known who Eric was, right from the beginning. But at least he hadn’t invaded her privacy as she’d feared.

  “You have to accept that Eric is going to be a part of my life. We have a child together. If you hurt him, you hurt Reed and me.”

  “And just how do you think I might hurt him?”

  “Did you pull strings to deploy him to put distance between us in an attempt to break us up?”

  Jack’s features tightened. “I’m not in the habit of dictating the movements of troops, Rylie. That doesn’t fall into my purview of duties.”

  But he had friends in places who would do it for him. She hadn’t really expected him to admit it. And what if Eric had been killed during deployment? She didn’t want to think about that.

  At his silence she moved on. “You still haven’t given me my letters.”

  “I threw them away.”

  Those words hit her like a slap and tears blurred her vision. She eased to her feet. “I need to lie down. Reed will want to eat again soon.” She went to the bassinette and gathered the baby close.

  Jack stood. “Rylie, I didn’t read t
hem.”

  “What difference does that make? My blood pressure was sky-high, and I was having contractions every other day, and you cut off my lines of communication with the man I love right when I needed to know he was all right.” Her breath was like a sob caught in her throat. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  The baby jerked at the whiplash of her voice and started to cry. She swayed and murmured soothing nonsense to him. When they were both calmer, she turned to face Jack. “I’m asking you to please give Eric a chance. He’s Reed’s father. He’s going to be a part of my life for a long time. I don’t want to have to make a choice between you, because I have to think of what’s best for Reed.”

  For the first time he looked worried. “Does your relationship with me mean so little to you, Rylie?”

  “No, Daddy. I love you. But I can’t live the life you want for me. I have to live the one I want for myself.”

  For a long moment Jack’s gaze rested on her, then the baby. “I love you, Rylie. If he hurts you…I’ll make him wish he’d never met you.”

  His capitulation offered her no sense of victory.

  Because she was fighting for something she might have lost already.

  Eric passed the keys to his new ride to Cowboy, leaned his head back against the headrest of his gently used vehicle, and closed his eyes for a power nap. Being up with the baby every two hours was starting to wear on him, just as it was Rylie.

  Cowboy pulled out behind Pretty Boy’s SUV with the other guys.

  Rylie looked exhausted when he left. He needed to talk her into letting him give the baby a bottle for one of the feedings so she could sleep. With that thought, he dropped off.

  “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” Ringer’s voice brought him back to the surface.

  The harsh sunlight pierced Eric’s eyes and he squinted and threw up a hand to block it.

  “Late night, Viking?” Cowboy asked.

  “Yeah.” Eric reached for the sunglasses hung on the neckline of his shirt and pushed them in place. He climbed out of the SUV and shut the door. “The baby’s keeping us up at night.”